Chapter 76.3: Game Base (1)

***

Bonus chapter! Thank you to MochiiSpiider for the donation! ^^

***

  Ning Changfeng understood.

Shi Tianzhu treated Ning Su well, and Ning Su wanted to repay her. Moreover, he felt guilty about Shi Tianzhu and that black-robed guy, so he wanted to do something in return.

He might talk to Shi Tianzhu about this instance, filling the Yinhua Guild’s instance map.

And also about the guild competition he just heard about.

Ning Su looked lazy and indifferent, but he was quite clever.

He knew about the hostility between the Yinhua Guild and the Yongming Guild. He also knew that Shi Tianzhu lost the last guild competition because of some unfavorable circumstances.

He must have guessed the importance of the black-robed guy in the guild competition for the Yinhua Guild.

The black-robed guy was the only player with a dark weapon that’s not a member of the Yongming Guild. In some dark instances unfavorable to the Yinhua Guild, he was the most advantageous player for Yinhua.

Ning Changfeng was gratified and a bit sour. “Alright, go ahead.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ning Su turned his head and looked in a certain direction.

Except for the Yongming Guild, the guilds with more money were built near the game hall, meaning they were very close.

Shortly after they left the Hongyu Guild, they happened to see Shi Tianzhu coming out of the Yinhua Guild gate.

Ning Su: “President Shi.”

Ning Changfeng: “...”

Neither staying nor leaving.

Shi Tianzhu heard the voice and immediately walked over. “I just heard that you came out of the instance.”

“Yes.” Ning Su nodded. “I was about to talk to you about the instance.”

Shi Tianzhu’s face revealed a smile, looking quite happy. She said, “Sure.”

She never looked at Ning Changfeng from start to finish.

She still wore a pair of silver high heels, along with a delicate and loose silk shirt that few people in the base would wear. Her black hair fell neatly below her shoulders, her skin pale. Her peach blossom eyes did resemble Ning Su, but were colder, giving off an unfriendly vibe.

“What are you looking at?” She suddenly turned and frowned at Ning Changfeng.

Ning Changfeng: “...”

Ning Su: “...”

Whenever Ning Changfeng and Shi Tianzhu appeared in the same place, there was always a crowd gathering, especially near the game hall, where there were a lot of people.

They all wore expressions as if a fight was about to break out.

Shi Tianzhu’s words intensified this feeling even more.

Ning Changfeng strangely remained silent, looking somewhat off.

Shi Tianzhu, with even colder eyes, asked, “Ning Changfeng, what bad idea are you plotting again?”

Ning Changfeng: “...”

Just as he was about to speak, Ning Su took the initiative to say to Shi Tianzhu, “President Shi, let’s discuss the instance.”

“Okay,” Shi Tianzhu said. “Let’s go to Yinhua. I’ll have them prepare something delicious for you.”

“Alright!”

Ning Su quickly took the two children who were watching the scene and followed Shi Tianzhu.

As they walked, Ning Su sent a message to Ning Changfeng through the system.

Ning Su: [Brother, what were you looking at?]

Ning Changfeng: [Your mother.]

Ning Su: [...]

Indeed.

Ning Su was not surprised that Ning Changfeng could figure out that Shi Tianzhu was his mother.

Ning Su: [Consider your current relationship. Be normal.]

Ning Su: [Don’t tell her for now.]

As they approached the gate of the Yinhua Guild, Ning Su stopped.

Shi Tianzhu looked at him in confusion.

Ning Su smiled and said, “Let me take you somewhere first.”

***

“Good afternoon, boss.”

The flower stall owner lifted his head and saw a familiar face.

Apart from the fact that Ning Su’s face was attractive, the owner remembered him for the memorable impression he left. Last time, when he bought a bouquet for a little girl, he also included a sunflower that was hard to sell because it was too small.

The boss sighed, wondering if he would have to compensate again this time.

Thinking that he still had a less fresh batch of chamomile left from yesterday, he decided to sell it to Ning Su at a cheaper price.

As he considered this, he turned and saw Shi Tianzhu, the richest player on the entire game base.

The boss: “...”

Ning Su said to Shi Tianzhu, “I have money. I’ll buy you flowers.”

