The Girl Who Smelled of Pickled Fish

Accompanied by a sudden sensation of weightlessness from his body falling, Chen Zixuan, lying on the bed, took off his helmet and slowly opened his eyes.

Staring up at the familiar ceiling for two or three seconds, he finally confirmed that he had returned to the real world.

No wonder, since Legend of Kaloran felt so realistic—not just the visuals and sounds, but even the sensations of touch and pain were almost indistinguishable from reality.

It was as if he had started a second life in another world.

Fortunately, it was just a game… Chen Zixuan let out a slow sigh of relief.

Thinking about it carefully, if he really turned into a girl in the real world, that would be terrifying indeed.

With that thought, he couldn’t help but glance at his own arm.

Thankfully, although his skin seemed a bit paler than before, at least it still looked like a boy’s arm.

Because of this completely unnecessary act, Chen Zixuan chuckled at himself.

What’s wrong with me lately? I’m getting more and more paranoid.

No matter how real it seems, it’s still just a game. How could it possibly affect reality?

Relax, it definitely won’t.

Struggling to overcome gravity, Chen Zixuan sat up from the bed, stretching his sore neck and back.

First, collect the money, then eat…

Another day full of hope.

Just as he was about to get out of bed, his phone by the pillow suddenly vibrated and the screen lit up.

It was a WeChat message from Gu Yanxi.

【Gu Yanxi: My mom made two extra dishes today. Want to come over for dinner?】

Looks like Gu Yanxi just logged off, Chen Zixuan mused silently.

Since she has the energy to invite me over for dinner, her life probably hasn’t been disrupted much.

I wonder how Yuewu and Dawn’s Light are doing. By now, they are probably being hounded with questions and close to breaking down, huh?

Just as he was about to accept the invitation, Chen Zixuan thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and typed a reply: “I still have something to do, maybe next time.”

He pressed the send button three times in a row, but the phone still didn’t respond at all.

Only after several seconds did the message finally go through.

Stupid phone, completely laggy, I’m tossing you out soon.

As if venting his frustration, Chen Zixuan threw the phone onto the bed.

Although he really wanted to have dinner with Gu Yanxi, just thinking about the landlady sitting at the same table made Chen Zixuan feel a pang of guilt.

If I want to be their son-in-law, isn’t it only natural to fear my future mother-in-law?

After a while, the screen lit up again. Gu Yanxi had replied.

Just a simple word: “Okay”.

Closing WeChat, Chen Zixuan opened the Meikun food delivery app and ordered pickled fish for himself.

Instant noodles have no nutrition and are terribly high in calories. They’re practically the culprit for ushering humanity into the age of suboptimal health.

I have two million in savings, after all. No more instant noodles today—I’ll treat myself to some takeout.

After finishing the order, only then did Chen Zixuan open the forum.

As expected, before the app’s interface could even load, his domestically-made “smart” device completely froze.

Sighing helplessly, Chen Zixuan tossed the phone aside for it to load on its own.

Rolling over, he started doing push-ups on the bed.

A healthy body is the foundation of everything. Even if he was making a lot of money from gaming, he couldn’t just slack off. No matter what, good health was the most important thing.

However, after less than ten push-ups, Chen Zixuan’s breathing was becoming rapid, and his entire body ached. His once-strong arms suddenly felt much weaker.

Forcing himself through another five push-ups by sheer willpower, Chen Zixuan finally collapsed onto the bed, panting heavily.

Lightened skin, gradually withering muscles, and a weak body…

Linking these recent oddities with the VR helmet in the not-so-distant corner, Chen Zixuan’s face darkened.

He had finally realized a terrifying truth…

Online games are truly destructive!

No wonder parents always complain about online games.

It’s why they make their kids chant: “Shut them down! Shut them all down! If you don’t, how can kids have a bright future…”

Before, Chen Zixuan always thought these warnings were exaggerated—until he tried online gaming himself. Now he understood the parents’ concerns.

No wonder they treat games like monsters—these things really are bad for your health!

He’d only been playing for a little over a day, and already his body could hardly take it.

If he gamed for ten or fifteen days straight, wouldn’t he be completely wasted?

Forget it. If there’s enough time to reach level 15, he should definitely play less from now on.

Wouldn’t it be better to spend more time in the sun?

He was now deeply regretting it and secretly resolved: after eating, he’d absolutely go out and exercise for an hour or two.

This under-a-thousand-yuan junk phone needs to be replaced, too.

First, get a better phone, then stop by Uncle Wang’s convenience store to pay back the 300 yuan he’d overpaid last time.

Of course, he’d also need to bring a modest gift to express his gratitude.

After a few minutes, the forum finally loaded, the app still nagging with 999+ notification dots, all of which Chen Zixuan ignored.

After about half a minute of meaningless private messages, he finally found the message from Yuewu, sent his bank card number, and exited the forum.

Next, he logged into Legend of Kaloran’s official forum and, step by step, bound his bank card according to the instructions. This way, gold coins in the game could be exchanged directly for cash.

Although it was much more convenient than bank transfers, the exchange rate was always fluctuating and not as stable as cash.

If possible, Chen Zixuan still preferred to deal in cash.

A few minutes later, his phone rang—his delivery had arrived.

He answered the call, and a slightly young female voice came through the receiver: “Hello, is this Mr. Chen? Your pickled fish delivery is outside your community. Could you please come pick it up?”

Chen Zixuan suddenly felt this voice was familiar.

He didn’t think much of it, just replied softly, “Okay, please wait a moment,” then hung up.

Because his food had been stolen before, ruining his entire day, Chen Zixuan moved quickly this time—he was downstairs within a minute and reached the community gate.

Next to the security booth, a girl in a gray apron, holding the takeout, was tiptoeing as she looked around curiously.

Her hair was long, and for convenience, she had tied it in a thick braid behind her head. Beneath her straight bangs, she wore oversized black-framed glasses. Faintly printed on her apron were the words “pickled fish.”

Though her attire was rather unfashionable, the curve of her chest and the fullness of her hips under the apron unexpectedly gave her a certain allure.

Standing more than twenty meters away, Chen Zixuan stopped slowly.

He felt like he recognized this girl.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep