Returning From Level 900

328 The Real Superhero
He Jiong and Du Keke arrived at four in the afternoon.

At that hour, there were few people in the restaurant, let alone the bar.

The bar was devoid of music, and neither the singer nor the musician had arrived. Only a woman in a suit shuttled between the few tables, aside from the robot cleaning the wine glasses at the counter.

They saw the two of them walk in.

The woman walked forward, her glasses raised. She greeted Du Keke by holding her hand affectionately. “You’re here. It is still early. Please take a seat. Who is he?”

“He is a friend of mine. He’s here to help you today.” Du Keke examined the decorations and sincerely complimented Yuanyuan, saying, “You are really capable. This bar must have cost a lot for a woman to open such a large business, right? How is business?”

“It is okay,” the woman named Yuanyuan said with a smile. “I had friends to lean on during the first few days. The progress will be determined in the second half of the month.”

She easily avoided being asked how much it would cost to open a bar.

She took them both to a small, quiet booth.

A guest at a table in the distance extended his hand and called out to her just as they were about to start chatting.

“The service staff has not arrived yet.” Yuanyuan apologized to the two of them. “I will see to him. What would you like to drink? Scan the code and place your order. I will send you snacks later, but you will have to get your drinks from the bar. Sorry about that; I will give you more discounts later.”

“Go do your work, and don’t worry about us.” Du Keke picked up her phone and started scanning the code.

The woman apologized to He Jiong and walked away.

He Jiong scanned the list as well. All of the drinks, both cheap and expensive, were available.

Even his favorite cheap liquor was available.

There were also hot foods like grilled meat, grilled wings, sausages, noodles, dumplings, and rice.

He reasoned that since he would drink, he should eat some food to fill his stomach, so he chose barbecued meat, vegetables, and noodles.

Before he could confirm his order, he noticed that Du Keke had already placed her order.

He Jiong quickly checked the order.

A bottle of mid-range wine worth more than 30,000 points was on it.

He Jiong’s chest tightened.

He nearly dropped his phone.

“Keke, this wine appears to be very strong,” he said hesitantly to Du Keke. “Can we finish it?”

“We can store wine here,” Du Keke said casually. Her gaze swept across the bar, her face flushed with envy. ‘This is incredible. This is something a woman can do. I would not even think about it if it were me.’

She turned to look at He Jiong when she did not get a response after she finished speaking and noticed he was staring at the order page.

“It is quite rude of me to bring you here to support my friend,” she said, a glint of contempt in her eyes. “Don’t worry; Yuanyuan is my friend. We can split the bill. This meal should not cost more than 5000 points.”

“What are you saying? I just don’t want to waste the wine.” He Jiong stood up and put his phone away. “Since we can leave the bottle here, then there’s no problem. I need to go to the restroom. You can relax here.”

He exited the booth.

He Jiong’s mind was in a trance.

He had never seen a more beautiful woman than Du Keke.

It was also why he was willing to disguise himself as a bootlicker to pursue her.

It would not have worked in the past when he was freeloading on the food and drinks.

It was unusual for him to have made such rapid progress. He almost believed he was on the verge of success.

He had not anticipated the other party spending so much.

He Jiong washed his face with cold water. He eventually decided to give up.

He had been there to ask why the other party treated him warm and cold.

Since that was the case, he might as well be straightforward.

He wiped the water from his face, returned to the booth, and said, “Keke, I want to ask you a question.”

Du Keke shifted her gaze away from the bar’s decor and puzzledly looked at him.

He Jiong sat across from her and asked, “Why were you willing to go out with me two days ago but have been avoiding me after that?”

Du Keke said, “I asked you out today. What is the matter with you?”

He Jiong was taken aback a little.

“To put it simply, I want to know if you have ever agreed to date me,” he stated flatly.

Du Keke was unfazed by such a simple move.

She smiled as she pursed her lips.

“Mr. He, is this how you pursue girls?” she asked, laughing. “You appear to have lost some patience.”

“No, I am not sure what you meant. I assumed you agreed to date me because you didn’t reject me and were open to going on a date with me.” He Jiong was a little worried.

When she heard that…

Du Keke hung up the phone.

“Does lack of rejection imply acceptance? There is no middle ground?”

She had a strange expression on her face when she looked at him. “Then I would like to ask, are you the hero I’m looking for?”

“I …” He Jiong’s throat was slightly parched. “I am not a hero. I am a regular guy making a living from the tower’s lower level.”

“That’s the reason.” Du Keke laughed. “You said you are not the person for me. Won’t I have to think about it?”

He Jiong was speechless.

He just stared at the woman, smiling sweetly.

He had no idea what to do.

Du Keke noticed that.

“He Jiong,” she said softly, acting emotional. “I know you feel perplexed because my attitude toward you seems ambiguous. Are you aware of my confusion and difficulties?

“I have been thinking; have my thoughts always been incorrect?

“The world may never have a hero. I must abandon my own perseverance and choose to be ordinary.”

Her tone was soft, as if she were crying. Her gaze shifted, and she swept a gentle hand across He Jiong’s face. “You are an ordinary person. I admire you, yet I also feel insecure with you.”

He Jiong felt an impulse in his heart as he looked into the woman’s eyes.

“I can protect you!” He wanted to hug her tightly.

Unfortunately, he lacked the confidence to make any promises.

Unfortunately…

He was nothing more than a thug.

He was not lying.

“It appears that we are not fated to be together. I hope you find your hero soon,” He Jiong said, his face sad.

When Du Keke noticed He Jiong was about to leave, she exclaimed, “You haven’t even paid for your drink!”

“Are you going to leave me here?” she asked, quickly putting on a sad face. “Aren’t you going to give me more time to think about it?”

“No. I don’t think I am good enough for you.” He Jiong expressed his disappointment. “I don’t have the right to ask you to abandon your principles and perseverance.”

Du Keke was concerned that the conversation was becoming increasingly off-topic.

She blinked her eyes shut and wiped away a few tears.

She asked softly, “As long as you work hard, you will definitely become a great hero one day and marry me, right? Are you prepared to change for me?”

He Jiong noticed Du Keke’s tears.

He listened to her sobbing voice.

He was moved to tears, and his heart ached.

He shook his head and said, “No, I just want to be an ordinary person.” He considered the content of his words.

Du Keke was dumbfounded.

Was that guy the real superhero?

Did he not know how to entice women?