When Yan Chi was an undergraduate, he once played a popular role-playing game called <Huan Xian Yuan> with Feng.
When he was naming his character, he didnât know why he had a flash of inspiration and suddenly thought of this name âYe Sanqian2â. Instantly, he grew favorable of this name; this was this sort of familiarity and it was very easy on the lips. This name had personality, wasnât pretentious, and even held a whiff of unruly chivalry. He decided on that name at that moment.
It wasnât long afterward that he met a woman named âBaby Yanâ in the game.
His name couldnât be considered to be popular, but this person just had to name herself with the word âYanâ. At that time, Yan Chi felt they were brought together by fate. Later, by coincidence, he became even more familiar with âBaby Yanâ. The more they interacted, the more they get to know each other, such that they even got married in the game and invited their friends as their guests. They spent the next two years in the game in harmony.
In their everyday conversations, Yan Chi learned that Baby Yan was also a student that attended school in A City just like himself. So, with an indescribable expectation and longing, he euphemistically put forward a request to meet with her, but he was refused unobtrusively by the other party. Since then, Yan Chi didnât dare to mention it anymore. Later on, he was busy with his postgraduate studies, writing a graduation thesis and other things, so he no longer logged on to the game.
Until a weekend one month after the start of his postgraduate course, Old Yuan, an undergraduate student of the same course dragged him to attend <Hua Xian Yuan>âs players meeting held near A University as an accompany.
It was at this meeting that he met Gu Xixi.
Gu Xixi said that she was Baby Yan. She had specially went to Yan Chiâs school to study. When the players reported their game server and their ID to collect their souvenirs, she found out that the Yan Chi was âYe Sanqianâ, so she hurried came to meet with him.
Chi Yan admitted that he was very surprised when he first saw the real âBaby Yanâ. However, it might be because humanâs behavior, in reality, was different from that in a game, because it didnât take more than one hour spent with Gu Xixi for him to feel that she gave off a very different feeling as compared to âBaby Yanâ in the game. That made him very disappointed.
After all, he had once imagined that if âBaby Yanâ and he had met in reality, he would ask the other party to be his girlfriend⌠Even to the point of marrying her homeâŚ
Nevertheless, Gu Xixi remembered every detail of their interactions in the game. Moreover, <Hua Xian Yuan> this game did allow the players to customize their characterâs appearance, commonly known as âKneading Faceâ. The characters created by each player were different, but unfortunately Gu Xixi and the game, âBaby Yanâ looked practically identical. The girl had created her character according to her own appearance.
All these made it impossible to deny that Gu Xixi was âBaby Yanâ.
Out of affection for Baby Yan in the game, Yan Chi had been politely maintaining a friendship with Gu Xixi. He couldnât even bear to be too frank and reject her obvious advances.
It was late October now and it had been three months since he left school.
But he and his roommate, Ye Yingzhi, were still not on familiar terms.
The postgraduate dormitories were all in a unit of two. As Ye Yingzhiâs home was in A City, there was no need for him to return to the dormitory every day. Basically, he only stayed three days out of the whole week. He also doesnât attend class very often, so his classmates in the Philosophy Department doesnât see him much. Moreover, he was very low-profile. He wouldnât participate in any activities nor did he publicize his actions. Yan Chi could only simply judge that his family background was pretty good; because his own family was relatively rich, so he was able to tell that Ye Yingzhiâs clothes were simple but exquisite.
He was from the Department of Economics and Ye Yingzhi was from the Department of Philosophy. He heard from his classmates in the Philosophy Department that Ye Yingzhiâs results were quite good. Whether it was undergraduate or postgraduate studies, he could choose any major he wanted. Philosophy was one of the least popular majors nowadays. It was not easy for this specialized field to find jobs. Most people would prefer to go towards the finance field as it was easy to get jobs and had a high income. Most students who had good grades but chose to study philosophy were mostly people that loved the course and had no familyâs issue.
Chi Yan chatted with the philosophy student about Ye Yingzhi at that time. He supported his chin and said with some perplexity, âI canât imagine that Ye Yingzhi would like Kang De3.â that sort of indifference.
That student was surprised: âWhy do you think so? Isnât he indifferent too?â
Yan Chi held his chin and felt that something was wrong.
ââââââ
After breakfast, Yan Chi took the initiative to clean the pot and wash the dishes. He put the pot back to its original place for Ye Yingzhi.
Ye Yingzhi was wearing a coat. It looked like he was going out.
