Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

Chapter 1743: In-Game Couple

Even though Yang Ming had decided not to live routinely after Wang Xiaoyan reminded him, he really didn’t want to let go of his “last moments” with Chen Mengyan and the others. Yang Ming dragged his exhausted body to the study after he sent the trio to sleep.

As for why he was exhausted, well, you get the drift.

The notifications from “Wild Female Teacher” kept blinking after Yang Ming turned on his computer and logged into QQ. There were already ten notifications.

Yang Ming opened up the chat box. Zhao Ying’s questions were along the lines of, “You there?”, “Why aren’t you here yet?”, “You’re still not coming? It’s already so late.”, “You can’t possibly be asleep, right?”

Yang Ming responded quickly, “I’m here. I just needed to take care of something at home just now.”

Wild Female Teacher replied quickly, “And I thought you wouldn’t come!” She then sent a ? emoji.

“Naturally I must deliver upon what I promised you,” said Yang Ming.

“Cheh, smooth tongue,” Wild Female teacher sent a ? emoji.

“Same old same old? Look for a room and wait for a sucker to take the bait?” Yang Ming asked.

“En, but let’s change the room today. Lots of people already know about our tricks. Someone called Fishman X2 just scolded me in a private message. He probably knew about the truth,” said Wild Female Teacher.

“He scolded you? Really? That guy’s so bitter?” Yang Ming was surprised. It was a miracle to actually be able to find the ones who cheated him after he got played for a few days in-game.

“Yeah. He didn’t even use any profanities when he scolded me. I’m really frustrated,” said Wild Female Teacher.

“Really? This person is well-educated. He’s not an author, right?” Yang Ming was shocked.

“Who knows? So let’s change our spot tonight. It’s not safe here now,” said Wild Female Teacher.

“Why do I feel like your words have a double meaning? It’s like someone’s about to find out that we are having an affair, so we have to change spots,” Yang Ming teased.

“Talk more nonsense like that and I’ll ignore you,” Wild Female Teacher replied quickly.

Zhao Ying’s heart inexplicably skipped a beat while she stared at her computer screen. This feeling of her heart racing had only appeared when she chatted with Yang Ming in the past. However, since a while ago, whenever this “There’s No True Love in This World” started to talk about sensitive issues, her heart would start to race inexplicably!

Did I grow fond of this online friend? How is that possible? How can I do that? I only like Yang Ming with all my heart. I shouldn’t fall for another person.

Even though those were Zhao Ying’s thoughts, that feeling of her heart skipping a beat still existed. This subconscious reaction was uncontrollable. The more she tried to run away, the stronger it felt!

Zhao Ying cursed herself, thinking How could I do that? She shouldn’t fall for anyone except Yang Ming.

However, this “There’s No True Love in This World” style was extraordinarily similar to the one she had in her heart. Both of them overlapped in her subconscious mind. Zhao Ying thought of this online friend as Yang Ming’s replacement under many situations.

Even though this kind of feeling was quite ominous, she couldn’t pull herself out. She wanted that instant of heart leaping too much.

Admittedly, a woman’s sixth sense was terrifyingly accurate at times. Zhao Ying actually had the same feelings toward the online version of Yang Ming as she did in real life.

It wasn’t that Zhao Ying was disloyal. It was because both the Yang Ming in reality and the Yang Ming online could open the door to Zhao Ying’s heart. No two people are exactly the same in this world. There would be some differences even if they tried to imitate someone else on purpose.

Yang Ming was one of a kind. So if it was someone else chatting to Zhao Ying online, she absolutely wouldn’t like them in the slightest. However, the one online was also Yang Ming out of all people. His style of speech and handling things was exactly the same as the real-life Yang Ming. Both Yang Ming and Zhao Ying probably hadn’t noticed this detail. However, this imperceptible influence had seeped into Zhao Ying’s heart and taken root.

“Please don’t. How about becoming my in-game girlfriend? Isn’t finding an in-game romantic partner all the craze these days?” Yang Ming wouldn’t stop there. He swiftly struck while he was still ahead.

