This unprecedented and absurd situation caught the four off guard. Their first glance fell on the baseball cap-wearing boy. The most burly man asked, "Xin Xia, can you find a way to get the system to add a few more people?"
"Do you think the system is my dad? I can just ask it to add more people?" Xin Xia said irritably. "If I had the ability to control the system, I'd already be a Super S-class."
The man was quite honest, nodding in deep agreement. "Indeed, you're still too weak."
Xin Xia: "..."
The burly man tried to ease the tension. "Don't worry too much, everyone. Except for Xin Xia, who has no fighting ability, they probably won't last a day in Yunzhou. The three of us are all strong fighters; maybe we can last a few more days and find the boss."
[Player selection complete. Welcome to Yunzhou.]
A few seconds later, the burly man looked bewildered. "Why am I still in the lobby?"
His two companions looked at him resentfully. "Xin Xia went in. Can you please keep your mouth shut next time?"
"It's all my fault for talking like that!" The burly man guiltily slapped his mouth a few times. "This is really bad. We didn't find the boss, and now we've got Xin Xia locked up too."
"Shut up!"
The burly man said aggrievedly, "...Okay."
In the botanical garden at the very center of the school, towering ancient trees with lush foliage shook their branches, and leaves rustled down, landing on the players' heads.
Xie Tao brushed a leaf off his shoulder, glanced at the players who had come with him, and was slightly surprised to see an elderly man with white hair. Didn't the system check the age when recruiting people?
Did the old man come in voluntarily?
Nearly eighty years old, the perfect age for adventure?
"Xie Tao!"
A clear, excited voice rang out. Xie Tao instantly recognized the voice, his eyes widening in surprise. He saw Yan Chi waving at him with a smile, and a little girl standing beside him.
Yan Chi had been waiting under the ancient tree early that morning for players to enter Yunzhou. Mingcai was also waiting for Ding Yang, so the two of them waited together in the botanical garden.
Yan Chi ran to Xie Tao and hugged him tightly. "Why are you so late?"
"I thought I was dreaming..." Xie Tao lifted Yan Chi's chin, gently pinched his cheek, and nodded with satisfaction. "Hmm, you've gained a little weight. Looks like you haven't been bullied."
Yan Chi smiled and affectionately hugged his arm. "I'm doing well at school. How about you? Did you get hurt while running dungeons?"
Shen Mingsu had given Yan Chi some photos of Xie Tao, and Yan Chi clearly remembered the injury under Xie Tao's eye. He leaned closer to examine his face more closely, and sure enough, there was a small scar on his fair skin.
Yan Chi's lips pressed into a straight line as he gently touched the scar. "Does it still hurt?"
"It hasn't hurt for a long time." Xie Tao didn't care about the small injury at all; he was concerned about something else. "Where's your new boyfriend? Isn't he with you?"
Yan Chi led Xie Tao outside. "He's cooking at home. We have your favorite beer-braised duck today. We've already cleaned your room."
"He cooks? Can a pampered rich kid like him cook?"
"Yes, yes, he's a good cook."
"Hmm, sounds like someone you could settle down with."
"..."
Yan Chi and Xie Tao's voices faded into the distance. Mingcai stood in front of a player, looking at him with light gray eyes. "Hi, you're from the Termites, right?"
Xin Xia and the old man both looked at the square-faced man. The Termites were also unpopular among players; their extreme ideologies made peaceful players avoid them like the plague.
Furthermore, players discovered that in some dungeons, the word "termites" would trigger a frenzied attack from the boss, gradually making termites a creature players loathed.
The square-faced man vehemently denied it, "No, I don't know anything about termites."
Mingcai's lips curled up, her eyes narrowing slightly, "Is that so?"
"No." The man suddenly spoke, his gaze fixed blankly on Mingcai, "I'm a member of the termites. We entered Yunzhou this time to gather dungeon information, to prepare for the termites' entry into Yunzhou."
Mingcai nodded in satisfaction, "You should have been this obedient from the start. Go to hell."
The square-faced man took out a handful of powder from his system space, swallowed it all at once, staggered, vomited blood, and collapsed to the ground. His body rapidly decomposed, finally turning to dust.
