LC: Chapter 54

54. Classmate

Each Squad Leader needed to stay informed of the basic circumstances of players under them at all time. For example, if they were low level, then the leaders should arrange some team practices or carry them through grinding. But that didn’t mean the leaders needed to do all that themselves. As XiaoYu’s hidden Job was a secret few knew, I_Am_A_Poor_Man personally led the charge.

However, a certain someone also knew he was a certain Chief’s exclusive healer. If he didn’t notify the executive, what if he was summoned halfway through the grind? They’d have wasted a precious tool. Forget about how Sealed_Sword would strike him down in half. He himself would prepare a tiny knife for seppuku.

Truth be told, HereticKing heard the whole conversation between I_Am_A_Poor_Man and Sealed_Sword. His first reaction was also how he could bring XiaoYu to a high-level zone for experience. Thus, when I_Am_A_Poor_Man tried negotiating with him on taking XiaoYu to the Derelict Ruins of Natalis, HereticKing instantly agreed to Poor_Man’s request to not summon him for anything else for those five hours. Because HereticKing wanted to join in too.

I_Am_A_Poor_Man was always astonished at HereticKing’s attitude towards XiaoYu. It’s so rare to see Chief care so much about someone else. His mind thought of the bone-chilling winter dropping in from the north winds in reality. A saying popped into his mind: If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?

He shook the saying out of his head. Poor_Man pondered on future plans. The year was coming to an end. The game would probably have plenty of events then. Why not take this chance to use up that XP Penalty Waiver? Otherwise, the night might drag on for too long. Too many dreams might come and go.

Two days later, I_Am_A_Poor_Man who’d been exploring the Derelict Ruins with a party received a message from Sealed_Sword. DrunkBed had logged on at noon the day after the meeting. He’d been told to send the XP Penalty Waiver over.

“Exams over?” Poor_Man seemed to recall DrunkBed was a university student studying fitness. He was truly amazing at sports. The job he picked, Assassin, had higher agility requirements than other jobs. It was the perfect class for him. While the base stats decided by the game were rather effective on deciding which job would be the best, each player’s reflex speed and ability to think on their feet was a type of hidden talent. They also effect whether the selected job was suitable for the player.

“Not that fast. He’s already called me to say he’ll be absent from the next treasure hunting session. I told him to log on tomorrow to lend his gear to another assassin for the time being.”

“I see.”

I_Am_A_Poor_Man then instantly started bothering XiaoYu over chat.

“Xiao-Yu, are you free tomorrow noon?” Poor_Man asked.

“Yes.”

“Then come to the East Gate of Prole. I’ll take you exploring.”

“Okay.”

“Not going to ask me where?”

“Mn. Because I believe in you. You wouldn’t sell me off.”

“Ah, you actually know how to crack a joke. I must still be asleep.”

“Hehe.” XiaoYu had been grinding at the Pyramids for the past few days with different healers. All those ladies kept chattering on about wanting to buy him so they can train it up. They’ll make sure everyone would love him then. Monsters would explode if they saw him. Drenched in such circumstances where the “selling” of a person was constantly talked about, he too could make similar jokes. This proved it’s very easy to lead someone astray.

But this was just some minor jokes thrown in during the boredom of grinding. They were all very caring of XiaoYu. Thus, they had a wonderful time together. Even the tiny cat learned to walk sedately through the stomping feet to pick up items. Occasionally, it’d accidentally blink its wide innocent eyes at the hungry wolves waiting to pounce on it, making them go crazy with how cute it was.

Time past swiftly and tomorrow was soon here. XiaoYu packed up his belongings and arrived ahead of time at the East Gate. Only he never would’ve thought someone else would be earlier than he was.

“Oh, Lil Lucky. Morning,” greeted Below_The_Moon.

 “Hello, Below_The_Moon.”

“Ah. Chief’s here so early. I hope we won’t meet any berserk monsters today.” Below_The_Moon was shocked at the familiar silhouette walking to them from around the corner of a building. While Chief wasn’t one to arrive fashionably late, he would always appear precisely one minute before they were supposed to meet up.

“How rare for me to hear your cursed mouth so early in the morning.” A gloomy face rang out from behind Below_The_Moon. I_Am_A_Poor_Man stared grudgingly at the other as if Poor_Man was a haunted and mad man. “I’m working hard on getting through the last stretch to Level 100. If we do meet any berserk monsters, I will chop you down and make soup out of your bones.”

“Tsk. You were the one who came early,” Below_The_Moon retorted.

“Hmph. Without me, this team wouldn’t be grinding later,” said I_Am_A_Poor_Man in an exhausted voice which came from a lack of sleep. He was still confirming the last member of their grind party today just now. As there was a chance they’d have to use XiaoYu’s special skills, any players who they weren’t particularly familiar with were all eliminated.

“Is everyone here?” HereticKing asked.

“You don’t need to worry about my work, Chief. They’re already grinding at our destination. We just need to head over and join in,” Poor_Man replied.

“Good.”

“Xiao-Yu, we’ll be grinding ghost mobs at the Derelict Ruins later. Remember to stay close to me,” Poor_Man said. The mobs over there were all Levels 100 to 110. Basically, a second was all it’d take to give XiaoYu a free ride back to Prole. Poor_Man didn’t want them to lose levels instead of gaining them. But as long as XiaoYu stuck close to him, he, plus another healer’s buffs, would definitely be enough to guarantee XiaoYu’s safety.

“Okay. Got it,” XiaoYu responded.

“Here are the ten or so Bibles the Treasure Squad found. Keep them safe. We might need you to use your skills later.” Poor_Man dragged the books straight into the Transfer tab. There were too many people coming and going on the street. Shoving a pile of thick books into another player’s arms was a sure way to attract attention. Even though with Chief’s blinding presence around them, they’d already attracted the eyes of many female players =_=.

“Okay.”

I_Am_A_Poor_Man received a message from DrunkBed. “Ah.  DrunkBed’s online. Once he sends over the item, we can head to the ruins,” he commented. He then proceeded to explain to XiaoYu what the item in question was.

A player could mail items to another player, but it’d take half an hour before the parcel arrived. Only letters could be immediately received. So, to avoid wasting time, DrunkBed had to personally meet up with them.

