It was as if a sudden, fierce storm had swept through his mind, causing a complete system crash. His thoughts came to a halt, almost ceasing to function.
How could this be possible?
He had called his childhood friend, yet Ren Congmian’s phone had rung, and the person on the other end had called him “MianMian.”
The childhood friend who dominated Jing Mian’s early memories… had always called him that.
Despite the absurdity of the situation, it slowly aligned with his premonitions, leaving only one possibility.
Was the person in front of him his childhood friend?
…
! ? ?
In other words, he hadn’t been mistaken earlier. Ren Congmian was the stage name of the person in front of him.
And Ren Xingwan was his real name?
Ren Xingwan was Ren Congmian!?
!!!
His neighbor and older brother… had become a household celebrity?
The sheer volume of information overwhelmed him, leaving the young man feeling utterly stunned.
The inexplicable sense of familiarity he had felt wasn’t just a coincidence. Beyond the celebrity status, the person in front of him was indeed his childhood friend.
Cursing himself for not recognizing his brother from the start, Jing Mian’s knuckles curled slightly, and he fell into a deep confusion.
Most importantly—
The beautiful and gentle childhood friend he remembered had transformed into a completely different person.
Jing Mian raised his eyes and looked at the tall, mature, and stern man in front of him. The man’s aura was like a frosty invasion, overwhelming and chilling.
Jing Mian: “……”
No wonder he hadn’t recognized him.
This was far from the reunion he had imagined after so many years.
Jing Mian realized that his tendency to overthink wasn’t always a good thing. Before the meeting, he had already painted a gentle picture of the person in his mind based on childhood memories, and he had secretly looked forward to it.
But he never expected his neighbor and older brother to have transformed into a stern and powerful figure. Under the soft lighting, his ears turned slightly red.
He swallowed hard.
Was it too late to reject this marriage proposal now?
The phone he had been holding was already hanging by his side, but Mr. Ren’s voice still echoed in his ears, stirring his heart.
Jing Mian realized that the man had arrived at the restaurant much earlier and had known who he was from the beginning. The conversation earlier was likely just Mr. Ren teasing him.
The more he thought about it, the redder his face became. “…” How could he be so deceptive?
No wonder he doesn’t have a wife.
Jing Mian sat back in his seat, and when he looked up again, his eyes carried a mix of embarrassment and anger that he hadn’t even noticed. He spoke softly, “If I hadn’t called, how long did you plan to keep it a secret?”
Like a kitten that had been tormented too much, he bristled slightly, trying to intimidate the enemy.
Ren Xingwan was silent for a few seconds. The soft black strands of his hair were illuminated by the city’s night lights, creating a halo effect. Even though his sixth sense urged him to run, he couldn’t tear his eyes away.
“Probably until we met the parents.”
Jing Mian: “……”
Ren Xingwan: “Or the wedding.”
Jing Mian: “………”
The man raised an eyebrow slightly, his expression unchanged, but his breathing was slow and steady as he looked at the young man. “Until MianMian recognizes me.”
Jing Mian listened, his eyes widening in shock.
He understood the underlying meaning.
Mr. Ren was implying that even if he hadn’t recognized his childhood friend tonight, he would still choose to marry the stranger in front of him because of this unexpected encounter.
It was like the classic scenario where a childhood friend couldn’t compete with a sudden, unexpected match.
Would he even be willing to break off the pre-arranged marriage with his childhood friend?
It was an unexpected and unfair answer.
Jing Mian was speechless.
The atmosphere suddenly became taboo and forbidden. How could he respond to that?
“Are you hungry?”
The man spoke, and this time, the oppressive aura seemed to lessen, replaced by a gentle, soothing presence.
“……”
Of course.
Jing Mian realized that they had been talking for so long without touching their food. The waitstaff must have been waiting anxiously.
And he was getting hungry.
Jing Mian nodded.
Soon, the waiter brought out a tray, and the table was soon filled with exquisite dishes.
Jing Mian was slightly surprised. He realized that in a restaurant of this caliber, the dishes were usually pre-ordered, and the menu had been prepared before the guests arrived.
When all the dishes were served, Jing Mian lowered his eyes and looked at the table filled with his favorite dishes. Even the dessert was his favorite vanilla ice cream. Despite maintaining his composure, his taste buds were already tingling with anticipation.
Jing Mian silently picked up his knife and fork.
Ren Xingwan glanced at him, a faint smile playing on his lips, but it was too subtle to notice.
During the meal, Jing Mian’s favorite small steak had been moved closer to him, the sauce covering the tender meat, making it look incredibly appetizing.
Ren Xingwan was Ren Congmian.
After accepting this fact, Jing Mian understood why the man had the financial means to book the entire restaurant.
In every industry, there is a hidden network.
Ren Xingwan stood at the top of the entertainment industry’s food chain, a dominant and predatory figure.
Jing Mian thought about the last time he had been to a restaurant of this caliber, which was for his stepmother’s birthday, almost a year ago.
But back then, he hadn’t felt as relaxed and immersed as he did now, even though Mr. Ren was more of a stranger compared to his stepmother.
