Shinro Qiqi entered the elevator, following the instructions given at the entrance to Apartment no.23.
There were a few unnoticeable adult faces in the elevator and they kept glaring at her for whatever reason. Qiqi gulped.
This was the first time she ever came to visit a person alone. Let alone personally meeting a boy alone at his house!
Apartment No. 23, sixth floor. This was a well-known fact in Xianese society. The No. 23 apartment is always haunted. Haunted by the ghost of Tsukasa, a demonic cultivator in the past with many different forms as the myth circulates through gossip and such. However, Qiqi never really believed in ghosts. So she was not sweating because of a mere ghost story.
'What would he say when I tell him this?' She asked herself and stood in front of the door marked [No.23].
'Deep breath, Qiqi. Deep. Breath.' Qiqi puffed up her chest and became brave enough to finally let her hand reach the door.
Knock! Knock!
"Um… Um… who should I call out for?" She began to sweat again.
"Argh… LING? LING TAO? MRS. LING? ARE YOU HOME?"
Inside, Ling's mother was leaning against the kitchen slab reading her Twitter, and Ling Tao was inside his room playing the new Call of Duty game that just released. Of course, he couldn't hear the voice of Shinro Qiqi with all that crossfire.
"Huh?" Mrs. Tao was surprised to hear a voice outside. Especially a girl's voice.
The brown-haired, lean woman wearing only her baggy shirt and her pink shorts walked to the door.
"Eh… I'm coming! Wait up!"
She opened the door, and who was standing on the other side took her by surprise. 'It was a girl after all.'
"Mrs. Tao?"
"Um, yes dear? Can I help you with anything?"
"Mrs. Tao… Can I speak with Ling?"
'EH!' The mother was shocked. 'Ling? A girl… this cute and beautiful? That boy is something!' She smiled.
"Yes, yes. Come in… I'll call Ling here." Mrs. Tao invited the girl inside and asked her to sit on the couch in the living room. The nervous Qiqi sat down on the couch with the cutest smile Lu Tao, Ling's mom, had ever seen.
Lu walked to Ling's room. His door was half open and she could see Ling playing the game with veins popped up in his forehead, smashing the keyboard like a demon. "Oi… Handsome," the mother called out to Ling mockingly.
"EH? Woman can't you see I'm in the middle of something here!"
"EH? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?" The mother replied furiously, veins popping on her head too.
"Anyways, idiot, stop playing that game and come. A cute girl is waiting for you outside. She's asking for you *specifically*," the mother smirked, calming down suddenly.
"Are you drunk Mom?" Ling Tao laughed. "Tell her to come into my room if she wants to speak to me."
"Oh lord, you guys are at that level already?"
"Sure. If I had a girlfriend in the first place."
The mother smirked and left the boy's room, back to meet the girl.
Qiqi was sitting on the couch, nervously wondering how Ling got these godly powers. Because she did not see a speck of aura from his mother either.
'Maybe… his mother too has the goldy power?' She assumed.
"Hey. Um… Ling is asking for you to come inside his room if you want to talk."
Qiqi's heart skipped a beat. "Wha…"
First, she had to go to a boy's apartment all alone. Which she had never done before. Now…. she had to go to a boy's room, all by herself? What was happening?
"I…"
"He's – um," Lu thought for a moment. "He's busy. Busy enough to not allow himself to stand."
Qiqi's eyes sparkled at the thought. 'Could it be? He's cultivating… in his room. So that's how he spends his Sundays?' The humbled Qiqi stood up. She felt gracious to see him now. For all that she knew; this man's secret to strength would merely be his dedication.
"Oh, by the way… I'll make a cup of tea for you two also," Lu said kindly as Qiqi made her way to her room.
"No no… Miss –"
"Nope. How can I let you go without tea? You go and tell him to come out for tea too!"
Qiqi flushed. 'God… She is so kind.'
Sweating on the forehead, Qiqi walked closer to the door of Lin Tao. There were white flashes of light coming out of the half-open door. She gulped.
'Is that? His godly aura?' She could not even feel his presence. This Ling Tao was truly remarkable.
Then, she opened the door and saw Ling Tao playing a game on his PC, clicking away on the keyboard like a wild monster. At that moment, Ling's eyes were etched into the screen. He was sneaking around a wall to shoot a guard.
Qiqi was annoyed. "He was playing a game??"
Ling felt a glint of aura coming from over the door, and he instantly turned.
"Damn! Another evil spirit –" He cried out as he removed his headphones and turned.
However, the sight that greeted him was far frightening than an evil spirit. It was a girl! And not just any girl…
"SHINRO QIQI!?" His voice echoed through the room and the girl simply stood there, gazing at him.
"Ling…."
///
Ling was going crazy. One of the idols in his school had come into his room, and now he had to give the super low tool for her to be seated on; which was basically nothing better than sitting on the floor.
He paused the game and sat on the chair, wearing his shorts and the shirt that read "Divine Blade" in huge words.
There was utter silence between the two. Ling sitting on his roll chair with his headset wrapped around his neck. Qiqi seated on the trim tool, still nervous and going crazy about the fact that she was sitting in a boy's room for the first time in her bloody life.
Neither Ling nor Qiqi was experienced with their opposite genders.
Ling decided to speak up. "So… You want to speak about that thing that happened at the superstore earlier this morning? Right?"
Qiqi nodded. "And… I – I needed to apologize."
"Apologize? Apologize for what?"
"For saying that you don't have an aura… in 4th grade. I didn't know. I couldn't see you because you were too powerful for me to see even back then, huh?"
Ling laughed. "What are you saying, Qiqi? That moment you told me all that. It changed my life. I am living like this cause I want to be a regular person. And you're right… you can't be a regular person while carrying that power. So… You taught me how to live the perfect life. This is a blessing."
Qiqi was speechless. "But – But… you have that great power. I have never seen that white aura in my life before. How did you obtain such power? You are blessed Ling…"
Ling was confused.
"Are you – Are you a God?"
"Say what?"
///Author's Note///
[Arc 1: PAIN IN THE ASS]
Arc one, chapter five finished folks! Hope you enjoy it!! Give up your goddamn power stones if you need more daily content! And leave a review and a comment, thank you. Makes my day.