After Unbinding the Simp System, I'm Targeted by the Villain - Chapter 49

“Um… I just remembered I didn’t walk my dog today. I have to go back.”

Yu Chucheng started spinning a web of lies the moment he opened his eyes, only to earn a snort of contempt from Ji Zhou. “Give me a break. Your house doesn’t even have a dog.”

With that, Ji Zhou grabbed Yu Chucheng and started pulling him inside, whispering a plea as they walked: “Just help me out. You’re the best gamer among us. I already messed up the movie; if I lead my goddess on a losing streak, I won’t have the face to keep pursuing her.”

Yu Chucheng grit his teeth and hissed, “There are so many internet cafes, why did you have to come to this one? Can’t we just switch?”

Ji Zhou had no idea about the bet Yu Chucheng had made with his brother. He only knew that because Duan Huaijin worked here, they got discounted internet time and free drinks. Why wouldn’t he take such a win-win deal?

Yu Chucheng felt he could still struggle a bit. “Let’s change shops, I’ll cover all the expenses…”

Before he could finish, the owner—who had just finished calculating last month’s books—looked up and spotted Yu Chucheng. He barked out a greeting, interrupting Yu Chucheng’s “spell”: “Aiya! Young Master Yu, you’ve finally come!”

Yu Chucheng had originally hoped to slip away while no one was looking. Now, every server in the cafe looked over, giving them the highest-tier “stare treatment,” as if Yu Chucheng had golden letters glowing over his head: VVVIP.

Duan Huaijin was currently sweeping up sunflower seed shells left by a previous customer. Hearing the commotion, he looked up to see a girl standing next to Ji Zhou, and another girl standing next to Yu Chucheng.

A colleague leaned over, eager for drama. “Hey, so that guy actually has a girlfriend? I thought he and you were a pair.”

Duan Huaijin silently scrutinized Xu Mengshu, who was to Yu Chucheng’s right, but didn’t respond.

The owner enthusiastically arranged a row of connected seats in a prime location—wide aisles, and the newest, best equipment in the shop. To give Ji Zhou and his goddess some space, Xu Mengshu sat closer to Yu Chucheng.

Duan Huaijin carried over the drinks the owner had ordered him to serve. As he set them down, he stole a few more close-range glances at Xu Mengshu. This girl is dressed exquisitely, and she’s wearing full makeup…

“I’m gonna head to the restroom,” Xu Mengshu said, standing up.

Yu Chucheng was logging into his game account when he heard a voice from above—

“Is she your sister?”

Yu Chucheng looked up reflexively and locked eyes with Duan Huaijin. His heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly averted his gaze. “No.”

Duan Huaijin’s heart sank. He paused for a second. “Then is she your girlfriend?”

On the other side, Ji Zhou’s mind was entirely on his goddess; he didn’t notice the situation at all.

Yu Chucheng froze, realizing that Duan Huaijin hadn’t been there when they took down the scumbag at the hotel, nor had he met Xu Mengshu at the hospital. He didn’t know she was Ji Zhou’s legendary cousin.

But for some reason, Yu Chucheng didn’t want to tell him the truth. Firstly, he had made that vow to his brother and wanted to stick to it for at least a few days to save face. Secondly, he felt he’d been getting too close to Duan Huaijin lately, to the point where uncontrollable factors were appearing—like his heart rate acting up whenever he saw the guy.

“That… that’s kind of personal, isn’t it?” Yu Chucheng stammered. To save some dignity, he added, “Besides, is it strange to be dating at my age?”

Duan Huaijin was silent for a moment.

“It’s not strange.”

When Duan Huaijin left to attend to other business, Yu Chucheng couldn’t see his face, but he felt like Duan Huaijin seemed a bit unhappy. His retreating figure looked somewhat desolate and lonely.

Looking back at their group of four—all logged in and ready for a happy gaming session—Yu Chucheng’s conscience suddenly twinged. Two voices began fighting in his head.

An angelic voice said: “Why didn’t you tell the truth? It makes it look like you’re in couples and excluding him! Is this how you treat a delicate ‘white flower’? You should go apologize!”

A little demon with a trident stabbed the angel right through: “Apologize my ass! You didn’t say or do anything wrong, why apologize?! If you want to go, go yourself; real men never bow their heads easily!”

Just as his mind was wandering, a deafening shout came through his headset.

“Yu Chucheng! You’re getting shot! What are you dazing for?!”

His soul finally returned. His fingertips flew across the keyboard to dodge, then he performed a precise spray of bullets to take down the ambusher even while his own health was low.

Ji Zhou, who almost lost the “team thigh,” sighed in relief and turned to his goddess. “See? I told you my bro is amazing. We’re definitely getting a win streak today.”

The goddess had been skeptical, but after a few rounds, her excitement grew. Ji Zhou was right; Yu Chucheng’s skill level was very high. He was playing on a smurf account, so there was no pressure—basically just “stomping noobs” and easily taking first place in four consecutive matches.

The internet cafe owner held a handful of sunflower seeds, standing nearby and smiling as he watched them play. His admiration for Yu Chucheng was unconcealed. He turned to Duan Huaijin, who was wiping a table: “Young Master Yu is really good at gaming. If his family didn’t have a literal gold mine, I bet he could make a name for himself in the e-sports scene.”

Duan Huaijin didn’t look up, only giving a lukewarm “Mm” in agreement.

On the other side, Yu Chucheng, as the core and pillar of the team, shouldered the heavy responsibility of commanding. Whether he was directing Ji Zhou or the other two, he called them by their game IDs. However, Xu Mengshu’s ID was simply “Xiao Shu.” Consequently, every time Yu Chucheng called out to her, it sounded very intimate to outsiders.

“Xiao Shu, there’s a gun here with low recoil, remember to swap out your shotgun.”

“Xiao Shu, hide by the door and use a medkit first. Don’t head out until you’re at full health.”

“Xiao Shu, watch the stairs. Footsteps are above you; someone’s definitely coming down.”

“Xiao Shu…”

“Xiao Shu…”

Xiao Shu, Xiao Shu, Xiao Shu.

Duan Huaijin’s ears were filled with Yu Chucheng’s voice. As he watched Yu Chucheng’s focused profile, the rag in his hand was unconsciously crumpled into a ball. He felt inexplicably irritable, even wanting to clock out early.

A colleague saw him nearly rubbing the table surface raw and was about to remind him, but upon seeing his dark, grim face, the colleague immediately swallowed his words.

Yu Chucheng led the other three through eight rounds. Except for one match where they encountered another “smurf” pro and he couldn’t carry the dead weight of Ji Zhou and the others, every other match was a victory.

As Ji Zhou prepared to start the ninth round, Yu Chucheng suddenly took off his headset, his face pale. “Wait… let’s rest for a bit.”

Xu Mengshu happened to be hungry too, so she started discussing ordering food with Ji Zhou. Yu Chucheng lowered his head and leaned over the desk, his body curling up in discomfort.

The iced Coke from earlier had already made his stomach uneasy, and after sitting still and gaming for so long, his stomach began to stage a violent protest.

It hurt so much…