VRMMORPG: The Other World Online

In a dormitory room, Cheng Xiu slowly got up from her lying down position.

Her back muscle pulled in protest.

Cheng Xiu let out a sigh and got up. Her waist actually ached like it would when you would stay in the same position for too long. She cringed and then looked around.

Her eyes observed the disturbances that she observed in the room. An extra person was sitting at the foot of her bed now.

Cheng Xiu blinked owlishly at the pink-haired thing.

Gu Shu fidgeted in her seat, not looking at the girl in front of her in the face, shame written on her face.

Cheng Xiu felt her lips twitch. That is right, feel ashamed of your actions now.

"A'Xiu-"

"Who are you?"

Gu Shu's eyes filled with tears. "I-I was wrong to have said those things to you!"

Cheng Xiu's eyebrows twitched. "Oh. Is that all?"

Gu Shu took a deep breath. "I…I should have visited you. But I swear, I was keeping tabs on your situation! I even talked to many of the nurses in your ward through the butler."

Through the butler…

"You needed to enquire about your best friend's health through the butler," Cheng Xiu tried to get Gu Shu to see where she was wrong. But it was not to be. Gu Shu did not take the hint.

"That's right!" Gu Shu said with a beaming smile.

Cheng Xiu felt a headache come on and she suspected that it had nothing to do with the Deep Dive incident or her little adventure in the game at the moment.

Cheng Xiu sighed. "Alright. I do have a question though."

"Yeah?" Gu Shu asked leaning forward, she was so happy that Cheng Xiu had forgiven her.

"Why are you torturing my mother's lunchbox with your horrible cooking?"

Gu Shu stared at the black-haired girl, not able to comprehend her words for a second. Her eyes became wide like saucers as she realised what Cheng Xiu had said. She was not expecting these to be the words that Cheng Xiu would say next. Where was the "I forgive you" from her dreams?

She glared. "My cooking is not that bad! And I didn't cook it anyway. I made Aunty Li make Dimsums for you!"

Cheng Xiu raised an eyebrow. "Trying to curry favour through my stomach…do you think I am a man?"

Gu Shu sweatdropped. "Don't you like Aunty Li's Dimsums?"

Cheng Xiu scoffed. "I like. What does that have to do with you?"

"A'Xiu! I am sorry! You have to forgive me!"

"That is not how saying sorry works!"

"If you don't…I will cry!"

"What more can you do?"

Gu Shu glared at her. Even though she enjoyed Cheng Xiu's poisonous tongue when it was aimed at others she did not like it when it was turned towards her.

"Is that all you can say about the fact that your best friend has come to visit you with food? And how did you see the lunchbox? I placed a small trace of Illusion talisman on it. Those who are Qiless should not be able to see them!"

Cheng Xiu's heart twinged for a moment. She tried to look past the sudden reminder that she was 'useless' in this world. Gu Shu always did the same thing. Doing things that would hurt her. She might not have meant it, but it still hurt to see that there would always be things in Gu Shu's life she can keep her away from.

Cheng Xiu subconsciously dodged thinking about why she was able to see something the Qiless usually can't.

"A'Xiu? You haven't-"

"Were you staring at me while I was in the game?"

Gu Shu blinked at her. "Huh?"

"Were you staring at me while I played the VR game?"

"Yeah…why?"

Cheng Xiu gave her a judging look. "You're creepy."

"I was just observing!" Gu Shu defended herself.

"Never seen as beautiful a person like me before?"

"Your ego is showing," Gu shu muttered.

"So is your pettiness. Do you see me call you out on your faults?"

"Yes. All the time!"

"I only do it out of the kindness of my heart."

"Sure. If that is what you want to call your OCD be my guest."

"I would rather not," Cheng Xiu said. "You are a horrible host."

"Yeah," Gu Shu said as she remembered her meeting with President Xiu, "I probably am."

Cheng Xiu nodded. "There is no need to use probably. You are."

Gu Shu gave her the stink eyes. "Why are you being so mean to me?"

Cheng Xiu raised an eyebrow. "You really don't know?"

"I was a bit petty, wasn't I?" Gu Shu asked.

"A bit?" Cheng Xiu asked in disbelief. "If that was just a bit for you, then I fear what you call complete pettiness."

