Scourge Messenger

Chapter 210 Superficial Liking

Yan Qing braced herself against the door, as if worried that the pharmacist would break down in a fit of rage, or as if she needed the door to stand up.

He had clearly been in the lead just now, leaving the pharmacist speechless, but now he was the one feeling unwell and remained motionless for a long time.

It wasn't until the girl in his arms stirred slightly, her hair gently brushing against his chest, that Yan Qing came back to his senses. He pressed his ear to the door to listen for any sounds outside, but the door was very soundproof; nothing could be heard except for the knocking.

"I'll take you back to your room now. Just follow my movements and don't look up," Yan Qing instructed.

The girl gave a soft "hmm," and Yan Qing was pleased that she was so obedient. If Shang Xinlei insisted on moving around and trying to see his room, Yan Qing wouldn't know how to stop her, especially since the Nesser game console was right on his desk. Although she probably wouldn't know what the game console was or what it was for, and would most likely just ignore it, it was always better to minimize the risk of being exposed.

However, it's really a bit unusual to see Shang Xinlei so well-behaved... Yan Qing gently stroked the back of Shang Xinlei's head, thinking that she was probably afraid of exposing her face. After all, she is the fourth daughter of the Shang family, and she has to save face.

Yan Qing pushed open the door and peered into the hall through the crack. Fortunately, the hall was circular with no blind spots. Once he confirmed no one was there, he quickly carried Shang Xinlei to her room, grabbing her hand and placing it on the doorknob. The rooms in the Thief's House were all 'soul-bound,' or rather, all properties recognized by the system in *The Messenger* had similar security systems. No key was needed; only the owner could open them.

As soon as Shang Xinlei opened the door, Yan Qing immediately led her inside and closed the door in one smooth motion. Shang Xinlei didn't cause any trouble the whole time, only her body trembled slightly, which made Yan Qing laugh. This cowardly snotty little thing.

He patted Shang Xinlei on the shoulder: "Alright, you're back in your room now. Now you know how wise I was, right? Even in the Thieves' Den, you can't let your guard down. Like this time, we just happened to run into Black Wolf. If it weren't for me..."

Yan Qing's voice grew softer and softer. He watched as Shang Xinlei lifted her head from his embrace, revealing a pretty face that could be both angry and happy. Her cheeks were flushed as if she were burning up. She lightly bit her lower lip, and a hint of charm flowed from her eyebrows. Her eyes blinked as she stared at him, her shyness and anger mixed with many emotions that Yan Qing couldn't understand.

To make it easier to carry her, Yan Qing instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist. Perhaps because of the messenger, even though she ate so much every day, her waist was still very slender, but it was very elastic when pressed, like a water snake that could leap up at any moment. Shang Xinlei also wrapped her arms around Yan Qing. In this position, she would naturally press tightly against Yan Qing, like a cat lying on Yan Qing's body.

He hadn't noticed until now, but Yan Qing was only now feeling the heavy, soft flesh pressing against his chest. He could even clearly feel their pressure and relaxation with each breath. Before him was the girl's sweet face, his arms were around her soft waist, his body felt the girl's proud touch, and even his nose could smell the girl's... well, sorry, he could only smell the aroma of fried stuffed green peppers. His mouth was watering.

Shang Xinlei remained silent, as did Yan Qing. He attempted to manipulate the messenger's control over his body, maximizing all his senses. Although he didn't know why things had turned out this way, Shang Xinlei's embrace was indeed very comfortable, and Yan Qing decided to enjoy it to the fullest.

"Close your eyes," Shang Xinlei suddenly said.

"Huh?" Yan Qing's eyes widened.

"Close your eyes!" Shang Xinlei urged angrily, but the next second she lowered her voice and blushed, "Close them now."

What? What happened? I didn't trigger any special events, did I? How could this happen so suddenly? Or am I really some kind of unparalleled visual novel master? But I'm currently living in a thief's den, I don't even have a house...

Yan Qing was bewildered by Shang Xinlei's words, his mind a jumble of chaotic thoughts. He obediently closed his eyes, nervously pursed his lips, and tried to recall relevant knowledge points. Then he realized that his education seemed to be missing a crucial element…

Snapped.

Yan Qing rubbed his forehead, which had been flicked hard, and stared wide-eyed at Shang Xinlei, who was withdrawing her finger. Shang Xinlei looked at him with a beaming smile, her lips brimming with barely suppressed smugness: "You seem quite surprised. What were you daydreaming about just now? Tell me, and I might just grant your wish~"

She floated away from Yan Qing's arms like a butterfly. On the table in the room was a plate of fried stuffed green peppers. She picked one up with her chopsticks and ate it: "Luckily I prepared an extra portion, otherwise we wouldn't have any to eat today." After finishing, she licked the sauce off her fingers: "It's just not spicy enough."

