Give Me Another Smile

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"Wow, so you were a girl all along, Guild Leader? Do you have a girlfriend?"

The sweet and delicate voice that came through the speakers caused Yin Zhao-an to frown a little. Then, in a calm voice, Yin Zhao-an said, "Girlfriend? Shouldn't you be asking if I have a boyfriend?"

"Nuh-uh. Your voice sounds so mature, Guild Leader. You're also great at gaming. No matter how I look at it, you're not the type of person who'd look for a boyfriend," the delicate voice said unrelentingly.

Yin Zhao-an had started to grow a little impatient. After looking at the time and seeing that the new dungeon was about to open, she gave the other party a casual excuse, turned off her microphone, and pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance.

For some reason, Yin Zhao-an found that female players were seeking to party up with her one after another recently. Moreover, these female players were incredibly low-leveled, so low that they couldn't even enter the high-level dungeons she frequented. In the end, all she could do was power-level them out in the fields. If it weren't for the sake of the guild's development, she would have definitely cursed at these annoying female players.

The door to the room opened, and Tang Yu walked in carrying a bowl of cold pudding. Tang Yu's eyes skimmed over Yin Zhao-an's computer inadvertently, seeing the dazzling numbers and player IDs dominating the screen. Friend requests also continuously popped up on the bottom of the screen.

Yin Zhao-an leaned back and slid her chair away from the desk when she heard the door opening. Then, after taking the pudding from Tang Yu, she said, "Thanks, Tang-Tang."

Tang Yu shook her head in silence and quietly watched Yin Zhao-an feast on the pudding. When Yin Zhao-an was about to finish, Tang Yu said, "Uncle said that you shouldn't play games all the time, An-An."

"Screw him!" Yin Zhao-an interrupted Tang Yu, an expression of impatience appearing on her face. "Go out if there's nothing else. I'll be carrying a dungeon raid later, so don't come in."

Subsequently, the sound of a clattering keyboard filled the room. With her headset on, Yin Zhao-an became isolated from the world, her eyes moving rapidly across the screen.

…

A stream of water gushed out of the tap and rinsed away the foam on Tang Yu's hands as she absentmindedly scrubbed the porcelain bowl.

A wave of nausea assaulted Tang Yu as if someone was stirring her stomach with a stick. She could have resolved this problem by turning to the untouched dishes on the dining table, but she didn't.

After cleaning the bowl and returning it to the cupboard, Tang Yu dried her hand with a towel and returned to her room.

Her room wasn't big. A computer desk was placed under the window, and a computer, a microphone, and a sound card were set up on the desk. The computer was on, and there was a flashing message notification at the bottom right of the screen. After putting on her headset, Tang Yu clicked on the notification.

Silent Rain: Lord Sugar, do you still remember Drizzle of Daming Lake?

Silent Rain: Stop hiding, Lord! I know you're online!

Silent Rain: No way! Are you really away? QAQ

Sweet Sugar: I'm here. What is it?

Silent Rain was a girl Tang Yu met in the dubbing club. The girl had an optimistic temperament. From her interactions with the girl, Tang Yu found that the girl was neither overly enthusiastic nor distant. The girl knew how to keep her distance, and Tang Yu found getting along with the girl to be a stress-free experience.

Silent Rain: Well, I've finished arranging the birthday singing party I told you about. I invited plenty of big names =v=, so all you need to do is come on time at 7 PM tomorrow. I'll send you the rest of the details later!

My birthday is tomorrow…

Tang Yu was at a loss for words. Her eyes reddened slightly, and the only response she could muster was to reply with a short "Thank you."

Silent Rain: No need to be polite with me, Lord! Well, this little one shall take her leave now! You should rest early as well, Lord!

Tang Yu looked out the window at the shining sun.

An-An will remember my birthday, right? We can spend the rest of the day together if the party ends early.

After her conversation with Silent Rain ended, Tang Yu turned off her computer and went to the living room. Then, she poured all the food she had prepared for lunch into a plastic bag and left the house.

Tang Yu wasn't trying to waste food. It was just that An-An would only eat freshly-cooked meals. As for herself, she had grown used to skipping meals. Only when she was dining with An-An could she bring herself to take a few bites.

Tang Yu didn't know when it started, but her anorexia was becoming increasingly severe over time. Her close friend Fang Ling had dragged her to the hospital many times, and the doctor would angrily reprimand her every time for refusing to listen to medical advice and take her medication.

It has probably worsened even more by now…

The doctor would also always ask to speak with Fang Ling privately. Tang Yu didn't know what the doctor had said to her friend, but Fang Ling would always look at her with a face that was about to cry.

…

There was a small alley on the way to the market, and many stray dogs and cats hid there.

When Tang Yu stood at the alley's entrance, a group of dirty yellow-furred dogs quickly ran up to her with their tails wagging and tongues hanging enthusiastically. Yet, these dogs also self-consciously kept their distance from her to avoid dirtying her.

There was a basin fixed in the alley. Tang Yu poured all the food she packed into the basin, making it convenient for the strays to eat. Then, she habitually threw the plastic bag into the garbage bin in the alley and wiped her hands clean with a wet tissue.

…

The market was crowded, and the people visiting the market scanned the stalls one after another as they carefully selected the ingredients they wanted.

The noise made by bargaining customers didn't affect Tang Yu in the slightest. As soon as she stepped into the market, she headed straight for the fresh ingredient section, where the rich smell of fish filled the air.

"Little Tang! Here to buy carp again?" a middle-aged uncle wearing black rubber boots and a black leather apron asked cheerfully as he wiped the fish blood that had splattered onto his face.

Tang Yu nodded. She had shopped from this stall many times already as it sold the freshest carp in the entire market. Whenever she cooked soup with this stall's carp, An-An always drank it until the last drop. Hence, Tang Yu had become quite familiar with this middle-aged uncle.

There was a bunch of fish with somewhat flat bodies swimming in the pool in front of the stall. The fish opened and closed their mouths, spitting out bubbles that floated to the surface.

Tang Yu pointed at a carp that swam the most actively, and the middle-aged uncle promptly scooped the ignorant carp with a net.

The carp was caught, knocked unconscious, descaled, and gutted. In no time at all, the lively fish had turned into pieces of meat inside a plastic bag.

Tang Yu's eyes twitched at this scene. No matter how many times she saw it, the middle-aged fishmonger's smooth and brutal technique was still amazing…