ARBW Chapter 18

Since Pei Yuhuai had told Lin Mian “see you tomorrow” yesterday, Lin Mian had been eagerly waiting since early this morning.

First, he ran to the small square to check, then returned home, restless and fidgety. He waited until noon before Pei Yuhuai finally arrived.

Pei Yuhuai had an important meeting this morning, so he hadn’t found time to play the mobile game.

During his lunch break, he opened the game on his phone while eating.

It was rare for Pei Yuhuai to eat and play on his phone simultaneously.

To avoid making Xiao Su suspicious, he had her deliver the meal to his lounge.

After Xiao Su left, he closed the door and played the game while eating.

As soon as Pei Yuhuai logged in, he appeared in Lin Mian’s bedroom.

Lin Mian was at home and saw him immediately.

Having had a romantic dream the previous night, Lin Mian felt nervous upon seeing Pei Yuhuai.

He shyly greeted Pei Yuhuai, who then approached him and, as usual, started giving him gifts.

Today, Pei Yuhuai gave him a bouquet of freesias and a cup of sweet milk tea.

The milk tea, freshly bought from the in-game store, was still warm when it reached Lin Mian.

Pei Yuhuai’s Game System was far more convenient than real-world platforms like Taobao or food delivery apps.

In the real world, purchases require waiting, and these platforms don’t offer weapons, unlike his in-game store.

Pei Yuhuai watched Lin Mian and said, “Drink it. I heard this milk tea is very sweet. My assistant loves it.”

Pei Yuhuai had strict upbringing and had never tried foods like milk tea, cola, fried chicken, or crayfish.

He knew it was good because he had seen Xiao Su drinking it. She had even recommended which brand tasted the best.

Pei Yuhuai didn’t like sweet things, so he never tried it.

He thought Lin Mian, being around Xiao Su’s age, might enjoy it too.

Indeed, Lin Mian loved it.

Lin Mian grew up in the Outer City and only remembered drinking milk tea when he was very young.

Back then, it wasn’t the apocalypse, and his father treated him generously.

But as the apocalypse worsened, he gradually forgot the taste of milk tea from his childhood.

Seeing Pei Yuhuai specially give him milk tea, Lin Mian felt both happy and moved.

He softly thanked him and began sipping the tea.

The tea was sweet, but Lin Mian, having rarely eaten sweets, didn’t mind the sweetness.

With the increased affection from yesterday’s intimate interaction and today’s gift, Lin Mian’s affection for Pei Yuhuai had reached ninety points.

At eighty points, a player can confess to an NPC.

At one hundred points, a player can propose.

Pei Yuhuai looked at the shy, adorable young man and wanted to pat his head.

Unfortunately, the interaction options didn’t include head patting, so he dismissed the thought.

Pei Yuhuai didn’t stay long with Lin Mian. He logged in mainly for a timed task. After giving Lin Mian the gifts, he went to the small square to take on the task.

After finishing the milk tea, Lin Mian couldn’t bear to throw away the beautiful cup. He rinsed it with precious water and placed it on his bedside table.

Later, when Cheng Xiaowan visited, she saw the fresh flowers and knew Mr. Pei had just been there.

Unlike Lin Mian, who was shy and introverted, Cheng Xiaowan wasn’t afraid to ask Mr. Pei for gifts.

She thought flowers were beautiful but useless and preferred practical items.

Seeing Lin Mian staring at the flowers, she suggested they go find Mr. Pei.

She wanted to ask for gifts, and since Lin Mian also wanted to see Mr. Pei, they could go together.

Admittedly, Cheng Xiaowan was somewhat using Lin Mian.

She knew Mr. Pei favored Lin Mian, and bringing him along might speed up getting her gifts.

Lin Mian hesitated but agreed.

“Then, let’s go.”

They headed to the small square in Scarlet Town.

When they arrived, Pei Yuhuai wasn’t there.

He was fulfilling a request from a sick townsperson, using his Healing-based Ability to treat them at their home.

By the time he finished, half an hour had passed.

When he returned to the square, Cheng Xiaowan and Lin Mian were still waiting.

They happily approached him when they saw him.

Pei Yuhuai glanced at Lin Mian, wondering if he needed something.

Noticing Pei Yuhuai’s questioning look, Lin Mian shyly lowered his head.

He had no reason; he just wanted to see Mr. Pei.

Before Pei Yuhuai could ask, Cheng Xiaowan spoke up.

“Mr. Pei, where’s my gift today? I want one too.”

Pei Yuhuai glanced at her and gave her two gifts: a dessert and a pink tracksuit.

Cheng Xiaowan was thrilled, thanking him repeatedly.

Pei Yuhuai, however, focused on Lin Mian.

“What’s wrong? Why is your face so red?”

Lin Mian, already nervous, felt his heart race.

He couldn’t look up and whispered, “N-nothing, I’m just a bit hot.”

Pei Yuhuai smiled faintly.

Unbeknownst to him, his emotions synchronized with his in-game character.

His smile in the real world appeared on his in-game avatar.

Lin Mian, sneaking a glance, saw this gentle, affectionate smile and blushed even more.

He knew Mr. Pei wasn’t mocking him.

The smile was tender, almost as if looking at a loved one.

This thought emboldened Lin Mian.

Suddenly, he wanted to hold Mr. Pei’s hand.

And so, he did.

Meanwhile, a system notification popped up on Pei Yuhuai’s phone.

“Game character Lin Mian wants to hold your hand. Accept/Decline.”

Pei Yuhuai was surprised. He hadn’t expected Lin Mian to be so forward.

After a moment’s hesitation, he accepted.

He didn’t dislike Lin Mian; in fact, he quite liked him.

Lin Mian was adorable and pleasing.

But he was just a string of code, not a real person.

This realization cooled Pei Yuhuai’s emotions.

Ignoring the hand-holding characters, he messaged his niece on another phone.

“Cai Cai, where did you download that game, Scarlet Town?”

Since he couldn’t find it online, he guessed it might be in beta.

To prevent the game from disappearing before release, Pei Yuhuai decided to buy it outright.

He liked being in control.

When he found something he liked, he didn’t want to lose it.

Even if it was just data, while he liked it, no one could take it away.

The solution was to buy it and keep it forever.

His niece hadn’t replied yet, but Pei Yuhuai wasn’t worried. She was probably busy and would respond when she saw the message.

After sending the message, he noticed his character was still holding Lin Mian’s hand.

Lin Mian, thinking Pei Yuhuai was preoccupied, led him to a quieter area.

Cheng Xiaowan and others didn’t follow, knowing Mr. Pei favored Lin Mian and not wanting to intrude.

However, some townsfolk were displeased, feeling Lin Mian was monopolizing Mr. Pei.

They wanted more resources from Mr. Pei and didn’t like the idea of Lin Mian hogging him.

But despite their dissatisfaction, they dared not say anything in front of Mr. Pei.