The ancient tree rustled its branches again, covering the ground with fallen leaves, and let out a soft hum.
The hum drifted away on the wind, unheard by anyone.
In the player lobby, a dozen players suddenly stopped, and to the astonishment of those around them, drew their weapons, pointed them at their necks, and died instantly.
After completing her termite-killing quest for the day, Mingcai hummed a song and pulled Ding Yang away. The remaining two players, like abandoned vagrants, stood bewildered in the wind.
The old man stroked his beard. "That young girl has quite a temper, killing without hesitation. By the way, were the two people they took really players? How come they know people in this dungeon?"
Judging by their familiarity, entering the dungeon was like coming home.
The old man sighed, "Living long is good; I can even witness this scene."
"You can start the livestream," Xin Xia blurted out, his brow furrowed as he looked at the viewers jumping around in his livestream room.
Yunzhou was the only instance where live streaming was supposed to be disabled, but this time, contrary to expectations, it was allowed to be streamed. Xin Xia believed that something was amiss.
The old man was immediately shocked. He glanced at his own live stream and, sure enough, saw it. His face contorted with grief, his fingers trembling, he clutched his chest and cried out, "How could they lie to me! Didn't they say there wouldn't be a live stream in Yunzhou? This is heartbreaking! Oh, oh!"
The old man slapped his knees, and due to his overwhelming emotions, he quickly swallowed several nitroglycerin pills.
Xin Xia was a little resentful because his companions hadn't entered the dungeon. "Grandpa, you're so old, you should just find a low-level dungeon to retire in. Why did you come here?"
The old man didn't care what level Xin Xia was. Hearing this, he glared and bristled. "So what if I wanted to come to this dungeon? I'm about to die, can't I just find a dungeon without livestreams to die in peace?"
"Does this old man have to watch those noisy viewers spamming my livestream chat as I'm about to die, saying: 'Three, two, one, okay! This old guy's dead! Next livestream, let's go!' I'd be so angry I'd come back to life even after I'm dead!"
Xin Xia: "..."
He glanced at the chaotic livestream chat and thought the scenario the old man described wasn't impossible.
[Don't worry, we would never do that to you. If you die, we'll all shout: "Three, two, one, cry! We'll give you a grand memorial service!"]
[However, why are you alone in this dungeon? Where are Xu Shen and the others? Why are they making you, a skilled player, the main force? What were they thinking?]
[They probably couldn't squeeze in. Who knew so many people would be vying for Yunzhou this time? It's insane.]
[To be fair, the scenery in Yunzhou is beautiful.]
Of course, most players were focused on Xie Tao and Ding Yang.
[What happened to those two? They were just taken away by the NPCs? Were they taken to be killed?]
[Judging from their attitude, they're clearly old acquaintances. But how can players become old acquaintances with NPCs? That's the biggest problem.]
[I know that girl. She cleared Yunzhou before. Maybe that's when she met the NPCs.]
[Are you kidding me? NPCs don't remember you after they refresh. So, you're saying you can be friends with NPCs?]
[The person upstairs has probably only cleared a few low-level dungeons. NPCs in high-level dungeons not only retain their memories, they also hold grudges.] […]
Within a few minutes, the live stream chat was in an uproar, with a few comments saying Yan Chi looked familiar being instantly drowned out.
The teacher, arriving late, saw Xin Xia and the old man and looked around in surprise. "Just the two of you?"
Xin Xia glanced at the teacher, remained silent, and lowered his hat brim.
"Originally, there were five," the old man said slowly, drawing out the details of what had just happened.
Teacher: "Alright, come with me first."
Meanwhile, Yan Chi led Xie Tao through the campus. Occasionally, passing students would stop with smiles and greet Yan Chi with a "Hello, teacher!"
Yan Chi responded with a smile to each one.
Xie Tao sighed, "Seeing that you still like children so much makes me feel relieved."
Xie Tao had always been impatient and had no tolerance for children; loud noise could instantly ignite his temper.
Yan Chi, on the other hand, was naturally slow and easygoing, and possessed a strong sense of affability. Sometimes, even unfamiliar children would pull him aside to share their toys.
Yan Chi smiled, "Because the kids are so cute! Those few in my class are..."
