Chapter 137 – Changes

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After dinner, the two returned to their accommodation to find the owner and return the car.

 

The garage is not too far from their chalet and it doesn't take much time to walk there.

 

So, in the moonlight, the two walked slowly together along the coastline.

 

The moon was clear and cold, imprinting their shadows on the beach, the sound of the waves lapping against the sand drowning out the sound of their footsteps.

 

Neither of them said a word, they just walked quietly, but the air carried a stillness and tranquillity that belonged to them alone.

 

Back in the chalet.

 

By this time it was dark, but still early for bedtime.

 

Xiao Lan then tinkered with the projector in the room, trying to find something to pass the time.

 

It turned out that he was surprised to find a lot of old films in the film library.

 

Classic films of all subjects and eras are almost all here.

 

This includes the film The Seven Year Itch, starring Marilyn Monroe, which was released in 1955.

 

In this film, the stills of her in a white dress, reaching up to cover the flying hem of her skirt have not been forgotten by the audience until now.

 

It is also a light-hearted comedy.

 

The story of a man in mid-life crisis who, after his wife goes on holiday, lusts after his new neighbour, played by Monroe, upstairs.

 

After various ludicrous fantasies and inner conflicts, the hero finally gets a grip on his thoughts and returns to his family.

 

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Monroe is the highlight of the play.
She is beautiful but not vulgar, with a kind of innocent and sexy seduction, different from the general perception of sultry sexiness, but a kind of charm with a bit of cuteness.

 

Xiao Lan remembers that her mother loved this film.

 

He was just too young at the time to understand the hero's mid-life crisis and moral struggle, and only found the older man hilariously funny.

 

It's quite nostalgic to see it again all of a sudden.

 

Xiao Lan chose the film, turned to Luo and said, “How about we just watch this?”

 

Luo was speechless for a moment: “……”

 

As a non-human, he has still learned a little about human film culture in order to integrate quickly into human society.

 

He certainly didn't let go of this film, which is one of the biggest names in cinema history.

 

But isn't it a bit too hardcore to watch this comedy teetering on the edge of cheating in this near-dating scenario.

 

And go, now they're not even together yet, what's with this flavour of flag?

 

This unconventional feeling is really worthy of his husband's style ……

 

But Luo sighed inwardly when he saw Xiao Lan's complete lack of awareness that the subject matter was inappropriate.

 

Eventually he nodded and said nothing to disturb Xiao Lan's interest.

 

The film has already started and the filmic images evoke the American atmosphere of the 1950s, accompanied by a light-hearted plot, making it a perfect film to watch on holiday.

 

Staying in the comfort of the real world, sitting on a soft sofa, watching a light-hearted movie, with the sound of waves looming not far away, still surrounded by a trustworthy person.

 

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Xiao Lan suddenly felt incredibly relaxed.

 

Sometimes he wonders what his life would have been like if he hadn't met Luo.

 

Perhaps like many players, they will stay in the Advent world for more and more time, gradually becoming a missing person in reality, until one day they actually die in one of the games, never to be remembered again.

 

Xiao Lan stole a glance at Luo beside her.

 

Luo is sitting on the sofa, his posture relaxed but still elegantly groomed.

 

At the moment they are sitting so close together that Xiao Lan can feel the warmth coming from each other's bodies.

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As Luo continues to retrieve pieces of himself, his appearance is becoming more and more human.
Not only his breathing, heartbeat and body temperature, but at some point, even the texture of his skin had become more and more human-like.

 

Even the words and actions are a little more popular than they were at the beginning.

 

Xiao Lan doesn't know if this change is good or bad for Luo, but so far it doesn't seem to be bad and Luo himself is quite happy.

 

Xiao Lan is well aware that the relationship between the two is now as if a hand-drawn line separates them.

 

A mere very fragile barrier that he could have crossed whenever he wanted to.

 

But ……

 

Xiao Lan thinks about his human identity.

 

Human life is fragile, and many accidents can kill a person, even after the enhancements of the Advent world.
Even a legendary powerhouse like Xiao Chengyan can die without a word.

 

Luo's life must have been a long one, and in a life as long as that, perhaps decades are just a fleeting moment.

 

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What would he do if he died?