If one ignored the prices, travelling through Portals between each city was one of the fastest ways to travel. Within five minutes, DrunkBed’s body, along with its mysterious purple glow, appeared before their eyes.

“Thanks for coming all the way here, DrunkBed,” Poor_Man greeted.

“No, no. It’s no big deal,” the other replied.

Strangely enough, when this purple-clothed assassin replied to Poor_Man, he kept staring at XiaoYu’s face.

XiaoYu was wary at the gaze. This player didn’t look familiar. They shouldn’t know each other.

“You’re…Xiao-Bai?” DrunkBed asked.

XiaoYu stared at the assassin in shock. How did the other know of his nickname in high school?

“I’m Xiao-Hong…Ah, no. I’m Hong HaoRan. Remember me?”

“Ah. You’re in the Sports Committee.” The name Xiao-Hong sparked XiaoYu’s memory. Someone, no one remembered who, once mentioned there were a lot of surnames which sounded like the names of the colours in their class. Thus, the gossipy girls began to call them by coloured nicknames.

The student with the surname Huang was immediately known as Xiao-Huang or Yellow. Sometimes, it felt as if it was a dog’s name. Naturally, XiaoYu didn’t escape their demonic reach. Everyone called him Xiao-Bai for white. There were Xiao-Lan (Blue), Xiao-Cheng (Blue), Xiao-Lü (Green), and the most pitiful of them all – Hong HaoRan, the Sports Committee member. All because his name was the homonym for red, a 185cm tall boy was affectionately nicknamed Xiao-Hong or Little Red Riding Hood. He objected hard and long but gave up in the end.

“Hehe. It’s normal that you didn’t recognise me. I spent over an hour adjusting my appearance. You, on the other hand, didn’t change at all,” HaoRan commented.

“I didn’t adjust anything.” XiaoYu didn’t think he’d meet anyone he knew in the game. What a small world.

“Xiao-Bai?” HereticKing knew XiaoYu could be rather absent-minded at times, it’s not to the point where others would call him a noob or an idiot, right?

“Ah. That’s because his surname is Bai, as in white. That’s why we all call him that.”

“Pfft. It’s the direct opposite of Chief’s,” Poor_Man chuckled.

“?”

“Chief’s surname is Hei, as in black.”

“Eh? What a coincidence. Fortunately, Chief wasn’t in our class back then.” Otherwise, HereticKing would be called Xiao-Hei. The thought of it just made HaoRan feel like he’s going to burst out laughing.

“You were classmates?”

“Yes. Ever since first year of high school. Xiao-Bai, you weren’t there at the classmate gathering last time. Someone spread a rumour around about how you look down on us now that you got into University C. I don’t think you’re that type of person. Did you receive the invitation?” University C was one of the top universities in City S. Their rate of employment was near 100%. Thus, everyone wanted to get in.

Ah, so he unintentionally caused a misunderstanding. However, someone still believed in him. XiaoYu was touched. “I did…” he said. “But some issues with my family came up.” He was frustrated and frazzled over his parents’ funeral and the court case back then. XiaoYu had no time to think about some classmate gathering.

“I see. Right. I heard you got into University C. What are you studying?” HaoRan asked.

“…”

“Hm?” XiaoYu sudden silence made HaoRan curious.

“I…quit.”

“What? That’s such an awesome opportunity!” It wasn’t just HaoRan who was shocked. Even HereticKing and the others who’d just been standing to the side were shocked.

“…A lot happened in my family.” XiaoYu really didn’t want to continue on this topic.

“Ah. I’m sorry.” The sight of XiaoYu biting on his pale lips made HaoRan realise he shouldn’t be that nosy. He seemed to have stumbled upon a thorny topic for XiaoYu.

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll make sure to explain to the others on your behalf next time.”

“Thanks, but it doesn’t matter.” All he’d get in return would be a few brief comforting words. XiaoYu wasn’t close to anyone. He didn’t care much what they thought. “My inventory’s full. I’ll go clean it out,” he said.

Without waiting for a reply, XiaoYu left in the rudest exit he’d made in his entire life. The whole time, he was walking with his head drooped low. The mere thought of maybe seeing eyes filled with pity or sympathy gazing at him made his eyes stare resolutely down. He’d seen enough of the so-called sympathy when he was at the hospital and at the courthouse. He didn’t need a single shred of that at all.

Translator’s Notes:

1. If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?: Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley. As one might guess, this was the husband of Mary Shelley (Frankenstein). Percy was a good poet but a bad man. Here’s how his life went:

Expelled from Oxford for being atheist. Disowned because he was atheist. Eloped. Cheated on that wife with Mary (Shelley) who was the daughter of his friend. Eloped to Scotland with Mary. Returned with his new wife back to the house with his first wife and son because they ran out of money. Kept the one man, two wives household. Went on a holiday with Mary (leaving the first wife and two sons behind at home) where Frankenstein was created. First wife committed suicide just a year later. Officially married Mary. Lost custody of his sons by first wife. Travelled the world. Drowned trying to sail from one side of a bay to the other.

2. Night…too long…dreams…come and go: An idiom stating how the longer something is dragged out, the higher the chance of a harmful accident happening.

3. Colours and surnames: As explained in the text, the nicknames came about because the surnames were homonyms for the characters used for the different colours. However, some surnames used the exact same characters – like Bai and White.

4. Dog’s name: Xiao-Huang (Lil Yellow) was a common dog’s name as the average canine fur coat was a murky yellow-brown in Chinese cultures. In fact, names surrounding colours like Lil Black (Xiao-Hei) and Big Yellow (Da-Huang) are often used for pets. Hence why some Chinese gags like to go on about names and colours.

5. Xiao-Bai/Noob: Newbies are often called “Lil White”s as they were as blank as an empty page. This term was negative as it can imply the person in question is being called an idiot.

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GC: Chapter 54

54. Going Where I Should Be

Warning: Still some self-blaming, but only for a paragraph or two.

HanHan was standing in the middle of a shard-covered floor with bare feet. Those lively eyes were dull and grey. A large glass shard, clutched by a slender fist, was heading straight for his neck.

JingYuan was so shocked, he yelled, “HanHan! What are you doing?”

YiHan flinched. Startled, he paused. He looked over to the bed and saw JingYuan jump up and charged straight for him with a face full of fear. The only thing ringing through his mind was: JingYuan’s awake!