Zhao Ying almost went red with fury and smashed her mouse on the ground when she saw “There’s No True Love in This World”‘s message. Why does this person have the guts to say just about anything?

“Don’t you have a girlfriend already?” Zhao Ying sent a message angrily. Say, why do you tease me out of nowhere every time?

“Didn’t I say it’s just in-game?” Yang Ming continued.

“There’s no couple function in Landlords…” Zhao Ying said resignedly.

“Oh, then be my girlfriend if it has one,” said Yang Ming.

Zhao Ying felt awkward when she saw “There’s No True Love in This World”‘s message. What does that mean!

“Do you still want to play?” Zhao Ying could only say strongly as she was at her wits’ end.

“Of course I still want to. I’ll take it that you have accepted since you didn’t answer my question. I’ll call you ‘wifey’ in-game from now on. It’s just a game after all!” Yang Ming said one-sidedly.

“Why you!” Zhao Ying almost died of anger. However, she couldn’t do anything about it. Zhao Ying couldn’t break off her ties with “There’s No True Love in This World.” Both of them had known each other for a long time now. Even though they were only chatting online, they could be counted as bosom friends. She couldn’t cut her ties with him just like that.

Besides, “There’s No True Love in This World” had said clearly: it was just in the game. It meant that it was only in the online world. It had nothing to do with the real world. Wouldn’t she look petty if she got mad over this issue?

Zhao Ying had heard that many people had a romantic partner in online games. Most of these couples had boyfriends or girlfriends in real life. The partner online was just part of a game. Even though Zhao Ying couldn’t really accept their viewpoint, that was dependent on who her partner was.

Zhao Ying’s heart felt an unexplainable euphoria when “There’s No True Love in This World” said those words earlier. A demon seemed to be urging her in her heart. Accept it, accept it…

However, Zhao Ying’s rationality told her that she must not betray Yang Ming. Not even when it was online.

Yang Ming would probably expose his identity to Zhao Ying if he knew that she was in so much pain over a choice.

Zhao Ying deliberated for a long while. In the end, her rationality triumphed over that sliver of affection in her heart toward “There’s No True Love in This World. She thought, Just call me whatever you want. I’ll just ignore you.

“Server 3, room number one, table eighteen. Come quick,” Zhao Ying sent a message after she tried her best to calm herself and forget about the event earlier for now.

“Coming, wifey,” Yang Ming followed the flow and said.

Zhao Ying gnashed her teeth in indignation. She promptly ignored it and entered the game directly.

Both of them played until dawn nearly broke. Yang Ming almost passed out from sleepiness when Zhao Ying logged off with an abundance of spoils. However, Zhao Ying didn’t make any direct reply toward Yang Ming calling her “wifey.”

Yang Ming yawned and got ready to sleep. But then his phone rang. Yang Ming frowned. Who is calling this late at night?

However, Yang Ming understood everything when he looked at the time. It was already six in the morning. How was it ‘late at night’?

He checked the caller ID. It was Pu Daniu’s. Yang Ming picked up the phone.

“Is this Mr. Li?” Pu Daniu asked carefully.

“It’s me. You’re Old Man Pu, right? How is it? Any news yet?” Yang Ming remembered that he had previously asked Old Man Pu to investigate Liu Xiaolei’s case. He initially thought that there wouldn’t be any news so soon. It seemed like Old Man Pu’s efficiency was still decent.

“Mr. Li. I found that subordinate. It’s a coincidence that he’s at sea today. But I had him come back, even if it takes him all night!” said Pu Daniu.

Chapter 1744: Arranging the Funeral

“That must have troubled you. Sorry for that,” Yang Ming felt a sense of gratitude when he heard Pu Daniu’s words. He didn’t expect Pu Daniu to go to such lengths to help him. Even though it might be because he was thankful for Yang Ming eliminating the Goldenhawk Gang and their spies stationed near him, he wasn’t directly related to Yang Ming. He absolutely didn’t need to go so far as to pull an all-nighter to help Yang Ming.

