My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 54
Xiao Nianyuan was surprised, while Ji Rongxue eyed Lian Qiushui warily. Xiao Nianyuan glanced between them and said, “It’s fine. Both of you already know what I’m looking for.”
Seeing that Lian Qiushui knew, Ji Rongxue was momentarily stunned—she hadn’t expected Xiao Nianyuan to have told Lian Qiushui.
Judging by their reactions, it seemed they had informed Lian Qiushui long ago. In fact, Lian Qiushui might have been the first to know Xiao Nianyuan was searching for Sky City.
Ji Rongxue’s gaze toward Lian Qiushui grew increasingly complicated. She had never seen Xiao Nianyuan get this close to anyone before—Lian Qiushui was the first.
The feeling was strange, almost like watching the daughter she had raised being whisked away by some brash outsider.
Xiao Nianyuan, however, was entirely focused on Sky City and didn’t notice the odd look Ji Rongxue was giving Lian Qiushui. She pressed, “When can we go? Can we leave today?”
“We can,” Ji Rongxue paused, “but you’re taking her along?”
“She can’t come?” Xiao Nianyuan asked.
“It’s not that. I just didn’t realize you two were so close.”
Bringing Lian Qiushui everywhere—if she didn’t know better, she’d think Lian Qiushui was some kind of accessory.
Lian Qiushui grinned. “Of course we’re close.”
There was a hint of provocation in her tone. Ji Rongxue frowned and amended, “But NPCs really shouldn’t go.”
Lian Qiushui: “…”
The targeting couldn’t have been more blatant. She looked to Xiao Nianyuan for help, but Xiao Nianyuan didn’t overthink it. Recalling how Lian Qiushui had been affected in the cave earlier, she figured the same might happen to NPCs here. Softly, she reassured, “Wait for me to come back.”
“I don’t want to wait,” Lian Qiushui pouted. “You’re only online for a few hours a day, and now you’re leaving me behind?”
The way she said it made Xiao Nianyuan sound like some heartless scoundrel.
Xiao Nianyuan felt a pang of guilt and was about to comfort her, but Ji Rongxue cut in first, asking Lian Qiushui, “What’s more important—keeping you company while doing nothing, or letting her do what she wants?”
Lian Qiushui pressed her lips together and stayed silent. Both were important to her. She wanted to stay with Xiao Nianyuan, but she also wanted Xiao Nianyuan to pursue her goals.
“Why can’t NPCs go? What would happen if one did?” Lian Qiushui pressed stubbornly.
Ji Rongxue replied coolly, “I never said they can’t go. I just said it’s better if they don’t.”
Lian Qiushui: “…”
“So, you mean I can go?” Lian Qiushui didn’t want to hear about potential downsides for NPCs. “If it’s possible, then I’m going.”
Xiao Nianyuan hesitated and asked Ji Rongxue, “What kind of effect would it have?”
Ji Rongxue shook her head. “Not sure. We’ll find out when we get there.”
Though she really didn’t want Lian Qiushui tagging along and was tempted to lie, she knew falsehoods would eventually be exposed. Reluctantly, she admitted, “She only told me NPCs would feel uncomfortable there.”
“Maybe she was joking,” Lian Qiushui said to Ji Rongxue. “You’re close to her—go ask when we can set off.”
Ji Rongxue: “…Since when was I close to her?”
Xiao Nianyuan and Lian Qiushui stared at her without a word. Uncomfortable under their gazes, Ji Rongxue had no choice but to go find Jing Siyan.
Meanwhile, Tan Xialan and Du Xiaotong heard they were heading somewhere. Tan Xialan had no interest in joining and dragged Du Xiaotong off to play elsewhere.
Before long, Ji Rongxue contacted Xiao Nianyuan, telling her and Lian Qiushui to meet her at the hot springs behind the mountain.
The hot spring they visited yesterday was connected to the back mountain. Following a small path beyond the spring led them to the rear slopes.
Lanterns lined the roadside, their warm glow unable to disperse the mountain mist, creating a hazy and somewhat eerie atmosphere with low visibility. Lian Qianshui naturally reached for Xiao Nianyuan’s hand.
