Xi Yan was taken into an enclosed metal chamber for a series of examinations.
From head to toe, inside and out, he underwent twenty-three tests in all. After each one, a new group of people took him somewhere else for the next.
Whenever the results came back, the doctors either frowned or shook their heads. Xi Yan grew so uneasy that he poked Bubble into view. “Can the medical technology in this virtual world conjure up diseases out of nowhere? Or detect things that tests in the real world can't?”
He had always gone for his checkups on time and made sure there was nothing wrong with him. Yet those unnerving expressions on the doctors' faces were beginning to shake his confidence.
He hadn't saved enough money yet. He hadn't retired...
[No, 95627.]
“Then why are they shaking their heads?!”
Every one of them looked so grave, as though he wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
Xi Yan wanted to ask, but they ignored him. After forming a circle and muttering among themselves, they took him to soak in a blue substance that looked like liquid but didn't wet his clothes.
He felt nothing while soaking in it. But the moment he lay down, his connection with Bubble broke. It was as though a barrier had materialized between them, and nothing he tried could breach it.
Eventually, he slipped into a wonderful dream.
In it, he was lying on a huge bed covered in money, happily clutching the cash and sniffing it, when he suddenly heard a coin hitting the floor. The sound grew louder and louder, accompanied by an intense light.
Then he was forcibly pulled out of the dream.
Dazzling white light met his eyes. Two military officers sat opposite him.
“Who are you?”
Xi Yan squinted for quite a while, adjusting to the glare, before answering. “Xi Yan.”
“What is your purpose here?”
He glanced around the bare interrogation room, shifted his shackled wrists and ankles, and lowered his eyes. “I don't understand.”
“Why did you pretend to be unconscious outside the walls?”
“I was scared. And I really did lose consciousness afterward. You must have injected me with something to knock me out.”
“You have no means of attack or self-preservation.” One officer looked down at the documents in hand. “According to your results, you're a completely defenseless... good-for-nothing.”
“...Please don't make personal attacks.”
The other officer gave a quiet laugh. “Do you know how unlikely that is? After an advanced civilization's game invaded Earth and unleashed the virus that triggered the apocalypse, we developed drugs to improve the survivors' constitutions. But your readings are those of an ordinary human from before the game arrived.”
Xi Yan tried his best to look puzzled and innocent. “So am I infected? What's my contamination level?”
The two officers exchanged a look, then both turned back to him. Just as Xi Yan was about to crack and call for backup, one of them spoke.
“Don't be nervous. Fortunately, you possess a purification ability.”
“Purification?”
“Yes. You can purify contaminated organisms, bringing their contamination levels below the average, perhaps even lower.”
Xi Yan's heart gave a jolt. Were they trying to bluff him? Since when did he have purification powers?
[Don't worry, 95627. This is an ability the monitor grants rehabilitation participants. It is adjusted according to the virtual world you enter.]
“That's right. I do have that ability! It's also why I was outside the walls.” Considerably more confident now, Xi Yan straightened his back.
“Then how did you get out? Your name isn't on any of the departure records.”
“Uh...”
“All right. I'll come clean. The truth is...” Xi Yan suddenly lifted his head. “Heaven sent me to save you!”
The interrogation room fell silent for two seconds. The officers gave him complicated looks, then turned to each other.
“Hey, what did you say the canteen was serving for lunch?”
“I heard there's braised mutant crab, steamed seabird legs... We'll miss out if we're late.”
Seeing them get up to leave, Xi Yan slapped the table. “Hey! Hey, hey, hey! Are you listening to me?”
“Hm? What was that?”
“Ahem. I said, I'm actually—”
“All right. That's enough for today.”
“You could at least... unfasten these!” Xi Yan was still struggling when a shadow fell over him. As he looked up, the newcomer crouched to undo his ankle shackles, then the ones around his wrists.
Still crouching by his feet, the man took his hand. “I'm taking you out of here.”
“Where?”
“My place.” Jiang Chen suddenly stopped walking and tightened his grip on Xi Yan's hand. “I—I told them we live together... And I meant what I said before.”
Something occurred to Xi Yan. He asked Bubble, “This counts as dating now, right? Is there a mission progress bar?”
[Yes. It counts once both parties confirm they are in a romantic relationship. Now you only need to stay for a full month without breaking up.]
“What happens if we do break up?”
[You start over.]
[My calculations indicate a relatively high probability of mission failure, 95627. Jiang Chen's condition clearly suggests impaired judgment caused by excessive contamination.]
“What else am I supposed to do, actually fall in love here? Don't make me laugh.” Xi Yan wished he could complete the mission right this instant. He was here to clear his red-name status and get his wages back, not take a romantic vacation.
Keeping his head down and surviving a month was the way to go.
He squeezed Jiang Chen's hand in return. “Sure thing, boyfriend.”
Xi Yan only meant to make his position clear. To his surprise, Jiang Chen turned around and hugged him. Not content with that, he nuzzled into Xi Yan's neck and breathed in his scent. “Then can I call you A-Yan? Or baby? Which do you prefer?”
“Either's fine.”
“Thank you, A-Yan!” Jiang Chen kissed his cheek, then scooped him up into his arms. He hefted him a little, looking dissatisfied, and squeezed his arm. “You're too thin, A-Yan. We need to feed you properly.”
As he spoke, a pair of gilded wings sprang from his back out of nowhere.
“Hold on tight, A-Yan.”
Xi Yan had a rough idea what Jiang Chen intended to do. What he hadn't anticipated was just how ridiculously fast the man could fly!
Before he could adjust to hurtling through the air, they had already arrived.
It was a small island suspended in the sky, enclosed in a gigantic sphere of pale blue light.
Inside, the sky was blue, and the air was free of that unpleasant smell.
“The scenery is artificial, but the temperature stays constant around the clock, and the air-filtration system runs continuously,” Jiang Chen explained considerately.
“Thank you. Could you put me down first?”
A passage connected the island directly to the residence. With Jiang Chen's flying speed, they had already reached the rooftop balcony.
“Mm... All right. I've noticed that holding you feels really comfortable. Though I don't know why.” Despite agreeing, Jiang Chen didn't let go. He carried Xi Yan all the way into the living room before finally setting him on the sofa.
He said it without a blush or a flicker of embarrassment, his eyes fixed unwaveringly on Xi Yan.
Xi Yan was having trouble handling the attention. “You might feel comfortable because of my purification ability. I can reduce contamination levels to a certain extent.”
“What do we need to do? Can you purify me?” Without another word, Jiang Chen began taking off his clothes, moving so quickly that he might have rehearsed it a thousand times. Startled, Xi Yan immediately caught his hands. “What are you doing?!”
“Taking my clothes off.”