My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 59

It had been a long time since Pu Pengdan last called her. Normally, if Pu Pengdan didn’t reach out, Xiao Nianyuan wouldn’t take the initiative to contact her either. Xiao Nianyuan held no resentment toward Pu Pengdan—it was just that Pu Pengdan assumed she did.

The reason she never initiated contact was simply because it wasn’t a habit of hers. From childhood, Pu Pengdan had treated her neither well nor poorly. Then, at some point, Pu Pengdan suddenly wanted to make amends.

Xiao Nianyuan wasn’t sure if this stemmed from guilt, but the sudden concern made her deeply uncomfortable.

During middle and high school, when she lived at the dormitory, Pu Pengdan never called or even sent a message. If not for holidays when she had to return home, they might not have seen each other at all. Pu Pengdan was always busy. As a child, Xiao Nianyuan had longed for her mother to spend more time with her, but after being rejected repeatedly, she stopped expecting anything.

The phone kept ringing. Xiao Nianyuan answered, and an unfamiliar voice came through: “Are you her daughter?”

Xiao Nianyuan replied, “Yes, I am. What’s wrong?” A sense of unease rose in her chest.

“Your mother fainted at work,” the person said.

Xiao Nianyuan froze, unsure how to respond.

“Come take a look,” the voice urged.

“What can I do there? I’m not a doctor,” Xiao Nianyuan instinctively retorted.

The person on the other end clearly hadn’t expected that answer and sounded astonished. “Even if you’re not a doctor, shouldn’t you come see your mother?”

Though she didn’t understand, since the call had already come, Xiao Nianyuan asked for the address. When she saw the location, she stood motionless for a long time.

The address sent to her was the gaming company’s office. Her mother worked at a gaming company? Xiao Nianyuan didn’t know—nor did she care—just as Pu Pengdan had no idea which school she attended.

At the company entrance, someone led her inside while explaining along the way, “Your mother suddenly collapsed after pulling all-nighters for days. We wanted to send her to the hospital, but she refused. We called you hoping you could ask why she won’t go.”

Xiao Nianyuan stayed silent. The colleague, thinking she was shocked, quickly reassured her, “It’s fine. In our line of work, this happens often. Fainting isn’t unusual, but someone still needs to step in.”

Xiao Nianyuan found it laughable. Expecting her to step in for Pu Pengdan? If Pu Pengdan even listened to her, that would be a miracle. She wouldn’t dare try to control Pu Pengdan.

Led to the break room, Xiao Nianyuan looked at Pu Pengdan lying on the sofa, her emotions tangled.

Once, she had yearned to spend time with Pu Pengdan. Now, she no longer needed it. Being around Pu Pengdan only made her uncomfortable, like facing a stranger who suddenly acted overly familiar.

A colleague whispered to Xiao Nianyuan, “Try talking to her. She hasn’t gone home in days.”

Xiao Nianyuan walked over and silently crouched down.

Hearing movement, Pu Pengdan opened her eyes. Seeing Xiao Nianyuan, she was visibly surprised. Rubbing her eyes, it took her a moment before she asked, “Why are you here?”

Xiao Nianyuan answered truthfully, “Your colleague asked me to come check on you.”

Pu Pengdan looked awkward and tried to sit up, but Xiao Nianyuan pressed her back down. “Just stay lying down.”

The colleague was taken aback. Even though Pu Pengdan had fainted, Xiao Nianyuan showed no trace of worry—her tone was flat, as if the person who collapsed wasn’t her mother at all.

Pengdan’s colleague wasn’t mistaken—Xiao Nianyuan truly wasn’t worried. Even if someone demanded it, Xiao Nianyuan wouldn’t pretend to care. Just as Pengdan had believed since childhood that she could take care of herself, Xiao Nianyuan also believed Pengdan could manage on her own.

After all, Pengdan was a grown woman. Besides, if Xiao Nianyuan could be self-sufficient by age five or six, there was no reason Pengdan couldn’t do the same.

The atmosphere between mother and daughter was painfully stiff, so much so that even the most oblivious colleague noticed. Someone tried to ease the tension: “Since you’re here at the company, why not take a look at your mom’s work environment?”

This suggestion played right into Xiao Nianyuan’s hands. She hadn’t come for Pengdan—she was here for the gaming company. Though she already had an open invitation from Yin Peilan, an extra opportunity never hurt.

When Xiao Nianyuan agreed to the tour, Pengdan froze in surprise.

Only after Xiao Nianyuan followed the colleague out did Pengdan snap back to reality, hastily calling after another lingering coworker: “Please keep an eye on her for me.”

The colleague who was pulled aside frowned. “You two don’t seem very close?”

Pengdan shook her head. “No, we’re fine. She’s just naturally reserved.”

The colleague didn’t press further, though it was obvious Xiao Nianyuan wasn’t being reserved—she simply didn’t want to engage with Pengdan. Since it was a family matter, the colleague didn’t pry and simply agreed before catching up to Xiao Nianyuan, turning noticeably more enthusiastic.

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t care about their attitudes. She was only interested in getting answers. “Is all the work done here? I’ve heard of your games.”

The colleague beamed with pride. “Of course you have—they’re great! You should try them.”

When Xiao Nianyuan didn’t respond, the colleague realized she hadn’t actually answered the question. “Oh, no. This is just a hub. When different teams—like narrative, modeling, and art—hit roadblocks, they gather here to brainstorm.”

“Why not hold virtual meetings?” Xiao Nianyuan asked.

The colleague scratched her head, looking slightly embarrassed. “Some things just can’t be resolved online. Face-to-face works better.”

Xiao Nianyuan studied her for a moment. “Do meetings involve physical altercations?”

The colleague’s gaze darted away, and she suddenly fell silent. Clearly, Xiao Nianyuan had guessed right—things could get heated enough to turn physical.

Not that it concerned Xiao Nianyuan. In fact, it gave her more chances to interact with others. As they passed a conference room, loud arguing spilled out:

“I told you it couldn’t go live!”

“After all this work, you’re backing out now? You agreed to it before!”

The voices grew louder, mixed with attempts to mediate.

Xiao Nianyuan turned to look, but the colleague quickly blocked her view. “Just some minor friction between coworkers. Nothing serious.”

The colleague assumed Xiao Nianyuan was worried about a fight, but in truth, she wanted to hear what the argument was about. With the colleague in the way, she couldn’t get closer without being obvious.

The colleague continued introducing different departments and their roles. When modeling was mentioned, Xiao Nianyuan casually asked, “I saw a post about a place in the game called Sky City. Does it really exist?”