It Turns out that I am Beautiful, Strong and Miserable [Quick Wear] - 45

 

ITOTIABSAM | Landlord Tenant | 45

It's impossible to mistake the target when shooting.

After all, there's only one idiot who would run towards themselves amidst the gunfire.

"Whoosh—"

The bullet grazed closely past the authentic golden retriever model, and suddenly hit the gray rabbit that appeared from the ruins, aiming at Gu Cong who was trying to scavenge. It was clear how to avoid being hit in vital areas. Xie Ye dodged while quickly adjusting his perspective, firing several shots in succession.

"Ding! Ding Ding!"

Three light sounds representing elimination rang out. In the map, only a golden dog and a black cat remained, both emitting a faint red light, indicating that Xie Ye's health had dropped to the minimum. Using the most intuitive metaphor, it was like being left with only a layer of skin, unable to self-rescue, unable to carry any weapons, and could easily fall with a light touch.

Crackle.

As if connecting to some other dimension, numerous weapons suddenly "exploded" from the black cat's bag at the waist, scattering enticingly all over the ground.

The dog on the opposite side, seemingly oblivious to everything, lowered its head and rummaged through its own backpack, tossing out all the bandages and medicine.

Five seconds, ten seconds... waiting for the injured cat to act, but after waiting for a long time, he seemed to finally realize that the opponent couldn't self-rescue at the moment. He quickly picked up the bandages he had just thrown away and tried to wrap them around the black cat's body.

However, in solo mode, players cannot accept any assistance other than their own, even if the golden retriever was anxious and running around in circles, there was an invisible barrier between him and the black cat.

There was no chat box in trial mode, Xie Ye wanted to remind the other party, but he couldn't find a way to speak up.

Anyway, he would die first after the shrinking circle in a while.

He thought, the performance of the novice player was kind of cute, it seems that the legendary "carrying" feels like this.

But Gu Cong took action before the poison fog spread across the entire map.

Clang clang, the golden retriever dug out the last and only grenade from its backpack. Just as Xie Ye was relieved at the other's decisiveness, thinking it would spare him from standing foolishly for a few tens of seconds, the seemingly silly golden retriever suddenly ran up to him, shoulder to shoulder, and forcefully threw the grenade towards their feet.

Boom—

The giant fluffy marshmallow exploded, its shape exactly like a mushroom cloud, but somehow it gave a sweet and gentle feeling.

The screen flickered between white and black, and the animated settlement interface popped up. A cool-looking black cat wearing a cute crown given by the mascot rabbit stood lazily on the highest podium, swaying its tail.

The game helmet with a face mask did feel a bit stuffy. The background music in the headphones stopped, and Xie Ye, following the instructions of the staff, unfastened the buckle with one hand.

Immediately, a gaze with such a strong presence that it couldn't be ignored fell upon him.

The initial position had become messy as the game progressed. Xie Ye turned his head and followed the gaze's direction. Just as his lips were about to curl up, they suddenly froze.

It was Guan Chen.

That face, deeply etched into his memory, he wouldn't mistake it no matter what.

As for that foolish "golden retriever," who hadn't taken off his helmet yet, he was still perplexedly reaching out to confirm the location of the staff, quietly asking, "Are we really not allowed to take screenshots? Isn't there a screenshot button on the controller?"

The staff member smiled wryly, "There really isn't."

"But we should have a global recording of each player in our projection device, which will be used for editing and promotion later on. If you need it, we can provide it."

As if a frozen river suddenly resumed flowing, Xie Ye's stiff limbs gradually regained sensation, and his cold fingertips began to warm up.

Gu Cong, who had taken off his helmet, thanked the staff and quickly approached, saying, "Xie Ye, you're so cool. You're really cool."

"In fact, I originally just wanted to get myself eliminated, but when I thought about leaving you all alone in the game to be consumed by the poison gas, I..." I just couldn't bear it.

He stopped himself from saying the last sentence in time, feeling like he had done something wrong. His heart suddenly skipped a beat, almost choking himself.

Knowing it was just a game, he couldn't help but take it seriously. Seeing the young man looking slightly puzzled, Gu Cong was pondering how to change the subject when there was suddenly a commotion around them.

"It's god Guan Shen."

"It's Guan Shen."

"The game is over, can we get an autograph?"

God Guan Shen?

Guan Chen?

Following the voices, Gu Cong indeed saw a somewhat familiar face in the area of the fifth test player, naturally exuding a hint of mischief in his handsome appearance. Despite his polite smile, he resembled a somewhat unmanageable playboy.

Subconsciously, he glanced at Xie Ye.

The other's expression remained calm, but his shoulders seemed even more tense than when he first entered. Without a word, Gu Cong shifted his position, using his tall stature to shield Xie Ye from the inside.

To be honest, even after the birthday incident, his alt self, while feeling down, hadn't reached the level it was at today. The problem lies in his excessive reliance on love and seeking affirmation from the person he likes. 

He confessed to Guan Chen, and even after being rejected, he continued to pursue and bombard him with messages, manipulated by the plot.

["I can also look good."]

["Really, the virtual avatar design is based on my appearance."]

After several days without a response, he sent a series of messages:

["Guan Chen."]