“Hehe, don’t mention it. Mr. Li’s business is my business too!” Pu Daniu roared with laughter. “Mr. Li, this subordinate of mine has a decent memory. Both of us recalled the person’s looks and characteristics at that time in detail. Even though it’s not particularly clear, we could still make out a rough outline. We hired an artist to draw his portrait.”

“Oh? Did you make a portrait already? That’s really great!” Yang Ming was surprised. He didn’t expect Pu Daniu to have already made a portrait. He really poured his heart out for this!

“Mr. Li, should I send this through delivery or fax?” Pu Daniu asked.

“Fax. It’s easier that way. I’ll tell you the number,” said Yang Ming. He then disclosed one of the Ming Yang Security Company’s fax numbers to Pu Daniu. Pu Daniu jotted it down hurriedly and promised that he would send it immediately.

Even though it was only six in the morning, Yang Ming wasn’t worried about not receiving the fax. That was because the fax machines in the company were set to automatically receive documents even if no one was on duty. He only needed to notify Jing Xiaolu.

Yang Ming couldn’t help but fall into a dilemma when he thought about Jing Xiaolu. What kind of relationship did he have with Jing Xiaolu? The memories of the transformation from hating her to having his current slight fondness of her suddenly flooded Yang Ming’s mind.

Yang Ming naturally wasn’t blind. He knew about Jing Xiaolu’s various changes and attempts. He was clear about why she focused on conducting the company’s business well.

If it weren’t for the Yunnan trip, perhaps both of them would naturally become a couple if they continued like this. But now…

In comparison to Zhao Ying, Yang Ming’s affection toward Jing Xiaolu wasn’t that deep. He was only very fond of her until now. He wasn’t infatuated with her. That was why handling their relationship was a headache for Yang Ming.

I might not be able to come back from this trip. Should I notify Jing Xiaolu and bid farewell to her for the last time? Or should I hide everything from her? Yang Ming wasn’t sure whether Jing Xiaolu would keep waiting for him after he was gone.

Yang Ming could be sure that Chen Mengyan, Lin Zhiyun, Zhou Jiajia, Wang Xiaoyan, Xiao Qing, and even Sun Jie would wait for him no matter what. It was useless whether he talked to them or not. That was why Yang Ming didn’t even try to waste his breath.

As for Jing Xiaolu, there was only a slight ambiguity between them. If Jing Xiaolu also waited for him, wouldn’t that be holding her back? However, Yang Ming was worried that this girl would be a loudmouth and break the news to Chen Mengyan and others if he told her. That would be annoying.

Sigh… Forget it. Just go with the flow when it comes to these things. Overthinking it will just chain me down.

He glanced inside the room with his special ability. Chen Mengyan and the others were sleeping soundly. Yang Ming didn’t disturb them. He exited his villa and drove directly to the Ming Yang Security Company.

Yang Ming called Jing Xiaolu on the way to the company. Yang Ming and Jing Xiaolu texted each other frequently over these past few days. Yang Ming wasn’t sure what he was thinking. He obviously didn’t want to hold her back, but he couldn’t bear to let her go.

Since when did I start to be shamelessly greedy? Yang Ming smiled wryly. Perhaps it started when Chen Mengyan forgave and let him do whatever he wanted again and again. He had started to become quite lawless since then…

“Why are you calling me this early in the morning, Yang Ming?” Jing Xiaolu had just woken up and was in the process of putting on her make-up when she received Yang Ming’s call.

“I have some clues about Liu Xiaolei. Come to the headquarters of the Ming Yang Security Company later. See if you can find anything,” said Yang Ming.

“Alright. I’ll go there right now,” Jing Xiaolu accepted it immediately. She looked like she was placing a lot of importance on Liu Xiaolei’s case. However, Jing Xiaolu actually wanted to see Yang Ming.

Even though they texted a lot over these few days, humans are always greedy. Jing Xiaolu had hoped that Yang Ming would contact her occasionally before they could text each other. It was okay even if it was only work related stuff.

