Chapter Thirty-Eight: Rival in Love?

"Beep~!"

A text message arrived. I opened it and saw it was from Murong Shanshan: "Lin Fan, was that Ghost Dagger yours?"

"Yes, why? You’re not thinking of buying it, are you? Besides, you’re struggling with living expenses!"

Murong Shanshan opened the communicator and laughed, "Well, actually, a friend of mine wants to buy your dagger. He hopes you can sell it to him directly. If it keeps being auctioned, he’s afraid he won’t get a chance."

The exchange was close by, so I went to check. In just four hours, the price had soared to over 8,700 RMB, and judging by the trend, it probably wouldn’t stay below 10,000 in another two hours.

"So, Shanshan, you want me to take the dagger off the shelf and sell it to your friend directly?"

Murong Shanshan smiled, "Yes, he’s almost level sixteen and really wants that high-attack dagger, the one with 21-36 attack. He’s a student, so he only has so much money. Given our friendship, it shouldn’t be a problem to sell it to him ahead of time, right?"

I smiled lightly, "It’s not a problem, but it depends on how much he can offer."

"Ten thousand is already very high—will that do?" Murong Shanshan’s voice sounded uncertain, worried I might try to raise the price again.

I stayed silent, and Murong Shanshan grew anxious, "That’s really all he can afford—please, just this once!"

"Can’t he add a little more?"

Murong Shanshan bit her lip, "How about I treat you to a meal? Just don’t be too greedy~"

She really couldn't come up with more money. Since the price wasn’t likely to climb much higher, I might as well do her a favor.

"Shanshan, I’ll take the item off the shelf now. I’ll wait here; we can trade via bank transfer or Alipay."

"Thank you!" Murong Shanshan exclaimed happily, "We’ll be right over!"

We’ll be right over?

I shook my head, wondering what exactly was the relationship between Murong Shanshan and this "him."

I sent a message to Xu Lin and Liu Xuehan, letting them know I’d picked up their items and asked them to come quickly.

Murong Shanshan and her friend arrived soon after—a delicate-looking rogue, dressed in white gear, looking rather shabby.

Murong Shanshan introduced him right away, "This is my classmate, haha, his name is 'Sky Thief.' He’s the one buying your item!"

I nodded, paid two gold coins as a penalty to remove the dagger from the shelf, and traded directly with the little rogue. The bank transfer showed a clear ten thousand—private trades are great, not even needing to pay the 2% commission.

After the trade, Sky Thief immediately equipped the dagger. The short, sharp blade gleamed with a cold light, making him look much more spirited.

"Thank you!" Sky Thief smiled gratefully.

I waved it off, "No problem, I’m just here for the money!"

Murong Shanshan giggled, "How about this—let’s have lunch at Taste of Heaven next to KFC, Lin Fan, you must join us~"

I nodded, "Of course, I’ll eat, but I won’t drink. I still have to level up this afternoon."

Sky Thief grinned, "Alright, it’s almost eleven now. Let’s go, or the restaurant will run out of tables!"

Murong Shanshan nodded as well. I checked the time—it was almost noon—so I agreed, "Okay, I’ll be right there. Shanshan knows me, so she won’t have trouble finding me."

"Mm."

Murong Shanshan and Sky Thief logged off together.

Soon, Xu Lin and Liu Xuehan arrived. I quickly traded the mage hat and the priest skill book to them and mentioned the lunch invitation. With Xu Lin’s approval, I logged off as well.

...

I grabbed a jacket, slipped it on, wiped my sneakers a bit, and headed out.

All the way, I kept wondering about Sky Thief and Murong Shanshan’s relationship. Could he be her boyfriend?

The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I felt, as if something of mine had been stolen. Yet, I’d only met Murong Shanshan once—this emotion was inexplicable.

Taste of Heaven was less than ten minutes’ walk from where I lived. Murong Shanshan must be a student at the university next to Taste of Heaven, so she’d probably arrive before me.

Sure enough, from a distance I spotted Murong Shanshan standing at the entrance, dressed in a sky-blue casual wool suit. Beside her was a bespectacled student with a scholarly air.

Murong Shanshan saw me early and trotted over, cheeks flushed, "Lin Fan, my classmate is buying today, so order plenty! I haven’t had a decent meal in days!"

I lowered my voice, "Shanshan, what’s your relationship with that guy?"

"Boyfriend..." Murong Shanshan smiled mischievously.

Despite my best efforts to hide it, a trace of disappointment showed on my face.

Murong Shanshan’s smile grew sweeter. She quickly slipped an envelope into my pocket, whispering mysteriously, "Help me out, cooperate a bit later!"

I was baffled and protested, "What’s in there, Shanshan? Don’t pull me, I can walk on my own!"

"Xu Xing, shall we go in?"

So the guy’s name was Xu Xing.

A rival! A formidable rival!

We sat at a four-person table, with Xu Xing and me on opposite sides, both watching to see whom Murong Shanshan would sit beside.

To my surprise, Murong Shanshan glanced at me, then nudged me over to Xu Xing’s side, tidied her clothes, and sat alone on the other side.

"Sir, miss, may I take your order?" A waitress with a slender waist and curvy hips approached, her short uniform stretched tight over her ample figure, as if it might burst.

Murong Shanshan glanced at the waitress, then at Xu Xing beside me, and said with a bright smile, "Let’s start with some appetizers—specialties from all over: Kung Pao Chicken, spicy tofu, sweet-and-sour carp, and three-flavored duck from Huaiyang cuisine. Oh, and white-cut chicken. That’s enough. Actually, let’s add a whole roasted lamb?"

Murong Shanshan rattled off the dishes expertly. Xu Xing’s face paled. Feeling sorry for him, I whispered, "Shanshan, maybe skip the whole lamb—we won’t finish it."

"No worries, if there’s leftovers, you can pack it up..." Murong Shanshan replied with a sweet smile.

I quickly lowered my voice, "Come on, big sis, just how much does he owe you?"

"Just eat—leave the rest to me!"