A Night of Gaming and Unexpected Companionship

Xia Chu froze at her words, a flicker of surprise stirring within her.

“You play… that too?”

Bai Jingjing, a young woman who seemed to lead such a full and vibrant life, already defied expectations by playing video games, let alone one so deeply entrenched in otaku culture.

“Yes, I played a little when it first came out,” Bai Jingjing explained simply. “I stopped for a while, but now I feel like playing it again.”

She had indeed dabbled in it before, but her schedule had been too demanding, leaving her no time to truly grind, and so she had abandoned it.

Yet, to Xia Chu’s ears, these words resonated with an entirely different implication: “played a little, then stopped” meant she hadn’t wanted to play. Now, however, she wished to play again. Could it be… for her sake?

Xia Chu recalled a line she had once stumbled upon online: “XX, I like you so much; for you, I want to become a Yuan…”

No, wait—”play Genshin Impact.”

Bai Jingjing, for her part, couldn’t fathom why the older girl beside her was suddenly so overcome with emotion. Xia Chu fumbled with the game launcher, accidentally clicking “Start Game” only to immediately hit “Close Game,” a cycle she repeated several times in her confusion.

While Xia Chu was inadvertently engaged in her “infinite switch” game, Bai Jingjing took the opportunity to mentally prepare herself. Having been absent from the game for so long, she needed a moment to reacquaint herself with its mechanics.

At last, Xia Chu managed to launch the game successfully.

“What’s your friend ID?” she asked, leaning closer to peer at the screen. “I’ll add you now.”

Noticing this, Bai Jingjing simply brought her own laptop over, setting it on Xia Chu’s desk. She then pulled up a chair and settled beside her, shoulder to shoulder.

The sweet scent of coconut milk suddenly enveloped Xia Chu. A slight turn of her head would bring the young girl’s pale thighs into immediate view.

They were strikingly fair!

Luo Xuan, if she were present, would undoubtedly be struck by a profound sense of déjà vu, for the proximity was almost identical to that of sitting in the passenger seat of a car.

“Since your World Level is relatively low, only I can join your world for co-op,” Xia Chu said, her attention now fully on the game. “Shall we explore the map and tackle some World Quests?”

“Alright,” Bai Jingjing murmured softly. “Sister Xia Chu, please come in.”

Xia Chu’s heart gave a sudden thump. There was something undeniably odd about that particular phrase.

She turned her head, only to see a line of text emblazoned across Bai Jingjing’s screen: [Chuxia] is attempting to enter your… world.

Emmm, the feeling remained unsettlingly peculiar.

Having not played for quite some time, and with little progress to her name, Bai Jingjing was led by Xia Chu, who used her own character to guide them through the map.

Despite having played games for countless hours, this was Xia Chu’s first time experiencing such a playstyle. Together with Bai Jingjing, she roamed the map, uncovering treasure chests, solving intricate puzzles, and playfully dispatching low-level monsters.

When playing alone, she often found various tasks tedious, even contemplating hiring a booster. Yet, today, she pursued these activities with tireless enthusiasm, even consulting guides to assist Bai Jingjing.

Time, in its relentless flow, slipped away unnoticed.

Having single-handedly helped Bai Jingjing advance her map progress all the way to Liyue, Xia Chu stretched languidly. “This current event ends in just a few days,” she remarked casually. “It would be beneficial if you could push the main story through to Inazuma.”

Bai Jingjing readily agreed, but a glance at the time displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen brought a hint of dilemma to her expression.

Moreover, dusk was already settling. Exiting fullscreen mode, she noticed her QQ messenger icon flashing persistently.

[Eylla: Bai Jingjing, why haven’t you replied? What time should I pick you up this afternoon?]

“Sister Luo Xuan is asking when to pick me up,” Bai Jingjing recalled, a hint of realization dawning on her. “It’s Sunday today, so I should be heading back…”

“But if you leave now, by the time you come back again,” Xia Chu began, her words trailing off, “the event will have ended, and besides…”

Of course, Bai Jingjing could return home and play at her own pace. While the timeframe was tight, she could undoubtedly catch up.

