Chen Xiaoyan didn’t believe it and asked a few more times.
But Chong Chong wouldn’t budge.
There was no other way; she could only give up and shift the topic to the girl herself.
“What exactly happened between us earlier? And what’s with these hickeys on you? It wasn’t me, was it?”
The answer came in the form of Chong Chong’s deeply resentful gaze. Though she said nothing, that look said it all.
Ah… so it really was me?
I… slept with this girl?
Chen Xiaoyan was dumbfounded, blinking her eyes in utter confusion.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go see if there are any commission tasks in the city,” Chong Chong said, taking her hand and forcing a smile as she tried to change the subject.
But the more she tried to cover it up and act nonchalant, the more it pained Chen Xiaoyan’s heart.
Earlier, when this girl was crying and asking if she would abandon her someday, she must have been afraid of something too.
Thinking of this, Chen Xiaoyan showed a gentle smile and reached out to ruffle her hair.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take responsibility.”
“Huh? Responsibility for what?” Chong Chong looked at her, puzzled.
However, in Chen Xiaoyan’s eyes, her feigned confusion was just a way to hide her true feelings.
“You’ll know in time.”
“Oh.”
If it were the old Chong Chong, she would have definitely insisted on getting to the bottom of it. But now, she was being so obedient and quiet.
Chen Xiaoyan sighed.
She must have really scared her earlier.
But, why did I suddenly lose consciousness before?
Chen Xiaoyan instinctively looked at the now-cold food and tea on the table.
She went over, took another bite of the food, and a sip of the tea, then quietly waited for any reaction.
“The food is cold now. If Sister Xiaoyan wants to eat, I can go order more.”
“No need, I was just curious and wanted a taste. I’m not hungry.”
“Mm.”
Chong Chong walked over to her side and fell silent again.
Chen Xiaoyan shook her head with a bitter smile and took her hand, leading her to the window.
“If you have something to say, just say it. There’s no need to be so formal between us.”
“Huh?”
“Sister Xiaoyan, I don’t have anything to say.”
Seeing Chong Chong lower her head in that docile manner, Chen Xiaoyan directly gave her a flick on the forehead.
“Ouch!” Chong Chong covered her forehead and looked up at her, as if asking why she had hit her.
“Here,” Chen Xiaoyan extended her left hand to Chong Chong’s mouth, smiling. “Take a bite.”
Chong Chong gave her a very strange look.
Are you okay? Why on earth would you want me to bite you for no reason?
“Just take a bite. If you don’t, I feel really uncomfortable all over.”
“???” Chong Chong’s head was full of question marks, but she still didn’t bite.
“Are you going to bite or not?” Chen Xiaoyan raised her hand, pretending she was about to give her another flick.
Chong Chong grew annoyed.
Do you really think I don’t dare to bite?
Seeing Chen Xiaoyan’s teasing look, Chong Chong bared her teeth, put on a fierce expression, and bit down.
This strength, this pain… it was the same old recipe.
Chen Xiaoyan finally felt at ease.
“See, this is how you should be.”
Seeing that Chen Xiaoyan wasn’t angry at all but was instead looking at her with a gentle expression, Chong Chong shuddered, goosebumps instantly rising all over her body.
“Sister Xiaoyan, what’s wrong with you?”
“That’s what I should be asking you. The lively, cute little girl from before wasn’t like this.”
“I…” Chong Chong was about to explain when Chen Xiaoyan cut her off.
“No need to explain. I know it’s my fault.”
She had already tasted the food and drunk the tea. Since nothing felt off after this long, it meant the problem wasn’t there.
After thinking it over, the only possible source of the problem was the medicinal bath.
In her memory, the most vivid sensation was heat, intense heat.
It was the same feeling during the medicinal bath. There must be some connection.
Or perhaps it was a side effect or aftereffect.
It seems this Elder Sister Shen isn’t very reliable either, saying there were no side effects.
“Sister Xiaoyan, it’s not your fault. It’s mine.”
Hearing this girl still defending her, Chen Xiaoyan was somewhat moved.
“Alright, you don’t need to say anything more. I understand.”
“I’m telling the truth.”
“Mhm, mhm, I know.”
Chen Xiaoyan’s dismissive attitude left Chong Chong feeling rather helpless.
These days, no one believes the truth even when you tell it.
On the street, the familiar peddler player was still there at his stall. After selling for so long, it seemed he hadn’t sold much.
“Chong Chong, want to go see what he’s selling?”
“Him?”
“That male player setting up a stall down there,” Chen Xiaoyan pointed.
“Okay.”
Among the players, there are information brokers like Baixiaosheng, and also material merchants.
However, due to the special nature of player qualifications, such people are very few.
Since the equipment enhancement function hasn’t been unlocked in the Immortal Realm yet, these merchants don’t have many customers. Setting up a street stall is probably their last resort.
The two went downstairs.
They walked towards the other side of the street, but when they arrived, the peddler player was gone.
“Where’d he go?” Chong Chong looked around, but the male player who had been setting up the stall had vanished.
“Sister Xiaoyan, why did he run off?”
Chen Xiaoyan spread her hands; she had no idea what was going on either.
“Forget it, let’s not worry about him. Let’s go pick up some commission tasks.”
“Yay! I’m pretty familiar with the commission task area. I’ll take you, Sister Xiaoyan!”
Chong Chong pulled her along, quickly heading towards the bustling market.
Along the way, Chen Xiaoyan listened as the girl chattered non-stop, explaining all the details about commission tasks.
The streets of the bustling market were crowded and complex, but that was also where the most commissions were.
And it all depended on luck.
Because many players were camping there.
Furthermore, commission tasks could be snatched away. As long as the NPC was willing, they could change the commissioned person at any time.
Shangjing City was a Non-PK Zone.
A Non-PK Zone doesn’t mean you can’t hit people; it means there’s no damage. However, if you hit someone, you’ll be arrested by the city guard army and punished.
For ordinary people, that meant being thrown in jail for a month or so.
As for sect disciples, they would be released after exactly twenty-four hours.
In the past, some players tried to escape punishment by committing suicide to return to their sect.
They succeeded in the end, but they dropped a level.
That stupid method probably scared everyone off from trying it.
Nowadays, dropping a single level requires a long, long time of grinding to get it back.
After they left.
From around the street corner, the peddler player peeked out, watching the direction the two had gone from afar.
He hurriedly sent a private message to his companions.
[Spotted Chen Xiaoyan and Chong Chong. Get here fast.]
These two big fish were both high-level core members of the Xueyan Pavilion. Killing them once could fetch over a hundred thousand from Wushuang Lou.
[Keep an eye on them. We’re on our way. Those people are too hard to fight.]
[Why bother fighting those ordinary players? They’re not worth much.]
[The big ones… we probably can’t beat them either.]
The peddler player was speechless. The three of them had previously tried to take on the Xueyan Pavilion Guild Leader, Mu Qingxue. The result? One combo from her instantly wiped out all three brothers.
The most terrifying part was that woman’s final skill—it was completely unavoidable. They couldn’t even move. She cut them down one by one like they were nothing, scaring them so much they never dared to trouble her again.