CH 10.1

Soft (1) – unedited

“You’re not a stranger.”

Xue Lan genuinely said, “You are Reset.”

Duan Wenzheng did not understand what he meant by that. He watched his obstinate expression and instead asked, “How did you know I’m not going to the training camp tomorrow?”

Xue Lan explained, “I heard them talking about the semi-professional tournament, hoping for you to…”

“Wind?” Duan Wenzheng’s eyebrows raised. Appearing indifferent, he asked, “You like Wen Yan?”

Alarm bells broke out in Xue Lan’s heart.

Although it wasn’t explicitly said in the original work, Duan Wenzheng most likely had grown interested in Wen Yan. Otherwise, he would not go to the training camp.

So that his idol would not distance himself by accidentally mistaking him as a love rival, Xue Lan said sternly, “I do not!”

But then he remembered the video of the original owner’s confession…He pressed his head in a headache.

“Wind is a great assaulter and also a great leader, previously I…was rather immature, but I won’t repeat it again.” Xue Lan assured, “Really.”

Duan Wenzheng’s smile deepened. He followed to a stop as he saw Xue Lan stop before a building.

Xue Lan’s house was indeed near. Duan Wenzheng handed over the clothes to him.

“You’re not going up with me?” Xue Lan took the clothes, his eyes sparkling as he asked.

Duan Wenzheng kept away the candy between his fingertips, turned around, and waved his hand languidly. “There will be time for that.”

When Xue Lan reached his house, he packed his clothes, excited for the training camp to start.

When everything was packed, over an hour had passed when he saw a notification from WeChat.

Reset: ID

Xue Lan quickly sent his assaulter account’s ID. While he was at it, he changed his weird name on WeChat.

……

After dinner, Pang Zi brought the wobbling Lao Qi back to the internet cafe. The moment he saw Duan Wenzheng in his seat, his eyes sparkled and he ran over.

“Eyo, Zheng-ge you came back so early? You didn’t eat dinner with the lady?”

Duan Wenzheng was not playing. His eyes never left his phone screen that was set on one side as he nonchalantly leaned against the back of the chair.

“I guess I urgently came back to play with you?”

“Holy crap!” Pang Zi rubbed his eyes. He saw that the screen was, indeed, not in the queue. Moved, he instantly dragged Lao Qi and started the computer. “Zheng-ge we’ll be there right away!”

“Speaking of the lady.” Pang Zi snickered as he started the computer. “Now that you two have met, what do you think about her?”

Duan Wenzheng was leaning against the sofa chair. As if he just remembered the events this afternoon because of his words, if he had to find a word to describe it…

His lips curved. “Soft.”

Pang Zi was dumbfounded but immediately formed an ambiguous smile. “Soft?”

Duan Wenzheng didn’t continue the conversation. As he remembered that person, the engrossed smile on his lips gradually deepened. His eyes trailed toward the quiet phone again.

“Zheng-ge, if it weren’t for helping us every day, with your level you can definitely reach the whole server’s top three!”

Moved beyond belief, Pang Zi continued. “And to think you waited and left the lady because of us…”

Duan Wenzheng was bored stiff as he listened to Pang Zi’s prattle when suddenly his phone screen lighted up—

Exist: Exist

His eyebrows raised. Slender fingers hit a few words on the keyboard at flying speed. After clicking the friend request option, he received the friend notice in the lower right corner. Only then did he sit upright.

“Zheng-ge don’t worry, us brothers will not be careless, we will never give you trouble till the end of our lives!” Pang Zi excitedly logged in to the game and opened the friend list. “Ey…ey? Zheng-ge, why does it say that you’re in a game?”

“Oh.” Duan Wenzheng slightly lifted his headset. As if he just remembered there was Pang Zi—”You can play first, I’m playing survival battle.”

“…?” Pang Zi was stumped for words. “Why are you playing that? Isn’t that the mode to gain experience? You don’t need experience…”

Duan Wenzheng had not gotten a word out when realization dawned on Pang Zi and he glanced at Duan Wenzheng’s queue interface…His pupils widened in shock.

“Holy shit, you’re helping a lady? Zheng-ge which leprechaun are you helping to level up?! A few seconds ago you wanted to help me and Lao Qi, why did you throw us away the moment you turned around!” Pang Zi feigned anger, but he thought about it and suddenly sucked in a cold breath. “Could it be Ba—”

“Ey.” Lest his ears would be tainted, Duan Wenzheng cut him off before he could speak the name. He smiled bitterly. “Men shouldn’t call everyone baby, be careful of influencing others.”

“…” Who the heck called baby first?!

Pang Zi looked at his face which had “glare” written on it and held his chest in pain. He was so moved when he started the computer, but now he wanted to throttle that person sitting behind him.

“Let’s just play together then,” said Lao Qi at one side.

“Play, what play?” Pang Zi scoffed. He glanced at Duan Wenzheng’s computer screen behind him. He rolled his eyes and snickered. “The lady is everyone’s, how can we let Zheng-ge help alone?”

……

Xue Lan awkwardly listened to the two’s banter in the group. He lowered his head, face reddening again.

“Let’s start?”

Duan Wenzheng’s lowered voice was like a feather lightly caressing the edge of the ears. Lips closed, Xue Lan suppressed his pounding heart.

Exist: I said I’m not lady.

“Mm.”

With the same languid smile that made one go soft1, Duan Wenzheng casually clicked to queue.

Footnote:

1 Literally “smile that made a fist sink into a sponge”