Chapter 58: The Birthday Celebration

This time, Chen Hao had left the game early simply because he was bored inside the carriage; in reality, it was only ten o’clock at night. After walking out of the internet café with Ban Qianqian, he was still wondering why he had run into her again by chance. If she had logged off before him again, it would have seemed even more suspicious.

Ban Qianqian was clever. She knew that if she logged off first and then happened to meet him every time, it would inevitably raise doubts. So this time, she logged off after Chen Hao, giving herself a reasonable excuse: she was afraid to walk back to the university alone at night, so she kept an eye on Chen Hao through the game helmet and only followed him out when he logged off.

Once again, Ban Qianqian asked Chen Hao to treat her to snacks. Since it was still early and there was no rush to return, Chen Hao agreed readily. They walked together to the snack street near Huayang University and found a small shop specializing in "Silk Babies" to sit down.

Silk Babies, also known as vegetarian spring rolls, are the most common street snack in Huayang. At first glance, they resemble a newborn baby wrapped in a "swaddling cloth"—a thin pancake made from rice flour, rolled up with shredded radish, fish mint, kelp strips, fried soybeans, spicy paste, and so on. It’s a favorite among many girls.

Ban Qianqian liked them too. The last time Chen Hao came to the snack street with her, this had been their first stop. After donning plastic gloves but before they started eating, a female voice suddenly came from behind: "Ban Qianqian, since when did you get yourself a boyfriend? Didn’t even tell me."

Chen Hao turned to look. Behind Ban Qianqian stood another girl. She wore short red hair; her features weren’t as refined as Ban Qianqian’s, but she was attractive nonetheless. She was taller than one meter sixty-five, wore a crop top and a black short skirt, her slim waist and long legs clad in black stockings drawing the eye.

Her face was lightly made up, and her large, bright eyes turned out to be colored contact lenses on closer inspection.

Ban Qianqian turned around and laughed, "Oh, it’s you! He’s not my boyfriend. We only met at the internet café a few days ago, he’s just a buddy."

The three girls sat across from Chen Hao and Ban Qianqian. Noticing Chen Hao’s plain attire, the red-haired girl looked at him with a hint of disdain. She put on plastic gloves and said meaningfully, "Ban Qianqian, you’re such a cute little beauty now, plenty of guys are after you. Be careful outside, don’t let yourself get tricked by bad people without realizing it."

Hearing the indirect jab, Ban Qianqian showed her displeasure. "Dong Xiaohui, I know what I’m doing. No need for you to worry."

Dong Xiaohui’s unhappiness flashed across her face, but she hid it well, smiling as she replied, "I’m just concerned about you! You’re the only one in our dorm who hasn’t dated anyone. The guy I mentioned last time is handsome and rich, how about setting up a meeting?"

Ban Qianqian giggled, "I’m not even eighteen yet! Why are you so eager to set me up? You’re like the eunuch worrying before the emperor."

Dong Xiaohui seemed to be hiding something. She chuckled awkwardly, "You’re just behind the times in our dorm, that’s all. I’m only thinking of you!"

The four girls chatted away as they ate, their voices lively and cheerful. The red-haired girl never asked Chen Hao’s name, and Ban Qianqian didn’t introduce him either. After a few Silk Babies, Ban Qianqian noticed Chen Hao looking bored, so she stood up and said, "Dong Xiaohui, you three take your time. We’re heading off."

Dong Xiaohui stood as well. "Leaving so soon? Qianqian, be careful out there tonight..."

"I know, when did you become so fussy?" Ban Qianqian interrupted. "I’m off, bye!"

When Chen Hao and Ban Qianqian went to pay, Dong Xiaohui stopped eating and followed. "Qianqian, my birthday is on June first. I’m planning to celebrate at Diamond KTV; remember to come!"

Ban Qianqian laughed, "We’re dorm sisters, of course I’ll be there."

Dong Xiaohui seemed relieved, her face breaking into a smile. "You always claim you can drink anyone under the table, but we’ve never seen you drink. We’ll have to see whose tolerance is best among us dorm sisters!"

"Alright, alright," Ban Qianqian replied impatiently and left the snack shop with Chen Hao.

"Chen Hao, are you angry? Why aren’t you talking? I don’t like those three, please don’t be upset, okay?" Ban Qianqian said anxiously, seeing Chen Hao silent.

"Huh? No, why would I be angry? I’m just thinking," Chen Hao replied, lifting his head.

He wasn’t angry at Dong Xiaohui’s rudeness; he was indeed lost in thought. When Dong Xiaohui mentioned celebrating her birthday at Diamond KTV on June first, he was taken aback. In his memories from the future, his “wife” online had told him during the day on June first that she’d be going to Diamond KTV that night, jokingly asking if he wanted to come along.

After that, his “wife” vanished from the internet. The next day, Chen Hao heard there had been an incident at the nearby Diamond KTV. A girl at a classmate’s birthday party drank alcohol, and several male attendees tried to assault her. Not fully drunk, she had no choice but to jump from the sixth floor...

After hearing about it, Chen Hao immediately thought of his in-game “wife.” When she didn’t log on the next day, he frantically sought out news and learned that the girl who jumped was under eighteen. His “wife” in the game was divorced, so she couldn’t have been a young girl, but she had coincidentally vanished from the internet on that very day. He never understood what had happened.

Dong Xiaohui’s mention of celebrating at Diamond KTV on June first brought it all back. When she insisted Ban Qianqian join the drinking, Chen Hao instantly realized Ban Qianqian was not yet eighteen.

Even if the incident at Dong Xiaohui’s birthday had nothing to do with his online “wife,” it was highly likely that the girl involved at Diamond KTV was Ban Qianqian. With this thought, Chen Hao said, "Ban Qianqian, you’re all still minors. I’ve heard Diamond KTV can be pretty chaotic; maybe you shouldn’t go."

Because the pronunciation of “Qian” and “Qianqian” is so similar, Chen Hao still thought Ban Qianqian’s name was Ban Qianqian. If he had known her real name was Ban Qianqian, he would have remembered his online wife’s game name was Du Qianqian—a coincidence that might have made him suspect they were the same person.

Ban Qianqian was cunning. The first time Chen Hao escorted her back to school, she almost revealed her true name; remembering she had told him on QQ that her game name was Du Qianqian, she quickly changed her story to Ban Qianqian.

Hearing Chen Hao’s words, Ban Qianqian frowned. "I’ve gone with them a few times and don’t like those places. But it’s a dorm mate’s birthday, I can’t skip it. We have to get along every day!"

Chen Hao reflected that if he were in her shoes, he couldn’t skip a dorm mate’s birthday either. But the memory of what happened left him shaken; he couldn’t possibly tell Ban Qianqian he had memories from the future and knew something would happen on June first.

After thinking it over, Chen Hao feigned a joke: "Aren’t you always teased for not having a boyfriend? How about I pretend to be your boyfriend that day?"

Ban Qianqian was stunned, then delighted. "Sure! Sure! I’ve never dated anyone, so you’ll be my first fake boyfriend—lucky you, old bull!"

After escorting Ban Qianqian back to school, Chen Hao spent the walk home deep in thought, wondering why his in-game “wife” had disappeared on June first. Thinking back on her behavior online, he increasingly suspected she was not very old. Maybe the story about being divorced was a lie. Could she really have been that girl?