YiHan’s pupils were blown wide and filled with terror. Unwittingly, he took a step backwards. The floor was covered in glass shards. His foot stepped right into them. Frightened, JingYuan screeched to a halt right at the edge of the shard pile. He raised his hands to show he’s not going to harm HanHan. He didn’t know what was going on with hi little one. He only knew the other wasn’t in the right state of mind. He absolutely cannot agitate HanHan now.

“What is it, HanHan? Hand me what you’re holding, okay? It’s dangerous,” JingYuan softly said.

Like a string of pearls that had just had the knot holding them together cut off, YiHan’s tears streamed down. He clutched the shard harder in his hand. Blood dripped down his palm and to the floor

“JingYuan, I’m sorry…” he said with a raspy, trembling voice. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to. I thought I was in a dream. I didn’t know it was real. Don’t be angry at me, please? I won’t bother you. Don’t worry. I know. I shouldn’t exist. It’ll be better if I don’t exist. You’ll all have a perfect life. I’ll…I’ll be going where I should be. Don’t be angry…” As he said so, he hurried raised the shard once more. He didn’t dare delay it any longer. He swiftly slashed it at his throat!

JingYuan shattered into pieces. Then, he didn’t have time to think about it anymore. He flew right over. Bare feet crunching on shattered glass, leaving bloody footprints behind. In one quick dashed, JingYuan grabbed the hand with the shard.

YiHan didn’t hold back this time. Even if his arm was caught at the last minute, the momentum still caused a gash to appear on his neck. A bead of eye-catching red dripped down, sunk into his robe and flowed into JingYuan’s heart.

JingYuan’s heart nearly leapt out of his throat. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His breath came out in heavy pants. His whole body was quivering. His bloodshot eyes bored into YiHan as the knuckles on the hand clutching on YiHan’s arm went white. He ignored the sharp edges of the shard cutting into his fingers and forcefully pulled that terrifying glass shard out and away!

Clink! A blood-covered glass shard was thrown onto the ground. JingYuan wrapped his arms around YiHan, carried him away from that danger zone in spite of YiHan’s struggling.

He placed YiHan on the bed and used his body to act as restraints on top of the other. His arms clung hard to YiHan’s upper body while his legs twined with YiHan’s to make sure the other couldn’t move.

The state of YiHan dunked the heart, that had been pickled in honey before sleep, right into the icy snow. All JingYuan could feel was a freezing chill running down his spine.

He bound YiHan tight to the bed. His eyes burning red. Finally, a teardrop burned its way down his cheek. Bitterness clogged up his throat. “HanHan, why must you do this? Is it because of last night? But everything was fine last night. You didn’t refuse me and kept calling out my name. I thought…I thought my feelings were requited. If…If you didn’t want to, why didn’t you push me away? I love you. I wouldn’t have forced you to.”

YiHan froze. He stopped struggling and laid limp on the bed.

Translator’s Note:

Why didn’t you push me away: Another fine example of something no-no in real life, but okay in this context because this fictional setting is the perfect ideal world where all factors are known to us. It sounds rather victim-blaming as the person asking would usually not understand/know all social/physical pressures that come with saying no to someone who’s capable of being a threat at any moment.


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GC: Chapter 53

53. Petrified

Warning: Some self-victim/slut shaming + start of a suicide attempt going on in here. Skip this chapter if this is too much for you. Just another emotional monologue here.

YiHan’s breath came out in panicked bursts. He sort of remembered what happened. He was the one who kissed JingYuan. He was the one who pounced into JingYuan’s embrace while wearing nothing. It was he who tried to strip JingYuan. When JingYuan lost control and went all out for him, he was the one who actively curled his arms and thighs around JingYuan!

So currently, what’s going on now was after JingYuan announced his engagement with his sister, YiHan went bed-rolling with his own brother-in-law and he was the one who seduced the other!

Why did this happen? Why isn’t it a dream? Bai YiHan, you ruined your sister’s marriage with JingYuan last time. You finally had a chance to start over, yet the wrongs you did were worse than last time!

Why is it like this? Are you that much of a slut? Do you crave it that much? You actually did that! How will you face your sister? Your parents? What would you say to…JingYuan who might wake up the very next moment?

When JingYuan woke up and realised he had relations with his future brother-in-law, just how angry and disgusted would he be? How would he look at you?

Think back on his reaction when you confessed to him in your past life!

As expected, your existence is just a nightmare for your relatives. You are the one person who least deserved to exist in this world!

Aaaaah! Why won’t you disappear? You’re died once. Why must you come back? Why do you still want to destroy your sister’s relationship with JingYuan? A dirty and foolish moron like you should just go to hell! Take this disgusting body with you and just go to hell! Why are you still alive? Why won’t you die?

YiHan’s eyes went wide. His chest frantically rose and fell. Static overwhelmed his mind, as if there were dozens of people just screaming into his ears at once. His face went deathly pale. He was drenched in cold sweat. His wide eyes dulled. His lips quivered. He agreed with the voice in his mind: yes, my existence is a disaster upon my family. I shouldn’t be alive. I should die. If I wasn’t here, everything will be perfect…

He pushed away his blanket with trembling hands and sat up. The burning sensation from his lower body and waist made him broke out in another round of cold sweat. As if he couldn’t feel it at all, he stumbled into a standing position and shuffled over to his closet. He put on a long sleeping robe. He can’t keep standing around naked. It’s too revolting. Too disgusting to look at. He must cover it up.

He carefully tied the robe close and walked into the bathroom. JingYuan had cleaned up inside. There was not a single sign of what happened last night. YiHan swept his dull eyes across the bathroom counters but didn’t find what he wanted, so he walked out again. He drifted around the room like a lost soul before he found what he needed.

He walked straight for the table and grabbed an empty bottle from it. With a hard swing, he smashed it against the edge of the table. The exquisitely crafted bottle shattered with a loud crash. He picked up the largest shard and slashed it down at his pulsing arteries.

JingYuan had been on the ready for anything to happen last night and he’d had to do some “hard work”, then he had a few rounds with his own hand at dawn due to the insatiable urge he couldn’t push down, plus he had to discuss future plans with XueQing. By the time he arrived back in the bedroom, fatigue hit him hard. He held his beloved little one close and drifted off into a sweet dream. Perhaps it was because he was too comfortable, he slept deeply. Even the noises YiHan made as he woke up and shambled around the room didn’t wake JingYuan. Until he was startled by a sharp crash.

