After AFK for five years, I returned to be number one in the entire server.

Night falls.

Muse Bar is located in a prime riverside location, with a row of limited-edition sports cars parked in front.

The moment the heavy soundproof door was pushed open, a deafening bass sound mixed with a strong smell of alcohol hit us.

Pei Xiao, wearing a trench coat, stepped into this colorful space.

He frowned, instinctively disgusted by the wildly thrashing crowd and flashing laser lights in the dance floor.

If it weren't for looking for someone, he wouldn't have set foot here at all.

He walked through the crowd and headed straight for the most central VIP booth on the second floor of the bar.

On a large, semi-circular leather sofa sat a young man in a burgundy shirt, holding a glass of whiskey, chatting and laughing with two pretty girls sitting close to him on either side.

That was Pei Xiao's older brother, Pei Xu.

The Pei family already had some influence in Ningchuan City and could be considered quite well-off.

Since Pei Xiao was chosen by Xingyuan, crossed the threshold to become a monthly-level player and joined Tian Shu, the social status of the Pei family has risen accordingly.

Although Pei Xu was just an ordinary person, he enjoyed the benefits brought by the family's rise to prominence with a clear conscience. Apart from managing some casual business, he spent most of his time in various entertainment venues and money-burning dens.

Pei Xiao walked to the booth, and the chilling aura emanating from him, accumulated from years of supernatural battles, made the air around the booth drop several degrees.

Several girls who had been giggling sensed the change in atmosphere and fell silent, looking at the excessively handsome man with a mixture of fear and curiosity.

"What a rare guest." Pei Xu looked up and saw that it was his younger brother. He was stunned for a moment, then smiled and patted the girl's waist next to him. "Go, go downstairs and play for a while. I need to talk to my brother about something."

The girls tactfully dispersed, holding their wine glasses.

"What would you like to drink? The bartender here has some pretty good new specials." Pei Xiao placed the glass on the marble table and looked at her younger brother who had sat down.

"Just give me a glass of water."

Pei Xu shrugged, beckoned a waiter to pour him a glass of warm water, and then looked at Pei Xiao with interest: "Did the sun rise in the west today? How come someone as busy as you has time to come to a place like this to see me?"

"I've run into some trouble." A hint of confusion flashed across Pei Xiao's usually calm and composed face.

Pei Xu's expression softened slightly, assuming it was a troublesome matter on Tian Shu's side: "What's wrong? Have you encountered a wanted criminal you can't handle? Or has the mission gone wrong?"

"It's not about Tian Shu. I've been... pursuing a girl lately, but it's not going very well." Pei Xiao picked up the glass of water and took a sip.

"Did I hear that right? Pei Xiao, the guy in my family who was showered with love letters from girls since he was little and had to change his schoolbag, and who was treated like a god at Ningda University, actually has a day when he needs to actively pursue girls? And he can't even win them over?" Pei Xu was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter, wiping away the tears that came out of the corners of his eyes.

Pei Xiao really didn't know how to pursue girls. Since childhood, his superior appearance and outstanding grades, coupled with his later awakening as a player, had always put him in a position of being looked up to in relationships.

He was used to others taking the initiative to approach him and to being liked by others. There had never been a time when he had to rack his brains to figure out what another person was thinking.

Until he met Su Nian, a girl who exuded aloofness from beginning to end by the campfire on that nameless island.

"I sent her flowers for several days in a row, each day with a different variety, and had them delivered to her classroom. But she didn't accept them once, and always had them returned untouched."

After listening, Pei Xu clicked his tongue twice: "Do you think this is still decades ago, where sending a few bouquets of flowers can move a young girl to tears? Tell me, who is she? She doesn't even give face to a monthly-level player like you."

"She's also from Ningbo University, a law student, and considered the most beautiful girl in the department."

"Oh, a top student in law school, and a beauty at that. No wonder she's so arrogant. A girl who's both beautiful and smart like that must have no shortage of admirers. Sending her flowers is just a harmless nuisance to her; of course she won't accept them."

"So what should I do?"

Pei Xu took out a cigarette case from his shirt pocket, pulled out a cigarette, put it in his mouth, and lit it with a lighter.

"To deal with someone who's completely unyielding, you have to break down her defenses. Forget about the 'sneaky flower delivery' thing, and don't even go in person. Go straight to her dorm, or find the busiest square on campus, and make a big scene."

"Confessing your feelings in public?"

Pei Xu, speaking with the air of someone who'd been there, said, "Exactly! You're so great, handsome, and a member of Tian Shu—you're a golden ticket in yourself. Use candles and music to create a grand spectacle, confess your love to her in front of hundreds or even thousands of people. No matter how reserved she usually is, the atmosphere and the satisfaction of her vanity at that moment will absolutely overwhelm her."

"She has a rather cold personality, so she might not like this," Pei Xiao hesitated for a moment before saying.

"You're still too young and don't understand women. In this world, there's no woman who truly dislikes romance and grand gestures. Don't be fooled by her aloof and unapproachable demeanor; that 'coldness' is mostly just a protective shield to filter out inferior suitors."

Pei Xu continued, "I've seen too many girls like this. They seem like unapproachable blocks of ice, but in reality, they're easier to move than anyone else. They just haven't met someone who dares to truly go all out and impress them. They reject you because your approach isn't impactful enough; it hasn't broken through their protective shell."

Pei Xu leaned closer, his tone highly inflammatory: "Believe me, go for it. As long as the scene is grand enough, and with your aura, the cheers and envy from those around you will create a huge psychological boost. In this wave, her so-called defenses will crumble instantly."

Pei Xiao looked at the glass of water on the table without saying a word. His reason told him that Su Nian might not be the type of girl Pei Xu was talking about.

But when it comes to how to win a girl's heart, he is completely clueless.

Pei Xu's confident theories about the "Sea King" were like a rope thrown to a drowning person; even knowing the potential risks, they still gave him an urge to grab it.

Perhaps I wasn't enthusiastic enough?

"Okay, I understand."

Pei Xiao stood up and walked out of the noisy bar without lingering any longer.

Pei Xu was left sitting in the booth, watching his younger brother's departing figure, shaking his head and chuckling. It was the first time he had seen his brother worry about something like this. He then waved back the girls who had been there earlier.