Ning Su remained noncommittal about this, as long as there was dinner to eat.
With two children in tow, he ran all the way and arrived at the base bridge. When he reached the bridge, only the last trace of rosy sunset remained in the western sky.
The evening breeze swept across the river, lifting his soft hair in front, revealing a delicate hairline and a pale forehead. In his bright peach blossom eyes, a layer of rosy hues from the sunset was reflected.
“Brother, barbecue!”
It was evident that he was looking forward to barbecue; running brought a sparkle to his eyes.
From a distance, he saw two tall figures sitting in the middle of the base bridge. When he shouted, both turned to look, and the one in front stood up and focused his gaze.
The slightly down-turned peach blossom eyes widened a little, and the clear and watery pupils trembled.
His heart pounded heavily.
Ning Changfeng didn’t see the expression of the person in front. He reluctantly stood up. “Eat, eat, eat. Only when it’s time to eat do you remember me, right?”
Seeing Ning Su standing not far away and not moving, he walked over without much thought.
He said to Ling Xiao, “This is my—”
Thinking that Ning Su didn’t want Shi Tianzhu to know about their real relationship, he said just in case, “This is my good brother, Ning Su.”
Then he said to Ning Su, “This is my friend, Ling Xiao.”
“Ah.” Ning Su pressed down the hair that flew up on his forehead, and said, “Hello.”
Ling Xiao glanced at his chest, then looked at his face. In his deep gaze, there was something indescribable. “Hello.”
His voice was naturally hoarse, and for some reason, it sounded a bit slow and lazy at the moment.
The two little ghosts hugged Ning Su’s legs, staring blankly at Ling Xiao from behind.
Ning Changfeng said, “Let’s go. Let’s go eat barbecue.”
Ning Changfeng knew very well where there was good food on the game base. He took them to a nearby small building’s rooftop for barbecue.
Because it was nearby, the rooftop offered a broad view of the river, and the environment was excellent.
The taste had stood the test of many years and was outstanding.
Everything was good.
Just a bit silent.
Ning Changfeng looked at this, then looked at that. “Why is no one saying anything?”
Ning Su stuffed red willow beef into his mouth. “It’s so delicious.”
Ning Changfeng: “...”
Ling Xiao slid the grilled meat off the skewer with chopsticks, only eating it slowly after all ten skewers were down.
Ning Changfeng: “...”
How about you go eat stir-fried pork?
Ning Changfeng could only talk to the two kids.
The two kids were eating grilled meat while staring at Ling Xiao with big eyes.
Gui Sheng held the iron skewer in his hand, which had already poked into his cheek. He didn’t even realize it, still looking at Ling Xiao and gnawing on the pork belly.
Ning Changfeng: “...”
Ning Changfeng couldn’t eat anymore.
He did admit that his friend was quite handsome, but everyone here was good-looking. It didn’t have to be this way.
He sighed, picked up a skewer, used chopsticks to transfer all the meat into two small bowls, and pushed them towards the two kids.
He didn’t know the specific details of these two kids, but he felt they must be unfortunate.
He understood better than anyone why Ning Su took them in.
Ning Changfeng also grew up without parents, stumbling through life. He thought if he had children, he would give them the most stable and best life.
Ning Su probably had the same mindset. Isolated and hurt as a child, he wanted to keep these kids close, not wanting them to suffer like he did—a form of self-redemption.
In front of the two kids, there was an extra bowl of grilled meat each, and in front of Ning Su, there was an extra plate.
Ning Changfeng: “?”
He glanced at Ling Xiao, who showed no expression.
Did he figure out that Ning Su was his son?
So, he helped take care of his son?
This meal was truly heart-wrenching for Ning Changfeng.
This was different from what he imagined, especially the first proper meal with his son.
Fortunately, because they ate quickly, they finished soon.
Ning Changfeng immediately said, “I’ll go pay the bill.”
Ning Su asked, “Should we pack some for a midnight snack?”
Ning Changfeng replied, “...Yes!”
Feeling that Ling Xiao might not have a place to stay, Ning Changfeng brought him home.
Ning Su, carrying a big bag of barbecue and accompanied by two children, walked towards a small courtyard not far from them.
Manman grabbed Ning Su’s clothes and asked, “Mom, is he dad?”
Gui Sheng also tightly held onto Ning Su’s pants, looking nervously and eagerly at Ning Su.
Ning Su asked Manman, “Does Ah Fei think he is?”
“It’s a bit strange.” The little girl frowned in thought. “But I feel like he is.”
Gui Sheng: “Hmm!”
