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Chapter 191 The Times Have Changed, Brother

When he first heard that voice, he thought he was hallucinating.

Of course, he fantasized about various scenarios, like ascending to the peak of life from then on.

But when that voice got stuck at 98% and never appeared again, his dream shattered.

After all, life had to go on; one couldn’t always expect a phrase that might have been a mere figment of imagination.

Plus, with all the sudden things that happened later, like the appearance of Xia Xinyan, the launch of “Realm of Divine Presence,” etc., these matters quickly dominated most of his thoughts and pushed that phrase to the back of his mind.

Until now, when he recalled it again.

Ling Mo was never foolish; on the contrary, he often quickly grasped the key information in problems. What he lacked was just the opportunity to recognize the issue.

—Initially, Xia Xinyan’s appearance wasn’t enough to serve as that opportunity.

It was like walking down the street and suddenly encountering a stranger girl who enthusiastically strikes up a conversation. Most people’s first reaction would be, “Is she trying to scam me out of this month’s paycheck?” and definitely not, “Could she be an angel sent by God to help me save the world?” — If someone truly thought the latter, they’d probably need to see a doctor.

So, at that time, Ling Mo didn’t connect that suddenly appearing and vanishing sentence until now, when that girl in red said that both he and Xia Xinyan had terminals, and that his terminal had crashed.

This seemed to imply that the thing stuck at 98% was perhaps… a system? He wasn’t sure.

But it was definitely not something ordinary.

So according to that girl, Xinyan also had something like what he did? And it had already successfully activated?

Could Xinyan’s choice to approach him have something to do with this?

And how did that girl know all this?

Ling Mo’s mind felt a bit muddled.

He had many questions he wanted to ask Xia Xinyan, but he couldn’t bring himself to voice them.

Because even now, he wasn’t sure of Xinyan’s feelings—did she really like him, or was she still around for reasons he didn’t know?

Even though he constantly speculated and observed, he had never received a definite answer.

Even if, theoretically, she had genuinely started to like him, if he recklessly brought up these questions, they could inadvertently become a thorn between them.

To use an inappropriate analogy, imagine a spy nearing their target under the guise of a romantic relationship but gradually falling for them during the mission, ultimately choosing to abandon the task to truly become their partner to help them—while this could be a delightful outcome, if the other party suddenly discovers their past as a spy and confronts them about it, then regardless of the outcome, their relationship could never go back to how it was.

So some matters, even if both parties are aware, are fundamentally different when left unspoken or spoken out loud.

Ling Mo’s character leaned towards prudence; he wouldn’t take any reckless actions before knowing the chances of success—especially concerning someone he cared deeply for.

So after staring at Xinyan’s profile for a while, he suppressed all his thoughts.

Since Xinyan couldn’t ask, he would find a way to ask that girl in red…

Thinking this, he gently placed Xia Xinyan on the bed. Just as he was about to remove her arms wrapped around his neck, she suddenly tightened her embrace, opened her eyes, and with a hint of drowsiness and subtle vulnerability, asked, “…Where are you going?”

She had indeed fallen asleep before.

But her habit of sleeping lightly in potentially dangerous environments meant that even the slightest movement could wake her.

While she could relax when curled up in Ling Mo’s arms, her body reverted back to that alert state when he intended to put her down.

Even she didn’t realize just how much she relied on Ling Mo now—much more than she had anticipated.

And her body’s betrayal was especially obvious.

However, in her drowsy state, she was unaware of it.

Ling Mo, on the other hand, felt almost out of control at the sight of her now and her soft-spoken words.

…Did she even know how enticing she looked at this moment?

Did she truly have no guard up against him at all?

If there weren’t any feelings involved, she couldn’t possibly be this relaxed, right?

So, she must like him… right?

He habitually pondered this question again.

But while his actions didn’t stop, after suppressing his impulses with all his might, he gently patted her head: “We’ve arrived at the hotel; it’s safe here. You should rest first—I still have some things to do. Don’t worry, I’ll be outside keeping watch over you.”

Xia Xinyan didn’t mind his patting; or rather, she didn’t have the energy to care—her time nestled in Ling Mo’s embrace had nearly put her at ease, and now all she wanted was a good sleep.

So upon hearing Ling Mo’s reassurance that it was safe here, she simply released her arms, turned over, curled up, and shut her eyes.

Seeing this, Ling Mo couldn’t help but chuckle.

Xinyan at this moment was a side of her he had never seen before.

He had to admit, she was truly adorable.

And it made him a bit restless.

Had he just… patted her head for the first time?

After all, he never had the courage to make such a move before.

Noticing she seemed to have fallen back into a deep sleep again, Ling Mo paused slightly and tentatively reached his hand toward her head.

Just before he was about to touch her, however, he took his hand back, sighed, and stood up to leave the bedroom.

Outside the suite, when Ling Mo opened the door, the chubby guy was standing there, hand raised, about to knock.

“…What a coincidence.” The chubby guy immediately changed his knocking motion to a wave to greet him.

“I was just about to find you,” Ling Mo stepped aside, “Come in; we’ll talk inside.”

The chubby guy didn’t hesitate, entering the room and glancing around the living room: “Where’s Miss Xia?”

“She’s resting inside.”

“Tsk, I’m really envious that you’ve managed to tame the lady so well… I wish I had a girlfriend who’d snuggle up in my arms while sleeping. With such a broad chest, why doesn’t anyone notice me?”

Ling Mo shot him a sidelong glance: “You could let Bai Yu help you experience that.”

“…Quit joking, I’m talking serious here.” The chubby guy switched gears, “Do you realize you’re famous now?”

“How come?” Ling Mo sat down opposite him and poured himself a cup of tea.

The chubby guy stroked his chin: “Haven’t you seen the viral video online? The one of you fighting Young Master Xia? Wow, many people are probably thinking it’s some action movie; it’s so exciting.”

“Didn’t pay attention.” Ling Mo indeed hadn’t cared much for those random things.

The chubby guy stared at him for a moment, his expression rather complex: “You probably realized the surreal nature of this game. So as an old high school buddy, let me give you a heads-up—be cautious of peaking too early; it’s not always a good thing. But since you’ve already peaked, it’s pointless to say more. Just be careful out there in reality; the times have changed, brother.”

 

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