Chapter 70: Who Was He?

    Jin Jiuchi had thought that the jade doll he had spent time with in the Cycle ought to be the most beautiful person he had ever seen. But it was because he had not seen this version of Shen Nianzu yet.

    Once again, Jin Jiuchi found his breath being seized away by the sight of the man’s ethereal visage. He was akin to a magnificent flower in full bloom, sparkling with life and splendor as he cast illuminance to the space around him. Jin Jiuchi really could not figure out how Nian’er could become even brighter than he already did, and he almost could not look straight at him for how dazzling he was.

    "You—!" Shen Nianzu choked out, blood rushing to his cheeks in an instant. It certainly was not the first time he had received compliments for his look. One could even say that the number of times he had heard it exceeded the grain of rice he had eaten. However, there was just something about the way Jin Jiuchi said it – perhaps it was the intensity in his silver eyes, or the way he could not seem to tear his gaze off, or it could also be because his face was totally Shen Nianzu’s type...

    It made Shen Nianzu feel like he was hearing it for the first time all over again.

    Alas, Jin Jiuchi was not the only one mesmerized by the other. As much as it pained Shen Nianzu to admit it, Jin Jiuchi looked way more attractive in reality. He was aware of how the Cycle would alter the players’ appearance to some extent, but it truly had not done Jin Jiuchi any justice. It was like the man he had met previously was a counterfeit, whereas the one standing in front of him right now was the original.

    ’What to do?’ Shen Nianzu was secretly flustered despite his poker face. ’How can this silly husky be so damn gorgeous?!’

    In a bid to mask his thundering heartbeats, he continued to push Jin Jiuchi’s face away from him, "Get off! You stink of ramen!"

    "Am I?" As soon as Jin Jiuchi let go, Shen Nianzu immediately retreated a few steps backward to take in huge gulps of air. Utterly oblivious of his own charm, Jin Jiuchi raised his arm to sniff himself, then he flashed a cheeky grin at the jade doll. "Ain’t I smell good? It will make you hungry!"

    ’Smell good, your ass!’ Shen Nianzu cursed inwardly. Just looking at the spicy ramen through the television was enough to make his eyes hurt, he could not imagine how Jin Jiuchi managed to stomach ten bowls of it. Ah, that’s right, this was also the same man who had eaten the disgusting meat sauce with uncooked flesh and strands of hair inside, and still claimed that it was delicious...

    By now, Shen Nianzu had lost all hope in Jin Jiuchi’s taste buds.

    Exactly how did this silly husky manage to grow up so handsomely until now if he always put garbage into his mouth? Shen Nianzu truly could not figure it out.

    Speaking of meat sauce, Shen Nianzu finally recalled his purpose for coming here instead of being enthralled by Jin Jiuchi’s true appearance. He crossed his arms and scrutinized Jin Jiuchi from head to toe, focusing on his toned forearms partially covered in sleeves.

    "Let’s go inside first," he jutted his chin toward Jin Jiuchi’s small and humble abode. "There are some things I want to ask you."

    "Oh oh, I also have so many things I want to ask!" Jin Jiuchi walked toward the door, pushed it open and flicked on the switch, beckoning for the jade doll to enter with a huge smile on his face. "Come on in, Nian’er."

    "You..." Shen Nianzu was at an utter loss of words. "You didn’t lock your door when you went out?"

    Jin Jiuchi tilted his head in confusion, "Should I?"

    Shen Nianzu choked on his breath. How was he supposed to answer this question?

    However, he immediately knew why Jin Jiuchi had responded like that as soon as he stepped through the door and saw the barren state of the room. For the first time in his life, Shen Nianzu experienced culture shock seeing so few living essentials in the house. "Did you just move here or...?" That was the only explanation he could think of, otherwise how could someone live in a tiny room that only had a futon on the floor?!

    Jin Jiuchi looked at him as if he had just encountered a once-in-a-century prodigy, giving him a strong urge to roll his eyes. "Wow, how did you know, Nian’er? It’s been less than a week since I moved in!"

