Chapter 23: First Arc [22]

Song Juyao's face suddenly turned slightly red, revealing a hint of shyness. However, she couldn't resist sharing her feelings with others. She blurted out, "Because he's so incredibly good-looking, I just can't help but want to keep staring at him..."

The water glass slipped from Jiang Baiqi's hand, causing hot water to splash all over him. In a hurry, he quickly bent down to clean up the mess. His dark, tousled hair fell over his ears, which turned so red that they seemed to be dripping with blood.

Ming Shu: ...It's confirmed, Song Juyao is really blind!!!

【? OMG!!】

【?】

【?】

【I'm stunned silly...】

【Huh? Does the sun think a speck of dust is shining?】

【It's unbelievable, I don't believe it, this can't be real… No way, it's impossible!!!】

Netizens previously used their reasoning abilities, and some speculated that Song Juyao was staring at Jiang Baiqi because she wanted to kill him down as prey. Others believed that Jiang Baiqi was a hidden psychopathic killer, and Song Juyao had discovered his secret, so she was staring at him. A few even pondered the possibility of a special connection between them… In short, no one ever suspected that Song Juyao had feelings for Jiang Baiqi.

Why? Well, it was because Jiang Baiqi and Song Juyao were complete opposites who seemed incompatible. Even the livestream viewers struggled to locate Jiang Baiqi among the NPCs. Yes, he's a person with such a thin sense of existence, making him even more inconspicuous than a mere passerby. It became a game of "Find Jiang Baiqi in the picture below" every time he appeared.

If this were a TV series, people like Jin Yao and Jin Yu, who possess a commanding presence and radiate brightness, would undoubtedly be the male lead and second male lead, respectively. On the other hand, Jiang Baiqi would, at best, be an inconspicuous figure silently having a crush on the female lead from a distant corner.

Song Juyao resembled the sun, always shimmering and radiant, while Jiang Baiqi exuded a gloomy aura. They seemed to belong to entirely different worlds.

The production team was dumbfounded. They had been waiting for Song Juyao to reveal her secret of peeping at Jiang Baiqi, wanting to see what tricks she was up to, and whether she would reveal an unacceptable side to the audience. Anyway, they thought it must be very complicated, only to discover that the truth was so simple.

Indeed, the truth was that Song Juyao was blind. She had fallen for that scruffy guy!

Song Juyao: "Sorry, it seems a bit perverted, but I can't control myself. It's like how people can't resist gazing at something beautiful and captivating..."

Ming Shu, feeling a touch of indigestion, asked, "So, you like him, huh? You like... that Jiang Baiqi?"

Song Juyao picked up her cat, Song Wanwan, and placed her on her lap, continuously stroking her fur. "This kind of feeling, I think... I genuinely like him."

"But, but! What do you like about him ah?"

"Everything. His charming hair, his captivating eyes, even the way he walks... Everything is so cute about him."

"In that case, do you find Jin Yu and Jin Yao attractive?"

"Huh? They're alright," she replied in a casual tone, devoid of the joy and shyness that surfaced when discussing Jiang Baiqi.

Ming Shu felt like she needed to go outside for some fresh air to calm down. She got up and left to take a walk. On her way back to her dormitory, she was in a trance, her mind still consumed by thoughts of Song Juyao's affection for Jiang Baiqi.

Eventually, Ming Shu reached a conclusion: Song Juyao's taste in aesthetics differed from that of the general public!

The barrage in the livestream chat went wild, filled with question marks and exclamation marks, depicting the disbelief and frustration of the audience.

Huo Sen, who was watching the livestream, pursed his lips, absentmindedly tapping his fingers on the table.

The mechanical mosquito, having finished eavesdropping, stumbled and flew back to the apartment. Blushing red, Jiang Baiqi rushed into the bathroom like a gust of wind, crouching down in a corner, his head buried in his hands.

...What is this? Am I going crazy to hear such words? Clearly, she's the one who shines brightly, so why would such a person find someone like me... find me cute?

Has she been staring at me all this time because she... likes me?

Memories from the past flashed through Jiang Baiqi's mind. From childhood to adulthood, his parents frequently forget about him, leaving him behind in shopping malls, busy streets, and buses. Even traffickers didn't bother to abduct him. Once, during a game of hide-and-seek with other kids, he hid in crates, but no one came to find him. When he finally came out, it was already dark, and the other children had already gone home. He stood alone at the intersection, eventually making his way back home, gazing down at his own shadow.

Things didn't improve as he grew older. No matter how exceptional his grades were, they were all useless. He failed to capture anyone's attention and was treated as a freak monster.

"Xiao Qi is becoming more and more peculiar."

"Should we take him to see a psychiatrist?"

"Lately, he's been doing those strange experiments in his room. He even killed a cat and dissected it!"

"We can't communicate with him properly. Why is he so elusive? He moves silently. His younger brother has been scared and cried numerous times! I feel like I'm also about to have a heart attack!"

"Let's send him to a boarding school."

"......"

He stood in the corridor, overhearing his mother's frantic conversation with his father, while she held his younger brother in her arms.

Even those who were willing to be his friends struggled to spot him amidst the crowd. They would walk past him, engrossed in laughter and play with others... He felt superfluous, someone who shouldn't exist in this world.

He truly envied her, always shining brightly, never being forgotten or abandoned.

Seated cross-legged in his bedroom, he couldn't help but delve deeper into his thoughts as he watched the thin, dark-skinned girl on the "I'm a Big Winner" show on TV.

Because people seldom looked at him, he had become highly sensitive to gazes. He could sense it every time when Song Juyao stared at him. He had suspected she had ulterior motives, perhaps aware of his true identity and desiring the technology he possessed.

However, the outcome was far from what he expected. This girl, who radiated brighter than the sun on stage, had actually confessed to her friend that she liked him and found him cute...

Was he dreaming? Had he lost his sanity? Was this merely a figment of his imagination? Jiang Baiqi was utterly bewildered, desperately scratching his hair, his entire body turning as red as a steamed shrimp.

......

#Song Juyao's Aesthetic# This tag has appeared in the trending searches, sending shockwaves among the viewers who had been following the live broadcast of "Justice Trial" and were curious about the secret between Song Juyao and Jiang Baiqi.

Jiang Baiqi? Why him? On what basis? Has the goddess fallen for a loser? Unacceptable! They were eagerly anticipating the idol drama showdown between Song Juyao, Jin Yao, and Jin Yu! But Song Juyao's aesthetic turned out to be so abnormal!

Inside the Show's studio.

Tang Shan rubbed his temples. "Jiang Baiqi is useless now. Both Liu Yan and Jiang Baiqi, the two potential fatal flaws for Song Juyao, no longer exist. Let the real-life NPCs prepare to take action."

Merely engaging in peeping couldn't be a fatal blow to Song Juyao. And now, with the added excuse of love, it becomes even less likely to be a fatal blow. Netizens can be so shallow. If the roles were reversed and Jiang Baiqi was peeping at Song Juyao out of love, he would be despised and considered disgusting.

However, because Song Juyao is incredibly attractive and her sense of aesthetics is so abnormal that she finds Jiang Baiqi, this insignificant speck of dust, shining, people's attention has completely shifted. Male viewers had even started to envy and feel jealous, thinking that with Song Juyao's exceptional sense of aesthetics, she could also be interested in them. But now, Jiang Baiqi has taken advantage of this opportunity.

Was Jiang Baiqi just a tiny speck of dust, gloomy and sullen?

Song Juyao opened a can of food for Song Wanwan. The little kitten curled up into a ball and earnestly began eating. Song Juyao squatted beside it, wearing a gentle and warm smile, playing with the kitten's raised tail. The little kitten was pure white, except for the tip of its tail, which was covered in black fur. That tiny black tip softly twirled and wrapped around her fingers.

In this virtual world, the number of NPCs was comparable to the population of a country, exceeding 5 billion. Apart from specific NPCs, most of them were randomly selected. In this vast number, the probability of the same NPC appearing twice in the same episode was extremely low.

However, in her previous life, Jiang Baiqi appeared in every episode of her trial.

In the last episode of her previous life, he helped her seek revenge on the people she wanted to take revenge on. Without his help, she alone wouldn't have been able to kill so many or escape from the clutches of the NPCs in this chess game multiple times. What did the audience call him at that time?

"The Witch's Vicious Dog."

If it weren't for Jiang Baiqi's plan, it wouldn't have been possible to escape the punishment of the virtual world's law, and the program team wouldn't have brought out that deranged, perverted serial killer to kill her.

Why did Jiang Baiqi help her so much? Song Juyao didn't know the answer either. Was it because he had no sense of presence, no friends, and no one could notice him at a glance? But she could. Could this be the reason he developed different feelings for her?

It was truly perplexing. In her previous life, she wasn't particularly kind to him. Although she could notice his existence at a glance, she was living in too much pain, with countless and innumerable malice wrapping her up, so that she no longer had the energy to love or trust anyone.

She hadn't trusted Jiang Baiqi back then, always on guard and afraid that he was just another trap to hurt her. She treated him coldly and spoke harshly to him, yet he remained by her side, ultimately helping her seek revenge by committing murders for her.

If this hadn't been a reality show where their every move was exposed to the audience and the program team, perhaps she could have lived an innocent life under the sun after avenging herself with his help, starting anew.

Though she was still confused, she could at least be certain of one thing.

Jiang Baiqi was a trustworthy NPC. Once she gained his loyalty, he would be steadfastly loyal, willing to do anything for her. He could be her most powerful weapon.

And it wasn't limited to just this episode.

Song Juyao picked up the cat that had finished eating the canned food, gently stroking its soft fur. Her eyes held a combination of gentleness and strong intensity, akin to a potent wine capable of intoxicating anyone with just a glance.

Jiang Baiqi, this time I will treat you well. You have to give me your whole being as you did in the previous life.

......

Jin Yao heard the sound of something falling to the ground from Jin Yu's room, so he walked out of his own bedroom and went to take a look. He saw that Jin Yu was wide awake, and his computer lying on the floor.

"What happened?" Jin Yao inquired, bending down to retrieve the computer. As he glanced at the screen, he noticed it displayed relevant information about Song Juyao.

"Song Juyao went to participate in a program a few days ago, just to earn a little money and give scholarships to those lowly idiots." Jin Yu said sarcastically, "Is she the Virgin Mary? Overflowing with love and meddling in other people's affairs."

However, Jin Yao could sense the underlying anger beneath Jin Yu's seemingly calm demeanor. He touched the bite marks on his hand and said, "You don't need to concern yourself with where she went a few days ago."

"Know yourself, know your enemy, and win every battle. I underestimated her before, but it won't be the same next time."

"What do you mean by 'next time'? Once the special admissions students leave tomorrow, Song Juyao probably won't continue staying at Jinke Duola. She might go back to the capital directly to rejoin her team."

Song Juyao was a member of the Olympic Award team, and once she returned to the team, she would basically bury herself in the research institute. It was not like anyone could see her whenever they wanted.If it hadn't been for Song Juyao coincidentally being on vacation and coming to give a speech for the school anniversary, and also accepting the invitation from the principal to stay at the school, they wouldn't have had any interactions at all.

Jin Yu was taken aback, and his fingers involuntarily tightened.

After Jin Yao left, Jin Yu contacted Fu Meiling. "Go find Zhou Shuchen and bring him to me."