 

Although one's abilities have increased rapidly, reaching advanced levels at a rate that is beyond the reach of ordinary players.

 

But Xiao Lan is also aware that as long as he is in the Advent world, he risks death at any moment, no matter how strong he is.

 

In this moment, Xiao Lan thinks of Qi Ning and his paranoid killings after the death of his lover.

 

And the untouched coffee from the coffee shop.

 

Xiao Lan, who has always been fearless, suddenly feels a little timid.

 

He didn't want ……
Luo to be that way ……

 

Xiao Lan is lounging on the sofa, letting his thoughts drift away, feeling his eyelids getting heavier and heavier.

 

Feeling the frequency of his breathing change, Luo turns his head and sees Xiao Lan's quiet, sleeping face.

 

Xiao Lan sleeps so quietly, he just leans against the back of the sofa and doesn't move around.

 

Luo creeps closer.

 

It seemed that he was used to his proximity and the noise did not wake Xiao Lan.

 

Luo dropped a soft kiss on his lips, as if he were kissing a treasure, and then he said, in a voice only he could hear, “Don't try to leave me, sir.”

 

The next morning, Xiao Lan opened her eyes and saw Luo's face.

 

Xiao Lan was confused and realised that he was lying on Luo's lap at some point.

 

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Was he the one who was so restless when he fell asleep?

 

And ……
Luo just let him lie there all night?

 

Xiao Lan's mind is filled with question marks.

 

Luo didn't react in any particular way, he stroked Xiao Lan's hair on his lap and said “good morning” as usual.

 

This gave Xiao Lan the illusion once again that he was a shady boss.

 

The two enjoyed a relaxing time on the island in the days that followed.

 

But they didn't use up their month back in reality straight away and returned to the players' quarters at the end of their trip.

 

—

 

After returning to the Advent World.

 

Xiao Lan is once again in that state where “I am addicted to training and only training makes me happy”.

 

Perhaps with his ties, he was more focused during training.

 

The training for the matchmaking also saw him choosing to fight random players to hone his reactions when dealing with different skills.

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And I wonder how the Advent world manages to pull out dead players as chaperones.

 

These people are not supposed to be themselves, but all have residual memories of their lives, yet they do not remember any information related to their deaths.

 

And it disappears as soon as it is finished, as if the data had been copied.

 

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One day.

 

Xiao Lan has just finished his match and is sitting on the floor resting.

 

The player's quarters had been switched to blackout mode and he intended to take a break and go back.

 

At that moment, however, he felt his contact prop being activated.
A search of his storage space revealed that it was the [Plastic Friendship] given to him by Wang Taidi.

 

Xiao Lan smoothly connects the communication.

 

Before he could speak, he noticed that Wang Taidi was not in the right state.

 

Wang Taidi, who is usually upbeat and smiling, now has red, bloodshot eyes and deep dark circles under his eyes, his hair is dishevelled and his clothes are crumpled, his face is bruised and he looks depressed.

 

The teenager, who was so cheerful and out of place in the descending world, also seemed to have finally been swallowed up by the darkness.

 

Xiao Lan felt something was wrong and asked, “Taidi, what's wrong?”

 

Wang Taidi's voice was hoarse and his tone was tinged with trembling, “Xiao, Xiao Lan ……
my brother ……
had an accident.”

 

Xiao Lan asked, “What's wrong? Wang Ke he ……”

 

There was no sign of Wang Ke around Wang Taidi and we heard that something had happened to him.

 

Xiao Lan wanted to ask if Wang Ke was still alive, but felt that it was a little irritating to ask so directly, so he cut the conversation short.

 

“My brother ……” Wang Taidi sniffled as he slapped his face as hard as he could to clear his head.

 

But after organising his words several times, he had trouble getting them out.

 

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Xiao Lan didn't say anything unnecessary: “Where are you?”

 

Wang Taidi gives his address after moving up to intermediate player.

 

Xiao Lan: “I'll be right over, you stay in your room and don't do anything stupid, okay?”

 

Wang Taidi nodded: “Good ……”

 

Xiao Lan immediately finished his training and headed over to Wang Taidi.

 

—

 

“Knock, knock.”

 

Xiao Lan knocks on the door.

