T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 184, Section 183: Cohabitation
Dussel readily delivered [Eleravie's Promise], but the demonic weapon [Eye of the Abyss] was temporarily withheld until the boundary between the real and the virtual reached the Screamer Snow Mountain.

All the team needs to do next is return to the Great Snow Mountain after completing Kurion's quest, and they will be able to upgrade to a trump card weapon, which will further increase their chances of defeating the Polyhedron monster on the ninth floor of the Underground Temple.

After leaving Dussel's oddly decorated office, the group teleported back to the guild.

This round of the game progressed much more easily than everyone had imagined. Because it was so fulfilling, Jiang Heyi only remembered that he had reached the maximum level and could choose his own skills when it was almost time to log off.

Unfortunately, the offline notification sound was already quite abrupt, and Jiang Heyi didn't even have time to glance at what good skills were available for a magic warrior to use before he exited the dream world.

Jiang Heyi slowly woke up and subconsciously put her hand to her forehead.

For some reason, I woke up today with a slight throbbing headache.

"I suggest you set off immediately and return to Guangfu."

During breakfast, Zhong Zemo suddenly spoke.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly sending me away?" Jiang Heyi said. "Didn't we agree to hone our skills with you a little more before we set off?"

Zhong Zemo chuckled: "I don't really care, but I'm afraid some people might be worried."

"Who's in a hurry, me?"

"French fries," Zhong Zemo reminded him, "When you hugged Kesha on the council platform, some people's expressions weren't very natural."

"And when she was negotiating with Lion King Kurion, the apples in her hand were big enough to be juiced."

As expected, she still cares, even though she says that Kishiro is just a two-dimensional character.

After hesitating for a moment, Jiang Heyi asked, "Wouldn't it be too sudden for me to set off like this?"

“Let’s put it another way. This isn’t sudden, it should be a pleasant surprise.” Zhong Zemo patted Jiang Heyi on the shoulder and said confidently, “Believe me, this is based on experience.”

"But you're so experienced, how did you end up getting divorced?"

"..."

"Spit it out! Spit out everything I fed you!"

Zhong Zemo, clad in invincible armor, probably only has this one weakness.

Jiang Heyi was not lacking in execution. Since Zhong Zemo had given her another push, she opened the group chat and saw that the group members were joking about her and French Fries' future cohabitation.

Then... why does it have to be the future, and not today?

Jiang Heyi handed the house keys to Zhong Zemo and asked him to look after them. She then bought a train ticket for noon.

Just leave!

On the eve of her departure, Jiang Heyi kept browsing the community.

The hottest news today is that the second round of qualification draws for the "Proof of Stars" lottery is about to begin.

It has been almost two months since the game was launched. After the events of guild wars and offline activities, the game has become a household name.

The second round of pre-registration for the lottery has only been going on for an hour, and the number of pre-registrations for the Chinese server alone has reached one million, and the number is still climbing.

Another trending post was about a reporter who deliberately blurred the lines between fact and fiction during a previous interview.

Even on the day of the interview, many players were very dissatisfied with the topics raised by the reporter. After some digging, they discovered that this person was a repeat offender.

Immediately, public sentiment was agitated, and many flocked to his social media accounts to demand an explanation.

In fact, most people think that the matter will eventually be dropped. There are far too many such cases, and I have never heard of any journalist being punished for them.

Otherwise, how could the meme "the most charming moment in journalism" have become so widely circulated?

As a result, early this morning, someone on the community forum said that they knew the reporter in real life and that she had entered the process of being suspended or dismissed, for reasons unknown.

People in the thread were popping champagne from time to time, feeling refreshed and invigorated as if a violent charge had finally yielded results.

Jiang Heyi was puzzled. There were quite a few reporters who would set traps and create big news, but no one was ever punished for it. Could it be that the prison guard's violent attack led to this result?
Since she's been punished, why not punish those guys who are aggressively attacking the prison guard on social media?

In terms of game progress, guilds that have cleared the eighth level of the underground temple are still only at the boundary between the virtual and real worlds.

Many guilds are stuck at the stage of ganging up on the Black Cat with the Slime King. Under the elemental mist, any unnecessary actions will trigger the wipe mechanism that destroys the entire eighth floor.

Each time they start over, they have to clear the Black Cat's [Boundary Between Reality and Illusion] skill again. After repeated trials and tribulations, countless people have had their Dao hearts shattered.

"What? We've paused our strategy for so long, and we're still leading the server?" Jiang Heyi chuckled.

