CH 95

After contacting Wang Taidi, Xiao Lan hung up.

He saw that it was still early in the morning and it was not the time to sleep, so he might as well go to the training ground and practise.

After saying hello to Luo he headed straight for the training ground.

Xiao Lan chose his opponent straight away and started to fight. He felt that he had been getting stronger a bit faster recently, probably since he had cleared flat 404, even though he hadn't increased his poverty level much recently but his physique was improving by leaps and bounds.

It made him wonder a little if he was just gifted?

With the opponent that always knocked him over before [Bones of Dalet] came into the game, this Xiao Lan took care of without much effort, and then he switched to a more powerful opponent and began another round of being torn between being knocked down and whacked.

While leaving the training ground, Xiao Lan met an unexpected person - Qi Ning.

Qi Ning is still wearing his black trench coat, the same beak mask that he refuses to take off, his snow-coloured hair standing out in the crowd, and a retro leather case in his hand. The man's preference for a suitcase is as maverick as his style.

The only difference is that today he has an extra pendant around his neck.

His whole person carried an aura so alien to his surroundings that players who recognised him nearby couldn't help but avoid his side, and for a while a vacuum appeared around him.

Qi Ning is walking out of the training ground, oblivious to the frightened or wary looks around him, looking as if he has just returned from a walk with a leisurely pace and relaxed posture.

It was just as well that he saw Xiao Lan, so he slowly stepped forward and said in his voice, which was a little weak with lack of breath, "Hello again, Xiao Lan."

Xiao Lan wasn't surprised that Qi Ning knew his name, after all, he was an advanced player and it wasn't difficult to find out about people.

Xiao Lan nodded at him as a greeting, "It's been a long time, I didn't expect to see you here."

Qi Ning said with a rare smile in her voice, "I too need to rest, after all life is fragile and the ultimate pleasure can only be enjoyed once, but here I can recall the past pleasures countless times."

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With that his hand gestured in a cutting motion with a scalpel.

It is easy to think of what exactly it is that he wants to cut.

It turned out that he had come to the training ground just to choose to fight against the wanted men he had once killed, and then to experience the feeling of killing each other again.

Qi Ning's joy is truly out of the realm of mundane pleasures, a level of sophistication beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Xiao Lan Black Line: "You call this ...... rest ......"

"Heh heh ......" Qi Ning laughed lowly and extended an invitation to Xiao Lan, "Since we met by chance, want to go for a cup of coffee and chat? It's on me."

Xiao Lan was really surprised this time, he thought this man would only appear on the road hunting wanted criminals, how come today he not only saw him in the training ground, but also had the leisure to drink coffee?

I'm afraid I'm not being spiritually penetrated.

Brother are you serious when you say you want coffee with this mask on?

Seeing Xiao Lan's surprised face, Qi Ning added, "You can't hurt each other in player quarters anyway, and you're not my target type, so don't worry about me going after you."

Xiao Lan wasn't worried that Qi Ning would make a move on him, but Qi Ning's perversity today had piqued his curiosity and he nodded, "Yes."

Xiao Lan expected Qi Ning to take him to some medieval underground cafe, probably decorated with coffins and candles, but instead Qi Ning took him to a minimalist and stylishly decorated gamer cafe around the corner, with lots of plants.

Both men ordered what they wanted separately.

The Player's Shop is not as fast as the System Shop as things are made from scratch by players, but players mostly choose this place just to experience the manual service and don't mind waiting a little longer.

While waiting for the coffee to arrive, Qi Ning casually chats with Xiao Lan: "I'm amazed at how quickly you've upgraded."

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Xiao Lan recalled that it had been about three months since he had entered the Advent world, and he asked, "What, three months is considered fast?"

Qi Ning looked over at him with one hand propped on his head, "Do you know how long the average player stays in primary?"

Xiao Lan shook his head, he really wasn't sure about this.

Qi Ning: "The average is about six months, but of course this refers to those who survive. Beginner players generally enter the game at a frequency of 3-7 days a game, which means they have to go through at least 25 or 6 games before they can upgrade."

