"Keep acting. I really want to see how far you can take this little performance."
Pan's annoyingly cute voice floated in Su Qingqing’s ear. She had fully assumed the role of Su Qingqing's boss in the companion work business, and took great interest in everything surrounding her—especially anything related to Yu Zhongmeng.
So… had her boss seen all of Su Qingqing’s personal life? Su Qingqing didn’t exactly mind. After all, it was thanks to Pan that she got a second life. If this was the price, she didn’t think it was too high.
“Different faces for different people.”
Su Qingqing’s face was expressionless. After taking off her thin jacket, her bare skin was now directly exposed to the cool air from the AC, slowly draining her body heat. But the words she typed burned hot. She poured all the enthusiasm she was supposed to have as a good female companion into her interactions.
Soon, the deal was set: Su Qingqing would find an account for the client and play together while explaining the basic mechanics of the game. They would play for one or two hours today, and if things went well, they’d continue in the future—though the whole day had already technically been booked.
Simple, wasn’t it? Su Qingqing was no stranger to companion gaming.
“But I remember you never used to hide yourself in front of Yu Zhongmeng. You were a total sad little gremlin,” Pan chirped, counting Su Qingqing’s flaws on her fingers. “Petty. Grudge-holding. Quiet. Repressed. Oh, and last but not least—broke.”
Each word made Su Qingqing’s brow twitch slightly, though her face remained calm. “What can I say, I’m a sunflower. My old sun burned out. Can’t blame me for finding a new one, right?”
“But what if two suns show up at once?” Pan started making sound effects, going piu piu piu. “Would you pull a Hou Yi and shoot one down?”
“You’re so annoying.”
“Getting nervous, huh?”
“Sure. If that makes you happy.” Su Qingqing didn’t bother arguing.
“This just keeps getting more fun! I hope the next minute is even more fun than the last~” Pan giggled mischievously, then disappeared.
The dorm room fell quiet again. Su Qingqing turned off the AC and walked over to the balcony. The summer night air wasn’t exactly cool—in fact, it was stuffy and hot. She could already feel sweat beading on her forehead. The cicadas outside buzzed in endless waves. Anyone with light sleep would probably lose their mind. So noisy, she thought.
Disruptive to dreams.
But the moon was beautiful tonight. Compared to the lively campus below, it made her think of a serene heaven juxtaposed against bustling earth.
“Bright for no reason. Uselessly bright.”
She didn’t know why, but that phrase suddenly popped into her head.
Shaking it off, she sent the game login info to Yu Zhongmeng, then returned to her desk and switched accounts. Refilling her cup with hot water, she patted her cheeks lightly. The moonlight softened her already pretty features into curved little crescents.
Then, in a syrupy, sweet business voice, she said:
“Hello, boss~ Can you hear me~?”
“I can. Let’s start.”
“Okay~”
Su Qingqing had always been good at separating work from life. So during companion games, she made a clear distinction between Yu Zhongmeng and Summer of Zhongmeng. She was technically skilled, unfailingly patient, and always guided the session with the right tone.
Whenever Yu Zhongmeng wanted to ask something, Su Qingqing answered before she even needed to. She could play any role, any position—and she never lost.
The two of them didn’t actually talk much. Su Qingqing did most of the speaking, while Yu Zhongmeng mostly replied with short phrases like “Okay,” “Mm,” “Got it.”
One hour flew by.
Then another.
And another.
When Su Qingqing’s phone alarm finally rang, she realized it was midnight. Normally, she would’ve gotten ready for bed.
The alarm seemed to snap Yu Zhongmeng out of her rhythm too. Just after they finished a match, she sounded oddly uninterested on the mic.
“Let’s play again some other time. I’m going back to the dorm to sleep.”
Su Qingqing blinked. “Boss, you’re at an internet café?”
“Yeah. But I bought a laptop—it arrives tomorrow. Logging off.”
In that instant, everything clicked.
So that’s why Yu Zhongmeng suddenly wanted to play League of Legends, just because Su Qingqing had snapped at her earlier.
One snide remark and suddenly she wants to try a whole new game… No wonder Su Qingqing’s past invitations—hell, even her begging—had always been ignored. A cold smirk curled her lips without her realizing. She muttered silently in her heart:
“How pathetic.”
After shutting down her computer, she went to wash up. She clicked on her desk lamp and placed it on Yu Zhongmeng’s side, then crawled into bed, huddled in the corner of the mattress’s darkness, and fell into a deep sleep.
——
The next morning, Su Qingqing was woken by the sound of her phone ringing. Summer mornings were always noisy—with chirping birds, cicadas, and the bustling chaos of new students moving in.
Thankfully, she lived on the fifth floor. Otherwise it would’ve been even worse.
The call was from Ming Xue.
Turns out, kind-hearted Sister Ming had passed out the moment she got back to her dorm last night. She had been so busy all day that even this morning she still felt a bit dazed. When she went downstairs, she tripped on the stairs. Now she needed Su Qingqing to come help out—and, if possible, assist with welcoming new students too.
Su Qingqing wasn’t someone who liked trouble. But she agreed anyway.
The sensation of wearing a bra was… interesting. That snugness on her chest actually brought a slight sense of joy. It also made her already well-shaped bust look even better. Even with an oversized T-shirt on, her figure appeared more defined.
Although her so-called Jade Night Lion couldn’t compare to Ming Xue’s Red Hare—that was true genetic talent, no contest.
Ming Xue lived in a standard four-person dorm. Su Qingqing couldn’t figure out why she didn’t ask one of her roommates for help, but instead called her.
By the time Su Qingqing reached Ming Xue’s dorm building, she spotted her sitting on the front steps.
The tall girl had changed into a new outfit, but she still wore those signature short shorts. Her long white legs stretched out openly across the steps. She always kept fit, so her legs were toned and beautiful. A pair of white sneakers with pastel-pink ankle socks completed the look, perfectly accentuating her girlish charm.
Honestly, Sister Ming could just wrap those legs around my neck. It was the kind of perverted thought any leg enthusiast would have upon seeing her—and, well, Su Qingqing was one of them.
“Sister Ming, where’s the injury?” Su Qingqing walked up quickly, her eyes roaming over Ming Xue’s smooth legs with a bit too much hunger. But soon her hunger turned to confusion. Her legs were perfect… so, where was the injury?
“There.”
Ming Xue pointed pitifully. She lifted her right leg slightly, revealing a tiny scratch on the inside of her calf. Honestly… if you didn’t look closely, you wouldn’t see it at all.
Su Qingqing’s expression twisted for a second. “Tsk… this wound… if you don’t go to the hospital right now, it could be really bad.”
“Right? Right?!” Ming Xue instantly doubled down on the pitiful tone, as if she might burst into tears.
Su Qingqing brushed back her bangs, deadpan. To be honest, this wound is so minor it might heal before we even get to the hospital…
Still, she pulled out a band-aid she had prepared and solemnly applied it to the spot on Ming Xue’s leg.
The moment her fingertips brushed that soft, cool skin, she felt Ming Xue’s body shiver.
Su Qingqing looked up curiously—just in time to catch the other girl with her eyes lowered and cheeks flushed. She tilted her head shyly.
And suddenly, a peculiar thought bloomed in Su Qingqing’s mind:
Maybe this clumsy excuse was just Ming Xue’s way of trying to see her.
(End of Chapter)