Chapter Six: As You Wish

Not-a-Cheapskate sent a sticker saying “Love it, love it,” and asked, “Shall we keep going?”
Yuan Zhong glanced at the time and said, “Let’s keep going!”
He asked Not-a-Cheapskate to play support, while he picked a mage, assassin, or warrior depending on the team, always ensuring he played a damage-dealing hero. They went on to win ten games in a row, with Yuan Zhong earning gold or silver medals almost every match, and twice achieving a five-kill streak.
Not-a-Cheapskate kept sending likes, clearly impressed, and even gifted him several skins, which Yuan Zhong politely declined.
“Hey, little girl, don’t spend your money recklessly,” Yuan Zhong said out loud in his room.
Not-a-Cheapskate replied with a cheeky smiley face.
Noticing the time, Yuan Zhong said, “Let’s call it a day. I’m hungry.”
Not-a-Cheapskate replied, “Alright, are we playing again tonight?”
Remembering the evening’s event and the chance to see Zhang Shun, Yuan Zhong answered, “I have plans tonight. Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“Okay, see you tomorrow then.”
Yuan Zhong said “Alright” and logged off. He hurried to have dinner, got himself ready, and prepared to go out.
But as he was about to leave, he hesitated. There wouldn’t be too many people at this event—would he stand out too much?
Just then, his phone chimed with a message.
It was from Chen Jing: “Are you guys coming tonight?”
Now Chen Jing acted as his informant, often sharing updates about their group, including Zhang Shun. It seemed Chen Jing had regained his spirits and was once again throwing himself into his pursuit of Lin Hui.
Yuan Zhong thought, might as well bring Lin Hui along.
So he messaged her: “Where are you?”
A moment later, Feng Duoduo came in. Yuan Zhong remembered the scene he’d witnessed at lunch and discreetly watched her expression, but saw nothing unusual—she was indeed an old hand at this.
“Hey, have you had dinner?” Feng Duoduo changed into comfortable slippers.
“I have. What about you?”
Feng Duoduo shook her head, “No appetite.”
Yuan Zhong just said “Oh.” At that moment Lin Hui replied, saying she was on her way back.
“Any plans for tonight?” Feng Duoduo asked.
“Might go to an event,” Yuan Zhong replied.
“What do you mean ‘might’? Are you going or not?” Feng Duoduo tilted her head. “Oh, I remember now, there’s some kind of exchange event with nearby schools tonight?”
Yuan Zhong nodded.
“The campus heartthrob is going?”
Yuan Zhong blushed and nodded again.
“Are you sure?”
“Mm, I’ve got an inside source.”
“You’re really obsessed with your idol,” Feng Duoduo gave her a thumbs up. “Then go, don’t hesitate. Time is running out.”
“I’m not sure. I want to ask Huihui. If she goes, I’ll go.”
Just as Yuan Zhong finished speaking, Lin Hui and Zhang Cheng came in.
“Where to?” Zhang Cheng had caught the tail end.
“The exchange event for prospective graduate students. Huihui, will you go with me?” Yuan Zhong asked Lin Hui.
Lin Hui’s face showed clear disinterest.
“Are you planning to go to grad school?” Zhang Cheng asked Yuan Zhong.
Feng Duoduo laughed, “Did you forget? She’s going to chase her idol.”
Zhang Cheng understood and didn’t say anything more. She had once worried about Yuan Zhong, but eventually stopped interfering. She grabbed a few books and went off to study.
“Huihui, I’d be all alone, and I’m not even applying for grad school—it wouldn’t be right. Come with me, please,” Yuan Zhong begged, making a pleading gesture.
Lin Hui shook her head and pointed at Feng Duoduo, “Take her. These sorts of occasions are her specialty.”

“I’m not applying to grad school either—we’re not in the same group,” Feng Duoduo replied with a grin. “But I heard Chen Jing and the others are all going.”
Lin Hui’s brow furrowed slightly.
Yuan Zhong couldn’t help but wonder how Feng Duoduo knew—she hadn’t mentioned it earlier.
