Another Task

Su Yan's expression fell. So they might be trapped here for several days? This wasn't good! He wanted to go home! He wanted to eat Nie Chang's food and sleep in his own bed and call his mother and continue writing his story … He didn't want to be trapped here for who-knew-how-long!

He looked at his boyfriend pitifully, asking to be consoled.

Nie Chang's bad conscience stirred. Maybe he shouldn't have been so harsh? He could just have pretended that Su Yan would reach the next level soon and that they would be able to return at the drop of a hat. That way Su Yan probably wouldn't have thought about it. Now he was going to be depressed because he knew. Well, as long as he didn't find a way to console him, that was.

Nie Chang sighed and rubbed Su Yan's back. "Don't worry too much. I'm just talking about the worst case so we're prepared in case something goes wrong. It could also be that everything will turn out well and we'll be back home in a few hours already, couldn't it?"

Su Yan pursed his lips and looked at him doubtfully. How could it be so easy? They weren't on earth anymore! Nie Chang had said so himself.

Nie Chang smiled wryly. Ah, if he could just turn back time … Unfortunately, he couldn't so he had to get out of this in another way. "How about we take a look at the tasks you have right now? Maybe there are some that will give you a lot of experience points. Then you'll advance quickly and we can go back."

Su Yan's expression looked a bit better but he didn't pick the mirror up. Nie Chang could only turn to the system himself and take a look. Unfortunately … there wasn't much to see.

Su Yan had already finished the second task line about the genre variation and the normal main task was also on hold since he was only supposed to continue writing, upload chapters and interact with his readers. That only left the practice tasks and those couldn't be done because they required him to write and edit. How was he supposed to do that without a notebook? He couldn't just pick up one of the calligraphy brushes and start writing with that, could he?

Nie Chang sighed. "System, is there any way for Su Yan to get more tasks?"

He didn't get an answer.

Nie Chang rubbed his brow and tried again. "When will Su Yan get the next main task?"

This time the system didn't hesitate. [The next main task may be unlocked when the hosts reaches a milestone with his second story.]

"What kind of milestone will that be?"

[Writing until specific plot points or reaching a threshold of reader interaction.]

Nie Chang frowned. That was nothing they could do. Su Yan couldn't upload anything and even if he managed to learn how to write with a calligraphy brush … How long would it take until he got to a point the system would deem to be a 'milestone'? That would take more than just a few days! And even if it didn't, it was entirely possible that Su Yan would only get that one new task. That certainly wouldn't be enough to advance to the next level.

"Then how about special tasks? Can he get one of those?"

[Special tasks will be issued at opportunities the host encounters.]

Nie Chang frowned even more. "What kind of opportunities?"

The system didn't answer.

Su Yan sighed and plopped down on Nie Chang's legs. "This is stupid! We'll never get out of —"

[Opportunities related to the host's occupation.]

Su Yan blinked. "Uh? Is the system just slow today?" He sat up again and tugged at Nie Chang's sleeve. "Ah Chang, do you know how to make such an opportunity turn up? Otherwise, we really won't be able to return home. Ah, I can't believe this! Transmigrating should be great! How come it turned out like this? At least tell me you know how to make egg-fried rice here!"

Nie Chang raised his brows. "That's your biggest problem?"

"I'm hungry!"

"We ate before I drove you home."

"Well, and then we drove home. Why can't I be hungry again?"

Nie Chang looked at the ceiling. Should he really remind a certain someone that he had eaten both their portions?

"And I'm being stressed. Can't I want to eat then?"

"Alright, alright. You're naturally right, darling. I'll find a way to cook you something tasty. I promise. But before that, let's think about whether we can find a way to make such an opportunity appear."

"How would we? It's not like anyone will knock on your door and bring me a notebook."

Nie Chang sighed. Well, he shouldn't have expected his darling to give this any thought when he was in this mood. "Maybe that's not necessary. Your special tasks before didn't have to do with writing directly, had they? The last one was to find ten reasons to break up. That's nothing that is exclusively tied to writing, is it?"

Su Yan perked up. "Right! And before that, the system wanted me to pair up men! So …" He stared at the mirror and finally turned to Nie Chang again. "So what does that mean? Isn't that strange?"

"Mn." Nie Chang tussled his darling's hair. "It is. But I think the reason might be that this isn't about writing, it's about the genre. BL. It probably wants you to learn about the things that are special to BL contrary to the thing you wrote before. So … it's about relationships."

"Then it wants us to … go and find relationships?"

"Mn, something like that. I guess it'll issue a task whenever there is something around that'll let you gather experience with —"

"Ah Chang!" Su Yan's eyes widened and he grabbed his boyfriend's robe, pulling him down to him. "That's it! Let's just fulfill those experience tasks!"