No wonder Yan Qing kept smelling the aroma of fried stuffed green peppers; there were some in the room after all.

His gaze towards Shang Xinlei was filled with resentment as he muttered, "I only tricked you once last time, is it necessary to hold such a grudge..."

"You were the one who lectured me first!" Shang Xinlei crossed her arms and leaned her buttocks against the table, snorting, "It's just that you happened to run into Black Wolf this time, and you're already feeling smug. Who would tie themselves up like a ghost like you?"

“But it’s not that I was quick; Black Wolf saw your face a long time ago!” Yan Qing retorted. “Luckily, you had your back to her. If she had arrived a little later, we would have been eating, and even if I had been quick, I wouldn’t have made it in time.”

"Isn't she trustworthy?" Shang Xinlei suddenly asked.

"She..." Yan Qing was speechless for a moment, "It has nothing to do with whether she is trustworthy or not, it's just that there's no need to take the risk. Don't you have a pair of glasses that can drastically change your appearance? Wearing that token doesn't affect your ability to eat."

"No!" Shang Xinlei shook her head firmly: "Absolutely not!"

Yan Qing didn't understand why she was so insistent on this small matter. Compared to his bandages, wearing glasses was far more convenient. But he didn't intend to continue trying to persuade her, because if they really wanted to be serious, they should just stop this lunch break. Anyway, it wasn't anything important, and stopping wouldn't cause any loss.

They simply tacitly avoided mentioning this point. It's like two thieves accusing each other of not being more careful to avoid being discovered, but no one would suggest simply not stealing at all, because if they didn't steal, the two thieves would have no reason to work together.

As Yan Qing was mentally calculating how to increase security measures, Shang Xinlei suddenly asked, "You have a younger sister?"

"...If we don't discuss blood relations and it's just a nominal title," Yan Qing replied after a moment of silence, "Yes."

"How old?"

"I don't know if he was between ten and twelve years old."

Shang Xinlei hesitated, but couldn't help asking, "Don't you know the ages of Jiang Shi, An Wu, and the Rat Monk either?"

“I could make up a number for you, and they would acknowledge it, but it would be meaningless,” Yan Qing said calmly. “Age is worthless to us, just like an insect that lives only a day and dies at dusk—there’s no need to calculate how many hours it has lived.”

"You're so cold." "It's not like you just met me yesterday. This is just how I am."

"I'm not saying you're indifferent to your subordinates, I'm talking about your attitude towards me." Shang Xinlei looked at him: "I'm not Black Wolf, so why do you always speak to me with such barbs and hidden needles? You always show your darkest side, always reveal your cruelest thoughts... Do you really want to see me hate you and distance myself from you? Or have you never believed me, and always thought that I would despise you at some point?"

Yan Qing was startled and took a step back against the door, as if she wanted to escape this place filled with the aroma of fried and stuffed green peppers and the scent of a young girl.

“I’m sorry,” he said.

"The person you should apologize to is Black Wolf, not me," Shang Xinlei said. "It's only because Black Wolf doesn't understand you that she was provoked by you, and that she would take care of things first in times of danger... What's her name?"

Yan Qing was stunned for a moment before she understood what she was asking: "Bunny Girl Warrior".

"Did you come up with this name? It's terrible. No wonder Black Wolf is so dissatisfied with you. If it were me, I would also think you don't care about this little sister at all." Shang Xinlei complained, "I'll believe it's true that you would kill Bunny Girl first to reclaim the power of the natural disaster when she's in danger, but why did you have to say it at a time like this?"

"If I'm not mistaken, Bunny Girl must have met with this misfortune today. Black Wolf was covered in wounds, without even the most basic disguise, coming to the Thieves' House wearing a mask, at her most vulnerable and sensitive moment. She didn't even come to ask for help. Although I don't know the details of what happened, since the Foundation Establishment Messenger was mentioned, Black Wolf must have been prepared that you were powerless to help... She came to you to share her confusion and sorrow. She thought you felt the same way as her, she thought you would be her ally!"

"But you hurt her time and time again." Shang Xinlei calmly stated the facts: "Even when she wanted to believe you, you deliberately assumed the most extreme scenario to show your cruelest choice."

“So I’m different from her, she’s misunderstood,” Yan Qing said. “I don’t want her to think I am—”

“I know you’re not a good person, but you’re not a bad person either.” Shang Xinlei sighed. “Although I don’t know Black Wolf or the little girl named Bunny Girl, since Bunny Girl risked her life to save him, Black Wolf must be a good person, right? You don’t dislike her, otherwise you wouldn’t have said so much… You could have been friends, so why do you have to be a hedgehog?”

