CH 8

Shut up and listen to me

Editor: MinMin 

Chu Yuwen only said, “That amazing accomplishment cannot be credit all on me.”

Ryan was stunned. 

Chu Yuwen shifted his attention to Ryan’s optical computer again as a smile appeared on his thin lips. “I heard from the housekeeper that you have been playing games all afternoon.”

Ryan was rather embarrassed. “Ah, yes.” 

Chu Yuwen asked, “Was it fun?”

Too fun actually. 

Yan Weiliang thought coldly. 

Despite spending two hours playing, matching thirty-two outfit sets, working his heart out, and picking outfits very carefully, he had not passed the first stage yet. 

Ryan gently said, “Yes, very.”

He eyed the other with hope, “Will you play with me?” He looked at the other with his pair of beautiful eyes that no one could bear to refuse. 

He lamented, “I was very bored in mister’s absence.”

There was no way he would be the only one subjected to the torturing of a dress-up game. He must make Chu Yuwen doubt his life as well.  

Was Ryan bored?

But the youth had a good time playing the game all afternoon. 

Chu Yuwen gazed at the youth with anticipation in his eyes and finally said, “Okay.”

One minute later.  

The two most powerful alphas in the Empire, the noble and benevolent Third Highness, and the decisive Lord Marshal were laying on the same bed, concentrating intensely on—

Playing the dress-up game. 

Ryan clicked on the first stage and the game opened with a sweet, female voice: [Good day, my name is Liang Liang. I wake up every day on my one million square meters bed, and I have a billion articles of clothing in my closet. But one day, my house was broken into and a robber took away my closet…]

The ever-so-logical Marshal could not listen anymore as he asked the elephant in the room.  

“A bed alone is a million square meters. You sure the robber did not lose their way in her house?”

“Instead of stealing valuables or doing immoral acts in her bedroom, the robber took away her closet. Forgive me for being confused.”

“However, for the robber to carry a closet with a billion clothes. He sure has immense strength and his combat power is S-level at least.”

Chu Yuwen concluded, “Such a talent with strong investigative ability, accurate sense of direction, no greed towards money and sex, and S-level combat power should be recruited into the military, and I can promote him to be an adjutant.” 

Yan Weiliang: “…”

Chu Yuwen’s occupational disease was a bit on the serious side. 

Ryan reminded him, “This is just a game. Maybe you should focus on the main character…”

Chu Yuwen looked at the virtual character with a sweet and lovely smile, thought for a long time, and gave an opinion, “Liang Liang is marvelous.” 

He was amazed that someone possessed one billion clothes. An extraordinary woman indeed. 

Yan Weiliang, who always has a ‘Liang’ character in his hands, had this subtle feeling. 

The girl in the game continued to vent: […That vile robber! Now I only have one hundred clothes left in my storage! None of them are my favorite. I must go and get all my clothes back!]

[Now, change into light clothes suitable for work-out and go after the robber!] 

Ktfc atf wlrrlbc yfujc. 

Ktf ujwf rajgafv klat bcf tecvgfv mibatfr, jii bo ktlmt kfgf rlwqif lc rasif jcv ufcfgji lc vfrluc. Cr qijsfgr mbcalcef atf ujwf, fzmtjculcu atflg lc-ujwf ubiv mblc bg rajg vljwbcv atja kjr bcis jnjlijyif ys fzmtjculcu klat gfji meggfcms, qijsfgr kbeiv yf jyif ab ufa wbgf jcv wbgf yfjealoei mibatfr. Lbkfnfg, jr j ifnfi hfgb cfk jmmbeca, Tjc Qfliljcu bcis tjv bcf tecvgfv rajgalcu beaolar. 

And none of them look nice. 

Although the game gave helpful tips on completing the task, Yan Weiliang glanced at the message box before closing it. That eyesore matching was challenging his aesthetic.  

He considered more the actual beauty of the dress and the requirement of the topic given than the way the game scores the players. 

Therefore, the thirty-two sets of clothes he matched were indeed beautiful, comfortable, and consistent with the theme. 

But none of them got him to pass the stage. 

