My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 14

Xiao Nianyuan wanted to ask what was going on when she suddenly felt someone embrace her. Coming back to her senses, she saw Lian Qiushui looking at her with pity.

Xiao Nianyuan: “…What’s wrong?”

Lian Qiushui continued comforting her: “If you want to cry, go ahead. No one will laugh at you.”

“Wait a minute,” Xiao Nianyuan was utterly confused. “Why would I cry?”

Lian Qiushui was even more bewildered than Xiao Nianyuan: “Weren’t you scared?”

Xiao Nianyuan finally realized what Lian Qiushui meant and couldn’t help but laugh. She placed her hands on Lian Qiushui’s shoulders, keeping her at a distance. “No, I was just remembering something.”

Seeing someone who looked exactly like her had indeed startled Xiao Nianyuan, but she quickly calmed down—this was just a game, not reality.

Even if someone had done this deliberately, it was still just a game. Characters in the game couldn’t cross over into the real world. If she ever felt troubled, she could simply uninstall the game, and everything would disappear.

Distracted by Lian Qiushui, Xiao Nianyuan forgot to continue questioning the system. She looked down at the girl sitting obediently on the ground.

“What’s your name?”

The girl shrank back slightly, pressing her lips together without answering.

“Can’t you say?”

“It’s not that I can’t, it’s just… inconvenient.” The girl seemed troubled.

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t understand, but Lian Qiushui suddenly realized something. “I know why she can’t tell you.”

When Xiao Nianyuan looked at her, Lian Qiushui gestured for them to step aside. The two moved away, and Lian Qiushui whispered, “She doesn’t have a name.”

“No name?”

Lian Qiushui nodded. “Not all NPCs have names. There are many types of NPCs—some are just background elements with fixed dialogue.”

Xiao Nianyuan understood. The most basic NPCs were merely background props, only capable of responding to preset questions. They couldn’t think or react to anything outside their programming.

In any other game, Xiao Nianyuan would have accepted this setting without question. But this game had been advertised as one where every NPC had their own thoughts.

Xiao Nianyuan frowned. She didn’t think this was a glitch—perhaps she could use this as a lead, but not right now.

“I see. Let’s go check somewhere else first.” Xiao Nianyuan led Lian Qiushui away. The girl remained silent the entire time, staring blankly as they left.

Even tied up, the girl showed no fear or panic. She simply watched quietly as Xiao Nianyuan and Lian Qiushui exited the house. Once they were gone, she glanced down at her bound wrists. The light in her beautiful eyes gradually faded, leaving behind an empty, hollow gaze.

After leaving the house, Xiao Nianyuan went to look for Wu Jinghe. Wu Jinghe’s place was the same as before—pitch-black and cluttered. They searched everywhere but found no trace of her.

Earlier, Wu Jinghe had angrily ordered them to leave, claiming this was her home. Yet now, there wasn’t even a shadow of her to be seen.

Xiao Nianyuan’s brows furrowed. She turned and strode outside.

Lian Qiushui followed, confused. “Aren’t you looking for Wu Jinghe?”

“I know where she is,” Xiao Nianyuan said firmly. Lian Qiushui didn’t understand but followed anyway. After all, she had come to Sky City in the first place for Xiao Nianyuan. Once Xiao Nianyuan found what she was looking for, they could officially become master and disciple.

Xiao Nianyuan hurried back toward the girl’s house but stopped halfway. If she went now, she might catch the two of them together—but what then? Wu Jinghe would surely deny everything and refuse to admit they knew each other.

Why would she seek out the girl? Most likely, it was Wu Jinghe’s decision and had nothing to do with the girl herself.

If she could just figure out why Wu Jinghe was secretly meeting the girl behind her back, perhaps many unexplained things would suddenly make sense.

“Do you still want to be my master?”

Lian Qiushui’s eyes lit up. “Right now?”

So she did.

Xiao Nianyuan hesitated before saying, “I just suddenly feel like… you might not be qualified to be my master.”

Lian Qiushui froze, then grew anxious. “How am I not qualified? In what way?”

After the initial excitement came unease. If Xiao Nianyuan was saying this now, she must be setting up some kind of difficult challenge.

Like asking her to walk through fire or climb a mountain of blades. She was still human, after all—without magical treasures to protect her, attempting such feats would be a death sentence.

Which was more important—gaining a disciple or staying alive? Lian Qiushui agonized over the dilemma.

But if she failed to take on a disciple, she’d die sooner or later anyway. So maybe…

“I can do anything!” Lian Qiushui declared, steeling herself for the worst.

Xiao Nianyuan blinked, surprised by her reaction. She had only wanted Lian Qiushui’s help, not for her to risk her life. Amused, she said, “I just wanted to ask if you could temporarily conceal my presence.”

If she wanted to secretly observe what Wu Jinghe was up to, she couldn’t let her notice she was spying.

Hearing such a simple request, Lian Qiushui chuckled. “Of course there’s a way.”

The game was set in a martial arts world—while making someone completely undetectable might be impossible, basic concealment was no trouble for her. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have dared propose becoming Xiao Nianyuan’s master in the first place.

