Chapter 102: the only one of his kind

"WHY is cold-face still not here?" asked Luo Jin with a bit of impatience in his tone.  "Don't tell me he's putting make-up on?"

The four other members of Yunyue were all waiting at the entrance hall of the palace.  It was because today was the date of the annual party of the King of Arcadia.

Since they needed to be at Black Lake by six o'clock in the evening, both Luo Yan and Luo Jin had an early dinner.  Although their father and older brother were both a bit displeased by that.  But at the end, they still gave in and let them have their way.  Or more accurately, both father and son couldn't say 'no' to Luo Yan.

Bai Ze put his hand on Luo Jin's head and messed up his hair.  "Xiao Jin, I told you not to call our captain that."

Luo Jin swiped away his cousin's hand.  "Stop that, Brother Ze!"

"Just let him call Ji Yun whatever way he wanted.  It's not as if Ji Yun cares," Su Yuqi said with her usual indifferent voice.

"Hey, Su Yuqi, I've been noticing this these past few days, but aren't you taking Xiao Jin's side too often?  We've been friends for five years, you've only been doing task with this kid for a few days and yet you're already showing favoritism?"

Luo Jin, on the side, blushed for no reason when he heard what Bai Ze said.  Then he stopped.  What was he blushing for?  Because Su Yuqi was showing favoritism towards him?  That's not good enough reason.  Then was it because he had a good impression of Su Yuqi?  After all, she's not the least bit annoying.  Unlike all the other girls he'd met so far.

From grade school up until now, all the girls he'd come in contact with were annoying as hell.  When he was in grade school, they would force him to play with them.  He would ignore them at first, but then, that didn't really work, they would still continuously pull him.  So he would shout for them to stop.  Then they would suddenly cry, as if everything was his fault.  When clearly it's theirs!

Then when he reached middle school, those girls evolved and became much more annoying.  They would paint their faces and then put on those nauseating perfumes.  Then asked him if he could date them.  Why would he even want to do something like that?  In the first place, they're minors who hadn't even undergone puberty and yet they're already thinking of having a boyfriend?  Truly shameful!

Luo Jin thought that was already the worse, but when he reached high school, he was proven wrong again.  Those girls became manipulative creatures who acted like they're the kindest and sweetest girl but behind everyone's back, they're all nothing but bullies who had princess complex.  They all wanted to get close to him just because his surname was 'Luo'.  He seriously had enough of those kinds of girls.

Compared to those girls, Su Yuqi was like a breath of fresh air.  That's all.  There's nothing more than that.

Luo Yan, who was standing beside Luo Jin, noticed the face of his brother turning red.  He looked at him with interest.  He bent down so he could whisper on Luo Jin's ear, "Ah Jin, why are you blushing?  Are you perhaps happy that Sister Yuqi favors you?"

Luo Jin's face became even redder when he suddenly heard what his second brother said.  "O-of course not!  Keep your voice down or she might hear you!" he whispered back.

"Hmm… if Ah Jin says so," Luo Yan smiled and said in a teasing tone.

"Ah!  Is this the camaraderie between players with pipsqueak avatars?" Bai Ze said. 

Luo Jin's blush immediately turned to black lines when he heard that.  While Su Yuqi only gave Bai Ze the look.

"Su Yuqi, you're looking at me like that again," Bai Ze said, clearly dissatisfied.  She's looking at him like he's only a single celled organism.

"Because you deserve it," Su Yuqi simply said. 

"You—"

"Now, now, we shouldn't fight," Luo Yan said walking between the two.  Then he turned to Bai Ze.  "Okay, Brother Ze?"

Bai Ze looked at his cousin, his big blue eyes dusted with gold were glistening.  As if silently asking him not to bicker with Su Yuqi anymore.  "Okay," he could only say.

Luo Yan smiled.  Then he turned to Su Yuqi.  "Sister Yuqi, I've been meaning to ask this, but can I know what Sister's race is?"

He was truly curious.  He'd been thinking that it must be a fairy because of her avatar's stature and the wings behind her back.  But when he searched the forums, fairies had different wings shape.

"I'm a pixie."

Oh, a pixie, huh?  Luo Yan could actually see why her avatar's design could be considered a pixie.  "No wonder Sister Yuqi looks so pretty and magical."

He actually wanted to say 'cute' but Su Yuqi might not like that.

Su Yuqi's cheeks showed a faint blush.  Hearing someone calling her 'pretty', especially coming from such a good-looking kid, was actually a bit embarrassing.  "En."

Luo Yan looked at Luo Jin.  "Ah Jin also thinks so, right?"

Luo Jin turned slightly red and then frowned at his brother.  "W-what are you asking me for?"

He glanced at Su Yuqi's faintly blushing cheeks and then immediately looked away.

Luo Yan didn't have time to tease his brother more because of the sudden distortion in the air.  A sign that someone was about to appear.  Which, in this case, could only be Shen Ji Yun.

The figure that appeared in front of them, truly shocked Luo Yan.

Shen Ji Yun was wearing a black kimono-like robe with purple golden clouds etched at the bottom.  It was over a dark violet turtle necked shirt – the color of the violet was so deep that it almost looked black at one glance – and a pair of black plants that were ripped at the knees.  It was matched with a pair of black boots.  His get-up might not be that extraordinary or flashy but it suited well for his temperament.

He had long dark purple hair, three inches of its tips were tinted silver.  He still had the same cold handsome face.  The only difference were his eyes.  It was the color of dark amethyst.  Its edges were rimmed with gold.  His extraordinary eyes had vertical pupils that could only belong to a beast.  And on top of his head, there was a pair of golden antler-shaped horns.

These added features only made Shen Ji Yun looked even more attractive.  Like a beautiful gem polished with sharp edges.  You wanted to touch it.  But you would immediately be hurt once you did.

"Are you surprised, Xiao Yan?" asked Bai Ze on Luo Yan's side.  "Ji Yun's real avatar is a Qilin.  The only one of his kind in the whole game."

Luo Yan glanced back at Shen Ji Yun.

A Qilin?