Chapter Twenty-Six: Meeting in Person

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Chapter 26: Meeting in Person

Lin Zheng poked his head out from under the covers in perfect comfort. He snatched up the phone from beside his bed and checked the time.

Hmm—10:20.

“What?!”

Lin Zheng leaped to his feet, his formerly languid expression instantly replaced by wide-awake panic.

“Damn it! If we’re late, we’ll be a laughingstock!”

He hurriedly pulled on his clothes, then dashed toward the bathroom, shouting as he went, “You pervert! Get up! It’s almost eleven!”

A muffled bang came from Yang Qi’s room. Moments later, Yang Qi burst out, clothes in disarray and utterly unconcerned that she was revealing rather more than she should. By then, Lin Zheng had already brushed his teeth and was preparing to wash his face.

“Damn! What’s wrong with us today? Neither of us could wake up! We’ve got an appointment, and if we’re late, we’ll lose face horribly!” Yang Qi mumbled around her toothbrush.

“I should’ve set an alarm!” Lin Zheng said, deeply vexed. Normally, no matter how late they stayed up, both of them would wake before half past nine. Who could have guessed they would sleep until almost half past ten today?

“That’s good enough! We’re not going on a blind date! Besides, we’re meeting You Xi and the other two girls. There aren’t any handsome men there! Who are you dressing up for?”

Seeing Yang Qi still fussing over her hair, Lin Zheng could not help urging her along.

“Who says there won’t be any?” Yang Qi cast him a coquettish glance. “We’re going to Longyuan Restaurant! Do you know what kind of place that is? It’s where all of Longyuan’s top students gather. If I don’t dress up a little, what if those talented young men look down on me? I might even meet my destined true love today!”

Lin Zheng rolled his eyes at once.

Her destined true love, indeed! As if he did not know her situation.

When he saw Yang Qi reaching for another handful of assorted cosmetics to smear across her face, Lin Zheng immediately grabbed a wet towel and thoroughly wiped her face clean. Then he seized one of her white ribbons, gathered up her hair, and swiftly tied it into a side ponytail before she could stop him.

“This is much better! Why bother with makeup?” Lin Zheng said irritably, gripping her by the shoulders.

“That was awfully practiced! How long have you been training?” Yang Qi asked casually as she examined herself in the mirror.

“I only learned just now!”

With that, Lin Zheng hauled the still-admiring Yang Qi out of the apartment. They were nearly late already; he had no time to argue with her.

Once outside, Lin Zheng hurried to the roadside and flagged down a taxi. The two of them scrambled into the back seat, and Lin Zheng said to the driver, “Driver, please take us to Longyuan Restaurant. Hurry—we’re in a rush!”

“Off to a date, young man?” the driver asked with a grin.

“Uh, more or less. We’re going to meet my little sister and her classmates,” Lin Zheng replied offhandedly.

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“Heh heh! These days, girls always like to call their boyfriends their little sisters.”

“…”

Lin Zheng was rendered speechless by the driver’s remark. Besides, could he not see the stunning beauty sitting beside him? They might not have been a couple, but anyone looking at them would think they were the ones going on a date!

After chatting and boasting with the driver for a while, they soon arrived at Longyuan Restaurant. The restaurant was an affiliated business of Longyuan, famous for serving dishes from every region of China. It was not so upscale as to resemble a grand hotel, either, so business was brisk every day. Longyuan students streamed in and out constantly.

The moment Lin Zheng got out of the car, he was stunned.

Good grief! What was this scene? Had some major celebrity come to visit?

Three rings of people surrounded the entrance to Longyuan Restaurant, stretching from the doorway outward.

Yang Qi swallowed nervously. “I believe you now. You Xi’s popularity is astonishing… Wait, we’re here to have dinner with You Xi, right? They won’t tear us apart, will they?”

“Brother is here.”

You Xi spoke softly from within the crowd. The instant her gaze fell upon them, every fan turned around in unison and fixed their eyes on Lin Zheng and Yang Qi.

“Fortune-Teller Brother!” Xiao Meng shouted excitedly from within the crowd, waving at Lin Zheng.

At once, You Xi’s fans sensibly opened a path. Finally, the three girls appeared before Lin Zheng in the flesh.

Xiao Meng wore a tracksuit that radiated youthful energy. Compared with her swordswoman persona in the game, she had lost some of that heroic sharpness, but gained the gentle grace unique to a young woman.

You Xi wore a white dress and a lace-trimmed hat. Fresh and pure, she resembled a snow lotus blooming atop a heavenly mountain. Compared with the dull mage’s robes she wore in the game, the real-life You Xi looked far more delicate and endearing. No wonder so many people at Longyuan were crazy about her.

And then there was the third girl.

Uh… who was this?

Her faded white jeans and checked shirt were topped off by dry hair braided into two thick plaits. A pair of enormous round glasses covered half her face.

Oh!

Lin Zheng suddenly understood. Could this be the “Glasses Sister Lilith” Xiao Meng had mentioned?