The heavy heart in Ning Su’s chest strangely throbbed.
Back home, after putting the flowers in a vase, Ning Su sent a message to Ning Changfeng.
Ning Su: [Last time you mentioned that the system can make concessions to players to a frightening extent, is it about your friend?]
Ning Changfeng: [How did you know?]
Ning Su: [It’s easy to guess; he’s your only friend, right?]
Ning Changfeng: [...]
Ning Su: [Can you be more specific about the “frightening extent?”]
Ning Changfeng: [I’m not very clear on the details, but in the base, respecting the players’ situations is a basic rule.]
[I met Ling Xiao in a dungeon, the one where I obtained the bloodline inheritance of the Nine-headed Snake Ancient God. That dungeon was eerie and dangerous, and he helped me out.]
In fact, that dungeon was the most dangerous one Ning Changfeng had encountered to date.
He couldn’t distinguish between reality and illusion in that dungeon. Just when Ning Changfeng thought that all players, except for him, had died, he saw Ling Xiao.
In the dim mist, he walked among the snake tails that pierced the sky.
Ning Changfeng couldn’t distinguish between reality and the virtual world, so he asked him, “Are you a player?”
The other turned to look at him.
The gray mist was too thick, and Ning Changfeng felt a bit dizzy, unable to see his eyes clearly. He only caught a glimpse of the disturbing red at the corners of his eyes.
The other replied, “Yes.”
Ning Changfeng followed him out of the God’s Burial Ground and asked as they left the instance, “Aren’t you leaving?”
He said, “I live here.”
At that time, Ning Changfeng had just entered the game and found it shocking.
After sobering up from leaving the instance, he believed that this was actually a player who died in the instance, and the ghost showed him a way out.
Later, he participated in solo matches, becoming one of the top five ranked players in the base. Only then did he realize that players could also have privileges in the system.
Every season, the top five ranked players could use special skills and weapons in the base, pushing into the top ten, and for the current season, they would obtain a life-saving card.
He began to wonder if Ling Xiao might be a player with even higher privileges.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Until today, when he saw him again on the base, he finally confirmed.
Ning Changfeng: [He is not restricted by instance limitations and can enter and exit instances freely.]
Ning Changfeng: [He can live in instances and is not bound by the rule of entering an instance at least once a week.]
Ning Su remained noncommittal about this, as long as there was dinner to eat.
With two children in tow, he ran all the way and arrived at the base bridge. When he reached the bridge, only the last trace of rosy sunset remained in the western sky.
The evening breeze swept across the river, lifting his soft hair in front, revealing a delicate hairline and a pale forehead. In his bright peach blossom eyes, a layer of rosy hues from the sunset was reflected.
“Brother, barbecue!”
It was evident that he was looking forward to barbecue; running brought a sparkle to his eyes.
From a distance, he saw two tall figures sitting in the middle of the base bridge. When he shouted, both turned to look, and the one in front stood up and focused his gaze.
The slightly down-turned peach blossom eyes widened a little, and the clear and watery pupils trembled.
His heart pounded heavily.
Ning Changfeng didn’t see the expression of the person in front. He reluctantly stood up. “Eat, eat, eat. Only when it’s time to eat do you remember me, right?”
Seeing Ning Su standing not far away and not moving, he walked over without much thought.
He said to Ling Xiao, “This is my—”
Thinking that Ning Su didn’t want Shi Tianzhu to know about their real relationship, he said just in case, “This is my good brother, Ning Su.”
Then he said to Ning Su, “This is my friend, Ling Xiao.”
“Ah.” Ning Su pressed down the hair that flew up on his forehead, and said, “Hello.”
Ling Xiao glanced at his chest, then looked at his face. In his deep gaze, there was something indescribable. “Hello.”
His voice was naturally hoarse, and for some reason, it sounded a bit slow and lazy at the moment.
The two little ghosts hugged Ning Su’s legs, staring blankly at Ling Xiao from behind.
Ning Changfeng said, “Let’s go. Let’s go eat barbecue.”
Ning Changfeng knew very well where there was good food on the game base. He took them to a nearby small building’s rooftop for barbecue.
Because it was nearby, the rooftop offered a broad view of the river, and the environment was excellent.
The taste had stood the test of many years and was outstanding.
Everything was good.
Just a bit silent.
Ning Changfeng looked at this, then looked at that. “Why is no one saying anything?”
Ning Su stuffed red willow beef into his mouth. “It’s so delicious.”
Ning Changfeng: “...”
Ling Xiao slid the grilled meat off the skewer with chopsticks, only eating it slowly after all ten skewers were down.
