Chi Zhan hadn’t expected that trick to work so well—but how had Qi Song even guessed he wanted to eat something spicy?
Qi Song, however, said nothing more. He simply ate in silence.
Chi Zhan dipped a slice of meat into the soup as instructed. The flavor really was much better this way—spicy and fragrant, but not overwhelmingly so. It had just the right kick, making it impossible to stop after one bite.
“You should try it. It’s really good.”
Chen Che stared at the two of them, taking turns offering each other bites. -1,000,000 HP. He spat blood and died on the spot.
Who the hell would believe they just broke up?!
While eating, Chi Zhan had the distinct feeling that Qi Song was watching him. But whenever he turned his head, he’d only catch the other man quietly eating, eyes lowered. Even his eyelashes seemed to be dusted in mist. That face, usually cold and aloof, now looked noticeably softer—like a snow-covered peak descending into the mortal world, finally touched by the warmth of human life. Suddenly, he didn’t seem so out of reach.
Chi Zhan’s emotions were becoming tangled again.
What exactly did Seven like about him?
He wasn’t particularly skilled at games—barely good enough to call it a hobby—and he definitely wasn’t as impressive as Qi Song. His personality wasn’t the romantic type, either—he couldn’t sweet-talk, nor was he cute or endearing like other people.
Just then, a group of people entered the restaurant, their voices oddly familiar. It was SY, the team WT had just competed against. The air instantly tensed with that “enemy-sighting” kind of edge.
SY was well-known in the esports scene. After getting thrown off their game by WT earlier, some of them clearly weren’t taking it well. One team member walked over, and just when everyone expected the classic “Next time, I’ll defeat you!” spiel, the guy surprised them by saying:
“Seven, you were amazing! Do you remember me? I’m Ning Shu from SY. Would you play a match with me sometime? I’d really love to know what it’s like to be your teammate.”
The boy had large, bright black eyes and long lashes, with a baby-faced look that screamed cutesy. His voice, though, was… strange.
If Chi Zhan hadn’t known better before, after encountering plenty of players and wandering through all sorts of “virtual boyfriend” features, he now recognized this tone—it was what people called a “clipped voice.”
Supposedly, gay men found this kind of voice very attractive.
And right now, this guy was using that very voice to flirt with Qi Song.
“……?”
He couldn’t help but glance at the boy a few times. With looks that clearly set him apart from the average crowd and the direct, confident way he approached Seven, Chi Zhan could easily guess—this guy was a player.
The very type Chi Zhan had just been thinking about—someone sweet, cute, and completely unlike himself.
“No need.” Qi Song glanced at Ning Shu, then lowered his gaze to pick out bones from a piece of fish. His voice was back to that same frosty tone he used in competitions. “With your skill level, you don’t qualify to be my teammate.”
“……”
“……”
Ning Shu’s face turned pale, then flushed red. He clearly hadn’t expected to be brushed off so harshly and didn’t know how to respond. In a fluster, he turned toward Chi Zhan.
“W-Wait… weren’t you the one who won the prize just now? How do you know Seven? Don’t tell me that was rigged!”
The moment Ning Shu laid eyes on Chi Zhan, he felt threatened.
In real life, Ning Shu was a popular streamer in the dating sim category. He’d gained fame for his sweet voice and cute looks, amassing a long list of admirers. When this fully immersive romance game came out—and not a single player had managed to “clear” it—he saw it as his golden opportunity.
He had plenty of romantic experience and strategies tailored for different types of men. Most guys, in his view, fell for the pitiful and innocent act, and he’d mastered that approach. He’d never lost before, and so he hadn’t taken this game too seriously.
Even so, before diving in, Ning Shu did his homework. Out of all the romance targets, Qi Song was his favorite—the cold, abstinent type was exactly his thing. As the saying goes: the more aloof the exterior, the hotter the fire inside. If he could melt that ice, the satisfaction would be unbeatable.
So, with full confidence, Ning Shu enabled the livestream function and purchased the “Esports Pro” persona card from the in-game store.
Unfortunately, the card didn’t magically max out his gameplay skills. To reach Qi Song’s level would’ve required serious pay-to-win investment. Ning Shu wasn’t ready to burn that much money, so he chose a mid-tier card. Even so, his technical skills were still above average.
But even that wasn’t enough to catch Qi Song’s eye.
Then came the real surprise—this man in front of him.
He was clearly not one of the four official romance targets. Ning Shu had heard someone call him “Secretary Chi” earlier, and that face was far too attractive for a generic NPC. That left only one option: he was another player.
What made this game so interesting was that any player could try to pursue the main love interests. If multiple players chased the same man, then whoever won out earned bragging rights.
But this guy was clearly a different breed—mature office vibes, refined features, and a gentle, cultured air.
Still, with someone like Qi Song, wouldn’t the cute type be his thing?
Ning Shu bit his lip, refusing to accept defeat. His voice turned even sweeter.
“Seven, just take me with you, okay? I really admire you—I promise I won’t drag you down.”
Even Chen Che got goosebumps from that voice and couldn’t help glancing over.
This time, Qi Song didn’t even lift his eyes. He just said two words: “I refuse.”
“……”
“Anything else?” Qi Song asked coldly. “You’re interrupting our meal.”
“……”
He was grinding his molars to dust. He’d handed over every last ounce of pride, and the man still wouldn’t even spare him a glance. There was no way he was going to keep playing the lovesick puppy. With a sharp turn, he stormed off.
Meanwhile, his livestream chat was exploding with mockery.
[Streamer was so smug earlier—how’s that face feel now, slapped that hard?]
[You seriously thought Seven was easy to win over? Please. If it were that simple, no one would’ve posted a bounty. The prize money’s in the millions for anyone who manages to actually capture one of the main targets.]