["Guan Chen Guan Chen Guan Chen."]

["Is our understanding when playing games all fake?"]

By that time, his alt self had already started vomiting excessively, in a daze, and his mental state was somewhat abnormal. 

But when these messages were accidentally made public, others who were unaware could only feel horrified. They had only played games together for a few months, so why should Guan Chen, a flawless male god in all aspects, be responsible for a self-proclaimed fat guy?

["Haha, 'treasure' and 'baby' are just Guan Shen's catchphrases, nobody would take that seriously, right? Right?"]

["That means Guan Shen has a lot to be responsible for, after all, he's teamed up with most of the esports circle."]

["Wake up, he's just using you as support."]

["Is it so hard to admit that you're average-looking? There's a limit to being stubborn and lying."]

["Speechless."]

["Screenshots from the birthday incident are everywhere."]

Xie Ye's original appearance, even though his alt self was physically robust, couldn't be considered ugly. However, the bullying he endured in his youth, along with the constant teasing in his daily life, intentional or not, made him particularly sensitive. He couldn't expose himself confidently to the gaze of others.

Appearance reflects one's inner self. When he realized that the incident had been broadcasted, his initial reaction was one of fear and withdrawal. Such a distressed scene, when captured, naturally appeared ugly.

Especially when someone deliberately juxtaposed these screenshots with pictures of Guan Chen, the contrast was stark. It was like comparing heaven and earth, enough to crush his alt self that was already on the verge of collapse.

So, when he unexpectedly encountered Guan Chen, the immediate feedback his body gave was to hide, to hide where no one could see him.

However, the fear he experienced during that time left him motionless.

He felt nauseated and the urge to vomit.

Xie Ye thought he was concealing it well, but Gu Cong's actions told him that the other noticed his unease.

"Don't you want that rabbit?" The rushing memories flooded in like a tide, drowning and suffocating him, but at this moment, they were suppressed by a warmer emotion. Seeing the person standing foolishly in front of him, the concern in his eyes almost overwhelmed everything else, Xie Ye opened his mouth, "Go get it."

Gu Cong shook his head. "We'll get it together."

The half-sized plush rabbit, pink and soft, with finely crafted cartoon military attire, was handsome and cute. Ignoring the envious gazes around them, Xie Ye pursed his lips and gestured with his eyes for Gu Cong to go get it.

"Nope, the challenge must be completed by the successful big brother himself," the whole face was completely covered by the plush toy, as the staff member imitated a childish voice, pulling the rabbit's arm with enthusiasm tinged with a hint of grievance, "I'm so cute, don't you want to hug me?"

1101: Cough cough.

Though he really wanted to laugh, he felt like he might get punched if he did.

The next moment, someone standing next to the host chuckled.

"What's wrong? It's so cute, why don't you hug it, big brother?" Mimicking the tone of the staff member on purpose, Gu Cong put his hand on Xie Ye's shoulder, gently pushing him forward, "It's okay, big brother is just as cute as it is. It wouldn't be out of place to carry it around the whole venue."

That was actually true, without exaggeration.

The rabbit's ears, white on the inside and colored on the outside, stood up straight, conveniently sandwiching the youth's face the size of a palm in the middle. He looked somewhat stern, with slightly furrowed eyebrows, but his movements were gentle.

 He wrapped his arms around the rabbit's soft belly. As for his tall, handsome companion beside him, he took away the decorative gun that might poke his face.

Zhang Ya's emotions began to oscillate between "overflowing maternal love" and "CP shipper excitement."

Handing out the marker pen just used for autographs, Guan Chen interjected abruptly, "He played well."

Zhang Ya, coming back to her senses, asked, "He?"

Realizing that they were both referring to the same person, she smiled, "Yes, indeed. We didn't expect the grand prize to be taken so quickly in the end, especially with his performance. It was so immersive and compelling, like a scene from an action movie. Even I felt nervous watching."

"Of course, Guan Chen, you're also amazing, although you might still be a bit unfamiliar with our game," knowing that the other party would be coming to the event today, Zhang Ya smiled gracefully, neither servile nor overbearing, "How was the experience today? If you're satisfied, would you consider helping us with some promotion? Pretty please."

Having heard similar requests too many times before, Guan Chen gave a slight smirk, skillfully exchanging pleasantries for a few moments, but his mind drifted elsewhere.

Somehow, he couldn't shake the feeling that the young man who had beaten him looked familiar, but try as he might, he couldn't recall where he had seen him before.

But then again, how could he forget someone so beautiful if he had truly seen them before?

Out of curiosity about who had defeated him, even though he had been eliminated early, he had waited until the end. Just as the young man removed his helmet, there was no denying that Guan Chen was stunned.

It was a beauty that blurred gender and age, yet sharp and striking. His piercing eyes, snow-like skin, and vivid lips collided with intense colors like daggers, irresistibly piercing into your eyes.

However, his overall demeanor was morbid and aloof, diluting the brilliance of his features, which stripped away the most easily contaminated vulgarity from his listless appearance, instead revealing a sense of unapproachable superiority.

In the moment when the young man was about to leave with the rabbit in his arms, almost involuntarily, Guan Chen stepped forward and intercepted him. "Hello."

"Have we met before?"

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