"You actually agreed?" Gu Shu asked her with a hurt expression. "Best friends are supposed to say good things about each other!"

Cheng Xiu rolled her eyes. "We have had this talk before. I won't disagree if your statements are correct."

Gu Shu pouted. "When did we agree to something like that?"

"When you said that I am a Qiless who would have to work a hundred times harder just to get to your level of respect," Cheng Xiu said.

Gu Shu started to cry. "I didn't mean that! We were fifteen! I was drunk!"

"Some say that alcohol loosens people up so that their secret thoughts are revealed."

"All lies and slander."

Cheng Xiu smiled. "A'Shu..."

Gu Shu looked at her through tearful eyes. "Yeah?"

"I know the truth just as much as you," Cheng Xiu said. "Why else do you think I am working so hard?... Or used to. I haven't studied much since I started to play TOW."

"What the hell is a tow?" Gu Shu asked, and then her eyes widened in enlightenment. "Right! The game! I told you I would find you a game for you to fall in love with as much as you did that Primordials game! You love it, right?"

Cheng Xiu gave her a strained smile. "Yes."

Gu Shu nodded. "A'Xiu..."

Cheng Xiu looked at her.

"Have I ever said sorry for saying those things?"

Cheng Xiu frowned a bit. "Why are you apologizing so much today? Is there going to be another Virus flair this year?"

Gu Shu rolled her eyes. She then stared at the girl who looked too pale and weak. "I am a horrible friend aren't I?"

"Yes you are," Cheng Xiu said, "But is there a particular reason for your enlightenment about this now?"

"Why are you such a good friend to me despite that?"

Cheng Xiu smirked. "It's basically Stockholm Syndrom now. I am too used to your rude presence in my life and will actually miss you."

Gu Shu smiled. She hit her on the shoulder lightly. "I am serious. Why?"

"And I am serious too," Cheng Xiu said. "Stockholm syndrome is a thing!"

"A'Xiu!"

"You have your moments too," Cheng Xiu said. "Nobody stays for the abuse. And you are my oldest friend. You out-lived the others."

Just as she was about to continue, a knock interrupted her words.

"I'll get it," Gu Shu said as she got up from the bed. She took the yellow lunchbox on the table and handed it over to Cheng Xiu.

Cheng Xiu took hold of the box but did not open it. Instead, her eyes followed Gu Shu.

Her heart thumped in excitement. Was it San Zhe? Did Yaksha manage to rescue him before he met with an accident?

Even though she knew that he was an Expert in the game Cheng Xiu could not help her heart from doubting. After all, no matter how much of an expert a person was, they would still find it a bit difficult when the enemy numbers were high and he also had to protect a civilian on the way.

She looked as the door opened in anticipation.

A silhouette was revealed as Gu Shu opened the door.

Gu Shu gasped in surprise.

Cheng Xiu blinked as she looked at the figure at her doorstep. No. No. This was not real. What was happening?

"What the hell are you doing here?" Cheng Xiu found herself asking.

Gu Shu hissed at Cheng Xiu to keep quiet from behind the visitor.

"A'Xiu, how are you now?"

"She is fine!" Gu Shu said in a high pitched tone, "And she is very honoured that you have come to visit her despite your tight schedule, brother Dao!"

That was right. It was pig Ren Dao who had come to visit them. How did he get in? Never mind, with his money and influence there weren't many places in the academy that he couldn't get into.

Ren Dao gave Gu Shu a soft smile.

Gu Shu blushed and smiled at him cutely.

Cheng Xiu could almost she the instant that the logical side of her best friend decided not to be online. It was rarely there as it was, but now, it had gone completely off.

Ren Dao gave Cheng Xiu an even softer smile, his eyes gentle.

Cheng Xiu internally scoffed. Damned perverted jerk.

"Senior Ren Dao," Cheng Xiu said with a cold tone, "How did you get in?"

She expected him to say he paid or that he was just walking by to see his sister but he had an answer that had her even more frustrated.

"Teacher Bo was kind enough to let me in," he said with a smile.

Of course, there were traitors of that sort.

That damned woman.

Despite her prejudice, Cheng Xiu had hoped she was at least a bit professional. But she turned out to be a Blessed-Con. Someone who would do anything for those who had Qi.

Ren Dao actually sat down near her legs without even asking.

Perverted Jerk.