My Unconventional Online Dating - Chapter 8

Xiao Nianyuan ignored it completely, but the system refused to give up, pleading earnestly, “If you keep going forward, you might be forced to log off.”

Xiao Nianyuan responded coldly, “What else can you do besides threaten me?”

The system played the victim, “This isn’t something I can decide either. Please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Xiao Nianyuan scoffed, “I’m making things difficult for you? Clearly, you’re the one making things difficult for me. If you keep this up, I won’t log in next time.”

The system immediately backed down, “Please wait a moment. I’ll apply for permissions right away.”

After that, it fell silent.

Xiao Nianyuan waited for a minute before asking impatiently, “Are you done yet?”

The system stammered, “J-just a little longer.”

Xiao Nianyuan sneered, “Are you stalling for time?”

The system fell silent, clearly caught in the act. She ignored it and continued forward.

If the system really dared to force her offline, she would never log in again.

However, deep down, she knew she would return. She still wasn’t sure if that figure was the person she was looking for.

She shook off the water on her body, the cold sensation making her shiver. But she had no time to dwell on it. She stood up and pushed open a door, only to find the room empty. Yet, freshly prepared food sat on the table, steaming hot, as if the occupants had vanished the moment she arrived.

Xiao Nianyuan frowned, leaning toward the idea that they were deliberately hiding from her.

Standing at the doorway, she scanned the room, a faint unease creeping into her heart.

This Sky City appeared beautiful, but there was something eerie about it everywhere.

She took a deep breath and decided to keep searching for that figure. No matter what, she had to uncover the truth.

Xiao Nianyuan stood on the deserted street, a subtle unease stirring within her.

As an NPC in the game, why would they hide from her? She had two guesses: either it was related to that familiar figure, or the people here simply didn’t welcome her and were deliberately avoiding her to play some prank.

Whatever the reason, she had no intention of leaving easily.

The system kept trying to persuade her to turn back, its threats growing increasingly veiled and indirect. Yet, no matter what it said, it never actually forced her offline.

Xiao Nianyuan was glad she had stood her ground earlier, making the system hesitate to take drastic action for fear she might really quit.

She pushed open door after door, only to find every room seemingly just vacated—steaming food on the tables, chairs still slightly swaying, as if the occupants had hurriedly disappeared the moment she entered.

Seeing her search so many rooms fruitlessly, the system seemed to relax, speaking less and less until it finally fell silent.

Xiao Nianyuan suddenly asked, “Does this have something to do with you?”

The system immediately denied it, “Nothing to do with me.”

She said nothing, not believing a single word.

She pressed further, “What about Lian Qiushui? Where is she?”

The system hesitated, clearly unwilling to answer.

Xiao Nianyuan closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress her frustration.

If she could see or touch the system, she would have loved to give it a good beating.

This system seemed designed solely to annoy her, doing everything it could to make her miserable.

“Are you looking for me?”

Lian Qiushui’s voice suddenly came from behind, startling Xiao Nianyuan. She spun around to see Lian Qiushui smiling at her, having just heard Xiao Nianyuan was looking for her.

Frowning, Xiao Nianyuan asked, “Where did you come from?”

Lian Qiushui scratched her cheek sheepishly. “Someone just appeared and asked if I wanted to come find you. I said yes, and here I am.”

Xiao Nianyuan pressed further, “What kind of person?”

Blinking innocently, Lian Qiushui replied, “Just… a person.”

Xiao Nianyuan studied her face, trying to detect something, but Lian Qiushui simply gazed back with wide, guileless eyes.

With a sigh, Xiao Nianyuan rephrased her question: “Was it an NPC who asked you, or a player?”

After some thought, Lian Qiushui answered, “Probably an NPC.”

Xiao Nianyuan raised an eyebrow. “You can’t tell the difference?”

Lian Qiushui nodded. “I can’t.”

Pointing at herself, Xiao Nianyuan asked, “Then what about me? How do you know I’m a player?”

Lian Qiushui pointed at Xiao Nianyuan’s chest. “You’re different from the others.”

Xiao Nianyuan eyed her suspiciously. Her outfit wasn’t much different from the locals’, and there had been other players around. How had Lian Qiushui identified her as a player at first glance?

Unable to resist, she asked, “How could you tell?”

Pouting, Lian Qiushui said plaintively, “If you ask me, I don’t know either.”

In her perception, Xiao Nianyuan might as well have had “PLAYER” written all over her, but explaining why was beyond her. It was like asking an NPC to explain why the programmer had designed their character—there simply was no answer.

Xiao Nianyuan sighed and decided to drop the subject.

Changing the topic, she said, “Now that you’re here, help me with something.”

Lian Qiushui agreed without hesitation. “Sure, what do you need?”

Xiao Nianyuan said, “There’s no one around here. Can you find out where they are?”

Scratching her head uncertainly, Lian Qiushui replied, “I’ll try.”

To speed things up, the two split up.

Xiao Nianyuan had just pushed open the doors of two houses when a loud explosion sounded nearby.

Startled, she rushed outside to investigate and saw black smoke rising from a house not far away.

She hurried over and, just as she reached the entrance, Lian Qiushui came charging out, covered in soot, her hair a mess and her face smeared with dust.

The moment she saw Xiao Nianyuan, Lian Qiushui threw herself at her and wailed, “There’s a ghost in there!”