Qin Chuan's mouth twitched: I can wait for you guys to finish the quest.

Peppermint Tea: I'm about to go out. I probably won't be on the game for the next two days. We can contact each other on QQ if anything comes up, or when I'm free, we can play some battle royale together.

Qin Chuan: You're going out?

Peppermint Tea: I have a three-day vacation. A friend found a new job and needs a temporary assistant. I was asked to help out for a few days, so I'm treating it as a break.

Qin Chuan: In which city?

She mentioned a place, a city in a neighboring province famous for its pear blossoms. To this day, some people still use its ancient name, calling it "Pear City."

After a short while, "Peppermint Tea" hastily said goodbye and logged off.

The character in Qin Chuan's friends list once again turned from lit to gray.

By the shore of the Mirror Sea, "An Endless Stream" stood alone.

The eternal long night. It has always been so.

When Qin Chuan came back after washing an apple, he saw the friend message light up again and thought "Peppermint Tea" had returned.

He opened it, but it was a completely unfamiliar name.

Nishang Yuyi: You've been standing here for a long time.

Qin Chuan glanced at it, closed the window, and ignored it.

There were too many people like this.

Ever since he'd whaled on his account and raised his character to be one of the top ten Nascent Soul stage experts, people had been coming to chat him up in an endless stream. Their methods of approach were also strange and varied.

This "Nishang Yuyi" wouldn't be the first, nor would she be the last.

By the shore of the Mirror Sea, that "Nishang Yuyi" was standing right next to him.

The young woman wore her hair in a flying immortal bun, dressed in wide-sleeved thin gauze, looking as if she might drift away with the wind. Indeed, her name suited her.

Seeing that Qin Chuan was ignoring her, she wasn't discouraged and sent several more messages.

Nishang Yuyi: I come here every day to watch the sunset and the starry sky. I didn't expect you to be here today.

Nishang Yuyi: Do you like it here too? What time do you usually come every day? How come I've never seen you before?

Nishang Yuyi: My heart is wounded tonight. Milord, could you stay with me for a little while?

Great, this was an artsy, sentimental type of pickup artist.

The messages came one after another. Qin Chuan wanted to just block her, but on second thought, he sent a message back.

Qin Chuan: Auntie, I'm a girl, only fifteen years old. Pickup techniques like yours are a bit outdated. I suggest you learn a thing or two from my stepmom.

He didn't receive a reply for a long time. When he switched back to the game, he saw that by the shore of the Mirror Sea, that "Nishang Yuyi" was nowhere to be seen, having fled in disarray.

Qin Chuan curled his lip, finding it a bit boring.

The other person had thrown away her armor and fled so easily, it gave him no sense of accomplishment.

He then logged off the game and called his mischievous friend, Shen Rui, to ask about any recent amusements.

On the other end of the line, Shen Rui immediately perked up and began to talk endlessly.

"I was wondering if the sun rose from the west today. You haven't actively sought me out to have fun in ages. I thought that after Chi Yun, you'd seen it all and become obsessed with work. Was it the earthquake that finally made you feel that life is short and you should enjoy it while you can? No problem, whatever you want to do, I've got plenty of options here. There's only stuff you don't dare to do, not stuff you can't imagine. How about we find a beach and throw a party? I'll call a few people from the entertainment industry to come over. Didn't you just break up with Chi Yun? I'll call a few who are several times more beautiful than her, guarantee you'll have a great time! Or do you want something more exciting? But that's not too convenient in the country. Let's go on a cruise ship in international waters. Eating, drinking, whoring, gambling—a paradise on earth!"

Qin Chuan's mouth twitched. "I want a normal, casual, relaxing pastime, not something that will get me addicted and bankrupt me."

Shen Rui: "Like?"

Qin Chuan: "Rock climbing, playing ball, skiing."

Shen Rui: "That's my entertainment lineup for thirty years from now. Please dial the Time and Space Administration Bureau and ask to be transferred to the Shen Rui from thirty years in the future."

Qin Chuan: ...

Shen Rui laughed. "Alright, I'll stop messing with you. If you really want to relax, I happen to have a pool party tonight. It's not that crazy, just a few minor celebrities and internet influencers coming over to have some fun. You can do whatever you want."

Qin Chuan had also had times when he partied very wildly. During his time studying abroad, he was at a low point in his life, lost and confused, not knowing where to go. He had also done many absurd things that made him blush with shame to think about even now.

The few friends who were with him then were now scattered to the four corners of the earth. Each had their own business, and they might not even see each other once a year. Only Shen Rui was the one who contacted Qin Chuan most often, and he was the only one among them who was still wild and dissolute.

Qin Chuan thought about how he'd been buried in work and that he indeed hadn't relaxed in a long time, so he casually agreed.

In the evening, he drove to Shen Rui's villa in the suburbs, where people were already coming and going in a constant stream.

Qin Chuan had attended countless parties like this one, and he was also a frequent visitor to this villa of Shen Rui's. Without needing any directions, he navigated the familiar path and found Shen Rui, who was laughing and joking with a beautiful woman in his arms.

As soon as he saw him, Shen Rui raised his eyebrows exaggeratedly.

"I say, have you been cut off from the world for too long? Coming to a party dressed like this?"

Dress pants, a gray shirt. Although Qin Chuan wasn't wearing a tie and had the top two buttons of his collar undone, he still looked like someone about to go to a meeting.

But among a room full of casual wear, his attire instead made his limbs look long and slender, attracting quite a few gazes.

Qin Chuan didn't mind. "I stopped by to see a client on the way here. I couldn't very well go in baggy shorts. Anyway, this is your turf, so I can wear whatever I want."

Shen Rui was very happy to hear this and slung an arm around his shoulder. "You're right, we're not strangers. Wear whatever you want. Unlike Wu Haoran, he takes every opportunity to criticize me, thinking I'm the most disappointing one among our group of friends."

Qin Chuan didn't like being on camera. Dating Chi Yun had been purely a coincidence. Other than her, he didn't have many connections to the entertainment industry. His identity as the young master of the Qin Group also didn't require many deliberate public appearances. During the last parking lot incident, the photo of him that was exposed was also very blurry.

Now that he had appeared in person, many people didn't recognize him. But seeing him chatting and laughing freely with the host, Shen Rui, they naturally drew their own conclusions.