Feng Duoduo sighed, “Huihui, you’re the closest to Zhong Zhong. If she’s not worrying about herself, she’s worrying about you. Even if you’re not grateful, don’t be too harsh, okay?”
Lin Hui turned and glared at Feng Duoduo, who just kept smiling sweetly.
The atmosphere between them grew strange, leaving Yuan Zhong a bit bewildered.
She sensed Lin Hui was a little displeased and felt too awkward to say more. She’d never liked troubling others, and silently apologized to Chen Jing in her heart.
After a while, Lin Hui leaned over and nudged Yuan Zhong, “Let’s go. I’ll go with you.”
“Really? Don’t force yourself if you’re busy,” Yuan Zhong said, surprised.
“Really. It’s not good to play games all the time. I’ll take a break tonight.”
“You’re the best! I’ll go change, just a second.” Yuan Zhong was delighted—not only could she see her idol, but she’d be able to report back to Chen Jing as well.
Feng Duoduo stuck her head in, insisting on helping Yuan Zhong pick an outfit and even do her makeup.
“No need for the makeup,” Yuan Zhong protested, “Your style doesn’t suit me.”
“I’ll just give you a nude look, trust me, it’ll be perfect,” Feng Duoduo insisted, pinning Yuan Zhong in place.
Lin Hui shrugged and sat patiently, scrolling through videos on her phone.
“I actually already put on some…” Yuan Zhong tried to resist.
“Quiet! No more talking,” Feng Duoduo said sternly.
Thanks to her daily practice, Feng Duoduo worked quickly and efficiently—soon it was done. She admired her handiwork, satisfied, and finally let Yuan Zhong out the door.
Because of all the fuss, they arrived at the event a bit late. The venue wasn’t big, so they’d probably have to stand in a corner to listen.
Unexpectedly, Chen Jing was waiting by the door, looking excited. “Come on, we saved you seats.”
Ma Yuzhe and Zhang Shun were there too, along with two unfamiliar girls.
After exchanging greetings, Yuan Zhong sat carefully at the very edge, leaving the seat across from Zhang Shun for Lin Hui. Lin Hui hesitated, then sat down a bit reluctantly.
“Where’s Feng Duoduo?” Ma Yuzhe asked.
Lin Hui didn’t answer, so Yuan Zhong quickly replied, “She’s not coming.”
“Oh.” Ma Yuzhe sounded disappointed.
Chen Jing handed drinks to Yuan Zhong and Lin Hui, warmly explaining, “Actually, tonight’s event is pretty relaxed. Some experienced upperclassmen are sharing their grad school experiences, and then there’s some chatting and games. If you like, join in; if not, we can just talk amongst ourselves.”
Lin Hui turned to Chen Jing, listening intently, even nodding.
Yuan Zhong noticed Chen Jing’s fist was clenched on his thigh—probably nervous. She was nervous too, sitting so close to her idol that she didn’t dare look up.
“Sunflower seeds,” Zhang Shun said, sliding a plate toward Lin Hui and Yuan Zhong.
“Th-thank you,” Yuan Zhong stammered, wishing she could bite her tongue—why did she always stutter in front of him? Well, actually, it had only happened twice.
“Lin Hui, I wanted to ask you about a resource you posted—could you share the source?” Chen Jing asked, taking out his phone to show her.
Lin Hui glanced at it, “I’ll send it to you later,” and reached for the seeds.
Zhang Shun reached for the plate at the same time, their hands brushing, and both drew back.
Yuan Zhong noticed but didn’t have time to dwell on it before Lin Hui pulled the whole plate over. “Zhong Zhong, have some seeds.”
That seemed a bit much; Yuan Zhong blinked at Lin Hui.
Zhang Shun laughed—it was such an attractive smile that Yuan Zhong couldn’t help but steal a few more glances.
“Hey, little sister, how old are you? You don’t look like a senior,” one of the unfamiliar girls asked.
“Yeah, you look like a freshman. Are you here with this upperclassman for fun?” another added.
