Chapter 27

◎Good night, Little Cub.◎

After that fireworks display, Chen Yi felt that her relationship with Fade had grown much closer.

That day, they roamed the game world scouting picturesque spots for screenshots, playing until one in the morning.

Chen Yi wasn’t too tired, but she heard Fade let out a yawn—a tiny sound, delivered in a light, airy tone.

“Master, feeling sleepy?”

“A little,” Fade admitted without hesitation. “I’m about to crash. You?”

“Then I’ll sleep with you too, Master.”

Fade laughed. “Talk properly.”

Called out like that, Chen Yi finally caught the double entendre in her own words.

“That’s not what I meant!” she said hastily, defending herself. “Master~~, don’t get the wrong idea.”

“I’m just teasing.” Fade’s character halted its actions, reached out to stroke Chen Yi’s avatar, and gave a little wave. “I’m logging off. You should head to bed soon too.”

Chen Yi agreed and bid her farewell.

The system message popped up as usual.

【Your Master Fade has logged off. Looking forward to seeing her next time.】

Chen Yi’s eyes curved into happy crescents. She stretched lazily, exited the game, and shut down her computer. As the screen went dark, she rose from her chair. She took a few steps toward the door before turning back, pulling out her phone to snap a photo and send it to Fade.

Chen Yi: Logged off too, hehe.

Chen Yi: [Photo]

Chen Yi: Isn’t this disciple super obedient?!

She waited a moment, but Fade didn’t reply. Chen Yi pocketed her phone and headed to the bathroom to wash up. Twenty minutes later, after all the nightly routine, she climbed into bed and burrowed under the covers—only then did she notice Fade’s response.

Master~~: Such a good Little Cub.

Master~~: Good night.

Chen Yi bit down on her quilt, her feet thrashing wildly beneath the blankets.

What had Fade called her?

Little Cub.

It was the first time in her life anyone had ever addressed her that way—a pet name dripping with indulgence. She loved it.

The thrill was too much to contain. In the dead of night, she started bothering her friends.

She dialed Su Dai first. Su Dai hadn’t gone to bed yet; she was up late, face mask on, binge-watching dramas.

“Hello? What’s up?”

Chen Yi couldn’t hold back her squeal. “She called me Little Cub!”

“Who?” Su Dai asked.

“My Master!”

Su Dai paused for a beat, sucking on her milk tea straw before replying indifferently, “Oh, that online fling of yours.”

“What did she call me?”

“Little Cub!”

Su Dai itched to reach through the internet and crack open Chen Yi’s skull, just to see what kind of lovestruck nonsense was rattling around inside.

“So what if it’s Little Cub? I could call you Baby if I wanted. Chen Yi, chill out. Calm down.”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

Click. She hung up.

Su Dai rolled her eyes so hard they nearly disappeared.

She wouldn’t understand? Back when she was cooing “baby” at her own partners left and right, Chen Yi had still been holed up somewhere clutching her game console like a total shut-in.

What a noob.

Su Dai figured Chen Yi was too far gone to reason with. There was no point in trying to talk her out of it, so she’d just sit back and wait to pick up the pieces. If that woman turned out to be a heartbreaker who messed with her friend, well, don’t blame her for being pretty, vicious, and ruthless when it counted.

Su Dai’s suspicions were spot on. Chen Yi was head over heels.

She stared at her phone, racking her brain for a reply. She had zero experience with flirting, let alone online teasing. Sure, she’d gotten confessed to plenty of times over the years, but none of them had ever made her heart skip a beat. What was so great about dating anyway? Could it beat gaming? That’s what she’d always thought while watching Su Dai cycle through one romance after another. Now that it was her turn, though, she felt a mix of fluster and that secret spark of excitement.

After agonizing over it for ages and scrolling through all sorts of online advice—which never quite felt right for her—Chen Yi decided to hell with it. She was straightforward by nature, no good at hiding her feelings. Those coy back-and-forth flirting rules just weren’t her style. She preferred to say exactly what was on her mind.

With her mind made up, she typed: Good night.

And added:

Chen Yi: Got praised! (hands on hips)

Chen Yi: If the Little Cub’s been good, gotta give a reward, okay~!

It was such a cheesy line that even typing it made her cheeks heat up. She wasn’t the type to talk like that normally. But with the buffer of the internet—and her habit of playing cute in front of Fade—it was enough to let her drop her usual defenses.

Would Fade find it annoying, though?

It was well past two-thirty when Chen Yi finally drifted off, still fretting.

She woke to ten o’clock sunlight, roused by a barrage of calls from her mom that finally jolted her awake.

“Chen Yi, you still sleeping?”

“Nope,” she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. “I’m up.”

Her mom saw right through her. “Still in bed, huh? Get your butt up. Driver’s coming in half an hour.”

“To pick me up? Why?”

“Grandma Leng’s birthday tonight—you didn’t forget, did you? Come home for lunch first, then we’ll get you all styled up. Up, now. You hear me?”

“Okay, okay, fine.”

Yawning the whole way, Chen Yi dragged herself out of bed. She clutched her phone on the way to the bathroom, planning to listen to music and scroll short videos while she washed her face and brushed her teeth.

She set the phone on the little stand in front of the mirror and, toothbrush in mouth, dazedly swiped the screen. She queued up Wang Xinling’s “Love You,” then switched to WeChat to check for new messages to kick off the day.

At the top of her chats, Fade’s conversation had a little red dot: 3 new messages.

Without even tapping in, she could see the preview was just an emoticon label.