It was hard for Chu Yuwen to take in. “…Her first consideration in chasing a robber is not to drive a mech to fight, but to change outfits?” 

He whispered, “The Marvelous Liang Liang is not cool at all.”

Yan Weiliang: “…”

Are you done?

Ryan reminded mechanically, “This is a game, a dress-up game.” 

Why was there a need to fight when it could be solved by changing clothes?

“All right.” Chu Yuwen said that but continued to be doubtful. “You are still on the first stage after playing all afternoon?”

Yan Weiliang: Because I do not want to give up the basic level of aesthetics. 

Ryan uttered, “Because I am too bad at gaming.” 

Chu Yuwen immediately smiled. “That is fine. I will help you score.”

He was always the best of the best in any games he picked up—the other person who always competed with him first was Yan Weiliang—and a mere dress-up game was no exception, in his opinion.

He would pass with flying colors. 

Ryan stressed, “You are not allowed to read the hint.” 

Chu Yuwen was confident. “I never rely on games’ help.”

Yan Weiliang waited to see the funny results. 

Soon, his eyes turned from anticipating to disbelief. 

—Chu Yuwen’s aesthetic taste was the same as that horrible game.  

The same ugly, the same eye sore.

Chu Yuwen perfectly mastered the essence of the dress-up game. Everything depended on the clothes’ stats. He would choose whichever outfit with the highest stats and was committed to beating the stage with the highest score. Earrings, hats, leg ornaments, and jewelry were stacked on the body, making the virtual character look like a Christmas tree without considering if the ornaments match. 

The final score was so ridiculously high as well as suffocatingly ugly. 

Yan Weiliang watched numbly as Chu Yuwen made his way through several levels in a row, each one breaking the prior limit of ugliness.  

This person was playing way into the game. 

He did not understand how things came to this. He wanted Chu Yuwen to question life, but he set himself off to sink deeper into confusion instead. 

At the eighth stage, watching Chu Yuwen try to put a red and green flower-pattern jacket over the rainbow-color knitted sweater, Yan Weiliang could not bear it any longer as he seized the optical computer. “Enough! Stop tormenting this poor girl, let me do it.”

He really could not bear to see a girl being ruined like this.  

Yan Weiliang removed the annoying big flowered jacket and replaced it with a gorgeous and elegant velvet shawl. 

Chu Yuwen watched on the side and commented, “The ‘mother’s little cotton-padded jacket’ I picked just now has the highest state against the cold.”

Yan Weiliang said, “But it is ugly.”

Chu Yuwen argued, “The theme of this stage is to keep warm during winter. I think I selected the outfit for the theme very well.” 

Yan Weiliang repeated, “But it is ugly.”

Then he replaced the thick snow boots with dark brown high boots. 

Chu Yuwen reasoned in a stuffy tone, “I have considered the same boots before, but I ruled it out for the higher warmth attribute snow boots. Snow boots are the better choice.”

Yan Weiliang played like a broken record, “But it is ugly.” 

Once more, the rainbow-color knitted sweater was removed and replaced with a long pearl-white dress, completing the transformation from a village girl to a noble lady.

Chu Yuwen tried to interrupt, “Your outfits are good but they will not hold up against the scoring…”

Yan Weiliang huffed, “Shut up, stop fussing and listen to me.”

Chu Yuwen: “…”

Chu Yuwen was shocked.  

This soft and well-behaved little guy seemed to become a spitfire. 

The youth’s angry side was pretty cute. 

Yan Weiliang’s voice trailed off for a moment. 

…He forgot that he was Ryan right now, not Yan Weiliang.  

He should not have spoken to Chu Yuwen like that. 

He lowered his eyes, feeling chagrined. 

Ten years ago, he and Chu Yuwen studied at the top imperial military school and they always competed for first place in their grade. The school’s curriculum was so easy for them that even the instructors could not beat them. 

One time they skipped class and went to play games together. The game was a team game that required two players to cooperate. He and Chu Yuwen have different playing styles. Chu Yuwen was good on offense, while he excelled in defense. They complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses and synergize well together. They were invincible and victorious.  