    "Less than a week..." he murmured with a frown on his forehead. Even though it was less than a week, shouldn’t there be more personal items scattered around the house? But at the rate Shen Nianzu saw it, save from the crumpled blanket and the clean floor, the room looked like it had been unoccupied for a long time. All the mysteries around Jin Jiuchi were tickling his curious heart, but right now, he had more pressing matters to focus at hand.

    "Show me your arm," he told Jin Jiuchi.

    "Huh?"

    "Your arm." Seeing that Jin Jiuchi still did not get what he was saying, Shen Nianzu clicked his tongue and stepped forward to grab Jin Jiuchi’s elbow and roll up his sleeves for him. What welcomed his sight was a perfectly muscular arm with smooth bronze skin and thin greenish veins under the skin. It reminded him of the way these arms had wrapped around him just now...

    Shen Nianzu shook his head and reminded himself to focus. Now was not the time to drool over this beautiful specimen!

    He patted Jin Jiuchi’s arm and was surprised to find nothing there. "Does it hurt when you have just woken up? With the degree of injuries you have suffered in the Cycle, I thought that you would be lying in the ICU by now..." he raised his head and trailed off when he saw that Jin Jiuchi’s face was right in front of him. S–Since when did they get so close?

    Clearing his throat, Nian hurriedly let go and took a step back, "Usually, injuries in the Cycle will not be brought into the real world, but instead they will manifest on our body in a different way. For example, if I got minor cuts, then I would most probably get mild fever when I returned. If the injuries are deep, there would be blackouts, severe dehydration or other serious complications. In your condition, I had assumed that you would get one organ failure or two, but it seemed like I was wrong."

    "Hehe," Jin Jiuchi rubbed his nose proudly. "Not to boast, Nian’er, but I very seldom get sick. It indeed felt a little sore when I woke up, but nothing that couldn’t be solved with a little stretching! Wait a minute... are you saying that I don’t have to worry that I will get my limbs cut off in the future? That’s so convenient!"

    Shen Nianzu shot him a dark glare. What the hell was this man saying? He wanted to get his limbs severed again next time? Did he have a death wish or something?!

    He pressed on his aching temple and pretended that he had never heard it, or else his blood pressure was going to spike again. "So you are fine except for a little soreness. How could this be..." All of a sudden, he recalled the animalistic features he had seen on Jin Jiuchi seconds before he was flicked away by the Nightmare, and a seed of doubt began to sprout in his mind.

    Who was this person, exactly?

    Jin Jiuchi scratched his head awkwardly. "Is it so weird? I didn’t really remember what happened after that creature chopped my arm off. In the end, who won, Nian’er? Me or him?"

    Shen Nianzu had no idea how to tell Jin Jiuchi that the shadow was bitten so fiercely that he could not stop screaming for mercy. This was the first time he had ever seen something like this, and somehow he had a hunch that his three views would be refreshed again and again if he kept Jin Jiuchi by his side.

    "What do you think?" Shen Nianzu deadpanned. "We have escaped the Cycle successfully, so of course it’s you who won, idiot."

    Jin Jiuchi became even prouder, and he even puffed up his chest. "Hmph, I knew that I would win!"

    "Forget it," Shen Nianzu sighed and shook his head. He could slowly clear his doubt about Jin Jiuchi later. "Have you checked your skill card?" He extended his hand toward Jin Jiuchi, palm up. "Give me your phone, I will help you look for it."

    "Phone?" Jin Jiuchi blinked and mouthed the word as if it was a foreign language. "You mean that little rectangular item people carry around in their pocket all day long? I don’t have one..."

    Shen Nianzu had heard about it from his assistant during the background check, but he had assumed that Jin Jiuchi would have an unregistered phone at the very least. But in fact, he truly did not own a phone at all? How was one supposed to live without it nowadays??

    This time, Shen Nianzu looked at Jin Jiuchi as if he was a rare, exotic animal, causing Jin Jiuchi to grow sullen. "Why are you looking at me like that, Nian’er?"

    Shen Nianzu withdrew his gaze, sighed and walked toward the door, "Let’s go."

    "Where?"

    "To buy you a phone, duh," he rolled his eyes and said with a matter-of-fact tone. "You can only access the Nightmare App through it. Don’t you want to know what kind of skill card you received from the Nightmare?"