Versatile Sword Cultivator

Chapter 126 – About You

Lin Jichen had arranged to clear the Corpse King Valley with Jiang Luoyu in the evening. Checking the time, he saw it was already noon, so he logged off the game to make lunch.

Halfway through cooking, there was a knock at the door.

Lin Jichen opened it to find Niu Naitang standing there.

"Brother Lin, my auntie hasn't come back yet..."

Lin Jichen smiled and pulled her inside.

"So how did you know I was cooking?"

Tang Tang pointed at the balcony, giggling, "I smelled it from upstairs."

Lin Jichen chuckled, tapping her little nose. "You have a sharp nose. Go call Sister Ren inside. We can eat soon."

"Okay~" Tang Tang hopped off to call Ren Lan.

Moments later, Ren Lan's frustrated voice echoed from the room.

"Aiya~ Tang Tang, you pressed my forced shutdown button! I was in the middle of a Secret Realm, you little rascal."

Tang Tang ran out of the room, laughing, with an exasperated Ren Lan chasing her.

Ren Lan's eyes flashed with anger, and neither of them expected her to be genuinely upset.

Tang Tang was startled, thinking she had made a big mistake, her little face full of helplessness.

"Sister, I'm sorry~ I called you several times but couldn't wake you, so I got curious and pressed the button..."

Lin Jichen quickly reassured her, "Miss Frenzy, are you okay? I asked Tang Tang to call you for lunch. If you're angry, blame me. The kid didn't mean it."

Pfft!

Ren Lan snapped out of it, returning to normal.

"I'm not mad at Tang Tang. I was in the Nightmare Secret Realm, and seeing Wan's plight made me want to kill everyone in that town. Just then, Tang Tang pressed the shutdown button, so I couldn't control my expression."

Lin Jichen sighed in relief, understanding the situation.

Ren Lan comforted Tang Tang.

"It's okay, Tang Tang. Sister isn't mad at you. I was angry at the bad guys in the game."

"Really?" Tang Tang still looked worried.

"Of course. But don't press that button again, okay?"

"Tang Tang understands."

"Good girl~"

The three of them quickly sat down to eat.

During the meal, Ren Lan couldn't help but complain to Lin Jichen, "The Nightmare Secret Realm is so frustrating. No matter what I do, it's wrong."

Lin Jichen rolled his eyes, "If you wanted to clear the Secret Realm, you should've asked me first."

He then explained the tricks to clearing the Nightmare Secret Realm.

"How can I harm Wan? I don't want to kill her; I want to kill those beastly townsfolk!" Ren Lan was even angrier after hearing the backstory of Nightmare.

Lin Jichen laughed, "Just treat it like a game level, a story written by programmers. Don't get too emotionally involved. Besides, Wan has already become Zhan and completed her revenge. She should be allowed to rest in peace, not continue to harm the living."

"That makes sense." Ren Lan felt much better after hearing this.

Lin Jichen understood that everyone who went through the Nightmare Secret Realm experienced a similar emotional upheaval.

For someone as hot-tempered as Ren Lan, it was a miracle she hadn't wrecked the place.

Halfway through the meal, there was another knock at the door.

Lin Jichen opened it to find Qin Xiaowei.

Qin Xiaowei had a heavy guitar bag slung over her shoulder. It seemed she had rushed over without even putting her bag down after getting home.

"Mr. Lin, is Tang Tang here?" Qin Xiaowei asked anxiously, panting.

Lin Jichen nodded with a smile, "She's here. We're having lunch. Come on in."

Qin Xiaowei walked in and saw Tang Tang eating.

"Tang Tang, why are you bothering Brother Lin and Sister Ren again? That's not polite."

Qin Xiaowei scolded, making Tang Tang shrink her neck, a bit scared that her auntie was angry.

"Don't blame Tang Tang. I told her to come here if you weren't back by noon. Kids need to eat regularly, especially when they're growing," Lin Jichen explained.

Qin Xiaowei apologized, "Sorry for the trouble. It's my fault for being late."

"Sister Weiwei, join us for lunch," Ren Lan invited, already addressing her like a sister.

"No, no, I just got home. I'll have some instant noodles later," Qin Xiaowei politely declined.

"Oh, come on. Instant noodles when there's hot food ready? You'll ruin your stomach. Sit down and eat," Ren Lan insisted, pulling Qin Xiaowei to the table. Lin Jichen, understanding the situation, brought her a bowl of rice.

Unable to refuse, Qin Xiaowei reluctantly joined them for lunch.

"Sister Xiaowei, Tang Tang said you had an interview at a music company today. How did it go?" Ren Lan asked casually.

Lin Jichen was only 19, Ren Lan 20, and Qin Xiaowei had just graduated, making her the eldest, hence the sisterly address.

Qin Xiaowei's expression brightened at the mention.

"Thanks to Mr. Lin's encouragement, I went to a big music company today, not expecting much. But they loved my work! They want to promote my song and see how it does before discussing further collaboration."

"Wow, congratulations, Sister Xiaowei! You're going to be a big star! Can I get a few autographs now? They'll be worth a lot when you become famous," Ren Lan teased.

Qin Xiaowei waved her hands, smiling wryly, "It's just a promotion. It doesn't guarantee success. It's still early days."

"Don't worry. Your singing and songwriting are amazing. If you don't make it big, there's no justice," Ren Lan reassured.

"Thank you both so much. You've been such a blessing in my life," Qin Xiaowei said sincerely.

"We've known each other for a day. No need for formalities," Ren Lan laughed, then asked curiously, "Sister Xiaowei, is the song they're promoting 'The Desk of the Past'?"

Qin Xiaowei smiled, "And another one I wrote last night, called 'About You.'"

"Wow! You wrote a song in one night? Genius! Can you sing it for us? Please, Sister Xiaowei~" Ren Lan pleaded.

Qin Xiaowei blushed, "It's a bit cheesy. Maybe you should listen online."

"No way! Live is so much better. Please, Sister Xiaowei, I can't sleep without hearing your song~"

"Well... okay, after I finish eating," Qin Xiaowei agreed, then focused on her meal.

Throughout, she kept stealing glances at Lin Jichen, her eyes betraying her nervousness.