Chapter 453 Live A Good Life
Perhaps due to the fact that they were not in a game, Ye Ci was not used to the presence of Yi Qingchen at all. She was not Gongzi You, she was not the God-tier player of the Eastern Continent, nor was she the first Dark Player. She was Ye Ci, while Fleeting Time was still Fleeting Time.
She was sitting under a parasol as a waitress served her a cup of cold milk. A huge screen showcasing the gameplay of Fate was right across the street. Nobody knew how much the Glory Corporation had spent on advertisement in such a bustling city, but the display of extravagance in their expenses was a source of envy. The fight between Fleeting Time and Lethal Poison was being played out on the screen.
Yi Qingchen stared at her face, and at her black hair that was tied into her ponytail that was flowing down her back and onto her light green dress. It made her skin seem even paler than it was.
The scorching sun baked her face red as she stared at the screen. A few strands of stray hair caught his attention. And the urge to brush away the hair and caress her face was strong.
Ye Ci felt awkward under his intense gaze. She stole a glance at him, and immediately averted her gaze. Oh God, why is the weather so hot? She grumbled to herself as she gulped down yet another mouthful of cold milk.
Fate’s Fourth Anniversary had attracted a lot of attention. Many of the players from all over the country had received invitations from the developers to attend the event. This naturally meant that the streets would be packed full of players, and a large number of them were gawking at the screen.
Despite knowing that the awkward situation would take them nowhere, Fleeting Time did not mind. His eyes had never left Ye Ci, and it eventually became unbearable to her.
“You arrived early. Have you had the chance to meet up with Lethal Poison?” she asked after gulping down the last of her milk.
“Mmhmm..” came the response.
Ye Ci lowered her gaze when she found Yi Qingchen still staring at her, “Can you not stare at me like that?”
“Alright.” Yi Qingchen immediately complied. His gaze wandered around for the briefest of moments before settling back on Ye Ci.
Ye Ci barely even had a moment of respite before she was once again under the gaze of Yi Qingchen, and this made her even more awkward, “What are you doing? Why are you still staring at me?” she furrowed her eyebrows.
“The things around us do not look as good as you.” a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Ye Ci could feel her face immediately heating up. She pouted at him and turned around to continue looking at the screen, but Fleeting Time could see the deep blush on her ears.
The air of awkwardness was finally dispelled when the couple spent an entire day sightseeing in the city. While Ye Ci was not a great conversationalist, she found herself sharing the same viewpoint as Fleeting Time when it came to a lot of things. The two of them were able to discuss even the most trivial of topics for a long time. And when they returned to the hotel with the setting sun behind their backs.
“There she is! I knew she wouldn't show up late for dinner!”
Ye Ci looked at the source of the voice, and saw Fang Susu waving at her, with Qin Curuo standing beside her.
The top three guilds in each continent were given the opportunity to send a number of their members to attend the Fourth Anniversary. Wolf Pack, Tang Dynasty, and Conquering The Heavens were the Eastern Continent guilds that had been invited to the event.
Despite its quick growth, Upwards Ho! did not make it into the top three. But some of the guild’s well known players with outstanding achievements such as Bai Mo, Fruit Jelly, Timely Rain, Pea Cake, and Purty Essence were invited to the event by the developers.
Due to their close relationship, the members of Upwards Ho! and the Conquering The Heaven members who were mingling with one another. Their interests were piqued when Fang Susu expressed her intention to go and greet Gongzi You who would be arriving shortly.
All eyes were laid on Yi Qingchen’s hand that held Ye Ci’s in his. Smiles immediately appeared on their faces.
Qin Curuo, on the other hand, was shocked, “Ye Ci! You’re Gongzi You?!”
Ye Ci raised an eyebrow at Fang Susu, who was practically beaming at her. ‘Praise me!’ was written all over her face, “That’s right, senpai. Your wife sure can keep a secret.”
“Of course! And I would’ve carried your secret into the grave!” and the crowd erupted into laughter.
“Fleeting Time?” one of them asked quizzically at the man standing beside Ye Ci.
The smile remained on Yi Qingchen’s face. He was not surprised that his identity was revealed. He greeted the members of both guilds politely, and was able to quickly warm up to them. While the players were all in high spirits, they still felt some regrets for Bai Mo, who could not attend the event as his parents demanded his presence back home for blind dates.
Fleeting Time was dragged by Absalom to Genesis’s table despite his protests when dinner started, while Fruit Jelly was grinning at Ye Ci, “Heh, Gongzi. When will we be able to attend your wedding feast?”
Even after steeling herself for what was bound to come, Ye Ci still found herself unprepared to receive such a question as she gagged on her drink.
As the representative of Glory Corporation, Wang Jiangnan was walking around the dining hall to give out toasts to the players. His face was already a bright shade of red as he wobbled his way to Upwards Ho!’s table.
Ye Ci could still remember her first meeting with Wang Jiangnan four years ago, when he was still a junior developer in the company who was chasing his dream. The person had long since become the lead developer of Fate. Time sure passes quickly.
Wang Jiangnan began speaking to the members of the guild, and one of them even dragged a chair for him to sit. He then raised his glass and turned to face Ye Ci. The smile on his face seemed forced to her, “Ye Ci, Gongzi You…” Words refused to come out of his mouth.
Ye Ci stared at him and returned the smile.
Wang Jiangnan opened his mouth once again to speak, but he ended up biting back his words, “It’s alright. I don’t have to say anything. Thank you. Really.”
“You did well, Wang Jiangnan.” Ye Ci raised her own glass and their glasses made a sharp noise as they toasted. Wang Jiangnan could see the past moments of his life leading to this day flashing through his eyes. He could still remember each and every word that she had spoken to him.
He nodded at Ye Ci, and gulped down the content in his glass before standing up. Forget about it. Some things shouldn’t be said. It’ll be ruined if it ever leaves my mouth. He thought to himself. His hand felt heavy as he patted Ye Ci on her shoulder.
“Ye Ci, I hope you live a good life.”
