Talking

Lin Xiao sat at his desk, his head down, still reeling from the encounter in the library. He couldn't stop thinking about the erotica books Chen Manyao had been carrying.

Her image in his heart was shifting, but strangely, he found himself liking her even more. He thought to himself, "The internet is right, people with the most innocent faces are often the most freaky."

As he brooded over these thoughts, he saw Chen Manyao enter the classroom. She glanced in his direction, their eyes meeting briefly before she quickly looked away, her cheeks still flushed from their earlier encounter.

Lin Xiao's heart pounded in his chest, but instead of feeling nervous, he suddenly felt a surge of courage.

"I will talk to her after school," he thought, a determined resolve forming within him for some reason. "I'll use those books as an excuse."

Throughout the rest of the class, he could hardly concentrate. His mind kept drifting back to Chen Manyao and the conversation he was planning to have. He rehearsed what he would say, trying to strike the right balance between casual and interested.

...

As the teacher droned on about quadratic equations, Lin Xiao's attention began to wane. He found himself doodling aimlessly in his notebook, his mind wandering back to his earlier encounter with Chen Manyao.

Just then, Zhang Wei, seated beside him, leaned over and whispered, "Hey, Lin Xiao, did you finish the history assignment? I totally forgot about it."

Lin Xiao turned to him, grateful for the distraction. "Yeah, I did. It's pretty straightforward. You want me to show you mine later?"

"Thanks, man. You're a lifesaver," Zhang Wei replied, giving him a thumbs-up.

Suddenly, a soft chime sounded in Lin Xiao's mind, accompanied by a familiar notification.

[Mission Completed: Talk to Your Friends - Reward: +0.5 Charisma +20 Exp]

Lin Xiao blinked in surprise. "That counted as talking to friends?" he thought, a bit taken aback.

As he processed the notification, a realization hit him with a dull thud. He had only spoken with Zhang Wei, and the mission had still been completed.

"Oh"

A quiet "oh" escaped his lips as the implication set in. Li Na and Wang Lei must not see him as a friend yet.

The realization was a bit disheartening, but he couldn't blame them. They had only known each other for three days, after all. Building friendships took time and effort.

Still, the thought left a faint pang of sadness in his chest. He glanced over at Li Na and Wang Lei, who were engrossed in their work, he felt a bit sad.

...

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day, Lin Xiao took a deep breath. He watched as his classmates filed out of the room, but his eyes remained fixed on Chen Manyao. She was gathering her things, moving slowly as if hesitant to leave.

She quickly ran out of the class.

Lin Xiao, however, was determined to speak with her. He slipped out of his seat and quickly moved to the door, positioning himself strategically.

Just as Chen Manyao reached the threshold, he stretched out his arm, resting his hand on the doorframe, effectively blocking her way.

"Chen Manyao," he said, his voice steady, though his heart was pounding.

She halted, a flicker of surprise crossing her face before she composed herself, masking her shyness with a facade of confidence. "Yes, Lin Xiao?" she replied, her voice holding a hint of challenge.

"I... uh, I wanted to apologize for earlier," Lin Xiao began, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It just surprised me, that's all."

Chen Manyao's eyes darted to the side, her cheeks flushing slightly. "It's fine," she said, her tone almost too casual. 

Lin Xiao nodded, trying to find the right words. "Yeah, you're right. I just...noticed you like to read, and I do too."

"You are the first person I know in the class who likes to read," Lin Xiao added

Chen Manyao looked at him, her expression softening just a bit. "You read too? What kind of books do you like?"

"Mostly fantasy and science fiction," Lin Xiao replied, a smile forming on his lips, his heart pounding. "But... I'm open to other genres as well. Maybe you could recommend something to me...?"

She hesitated, then gave a small nod. "Sure, I can do that. don't expect me to go easy on you with my recommendations,"

Lin Xiao could sense that she was genuinely curious, but not how he wanted her to be curious about him.

Lin Xiao chuckled. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

There was a moment of silence between them, somewhat uncomfortable as Lin Xiao still had his arm on the door frame, like he was some kind of main character of a romance novel.

"I'll let you go now," Lin Xiao said, stepping back and lowering his arm, a little embarrassed. "Thanks for talking with me."

Chen Manyao nodded again, her shyness resurfacing. "See you around, Lin Xiao."

As she walked away, a ding came in Lin Xiao's mind. 

[Mission Completed: Talk to Chen Manyao - Reward: +0.5 Charisma +50 Exp]

Hearing the notification, Lin Xiao felt a sense of accomplishment. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

....

Lin Xiao sprinted back home, his breath steady as he pushed himself to complete his daily mission.

The familiar rhythm of running helped clear his mind, but as he neared the place where the office worker had been receiving threatening balloons, a sense of unease settled over him.

Yesterday, the area had been bustling with undercover cops and police cars, a visible effort to protect the office worker. But today, it was eerily quiet.

No police presence, no undercover officers, it was just an ordinary street.

Lin Xiao slowed to a walk, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of law enforcement.

"Where did they all go?" he muttered to himself, his curiosity piqued. It was as if the police had abandoned the case entirely overnight.

His mind raced with possibilities. Did the police find the kidnapper and close the case? Or was there something else? Lin Xiao's instincts told him that something was off, and he couldn't shake the feeling that this was more than just a coincidence.

Wanting to find answers, he made a mental note to check the news and the internet later for any updates on the case.

As he resumed his run home, he couldn't help but feel a growing sense of confidence, maybe it was due to fact he talked to Chen Manyao. If the authorities weren't going to solve this mystery, maybe he could use his new abilities to get to the bottom of it.

Back at home, Lin Xiao finished his run, the system notification chiming in his mind.

[Run 1 km completed - Reward: +0.5 Stamina +10 Exp]

Hearing the ding, he was satisfied, he entered his house, still thinking about the mystery of the missing police. He decided to wait until after dinner to do more research.