"Don't say too much," Xie Tao interrupted him promptly. "My livestream is still running. Is there a way to turn it off?"
[Potion! Potion to turn off the livestream!]
[Bro, I beg you, bro, we promise we won't go around telling everyone. Just let us see your faces one more time.]
[Hey bro, I'm just asking you one question: are you an NPC or a player? Or do you have some special ability to befriend NPCs? Help me, bro!]
Xie Tao showed no mercy to this.
Yan Chi tried to sever Xie Tao's connection with the system, asking, "Is the live stream still going?"
Xie Tao was surprised: "The screen went black! How did you do that?"
Yan Chi recounted his experiences to Xie Tao, who listened quietly. Soon they returned to the teachers' apartment. Xie Tao saw the small courtyard was meticulously maintained, with flowers planted around the gravel path, and knew Yan Chi was living well there.
"So the school you chose in Yunzhou was this one?" Xie Tao sighed. "You're doing quite well, getting everything done right away, having a home in Yunzhou right away."
Yan Chi hummed in agreement, looking at his carefully arranged courtyard. "I'm very satisfied with my life now."
"And you?" Yan Chi asked nervously, grabbing Xie Tao's hand. "Are you staying here or leaving when your time is up?"
Xie Tao patted his head and sighed. "Of course I want to stay with you, but I'm neither a teacher nor a student, so I probably can't stay."
"You don't need anything, I can support you."
Xie Tao chuckled, "Does your boyfriend agree?"
"Of course I agree." Shen Mingsu had been listening behind the door for a while, still wearing his apron and holding the spatula.
Shen Mingsu knew that their teacher, Yan Chi, hadn't had a good life before, and his only friend was this Xie Tao. Naturally, he would try his best to help Yan Chi keep his friend. "You can stay here as long as you like..."
Shen Mingsu's voice trailed off when he saw Xie Tao's face. He had only seen Xie Tao's photos before; seeing him in person, Shen Mingsu's expression became somewhat strange.
Yan Chi, seeing Shen Mingsu hesitate, looked over. "?"
Shen Mingsu quickly recovered and smiled warmly at Xie Tao. "I own this school, feel free to stay here, don't be shy. My vegetables are still in the pot, they're going to burn soon, I'll go check on them."
After saying that, he turned and went back to the kitchen, passing by Shen Chang Le who was holding a glass of water. Shen Chang Le had just come out of his room, feeling slightly uneasy about meeting Yan Chi's good friend soon. Seeing Shen Mingsu's hurried manner, Shen Chang Le paused, his courage, built up all morning, instantly vanishing.
Just how terrifying could this person be to frighten his uncle like this? He'd better lay low for a while.
"Is he usually this impulsive?" Xie Tao looked at Yan Chi with obvious disdain, practically saying, "Look at the person you've found!"
Shen Mingsu's reaction was indeed strange today, Yan Chi whispered in defense, "He's not usually like this."
Xie Tao remained noncommittal and followed him into the house.
In the kitchen, Shen Mingsu hurriedly called Xing Zhinan.
Xing Zhinan answered the phone with a surprised look, "Old Shen, why did you suddenly remember me?"
Shen Mingsu cut to the chase, "Tell me, what does Yan Qingyuan look like?"
Xing Zhinan: "...You saw Yan Qingyuan?"
"I've completely forgotten what he looks like. Even if he stood right in front of me, I wouldn't recognize him!" Shen Mingsu lowered his voice, secretly glancing at Yan Chi and Xie Tao.
Seeing that they were chatting on the sofa and hadn't noticed him, he continued, "But you know that creepy feeling, right? I felt like if I said one more word to him, I'd get slapped across the face."
Xing Zhinan, listening to his abstract description, seemed to have found a kindred spirit. "I understand. Yan Qingyuan often slaps me."
"Uh… I meant that feeling. I wasn't actually slapped." Shen Mingsu needed to explain himself, but his patience ran out the next second. "Stop talking nonsense, just tell me what he looks like!"
Xing Zhinan: "Big brother, why don't you just take a picture?"
Shen Mingsu: "Makes sense."
