IROAWTMTFL Chapter 12

[Is this the “gege”?]

The fans aren’t forgetful, someone immediately speculated, and then the screen was flooded.

[Gege: I don’t usually laugh, unless I can’t help it.]

[The anchor isn’t talking, did he quit being abusive?]
[That restrained and indulgent laugh, I don’t even know who gege is but I’m addicted to it.]

Yan Yan: “…”

Indulgent? Where did that indulgence come from?

Restrained? If he were truly restrained, he wouldn’t be laughing.

Yan Yan paid no attention to the barrage and died twice more.

“This game that doesn’t recognize the value, it’s a bit infuriating.” His tone was flat, like a robot, yet his mockery and annoyance were perfectly conveyed.

At this moment, Zhuang Yiyun suddenly spoke, “Did you turn on the webcam?” He was already standing up and walking towards Yan Yan when he asked this.

“Not yet.” Yan Yan was a bit surprised and shook his head in a daze.

[Tell him to turn it on! Let us see how handsome Brother Yan looks!]

[I beg you gege, secretly turn on the webcam! Let us see the kids.]

[Gege’s voice is so pleasant to listen to…]

[Where are the bitter tea seeds?]

*Bitter tea seed is a homophonic netizens use for “under pants”. The extended meaning is to advise one to restrain themselves when they see good-looking handsome men and women on the Internet, and not to be too presumptuous.

“Heh.” Yan Yan sneered inwardly. Just as Zhuang Yiyun was walking closer, he swiftly minimized the barrage display box.

‘Control himself? He was still controlling himself, so what gave them the right to say otherwise?’

Zhuang Yiyun took a mask from the cabinet and put it on, then stood behind Yan Yan. He leaned down to look at the screen, his profile a mere circle away from Yan Yan. Yan Yan’s entire back tensed up, and he unconsciously eased his breath. Zhuang Yiyun took the mouse and looked intently, failing to notice Yan Yan’s change.

From the corner of his eyes, his gaze lingered over Zhuang Yiyun’s brows and eyes. His scent on him had faded, yet with their proximity, it suddenly became overwhelming. Yan Yan’s gaze fell on his smooth forehead, where a few stray hairs hung down, making him want to brush them aside for him.

“Do you know how to play the game?”

[Anchor, you really have double standards. I’ve never seen you talk to someone like this before!]

[Can I remind you of your famous lines?]

[I know, I know!]

[Brother Yan: Did you brush your teeth before talking to me?]

[You’ve changed, you’re not the cocky cat you used to be.]

[Your voice has changed, do you know that? Why are you so nervous when you speak?]

[You’re like a predator ready to hunt.]

As soon as Yan Yan’s words came out, the barrage was instantly flooded with comments, but at the moment, he couldn’t see it clearly. He also wasn’t aware of his unusual tone. His full attention was on Zhuang Yiyun.

“I haven’t played, but I can analyze it for you.” Zhuang Yiyun began analyzing in earnest, “I just looked at it. These ten conditions are random, and the repeated random draws can be categorized into direct attribute boosts, indirect ones, and special conditions. Look, with multiple draws, this mysterious little box represents the special conditions. Try selecting it…”

“Attribute distribution is fixed. Your unbalanced choices earlier were the main reason for early death. Try like this…”

As Zhuang Yiyun spoke, he operated the game. In the first round, Yan Yan managed to live a long and successful life. Initially focused on his face, Yan Yan’s attention was redirected to the game.

Zhuang Yiyun played a few more rounds, summarizing the experience more quickly. He didn’t talk much, but his logical deductions at critical points were spot-on. Before long, he even mastered the immortal cultivation line.

[500 years old: Initiating tribulation… Tribulation successful! You ascended to the immortal realm.]

“This…” Yan Yan was at a loss for words, his eyes wide with shock as he looked at him.

“Is this considered a success?” Zhuang Yiyun turned his head to look at him. At such close proximity, their gazes locked, and Yan Yan’s eyes blinked.

As if under some kind of immobilization spell, both of them didn’t move.

“Right…” After a moment, Yan Yan finally found his voice.

Zhuang Yiyun snapped back to his senses and immediately stood upright. He averted his gaze, feeling somewhat uncomfortable. In a place Yan Yan couldn’t see, his fingers curled slightly.

Zhuang Yiyun walked away, not even staying in the living room, and directly returned to the bed room this time. Yan Yan looked at the closed door and inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief. He was a bit calculative, but he clearly lacked enough composure. When the person approached him step by step, his heart quivered. The deep-set eyes and sharp gaze at such close proximity was a decisive strike.