This was the first time he got points after completing three instances.

The previous instance, <Flower Servant>, which indeed had flowers, but the preview video was fraudulent, and he didn’t see the flowers he wanted Ah Fei to see.

Those flowers should grow from the players’ fingers.

Thinking about the last time the two ghost kids held flowers, looking at the sun, Ning Su decided to buy them a better bouquet this time.

Also, for Shi Tianzhu.

Ning Su said to the boss, “Buy the expensive ones, Austin rose!”

He had always remembered this; last time, the boss said he couldn’t afford it, and he had seen similar flower offerings in the instance.

The boss was shocked for a while before saying, “... Alright, they’re all in these four buckets.”

Gui Sheng liked yellow sunflowers. With his small hands missing three fingers, he took two cream sunflowers and two teddy sunflowers but couldn’t hold any more.

Four bright and lovely flowers reflected warm yellow hues in his slightly different two big eyes.

Manman liked deep red. She picked three deep red roses from the four buckets the boss mentioned.

The boss quickly wrapped them up for her, and the little girl held them in her arms. The rich red roses matched her mysterious temperament perfectly.

Ning Su also selected flowers for Shi Tianzhu from these four buckets. His gaze swept forward, and he said with a lowered head, “Those two buckets of flowers look pretty.”

“Oh? Oh, those two are carnations. Do you want them?”

Ning Su pursed his lips. “Hmm,” he nodded, “It looks good. Yes, get a few more branches.”

Carnations were usually given to mothers, teachers, and other elders.

The boss, unaware if he knew this, forgot to mention it amidst the shock from Shi Tianzhu, absentmindedly handing them over.

After Ning Su made his selection, the boss wrapped it up quickly, and he handed the bouquet to Shi Tianzhu, saying, “For you.”

Shi Tianzhu’s peach blossom eyes curved slightly, warm in the sunset. She took the flowers and said, “Thank you.”

He asked the young man, “How many points did you earn in the instance?”

Ning Su’s eyes sparkled, “230,000.”

Shi Tianzhu smiled even more happily, nodded, “Hmm.”

She lowered her head, looking at these ordinary yet lovely flowers, feeling a surge of joy that even a billion points from Ning Changfeng’s head couldn’t match, once again saying, “Thank you, I really like them.”

The boss was even more bewildered.

In the base, where players constantly faced the fear and anxiety of death, there weren’t many people in the mood to buy flowers.

There were only two places selling flowers in the entire base: his flower stand and a slightly better flower shop.

The two flower sellers naturally knew each other, and they got along well.

He heard from the flower shop owner that despite so many men in the base admiring Shi Tianzhu; she hadn’t received many.

It was said that she didn’t like fragile and perishable things, just like flowers.

So why did she seem so happy now?

Ning Su: “As long as you like them, it’s worth it. This bouquet costs several hundred buns. If you don’t like it, I’ll be at a loss.”

Shi Tianzhu: “...”

The four of them left happily, chatting as they headed towards the Yinhua Guild.

Apart from the boss’s confusion, there was also someone sulking.

There were little boys, little girls, and mothers receiving flowers. Apparently, dads weren’t worth a bouquet.

Ning Changfeng walked up to the flower stand, about to buy himself a bouquet, when he suddenly sensed a disturbance and turned to look.

In the central street of the game base, the crowd flowed in the orange sunlight of the sunset.

There’s a tall man in a dark windbreaker walking towards this direction.

Among various peculiar players, his attire was normal, and his appearance was not terrifying. But for some unknown reason, people around him inexplicably avoid him.

Under his black tousled hair, there’s a blood-red mark or earring on his right ear, which echoed with the faintly upturned crimson at the corner of his eyes, shining with a mesmerizing matte finish in the light of the evening sun.

Ning Changfeng paused for a moment and shouted to him, “Ling Xiao!”

The man looked up, and although it wasn’t the first time Ning Changfeng had seen his eyes, he couldn’t help but hesitate.

He clenched his fist, stepped forward, and asked, “Why are you here?”

Ling Xiao’s gaze fell on an unknown place. “I’ve come to reclaim my heart.”

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