C20 They Met a Beauty

Shi Qian paused briefly before inviting, "Sure, have a seat."

They promptly settled themselves on the bench.

In the game, Sheng Xu noticed Shi Qian was motionless and kept prodding her.

[Mu Youming, what's up with you? Why aren't you moving?]

[Hey! Did you get disconnected?]

Shi Qian glanced at her phone screen and responded, "Hold on a second."

She quickly typed out a reply.

[Something came up. Gotta log off.]

Sheng Xu, with his universe-shattering handsomeness, messaged: [What the heck, are you for real? Where are you off to?]

Shi Qian: [Ran into a beauty.]

Sheng Xu, capable of blowing up the entire universe, cursed: [...Damn!]

Shi Qian exited the game and turned to the girl. "What did you want to talk about?"

The girl met her gaze and said, "It's about this morning's incident. Have you figured out how to handle it?"

"This morning's incident? What are you referring to?" Shi Qian was momentarily confused.

The girl looked concerned as she explained, "I'm talking about Young Master Sheng. He's the esteemed Prince of the Sheng family, untouchable and feared by all. Even the school's top brass show him deference. By standing up to him today, you've risked his wrath. If he targets you, you might not be able to remain at Imperial University."

Shi Qian found the girl's concern amusing.

She offered a languid smile and said nonchalantly, "If I can't stay, then I can't stay."

"That's unacceptable!" the girl insisted earnestly. "Fate can be incredibly unfair sometimes. I bet it wasn't easy for you to make it to Imperial University from the countryside. You can't just throw in the towel so easily. I believe Young Master Sheng isn't completely unreasonable. If you talk to him and show a little less detachment, he probably won't give you any trouble."

Shi Qian, amused by the girl's sincerity, asked with a smile, "What's your name?"

The girl blinked, taken aback, before replying, "I'm Wen Ke'er."

"Ke'er," Shi Qian said with a smile, "you really are adorable."

Wen Ke'er's cheeks flushed slightly. "Let's not get sidetracked. I'm discussing something important with you. It's about your future."

Shi Qian's smile lingered as she spoke in a relaxed tone, "Rest assured, I intend to stick around."

Even if she didn't want to stay, she knew she couldn't get past the formidable challenge posed by the big boss.

Seeing Shi Qian's calm demeanor, Wen Ke'er's worries dissipated, and she found herself trusting Shi Qian's words without reason.

"By the way, do you play video games?" Shi Qian inquired.

Wen Ke'er nodded. "Yes, I'm quite fond of this game, and even more so of its designer."

"The designer?" Shi Qian raised an eyebrow and asked with a playful smile, "Do you know who it is?"

Wen Ke'er gave an embarrassed smile. "I don't know, but I'm aware she's incredibly talented. Did you know? Absolute Peak is a game developed by Chuangyue Game Company, which is part of the JE Group."

Wen Ke'er lowered her voice and continued, "That's the JE Group led by the legendary Master Zhan, who wields immense power. The group has many subsidiaries, and Chuangyue was just one of the smaller gaming companies that hadn't made much of an impact until three years ago. That's when a mysterious designer came along and revolutionized the game. Within just two months of its release, it swept across the nation, propelling Chuangyue into prominence within the JE Group's array of businesses.

Yet, to this day, no one has met or even seen this enigmatic designer, nor does anyone know why she chooses to remain out of the spotlight."

Shi Qian chuckled softly, knowing full well why the designer kept a low profile.

"I happen to play that game too. We should add each other as friends."

Shi Qian had taken a liking to this young woman and was eager to connect with her in the game.

"Ah?" Wen Ke'er looked at her, astonished, and murmured, "You're not looking to add Young Master Sheng, but me?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all," Wen Ke'er replied with a smile. "It just seems a bit surreal to me."

Then, she quickly pulled out her phone and launched the game. "What's your username?"

"Muh Yuvming," Shi Qian said as she launched the game.

Wen Ke'er's eyes widened, her expression one of shock once more. "What... what?"