But if that were the case, her world, her entire journey, would be devoid of Xia Chu’s companionship.

“What if,” Xia Chu proposed, a hopeful glint in her eyes, “you stay over one more night and return tomorrow?”

Bai Jingjing considered this carefully. With He Manyu’s unexpected arrival this week, yesterday had been entirely unproductive, essentially a wasted day.

Staying an extra night seemed perfectly reasonable.

“Alright, I’ll send a message to Luo Xuan.”

Meanwhile, back at Mingzhu Community, Luo Xuan, having received no reply, had already ventured downstairs, ready to drive. She reasoned that the two of them were undoubtedly still inside, unlikely to have gone out. At worst, she would simply go over and wait at the door; she was certain to find them.

Just as her hand closed around the steering wheel, Bai Jingjing’s message finally arrived.

[Little Bai: Sister Luo, I’m staying here one more night.]

Oh, is that so?

Luo Xuan picked up her phone and tapped out a reply: [Alright, I understand.]

Strange, why would she stay over? Could they be planning something special?

She yearned to ask, yet felt too embarrassed to pry. After all, it was only natural for a best friend to have her “rented girlfriend” stay overnight.

Bai Jingjing sent another message: [You’ll be sleeping alone tonight, I’ll be back tomorrow.]

Luo Xuan instinctively replied with a hum of affirmation. It wasn’t until she had exited her car and was walking upstairs that she realized something felt distinctly off.

Never mind, she decided. Best not to dwell on it. Time to head home.

****

Xia Chu remained by Bai Jingjing’s side, guiding her along every winding path across the vast map.

Finally, well past midnight, they successfully advanced the story all the way to Inazuma.

“Kamisato Ayaka,” Bai Jingjing read aloud, noting the character’s name for the next quest. “Speaking of which, the community we’re in right now is also called Ayaka Community.”

“Indeed, quite a coincidence,” Xia Chu responded nonchalantly.

To Xia Chu’s surprise, Bai Jingjing began to analyze with a serious demeanor. “I truly think you two are quite alike,” she observed. “Both of you are sheltered young ladies who rarely venture out or interact with others.”

“Hardly,” Xia Chu scoffed lightly. “What kind of young lady am I, anyway?”

“You’re the Princess of Ayaka Community, of course,” Bai Jingjing couldn’t help but chuckle. “Aunt Zhang and several other neighbors all believe it, saying you’re our community’s very own little princess.”

Xia Chu’s cheeks flushed crimson. “I am not! How could I possibly be a princess…”

“Truly, consider this: Kamisato Ayaka is the White Heron Princess,” Bai Jingjing blurted out, a little too quickly. “And you are the White Tiger Princess.”

“I’m truly not… wait, what?”

Hold on, something about that felt distinctly off.

Bai Jingjing suddenly realized she had uttered something rather unfortunate. Hastily, she attempted to salvage the situation: “Don’t misunderstand, what I meant was, what… what’s your Chinese zodiac animal?”

“I…”

“I know now.”

Before Xia Chu could even reply, Bai Jingjing had already calculated it. ‘Oh, born in the year of the Ox. Then, it’s perfectly fine.’

To be 24 and born in the year of the Tiger was simply too far-fetched, an impossible gap. Yet, this left her with no plausible excuse for her previous blunder.

Bai Jingjing remained silent for a full ten seconds, then her small hand gently settled on the mouse. “Let’s just continue playing the game,” she suggested softly.

‘It’s really nothing, everyone’s the same, right, Sister Luo Xuan?’

As if on cue, Luo Xuan’s message arrived.

[Eylla: You two aren’t asleep yet? What are you doing?]

Unable to sleep in the dead of night, Luo Xuan, from her end, finally succumbed to her curiosity and sent the message.

Primarily, it was the late hour, coupled with this being the first time for an additional overnight stay, that made her wonder what the two might be up to.

She had no ulterior motives, merely a touch of curiosity.

[Little Bai: We’re playing games.]

[Eylla: ?]