His avatar was a game CG, with the official website link below.
The official version hadn't even launched yet, and first-season pre-orders had already surpassed five million copies.
As a serial entrepreneur, after Xuanchen Tech went bankrupt he'd founded Mengchen Tech, pivoting to focus on single-player games. The new game demo, with its hazy dreamscapes and dual-world setup, had been dubbed "the year's most immersive game."
In today's booming esports industry, he'd finally found another opportunity to rise—this time in the horror/suspense category.
She watched him pick himself up from where he'd fallen, feeling both proud and a little wistful.
After all, the higher he soared, the further he drifted from her.
Though she had no time for games, she checked his page whenever she could and even splurged on some merch—though she never posted about it. For someone surviving on roughly fifteen yuan a day for food, buying a pile of what amounted to spiritual opium was a bit ironic.
Still, she couldn't resist running her fingers over the little plastic trinkets every now and then.
Drawing strange looks from her roommates.
In the eyes of these Shanghai girls, the transfer student who'd announced on day one that she wouldn't socialize or join group dinners was thoroughly incomprehensible.
It was 2020, and someone was actually too poor to go out. Everyone was Astonished.
But Lian Xia always did her share of cleaning conscientiously, and she'd pick up packages and food deliveries for her roommates without complaint. So even though her habits were decidedly odd, nobody disliked her. The dorm atmosphere was reasonably harmonious.
A few days later, she was as usual fondling her precious merchandise when she noticed something missing from the shelf.
"Huh, where's my dreamcatcher?"
Roommate A looked confused: "Which one? The stinky one?"
Roommate B: "Maybe someone threw it out?"
"Yeah, the dorm inspectors came by recently."
"Threw it out? Threw it where?"
The two roommates just shrugged or stayed silent.
Then Roommate C walked in—the prettiest, with the best figure, dressed head to toe in Chanel, exuding an air of sophistication. The others called her Ava behind her back.
Ava crossed her arms and frowned: "That thing of yours smelled awful. You need to think about the rest of us too."
"But I washed it!"
Lian Xia was aggrieved. She'd not only soaked it in fabric softener multiple times, but had even washed the feathers until they were practically bald—and then tucked the dreamcatcher deep into the darkest corner of the bookshelf. She'd checked several times to make sure there was no smell.
But maybe other people's noses were more sensitive. Their aversion was understandable.
"Nothing we can do. The school's flea market event was a few days ago. The inspectors probably came by and thought it was garbage."
"But that dreamcatcher is... really important to me."
Seeing her eyes redden, the other two roommates softened: "Don't worry, we'll help you look for it at the market. We'll definitely find it."
"That thing's so bald, it's probably still unsold!"
"Yeah, and with that smell—definitely nobody's buying it."
Such heartfelt comfort from her roommates.
Chapter 52
The dreamcatcher in question currently lay in a remote corner, tossed among a pile of knickknacks that couldn't fetch a decent price.
The setting sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light onto its dusty, half-bald feathers. For some reason, it almost looked beautiful—shimmering, gilded.
Crowds came and went, paused and walked on. The dreamcatcher sat alone, unclaimed.
Just as the event organizer was about to come collect the stalls, someone stopped.
He glanced at the display easel under the tree. Its bold text was simple and direct.
Ten yuan per item, everything ten yuan.
Hiss... somehow familiar.
The flea market was founded on principles of recycling and fair trade—three days, self-scanning, pay and take. All proceeds went to a charity school. Unfortunately, interest was lukewarm.
Gu Xichen paid and picked up the grey dreamcatcher.
The staff members trailing behind him laughed and teased: "Mr. Gu has quite the unique taste... hahaha."
"He's supporting our event!"
The teachers could see clearly that the item was old, the feathers nearly gone, the hanging cord stretched out of shape. Even in its prime, it might not have fetched ten yuan.
Yet amid their awkward praise, he hung the thing around his neck.
"Does anyone know who put this up for sale?"
A teacher shook her head: "Not sure. The students organized this themselves. It's all anonymous donations."
Almost instantly, disappointment flooded his face.
Just as he was about to leave, someone called out from behind.
"Wait!"
Breeze, sunset, a beautiful young girl—everything felt like a dream.
"Sorry, that's mine.'
"Yours?"
"Mm."
The girl admitted it, boldly meeting his gaze.
As if to make their encounter more romantic, a fine rain began to fall. Through the hazy mist, his eyes grew cold.
Countless nights, this dreamcatcher had dangled below his chin. He'd recognize it even if it turned to ash.
He couldn't handle another blow.
"This is clearly mine."
As the two stood locked in stalemate, another voice cut in.
Unlike the girl in high heels covered in logos, she wore a simple white T-shirt and jeans, her shoulder-length hair framing a small face that made her eyes look even larger.
But she averted her gaze, as if deliberately avoiding his.
He held up the dreamcatcher around his neck: "I remember this clearly. Have you forgotten?"
She didn't answer.
"You threw it away? Why?"
"I don't want it anymore."
Ava chimed in at the perfect moment: "That's mine."
There was no doubt—Lian Xia was the third wheel right now.
"How could it be yours?" Lian Xia bared her teeth in a grin: "This ten-yuan cheap thing doesn't really go with your head-to-toe Chanel, does it?"
Ava clenched her teeth.
This girl from some nowhere village—who looked so quiet and proper—was surprisingly sharp-tongued. In the dorm she barely spoke a word.
But Gu Xichen suddenly grew agitated: "What did you just say? Say it again?"
Ava ventured: "Chanel?"
Gu Xichen shook his head: "The part before that."
"Ten yuan?"
"Right, ten yuan! It's you—it's definitely you!"
He was so excited that even his voice trembled.
"Give it back!"
Lian Xia tried to snatch the dreamcatcher, but the man caught her hand.
"Answer a few questions for me, and I'll give it back."
At this point, not only was Ava superfluous—every teacher and administrator present was superfluous.
"Incense ash mixed with what?"
Blushing with embarrassment, she whispered: "In... instant noodles."
"On July 14th that night, what did you call me?"
Lian Xia had never been the center of so many eyes in her twenty-something years. Gu Xichen saw her cheeks burning red and pressed on: "I promise this is the last question. Answer it and I'll give it back."
After hesitating for a long time, she finally opened her mouth in mortification: "Da..."
"Louder."
"Daddy!"
You had to hand it to city folks—they really knew how to play.
Not just the teachers—even the students who'd drifted over to watch the spectacle were dumbfounded.
Bathed in the spotlight of so many stares, Lian Xia finally grasped the situation: "Forget it, I don't want it anymore."
Before the words finished leaving her mouth, she turned and ran—legs churning faster than a rabbit's.
Gu Xchen tried to chase, but several deans grabbed him: "Mr. Gu, this is getting out of hand."
"Yes."
"Even if you've taken a fancy to a female student, please think about the school's reputation. We really don't want to end up trending."
Gu Xchen: ...