The first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to look at his little one. He was afraid YiHan would be frightened by the sudden noise. When he realised he was the only on the bed, he looked up and a shocking sight petrified him!


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GC: Chapter 52

52. If This Isn’t a Dream

Downstairs, Ma was fretting. “Where did that girl drag JingYuan off to? They won’t even come down for food!”

FuRen patted his wife on the hand and gently said, “Let’s not worry too much over the children. They’re adults now. They won’t starve. Your body’s frail and you’ve been staying up the whole night. We know now HanHan’s fine. You can relax. Hurry up and eat something. Then, head back up and take a nap.”

Ma was pushed by her husband towards the dining table. “You’ve got to eat some while they’re warm too,” she said. “You’re getting old. You’re not a young man anymore.”

FuRen was touched by his wife’s concern. His smile deepened. He sat next to his wife. The two grabbed something to eat. There was a cosy atmosphere in the air.

Yan: …

I’ve long grown used to the daily showcase of their love, Yan thought to himself. “I Am Invisible” is a game I’ve played since I was a child. No pressure.

By then, XueQing had descended for some food. She told her parents there’s no need to call JingYuan down for food. He’s gone to sit with HanHan. After breakfast, the Bai parents and Aunt Yang stated they needed to take a nap due to their old age. XueQing had to recover from the wound of a “broken heart”. Yan grudgingly trekked to the office with his panda eyes.

When YiHan woke up, it was nearly noon. He slowly opened his heavy eyelids. He felt even more exhausted than if he’d just not slept. His body ached as if he’d just gone on a long marathon run. His bones felt as if they were barely hanging together.

He let out a soft moan and raised his hands to support his pounding head. His mind felt heavy, as if he’d just gotten blackout drunk. What’s going on?

Oh, right. He saw Feng Qun last night. He panicked and his mind was jumbled up. JingYuan took him home. They chatted for a bit. In a fit of panic, he’d chugged down half a bottle of liquor.

Then…he got drunk. He fell asleep and had a most wondrous wet dream! And the person featured in his dream was JingYuan!

Oh, gods! How will he be able to look JingYuan, the man who’s going to be his brother-in-law soon, in the eye? How could he look at his beloved sister without feeling ashamed? Thank goodness it was just a dream!

He sighed. He tried to get up but failed. One, none of his muscles listened to his commands. Two…someone was embracing him from behind. His entire being was locked into the embrace.

YiHan froze. He hurriedly turned and looked behind it. Phew. It’s JingYuan. That scared him.

It seemed like JingYuan stayed with him the whole night. Then, he fell asleep from fatigue. Only…you can sleep but this is a huge bed. Why must you squish in right next to him? He could even twitch in this tight hug!

YiHan moved away JingYuan’s arm across his waist. Carefully, he attempted to sit up. But as soon as his body twitched, he felt his senses exploding!

He was still groggy from having just woken up at the last attempt and he didn’t really move. So, he didn’t notice it. However, when he tried to sit up again, he could feel a burning pain coming from a certain hidden spot in his lower body. It’s the kind of ache that couldn’t be scratched or ignored. His thigh muscles were painfully sore as well. It was the feeling of muscles strained from long periods of time being pulled open.

After all he’d experienced in his last life, of course he knew what those feelings meant!

The body hidden inside the blanket should be buck naked. In that twitch, he could feel the blanket’s fabric sliding against his bare skin.

YiHan panted heavily. He peeled away a corner of the blanket. The tiny patch of skin he saw was filled with reddish, purplish kiss marks.

These were proof of what he’d been through last night. This was the Bai family mansion. There was no chance an outsider could’ve come in. The only people in this room were him and JingYuan. Along with the rather realistic wet dream he just remembered having, it wasn’t hard to imagine just what happened last night.

If what happened last night wasn’t a dream…


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GC: Chapter 51

51. Switch Affections

JingYuan lifted his hands in a shrug and said, “See. You can’t imagine it. The like you have for me is not the same as the feelings I have for HanHan, the feelings Chen TianYang has for you.”

XueQing thought about it. That really seemed like it. It felt like she could suddenly see the light.

“XueQing,” JingYuan continued. “You’re not the kind of girl to be bound by emotions. If we really married each other, it’ll be a tragedy for the three of us.”

XueQing subconsciously nodded. At the thought of that, fear ran down her spine. But she wasn’t willing to lose verbally. “Alright. You talk about all that just so I’ll help you, right? I won’t say anything if you won’t. After all, my little brother’s involved in this. Since he likes you, as his sister, I’ve got to lend him a hand and allow the two of you can be together right and proper.”

“But your way’s no good. The effect on your reputation is too great,” JingYuan said.

XueQing rolled her eyes in an extremely unladylike fashion. “Great? No one other than our family knows we were going to be married. What? Could my parents and brother go out and tarnish my reputation? From the outside looking in, I’m just dating someone. What’s wrong about that?”

“The news hasn’t been spread?” JingYuan asked with a perked eyebrow.

“A lot has happened lately. We didn’t have time. Ma’s still looking at dates,” XueQing replied.

JingYuan let out a sigh of relief. “Then how will you switch your affections to? To who?” he asked.

XueQing glanced at him. “Didn’t you just mention Chen TianYang? He’ll do,” she lazily replied.

“He truly likes you. This will be unfair to him,” JingYuan said.

“You think I’ll toy with his feelings? I’ll sign an agreement with him. If he agrees, he’ll be my boyfriend for some time. If not, I’ll find someone else to act it out with me. Simple,” XueQing explained with a tired tone.

“He will definitely say yes. This is a chance for him,” JingYuan said after some thought.

“If he really is as foolishly in love as you say, what’s wrong with me giving him a chance? Even if it’s because of a hard situation,” XueQing said. Such an excellent man was actually that mesmerised with her. From another angle, it’s proof of her charms. It made her feel a sense of accomplishment.

“Okay. Since we’re stopping the conversation for now, I’ll head back to sit by HanHan so he won’t find me missing when he wakes up,” JingYuan said with a smile.

XueQing’s lips twisted to the side. My heart just got broken. You won’t even say a word of comfort!