“Are you in college?”
The man suddenly spoke, interrupting Jing Mian’s thoughts.
“Um, yes,” Jing Mian nodded. “I’m a sophomore.”
After speaking, the young man felt a bit puzzled. This wasn’t a detailed question, and his father had likely already shared this information with the Ren family. So, was Mr. Ren bringing up the topic knowingly?
Although abrupt, it successfully broke Jing Mian’s wandering thoughts.
“Only a sophomore,” Ren Xingwan paused, his deep breaths slow and steady. His voice was lazy and magnetic. “Can you marry Mr. Ren?”
“……”
‘Mr. Ren’ seemed to be repeating the polite title Jing Mian had used when he didn’t recognize his childhood friend.
Jing Mian’s cheeks slowly turned red.
The man didn’t say much, but each word successfully stirred his heart. Jing Mian pressed his lips together and countered, “I’m not that young.”
“I’m already twenty.”
Jing Mian paused. “I’m of legal age to get married.”
“……”
As soon as he said it, he realized something was off.
It sounded like… he had already agreed to the marriage and was proving that he was old enough to legally marry Mr. Ren!
He had dug his own grave.
Jing Mian averted his gaze to avoid the awkwardness, sipping his tea. The steaming cup was now slightly fogged, but the temperature was just right, even moistening his eyelashes.
“Um.”
Ren Xingwan said, “That’s good.”
…
For the rest of the meal, Jing Mian focused on eating.
They didn’t talk much, but Jing Mian thoroughly enjoyed the food. After all, he wasn’t good at leading conversations, so it was better to say less and avoid mistakes.
After the meal, Jing Mian stared at the small potted plant on the table, seemingly lost in thought.
His childhood habit seemed to have persisted, and even without realizing it, Jing Mian’s posture while sitting was not relaxed but rather proper, with his arms resting on the table, slightly parallel and his fingers hanging down.
He looked overly well-behaved.
His back was straight, but his head was slightly lowered with his eyelashes.
Clearly, he was in a state of post-meal drowsiness.
“Are you sleepy?” the man asked.
Jing Mian shook his head. “No.”
Usually, at this time, Jing Mian would be preparing for his live stream from 10 PM to 1 AM, so he would take a nap after dinner. But today’s schedule was special, and he had missed his usual nap because of the arranged meeting.
Ren Xingwan pondered for a moment, his long fingers tapping lightly on the clean edge of the table. He said softly, “I have plans tonight. Shall we end it here?”
This time, Jing Mian’s drowsiness vanished, and he looked at the man with bright eyes. “What a coincidence. There’s nothing we can do about it.”
Ren Xingwan: “……”
He suddenly didn’t want Jing Mian to go back to sleep.
The arranged meeting ended.
Jing Mian returned home and went straight to his room.
For the past few days, Jing Guozhen had been busy with work, seemingly involved in a crucial business deal. He was on the phone almost every day and occasionally left with a briefcase, leaving no time to pay attention to Jing Mian.
This gave Jing Mian a chance to catch his breath.
9:50 PM.
Everyone in the house was already asleep.
Jing Mian got out of bed and, in the dark room, found the switch. The small lamp illuminated the room.
It was ten minutes before the scheduled live stream.
Jing Mian changed out of his pajamas and pulled out a hoodie from the drawer, putting it on neatly. The wide hood covered his head, leaving some of his bangs visible.
At the same time, he put on a mask.
Pure black, matching the hoodie, it looked mysterious yet natural, revealing only his eyes.
He turned on his computer, connected the equipment and camera, and adjusted the angle.
The actions were smooth and fluid.
Ten minutes were more than enough.
Jing Mian cleared his throat, moved the mouse, and clicked ‘Start Live Stream.’
His face soon appeared on the screen.
“Hello everyone, I’m Sheep, and the live stream is starting.”
The young man’s warm and clear voice echoed through the microphone and into the live stream.
The previously quiet chat room suddenly saw a surge in online viewers, the numbers visibly skyrocketing from zero!
The once empty chat area quickly filled with a series of messages:
[MianMian!]
[MianMian!?]
[Ahhh MianMian]
[The host is so punctual today.]
[Oh, your voice is so beautiful, it feels like a treat for the ears [crying]]
[Heaven knows I’ve been waiting by the computer for half an hour, afraid of missing MianMian’s early start. My boyfriend says I’m obsessed…]
Although he introduced himself as Sheep, the chat was unusually united, all calling him MianMian.
…Perhaps it was just easier to say than Sheep.
At first, Jing Mian would be startled by the enthusiasm and heat, but now he was quite calm, sometimes even responding to questions and introducing the content of the live stream.
“Yes, new users can skip the beginner tutorial and play a couple of beginner rounds to get familiar with the graphics and sensitivity… Today, we’re playing Glory, but we might not go through the tutorial or the map.”
Jing Mian paused and then added, “If you’re not interested, you can come back another day. Don’t waste your time.”
[Who said they’re not interested?]
[Exactly, who said that?]
[I love watching MianMian live stream and daydream.]
[Upstairs, I love watching MianMian live stream and sleep even more.]