Xiao Nianyuan had already grown accustomed to Lian Qianshui’s touch and didn’t object, silently holding her hand as they walked together.
They followed the narrow path until a cluster of lights appeared ahead, faintly revealing two figures.
As they approached, Xiao Nianyuan heard Ji Rongxue scold in a low voice, “…Don’t mess around.”
“What are you two talking about?” Xiao Nianyuan asked, her gaze fixed sharply on Jing Siyan. Ji Rongxue had always been gentle—she had never heard her speak to anyone in such a tone before.
Could it be that Ji Rongxue had agreed to some unfavorable condition to help her?
If that were the case, Xiao Nianyuan would rather find her own way to Sky City than accept Jing Siyan’s assistance.
“It’s nothing,” Ji Rongxue said weakly. “She just wants to come along.”
Xiao Nianyuan frowned in confusion. Ji Rongxue explained, “If she goes, no one will be left here to guard the array.”
Xiao Nianyuan glanced ahead. A circle was drawn on the ground, inscribed with intricate patterns—likely the array Ji Rongxue mentioned.
Was the only concern that no one would guard the array? It didn’t seem like a big issue, yet Xiao Nianyuan couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Was Ji Rongxue really just upset about this?
Lian Qianshui crouched down and asked Jing Siyan curiously, “Didn’t you say you couldn’t do it?”
Jing Siyan smiled brightly. “I can learn. It’s not that hard.”
Xiao Nianyuan looked at Lian Qianshui, who stood up and whispered to her, “Her ancestors were sorcerers, but her generation stopped practicing.”
Lian Qianshui sounded puzzled. “I came to her before, asking if she could divine Sky City’s location. She refused, saying she didn’t know how.”
Now, she claimed she could learn. Combined with her invitation to Ji Rongxue last night, Lian Qianshui couldn’t help but suspect that Jing Siyan was hiding something—something related to Ji Rongxue.
Xiao Nianyuan pulled Ji Rongxue aside. “Did she threaten you? Or did you promise her something?”
“It’s nothing,” Ji Rongxue hesitated. “She just wants me to visit her shop more often.”
Xiao Nianyuan remained silent. Ji Rongxue added earnestly, “Really, don’t worry about me. Besides, this is just a game. There’s no danger.”
Only then did Xiao Nianyuan relax slightly.
Sometimes, after playing for so long, she forgot this was just a game. Becoming too immersed wasn’t good, but right now, she had bigger concerns.
When Xiao Nianyuan and Ji Rongxue returned, Jing Siyan grinned at them while Lian Qianshui looked bewildered, stealing occasional glances at Ji Rongxue.
Jing Siyan warned them not to touch anything they might see. Once they nodded, she stepped aside and began chanting unfamiliar incantations with practiced ease.
As soon as the words left her lips, the array glowed brightly, casting a golden light across the sky. The radiance grew increasingly intense until Jing Siyan finally said, “Alright, come over.”
Upon hearing Jing Siyan’s words, Xiao Nianyuan, Lian Qiushui, and Ji Rongxue stepped forward together. As soon as they entered the formation, their vision brightened, and they found themselves in an unfamiliar place. Xiao Nianyuan surveyed the strange scenery before turning to Jing Siyan.
Jing Siyan asked, “What’s wrong?”
Xiao Nianyuan frowned. “This isn’t Sky City.”
“Wait a moment.” Jing Siyan calculated something with her fingers before confirming, “This is definitely the place.”
Seeing that Jing Siyan wasn’t joking, Xiao Nianyuan observed the antique-style buildings ahead. Though somewhat similar, each was distinct—unlike Sky City, where everything appeared nearly identical.
Lian Qiushui suggested, “Could Sky City have been updated after maintenance?”
That seemed the only plausible explanation. Xiao Nianyuan tried to recognize the surroundings from memory and barely identified one house.
When they pushed the door open, the interior was spotless. A child screamed for their parents upon seeing the intruders.
A man and woman emerged, shielding the child behind them as they glared warily at Xiao Nianyuan. “Who are you? How dare you barge into our home uninvited?”