She stared at the door JingYuan closed behind him as he left. Suddenly, a chuckle broke through. Her heart didn’t sink at the knowledge there was no chance for her and she just had to let go. Instead, it felt lighter than before. Perhaps JingYuan was right. She had it wrong the whole time. She didn’t love JingYuan. It was just her pride that led her gaze to linger unwittingly on the strong men who could stand right by her side. Just that which caused her to feel false emotions.

JingYuan returned to YiHan’s bedroom. The person in bed was still sound asleep. JingYuan had really tired him out last night. JingYuan’s lips twitched in happiness. He sat by the bed and gently landed a kiss on YiHan’s forehead. His heart was filled with warmth and fulfillment.

After a night, the love he’d felt had no future on yesterday had now turned on its head. JingYuan felt as if his life was complete.

JingYuan sat by the bed for some time. He paused. After some contemplation, he stood up and laid down on the bed. He pulled YiHan along with his blanket into his arms. He let out a satisfied sigh and lightly pecked the little one’s lips. He closed his eyes, a smile on his lips.

Translator’s Note:

Just realised there’s a chapter missing from Wednesday’s update due to a typo. Apologies and here you go!


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GC: Chapter 50

50. Can’t Tell Them

XueQing dropped her forehead into her palm. Exhausted, she sat down on the couch. If that truly was true, then there’s no way JingYuan would let go once more. Naturally, their engagement was busted. If those two truly liked each other, she wouldn’t fight with her beloved younger brother over a man. Anyway, she can’t win. Only…

“Were you going to talk to my parents and brother about this downstairs just now?” XueQing asked in a deep voice.

“Of course. HanHan and I are together now. We can’t sneak around. If I don’t have their forgiveness and permission, HanHan will be upset,” JingYuan replied.

“Has that icy-cool rational brain of your melted into goo?” XueQing said in an exasperated tone. She knocked her knuckles against her aching forehead. “We’d just said we were engaged. We were going to announce it to the world. Now, you say you’re dating HanHan. What do you want them to think of you? And you still want their forgiveness and permission? It’d be a light punishment if they just beat you out the front door. Don’t think about ever seeing HanHan then!”

JingYuan frowned. XueQing knew he was internally complaining about that rotten idea of hers. She raised a hand and said, “Okay. It’s my fault. But I didn’t know he likes you. I thought he was straight! And you said you wanted to protect him as a relative.”

True. No one could’ve imagined the little guy actually liked him. This wasn’t XueQing’s fault.

“No matter what, we can’t let HanHan suffer again,” JingYuan said. The pain the little guy had gone through all enough was more than enough to make his heart bleed.

“How about this?” XueQing suggested. “Don’t confess to my parents and Big Brother yet. Give it a few days. Then, I’ll say I’ve moved my attentions to someone else and we’ll cancel the engagement. You can tell them then. But you two are men. You can’t come straight out about it. You’ve got to take it slow. Be subtle. Don’t scare off my parents in the process.”

“No way. Once that’s done, your reputation would be ruined,” JingYuan said.

“I don’t even have a man. What’s the darned point of being reputable?” XueQing huffed.

JingYuan was shocked by her sudden crude tone. It took a long while for him to recover. Only then did he answer, “XueQing, don’t you realise? You don’t actually like me that much.”

“You not liking me is because of that darned bad eyesight. Based on what are you saying I don’t like you?” XueQing shot back.

“What’s your first reaction when you just found out I’m with HanHan now? Think back on it,” JingYuan said.

What?

XueQing casted her mind back to a few moments ago. Of course, she was angry. She was afraid this bastard took advantage of her younger brother while he was incapacitated! How could she not?

“See? Your first reaction was to get angry on HanHan’s behalf. If you really liked me, that wouldn’t be the case. Your first reaction would be to get jealous,” JingYuan said.

XueQing was stunned. That’s true. Even afterwards, she just thought about how to clean up this mess so the two can successfully get together! She never thought about getting jealous! Could she really be a selfless saint? What a joke!

“I’ve said before. The liking you have for me is just the vague friendly attraction towards a strong person of your match. It isn’t love. XueQing, you’ve never really had your heart stopped for anyone before. You don’t know how it feels to truly love somebody. Just like TianYang. He can force himself to not wash his hand for over ten days just because you held that hand. He’d give a goofy grin just because you smiled at him. Have you ever felt like that before?” JingYuan pressed on.

XueQing shivered. “Why are you pulling him into this conversation? And to not wash his hand for over ten days? Don’t you think that’s disgusting?”


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GC: Chapter 49

49. Engagement’s Cancelled

JingYuan didn’t understand what XueQing was referring to. “What?” he asked. He raised his hand to touch the spot she exposed. Teeth marks, slightly swollen. It must’ve neem from last night when YiHan was so excited that he bit him. At the thought of last night, his lips unwittingly stretched into a strange (sweet?) smile.

At the sight of JingYuan’s reaction, the bad feeling within XueQing grew stronger. She stared at JingYuan, waiting for his answer.

He snapped back into focus. “XueQing, I’m sorry. Our engagement is going to be cancelled,” he apologised.

XueQing’s heart sank. “Why?” she questioned.

“Because last night, HanHan and I were together,” he solemnly replied.

“Together…meaning what? You two…”

“As you’ve seen. We did it,” JingYuan honestly answered.

XueQing blinked. Her gaze bore right into JingYuan. “When he’s sober?” she pushed.

JingYuan paused and frowned. “He was drunk,” he hesitantly said.

All of a sudden, XueQing recalled Dr Chen telling them they could give YiHan some alcohol. Then, she remembered seeing Aunt Yang moving a few bottles up into his room. She had shaken her head in exasperation then. With her younger brother’s “drunk in one shot” alcohol tolerance levels, he didn’t need that much. It was clear Aunt Yang’s mind was befuddled from all that worrying.

Then, the current situation was: JingYuan got YiHan drunk, took advantage during then and…

The thought of that possibility made XueQing’s blood rush up to her head. She didn’t even pause to think. She raised her palm and gave JingYuan a loud slap.

“How dare you betray our trust in you? How dare you betray my brother’s dependence on you? I didn’t think you were a monster that’d take advantage of other people when they’re incapacitated! And you dare say you were together? Did my brother agree?” she interrogated through gritted teeth.

