Volume 1, Chapter 21: Leaving the Lu Estate, Never Looking Back

At this moment, Lu Ning was sitting in a car with Ji Chiqian.

Looking at the surrounding flow of traffic, she couldn't help but feel a bit worried: "My second brother will surely send people to look for me, and he’ll probably go to school to give you trouble."

After all, this was the Lu family's territory.

This was exactly why she had endured for so long, waiting until after the college entrance exams to leave. Lu Ning felt a deep sense of guilt for dragging Ji Chiqian into this.

The man couldn't help but pat her head: "Don't worry, they won't be able to find you. Right now, what you need to think about is: where are you going to live?"

Lu Ning sighed: "I'll just rent a place."

She had always had this idea, but never had the opportunity to carry it out. She actually wished she had been kicked out of the house by her second brother earlier, so she wouldn't have to worry about so much.

"I know of a place that has a vacancy."

Lu Ning didn't ask further and followed him to the apartment complex. The environment was excellent.

As she walked into the apartment and saw the interior decor, she couldn't help but speak up: "This place can't be cheap, right? I'm currently quite broke."

"Money isn't an issue. This is a friend's apartment; he doesn't live here anyway. You're helping him look after the place by staying here. If you really calculate it, he should be the one paying you."

Ji Chiqian stood before the floor-to-ceiling glass in the living room, his frame lean and tall, appearing quite relaxed.

Lu Ning couldn't help but laugh: "Master, is this actually your apartment?"

"No, my place is right next door."

Lu Ning was stunned: "Is it really that much of a coincidence?"

He curled his thin lips with an air of indifference: "Otherwise, if you lived somewhere else, I wouldn't be at ease. After all, I'm the one who 'kidnapped' you out of there."

A faint heat rose to Lu Ning's face. What did he mean, "kidnapped"? She hadn't expected someone who was usually so cold and sparing with his words to make such a joke.

Realizing his words might be inappropriate, Ji Chiqian changed the subject: "Just stay here for now; don't worry about anything else."

Lu Ning nodded: "Alright, but I still have to pay rent. I can sleep on the sofa; I won't mess up your friend's room or touch anything inside."

Ji Chiqian frowned: "You don't need to sleep on the sofa. He’s never lived here anyway; he’s got more money than sense, so don't worry about it."

Lu Ning smiled: "You two must be very close friends then." Only close friends who poked fun at each other would say such things.

Ji Chiqian checked the time: "Do you want to play some games now?"

"Sure."

Lu Ning followed him to the apartment next door and found the layout was identical. Ji Chiqian didn't seem to have many belongings, making the space feel quite empty. However, there were two computers in the study, and they looked to be high-performance rigs.

When Lu Ning opened the game, she saw the featured live stream on the home page: it was the footage of her twelve-hit combo from the match earlier. The title even read, "The disciple of the legendary King returns to the scene."

She felt inexplicably guilty. After all, in her past life, she hadn't been able to land a twelve-hit combo even during the losers' bracket qualifiers.

Furthermore, she had never actually met the legendary King.

Ji Chiqian glanced at her: "You pulled off a twelve-hit combo in the game. When did you learn that?"

Lu Ning panicked. How was she supposed to explain? Should she tell him she learned it in her past life?

The legendary King's twelve-hit combo was notoriously difficult to master; many people had practiced for a long time by watching videos and still couldn't pull it off.

Lu Ning licked her lips: "Actually, I'm a fan of the legendary King. I've liked him since I was young, so I secretly practiced his signature move. I had never actually succeeded before, but for some reason, I managed to pull it off during this match."

Ji Chiqian’s gaze became complex: "You've liked him since you were young?"

"Yes, that's right. I've always liked him, which is why I'm so familiar with these things." Lu Ning felt unsure, but this was the only explanation she could give for now. She truly did admire the legendary King, so she wasn't entirely lying.