He broke into a cold sweat. The contrast between this appearance and the alluring fairy Lilith from the game was so extreme that it was almost shocking. No wonder Xiao Meng had reacted so dramatically the first time she saw Lilith.

Ignoring You Xi’s fans, who were glaring at him as though they wanted to eat him alive, Lin Zheng walked toward the three girls with Yang Qi. As soon as they met, he affectionately ruffled You Xi’s and Xiao Meng’s hair.

At once, You Xi’s fans used their sharp eyes to analyze his feelings for her.

Yes! He really was You Xi’s brother!

Their gazes then shifted to Yang Qi. Seeing her dressed casually, the men and women of Longyuan let out another collective gasp.

What a beautiful woman without makeup!

This must be You Xi’s brother’s girlfriend. Since Lin Zheng had such a gorgeous girlfriend, he was probably perfectly safe.

Naturally, Lin Zheng and Yang Qi had no idea what You Xi’s fans were thinking. Still, being watched so intently made them both extremely uncomfortable.

To escape those maddening stares, Lin Zheng strongly suggested that they move into a private room. Since he had promised to pay for the meal, no one objected to his suggestion.

The group hurried into a small private room as though seeking refuge.

Once everyone had taken their seats, Xiao Meng called over a waiter and, without the slightest hesitation, ordered a huge amount of food. She was clearly determined to take full advantage of Lin Zheng’s generosity.

“Are you sure you can finish all that?” Lin Zheng glared at her. The girl ate as though she had just crawled out of a famine.

“I can’t help it! I’ve been desperately poor lately and have had to live on instant noodles. You don’t want me to become malnourished, do you?” Xiao Meng said pitifully.

“Sell the gold coins you got yesterday, and you’ll have money,” Lin Zheng said. “Besides, even if you’re not afraid of malnutrition, aren’t you afraid of eating yourself to death in one sitting?”

“I’d rather eat myself to death!”

Xiao Meng thrust out her chest with the air of someone marching bravely toward sacrifice, leaving Lin Zheng utterly speechless.

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Longyuan’s service was excellent. Before long, the dishes began arriving, and the group started chatting and eating.

Well—four of them chatted, while You Xi listened as she ate. Her appetite was astonishing. Though she ate with perfect delicacy, she certainly did not eat slowly, and Yang Qi was thoroughly shocked by it.

Lin Zheng, having known her since childhood, was already accustomed to it and remained unsurprised.

Halfway through the meal, Lin Zheng found himself turning the conversation toward Lilith, who was dressed in an old-fashioned style.

Lilith’s real name was Li Lisi. She had initially been somewhat shy, but once the conversation got going, she relaxed and spoke without restraint.

Lin Zheng felt that the boys at Longyuan were astonishingly blind. A fairy like Lilith had been wandering beneath their noses for three whole years, yet not one of them had noticed.

Then again, her appearance really was rather alarming.

“Lilith, couldn’t you dress yourself up a little better?” Lin Zheng asked, looking her over. “You’re a stunning beauty, yet you’ve turned yourself into this. Take those glasses, for example—they really ought to be replaced. And your hair! Have you ever taken care of yourself properly?”

“What girl doesn’t like being beautiful?” Lilith replied irritably. “If I had money, do you think I’d willingly dress like this every day and endure everyone’s contempt?”

“Wait, Glasses Sister!” Xiao Meng asked in confusion. “Don’t you receive a huge amount of scholarships every year?”

Longyuan’s scholarships were extremely generous, with the highest reaching one hundred thousand. Lilith received one every semester and had already won five of them, giving her a total of five hundred thousand. On top of that, as an exceptionally gifted student, she had all her tuition and miscellaneous fees waived. In theory, she should not have been so poor that she could not even afford new clothes.

Lilith answered helplessly, “My father incurred a great deal of debt when he underwent surgery. All the money went toward paying it off.”

“Oh?” Lin Zheng asked in surprise. “How is your father now?”

“He recovered after the operation. He’s in excellent health now. Thank you for asking!”

Whenever she spoke of her father, Lilith was visibly happy. If an operation could restore his health, she would have been willing to repay any amount of debt.

What a filial girl, Lin Zheng thought.

Then he suddenly remembered something. “By the way, doesn’t Longyuan have something called the Young Lady Development Fund? Your circumstances are perfectly suited to apply for it, Lilith. You could become a top student with the support of a young lady, and then everyone would learn just how limitless your charm is!”

“The Young Lady Development Fund?” Lilith and Xiao Meng exchanged a glance.

Seeing this, Lin Zheng asked, “What? You don’t know about it?”

“It’s not that we don’t know,” Xiao Meng said. “It’s that we know it all too well.”

“Oh? You know about it? Then why haven’t you applied?”

Lin Zheng was somewhat surprised.

“Do you know what that fund is called at Longyuan?” Lilith asked with a helpless expression.

Without waiting for Lin Zheng to ask, she supplied the answer herself:

“The Premium Prostitute Fund!”

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