But now when Yang Ming texted her messages like, “What are you doing now? Are you in class or in the company?” , Jing Xiaolu would hope to see Yang Ming all day long despite feeling overwhelmed.

Yang Ming didn’t just send these messages to Jing Xiaolu. He also sent them to Shen Yuxi, Zhang Bing, Tian Donghua, Li Dagang and some other friends. Yang Ming was worried that he wouldn’t be able to see these people again after this trip. That was why he chatted with them whenever he could.

Jing Xiaolu had misunderstood Yang Ming’s intentions. She even thought that Yang Ming was finally interested in her and was ready to date her. This made Jing Xiaolu so happy that she couldn’t sleep for a few days.

Yang Ming naturally couldn’t know Jing Xiaolu’s thoughts. His mind was already elsewhere after he hung up the call with Jing Xiaolu.

Yang Ming could be by the side of his friends and women in Song Jiang whenever he wanted. However, the people Yang Ming missed the most now were Su Ya and Huang Lele. One was a popular singer who traveled all over the world while the other was an air hostess who flew all over the world.

Su Ya was still tied up as usual. Even though she promised Yang Ming that she would gradually leave the entertainment industry, now wasn’t the best time. Su Ya would usually take hours to reply to his messages. However, Yang Ming didn’t mind. The characteristics of Su Ya’s work made it impossible for her to take her phone with her all the time. Do you see any stars taking their phone with them when they perform on the stage?

In the last few days, Yang Ming’s messages had changed in nature. Initially, his messages would have an undertone of wanting Su Ya to end her entertainment career as soon as possible so that she could return to his side. Now, however, they were very supportive of her career.

This slightly surprised Su Ya. However, instead of guessing Yang Ming’s true intentions, she thought that Yang Ming had finally thought it through. Even so, she still promised Yang Ming that she would take three years at most to end her career and discard her current persona.

Yang Ming could only smile wryly at Su Ya’s reply. The biggest reason for becoming supportive of Su Ya’s career was because Yang Ming didn’t know whether he could come back this time. Why should Su Ya end her career if he really couldn’t come back? Wouldn’t that trouble her for nothing?

Of course, Yang Ming couldn’t say this to Su Ya either. It wasn’t the right time. Yang Ming would keep it to himself until the moment of his departure.

As for Huang Lele, she would only reply to his morning messages in the afternoon. Nothing could be done. Phones couldn’t be turned on during flights. As an air hostess, Huang Lele couldn’t go against the rules and fool around with her life and safety.

However, someone as careless as Huang Lele didn’t notice anything off about Yang Ming. She only felt strange that Yang Ming had texted her so much recently. She asked Yang Ming whether she needed to go out of her way to meet him in Donghai City next time since it had been a while since they last met.

Yang Ming accepted that suggestion. However, he didn’t acknowledge nor deny Huang Lele’s guess.

He arrived at the Ming Yang Security Company not too long after. Yang Ming parked his car on the first floor. He had just gotten out of his car when he saw a blue BMW X% just like his stop near where he was. It was Jing Xiaolu’s car.

“Why did you drive so fast!? I couldn’t even catch up with you even after I ran two red lights!” Jing Xiaolu started grumbling as soon as she stopped her car. “You didn’t even answer me when I honked at you.”

“Ah? Were you behind me?” Yang Ming looked at Jing Xiaolu apologetically when he heard her grumble. “I’m sorry for not noticing you earlier!”

Yang Ming really wasn’t paying attention earlier. His mind was focused on Su Ya and Huang Lele. His eyes were only focusing on the distance between his car and the car in front of him. He didn’t see Jing Xiaolu who was behind him.

“Forget it. It’s nothing actually,” Jing Xiaolu felt embarrassed when she heard Yang Ming apologize. It was true that there was no need to rush when she chased after Yang Ming. She did it because it felt fun. Jing Xiaolu started feeling fidgety when Yang Ming apologized instead of scolding her.

“Your makeup looks good today,” Yang Ming looked at Jing Xiaolu’s face and said.