“N-no, I’m in my fourth year,” Yuan Zhong replied, quickly taking a sip of her drink—unfortunately, she drank too fast and felt uncomfortable.
“Are you planning to apply for grad school?” the girl asked.
Yuan Zhong: “…” She couldn’t answer.

Lin Hui patted her back to help with her breathing and replied, “She’s considering it.”
“How about you?” the girl asked Lin Hui, curious.
“I’m guaranteed a spot.”
“Then why are you here…” the girl muttered.
“Because I want to,” Lin Hui retorted, her tone chilly.
Yuan Zhong could tell these two girls were probably feeling ignored, but if the conversation continued like this, Lin Hui might blow up, so she changed the subject, “Hey, is there any food here? Duoduo and I missed dinner.”
Chen Jing said, “There are only some snacks. Do you want to go out and eat?”
“No, no, we’ll wait until after the event,” Yuan Zhong whispered, as someone had already started speaking on stage.
Soon after, Ma Yuzhe got up and left, followed by Lin Hui, who claimed she was going to the bathroom, and then Chen Jing, who trailed after her. That left only Yuan Zhong, Zhang Shun, and the other two girls.
Zhang Shun seemed to be listening attentively. Yuan Zhong glanced at him now and then, not wanting to interrupt or not knowing what to say, so she just sat quietly.
The two girls occasionally asked Zhang Shun questions, but he answered tersely, eventually falling silent and maintaining his aloof persona.
As the event neared its end, those who had left didn’t return. Yuan Zhong sighed inwardly and quietly slipped away too.

“With such a golden opportunity, you didn’t even let Zhang Shun walk you home?” Feng Duoduo rolled her eyes and took a big bite of oden.
“There were two other girls—how could he walk me home?” Yuan Zhong replied.
“You!” Lin Hui put on her headphones and ignored them.
The food smelled delicious, and Yuan Zhong realized she was hungry. Glancing at the packaging, she asked, “You went out to buy this? It’s a bit far—you must really be patient today.”
“Don’t worry about it. If you want some, have a couple of skewers,” Feng Duoduo said cheerfully.
After her shower, Yuan Zhong climbed into bed, ready to savor the whole evening. But after being so tense all day, she quickly drifted off to sleep once she relaxed.
Lin Hui played ranked games late into the night. After her last match, she sat at the room screen, typing with an air of frustration.
The next morning, Yuan Zhong got a call from home—her grandmother had come to visit. Overjoyed, she ran back, but felt like she was forgetting something.
When she returned to her dorm on the third day and saw Lin Hui playing games, she remembered—she’d promised to play with Not-a-Cheapskate.
She checked the time—not too late—so she quickly logged on. As soon as she entered, a message popped up.
Not-a-Cheapskate: Master! Master!
Yuan Zhong: Sorry, something came up at home yesterday.
Not-a-Cheapskate replied with a sticker that said “So that’s how it is,” and a smiley face.
Yuan Zhong: You haven’t been waiting online for me all this time, have you?
Not-a-Cheapskate: Yes, I’ve stayed online the whole time, afraid I’d miss you, Master.
Yuan Zhong: … Suddenly she was curious—what did this person do for a living, to be so free?
Not-a-Cheapskate: I keep the game on while I work. It’s fine.
Since it was just a gaming acquaintance, Yuan Zhong didn’t ask further and instead typed: Want to play?
Not-a-Cheapskate: Yes!
With only two matches left before the promotion tournament and the next rank being Star Glory, Yuan Zhong picked the assassin Lan. Perhaps to make up for her absence, she let Not-a-Cheapskate pick any hero she liked.
Not-a-Cheapskate: Really? Are you sure you don’t need me to play support?
Yuan Zhong: Pick whatever you like, it’s fine.
So Not-a-Cheapskate chose the marksman Yu Ji.
So, she preferred marksmen after all.
Not-a-Cheapskate: I’ve practiced this hero a lot.
Yuan Zhong: Okay.
Well, could she dare to hope for a smooth win this time?