It's probably because I'm scared.

Yan Qing understood everything Shang Xinlei said. He even knew how to properly win over Yaoshi Yuan. As long as he discussed with Yaoshi Yuan how to save the Bunny Girl, the Bunny Girl's situation, and the Bunny Girl's feelings, they could quickly become confidants.

And no action is required.

After all, the Bunny Girl will definitely be imprisoned by the Foundation Establishment True Person in a heavily guarded place. No matter how much they plot, it will all be in vain. The most practical thing to do is to wait until the fourth Foundation Establishment stage before asking for her back. Only through repeated discussions can their relationship be strengthened.

Moreover, the pharmacist is currently in the most vulnerable stage of her life. As long as Yan Qing is gentle and considerate, although I am reluctant to use this word, there is no better way to describe this approach than 'taking advantage of her vulnerability'.

Yan Qing did not do so, not because he was a virtuous and upright man, but because he was afraid.

He was afraid of the pharmacist's wish.

Actually, when Yan Qing saw the pharmacist's sadness and excitement for the bunny girl, he felt a little envious of the bunny girl.

Not only Bunny Girl Warrior, but also Rat Monk, Jiang Shi, and even Ye Si. They are active in the outside world, meeting many, many people every day, being relied upon by many, many people, and gradually forming many important bonds. If they die, Qian Gongyu, Shang Xuanwen, and Yaoshi Yuan will also be very sad... Compared to their main accounts, these secondary accounts are more like 'living'.

If I die, who in this world will shed a single tear? Perhaps Shang Xinlei will, and then she will realize that she doesn't even know what I look like.

However, Yan Qing had nothing to complain about. This was the path he had chosen, and he gladly and proudly enjoyed this solitude.

He also knew that these people liked the alt accounts, which had nothing to do with the main accounts. Behind the chivalry of the bunny girl, the loyalty of the rat monk, and the arrogance of Jiang Shi, there was only a cowardly soul, just like the heroine of a galgame only liked the male protagonist's gentleness, kindness, and bravery, which had nothing to do with the player.

So when the pharmacist gets close, he acts like a stressed cat or dog, baring his teeth and claws. He doesn't think the pharmacist wants to get along with him at all, and what he's more afraid of is... that they'll become friends because of Bunny Girl.

Real-life friends are different from game friends. If the bunny girl ultimately fails to protect the pharmacist, Yan Qing will be sad for a while but will eventually get over it, since he has done his best. But if Shang Xinlei is in danger now, can he just send a small account over and then feel relieved, say he did his best, and be at peace with himself?

In his past life, some people discussed how immortal beings would inevitably become indifferent to human emotions and not care about the life and death of those around them. Yan Qing didn't know if he would be like that in the future, but he knew that he couldn't be truly cold-blooded now.

If his previous 'evil' was to protect himself from being bullied by others, then his current 'evil' is to drive others away from him.

Yan Qing told himself again and again that he was a lost soul in this world, no one knew him, no one needed him, so he had to value himself more than anyone else, cherish himself, and not squander his life... because no one would shed a tear for him.

But the hedgehog is most dangerous when it exposes its soft belly, which is why Yan Qing is so afraid of the pharmacist... In the game, Yan Qing has witnessed her courage, her dignity, her pride, and her affection... How could Yan Qing not like this fallen princess who is clear about love and hate?

Although this liking is superficial and childish, similar to liking Lin Yueru from "Chinese Paladin", Si Niang from "Black Myth: Wukong", Selena from "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim", or Saber from "Fate", liking is liking, and there is no falsehood in it.

If there weren't more interactions in reality, this feeling would probably fade into a pleasant impression in Yan Qing's mind. After all, a game is just a game, not something that leaves a lasting impression. But the pharmacist appeared before him so vividly, so strong yet so weak, her eyes filled with resentment and pleading... So he could only be a curled-up hedgehog, cruelly shattering her illusions.

Firstly, Yan Qing didn't actually mention the most likely scenario: his character slots would be full within a year, and he would have to cancel the character "Bunny Girl" to make room. It was unlikely that either Yaoshi Yuan or he would reach the Foundation Establishment stage within a year. Since the fate of "Bunny Girl" was already predetermined, Yan Qing couldn't bring himself to use her to get close to Yaoshi Yuan; that would be too despicable.

Secondly, Yaoshiyuan had already rejected his way of playing the game, so they were destined to be different. Even if they became friends, Yaoshiyuan would eventually see through his cruelty.

His rules of the game will not change for anyone, nor does he want them to change. Rather than disliking each other in the future, it's better to leave this positive impression only within the game.

(End of this chapter)