It was just that their tactical differences arose sometimes. 

For example, Chu Yuwen would suggest, “Attack straight.”

Yan Weiliang vetoed, “I just got everything settled, you are being too risky.”

He was cautious by nature and would never take any enemy lightly. Even if the other side seemed weak.  

Chu Yuwen disagreed and debated, “Taking the risk will yield high returns. Weiling, what are you afraid of them for? You are so much stronger than they are…”

Yan Weiliang looked at him quietly. “Listen to me.”

Chu Yuwen’s eyes looked into the obsidian eyes, and replied with a smile, “Okay, I will listen to you.”

– 

The past was still fresh in his mind. He thought they would be hidden for years, but it turned out that he never forgot them. 

Chu Yuwen’s words just now were the same as that day. So much so that Yan Weiliang got distracted from the old attitude they had as friends. 

But things have changed now. 

Ryan softened his voice, “I am sorry. I should not speak to you like that.” 

Chu Yuwen was silent for a moment and replied, “It’s fine. I do not mind. It is good actually, you do not have to be so formal.”

Ryan nodded noncommittally and clicked done. 

He nervously awaited his score. 

This was an outfit he carefully selected, if he failed again, he would… 

The result of the score appeared on the screen. [Fail.]

…He would do another round. 

The youth’s beautiful face showed a clear disappointment, radiating frustration. 

Chu Yuwen burst out laughing and said, “I told you it will not work.” He took the optical computer, clicked restart, and changed back into the country style of a big flowered jacket, colorful sweater, and fat boots.  

And received a perfect score. 

Ryan’s face twisted for a moment. 

“See.” Chu Yuwen said, “I share the same aesthetic with this game.”

Yes, you are as horrible as the game. 

Yan Weiliang rebuked inside. 

He lost interest. “I do not want to play anymore.”

Why should he play a game with aesthetics opposite to his own? 

“What is the matter?” Chu Yuwen was puzzled. Ryan clearly showed interest in this game.  

An omega’s thoughts were indeed impossible to predict. 

Chu Yuwen rummaged through the collection in the wardrobe and felt that he had found the answer. 

Of the ten billion possible clothes in the game, there were only a measly three hundred in this account, of which two hundred were received from the eight completed stages. 

How could the youth have fun with this kind of number? 

Without saying anything more, Chu Yuwen started making in-game purchases. 

Half an hour later. 

“Okay.” Chu Yuwen returned the optical computer to Ryan. “Now you can play to your heart’s content.”

“Eh?” Ryan was puzzled and was immediately dazzled by the string of zeros behind the number of star diamonds on the account.  

…The original VIP0 had become the top-level VIP99. The supreme title shined brightly and radiated the aura of ‘I am filthy rich. 

Chu Yuwen spent one hundred thousand star currency in one go, overfilling the account with gold coins and star diamonds. The original collection rate of 0.1% soared to 48.0%

He bought all the clothes in the store he could with gold coins and star diamonds. The past event outfits that were available to purchase were added to the collection, and the unavailable ones could be purchased quickly upon the events’ return. 

Pay-to-win players are not to be messed with.  

Ryan paused for three seconds and politely said, “But I want to sleep.”

The Third Prince, who spent a long time picking and choosing from a selection of one hundred clothes, was developing a phobia in the presence of five billion clothes. 

He would be driven crazy by the wide range of selections. 

“Are you sleepy?” Chu Yuwen thought that playing on an optical computer for too long was indeed not good for one’s health. Although the advanced devices do not give off radiation or be damaging to the user’s eyes, the user’s mental power would still get tired after a long period of usage.  

Omega’s mental power was very fragile and needed to be under attentive care. 

“Then go to sleep.” Chu Yuwen used a voice command to automatically turn off the light, shrouding the room in darkness. 

“Good night.” Chu Yuwen’s slightly husky voice was particularly pleasant in the dark. 

It was like at the campus dormitory many years ago, the teenager peeked down from the upper bunk. His voice was bright and light, “Weiling, good night.” 

Yan Weiliang did not answer. 

As time passed, the young man’s voice finally sounded in the room.

“Good night.”