So Shen Mingsu called Shen Chang Le out of his room and handed him his phone. "Go take a group photo with your teacher Xiao Chi and Uncle Xie Tao."
Shen Chang Le didn't take it.
"I'll make you sweet and sour pork ribs for lunch today."
Shen Chang Le accepted the gift and walked to Yan Chi's side. "Teacher Yan Chi."
"This is Chang Le, Shen Mingsu's nephew." Yan Chi introduced him to Xie Tao, who greeted Shen Chang Le.
Shen Chang Le hesitated, "I'd like to take a picture with you guys, is that alright?"
"Of course, you can sit in the middle." Shen Chang Le rarely made requests, and Yan Chi didn't ask why, immediately agreeing and pulling him to sit between him and Xie Tao.
Shen Chang Le stood stiffly, like a wooden statue, taking a photo between the two of them. After taking the photo, he stood up and said, "Thank you."
Shen Chang Le left with his phone. Xie Tao watched his retreating figure and asked Yan Chi, "How's your relationship with this kid?"
Yan Chi nodded. "Pretty good. He's also my student. Why?"
Xie Tao shrugged. "Nothing, just asking."
In the kitchen, Shen Chang Le handed his phone to Shen Mingsu, who then sent the photo to Xing Zhinan, anxiously awaiting his reply.
Shen Chang Le looked at the photo and said, "Send me a copy of this photo too."
"Wait a minute." Shen Mingsu was completely focused on waiting for Xing Zhinan's result.
About ten seconds later, Xing Zhinan messaged, "Old Shen, something terrible has happened."
Shen Mingsu's heart sank, but Xing Zhinan changed the subject, "He does look a bit like Yan Qingyuan, but I'm not sure if it's him. Don't panic, I'll come check on you tomorrow."
"Can't you come today?!"
"Sorry, Old Shen, I've been a bit obsessed with games lately, I don't want to go out today."
Shen Mingsu: "...You have to come tomorrow."
Having received Xing Zhinan's assurance, Shen Mingsu hung up.
All day, Yan Chi noticed Shen Mingsu was acting strangely. Starting at lunchtime, Shen Mingsu seemed like a completely different person, not acting up at all.
That night, after settling Xie Tao in the guest room, Yan Chi returned to the master bedroom, took a shower, and sat on the bed. He angrily hit Shen Mingsu with a pillow. "What's wrong with you today?"
Shen Mingsu sat down beside him and hugged him. "I'm scared."
"Scared of what?" Yan Chi asked irritably. "Do you think Xie Tao will eat you?"
"It's not that I'm scared of." Shen Mingsu hesitated, then stopped himself from speaking.
Yan Chi urged, "Then what are you afraid of? Tell me quickly."
"Are you sure you want to know?"
"Absolutely, without a doubt."
"I suspect Xie Tao might be your father."
Yan Chi: "..."
He reached out and touched Shen Mingsu's forehead, then checked his own temperature. "You're perfectly normal, no fever. How could you say such nonsense?"
Shen Mingsu said helplessly, "I'm serious."
This was too absurd. Yan Chi didn't believe it at all. "Impossible! Xie Tao and I grew up together. We even have photos of us taken when we were little. How could he be my father?"
The next second, Yan Chi's eyes widened in shock. Shen Mingsu's figure rapidly shrank, turning into a little child who looked only two or three years old.
After shrinking, Shen Mingsu was exquisitely handsome, with noticeably chubby cheeks, yet he frowned seriously. "Returning to infancy isn't difficult for us."
Yan Chi stared blankly at Shen Mingsu's soft, squishy face, but Shen Mingsu quickly reverted to his original size, leaving Yan Chi to regretfully pinch his now less soft cheek.
What had Shen Mingsu just said?
Oh right, Xie Tao might be his father, since his father also had the ability to revert to infancy, so this guess wasn't entirely impossible.
Yan Chi regained his senses. The possibility of his childhood friend becoming his biological father was a major blow. He was so shocked he was speechless for a long time, finally stammering, "Impossible… Even in casual jokes, he's never said he's my father. How could he really be my father?"
Shen Mingsu patted his back reassuringly. "Xing Zhinan will be here tomorrow; he'll know as soon as he sees."
Tonight, neither of them was destined to sleep.
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