I thought we'd catch up during this downtime, but it seems that by the time they've cleared out the capital and snow mountain storylines and returned with brand new equipment, most players will still only be able to vent their anger on the black cat's lewd pictures.

You know what, this white-stockinged black catgirl photo commissioned by Khorne God's Choice [I Have an Opinion] is actually quite pretty. No wonder the jailer guy said he'd use this today, and the group chat was flooded with it.

If it can excite even the most discerning gourmand, it must be the finest of the finest.

"You like this type?"

Jiang Heyi simply repeated a sentence, and a minute later, a chat window popped up on French Fries.

The accompanying picture is the same black cat that was just praised and repeated.

Jiang Heyi was momentarily embarrassed; how should she answer in this situation...?

"Let me guess, you really like tails?" Fries began his reasonable speculation, "When Ksha gave you the tail, you were all smiles as you rubbed it."

"My preferences aren't that narrow," Jiang Heyi said frankly. "As long as it looks good."

After saying that, he quickly changed the subject.

"By the way, what are your favorite dishes?"

Just as she was wondering if her attempt to change the subject was too simplistic and would be disliked by the fries, her reply came two or three minutes later.

"Potato."

It's not surprising that he's nicknamed "Potato," given his online name is "French Fries."

"Don't misunderstand, it has nothing to do with your name."

The explanation about the fries made Jiang Heyi understand the ambiguity in an instant, and he suddenly felt his cheeks getting hot.

The image of being hugged and cuddled by Kesha flashed through my mind, then Kesha's figure disappeared and transformed into the shape of French fries.

The brain is amazing, isn't it?

At this moment, Fries, who sent the message during the elective class, realized that he didn't need to explain at all. His superfluous remark was enough to make people think all sorts of things!
"Actually, I don't have any particular favorite foods. I'm not picky about food; I eat whatever tastes good."

"Broccoli and enoki mushrooms are what I eat most often."

These two should be the main foods you consume while exercising with fries, so keep an eye on them.

Jiang Heyi quickly made a note on her phone's notes app.

When they arrived in Guangzhou again in the afternoon, Jiang Heyi easily found the address of the local products that Orange Tea had distributed earlier, and purchased enough ingredients at the nearby farmers' market.

When are you coming home tonight?

Jiang Heyi squatted down next to the security booth with the groceries in hand—since the fries hadn't given Orange Tea a more detailed address, he could only wait here.

"Why do you ask this suddenly?"

"I'd like to play other games with you sometimes, how about we team up before going online tonight?"

The fries were taken aback.

Thinking about it carefully, after the college entrance examination, apart from the game "Proof of the Stars", the two of them really did not team up to play any other games.

Thinking back to how I had thrown myself into his arms not long ago, confirming our relationship...

French Fries blushed slightly, picked up her phone and replied, "I don't have class this afternoon, I'm already getting ready to go home."

"Wait for me." After sending the message, Fries packed up his bag and walked out of the classroom with the crowd.

"Holy crap, plain fries!"

"It really is fries."

After watching the live stream of the offline event, quite a few students from the same school recognized the fries.

On her first day back at school, she was met with a large crowd of onlookers, both during and after class.

In everyday life, French fries always give off a "keep away" vibe, so not many people talk to her.

Seeing her hurrying along, the students started talking amongst themselves.

"It seems like they don't have any classes in the afternoon. Are they rushing back to their dorms to join the union activities?"

"Duh, Fries doesn't live on campus; she rents her own place."

"I envy French fries. The influence of games is really huge. They've become celebrities at school."

"If you're really envious, then participate in the lottery. If you win, you can ride the wave of the game's popularity to make some videos, and maybe you can even make a little money."

"However, it can't compare to the boundary between reality and illusion. The participating guilds in the first World Championship are of extremely high quality and will be recorded in history."

Back at the entrance of the residential area, French Fries stared blankly at Jiang Heyi, who was carrying a suitcase and a red plastic bag full of groceries.

It took her a while to react.

When did you arrive?

"I've only been here a short while, what, aren't you welcoming me?" Jiang Heyi retorted. "Didn't you invite me?"

"But you said you wanted to learn a couple more tricks from Zhong Zemo before you came here."

Jiang Heyi's lips curled up: "Teaching isn't such an inconvenient thing."

When they arrived at the rented house, Fries finally came to his senses.

The hand holding the key trembled slightly.

"So this means... we've started living together."

She didn't think much of it when she extended the invitation.

Jiang Heyi said it would take some time, which made her somewhat disappointed.