Xiao Nianyuan frowned. “Are you certain this is your home?”
The man retorted, “If this isn’t my home, is it yours?”
“…That’s not what I meant,” Xiao Nianyuan replied.
The woman snapped, “Then what did you mean?”
“Never mind. Sorry to disturb you.” With that, Xiao Nianyuan exited and scrutinized the house from outside, confirming the location was correct.
Yet the occupants had changed—Wu Jinghe was gone. Xiao Nianyuan doubted Wu would have sold the property. Even if she had to evade her, who could she have sold it to? When they first arrived in Sky City, its residents had been vacant-eyed. Wu Jinghe had claimed outsiders’ presence would alter their personalities to match.
A dreadful suspicion took root—perhaps this was a revamped Sky City, rendering the original obsolete. No wonder Jing Siyan had revealed the method to reach it so easily; they weren’t actually returning to the true Sky City.
Lian Qiushui asked Jing Siyan curiously, “When did you learn how to access Sky City?”
Jing Siyan replied serenely, “Divination reveals it anytime.”
“Did you only divine it yesterday?” Xiao Nianyuan pressed.
At Jing Siyan’s nod, Xiao Nianyuan sighed—the calculation no longer pointed to the Sky City she sought.
“There’s only one Sky City. I couldn’t have miscalculated,” Jing Siyan insisted sternly when met with silence.
Her repeated assurances suggested this was indeed the sole remaining Sky City—the original forever lost, at least to players and NPCs alike.
Noticing Xiao Nianyuan’s preoccupation, Ji Rongxue asked Jing Siyan, “Truly no alternative?”
Jing Siyan hesitated. “I led you to Sky City as requested. But does this other Sky City you speak of even exist?”
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I have mixed feeling about this story. In one hand, I absolutely adore the relationship between Xiao Nianyuan and Lin Qiushi, despite the rocky start, their relationship quickly evolve into a very soft and clingly relationship where Xiao Nianyuan get to indulge her need for physical contact through Lin Qiushi due to the fact that she’s less self conscious about it with her initially since she’s an NPC, and Lin Qiushi get to indulge in her need for companionship through Xiao Nianyuan, who is pretty introverted and as such don’t interact with other players or NPC in the game, so Lin Qiushi get to have all of her attention. As time goes on, they become pretty clingly with each other, both physically and emotionally.
My main gripe is that I don’t think enough time in the story is dedicated to their relationship
A good third of the story is dedicated to a rather boring mystery about a classmate of Xiao Nianyuan who’s using her photo to scam people online in order to ruin her reputation and take revenge on her over a perceived slight about his scolarship, but it feels pretty disconnected from the main point of the story, Xiao Nianyuan never actually exchange a single sentence with the perpetrator, outside of once, when he’s about to get caught.
The mystery of the sky city take another large chunk of the story, but in my opinion, it really wasn’t all that interesting. Xiao Nianyuan caught a glimpse of a silhouette that she recognized in the sky city early on, and then obsessed over the sky city to try to find that person and find out what’s the sky city is. While the story doesn’t explicitly said it, the person is most likely Ji Rongxue, who Xiao Nianyuan thought was dead. But the mystery is revealed in a rather boring fashion and so is the true nature of the sky city.
I also have a slight gripe with the ending, I do think that Xiao Nianyuan and Liu Qiushu relationship benefited a lot from the dynamic of one of them being a real person and the other being an NPC who was stuck in a virtual world, and while I always expected this barrier to eventually fade for an happy ending, I do have a slight problem with how it happened. Firstly, it’s a personnal preference but I would have prefered if they had started their relationship in the game, while Liu Qiushu was still an NPC, and secondly, the story kind of brush off all too quickly how Liu Qiushu was actually a real person with her memory sealed inside of the game, so it almost feels like Xiao Nianyuan end up with a different Liu Qiushu than the Liu Qiushu we got to see for the entire story (since their meeting happen in the last chapter).
Also, there is some hints of a relationship between Ji Rongxue and Jing Siyan (another NPC), but it’s never explicited, Jing Siyan get deleted due to a virus and there’s no resolution on that front, which is pretty sad.
Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts! <3