Playing the Foolish Beauty in a Deadly Game - Chapter 15: Baby, That's Not...
The blonde boy, holding a can in his hand, swung it back and forth. The doctor player seemed to evade the question: “Do you need help opening the can?”
The boy nodded and sat down next to Jun Shuyang, speaking in a precocious manner: “I’m not a child anymore. I know a lot of things. People like you are called homosexuals, right?”
Jun Shuyang paused in his movements. The educational environments at home and abroad are different, and even the scenarios in the game follow this setting. The boy, at such a young age, already knew the term “homosexual.”
The boy continued, “Mom says that liking someone is not about gender. It’s okay for a man to like a man and for a woman to like a woman.”
“Mom says that when I grow up, I can choose whether I like boys or girls. But I don’t know when I’ll grow up. Mom always says I’m just a child.”
Jun Shuyang didn’t know how to respond. This was a scenario in the game, and everyone here was an NPC. The players would leave after 14 days, and according to the experienced player Zhong Minglang, the scenario would repeat endlessly. The boy who could choose his own lover would never grow up and would never reach the day when he could fall in love.
Jun Shuyang pushed his glasses up. He himself had no right to sympathize with the boy; in fact, he was a little envious. After opening the can and handing it back to the boy, he noticed red, paint-like substance on the can, not sure where it had come from. Wiping his hands with a piece of paper, he carefully said, “You… of course you can grow up. Children shouldn’t think too much; it might affect their growth.”
The boy took the can angrily: “I told you, I’m not a child. You like Brother Lin Qiao.”
“Brother Lin Qiao is your chosen one, but what a pity, he’s not the one who makes your heart flutter.”
Jun Shuyang was particularly afraid of being overheard, so he quickly covered the boy’s mouth and asked curiously, “Is there a difference between ‘heart flutter’ and ‘chosen one’?”
The boy nodded, signaling the doctor player to let go. He then continued while eating the can: “Of course there is.”
“Brother Lin Qiao is very beautiful, isn’t he? He doesn’t look like someone who worries about daily chores.”
The boy licked the can: “Heart flutter means really liking someone. When you see them, you want to pursue them, want to kiss them, hug them, possess them, and live with them every day.”
The blonde boy paused, then continued: “Chosen one means you really like them, but you know just by looking that the two of you can never be together in this life.”
The blonde boy looked very proud and said with a smile, “I’m amazing, right? I told you I’m not a child. Um, do you have any water?”
Jun Shuyang shook his head stiffly. The blonde boy could only leave with the can in his hands. In the moment he turned around, the pride on the boy’s face disappeared, replaced by mockery and indifference.
The boy’s game system prompted: [A-class item “Heart Demon’s Pigment” has been used up. The player has exhausted all uses of the item, and it has been canceled.]
Jun Shuyang couldn’t bring himself to smile. He pursed his lips and stole a glance at where Lin Qiao was. Lin Qiao seemed not to have slept enough and was dozing off while nibbling on biscuits like a little squirrel. Suddenly, the bodyguard handed him a piece of fruit, and he proudly placed the unmutated apple in Yan Ting’s hand. Yan Ting then raised his hand to affectionately caress Lin Qiao.
Lin Qiao was right under the plane’s light, his skin glowing under the illumination. The pink sweater made him look even more delicate, like a young master who never knew the sorrows of the world. The curtain between the cabins was lowered, completely blocking the doctor player’s view. The last thing he saw was Lin Qiao rubbing his cheek against Yan Ting’s palm.
It must be very soft and pleasant to touch…
The doctor player thought of pet cats—those with soft, clean fur, lovely and beautiful, always kept indoors and well-fed. They might cost him two months’ salary, and he would have to take care of them meticulously and spend time with them. Jun Shuyang couldn’t afford it. Yes, the two of them could never be together in this life. Lin Qiao was an NPC, and he was a player. Even if Lin Qiao were not an NPC but a real human being, Jun Shuyang indeed couldn’t possess a boy like Lin Qiao.
He was just an office worker who followed his boss’s orders, one of the countless ordinary people. Since he could remember, he had been following the rules: studying, going to college, finding a job, buying a house, and eventually getting married and having children. His life was plain and uneventful, with no ripples. Anything out of the ordinary or unconventional was considered sinful.
At first, his parents would boast to everyone that their child, Jun Shuyang, was promising and had been admitted to a good university. But what was the use? The so-called “promise” didn’t make him a big shot, nor did it give him power or influence. It certainly didn’t give him the courage to come out. His “promise” was just being obedient and working endless overtime. Whenever he wanted to change, he was met with unspeakable pressure.
“Quit your job and start your own business? Are you crazy? What kind of family do we have that can afford such折腾?”
“Don’t think about those unrealistic things. It’s not easy to find such a job. Besides, what else can you do besides studying? You’re not like the child from the Lao Ma family, who is eloquent and has become a big boss now.”
“Once you’ve worked for a few years and stabilized, find a plain girl to marry. Don’t go for looks; find someone who can manage a household.”
“What! Say that again? Goodness, this life is unbearable. Which book told you that you should like men? I don’t care, just listen and never mention it again, or no girl will marry you.”
“This is a sickness! We’ll deal with it privately. If you don’t listen to me, I’ll go buy rat poison right now, and none of us will live through today!”
Jun Shuyang closed his eyes. His eyes became moist, and something streamed down his cheeks.
The doctor player remembered why he had entered this game; he was also a dying person. The poison had caused his stomach to feel like it was on fire. Jun Shuyang clutched his abdomen, which still seemed to ache. He looked at Lin Qiao again. Did he like this boy? Perhaps, because he was the desire he could not face directly, the unattainable dream, the symbol of his complex emotions.
Lin Qiao had just fallen asleep when the system woke him up, saying that something had happened to a player. Lin Qiao quietly approached all the players but couldn’t find the brown-haired man or the engineer player. There was one place he hadn’t searched yet—the restroom. Lin Qiao mustered his courage and walked towards the restroom. As he approached, something hidden in his shadow reacted. It wrapped around Lin Qiao’s calf, sliding up and down. Although it didn’t cause any harm, its intention to stop him was very clear. Hmm… the intention to take advantage was also very obvious.
With a “bang,” something inside the restroom fell against the door, followed by violent shaking and roars, with what seemed to be a woman’s cries. Lin Qiao immediately retreated and ran to Yan Ting to report, “There’s someone… killing someone in the restroom.”
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