 

Wang Taidi opened the door in silence, still wearing the same clothes as before and still in a terrible state throughout.

 

After a reluctant greeting to Xiao Lan, Wang Taidi guides him to the sofa.

 

Wang Taidi sat down and fell silent.
Xiao Lan didn't rush and just waited quietly for him to speak.

 

During this time, Xiao Lan took a look at his surroundings.

 

This is a standard room for intermediate players and is small in size, and the interior looks to be just a selection of stencils.

 

The only special feature is a family portrait of four people hanging on the wall.

 

In the family photo, the young Wang Taidi and Wang Ke are in the front with a corgi and a Taidi next to them.

 

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Behind them should be their parents.

 

Mother Wang, like Wang Taidi, has small curly brown hair and a chubby smile.

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Papa Wang's hair is short, much like Wang Ke's, except that he wears glasses and has a scholarly, refined look.

 

At this point, Wang Taidi finally spoke up.

 

His voice was low and muffled, “I was only ten when my mum and dad had the accident, but my brother was in his senior year of high school by then.”

 

What he said had nothing to do with what was going on.

 

But Xiao Lan just listens quietly, understanding that Wang Taidi probably just needs a listener at this point.

 

Wang Taidi's voice continues, “My grandparents died early, and some distant relatives were interested in my house at the time, but my brother disliked them, saying that he would support me and that I didn't need to worry about you.”

 

“Then he worked part-time while studying and supported the family by himself.
The teachers at school didn't like him very much because he didn't get good grades and he was always skipping classes, he was a scum.”

 

Wang Taidi is still in the habit of breaking his older brother's story whenever he can.

 

He subconsciously reached up and covered the back of his neck, as if he was afraid Wang Ke would pick him up again.

 

Only to stop in the middle of the action again –

 

Wang Ke is not here right now.

 

Wang Taidi's hands tremble with the realisation.

 

He fought back tears again, “My brother ……
has always taken care of me ……
and I can't help him with anything ……
“

 

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“This one too.
……”

 

Xiao Lan finally spoke up and asked, “What happened?”

 

Wang Taidi wiped his eyes, “My brother ……
was about to be promoted to contract player and in the copy ……
disappeared.”

 

Xiao Lan was a bit shocked, the contracted player, didn't that mean that he was bound to the world of descent and could never leave?

 

Wang Ke doesn't seem like someone who would choose a contract for survival, so why would he choose that?

 

Wang Taidi took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down, “My brother always thought it was ……
his fault that I would enter the Advent world.
Because that night he had an accident at his part-time job and didn't come home very late, I felt worried and ran to his part-time job to look for him.”

 

“As a result ……
on the way back we got caught up in the Advent world and I almost died in that one game.”

 

“He always blamed himself and felt it was all his fault.
That's why he was so desperate in the game, carrying everything on his own, trying desperately to grow up all the time, and he always told me that he would take me out of the Advent world.”

 

“But after I upgraded to intermediate level, the copies I experienced got harder and harder, and I nearly had an accident a few times, all thanks to my brother to get over.”

 

“He became more and more quiet during that time, always sulking alone and not talking, and I knew he was probably reflecting on not being strong enough again.
But I didn't think that he was actually thinking about becoming an indentured player.
That idiot, wouldn't he be able to stay away then ……”

 

“Then his teammate happened to have the Will Pact, and my brother hid it from me and chose the trial copy of the promotion pact with his teammate.”

 

At this point, Wang Taidi's voice trembled again as he tried to restrain himself.

 

“Then ……
only one of my brother's teammates came back.
He said ……
it was a copy of something called Sara's Song, and that copy just happened to restrain my brother's abilities and put him under a lot of influence.
After that there was a crisis and my brother got hurt again, that's when two of his teammates betrayed and they just stole my brother and pushed him ……
to the monster.”

 

“He never found any trace of my brother after that.”

 

“Everyone else says my brother is dead ……”

 

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Xiao Lan also did not expect Qi Ning's analysis of the Wang family brothers to come true so soon.

 

What he didn't expect was that it wasn't in the process of protecting his brother that Wang Ke had his accident, but in the copy of the promotion pact, although his goal in choosing the promotion was still to protect his brother.

