VRMMORPG: The Other World Online

Cheng Xiu sighed as she stared out the window.

It had been an entire day since she had woken up in the hospital and she suffocated at the four blank walls already.

Even though Cheng Xiu seemed somewhat alright to them, the doctor had insisted that Cheng Xiu avoid playing games for some time and avoid reading or writing or any other activity that would strain her mind actively.

Cheng Xiu wanted to scream in frustration as she saw the same orange sky she did five minutes ago.

There was a knock on the door, and San Zhe came in with a smile.

Cheng Xiu sat up in excitement, a grin on her face.

San Zhe smiled at her and handed her a cup of noodles. "Here you go, Ms Cheng. Your Medium Extra Large Chicken Noodles."

Cheng Xiu opened it and looked at the springy noodles with drool on her lips. She gulped and smiled at San Zhe.

"Let's eat together."

San Zhe laughed. "I am afraid for my fingers with the way that you are looking at the food. I am fine. I ate at home."

Cheng Xiu froze and looked at him in surprise. "You live near here?"

San Zhe shook his head. "No. I live with my mother's big sister on weekends and holidays. My parents are back at M City."

Cheng Xiu looked at him in confusion. "M City? Don't they have better education facilities than here?"

San Zhe nodded. "Yes, but there is also the affordability of it. St Andre is affordable for my parents…I do live on campus like you though."

"I guessed that," Cheng Xiu said with a chuckle. "I would have been home by now otherwise…did you inform my dad?"

San Zhe's eyes widened. "Oh! I didn't! I am so sorry, Sister Xiu! I was not thinking properly!"

Cheng Xiu patted him on the shoulder. "It is okay. Don't inform him. He worries about me as it is, there is no need to give him even more reason to worry…and he might take away my gaming Helmet if he knew what happened."

San Zhe sweatdropped. "That is your primary concern?"

"It is my secondary concern. Now! Let's eat!"

The two began to eat when San Zhe started to get messages, and he had to reply on occasion.

Cheng Xiu took bites of her food as she observed the man in front of her.

She looked at her near-empty bowl of ramen and at the barely touched cup of ramen that was in front of San Zhe.

Cheng Xiu put her chopstick down and patted him on the forearm.

San Zhe blinked away from his phone and looked at her.

Cheng Xiu smiled. "You should eat your food before it goes completely cold."

San Zhe nodded.

His phone buzzed again.

Cheng Xiu looked towards the screen in suspicion as San Zhe hurried to answer.

"Is it your girlfriend?" She asked him.

The chopstick that was going towards his mouth paused as San Zhe looked at her. "What?"

Cheng Xiu leaned back towards the pillow and gave him a teasing smile. "The messages. Your girlfriend?"

San Zhe laughed and shook his head. "It's a guy."

Cheng Xiu nodded. "Is it your boyfriend?"

San zhe choked on his food and stared at her with wide eyes.

Cheng Xiu gave him a Cheshire cat smile, her eyes sparkling. "Is he cute?"

San Zhe started to cough. "Sister-Sister-Xiu…you…have…it wrong."

Cheng Xiu raised a sceptical eye. "Oh? So his is not cute?"

"I don't have a boyfriend! It is Immortal Yaksha!"

Cheng Xiu frowned. "Yaksha?"

Cheng Xiu remembered the man who held her in his arms and who helped her log out.

Cheng Xiu's eyes widened. "You are right, Brother San. That is not cute, that is sexy. I agree."

San Zhe gave her a nervous laugh. "He made me add him as my friend so that he could make sure that you are okay."

Cheng Xiu blinked. "Why would he care?"

"Because he helped you?"

Cheng Xiu thought of the bracelet she wore in the game and the message that Yaksha sent to her to save her Qi Root from dying.

Cheng Xiu looked at San Zhe's phone. "Do you have his number?"

San Zhe shook his head. "No, but the phone is linked to the web browser that the Other World interface provides. You can talk to him through it."

He turned the phone on and sent a message.

The reply was immediate.

He read the message and looked at Cheng Xiu cautiously.

"What?" she asked.

San Zhe handed her his phone. "He said he would voice call you as video call is a bit inconvenient for him at the moment."

Cheng Xiu looked at the phone and then at San Zhe. "Is this alright?"

San Zhe gave her a reassuring smile. "It's fine. He seemed really worried anyway. Maybe talking to you will calm him down."

Cheng Xiu gave him a teasing smile. "That sounds a bit like parenting stuff. I don't mind! It would be very interesting to live with two dads!"

San Zhe looked at her with a judging expression. "The Deep Dive damage was greater than what I had thought it was it seems."

Cheng Xiu blushed. This was why she avoided people. Every time she talked, people found out that she was a weirdo.

Cheng Xiu looked at his contacts and found the name Yaksha easily. Too easily even.

"You don't have much in your contact," Cheng Xiu commented as she pressed the call.

San Zhe nodded. "I never needed to. I had very few friends since I was young. I just have the numbers of my families and my dorm mates, and some of my teachers who I call to clear doubts."

Cheng Xiu smiled at him. "I was not judging you. Mine has fewer contacts than yours does."

The call went through.

Cheng Xiu put the phone near her ears.

"Hello?" Cheng Xiu called.

"Hello," a deep voice said from the other end.