Today was Saturday and there was no class. He thought Ye Yingzhi would not come back until night. He went to bed at 11 oâclock last night. He didnât know what time the other party came back and why he had to go out again in the early morning.
He stood up and looked at Ye Yingzhi. âAre you going out again?â
Ye Yingzhi nodded, âI have something on.â
The relationship between them was not close enough for them to ask each other about their private affairs. So, Yan Chi didnât inquire any more, thinking that maybe Ye Yingzhi was going to meet his girlfriend? Does Ye Yingzhi have a girlfriend? What is he like to his lover? Will he be cold or will he be gentle and make her breakfast? The more he thought about it, the most distracted he was until he was interrupted by the vibration of messages coming in.
It was Old Yuan who asked him to come out to play basketball in the afternoon.
Old Yuan was his undergraduate roommate and they had a good relationship. He was also the one who introduced Yan Chi to play games. After graduation, he went to B University next door to study, however, every weekend when he was free, he would ask his former classmates to play basketball.
Yan Chi gladly accepted the invitation. After changing clothes at noon and having a quick meal in the canteen, he played basketball with several friends in the playground for the whole afternoon and they left after five oâclock.
Old Yuan did not leave. He groaned and said that the food in B University was simply bad. The spicy hot pot was almost boiled rather than stir-fried; His old school was still better. He begged Yan Chi to take him to eat his favorite teppanyaki on the second floor that had good quality and was inexpensive.
When they were chatting over dinner, Old Yuan suddenly said, âHey, whereâs your wife?â
Yan Chi: â⌠I donât have a wife!â
âIâm talking about Gu Xixi. Isnât she your wife in the game?â
âHow can this be mixed togetherâŚâ Yan Chi was somewhat speechless. âThe game is merely a game, we are ordinary friends, and we donât really have much contact with each other.â He better not mention about the breakfast delivery, otherwise, Old Yuan would only add more things to add to his imagination.
Old Yuan also looked puzzled: âWhy? On the day when we went to the meeting, I can sense that she is very fond of you. Donât you like her all the while in the game? Setting off fireworks, staying up late to brush equipment for her? At that time, we all said that even if your wife is actually a man, you also wonât give up on her. Now, in reality, she is a pretty little girl, but you arenât interestedâŚâ
He muttered to himself: â⌠And I really think you two have some fates. Sheâs called Baby Yan and looks quite like youâŚâ
âWhat did you say?â Yan Chi was so shocked that he forgot to eat. He put down the chopsticks and pointed to his nose, saying, âDo you think I look like Gu Xixi?â Gu Xixi was a beauty and she really looked like a game character. How could she look like himself?
Old Yuan waved his hand: âAlas, donât be agitated, ruler4. Gu Xixi actually doesnât look like you. I meant the character she has created, âBaby Yanâ, although everybody can see that she made it according to her face, but with the game modeling, that eyes, that mouth, just⌠It feels like you.â
Yan Chiâs face was just confused. He couldnât handle hearing this conversation anymore and he quickly came up with an excuse to buy drinks for them. After buying the drink, he directed Old Yuan to change the topic so that he could continue to scold B Universityâs canteen.
After sending Old Yuan away, Yan Chi went back to his dormitory alone. He went online and listened to songs. Soon, it was 12:30 p.m.
He remembered that tomorrow would be Sunday. He was guessing that Ye Yingzhi wouldnât come back tonight when he heard a key getting inserted and the door lock being turned over.
The door âcreakedâ after being pushed open. Yan Chi took off his earphone and turned around, seeing Ye Yingzhi pushing the door.
Ye Yingzhi closed the door, took off his coat and hung it in the wardrobe. He turned, saw the dazed Yan Chi and suddenly laughed.
He went over and stood at Yan Chiâs front with his head bowed slightly. âWhy are you looking at me all the time? Why donât you sleep? Thinking of me? The last three words were almost blurted out, but he swallowed them back.
Yan Chi looked up at him. âWhy arenât you going back to your house?â
Ye Yingzhi acknowledged, âEn, itâs not very safe outside recently. Iâll stay in school. You should come back as early as possible too.â
Not very safe?
Chi Yan was just about to ask when he saw Ye Yingzhi took a glass of water from the water dispenser and sat down. He unbuttoned the two chest buttons on his shirt, then lowered his head and unbuttoned his cuff buttons. He said in a plain voice: âDidnât you hear? Just two blocks away, someone died with their eyes opened. The heart was gouged out and the tongue was cut off.â
Yan Chi was horrified and looked at the other party with widened eyes. His sight rammed straight into Ye Yingzhiâs quiet, dark and bottomless eyes.