Lian Qiushui fished out a small vial and handed it over. “This will hide your presence for a short time.”

Xiao Nianyuan took it, eyeing the thumb-sized bottle skeptically. That’s it?

“Nothing else needed?”

“Nope.” Lian Qiushui tilted her chin up proudly. “You don’t have the foundation yet. Once you do, you won’t need external aids like this.”

Xiao Nianyuan only half-understood but drank the liquid anyway. It tasted faintly bitter.

She marveled at how the game could simulate taste—she’d already been impressed by the realistic touch, but flavor too?

After drinking, she cautiously approached the girl’s house, keeping some distance just in case. She hadn’t forgotten Wu Jinghe’s water manipulation—who knew what other tricks she might have?

From outside, Xiao Nianyuan could vaguely see figures moving past the window, but she was too far to hear their conversation.

Soon, Wu Jinghe emerged. Xiao Nianyuan and Lian Qiushui hid behind a tree as Wu Jinghe glanced around, as if searching for something. Seemingly relieved, she skipped away.

Only after confirming Wu Jinghe wouldn’t return did Xiao Nianyuan enter the house—but it was empty. Wu Jinghe wasn’t there.

Frowning, Xiao Nianyuan recalled seeing two people inside earlier. Yet only Wu Jinghe had left—had the girl vanished into thin air?

But if disappearing were that easy, Wu Jinghe wouldn’t have needed to exit through the front door.

“Can you help me with one more thing?”

Lian Qiushui agreed without hesitation. But when Xiao Nianyuan suggested she stay behind to see if the young girl would return while she went to find Wu Jinghe, Lian Qiushui immediately objected: “You can’t handle her alone.”

Xiao Nianyuan reasoned calmly, “If she really wanted to harm me, she would have done so already.”

Though Wu Jinghe had always tried to drive her away, she had never actually hurt her—aside from that prank of pulling her into the water.

Xiao Nianyuan suspected it might be because she was a player, and NPCs—or at least those in Sky City—couldn’t harm her.

If her guess was correct, going alone would be better than bringing Lian Qiushui along. Besides, she genuinely wanted to know why the girl had suddenly disappeared.

“But—”

Lian Qiushui still hesitated, until Xiao Nianyuan smiled and said, “Please, Master.”

Lian Qiushui: “Alright!”

After Xiao Nianyuan left, Lian Qiushui belatedly realized she had been easily swayed by just a casual “Master” from Xiao Nianyuan. Annoyed, she paced back and forth.

How could she be so easily persuaded? Just one word from Xiao Nianyuan, and she had obediently followed her instructions. This was unacceptable!

Yet, the moment she recalled Xiao Nianyuan calling her “Master,” Lian Qiushui couldn’t suppress her delight. Xiao Nianyuan had acknowledged her as her master.

Unaware that her offhand remark had sent Lian Qiushui floating on a cloud of happiness, Xiao Nianyuan moved on. She had no idea where Wu Jinghe had gone after leaving, so she carefully observed the surrounding houses. The moment she heard movement inside one, she approached and, sure enough, overheard Wu Jinghe speaking with someone—likely the house’s owner.

Wu Jinghe’s tone was serious: “Hide quickly.”

The person agreed without question. After giving instructions, Wu Jinghe left and moved to the next house. One by one, she went through them—houses that had been empty before she entered, yet somehow had people inside who even spoke to her.

Xiao Nianyuan frowned. So it was Wu Jinghe’s doing all along. She had hidden everyone and was now sternly ordering them not to show themselves until Xiao Nianyuan left.

If exposing her now wouldn’t get her the answers she wanted, Xiao Nianyuan would have confronted her immediately. Though she disliked confrontation, she wasn’t about to let Wu Jinghe deceive her without consequence. She might be socially anxious, but she wasn’t weak.

Suppressing her frustration, Xiao Nianyuan silently followed Wu Jinghe for a long time.

House by house, Wu Jinghe went to notify them. As an NPC, she had no choice—unlike players who could communicate instantly, NPCs had to deliver messages in person.

Sure, carrier pigeons were an option, but with Sky City deserted, using one would only draw Xiao Nianyuan’s attention.

Wu Jinghe remained tense the entire way. When she encountered neither Xiao Nianyuan nor Lian Qiushui, she gradually relaxed. By the time she finished notifying everyone, she was completely at ease, returning home in high spirits.

Even though her home was practically destroyed, it was still hers. She opened the door, ready to sit and rest, when a cold voice cut through the air: “Back from doing mischief?”

Wu Jinghe was startled, springing to her feet with a snarl as she glared at the uninvited guest.

Xiao Nianyuan emerged from the shadows—the medicine Lian Qiushui had given her worked quite well. She had been in the room for so long, yet Wu Jinghe hadn’t noticed her at all. If she hadn’t spoken up, Wu Jinghe might never have known she was there.

Without the slightest guilt over intruding—after all, barging into Wu Jinghe’s room wasn’t a first for her—Xiao Nianyuan met her gaze and asked, “That surprised to see me?”