Zhihao was a bit taken back, "What do you mean chase after him?"
"It means what it means." Li Ling responded enthusiastically, "You should try your shot. You'll definitely regret it if you don't."
Zhihao didn't know he had such an option, in fact, he still found it to be unbelievable. How could he even think about chasing after that man? Meeting him again would mean everything to Zhihao so how could he let himself grow greedy?
Zhihao couldn't even completely believe that he was interested in the Gamemaster in that way. Zhihao was a little embarrassed to admit it, but he wasn't that shocked at the fact that he was interested in a man, he was more shocked at the fact that he was interested in someone who wasn't a game.
If Huang Zhen had been here to hear this, he would've thoroughly been shocked over the same thing. His brother finding something except games as interesting was close to impossible. If he were to believe such bullshit, the sun would need to rise from the west.
Li Ling looked at the man with eyes that couldn't conceal his interest in Zhihao's love life.
"Hiding your feelings is hard. No one can know that feeling better than me."
He wasn't exactly hiding his feelings, but at least, he hadn't openly proposed so it could still be counted as him hiding his feelings. Li Ling remembered a few minutes back when he asked Zhihao to marry him, maybe he had proposed but had not been taken seriously?
Zhihao looked at the man who was ready to become a cupid for Zhihao, "You have experience hiding your feelings? Wait! You like someone?"
Li Ling wanted to bang his head on the wall and pass out. Why was he even alive right now? God didn't need to punish him for falling for a dense person—the punishment would be given to him nonetheless.
"Of course I like someone. I've liked that person for years now."
Zhihao didn't know why, but he wanted to know more about Li Ling's story, he didn't know if he felt pity for the man or if he was a bit sad to know that Li Ling liked someone. His heart which was racing at the mention of chasing after the Gamemaster slowed down and grew heavy but Zhihao didn't realize this.
"Why did you hide it?"
Li Ling sighed, he didn't know if he should laugh or cry at the question. Zhihao was oblivious, so dense as if his eyes were really just buttons for display—a really beautiful pair of buttons.
"I liked that person since we were kids. We are friends. Really great friends, I'm afraid I might break our friendship so I decided to hide my feelings."
"But that person must have realized, right? I mean, if you are close friends, then the person should have seen it. You saw through me didn't you?"
Li Ling, "My friend is really dense."
Zhihao, "You're being too nice. That friend is just dumb. What do you even like about that friend?"
Li Ling's smile grew deeper as he looked at Zhihao, trying his best not to spill out the tea himself, "Everything."
"Huh?"
"I like everything about that person. From their face to their personality all the way to their heart and brain. I love every inch and action of that person."
Zhihao didn't know what he was feeling. His feelings were in turmoil. Moving so fast, going from one to another as if he were on a roller coaster ride.
Zhihao had to admit, "I feel a little jealous of that person."
Li Ling smiled, "Why does it make you feel jealous?"
"To be loved like that, it would be more shocking if I wasn't jealous." Zhihao chuckled awkwardly looking away, "How long have you crushed over your friend?"
"10 years."
Zhihao choked once again, "T-That long?!"
"For every single day of those ten years, I have thought of that person. I even tried making my feelings so apparent as if wishing for the person to find out because I'm too scared to say it but..." Li Ling suddenly started laughing and Zhihao could sense the sadness in that laugh. Li Ling looked up into Zhihao's eyes, "But that person is... Stupid. So dense that I almost hate it, but even that stupidness I have come to love."
"That sounds so cheesy. If that person was me, I would've melted on the spot." Zhihao couldn't control his racing heart mostly because he didn't even know why it was racing, "Makes me really curious to know what type of person that is."
"Want me to tell you?"
Zhihao nodded, "If you are comfortable with it."
"That person is intelligent yet dumb at the same time. I look at that face and my heart starts to race, so fast that I feel like I might have a heart attack. That person is kind and savage, cold and warm, so near yet so far away."
"..." When Li Ling looked so intensely at the person sitting in front of him, Zhihao almost believed that the person Li Ling was talking about was him—he buried that feeling before it could even be analyzed.
"That person is the reason why I love gaming." Li Ling smiled, "In fact, my whole career was based on that person. A promise we made, that person probably doesn't remember it anymore but I have spent ten years of my life constantly trying to fulfill that promise."
"You're... Really sweet. That person is really lucky."
Li Ling nodded, "I think that person is my biggest luck. Whenever I'm with that friend, it feels like a blessing. That's why I'm afraid that one wrong move may lead to God confiscating that blessing."
"So you are going to continue hiding your feelings?"
"I'll go slow and steady. I wouldn't want to scare that person away." Li Ling looked at Zhihao with a mischievous smile, "A-Zhi is really good at changing topics."
"Huh?"
Zhihao was hoping Li Ling forgot about it.
