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Chapter 62




It was always easier to attract onlookers with more frightening headlines.
Many onlookers clicked on the headline and were greeted by a man in a cafe seat, leaning forward, whispering into the air in front of him, and making all sorts of affectionate caressing movements.
Everyone was stunned.
This video was taken from behind. All they could see was most of the man’s back, his jaw and a bit of his nose.
No one could see the man’s full face or his expression at the moment.
They didn’t need the man’s face and expression.
Just from the man’s body movements, they could feel the man’s deep affection!
This video.
At first glance, it was sand sculpture <sup>1</sup> 沙雕 [shā diāo] refers to interesting and funny people, due to their natural or deliberate stupidity. .
Thinking about it, it was hardcore.
There seemed to be a touch of horror in the hardcore.
These complex emotions were both lingering in the hearts of the viewers and fully highlighted in the comments section below the video.
“Is it a ghost being touched?”
“I can’t believe I was moved by it.”
“Hahahahahahahaha I don’t know why I can’t stop at all hahahahahahahaha!”
“The top right corner of the video reveals a camera and the bottom left corner of the screen reveals a phone case. Presumably, the man is an uploader <sup>2</sup> up主 [zhǔ] refers to people who upload video and audio on video websites and forums. . Although he’s making movements towards the air now, he’ll photoshop special effects later.”
“I declare that this uploader has got full marks for a non-physical performance.”
“Attention, I’d like to ask our art practitioners to communicate with this body master in time and absorb him into their team.”
“I have only one concern. He’s very handsome.”
“Handsome, just one word, no need for other adjectives.”
With an explosive point, there was heat.
With heat, there was attention.
Later, it was tagged #today’s sand sculpture video#, transferred to the game group, and seen by Soren.
Soren was shocked when he saw it.
This… this can’t be?
This… this shouldn’t be, right?
He felt that the protagonist in the video resembled someone he knew, but he also felt that it couldn’t be him in any way.
Slightly frightened and dubious, he couldn’t help but zoom in on the video and watch it from the beginning to the end, over and over again…
At the same time, the video that’d been the number one trending on TikTok for most of the day had gone viral.
Various uploaders imitated the man in the video, affectionately caressing the air in front of them with all sorts of postures.
But not everyone was a body master, after all.
So the videos posted since then became more sand sculpture without the affection and horror.
As a result, #today’s sand sculpture video# became #today’s sand sculpture incident#, which spread even more widely amidst the crazy laughter of everyone.
It also led Soren, who’d finally made up his mind to go to the group, to open the group and see…
Calm Egg: “Have you watched that sand sculpture air video?”
Ten Zero Ling: “Have you watched it too?”
Interfinger Storm: “You’ve all watched that video?”
Six Flavour Monk said happily, “The monk knows what the video is this time!”
Soren said with difficulty, “You all actually… So what do you think the truth is? Is it… him?”
Everyone was at a loss. “What truth, what him? Soren, what are you talking about?”
Deer Over Fragrant Grass passed through here and silently sent a picture to Soren.
The woman, who wandered on the front line of gossip, was always able to know all kinds of information in time and analyse the truth from them.
But today, she and Soren reached a tacit understanding.
She also didn’t know whether the man in the video was…
“Hundreds and thousands of times I searched for him in the crowd. Suddenly I turned back, and there he stood where the lights were dim. <sup>3</sup> An excerpt from the poem 青玉案·元夕. ” Si Buqun arrived late and recited a poem to make a particularly exemplary entrance. “—Isn’t this Eunuch?”
Closely following Si Buqun’s sentence, Interfinger Storm and Calm Egg also spoke separately.
“Yeah, it’s Eunuch.”
“Look at that upright back, that flirtatious posture, that slightly exposed chin. That’s Eunuch, hahaha.”
Soren remained silent and uploaded the video directly.
Watching the video, everyone who’d been laughing loudly a second ago was like a duck being strangled, their laughter coming to an abrupt halt.
In the silence.
Soren quietly sent out, “Is it, him?”
There was silence again, Soren’s words lonely and stubborn.
Until Ten Zero Ling’s sentence broke the ice of silence. “Where did you find that one… What I watched was a little girl’s version.”
Calm Egg: “I saw a strong man version.”
Interfinger Storm: “I saw a woman version.”
Six Flavour Monk: “The monk saw a monk version.”
Deer Over Fragrant Grass was still doing good deeds and didn’t fall behind. “This version is the source version of today’s air video.”
Silence again.
Everyone in the group instantly fell into the same alarm as Soren.
In unison, they did the same thing as Soren. They played the video back and forth.
Although…
But…
Anyway…
Finally, Soren, who had already experienced a series of emotional turmoil, was the first to speak up. “Actually, I think that although they do look alike, it’s not very much.”
As soon as this voice came out, there was an instant chorus of agreement in the group, as if they’d found the weather vane.
Calm Egg: “That’s right, that’s right. Eunuch is a different kind of fireworks. Is it something that just anyone can completely imitate?”
Interfinger Storm: “Not alike.”
Ten Zero Ling: “I don’t think so.”
Six Flavour Monk: “Er, actually, the monk thinks… there are always many similar people in the world.”
Si Buqun didn’t even recite poetry. He firmly stated, “Look at the beautiful body language, look at the strong and powerful emotional rendering. Think about it, it could never be Eunuch! If Eunuch had such acting skills, he could just make a debut, become a big star and earn big money in minutes. Why work so hard to write novels?”
Seeing so many people collectively deny it, Soren was suddenly at ease.
He nodded and said, “That’s right, it definitely isn’t.”
Then…
Someone else sent out a remark.
