Zhong Nian replied, “Oh, he went out to work.”
Yu Jingshan nodded in satisfaction. “Good. I’ll call the other players over, and we’ll have a meeting at your place. It’s the only empty one right now—easier to talk.”
Zhong Nian found it odd. “I thought you were a Lone Wolf Player?”
He had seen Yu Jingshan proactively talking to Jin Yi and the Three Siblings yesterday too.
A true Lone Wolf Player was more like the Masked Guy…
Yu Jingshan shrugged. “Temporarily cooperating with these players to share clues and maximize benefits. I just don’t like being tied to a group.”
He grinned at the end. “I remember you asked me about this before. Of course, I’ve made an exception for you. If you want a fixed teammate, my door’s always open.”
“…Pass.” Zhong Nian had no interest in entertaining the clearly scheming Yu Jingshan.
“Why not? I’m pretty strong. Or is it a trust issue? I have a Contract Prop—that’ll put you at ease. Hey, don’t walk away…”
Yu Jingshan launched into endless persuasion, annoying Zhong Nian until his face scrunched up.
When the other players arrived, they saw Yu Jingshan hovering around Zhong Nian, saying things like, “Trust me, I’m really capable—you’ll be satisfied for sure.”
Zhong Nian noticed that besides Jin Yi and the Three Siblings, there was also an unfamiliar middle-aged woman.
“This is Auntie Ruan,” Jin Yi introduced with evident admiration. “She’s amazing! She has a high level of God’s Favor and an Elicit Talk Prop bonus. We got some clues yesterday thanks to her.”
“Hello, I’m Ruan Zhuqing.” Auntie Ruan covered her mouth and smiled upon seeing Zhong Nian, her features kind. “This kid is so handsome.”
Zhong Nian felt a bit embarrassed. “Hello, Auntie Ruan. I’m Zhong Nian—just call me Little Nian.”
Before Ruan Zhuqing could respond, Yu Jingshan cut in, “Little Nian.”
Zhong Nian shot him a glare. “I didn’t permit you to call me that.”
“Got it, Little Nian.”
He was asking for a punch.
Zhong Nian knew that ignoring types like Yu Jingshan was best—they only got bolder with attention—so he turned away and tended to the other players instead.
Having guests was a novel experience for Zhong Nian.
He brought out almost every snack in the house. The treats Mo Heng had bought him yesterday came in handy, including the tin of Little Cookies the Administrator had given him, which he hadn’t been willing to eat much of.
“I’ll boil some water for you all. I have tea and coffee at home.” Zhong Nian bustled about happily, even as the guests waved him off saying it wasn’t necessary.
He hosted with such enthusiasm that the other players felt a little awkward.
They hadn’t expected to be proper guests in a Game Dungeon, without the usual tense atmosphere.
Ruan Zhuqing took a sip of tea and praised effusively, “This tea is brewed perfectly—the fruit platter looks like artwork. Little Nian, you have such talent.”
“Thank you.” Shuang Ye adjusted his glasses and nudged his sister, who hid behind his back. “San Qiu, be polite.”
San Qiu blushed, her voice tiny. “The cookies are delicious… Thank you, Brother Little Nian.”
Jin Yi asked curiously, “Your coffee-grinding technique looks so professional too. Did you study it specially before?”
The barrage repeated like a broken record: Yes, our kid is just that excellent.*
Zhong Nian’s cheeks warmed from the praise, and he smiled shyly. “My role in the previous Instance was special—a server—so I picked up these skills. It’s nothing impressive. I’m glad you like them—make yourselves at home.”
“You learned it on the Cruise Ship Dungeon, right?” Yu Jingshan asked.
Zhong Nian paused. “You can even investigate that?”
Yu Jingshan smiled, tapping the rim of his teacup. “You might not realize how much you’re discussed on the Player Forum. Guess what keyword pulls up the most hits on you?”
Zhong Nian had a bad premonition he wouldn’t like the answer.
The Live Stream Room viewers already answered for him.
【Heh heh heh, I know.】
【Just search ‘pretty’—that’s how authoritative our Wifey’s beauty is!】
【Now if a post title has ‘Wifey,’ I click it instantly—never misses.】
【We even have code words now, haha—insiders spot it right away.】
“Let’s skip the irrelevant topics and get to business.”
Zhong Nian schooled his expression, cleared his throat, and concisely shared the information he had gathered yesterday in a serious tone.
This included how to obtain the Access Pass, his encounter with Administrator Jiang Jingyun, the NPCs’ tight-lipped stance on the Apartment Rules, and the shops open in the Apartment.
In his view, these weren’t major clues. He hadn’t exerted much effort—just chatted with some friendly NPCs—without facing any danger.
“By the way, before you all arrived, I saw the guy from next door in 1602 come back. One leg was lame, badly injured—like he’d been beaten,” Zhong Nian said, frowning slightly with utmost seriousness. “I suspect… it’s punishment for breaking the Apartment Rules.”
He sighed with some regret. “But that’s just my guess. If I’d paid attention to the noise last night, I might have confirmed it. I… uh, was too sleepy and accidentally fell asleep.”
Since he had woven a lie into his words, Zhong Nian’s ears heated up. After speaking, his eyes darted left and right.
Only then did he realize the room had gone quiet. Lifting his gaze, he found all the players staring at him in surprise.
Caught off guard and panicking under their stares, he clasped his hands together, emphasizing to bolster his fib’s credibility—though his eyes and voice wavered. “It’s true, I really fell asleep.”
As he floundered, Jin Yi suddenly stood from across him, shoved Yu Jingshan—who sat beside him—aside with her hip to claim the spot, grabbed his hand, and said with shining eyes, “Big shot, noob here—carry us!”
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