Real World.
Feitie Alley, Jingwei Internet Cafe.
Taking off the helmet, Xu Sheng first looked down at his pants.
‘Good, they’re dry.’
The dream machine probably had some protection in that regard; situations encountered in the dream rarely affected reality.
Xu Sheng checked the electronic screens on the machines to confirm Zhu Yuexi and Mo Ruxue’s status, then casually stretched and prepared to step outside for some fresh air.
Everything in the dream was too real. The use of spiritual energy, that mysterious sensation—now gone—made him feel somewhat unsettled.
He kept feeling like there was a faint, barely perceptible flow of spiritual energy in the real world’s air.
Xu Sheng shook his head to clear his mind. He absolutely could not confuse reality with the dream.
After all, while most projection machines had anti-addiction mechanisms that prevented the experience from feeling too real, the one he had now was custom-made, achieving true one hundred percent realism.
If he wasn’t careful, he really would develop a split personality.
Moving his limbs, he walked out of the pod. As soon as he pushed open the door, he found a scruffy-bearded uncle standing at the entrance.
Seeing Xu Sheng freeze, the uncle put both hands on his shoulders, and Xu Sheng immediately caught a strong smell of alcohol.
“Hey, don’t you recognize me? Have you gotten stupid from writing novels?”
“You scared me, opening the door right in front of me.”
Xu Sheng rolled his eyes in annoyance, ignoring Jingwei.
“Don’t drink too much in the middle of the day, or you might not catch someone if they skip out on paying.”
Jingwei laughed and followed Xu Sheng from behind.
“Isn’t that why I have you… I heard the tavern in Feitie Alley got some high-end wine from the Upper District. Want to come drinking with me tonight?”
“I don’t drink.” As he said this, Xu Sheng had already reached the front desk of the internet cafe, pulled a cola from the fridge, and began drinking.
Cola still existed in the year 2277, but only one brand remained; the other, a toilet-cleaner-tasting cola, had been eliminated by time.
“I know you don’t drink.” Jingwei’s expression turned somewhat ingratiating. This uncle, who had once taken him in, was gradually showing his true colors. “But I don’t have much money left. That novel of yours recently…”
Xu Sheng hadn’t told anyone about using the new device to treat upper-class people. Uncle Jingwei only knew that he made money by writing novels online.
Rolling his eyes, Xu Sheng pulled out a card.
“Same password as before. There’s three thousand in it. That should cover rent and food for this month.”
Uncle Jingwei’s eyes lit up. “Then I’ll go drinking tonight. You stick to your writing. I’ll have Xiaohong mind the store.”
“Uncle Jingwei, you’re running away again and leaving me alone.” At that moment, Xiaohong returned, carrying a pile of teacups.
Xiaohong looked about fifteen or sixteen, wore a uniform, had a cute face, and had a few freckles.
“Ah…” Uncle Jingwei stood up and instinctively tried to hug Xiaohong, but her eyes turned wary, so he awkwardly rubbed his nose.
“Sigh… no one likes an old man anymore.”
Xiaohong rolled her eyes and scrubbed the teacups in her hands. “I think you should go find the tavern owner in Feitie Alley instead.”
“Tch…” Hearing that name, Uncle Jingwei wilted.
Xu Sheng crushed the cola can and tossed it into the recycling bin for tin cans.
“Alright, I’m just going downstairs to take a look. If nothing’s up, I’ll go back up and continue writing.”
As he passed Xiaohong, who was washing dishes, Xu Sheng casually ruffled her hair.
Xiaohong’s face reddened, but she didn’t say anything.
“Keep it up, little Xu Sheng! When you make it big with your novel, we’ll open an internet cafe in the Upper District!” Uncle Jingwei cheered from behind.
Uncle Jingwei glanced at Xiaohong, who was still a little flushed, and sighed.
“Youth is wonderful…”
After Xu Sheng left, Xiaohong rolled her eyes at Uncle Jingwei again, but then she seemed to notice something and frowned slightly.
“Did you smell some kind of fragrance?”
“Of course!” Uncle Jingwei sat up from the sofa. “Can’t you smell the alcohol on me? This liquor is an ancient Chinese six-grain…”
Seeing Uncle Jingwei approaching, Xiaohong pouted and pinched her nose. The faint herbal scent she had noticed earlier was forgotten.
—
Xu Sheng projected his consciousness back into the dream.
The time ratio between reality and the dream was one to five. He had spent two days in the dream, while in the outside world, it would seem like he had been in his room for less than a day.
Staying in the dream for two or three days and then going out for a bit was about the right frequency, so no one would find it strange.
As consciousness gradually returned, Xu Sheng once again felt the mysterious spiritual energy between heaven and earth.
‘No wonder so many movies and novels say that power is the most addictive thing. After putting on the helmet and having that seemingly omnipotent power of spiritual energy back in this dream, I can’t help but hum.’
But…
Because of his overwhelming strength, Xu Sheng could sense a disturbance nearby.
He wasn’t particularly panicked. In the dream, he was an almost-invincible half-step Tenth Realm expert. Even if Mo Ruxue tried to sneak-attack him, she would never succeed.
Xu Sheng used his divine sense to check without moving.
It was Li Qingqing.
Li Qingqing, who was supposed to be staying in the shadows, was now standing by his bedside.
Because he had hummed just now, her body had frozen, and she didn’t even dare breathe too loudly.
Xu Sheng deliberately steadied his breathing, making it even. Only then did Li Qingqing secretly let out a sigh of relief.
Xu Sheng felt a flicker of wariness in his heart.
‘I’ve been treating these people in the dream too much like NPCs, forgetting that to a large extent, they are as alive as people in reality.’
‘Alive people definitely have selfish desires. They aren’t driven by preset programs.’
‘So what selfish desires does Li Qingqing have?’
Xu Sheng felt a bit disappointed. He had already considered Li Qingqing a trusted confidant. Except for the matter of the dream itself, she was privy to all his other plans.
Just as he was feeling disappointed, Li Qingqing sat down on the edge of his bed.
She slowly leaned her head closer. At first, she seemed to frown, as if smelling something, but Xu Sheng could sense that she was sniffing intensely.
‘What is she trying to do?’
Li Qingqing placed her hand on his abdomen.
A wildly absurd guess formed in Xu Sheng’s mind.
‘No way?’
In the next second, Li Qingqing’s actions confirmed his guess.
She buried her head in his blanket, frantically yet restrainedly inhaling his scent, her hand also resting where it shouldn’t.
Xu Sheng felt a pang of guilt for having suspected Li Qingqing just now, and silently apologized.
Then he withdrew his divine sense and lay there, playing dead.
From beside his ear came the sound of Li Qingqing’s restrained yet frantic breathing, and amid her murmurs, he thought he heard words like “Master.”