Taking a deep breath, he reopened the barrage. The chat was…

[What are these two doing? They only said two sentences, but why do I feel… like there’s a hint of awkwardness when two people meet after doing it.]

[Anchor, just say something if you’ve been pushed down.]

[Gege is amazing, but my mind is nolonger on the game he cleared.]

Damn it, blushing was impossible. He definitely wasn’t blushing!

But his mind didn’t obey. The memory of Zhuang Yiyun looking down at him from a high point replayed repeatedly in his mind. His eyes were somewhat startled, yet focused. Yan Yan wondered if this was the first time Zhuang Yiyun had really seen his appearance.

“Game cleared, I’m signing off.” Without any warning, Yan Yan ended the livestream.

In the darkened live broadcast room, the comment section continued to shout: [Did you get pushed down? Say something. I didn’t expect you to be such a bashful, innocent anchor!]

Who’s bashful? It definitely wasn’t him.

Ahem, ahem.

Yan Yan picked up a glass to drink water, turned off the computer, and spun around on the chair. Zhuang Yiyun’s chair was very comfortable. Although it wasn’t a professional gaming chair, it was surely one of those incredibly expensive ergonomic chairs. Leaning against it, his whole back relaxed.

As he turned, his gaze landed on the bookshelf. It was full of academic books, probably specialized theories. He couldn’t even understand the titles. Looking back and forth, there was no personal touch to be found. No picture frames, no action figures that young guys liked, no personal collectibles. Not even the trophies and medals that came with being a top student. Other than these books, it was like a model room.

Dragging his feet, Yan Yan left the room to knock on the bedroom door.

“Gege, can I borrow some pajamas?”

His voice had reverted to the tone he used when he was with Zhuang Yiyun. Zhuang Yiyun opened the door immediately. He couldn’t contain his curiosity, and aske, “What’s wrong with your voice?”

“Are you talking about how my voice is different during livestreams compared to when we’re together?” Yan Yan shrugged his shoulders lightly and smiled playfully, “Consider it my little skill. I can have other fake voices too.”

“Like this… open the door, get something,” a rough old man’s voice rang out.

“Also… Xiao Zhuang, help grandpa get his pajamas.”

Zhuang Yiyun: “…”

Being taken advantage of by a young man with fake voices while face-to-face was something he hadn’t even considered even in his wildest dreams.

“Not this set, have you seen Big Sister wear pink? Hm?” This was in a standard big sister voice.

Before Zhuang Yiyun could even be surprised by his female voice, he had already switched to another tone.

“I can do a loli voice too…” Yan Yan paused for a moment and cleares his throat as if adjusting his vocal cords. Zhuang Yiyun felt his heart lift along with the rising tone, and he was even more curious during the brief pause.

“Gege, can you help me with my pajamas? They’re fluffy, with rabbit ears~”

Zhuang Yiyun turned around and nearly bumped into the wall…

“Gege, you’re so grown up, do you still need Xiao Yan to guide you?”

Yan Yan burst into loud laughter, his eyes turning into two crescent moons. Zhuang Yiyun had never seen this skill before in his life, and it was a rare moment of embarrassment. He felt a bit helpless from being teased.

“It’s amazing.”

“Thank you for the compliment, gege.”

Yan Yan’s voice returned to the familiar tone. It was hard to say whether it was regret or not, but all of his fake voices sounded good, even the loli voice was cute…

Yan Yan took the pajamas and left, lying on the sofa after a shower. His hand was cushioning the back of his head, legs crossed, looking in the direction of the bedroom. Separated by a wall, he couldn’t see anything, but as he kept looking, he couldn’t help but curl up his lips.

That night he had a dream. In the dream, Zhuang Yiyun held him, pressing him against his chest gently, and kissed his cheek. It was clearly a pleasant dream, yet something felt off. It wasn’t until he shouted “gege” that the scene shifted to him.

Held in Zhuang Yiyun’s arms was a five-headed small loli. Her hair was tied into twin tails and she was dressed in fluffy pajamas. The small loli had a pair of furry rabbit ears on her head, big blinking eyes, and a sweet dimple when she smiled. But, it was clearly his face…

Yan Yan’s head spun, and he woke up from the dream. He suddenly realized, Zhuang Yiyun’s strong reaction to his female voice was too strong… could it be that he likes women?!

———————————

Author’s Note:

Dr. Zhuang: Hm?

Dr. Zhuang’s Team Member: We often contemplate this question too.