It was Deer Over Fragrant Grass, who’d been wandering on the periphery of the discussion but was able to make a crucial shot every time.
Deer Over Fragrant Grass said quietly, “What if…”
Silence.
Silence again.
Today’s group was truly a haven of silence.
Finally, the monk emerged and cautiously asked, “Well, almsgivers, shall we withdraw the statement above?”
Calm Egg: “It’s been over two minutes, can’t withdraw.”
Interfinger Storm: “Spam the chat.”
Ten Zero Ling: “[various football-specific spamming images]”
Soren: “[various game-specific spamming images]”
Si Buqun: “[Song of Eternal Sorrow.jpg][Song of the Pipa Player.jpg][On Encountering Sorrow.jpg][Peacocks Southeast Travelling.jpg]”
The group chat scattered, but the people didn’t.
With complicated feelings, they went to Li Shuoxing for a private chat and left messages one after another.
“Brother, you should take your time writing and live a long life. Don’t force yourself too much. When you want to travel for relaxation, squeak, I’ll accompany you to miss updates!”
“Eunuch, I recently ate some delicious walnuts and bought a box for you. Remember to get a small plate when you write.”
“Ximu, this is my usual maintenance recipe. I don’t casually tell ordinary people. Have a look, but don’t spread it out.”
…
Two hours later, at 11pm, Li Shuoxing had finally finished writing today’s six thousand words. As soon as he logged on to QQ, the software was bogged down by all sorts of messages.
He opened them one by one and got:
2 cans of fish oil.
1 box of walnuts.
1 travel invitation.
1 secret maintenance recipe.
1 half-month training qualification with a domestic football team.
1 privilege to meet and chat with the host of a famous domestic online temple.
Li Shuoxing: “???”
Li Shuoxing was at a loss.
He was suddenly sent warmth en masse.
So warm that he was sweating.
***
At the same time, in the game.
Since Ximu left, Su Mingqian, following his usual routine, tidied up the room and then sat down to read.
It usually took one to two hours for him to finish reading something.
But today was a little different.
Su Mingqian felt that there was a hook around him, constantly hooking his attention.
Not in a very rough way.
Rather, it was ticklish, gentle, in a way that might be teasing you.
It was this seemingly non-existent feeling that made it impossible to resist…
He held the periodical and before he read two lines, he couldn’t resist the temptation of the hook and looked over at the doll sitting next to him.
No, I’m still reading. I need to finish reading before I look at the doll.
Su Mingqian hurriedly withdrew his gaze and continued reading the periodical.
But before two lines.
The hook caught him again and he shifted his gaze once more…
After several rounds of this tug-of-war, Su Mingqian gave up the struggle. He admitted defeat, quietly put down the book, and came to the Ximu doll. He gazed at the doll carefully for a moment, and after finding many features on the doll that were similar and identical to Ximu, he suddenly lifted his hand and poked the doll.
“Ximu…”
The doll didn’t speak.
So Su Mingqian poked it again.
“Ximu Ximu Ximu.”
The doll still didn’t speak.
But its body fell backwards slightly, as if Ximu was stumbling from his poke.
Su Mingqian’s mouth revealed a smile.
He took the doll, strolled around the room, and entered the production workshop.
The door of the production workshop was closed and some noise came from inside.
An hour later, Su Mingqian came out again, and the little person had brand new clothes on it.
Su Mingqian placed little Ximu on the table.
He sat on the chair and admired little Ximu, touching its little hands, its little feet and its little face.
As he touched, Su Mingqian suddenly wanted to get more little clothes for little Ximu.
The little clothes could be made in the production workshop, but he didn’t know what kind of clothes would look good…
He was inwardly a little sad and whispered, “If only I had the latest fashion magazines.”
Suddenly, a “ding—”.
A mechanical tone appeared in the lounge.
“The weekly publications have been refreshed.”
Su Mingqian was stunned. He got up, went to the self-service weekly rack in the lounge, and immediately saw the screen of the weekly rack refreshed with four books, one of which was a fashion magazine.
He bought it.
But.
Su Mingqian said to himself, “Since the doll has clothes, shouldn’t it also have some exclusive furniture and stuff? It’d be great if there were magazines for the home…”
As his voice fell, the self-service weekly rack refreshed again with a home magazine.
Su Mingqian stared at the rack for a long time.
A sudden tug at the corners of his mouth, seemingly a smile.
Next, he bought the home magazine, and then returned to the Ximu doll with two magazines.
While he read the magazine, he looked at the doll.
Although…
He felt a little embarrassed treating Ximu like this.
But thinking about how often Ximu treated him like this, he thought it was fine.
It was just a return of courtesy.
And…
Very fun indeed.
***
The next morning, Li Shuoxing got on the game.
As soon as he got online, he saw the system store flashing.
What’s the matter, did it refresh with something new?
Li Shuoxing puzzledly opened it and saw that the store suddenly had a new list called Su Mingqian’s Wish List. He selected the list and looked inside.
Little clothes, little pants, little jacket, little shoes. Little table, little chair, little bed, little wardrobe—
All sorts of small and exquisite things for a doll.
Li Shuoxing was stunned.
I was only offline for half a day, right?
Why did such a strange project suddenly pop up…
He opened the system narration in confusion, wondering what exactly had happened yesterday.
The first thing he saw.
[Su Mingqian undoes the Ximu doll’s shirt and pants and peers inside.]
“…”
“…”
“…”
Subconsciously, Li Shuoxing looked at himself.
1
沙雕 [shā diāo] refers to interesting and funny people, due to their natural or deliberate stupidity. 2
up主 [zhǔ] refers to people who upload video and audio on video websites and forums. 3
An excerpt from the poem 青玉案·元夕.