Volume 3 - CH 48.2

Besides that, Lin Qin and Xü Beijin only came to know each other only really long after the Missiontakers’ Siege event.

It was in a Nightmare, around… a year ago, or maybe several months ago; stay long enough in the Tower and your sense of time will become distorted as well.

Lin Qin, someone disinterested in Nightmares, left the other Missiontakers that time to take a walk around by himself. He ran into the bookstore owner Xü Beijin who was diligently fulfilling his role as an extra.

Then…

Then Lin Qin inexplicably became interested in Xü Beijin.

After that, Xü Beijin ran into Lin Qin when he was strolling outside in the Tower once, and, he accosted him for the same topic of having a fight.

Xü Beijin was annoyed, so much so he reduced the frequency of his outings.

Then, in the Nightmare, Tower, Nightmare… going back and forth, endlessly repeating the same questions and answers.

Now that he tries recalling the whole affair, Xü Beijin is baffled that Lin Qin had such consistent, unwavering conviction and resolution that he could keep asking him the same question whenever he met him, and no matter how many times Xü Beijin has sternly refused him already. The young man would never give up.

In fact, Xü Beijin is even feeling slightly fearful of that conviction.

Though, thanks to some coincidences, now they’ve become closer as acquaintances, so Xü Beijin thinks that, perhaps they would not necessarily only talk about fighting in the future when they meet… One day, Lin Qin might even abandon the whole silly notion altogether.

Not now, however.

Xü Beijin also isn’t sure how best to deal with this. Lin Qin is not interested in his Nightmare, great; Lin Qin still wants to fight with him, not so great.

He rubs his nose, feeling a bit tired.

Lin Qin has been observing the myriad of emotions on his face the whole time, and somehow, perhaps, his instincts played a role again, and he suddenly says, “it is only my own opinion that I want to fight with you. If you really think that it is troubling you, then I won’t talk about it so often anymore. Please don’t be angry.”

Xü Beijin… Xü Beijin feels a genuine tinge of guilt hearing that.

Lin Qin gifted him drinks, dealt with annoying ghosts from the past for him, is thankfully uninterested in his Nightmare… Yet, the only thing he has interest in, Xü Beijin cannot oblige.

And in fact, this crownless King of the bottom floor of the Tower, the target of countless adoration or fear, really is so well-behaved like a little apple sitting in front of him.

This concession of his, if it were actually a move to make Xü Beijin yield, then it definitely succeeded, succeeding very well against someone like Xü Beijin – a good person who can’t deal with soft nudges instead.

“I’m sorry…”

Therefore, even though it has been Lin Qin who wants something from him the whole time, it is now Xü Beijin who is feeling too guilty and apologising (TL: Like a Canadian, haha).

Lin Qin tilts his head in slight confusion, honestly replying, “I don’t understand why you’re apologising to me.”

Someone like Lin Qin would always do things because of his own intention.

It may make him look happy-go-lucky, like offering arbitrary little helping hands unpredictably, but for his deeply held convictions, he will be persistent and indefatigable.

Which means, he cannot comprehend Xü Beijin’s apology.

His wanting to appeal to Xü Beijin… is his own thing.

Not that that is at all dispelling this feeling of restlessness and being spoilt that Xü Beijin is feeling. He’s become used to sampling loneliness by himself in the bookstore. Therefore, this little apple in front of him just approaching him and getting comfortable and snuggling up with this complete lack of self-awareness has made him unable to react.

There is a habit, called a ‘clingy until you become used to them’ habit.

Not that he’s completely used to Lin Qin’s existence, per se, sometimes he is still annoyed with him, but he could definitely say that Lin Qin’s candid and sincere self has truly made Xü Beijin look at him in a different light.

If Lin Qin didn’t have that physical strength to go with him, with that personality, in the Tower, he would have long since become bottom feed to the merciless Missiontakers.

What is actually laughable, though, is that it is precisely Lin Qin’s personality, and not that physical strength, that has caused Xü Beijin to harbour such complicated views and opinions.

… It could all come down to him simply being able to feel something different from the Tower, something originating from Earth, from Lin Qin… When, ironically, Lin Qin has no memories of his days on Earth at all.

Xü Beijin can’t help but bitterly smile at that thought. He pats Lin Qin on the shoulder, but doesn’t say another word.

Lin Qin just looks at his own shoulder nonplussed… Maybe he really is a dunderhead, that he couldn’t understand what Xü Beijin could have been thinking the whole time.

He is quietly dissing Xü Beijin inside.

On the surface, though, he is still happily holding the bubble tea Xü Beijin handed him, sitting next to the bookstore entrance to read, like a guard dog of an extra-large build.

Loyally defending its owner at all times.

Just like how he threw Muscular outside of the bookstore ruthlessly… Though he may not have thought much about it.

All of this played out, of course, in full view of Muscular, through the glass door of the bookstore.

He angrily cusses, “Fuck! What kinda dalao is this even… Trying to flirt with an NPC?! Shameless!”

Yes, as he sees it, what would make Lin Qin angrily target him? What could make Lin Qin behave so obediently in front of Xü Beijin?

And why would Xü Beijin, who, according to most Missiontakers, at least, is an unreadable, and even temperamental and, at times, paranoid Tower resident, treat Lin Qin with such courtesy?

Love. There is no second answer possible.

Muscular subscribes to the saying that ‘even heroes fail to pass the obstacle known as “beauty,”’ and while the bookstore own can’t exactly be described as pretty, but he’s certainly handsome and attractive.

As a Carddealer who has also witnessed the many dark sides of the Tower, he knows how common it is that Missiontakers sometimes want something more than pure friendship with the Tower residents.

True, everyone would be dismissive of the Tower residents on the surface; the Tower residents hate these self-absorbed outsiders, while the outsiders also hate these mad Tower residents.

Key word – on the surface.

There are only so many people in the Tower. The many pent up hormones of humans, other than being directed at their own members, can only turn towards Tower residents who are at least humanoid enough next.

Muscular even know some Missiontakers who enjoy dumping Tower residents.

They would flirt and seduce the Tower residents in the Nightmares, and back in the Tower, they coldly abandon those Tower residents who become infatuated… Seriously, fuck those sick bastards!

Well, there are also some Missiontakers too, who madly go after, court, and appeal to Tower residents. Simping is an activity that remains unchanged from the Earth to the Tower, beyond life and death. It’s almost worth an ode on its own.

The reason, besides interest in the Tower residents’ Nightmares, may also have to do with physical, carnal desires.

Muscular is equally dismissive of this. At least, he would never be interested.

The most important thing… Is that this is a fucking game! They are players, humans! what kind of human would end up falling for an NPC character in a game?!

Muscular cannot fathom how fellow members of his species fall for 2D characters.

Not that it is any deterrent to him selling some utility cards with rather unique effects, of course.

But anyway, it is because he has seen such Missiontakers, or even know some quite well, that he has completely… misunderstood what was going on between Xü Beijin and Lin Qin.

Compared to the news that Lin Qin is seeing someone, the information that this someone is male is positively mundane already.

Also, if Lin Qin really is together with Xü Beijin, then, wouldn’t Lin Qin know all about the bookstore owner’s Nightmare? And then, all those Missiontakers that have once madly chased after Xü Beijin’s Nightmare, after so many years of hopelessness, could the embers relight in full blaze?

So, after blanking out in shock for a moment, Muscular realises, elated, that this is such a damned valuable piece of information! Enough for him to exchange for some very generous amount of resources with certain members of the bottom floor of the Tower!