Li Ling, "We were talking about your crush on Bu Hui."
"Oh yeah."
Just then, the waiter came back and bowed, "Do you need anything, sir?"
"I would very well like you to give us some space... And time." Li Ling spoke with a bit of annoyance laced along with his voice.
He really didn't want his mom's spy to come here and interrupt such a moment.
Zhihao was shocked to see the rude response Li Ling gave to the man.
The waiter would naturally not argue about it so he bowed once again and took his leave. Zhihao could sense that the man was cursing in his mind as he left.
"That was rude." Zhihao commented once the waiter's silhouette wasn't visible anymore.
"My mom sent him. I think I have the right to be rude." Li Ling shook his head, "Getting back on the topic, you are going to chase Bu Hui."
"Wait. Wait. I never agreed to it!"
"Then agree to it."
"..."
Zhihao wouldn't.
Zhihao wanted to agree to it, but he knew that it was easy said than done. Even if he agreed to chase after the Gamemaster right now, how could he succeed, it wasn't as if Bu Hui was someone whom you can meet every day.
Li Ling smiled, "You asked me if I had any expectations regarding the new second stage, can I tell you the answer right now?"
When Zhihao heard T.I.A.D. being mentioned, his interest suddenly peaked again and his dejected face was no longer seen.
"What is it?"
Li Ling, "Remember how you met the Gamemaster in one level? I think it is safe to assume that he is also playing the game with us and naturally, there would be chances to see him in the future."
"But that chance is still very low." Zhihao sighed.
"Not necessarily. The chance will be higher if there is one condition that is met."
"What condition?"
"If the game changes its mission system. Instead of putting every player into a different level, if all the players are put on the same level. Something like guild raiders."
Guild raiders was another famous game that Zhihao used to play. All of the players were in the same plane and had multiple missions from which they could choose from. It was a multiplayer game that focused on a larger grouping of players—making up guilds.
"Isn't that a bit too far fetched?" Zhihao was a little skeptical.
"It can still happen. Setting up such a large stage will be definitely hard and could take days. Maybe ten days to be exact."
"I don't know. It still sounds ridiculous to me."
Li Ling could understand Zhhiao's skepticism, but he was sure he was right and he had no way to make Zhihao believe him without being suspicious.
"Let's take that as a hypothesis. Imagine T.I.A.D's new stage to be like that. If that were the case, you and the Gamemaster will be on the same stage, playing the same level."
"If that happens. I mean, if that crazy theory really happens. If it really is the case, I'll listen to you and chase after Bu Hui but..."
Li Ling was suddenly delighted, "But?"
"You have to chase after your crush too."
"I already am chasing after that person." Li Ling beamed proudly.
Zhihao suddenly felt his stomach acting up and the two went back home. Li Ling was kind enough to drop Zhihao at his home along with Zhihao's car as well. Zhihao offered a ride to the man, he had no idea how Li Ling had come to his house, but he didn't see any type of vehicle around so he thought Li Ling didn't have a ride back.
Li Ling had originally called someone to come pick him up, but when he saw Zhihao's face offering him a lift back home? He was tempted and Li Ling shamelessly said yes—texting his driver not to come and pick him up.
Zhihao dropped the man back at his house and reached home a bit too late.
When Zhihao finally reached home, he was very happy that he got all the delicious desserts packed, he thought he might as well share this with his brother, but who could have guessed that his brother was one step ahead of him.
"So you were the one who booked the ground floor?!" Zhihao asked in shock as he uncovered the sudden mystery that he thought he'll never find out (it wasn't exactly a mystery since he wasn't looking forward to uncovering it)
Huang Zhen shook his head and cleared the misunderstanding, "
Zhihao frowned when he heard the rude way his brother addressed the girl, "What do you mean Yao Ying?"
Huang Zhen stuck his tongue out and ran away before his brother could scold him further. It wasn't like Li Ying minded being called that so why should he accept Zhihao scolding him for such a small thing?
Actually, the reason why Li Ying didn't mind being called a Yao was because she had already deduced that this boy's head was beyond repair. No matter how much she beat him up, he would never understand what was the use of a brain.
Zhihao didn't want to ruin the fun among these youngsters, maybe it was a joke among them, just like he called BBtrash as Trash whenever he felt like it (which was basically always).
The next few days went by with Zhihao missing T.I.A.D. but his missing was a bit lessened because of Li Ling who would join him to play guild raiders. The two monstrous duo made full use of the two days they played this game together and became the duo that other players came to fear.
Playing with Li Ling was very much enjoyable. Zhihao was finally able to understand why people liked forming teams, if he had known Li Ling earlier on in life, the two would have become a feared world-renowned duo of pro-gamers. It would've been so much fun!
Three days later, Wang GuiYing finally woke up from his depressed state.