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Chapter 056 But You Harvested Love!

At noon, the clouds parted and the sun shone, a rare good weather in recent times.

This only highlighted Ling Mo’s mood, which was as stormy as the overcast sky.

Especially the last few meters before reaching home felt like heading to the gallows.

Although Haonan had tried to enlighten him before, he still couldn’t let it go. Perhaps it was the inferiority complex stemming from the huge gap in status that was at play. Subconsciously, he didn’t want to leave any bad impression in Xia Xinyan’s mind, especially since he had already accepted her in his heart—he was fearful that any negligence would lead him to lose her.

Once you’ve experienced the beauty of ideal love, it’s hard to go back to the past.

This might also be a form of difficulty transitioning from luxury to austerity.

So, those parts of their chat where he doubted Xia Xinyan became his greatest concern.

If she hadn’t seen them, it would be fine. But if she had…

“Ah, you’re back?”

As soon as he opened the door, Xia Xinyan’s voice rang out with excitement: “The Game Pods have been delivered! Thirteen in total, even more than I expected!”

Ling Mo paused as Xia Xinyan approached: “Thirteen?”

Thirteen Game Pods?

There were so many?

He had thought that even three would be a lot.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect there to be so many either. But the steward said they were part of the second batch of Game Pods ready for distribution, so they brought over a few extra.”

… Not just a few.

Whether online or among his friends, many were eager for just one Game Pod, yet here Xia Xinyan casually mentioned getting thirteen. It was clear that people of different statuses had vastly different perceptions of certain things.

Ling Mo silently mocked in his mind.

But putting that aside for now, looking at Xia Xinyan, she didn’t seem to have seen those chat records?

Otherwise, she wouldn’t look so happy, right?

Even if she understood that it was natural for him to be suspicious, anyone who realized they were being doubted, especially after genuinely investing feelings, would feel hurt, wouldn’t they?

Or maybe her acting skills were just too good—though Ling Mo automatically disregarded this possibility. After all, he had always tried to interpret his girlfriend’s intentions with the greatest goodwill.

… The reason he had doubted her before was that he hadn’t yet considered Xia Xinyan as his girlfriend.

But after yesterday’s Dungeon experience, everything had changed completely.

With a sigh of relief, Ling Mo chuckled, “Do you have time this afternoon? Want to visit our club? Everyone there is really nice and loves playing games… I’m sure they’ll welcome you.”

“Sure,” Xia Xinyan replied without hesitation, “Well—how about you inform the club about the Game Pods now? If it’s convenient, I can have someone install them this afternoon, and we can start playing then.”

“Ah… uh.” Ling Mo nodded.

Xia Xinyan smiled slightly: “Then you go tell them, I’ll prepare lunch.”

“I can make lunch!” Ling Mo hurriedly called out, hesitating for a second, before continuing, “You just rest in the living room… I’ll take care of it.”

To put it plainly, he wanted to showcase his rare skills. In today’s age, knowing how to cook is a definite plus. As the saying goes, to win a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach; this saying can be flipped too, and it was worth a try.

But… he felt that stopping her so suddenly seemed a bit deliberate.

“No need,” Xia Xinyan shook her head nonchalantly, “This kind of thing can be taken turns. I’m not hiring a chef, it wouldn’t be right to always have you cook, right?”

Ling Mo had nothing more to say.

To say it simply, he didn’t know how to refute Xia Xinyan. He just couldn’t think of a counter-argument for anything she said.

Or rather, he didn’t want to refute.

Besides, having his girlfriend cook for him was a rare and delightful experience; it was indeed hard to refuse.

As for showcasing his skills… there’s always time for that later.

After thinking for a bit, he still followed her into the kitchen: “Then let’s cook together, I’ll assist you.”

He still had some emotional intelligence; leaving his girlfriend to cook alone while he played would be foolish.

Xia Xinyan cast him a glance and nodded.

This was the first time they cooked together, and throughout the process, they seemed to work together quite well. They even understood each other’s actions without needing too many words. At least, Ling Mo found it enjoyable.

Could this be called a meeting of minds?

— Or perhaps it was just similar habits.

Only now did Xia Xinyan realize their habits were so aligned—perhaps her routines formed over a long time were conducive to such rapport with Ling Mo now. It certainly felt comfortable.

She had always thought that after the brutal years at the end game, she and Ling Mo had grown too different. But now it seemed that wasn’t so absolute.

Not bad at all.

After a pleasant meal, Ling Mo shared what Xia Xinyan had just mentioned in the club chat, focusing on the thirteen Game Pods. As expected, it ignited a tremendous reaction in the group chat, stirring up countless lurking souls.

Xia Xinyan watched their conversations, and the lively banter made her nostalgic.

Ever since “Realm of Divine Presence” began to influence reality, she hadn’t witnessed such pure camaraderie again.

Of course, the reasons she had chosen to distance herself from that group in her previous life also played a part, as they simply couldn’t keep up with her pace. Once the gap grows too wide, even if you still call each other friends, you’ll gradually drift apart. Different circles were an inevitable process.

Now, experiencing it again, she was a mere bystander.

It made her somewhat emotional.

Perhaps she’d never again possess such friendships in this lifetime.

“As the saying goes, out with the old, in with the new. There’s no need for the host to feel so melancholic. Though you’ve lost friendships, you’ve gained love!”

‘… Shut up.’

The artsy feels were thoroughly ruined by Tianji’s comment.

Ling Mo had agreed to meet his friends at two-thirty in the school’s Activity Room Building. By the time they arrived, several club members were already waiting at the entrance.

Or rather, they had specifically come to greet them.

Leading the group was the club president, Zhang Nan, a rather robust guy, but once he donned glasses, he gained a touch of scholarly charm—at least he looked much gentler. Haonan was naturally among them, along with others who were quite good friends with Ling Mo from the club.

… Looking at it this way, it seemed Ling Mo knew quite a few heavyweight figures.

“Hey! Why are you still waiting at the door?” When Ling Mo saw them all standing there, he couldn’t help but smile, “You’re making a big deal out of it; you could’ve just waited for us inside the Activity Room.”

“Think too much; who’s waiting for you?” Zhang Nan shot him a glance, then turned to Xia Xinyan with a smile, “We’re here for Miss Xia, the big shot. We need to make a good impression; we can’t let the club lose face.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Haonan chimed in, nodding vigorously, “Who’s waiting for you? Why are you so full of yourself?”

Ling Mo couldn’t help but feel a bit helpless: “Alright, alright, let’s pretend I didn’t say anything.”

After saying that, he turned to Xia Xinyan: “Don’t take it to heart; these people are always like this.”

Xia Xinyan pursed her lips and remained silent.

Thinking she had misunderstood, Zhang Nan immediately dropped the playful demeanor: “Just kidding, just kidding. But waiting here isn’t really a big deal; everyone here for the club is a friend, especially since you’re Old Ling’s girlfriend. We definitely needed to come out to greet you. Moreover, you mentioned sending over Game Pods, so we can help carry them, right? We can’t just act like we’re freeloaders who can’t contribute anything.”

Xia Xinyan smiled: “Mm, I understand.”

 

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