[Drinking Coffee]

Chen Yi’s lingering drowsiness evaporated in an instant, stirred away by that virtual coffee.

Fade must have seen the kinda-sorta-flirty message she’d sent before bed.

She yanked out her toothbrush, gulped some water to rinse away the foam, splashed her face, dried her hands, and took a deep breath in front of the mirror. With surprising sincerity, she gazed at her reflection and said, “It’s fine, Chen Yi. Don’t freak out. What’s there to be scared of? You didn’t confess or anything. It was just one little sentence. No big deal.”

It actually helped, somehow.

Her racing heart gradually settled.

Chen Yi tapped to open Fade’s messages.

They were straightforward. Not a lot of words.

She could read them at a glance, but she pored over them several times anyway.

In the end, she stomped her feet right there on the spot, her scream threatening to shatter the ceiling.

Fade: You sure know a thing or two about raising kids, huh.

Fade: So, what reward do you want? Tell me.

Fade: [Drinking Coffee]

The messages had been sent at seven that morning.

Fade got up that early even on weekends?

Chen Yi: Good morning, Master! Just woke up TT

Chen Yi: Master wakes up so early! Got work today?

Fade: Nah, just habit.

The instant reply sent another thrill through her.

She scooped up her phone and hurried back to the bedroom. Even while changing clothes, she snuck peeks at the screen, terrified of missing a single word from Fade.

Chen Yi: Wow, impressive! I could never. Vacations mean sleeping all day for me.

Fade: More sleep never hurts.

Chen Yi: Master~~

Fade: Hmm?

Chen Yi: I’m not a little kid, okay!

Chen Yi: I’ve been working! Making my own money for ages!

Fade: I know.

Fade: But you’re still a lot younger than me.

Chen Yi: How old is Master~~ anyway?!

Fade: Eighteen.

Chen Yi: Hmph!

Fade: ^^

Chen Yi: It’s fine if Master doesn’t wanna say!

Fade: I’ll tell you later.

Chen Yi’s lips curved upward as she typed back.

She loved hearing Fade say “later.” It felt like their futures were quietly intertwined. They would have so many stories together down the line.

Obediently, Chen Yi reported in: Master~~, I might not be able to log on much during the day. Heading home soon, and I’ve got stuff afternoon and evening. Might be slow to reply!

Fade: No worries. Take care of your own business first.

Chen Yi: Okay~

Fade: So, decided on that reward yet?

Chen Yi couldn’t think of anything too out there. After mulling it over, she replied: If Master doesn’t mind, sing me a song next time!

Fade: Deal.

Just that one simple word lit up her entire day. Half an hour later, as she headed downstairs to meet the driver, she was beaming, calling out cheerfully, “Hey! Aunt Zhao, long time no see!”

Aunt Zhao: “Little Yi, you’re in a great mood. What’s got you so chipper?”

“Yeah, totally!”

She climbed into the car, humming along to her music, gazing out the window.

The weather wasn’t great—light rain pattering down, water droplets streaking the glass, the sky a hazy gray. But Chen Yi’s heart was bright as day. Those gloomy streaks turned into sparkling diamonds in her eyes, refracting the world into something wondrous and joyful through their quirky patterns.

Meanwhile, across town, Xu Yixiao was anything but happy.

Her little aunt had come to settle the score.

“Spill it. What’d you two sneak off and chat about yesterday?”

Xu Yixiao played dumb. “Her? Who’re you talking about, Little Aunt?”

Xu Yan smiled.

Xu Yixiao threw up her hands in surrender. “Nothing! For real! Just some game talk. Oh, right—Little Aunt, I think your disciple is seriously awesome. You should consider it.”

“Little devil, that’s not for you to say.”

Xu Yixiao pouted.

“Besides, how long have you even known her? And you’re already calling her awesome?”

Xu Yixiao blurted it out without thinking, missing the trap entirely as she defended herself: “I know, ’cause she’s to—”

Halfway through speaking, Xu Yixiao realized and quickly covered her mouth.

“Anyway! Little Aunt! I think she’s way more reliable than all those people who chased you before.”

Xu Yan: “A few pieces of game gear and you’ve been bought off?”

Xu Yixiao: “You don’t understand!”

Vegetable Sister! That’s Vegetable Sister! Her god!

Xu Yan really doesn’t understand.

But she finally understood: Chen Yi and Xu Yixiao must have a shared secret they were keeping from her. This matter was probably related to Chen Yi’s hidden identity—one that Xu Yixiao had recognized so quickly in such a short time. Xu Yan guessed that the identity had something to do with a game. She couldn’t speculate any further.

Xu Yixiao observed Little Aunt’s expression and, seeing no signs of anger, boldly spoke up: “Little Aunt, do you like her?”

Xu Yan: “Why should I tell you?”

Xu Yixiao accused: “You don’t love me anymore!”

Xu Yan pinched her cheek: “Go do your homework quickly. I’ll take you out to eat at noon later. In the evening, I have to go out for a bit. Then you can decide whether to get takeout from Xitu Lanya Restaurant at noon or have the aunt at home make it for you.”

Xu Yixiao says okay.

“Little Aunt, where are you going? You’re not off to meet that sister in person, are you?”

“Meet IRL?”

It’s just meeting up in person!

Xu Yan slightly raised an eyebrow. “Oh.”

No.

If we’re talking about meeting face-to-face, she’s already unilaterally met me ages ago.

“I’m going to a birthday party,” Xu Yan said. “It’s not convenient to bring you. Stay home and be good tonight, and keep safe, okay?”

Xu Yixiao obediently nodded.