Chapter 38 Part 1

Through the lights outside the car window, she saw the bag was full of food.

Bo He: "This?"

Qin Chuan: "Haven't you eaten yet?"

Before she could answer, he added, "This is also covered by overtime reimbursement. There's a meal allowance anyway."

With that, Bo He found it hard to refuse. "Thank you, CEO Qin."

Qin Chuan actually didn't want her to be so polite and reserved.

Because in the game, after the two of them, master and disciple, became familiar with each other, he discovered that Bo He was actually a very cheerful and fun person. Not only was she good at delving into details and finding all sorts of bugs released by the game developers, but she also frequently uploaded videos of her PKs to the internet. Qin Chuan had checked, and Bo He already had a group of fans on that website, both male and female—in short, fanboys and fangirls. These fans from other servers would often come to their server to confess to Bo He. Even though Bo He had never sent a voice message or a photo, and no one knew "Peppermint Tea's" real gender, her charm had clearly transcended such superficial things.

Ever since the last conflict with "Shield of Zeus" over a rare item, which led to the other party bringing a group of friends to ambush them, Qin Chuan had discovered that Bo He's popularity in the game was exceptionally good.

It wasn't until the matter ended with him using his main account to buy the item that, long after, many players on their server would still ask about it whenever they met "Peppermint Tea," unanimously condemning "Shield of Zeus's" arrogance and tyranny. It was said that not long after this incident, "Shield of Zeus" was ostracized to the point of changing his name, selling his account, and sheepishly leaving their server to play in another.

Usually, if Bo He wanted to buy something that wasn't available at a player's stall, she just had to shout out in the public channel, and someone would immediately respond, "Boss Peppermint Tea, I'll go craft it and put it up for you right away."

When Qin Chuan played on his alternate account, as long as he displayed the title "Peppermint Tea's Prized Disciple" when he went to run a dungeon, people would greet him and chat about his master. High-level players would even proactively carry him through the dungeon, telling him he could just leech. The reason was usually that his master, "Peppermint Tea," had helped them with something at some point.

There were countless instances like this.

The game is also a Jianghu, a world full of its own rights and wrongs.

For Bo He to be able to stand out amidst all these rights and wrongs, becoming an idol in the eyes of many without relying on real money or high combat power, was a skill in itself.

But this well-connected "Peppermint Tea" only had one personality when she was in front of Qin Chuan.

If time could be turned back, he would definitely knock his past self unconscious in the parking lot and drag him away before he could meet Bo He, solving the problem once and for all.

Unfortunately, he couldn't.

Thus, CEO Qin, whose personality was not one for taking things slow and steady, could only resign himself to his fate and patch up the hole he had dug for himself, little by little.

They drove on in silence.

Following Bo He's directions, the car gradually left the prime commercial district of the city center and headed toward the border between the new and old urban areas.

As night fell, myriad lights were lit, and the area was bustling with the sounds of people.

Qin Chuan realized that for all his knowledge of the city, he had rarely come to this place.

When he had passed by before, he only knew that the residential complexes here were old and there were many wet markets. The common folk who frequented this area were mostly old local residents. They all shared a characteristic: their income was more than enough to get by but not enough to be well-off. They couldn't be called poor, but they weren't part of the wealthy class either. They would haggle over a few dimes and cents when buying groceries. During the day, they were busy picking up their grandchildren, grocery shopping, and cooking. At night, especially on summer nights, these people would all come out to stroll the streets in twos and threes. They would either set up mahjong tables on the roadside or bring their own small stools to cool off with bamboo fans and chat idly. A lazy atmosphere of leisurely passing the days permeated the air.

"Sir, you don't need to drive any further. The car can't go in. Just stop by the roadside," Bo He said.

After the car came to a steady stop, she said goodbye to Qin Chuan, got out with the bag, and walked into the residential complex, her figure gradually receding into the distance.

Qin Chuan watched as she greeted her neighbors left and right, naturally blending into the bustling city life. He suddenly felt that this urban area, which he had once found noisy and chaotic and had been unwilling to pass through, had become full of human warmth.

It turned out that where the heart is, even a wasteland can be turned into a mulberry field.

Bo He was willing to patiently stop in her tracks, carrying a heavy bag, to listen to an elderly neighbor chat, yet she was unwilling to sit in the car with Qin Chuan for a moment longer.

The car slowly drove away.

The driver suddenly spoke up.

"Haven't won her over yet?"

Qin Chuan was silent for a moment. "I'm working on it."

The driver said, "If you ask me, she's not interested in you."

Qin Chuan: ...

Can anyone and everyone see it now?

The driver chuckled. "What, you don't believe me? I've been driving for so many years, my judgment of people is first-rate."

Qin Chuan: "I haven't even started pursuing her."

The driver hadn't said much throughout the trip, but now he was in the mood to talk and began to lecture him.

"Being so lukewarm won't do. You have to put in more effort. Find out what she likes and cater to her tastes. Appear when she needs you most. For example, help her carry things, do some heavy lifting—a man's advantages, you know?"

Qin Chuan: "She's stronger than me. The kind who could carry me on her back."

The driver also fell silent.

"Then what advantages do you have?"

Qin Chuan: "I'm her boss. Does that count?"

"Economically speaking, you have an advantage. But emotionally, if she's a very career-oriented woman, then that's actually a disadvantage." The driver, who was over fifty, spoke eloquently, like a life coach.

Qin Chuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. He found that everyone he'd met recently seemed to enjoy playing the teacher.

Wei Feizhou was like that, and so was this guy.

Besides, he suspected this man was probably a secretary who was used to writing reports for his department's leaders before he retired.

But while it was one thing with Wei Feizhou, having a deep conversation with a stranger seemed too abrupt.

Qin Chuan replied distractedly with a few perfunctory words and didn't continue the conversation.

Bo He returned home with her things and found that her roommate, Ouyang, had come back very early today.

"You're back! I just bought some cherry tomatoes, come and try them, they're especially fresh today!"

The latter, having changed into a nightgown, came up to her holding a bowl of fruit, exceptionally enthusiastic.

Bo He smiled. "Looking at you, you must have landed the role you wanted?"

Ouyang said delightedly, "Not exactly, but there's some progress. My agent at the company contacted them for me. Speaking of which, I have you to thank. After your godfather's introduction last time, the people on the film crew treated me much better. You have no idea, I used to be a nobody, no one paid me any attention. Later, the second male lead of the crew, that tall and thin Tong Jun, well, the actress for the second female lead in his new show suddenly couldn't make it, so he recommended me to the director."

Chewing on the fruit, Bo He asked, puzzled, "Isn't the casting and contract signing supposed to be decided in advance? How could she just back out like that?"

Ouyang said mysteriously, "Guess who the second female lead was?"

Bo He's cheeks puffed out as she chewed, like a squirrel eating. "I'm not familiar with your circle."

"But you'd definitely know her. It's Zhao So-and-so." Ouyang said a name.