[Upstairs, I love watching MianMian live stream and… do other things the most.]
[Why does MianMian suddenly want to look at the scenery today? hh]
…
The inappropriate messages were quickly censored.
The user was soon muted.
Unharmonious voices were rare, and Jing Mian no longer got distracted. He dragged the mouse to open the game interface, and the vibrant opening screen of “Glory” appeared.
Unlike regular games, “Glory” has two levels. The first level is a traditional shooting game similar to “Battle Royale,” while the second level is the game’s unique and proud “Haunted House” setting.
Ancient villages, massive haunted mansions, abandoned schools… the second level has various maps, combining difficulty and fun, with the ultimate goal of escaping the haunted house.
“Shadow Guard” only activates in the second level, as it is the spirit of a retired gaming god.
Jing Mian casually entered the single-player mode.
This time, he didn’t plan to team up with anyone.
[Loading map—]
The scene changed rapidly, the sky darkened, and the screen’s view became blurry before gradually clearing.
An old room appeared, with peeling walls and dusty tables, looking eerie and lifeless.
It was the haunted house map.
The player is randomly placed in one of the rooms of the massive haunted mansion and must explore to find the exit.
[Wow, the classic haunted house map]
[I’ve already completed it without damage [not bragging]]
[I remember MianMian’s first time, he trembled when he encountered the insect boss, so cute]
[Ha, upstairs, stop, give my MianMian some dignity.]
[Dang, jealousy is driving me crazy, what have new fans missed…]
Since it was single-player and Jing Mian had said he wanted to look at the scenery, he didn’t need to run for his life.
Thus, for the first time, Jing Mian felt a sense of leisure, as if he were on vacation in a haunted house.
Jing Mian controlled the character, walking leisurely around the room like an old man, finding nothing interesting. He picked up a flashlight, opened the door, and entered the deeper part of the haunted house.
The live stream camera slowly focused on the young man’s hands on the keyboard.
—Those hands were long and beautiful, with distinct knuckles, and the pale skin made the light blue veins on the back of his hand visible.
From this angle, a small mole could be seen on the knuckle of his ring finger.
After a full circle, he didn’t find any love.
Jing Mian found it a bit boring. Since he was already familiar with the map, he suddenly had an idea.
Jing Mian reached the staircase, where the floor was already rotten, creaking with each step.
A table appeared in front of him.
On it were two drinks.
The one on the left was an indescribable dark green, seemingly emitting a foul-smelling bubble.
The one on the right was a simple glass of milk.
According to experienced players, the green liquid was corrosive and used to deal with crawling ghosts, while the milk replenished stamina and temporarily healed the character.
Jing Mian silently reached out and picked up the dark green drink.
He brought it to his lips.
“……”
This was a suicidal act that even the system couldn’t understand.
[Ha, what the heck]
[MianMian, you?!!]
[First time seeing a streamer drink the green liquid hhh]
[My MianMian is feeling adventurous today]
…
Just as Jing Mian was about to tilt his palm and let the liquid slide to his lips, his wrist was suddenly grabbed.
“Don’t drink it.”
The low, cold voice brushed past Jing Mian’s ear, as if the speaker was right behind him.
Jing Mian’s body froze, and his heart, which had been calm, began to race uncontrollably.
It appeared.
…His Shadow Guard.
The Shadow Guard only appears when the player is in mortal danger.
While it can protect the player’s health bar, each player only has three uses of the Shadow Guard, and for game fairness, the powerful ghost knight can only stay for ten seconds.
—Each time, it exists for only ten seconds.
Jing Mian’s Shadow Guard was the legendary Ash.
Jing Mian fell into deep thought and, as if deliberately opposing his Shadow Guard, he reached out again to pick up the green liquid.
As expected, his hand was grabbed again.
“Jing Mian, you can’t drink it.”
This time, the cold tone was more forceful, and the person even called his name.
Wearing headphones, Jing Mian felt as if he were in the game, his Adam’s apple moving slightly, his heart beating faster.
He had no choice but to give up.
He obediently picked up the milk and made the character drink it.
[Ash!!]
[Ahhh]
[New fans are shocked, is it true that the legendary Ash is MianMian’s Shadow Guard?!!]
[Ash called MianMian’s name twice!]
[This is a dream collaboration, oh my]
…
That night, Jing Mian ended his live stream.
Although he was energetic, his mind was somewhat distracted. Today clearly wasn’t the right time to go through the tutorial or the map.
Jing Mian thought that part of the reason… might be due to his meeting with Mr. Ren earlier.
Jing Mian’s performance was actually quite impressive. Whether in the first or second level, he had achieved several best MVP clearances on various maps, attracting the attention of many teams.
Such exceptional looks and skills were undoubtedly a valuable asset to many team clubs.
It was unlikely that such a standout player would remain unclaimed. As soon as Jing Mian ended his live stream, he saw several new private messages in the backend.
Not only did many clubs provide contact information, hoping Jing Mian would reach out, but some even mentioned the generous salary they could offer him in the future.
Jing Mian: “……”
He was tempted.
To say he wasn’t tempted would be a lie.