Chapter 86: The Girl Addicted to Gaming

"Well, thank you, Mrs. Fu, for your thoughtfulness. You're really looking out for me, aren't you?" Fu Hannen spat the words through gritted teeth as he pulled open the car door and sped off, leaving Gu Yining standing in the cold evening breeze.

Hugging herself against the chill, Gu Yining lightly slapped her forehead. *Did I say something wrong again?*

Fu Hannen was clearly fuming, his anger boiling over. At this moment, he probably didn't want to see her again anytime soon.

Feeling helpless, Gu Yining pulled out her phone and dialed Xiao Xiao's number.

The call was answered almost immediately. "Ning Ning, what happened this afternoon? Who was that man? And who exactly is Fu Hannen to you? Care to explain?"

"It's a long story," Gu Yining sighed. "I'm downtown near the square right now. Mind if I crash at your place for the night?"

"Of course! Of course! My place is a private apartment, and I was just complaining about having no one to hang out with. Come over and keep me company. We can play some games!" Xiao Xiao replied, her mind clearly only on gaming.

But while Xiao Xiao had games on her mind, Gu Yining had only one thing on hers—how to deal with Fu Hannen.

Xiao Xiao quickly sent her the address of her apartment. Since Gu Yining hadn't driven, she hailed a taxi and headed over. While in the car, she reapplied her makeup, making sure her disguise was still in place.

When she arrived at Xiao Xiao's apartment, she rang the doorbell.

"Coming, coming!" A voice rang out from inside.

The door swung open, and Xiao Xiao appeared with a face covered in a black sheet mask, her hair pulled back by a cute bunny-ear headband. The sight gave Gu Yining a start.

"Haha! Did I scare you? Here, put on these slippers." Xiao Xiao quickly tore off the mask and fetched a pair of brand-new cartoon slippers from the shoe cabinet.

From head to toe, Xiao Xiao was dressed in cartoon-themed attire, exuding a playful, almost childlike cuteness.

Gu Yining slipped on the slippers and followed Xiao Xiao inside. The apartment was spacious but styled entirely to Xiao Xiao's tastes. The walls were pink, and everything from the lighting to the furniture reflected a whimsical, girlish charm.

As they settled down on the couch, Xiao Xiao handed Gu Yining a chilled drink from the fridge. "Alright, let's do this!"

"Do what?" Gu Yining asked, taking a big gulp of the icy beverage.

"Play games, of course!" Xiao Xiao exclaimed as she logged into her gaming account on her phone.

Gu Yining felt a wave of exasperation wash over her. *Shouldn't she be more interested in what's going on between me and Fu Hannen? Or ask about what happened today?*

*Typical gaming addict*, Gu Yining thought to herself.

"I don't have a gaming account," Gu Yining pointed out, trying to get out of it.

"That's no problem! I have plenty of alternate accounts, all max level with fully upgraded gear. You can have one," Xiao Xiao offered generously.

Not wanting to dampen Xiao Xiao's enthusiasm, Gu Yining smiled and agreed to play a round.

After logging in, instead of teaming up for a game, Xiao Xiao immediately invited her to the arena for a one-on-one duel.

"You want to duel me?" Gu Yining asked with a chuckle.

"Yup! Last time, I didn't have the confidence to win, but you effortlessly led the team to victory. I want to learn from you, show me what you've got!"

"Alright, I suppose you won't give up until I agree," Gu Yining said with a sigh, nodding in agreement.

Xiao Xiao wasted no time starting the game and moving to the hero selection screen. She picked her usual favorite, a tank hero for the side lane, while Gu Yining chose her go-to mage.

In the first three minutes, both sides focused on farming for resources and developing their characters. But by mid-game, they were going head-to-head in earnest.

"Ahhh! Don't hit me! Don't hit me! I can't win, I can't win!" Xiao Xiao was yelling at the top of her lungs, relying on pure volume as her strategy.

Gu Yining, however, remained calm and composed, her predictive skills and situational awareness top-notch. She could practically anticipate Xiao Xiao's every move.

"Ning Ning, please have mercy! This hurts so much. What kind of crazy damage are you dealing?" Xiao Xiao cried out in mock pain.

"It's magic damage," Gu Yining responded coolly.

"It's way too painful! Wait, let me heal a bit."

Despite constantly begging for mercy, Xiao Xiao didn't back down. She fiercely charged at Gu Yining again and again, attempting to outmaneuver her in a face-off.

Fifteen minutes later, the game ended with Gu Yining emerging victorious.

"Wow, you're so ruthless, Ning Ning! My poor tank didn't stand a chance against your mage," Xiao Xiao lamented, flopping back onto the couch. She tossed her phone aside and finally turned to Gu Yining. "Alright, I give up. You're way too good at this. So, what's going on with you and Fu Hannen?" 

Gu Yining laughed, shaking her head. *Typical Xiao Xiao—games first, life second.* But now, finally, they could get to the real conversation.