Ning Changfeng: “...”
How about you go eat stir-fried pork?
Ning Changfeng could only talk to the two kids.
The two kids were eating grilled meat while staring at Ling Xiao with big eyes.
Gui Sheng held the iron skewer in his hand, which had already poked into his cheek. He didn’t even realize it, still looking at Ling Xiao and gnawing on the pork belly.
Ning Changfeng: “...”
Ning Changfeng couldn’t eat anymore.
He did admit that his friend was quite handsome, but everyone here was good-looking. It didn’t have to be this way.
He sighed, picked up a skewer, used chopsticks to transfer all the meat into two small bowls, and pushed them towards the two kids.
He didn’t know the specific details of these two kids, but he felt they must be unfortunate.
He understood better than anyone why Ning Su took them in.
Ning Changfeng also grew up without parents, stumbling through life. He thought if he had children, he would give them the most stable and best life.
Ning Su probably had the same mindset. Isolated and hurt as a child, he wanted to keep these kids close, not wanting them to suffer like he did—a form of self-redemption.
In front of the two kids, there was an extra bowl of grilled meat each, and in front of Ning Su, there was an extra plate.
Ning Changfeng: “?”
He glanced at Ling Xiao, who showed no expression.
Did he figure out that Ning Su was his son?
So, he helped take care of his son?
This meal was truly heart-wrenching for Ning Changfeng.
This was different from what he imagined, especially the first proper meal with his son.
Fortunately, because they ate quickly, they finished soon.
Ning Changfeng immediately said, “I’ll go pay the bill.”
Ning Su asked, “Should we pack some for a midnight snack?”
Ning Changfeng replied, “...Yes!”
Feeling that Ling Xiao might not have a place to stay, Ning Changfeng brought him home.
Ning Su, carrying a big bag of barbecue and accompanied by two children, walked towards a small courtyard not far from them.
Manman grabbed Ning Su’s clothes and asked, “Mom, is he dad?”
Gui Sheng also tightly held onto Ning Su’s pants, looking nervously and eagerly at Ning Su.
Ning Su asked Manman, “Does Ah Fei think he is?”
“It’s a bit strange.” The little girl frowned in thought. “But I feel like he is.”
Gui Sheng: “Hmm!”
The heavy heart in Ning Su’s chest strangely throbbed.
Back home, after putting the flowers in a vase, Ning Su sent a message to Ning Changfeng.
Ning Su: [Last time you mentioned that the system can make concessions to players to a frightening extent, is it about your friend?]
Ning Changfeng: [How did you know?]
Ning Su: [It’s easy to guess; he’s your only friend, right?]
Ning Changfeng: [...]
Ning Su: [Can you be more specific about the “frightening extent?”]
Ning Changfeng: [I’m not very clear on the details, but in the base, respecting the players’ situations is a basic rule.]
[I met Ling Xiao in a dungeon, the one where I obtained the bloodline inheritance of the Nine-headed Snake Ancient God. That dungeon was eerie and dangerous, and he helped me out.]
In fact, that dungeon was the most dangerous one Ning Changfeng had encountered to date.
He couldn’t distinguish between reality and illusion in that dungeon. Just when Ning Changfeng thought that all players, except for him, had died, he saw Ling Xiao.
In the dim mist, he walked among the snake tails that pierced the sky.
Ning Changfeng couldn’t distinguish between reality and the virtual world, so he asked him, “Are you a player?”
The other turned to look at him.
The gray mist was too thick, and Ning Changfeng felt a bit dizzy, unable to see his eyes clearly. He only caught a glimpse of the disturbing red at the corners of his eyes.
The other replied, “Yes.”
Ning Changfeng followed him out of the God’s Burial Ground and asked as they left the instance, “Aren’t you leaving?”
He said, “I live here.”
At that time, Ning Changfeng had just entered the game and found it shocking.
After sobering up from leaving the instance, he believed that this was actually a player who died in the instance, and the ghost showed him a way out.
Later, he participated in solo matches, becoming one of the top five ranked players in the base. Only then did he realize that players could also have privileges in the system.
Every season, the top five ranked players could use special skills and weapons in the base, pushing into the top ten, and for the current season, they would obtain a life-saving card.
He began to wonder if Ling Xiao might be a player with even higher privileges.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Until today, when he saw him again on the base, he finally confirmed.
Ning Changfeng: [He is not restricted by instance limitations and can enter and exit instances freely.]
Ning Changfeng: [He can live in instances and is not bound by the rule of entering an instance at least once a week.]