She peeked at the man beside her. Ji Chiqian’s expression was unnatural as he gave a stiff reply: "Don't go around liking just anyone."

Lu Ning was surprised: "That... that's different, isn't it?" That was the legendary King, after all. Who wouldn't admire him if they played this game?

Ji Chiqian looked at the girl on the video landing that twelve-hit combo, his expression softening significantly. After all these years, she was the only one who had ever managed to do it.

The two entered the game, coordinating seamlessly to clear dungeons.

Ji Chiqian paused and said: "Have you ever played the Warrior class?"

"No, I mostly play as a Gunner."

"You could switch classes and try the Warrior. It might suit you better."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ning’s pupils constricted. In her past life, that person had said the exact same thing, telling her to play as a Warrior. But back then, she had only wanted to play as a Gunner because her sixth brother’s team needed one.

For a moment, Lu Ning’s heart surged with emotion. Could Ji Chiqian be the same person she met in her past life? It had been her greatest regret that she never got to meet him in person to say thank you.

Ji Chiqian: "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"It's nothing. Master, do you have someone you like?"

"No. Why do you ask? Do you have someone you like?" Ji Chiqian’s eyes narrowed slightly; he had to prevent her from falling into puppy love.

Lu Ning looked at the computer screen: "I suppose so." The object of her unrequited online romance from her past life. If only she could meet him in this life. She remembered the time and place she met him in her past life; perhaps she wouldn't meet him until then.

Ji Chiqian’s voice sounded a bit muffled: "Kid, the most important thing for you right now is your studies, not romance."

"I know. I'll wait until after the college entrance exams," she said. It was after the exams that she had met that person in her past life.

Ji Chiqian felt a wave of irritation. Girls falling in love too early was the biggest headache. He shut down the computer: "After you finish eating, you need to review your schoolwork. Cut down on the gaming time." If he assigned her more homework, she probably wouldn't have time to let her mind wander.

That night, after Lu Ning finished two sets of mock college entrance exam papers, her brain felt too exhausted to function. As she prepared to wash up for bed, she suddenly realized she hadn't brought any change of clothes or toiletries.

Lu Ning hesitated for a moment before deciding to head out to buy some daily necessities.

Just as she stepped out, Ji Chiqian pushed his door open, looking down at her: "It's so late, where are you going?"

Lu Ning felt like a child caught by a parent. She hurriedly replied: "I'm going to buy some toiletries and pajamas."

Ji Chiqian’s expression froze for a moment. He turned and closed his door: "Let's go." He had no experience taking care of a child and hadn't thought of that.

It was quite late, and most shops were already closed. In the end, Lu Ning only managed to buy toiletries; she couldn't find pajamas or slippers.

Ji Chiqian looked expressionless, but he was in a foul mood. After returning to the apartment, he immediately called Gu Zifeng: "What’s going on with the apartment you arranged? How come there aren't any daily necessities?"

"Come on, Brother. You gave me half an hour to get that apartment ready; when was I supposed to have time to arrange toiletries? Besides, you can just accompany her to buy them. It’s a perfect way to build your relationship."

Ji Chiqian had always been used to being served. He had never thought about such details.

Gu Zifeng asked suspiciously: "You didn't forget, did you? And now you're heading out in the middle of the night to buy them?"

Ji Chiqian gritted his teeth: "You can shut up now."

He hung up the phone and looked at his closet with a sense of embarrassment. He grabbed a pair of his own slippers and a clean men's shirt.

He walked next door and knocked. After a long while, the girl’s soft voice came from inside: "Coming."

Lu Ning opened the door, her hair still damp, water dripping down her clothes. Ji Chiqian’s gaze drifted momentarily before he walked straight inside.

Lu Ning instinctively stepped back, but tripped over her own feet and tumbled toward the floor. *Oh no, this is so embarrassing!* That was the only thought in her mind.

Instead of hitting the floor, she fell into a warm chest, the sound of his heartbeat echoing in her ears.