"Those promoted in 10 games or less are very highly touted potential seeds."

"What about you? I'm guessing no more than five games."

Xiao Lan raised his eyebrows slightly, he didn't expect his upgrade speed to be so amazing among gamers, no wonder he had caught the attention of Reincarnation.

Qi Ning looked out the window at the crowd: "The last time I saw such a talented player was Wang Ke."

Xiao Lan asked, "Do you know Wang Ke well?"

Qi Ning: "Not really, but the Wang family brothers were very famous. They were both underage when they entered the game, but Wang Ke was so ruthless and daring that he was able to level up very quickly and attracted a lot of attention at the time, and many organisations tried to recruit him but were turned down."

"Later on, as Wang Ke became more and more famous, everyone noticed Wang Taidi. Wang Ke was obviously very strong but had to take a useless brother, even giving almost all of his high level props to his brother, and the reason he didn't join the players' group was because he was afraid that someone would lay a hand on Wang Taidi during the group's infighting. Everyone knows, don't touch Wang Taidi because Wang Ke will fight you to the death."

"This is rare in the Advent world. What is most common here is brothers turning against each other and lovers betraying each other, and the two of them are so special that many people are secretly taunting Wang Ke and calling him stupid."

Xiao Lan asked him in return, "What about you?"

"Me?" Qi Ning seemed to smile, "I'm looking forward to how they'll end up."

Xiao Lan: "You don't seem to think too highly of them?"

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Qi Ning hit the nail on the head when he said, "Wang Ke is too protective of his brother and as Wang Taidi escalates, the pressure on him is bound to increase and there will come a time when he will not be able to cope."

Xiao Lan was silent because Qi Ning was right. Wang Taidi could take Wang Ke with him when he was a beginner, maybe at the intermediate level, but what about at the advanced level?

Qi Ning suddenly changed the subject, "What do you think of indentured players?"

Xiao Lan looked at him, "I think I might not choose to become a contracted player if becoming a contract means never being able to here."

Qi Ning: "Aren't you excited about the power of indentured players?"

Xiao Lan: "Of course the power is heartwarming, but the cost is too high to make it worthwhile."

Qi Ning suddenly laughed lowly, "Hahahahahahahaha ...... Yeah, so many people forget that the reason we are where we are is because of Advent World, but they are actively becoming part of Advent World in order to survive, which is just more than standard for the tiger. "

His laugh was low and muffled, with a certain airy weakness, as if he was trying to squeeze all the air out of his lungs, and one wondered if he might have a fit from it.

Yet the bodies of advanced players, even if they look lean, are actually extremely resilient.

At this point, the coffee they ordered finally arrived late.

Xiao Lan lifted his glass and took a sip of his cold extract: "You're disgusted with the Advent world?"

In front of Qi Ning is a latte with a fat Du Du cat on the top, which doesn't match his cold appearance at all.

Qi Ning saw the coffee in front of her but didn't mean to drink it, instead she reached out and gently fondled her necklace, "Disgusted, of course ......"

Xiao Lan noticed the necklace once again, and Qi Ning treated it with the utmost care, not even carrying it with her when she entered the game.

Noticing Xiao Lan's gaze, Qi Ning handed over the necklace, "Want to see it?"

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Xiao Lan took the necklace and noticed that there was a Little Xiao button on it, which seemed to open it.

Inside is a photograph of a man with a sunny smile, wearing a doctor's white coat, who is turning back in the direction of the camera with a surprised smile, thinking that he has seen someone who makes him happy.

"Is this?" Xiao Lan had a vague suspicion.

Qi Ning's tone was unruffled: "My boyfriend."

Xiao Lan didn't expect Qi Ning's boyfriend to be such a ...... normal person. Perhaps Qi Ning wasn't what he is now, he had a cheerful and sunny lover and the two of them used to walk together on the streets.

Xiao Lan said, "You seem to be very affectionate."