 

However, after hearing Wang Taidi's account Xiao Lan was a little confused.

 

The usual outcome of a failed pass is death, but there seems to be something different in Wang Taidi's account.

 

Xiao Lan asks, “You seem pretty sure Wang Ke isn't dead?”

 

Wang Taidi looked up, “Contract copies are not like other playgrounds, they don't reset, and it is said that even the way to pass is different from other games.
Every time a player enters the trail doesn't disappear, so some players who fail to promote and can't leave will stay in there.”

 

Wang Taidi pulls a Little Xiao locket out of his pocket: “My brother gave me this one to see his state of life, and we all have one.”

 

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“As long as he's still lit, my brother is not dead.”

 

Wang Taidi put the pendant in front of Xiao Lan: “Look.”

 

However, the pendant now looks dull and drab, like an ordinary stone.

 

Wang Taidi also found out.

 

He rose sharply and rushed to the wall to turn off the light, then blocked the light from the player's quarters outside the window with his body, holding out his hand in an effort to block the light around the pendant.

 

This time Xiao Lan could see that the pendant was indeed still glowing, only…

 

It is a light so faint that it is almost extinguished and difficult to distinguish without looking closely.

 

If this light really represents a person's life, it can only mean that that person is on the verge of death.

 

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Wang Taidi looks at Xiao Lan with a hopeful tone: “Look, it's still lit up, my brother must still be alive, right? But everyone else doesn't believe me and is telling me not to dream.”

 

Xiao Lan looked at the light that could hardly illuminate even Wang Taidi's palm, and after a moment's silence he nodded anyway: “Yes, he must still be alive.”

 

Wang Taidi smiled with red eyes, “Yeah, my brother's not dead ……
not dead ……”

 

After looking at the pendant in her hand and smiling for a moment, Wang Taidi stared dead at her palm: “Don't die, Wang Ke, you don't die ……”

 

As his words fell, an invisible force spread out and the pendant miraculously lit up for a moment.

 

Wang Taidi seems to have unleashed his powers inadvertently.

 

His [I'm not interested in money] can consume wealth values to make what he says true, and is in a way an awesome skill that can change the rules.

 

But it was this moment that caused blood to spill from the corner of Wang Taidi's mouth.

 

It was the effect of an ability overdraft, and just that sentence consumed a hundred million of the wealth value he had recently accumulated.

 

If it had been just a little more, his skills would have gone back to being inactive.

 

The cost of this statement can be quite high.

 

Xiao Lan was a bit worried: ” Taidi, what's wrong with you.”

 

Wang Taidi, however, completely ignored himself: “Cough cough ……
Look, it's lit up again!”

 

With that, he handed the pendant to Xiao Lan again.

 

This time, although still dim, it is noticeably brighter than the previous one.

 

Wang Taidi's mouth was still bloody at the corners, but his eyes brightened, “I found a way to save him, he won't die if I keep using my powers, and even ……
if I get stronger, he can be saved.”

 

“He can be a senior player, so many people can be senior players ……” Wang Taidi's eyes turned to Xiao Lan, “You've become a senior player too, haven't you? I noticed your aura was different when I walked in the door.”

 

Xiao Lan nods.

 

Wang Taidi gripped the pendant in her hand and repeatedly murmured, “I will become a senior player too, I will be able to ……”

 

He recited it over and over again, as if he were reinforcing his faith over and over again.

 

“Brother always used to say that he would take me with him to live and that sooner or later we could get out of here.”

 

Wang Taidi gritted his teeth, “Brother, wait for me ……
this time, I'll take you away.”

 

At this point, Xiao Lan said, “When the time comes, remember to call me if you're going to save your brother.”

 

His tone was calm but firm, as if he wasn't talking about a copy of the contract, which was extremely difficult and dangerous, or the Song of Sara, which had broken the hearts of the best of the best.

 

Wang Taidi hmmed softly as he lowered his head, not letting Xiao Lan see his expression at the moment: “Thank you ……
Xiao Lan ……
Thank you ……”

 

The author has something to say.

 

The long-awaited mini-theatre of King Er Dog.

 

Wang Taidi: I, Wang Taidi, am changing my name today to Wang-ri-tian…

 

Wang Ke: ……
You go away, I'm fine here.