Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Ning Wang walked over, just about to give him a hand, when Ning Shuo leaned straight against him as if he had no strength left.

Ning Wang froze. Before he had any time to react, Ning Shuo had already straightened up, tossed out a quick, “Sorry, I lost my footing,” and gone into the bathroom to wash up.

It was like a gust of wind had blown over a leaf he’d been eyeing for ages, only for him to fail to catch it and watch it drift away again.

After Ning Shuo had said the words “secret crush” last night, Ning Wang had very embarrassingly run off on the spot.

He’d gone back and spent half the night thinking it over. Today, he had come over hesitantly to feel things out, even mentally preparing himself for the possibility that Ning Shuo had been waiting for him all along.

And yet, although Ning Shuo had been waiting for him, he didn’t say anything.

He even…

Ning Wang’s hand clenched, then loosened again. He thought, Was that just now on purpose?

Or had that “secret crush” last night only been Ning Shuo testing him too?

Ning Wang still remembered what Ning Shuo had said: “Looking at your own face, who would actually fall for that?” Although Ning Shuo had added something afterward, Ning Wang had thought at the time that he was only trying to save him some dignity.

And now Ning Shuo was acting as if nothing had happened last night…

Ning Wang couldn’t see the Danmu, so he had no idea how unhinged the shippers in their two Live Stream Rooms had become.

[You think he’s acting like nothing happened? No! Last night, he did a whole lot of things in the bathroom!!!]

[Twenty minutes! What were you blocking us for during those twenty minutes?!]

[Are! We! Outsiders?!]

[Although I’ve never met Half-Immortal in person, I’ve been watching him since his first Script. Yesterday, the moment he went into the bathroom, I was worried something had happened to him, and then the next second my screen went black-we’re already so close, what is there that you can’t let me see?]

[My trust was misplaced. Truly. A shattered heart can’t heal unless you redo everything that happened during yesterday’s black screen in front of Ning Wang.]

[He-is-baiting-you!!]

Ning Shuo’s voice came from the bathroom. “Ningning, bring me a towel.”

Ning Wang caught sight of the towel on the bed and handed it over. “Why didn’t you take it with you when you went in-”

His voice cut off.

Water droplets slid down Ning Shuo’s face. Perhaps it was because he had just woken up and washed his face, but the corners of Ning Shuo’s eyes were a little red.

Ning Wang suddenly thought of the dream he’d had last night, half-asleep and dazed.

It had clearly been a dream, and yet the feeling had been so real.

Ning Shuo took the towel, his fingertips seemingly brushing over the back of Ning Wang’s hand by accident.

A single touch, then gone.

The strange feeling in Ning Wang’s heart grew larger and larger. He grabbed Ning Shuo’s hand. “You today…”

Ning Shuo didn’t shake him off. He only looked at him in confusion. ?

Ning Wang threw caution to the wind. “That secret crush you mentioned yesterday…”

“Oh, that? I was just saying random nonsense.”

Ning Shuo dried his face with his free hand. “Otherwise, could you really fall for someone with the exact same face as yours? Even I think that’s ridiculous.”

[Ohoho~ Even you think that’s ridiculous~ Hah, who do you think you’re fooling?]

[Half-Immortal casts the bait; the Swordsman bites the hook.]

[He’s making you take the initiative!! He’s taking control of the dynamic between you two!!]

Ning Wang stared at his face for a long while before saying with an unreadable expression, “Fine. Let’s go have breakfast.”

[He knows now, right? He should understand now, right?]

[Unless the rumors about Narcissus are true, maybe it’s just my bias, but I feel like when it comes to playing with people, Ning Shuo is still a cut above.]
[Does past-life/present-life count as Narcissus? We saw both of their past lives in the Dreamweaver’s Script, so it should be past-life/present-life, right?]

[Did you all forget the massive amount of Heat Points Ning Wang suddenly got after leaving that Script? I have a bold theory…]

[Same, person above me. I have one too, but I don’t dare say it.]

[You’re all thinking he was a Player who entered the System before and then got out, right? But that doesn’t make sense, unless after Ning made his wish, he split in two, and one went to the modern world while the other went back into the Script.]

It was autumn in this Script. Ning Shuo had thrown a shirt over himself while he was outside, and after he came downstairs, Ning Wang glanced at him and turned on the ceiling fan overhead.

Rao Lin asked casually, “This worked up so early in the morning?”

Ning Wang said, “My brother runs hot.”

Damn it, Ning Shuo thought of that line from the dream again-“Are you hot?” Expressionless, he took off the shirt and draped it over the chair.

He hadn’t been that worked up before. Now he was genuinely irritated.

His seat was beside Ning Wang’s, so Ning Shuo heard the soft chuckle Ning Wang let out very clearly.

Ning Shuo adjusted his glasses and smiled. “I’m a normal man. Getting a little hot and bothered in the morning should count as normal, right?”

The amusement in Ning Wang’s eyes froze, and the hand holding his fork paused.

Rao Lin glanced at the two of them, then immediately turned to Song Zhu. “Teacher Song, I’m actually pretty hot too.”

Song Zhu shot him a look, having no desire to acknowledge this maneuver of his to display the label of “normal man” to him.

Though, admittedly, he was absurdly normal.

For the time being, Ning Shuo won this round of PvP.

When there was nothing much to do for the day, Ning Shuo liked to lie around, either sleeping or doing other things.

He had just returned to his room when someone followed him in.

The posture was almost exactly the same as last night. The difference was that Ning Shuo had a bit more certainty now, and thus a touch more composure.

Ning Wang, too, was a little more forceful than he had been last night. “Normal man? Were you taking a dig at me?”

Ning Shuo’s gaze drifted downward. “How could I?”

The better someone knew you, the better they knew how to piss you off. Ning Wang laughed in anger and reached out to stroke the corner of Ning Shuo’s lips. “You did that on purpose?”

Seeing that he had teased him enough, Ning Shuo told him to let go. “Wasn’t I just afraid you weren’t actually hot, and that you’d freeze yourself by turning on the fan for me?”

[One fan? Freeze who???]

[Huh?? Did your character settings swap?]

[Ningning! Your brother is PUA-ing you!!]

Ning Wang looked at the wrist he’d gripped until it had turned slightly red, then simply used that as an excuse to release him. “Oh. So that’s how it is.”

While they were inside the Script, the System interface could only open his own panel and Backpack; nothing else could be browsed. Ning Shuo was rather bored, so he very confidently ordered Ning Wang to go to the bookstore in the city and find a few books for him to read.

Then Ning Wang didn’t come back for several hours.

There was no longer any real threat in this Script. Even if there were, it wouldn’t be able to threaten Ning Wang.

Ning Shuo grew drowsy while waiting, so he simply took a nap.

As he slept, he heard footsteps not far away.

Ning Shuo heard the rustle of a plastic bag and knew Ning Wang had returned.

He didn’t get up, keeping his eyes closed as he pretended to doze.

The other person’s movements grew a touch lighter. Something was set on the table, and Ning Shuo could feel the bed beside him dip.

Then warmth touched the center of his forehead.

Ning Wang braced himself beside him and gently kissed him there.