Chapter 126 – About You
Lin Jichen had arranged to clear the Corpse King Valley with Jiang Luoyu in the evening. Checking the time, he saw it was already noon, so he logged off the game to make lunch.
Halfway through cooking, there was a knock at the door.
Lin Jichen opened it to find Niu Naitang standing there.
"Brother Lin, my auntie hasn't come back yet..."
Lin Jichen smiled and pulled her inside.
"So how did you know I was cooking?"
Tang Tang pointed at the balcony, giggling, "I smelled it from upstairs."
Lin Jichen chuckled, tapping her little nose. "You have a sharp nose. Go call Sister Ren inside. We can eat soon."
"Okay~" Tang Tang hopped off to call Ren Lan.
Moments later, Ren Lan's frustrated voice echoed from the room.
"Aiya~ Tang Tang, you pressed my forced shutdown button! I was in the middle of a Secret Realm, you little rascal."
Tang Tang ran out of the room, laughing, with an exasperated Ren Lan chasing her.
Ren Lan's eyes flashed with anger, and neither of them expected her to be genuinely upset.
Tang Tang was startled, thinking she had made a big mistake, her little face full of helplessness.
"Sister, I'm sorry~ I called you several times but couldn't wake you, so I got curious and pressed the button..."
Lin Jichen quickly reassured her, "Miss Frenzy, are you okay? I asked Tang Tang to call you for lunch. If you're angry, blame me. The kid didn't mean it."
Pfft!
Ren Lan snapped out of it, returning to normal.
"I'm not mad at Tang Tang. I was in the Nightmare Secret Realm, and seeing Wan's plight made me want to kill everyone in that town. Just then, Tang Tang pressed the shutdown button, so I couldn't control my expression."
Lin Jichen sighed in relief, understanding the situation.
Ren Lan comforted Tang Tang.
"Don't blame Tang Tang. I told her to come here if you weren't back by noon. Kids need to eat regularly, especially when they're growing," Lin Jichen explained.
Qin Xiaowei apologized, "Sorry for the trouble. It's my fault for being late."
"Sister Weiwei, join us for lunch," Ren Lan invited, already addressing her like a sister.
"No, no, I just got home. I'll have some instant noodles later," Qin Xiaowei politely declined.
"Oh, come on. Instant noodles when there's hot food ready? You'll ruin your stomach. Sit down and eat," Ren Lan insisted, pulling Qin Xiaowei to the table. Lin Jichen, understanding the situation, brought her a bowl of rice.
Unable to refuse, Qin Xiaowei reluctantly joined them for lunch.
"Sister Xiaowei, Tang Tang said you had an interview at a music company today. How did it go?" Ren Lan asked casually.
Lin Jichen was only 19, Ren Lan 20, and Qin Xiaowei had just graduated, making her the eldest, hence the sisterly address.
Qin Xiaowei's expression brightened at the mention.
"Thanks to Mr. Lin's encouragement, I went to a big music company today, not expecting much. But they loved my work! They want to promote my song and see how it does before discussing further collaboration."
"Wow, congratulations, Sister Xiaowei! You're going to be a big star! Can I get a few autographs now? They'll be worth a lot when you become famous," Ren Lan teased.
Qin Xiaowei waved her hands, smiling wryly, "It's just a promotion. It doesn't guarantee success. It's still early days."
"Don't worry. Your singing and songwriting are amazing. If you don't make it big, there's no justice," Ren Lan reassured.
"Thank you both so much. You've been such a blessing in my life," Qin Xiaowei said sincerely.
"We've known each other for a day. No need for formalities," Ren Lan laughed, then asked curiously, "Sister Xiaowei, is the song they're promoting 'The Desk of the Past'?"
Qin Xiaowei smiled, "And another one I wrote last night, called 'About You.'"
"Wow! You wrote a song in one night? Genius! Can you sing it for us? Please, Sister Xiaowei~" Ren Lan pleaded.
Qin Xiaowei blushed, "It's a bit cheesy. Maybe you should listen online."
"No way! Live is so much better. Please, Sister Xiaowei, I can't sleep without hearing your song~"
"Well... okay, after I finish eating," Qin Xiaowei agreed, then focused on her meal.
Throughout, she kept stealing glances at Lin Jichen, her eyes betraying her nervousness.