Jiang Heyi was standing right beside her, and her heart suddenly started pounding. She was at a loss for what to do.

"Um, if you need to clean up first, I can wait here."

Realizing that his hesitation had led Jiang Heyi to misunderstand that the house was a mess, French Fries suddenly became quick and efficient.

She pushed the door open abruptly, as if to prove something, grabbed Jiang Heyi's hand, and pulled him into the house.

The apartment is a standard three-bedroom, two-living room unit. Due to its proximity to the university area, housing in this area is scarce, and there are very few options for fries, so we opted for this place as a luxury.

The room was not cluttered; Fries had kept everything clean and tidy, in a state where one could call the landlord at any time to request a move out.

"Just leave your things anywhere. There are two empty rooms that haven't been used. You can choose whichever you like," French Fries said to Jiang Heyi, trying to appear calm.

There was no rush with the luggage; it would be lunchtime soon. Jiang Heyi found the kitchen and began her work.

He skillfully washed and shredded several potatoes.

French Fries stood to the side and watched for a while, then suddenly remembered something and asked Jiang Heyi what dishes she planned to make that night. She then picked out the corresponding ingredients and began to help with the pre-processing.

"I'll take care of it. You can sit and wait for your food."

“That won’t do. I heard that Squid Bro’s wife is like that.”

Jiang Heyi suddenly felt that these words were somewhat subtle.

French Fries quickly realized that her words were somewhat ambiguous... Her original intention was simply to tell Jiang Heyi that she was not someone who would expect to be fed.

The two of them suddenly fell silent, their faces flushed as they ruthlessly mashed the ingredients under their hands, as if they were monsters that could drop gold coins.

Zhong Zemo, who was teaching a class in Chengning City, suddenly felt a tremor in his heart: "Is it just my imagination?"

Hot and sour shredded potatoes, stir-fried broccoli, cold enoki mushroom salad, and a dish of green pepper squid that Jiang Heyi really likes.

The weather in Guangzhou is very hot, and spicy and sour dishes are great for stimulating the appetite.

"Delicious! Isn't this already delicious?" Fries chewed on the squid, his eyes shining.

Nothing is more satisfying than having your skills praised by someone you like.

Jiang Heyi picked up a piece of squid with his chopsticks and put it in her bowl: "Here, I ate your squid the other day, so I'm returning it to you now. I'll make it for you again in the future."

"As long as you don't dislike me and kick me out, you can have a ready-made meal when you come home from school."

French Fries paused for a moment, then mumbled in a barely audible voice, "Okay."

French fries are a big eater, and after eating and drinking to her heart's content, Jiang Heyi looked around and realized that she must have eaten two and a half of the four dishes by herself.

Considering she ate two full bowls of rice, it's no wonder she has such a great figure.

"Wow, they can really eat!" Jiang Heyi couldn't help but remark as she cleared away the dishes.

French Fries had just taken out a chilled sugar-free soda from the refrigerator, and his face flushed slightly upon hearing this.

"It's always been like this since I was a child."

“The jailer envied you for not gaining weight, and now I’m envious too,” Jiang Heyi said. “It’s not just thanks to exercise, you have a perfect physique.”

"I guess I inherited it from my dad," Fries said. "He also has a great appetite. I heard he could eat a lot when he was young. If he were around today, he could be a mukbang (eating broadcast) star."

"Isn't he only in his thirties, not even forty yet?"

French Fries pouted helplessly: "They say eating too much is bad for your health, and you have to take care of your body so you don't break down and can't be with my mom until the end... How cheesy."

That's exactly what that couple would say...

Thinking back to how gentle and refined Papa Fries was, it's hard to believe he was such a big eater.

Don't judge a book by its cover.

Zhong Zemo happened to come over to inquire about the situation, and Jiang Heyi showed the information to French Fries.

"Tell them?"

"It's up to you."

As she spoke, she carried Jiang Heyi's suitcase into a room, seemingly to tidy it up for him.

Jiang Heyi took a photo and posted it in the group chat.

"French Fries House, already occupied."

After a moment of silence, the group chat exploded.

"Wait a minute, didn't we just say yesterday that we'd wait a while before moving in together?" The girl in bed was stunned. "How fast are you guys moving?!"

"I now suspect that Kshatriya played a crucial role in this matter," Tetra analyzed calmly.

"So here's the question," the jailer said curiously, "if we tell Ksha about this in the game, how will Ksha react?"

"Wow, don't mess up the storyline!" said the blanket.

(End of this chapter)