No wonder there were scratch marks and bite marks on JingYuan’s body. It must be from when her poor brother struggled and fought. And where was she then? She’s such a failure of a sister. She and all the people in this household sent the foolish little sheep straight into the wolf’s jaws!

XueQing clenched her teeth so hard that her gums were about to bleed. That slap was not held back at all. A handprint quickly emerged on JingYuan’s cheek.

“I love him and he likes me. Is it that wrong for us to be together?” he asked with another frown.

“He likes you?” XueQing let out a cold chuckle. “You really know how to dress yourself up in glitz and glamour. He’s drunk. What made you think he likes you?”

JingYuan let out another smile, as mysterious as Mona Lisa’s. A tinge of blush flushed through his handsome face. “He himself kissed me when he knew it was me. When we…ahem, did it, he kept calling out my name. What do you think that means?” he asked.

XueQing was stunned. How can this be? She clearly remembered her little brother’s girlfriend from a few months ago. “Are you sure it’s not a hallucination?” she said in a raised voice. Was JingYuan hallucinating out of mad desperation for YiHan?

“Of course not,” JingYuan unhappily replied. “My name was on his lips the entire time. I heard it loud and clear. It was consensual between us. It just happened because both parties wanted it. If he didn’t want to, I wouldn’t have forced him.”

XueQing’s blazing mind slowly calmed down. Yes. If JingYuan really was a monster in disguise, then he’s way too good of an actor to have hidden his personality for over ten years as if they were just a day. From how important JingYuan held her younger brother, it was certainly impossible for JingYuan to push himself on her little brother. Then…does that really mean HanHan likes JingYuan?

Translator’s Notes:

1. As mysterious as Mona Lisa’s: Mona Lisa is not directly referenced in the original text. The phrase used (迷之笑意) is a “copy-paste” of the phrase (迷之微笑) used in memes. Notably, it’s used when referencing Mona Lisa’s smile.

2. Consent: As rape is within this story, it’s best we address this incident between JY and YH here too. This is under the category called “dubious consent” (dub-con) on the internet. No one in published media really uses this phrase though.

According to Planned Parenthood (USA), sexual consent is:

  • Reversible at any moment
  • Specific as to which actions are being consented to
  • Informed on both ends on what’s going to happen
  • Freely given without any pressures/inhibitors like drugs or alcohol

However, that’s a very textbook way of defining things. Half of sexual encounters, inside or outside of committed relationships, occur when intoxication is involved. Instead, ReachOut.com (Australia) has a more realistic and simple checklist:

  • It must be explicit. Just a simple hum won’t do.
  • Minds can always be changed.
  • Consent is ongoing. Always check-in on each other or speak up about it.
  • There are yellow lights like “slow down”
  • Alcohol/Drugs affect consent. The moment the other party is too drunk/high to know what’s going on, they can’t (give an informed) consent.

The same definition is given by Healthline which has a more in-depth article.

Also, Arousal =/= consent.

Now that all definitions are pointed out, I’ll attempt to explain why this situation with JY and YH should be viewed as dub-con instead of flat-out rape/non-con.

According to PP’s definition, YH shouldn’t be able to give consent since he’s drunk. But ReachOut’s/Healthline’s definition states YH’s consent here is technically valid. YH was drunk, but (as JY states) he knew who it was, what was going on and he was saying yes. Yet something to keep in mind is the POV. We witnessed the entire encounter through JY’s POV. That means the narrative is slightly unreliable. Did YH really give consent the whole way through or did JY just interpreted YH’s body language whatever he pleased?

We never really hear a “yes” from YH throughout the chapters around it. The only time we had a clear-cut yes was when YH kissed JY. Consent to kissing is not consent to actual sex. Dub-con essentially means the reader doesn’t know whether the consent was ongoing, accurate, explicit and/or voluntary. The scene is presented as consensual but if it’s taken apart, it can be non-consensual. Examples in this range include the non-rapey “rape” scenes seen in smut, very drunk sexual encounters that are passionate and might’ve had some social/personal pressure involved, surprise sexual encounters like semi-somnophilia where the other person wakes up and passionately says yes halfway through, sexual encounters where consent is missing for the introduction of a “surprise” kink, etc.

With all that being said, dub-con scenes are generally viewed as rape in real life, especially during convictions/trials. Dub-con also rarely applies to real life because real life involves two human beings thinking in the moment. If such a situation ever happens, speak up. Communicate. Failure to do so will firmly put it in the non-consensual section. Dub-con is only morally acceptable as romance novel fodder.

3. I wouldn’t have forced him: Rephrased for tonal issues from literal translation. This was changed from “How could I have forced him?” The implied meaning of the original sentence is more of “It’s not in me to force YH to have sex if he didn’t want to” than a smug rapist’s excuse that can be read as “males can’t be raped if they’re aroused”. As this is fluff, the author didn’t really mean anything by it, it’s just social norm and nothing would be discussed about this later, the “social norm” sentences have been changed to be less controversial and more accurate to the tone attempted.


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GC: Chapter 48

48. What’s This?

Yan patted XueQing’s hand. “No rush. He can’t run,” he said.

Just then, sounds of movement from the staircase attracted the family’s attention. JingYuan had left YiHan’s bedroom and arrived downstairs. The crowd looked over. Okay. Another pair of panda eyes.

As a regular member of the Bai household, JingYuan had clothes he could wash and change into at the mansion. By the time he walked down, he had already washed himself up and changed into a new shirt.

“How’s HanHan?” Ma hurriedly asked.

“He’s fine. Sleeping,” JingYuan replied.

The group let out a sigh of relief. Ma’s heart felt rather apologetic at the bedraggled (unsatisfied) look on his face. Look at this child. He even changed his clothes. One could tell right away that her youngest son was terrible to deal with. A closer look made the apologetic emotions swirling in her welled up even further. Her heart froze. She could see several bleeding gashes on JingYuan’s neck just above his shirt’s collar!

“JingYuan, what’s with your neck?” Ma asked in a panic. “Did HanHan do it? That child! Have you treated to them yet?”

Ma’s abrupt questioning made everyone look at JingYuan’s neck. The person in question raised his hand to touch at the wounds on his neck.

“It’s fine,” he replied with a smile. “It’s just a tiny wound. No need for any salves.”

XueQing had turned to look at JingYuan’s neck too. From her angle, she could look down JingYuan’s slightly agape shirt collar into his very sexy collarbone. But that’s not the point. The point is the fresh teeth marks on that collarbone!

Static sounded out in her brain and she hopped out of her seat.

Everyone was startled by her sudden action.

“Why were you so jumpy, XueQing? You scared me,” Ma said, bemused.

XueQing’s mind had been flying at the speed of light in those few seconds. She looked at her family. Everyone looked normal. They must not have discovered them yet. She was about to say something when she saw JingYuan threw an apologetic glance at her.

In that unique deep voice of his, he said, “Uncle, Aunt, XueQing, I’ve something to tell you.”

With those teeth marks as evidence, XueQing knew what he was going to say just off women’s intuition. She didn’t think it through. She immediately dashed over and took a hold of JingYuan’s arm.

“Come with me, JingYuan,” she said. “I have something to tell you.” As she said so, she tugged him away from the couches.

“This brat just doesn’t know restraint,” Ma scolded with a smile.

“What year is it? No girl would display that genteel restraint these days,” FuRen languidly commented.

Ma considered FuRen’s words. “True. Strike the moment you see the one you like. Only then will you get what you want,” she said.

FuRen: “…” That’s not what he meant. But his dear wife seemed to have done the very same thing back then to him. Ah, they’re old now. What should he do? It’s suddenly so embarrassing.

Yan: I don’t exist.

***

XueQing dragged JingYuan all the way into her room. She shut the door with a loud bang. JingYuan was currently feeling guilty and so just followed along.

She stood at the door. Her head dropped into her palm and she left it resting there for a long moment. Only then did she close in on JingYuan, peeled away his shirt collar with two slender and smooth fingers.

“Tell me. What’s this?” she shot.


◄Previous • Index• Next►

GC: Chapter 47

47. Nothing Can Be Heard Even If Anything Happens

With his little guy in his arms, JingYuan laid there on the bed in a stiff, frozen mess. His forehead was drenched in sweat. Not an ounce of sleep was in in him at. Happily and painfully, his eyes stayed open until dawn came.

Except for Bai YiHan who was dead asleep, it was a sleepless night for everyone in the Bai family mansion.

Bright and early, four pairs of panda eyes joined forces. The Bai parents, Yan and XueQing each sat on the living room couches with their own dark circles.

Aunt Yang who didn’t sleep the whole night drifted over and handed each of them a cup of hot milk. Great. Another pair of panda eyes had appeared.

“Aunt Yang, you look very pale. Did you not sleep?” asked Ma.

“With the Little Master in such a state, how could I sleep? I kept my ears out for any signs of movement. At least, I’d be able to help if anything happened,” Aunt Yang replied with a small yawn.

It was understandable if it were just the Bai family. After all, they are his relatives and he was always the apple of their eyes. It’s normal for them to not sleep out of worry, but Aunt Yang was just their servant. Essentially, it’s just a monetary relationship. The fact that she was so worried over YiHan that she couldn’t sleep was proof of how much she really loved him. The Bai family was very touched.

“YiHan’s room has the best sound-proofing available. Even if something happened, you wouldn’t be able to hear it,” XueQing said with a laugh.

“Ah, I’m just a mess from worry. Anyway, if anything happened to the Little Master, Mr Mu will surely call for someone,” Aunt Yang said.

“That’s right. Nothing was heard the whole night. YiHan should’ve been coaxed to sleep by JingYuan then,” Yan said with a nod.

“JingYuan cares so much for HanHan, and he’s the best at dealing with HanHan. With him around, HanHan should be fine,” FuRen agreed.

Ma and Yan nodded in agreement too. It was clear they trusted JingYuan very much.

Meanwhile, XueQing was bitterly laughing on the inside. If you knew what JingYuan really felt for Lil Bro, you wouldn’t trust him that much. But based on how much JingYuan treasured HanHan, he wouldn’t take advantage of the other while they’re not fully there. She wasn’t worried either. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have left.

No matter how smart Miss Bai was, she never would’ve imagined what happened. JingYuan wouldn’t take advantage of YiHan, but he can’t control himself if YiHan kept trying to seduce him. She overestimated a man’s ability to resist the one he loved.

In the time she spent spacing out, the family’s topic had already changed. When she snapped back, she heard FuRen musing, “Just what happened with that Feng Qun? Does he have a grudge against HanHan? Was HanHan’s unusual behaviour related to him?”

“I’ve looked into this Feng Qun before. He’s the eldest son of the Feng family. Usually seen following behind YiHan like a pet dog. He just wants to suck up to Yihan and rake in some benefits from the great Bai family. I thought he was harmless, so I ignored him. I didn’t think he’d dare hurt YiHan!” Yan angrily replied.

“The Feng family. Is it the one in construction?” FuRen said.

“Yes. Just a normal family. Nothing special. I thought they’d never have the guts to do anything. But…” Yan drifted off.

“You’re not wrong. They certainly don’t have the courage. Offending the Bai family would only hurt them. This matter shouldn’t be the Feng family’s intention,” FuRen said.

“If it’s not the family’s intention, that means it’s Feng Qun himself? Does he think HanHan was humiliating him because he’s acting like a docile dog? Did anyone force him to do it? No, he’s the one who actively rushed over to HanHan!” XueQing said.

“Such a person is definitely mentally ill! Who knew what extreme actions he’ll take? We should take care of him while it’s still early,” Ma spat through gritted teeth.

“Ma’s right,” said Yan. “Leaving him be will just make him a hidden threat. We should resolve this as soon as possible.”

XueQing thumped the couch’s armrest. “I was too busy being concerned over Lil Bro that I couldn’t teach that bastard a lesson. God knows where he’s run off to now.”


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LC: Chapter 53

53. There are Prerequisites for Gatherings…

With this meeting at the Pyramids, quite a few players in the Wolf Clan now know who XiaoYu was. With Chrysanthemum introducing XiaoYu to the all-day Mummy Extermination Squad from the Healers Alliance, XiaoYu had a safe network to rely on in Kemet region now.

After two whole days of freedom and relaxation, it was time for the Heretic Demon heads to gather around and strategize their next battle. However, the atmosphere wasn’t as serious as those big investors’ meetings. Everyone could freely discuss about the topic.