Qi Ning today has an unusual desire to talk: "Yes, his name is Cen Wei and we've been together since medical school. Every time he drinks a latte he has to specify that the pull is made into a cat, because he loves cats, but he's actually allergic to them."

He looked at the lovely coffee on the table, "He dreamed of being an emergency doctor and was so happy when he did get to intern at the hospital. Not a single complaint even if he worked overtime all day, and did his best to save the person ...... was sent to even if he was a wanted fugitive."

Xiao Lan suddenly had a bad feeling: "What happened to him?"

The mask hides Qi Ning's expression from view: "Dead, killed by that wanted man he saved on his way home after a night shift one day."

Qi Ning's voice was cold: "These guys deserve to die, and how is once enough ......"

Xiao Lan understands why Qi Ning is so keen on executing wanted criminals; what he is taking out on them is his anger at the loss of his lover.

I'm afraid that at the time of Cen Wei's death Qi Ning must have regretted why he had let the wanted man appear in front of Cen Wei and why he hadn't taken care of him earlier so that he wouldn't have lost Cen Wei.

Xiao Lan handed the necklace back, "I'm sorry to remind you of something sad."

Qi Ning shook her head, "No, I don't mind, the dead can only live in the memory of the living, share that memory and he will still be alive even if I die one day."

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"It's Cen Wei's birthday and because you seem to have a long life ahead of you, I'm telling you about him."

"I'm sorry for taking the liberty of using your memory as his birthday present."

Xiao Lan is not resistant to remembering one more person, and he finally understands the reason for Qi Ning's peculiarity today: "As long as you live, he will also live in your memory."

Qi Ning stood up and laughed softly, "I've been in the Advent world for five years, who knows how long I'll live?"

"I owe you one, thank you, goodbye."

His figure faded away, tall and lean, with a dark and lonely look, so special in the crowd.

When Qi Ning left, she left a black feather on the table, a contact prop called [Dark Crow Whisper].

His meaning was self-explanatory, Xiao Lan could come to him once in the future if he needed help with something.

That's a big price to pay for just one memory.

--

Xiao Lan seems distracted when he returns to his room because of Qi Ning.

As a female bachelor, he hardly ever thought about anything related to relationships. In the past, he was too busy living all day long when something happened at home, but now he is too busy hovering between life and death to think about it.

But Qi Ning's performance today was a little hard to forget.

The deep longing, the anger and pain that has no outlet, the hatred that is engraved in the marrow and can even twist the soul, and the obsession to keep the other person alive in the memories of others even if one dies.

Is this ...... love?

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Xiao Lan slumped on the sofa, staring at the [Dark Crow Whispers] in his hand.

Luo, seeing Xiao Lan's strange behaviour, approached him and asked, "What's going on, sir?"

Xiao Lan didn't turn around: "Qi Ning asked me out for coffee today, and he gave me this."

Luo's smile froze on his face: "......"

Is this being taken advantage of?

Sir didn't even have coffee with him!

Is it too late to get rid of that blackened guy?!!!

Xiao Lan continued to lie on his back, not seeing Luo's expression as he repeated the story of Qi Ning and Cen Wei to Luo. Since Qi Ning wanted more people to remember Cen Wei, it was okay to tell Luo, who seemed to be incredibly resilient.

After saying that, Xiao Lan turned to Luo with a whim and asked, "What would you do if I was killed one day?"

Luo replied without thinking: "Kill everyone connected with your death."

Xiao Lan is stalled: "......"

Luo, this answer is too violent, you can't keep your elegant persona. ......

Luo leans in close to Xiao Lan, one hand reaching out to brace the arm of the sofa, trapping Xiao Lan in the space between himself and the sofa.

He looked at Xiao Lan, his pale gold eyes no longer disguised as black were serious, his other hand gently rubbed Xiao Lan's cheek, "So, can I ask you to live a little longer, sir."

Xiao Lan: "......"

Who am I?

Where am I?

Am I still straight ......?