Sakura-3 and Prole-3 were now in the Heretic Demons’ control. From the lay of the land, it was much more beneficial to develop on in Prole-3. Rather than expanding the frontlines, why not just aim for Prole-5? However, that didn’t mean all grudges were forgiven after giving up Sakura-3. The enmity between them and I Die For Riches were rock solid. From now on, it’d be normal to find a fight breakout whenever their guild members bump into each other.

What was completely unexpected was how the other two number 3 fortresses weren’t conquered in the last event at all. While they didn’t know if it’s because the Wings and the Wolf Clan didn’t empty their nests out like the Heretic Demons did or because there were too many troublemakers, the battles in these two areas would be much fiercer just for that extraordinary reward.

Although the Heretic Demons must not let down their guard, there was much less pressure on them now. Thus, these elites started to get restless.

“Hey, Chief. Gathering.” Who knew when the conversation moved from the Guild Wars to this?

“That’s right. I want to take a selfie with Chief as a souvenir.”

“I want to make Chief drunk.”

“I just want an autograph.”

“I want a great big hug.”

“Hehe. It’s a revolt,” I_Am_A_Poor_Man laughed. It’s so fun to watch the fire burn.

“…” All eyes were gleaming brightly at HereticKing. The man, on the other hand, sat elegantly at the head of the table as usual. After long moments did he open his powerful mouth, “Sure.”

“Yay!”

“But…” All cheering screeched to a halt. Everyone looked at their leader nervously, afraid their chief would change his mind again.

“Take down the next Prole fortress first,” said HereticKing as he leisurely raised a finger. The prerequisite was set.

…

“Hmph. For the meetup, all those brats have better cling on tight. Overtime team training starting now.”

“I will force them to train every single day.”

“Looks like the Treasure Squad has more overtime work. Time to get a few more sets of gear.”

Since they had HereticKing’s approval, everyone began chattering about which of Prole-1, -2 or -5 were easier to conquer. Looking at the sight of everyone who began turning the conversation back to the battlefield because of the unusual soaring of emotions, I_Am_A_Poor_Man couldn’t stop himself from shaking his head. “What sophisticated measures,” he thought.

“Will LuckyCat come?” Below_The_Moon whispered to I_Am_A_Poor_Man. He’d seen Chief in real life before, so he’s not that passionate about the meetup. However, he was quite interested in that pure child.

“Probably not,” I_Am_A_Poor_Man said. If this meetup was successful, XiaoYu not being able to attend would be the greatest regret of their lives.

“Why? Does he live very far?”

“No. He can’t leave the house. As for why, don’t look at me. I don’t know,” Poor_Man responded.

“Really…” Below_The_Moon’s voice drifted off.

“It can’t be that darned detective urge of yours is acting up again, right?”

“No. I do have some basic professionalism.” While he was curious, Below_The_Moon knew the results won’t be positive or happy. Why not just maintain the current situation? If he’s meant to know, he will one day.

“Poor_Man, I recently found an interesting little item. You interested?” asked Sealed_Sword, one of the Treasure Squad leaders in Heretic Demons. He’s not really interested in the different strategies for all those fortresses. The random items that would drop whenever a monster dies made his heart pound more.

“Tell me about it.”

“XP Penalty Waiver. For 5 hours, the party can split all experience evenly regardless of the level penalties. The level difference within the party must be 10 or lower. Healers are harder to train, so I was wondering if your people need it.”

“You are such a bro. I most certainly need it. But where did you get something so great from?” This item’s appearance meant it would be easier to train up newbies. It meant players over Level 100 can carry other players.

“The game mentioned a secret boss update once, right? Ever since then, my team has been searching for the so-called hidden boss. In the end, we found a Level 105 Thousand-Year-Old Tree Spirit in one of the mountain ranges near Sakura. You would never have believed it. It actually spawned in the Level 50 Tree Spirit zone.” Sealed_Sword was so excited about it that he told Poor_Man every single detail about the search for the boss. They only thought of heading deep into a few of those mountains to test their luck. They didn’t think they’d bump into an ancient tree spirit, lazily sunbathing, in the Tree Spirit zone where no boss monster had ever spawned.

“Hehe…” I_Am_A_Poor_Man could only let out a dry chuckle at the story. Even the Level 40 Peco Peco zone had Level 90 and above elite monsters. What’s impossible?

“After we got familiar with its respawn rules, we camped it for days. We killed about 20 of them, then one dropped this charm. We didn’t know how to split it, so I thought to ask if you guys need it first. After all, we’re not like the Wolf Clan. We don’t have so many high-level healers.”

“Thank you, brother. If there’s anything you ever need, just say the word,” I_Am_A_Poor_Man promised.

“Hehe. There’s no need. It’s all for the guild. But that thing’s not with me right now. My Storage is full, so DrunkBed from my team has it. He’s preparing for his exams right now. I’ll get him to send it to you once he gets on.”

“Okay.” I_Am_A_Poor_Man started pondering on which high level zone would be best to train with XiaoYu. This item was so much rarer than the Bibles. They must squeeze everything that they can out of it.

“The Derelict Ruins of Natalis. The spirit mobs there are Undead.” Below_The_Moon had heard their whole conversation. He could guess that I_Am_A_Poor_Man was thinking of using the charm to help XiaoYu grind. After thinking back on all possible training grounds, Natalis was the most suitable. There were plenty of Undead monsters. Even if they encountered other players, they’ll think it’s just a healer carrying another to grind on Undead mobs. Nothing special or curious about it.

“Mn. That place is quite good. Huh? How do you know what I’m thinking?”

“With your heart on your sleeves, I could tell what you were thinking with just my toes.”

“Come. Tell me. Which toe thought of that? I’ll cut it off and pickle it in wine.”

“I won’t. What can you do to me?”

“Then, I’ll cut them all.”

Sealed_Sword let out a helpless smile at the two’s childish bantering. With a nod to HereticKing, he back with crowd discussing Prole’s fortresses. He’d rather listen to something more meaningful than some nonsensical argument. Chief had it so hard. Every time, he had to calmly sit there and listen to their squabbles.

Translator’s Notes:

  1. Derelict Ruins of Natalis: Most likely Glast Heim in the original game.

Next week, back to the Good Child!

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