Raising a Girlfriend Starting from a Dream Game - Chapter 7

Since Yang Linlin decided to skip today’s classes, Chen Ting had been accompanying her all day.
But Chen Ting remained curious about what dream Yang Linlin had that made her behave so unusually.
So she asked, “Linlin, just tell me, what exactly did you dream about?”
“I… I didn’t dream about anything special.” Yang Linlin shook her head. “I just had a nightmare.”
Seeing that she wouldn’t budge, Chen Ting had to give up: “Alright then, let’s buy some fruit and head back to school~”
Yang Linlin nodded: “Okay.”

But as soon as she looked up, she heard that familiar yet unfamiliar voice.
“Boss, could you weigh this for me?”
Yang Linlin stared wide-eyed in surprise at the boy standing at the entrance of the fruit shop.
Ling Xiao held a bag of fruit and turned around.
Chen Ting also noticed Ling Xiao and immediately exclaimed: “Senior! What a coincidence! We meet again!”

Ling Xiao looked at Chen Ting, surprised.
Then he glanced at Yang Linlin out of the corner of his eye.
That glance immediately reminded him of Yang Linlin from last night’s dreamscape.

His gaze shifted slightly away as Ling Xiao greeted them: “Yeah, what a coincidence. You’re here to buy fruit too?”
“Yes, senior. Did you just get off work?” Chen Ting asked immediately.
Ling Xiao explained: “Our company had a team-building event this afternoon, so we played a basketball game.”
“Wow! Did you play, senior?! If we had known, we would have come to cheer for you.” Chen Ting sounded regretful.
Ling Xiao said awkwardly: “I was just there to make up numbers, barely scored any points. It was all thanks to my teammates.”
Chen Ting shook her head: “Senior, do you remember when our class had a match? You were the one leading our cheers from the sidelines!”

Ling Xiao looked at the chatty Chen Ting, then glanced at Yang Linlin beside her.
It felt as if his conversation with Chen Ting was isolating Yang Linlin.
Making her situation somewhat awkward.

Whether it was because he had abandoned Yang Linlin in last night’s dreamscape or not, Ling Xiao eventually took the initiative: “By the way, would you like something to drink? How about I treat you to bubble tea before you head back to school?”
“Great!!” Chen Ting nodded.
She looked at Yang Linlin and asked: “Linlin, do you want bubble tea? I’ve been walking all day, my feet are tired.”
Not wanting to spoil Chen Ting’s mood, Yang Linlin nodded and agreed.

So Chen Ting immediately took out her phone to look for nearby bubble tea shops.
“There seems to be a new bubble tea shop at Tianhong Mall. I heard it’s pretty good, let’s go!” Chen Ting pulled Yang Linlin along, holding her arm while chatting with Ling Xiao.

During the ten-minute walk, Ling Xiao only talked with Chen Ting, having almost no communication with Yang Linlin.
After arriving at the bubble tea shop, Chen Ting proactively went to the counter to order.

Ling Xiao and Yang Linlin sat on chairs, waiting.
Ling Xiao looked at Yang Linlin before him, thinking about the scenes from last night’s dreamscape, unsure of what to say.
As for Yang Linlin, she remembered how Ling Xiao had made her count all the way to thirty thousand in last night’s dream but ultimately abandoned her.
She couldn’t help feeling somewhat angry and wronged.
The two sat quietly like this, without speaking.

Soon, Chen Ting returned with three cups of bubble tea.
“Here, senior, this is yours. Linlin, this is yours.”
As she spoke, she placed the other two cups in front of Ling Xiao and Yang Linlin. They both said “thank you” in unison.

Chen Ting then took a sip of milk tea and asked, “Have you added each other on WeChat?”
“Ah? No.” Ling Xiao smiled and shook his head.
“You’ve met twice already, how come you still haven’t added each other!” Chen Ting looked at Ling Xiao: “Senior, no wonder you’re single. As a guy, you should take the initiative. Linlin is very introverted and shy.”

After saying this, Chen Ting picked up Yang Linlin’s phone from the table.
Yang Linlin was startled and anxious when she saw this.
But as Chen Ting skillfully unlocked her phone password, Yang Linlin had no choice but to let her open WeChat.
Out of politeness, Ling Xiao also smiled and opened his “Scan” function.
Just like that, the two added each other as friends.

Afterward, Chen Ting monopolized the conversation, completely taking over from the other two.
Soon after finishing their milk tea, Ling Xiao bid farewell to the two of them.

Watching Ling Xiao leave, Yang Linlin asked Chen Ting, “Tingting, was he your class assistant before? Did he often visit your class?”
“Yes, Senior is really great. He’s been taking care of us since our freshman year, leading class meetings and organizing activities. Oh, and he even took our whole class on a trip once!”
Chen Ting reminisced: “At that time, many girls wanted to stay in a hotel by the sea, so Senior went ahead to book rooms for the whole class. But when we got there, the apartment hotel suddenly raised their prices.”
“Later, none of us wanted to stay there anymore, thinking it was too scammy. But to keep his promise, Senior paid the price difference out of his own pocket. Even when we tried to pay him back later, he refused to take the money.”

Hearing Chen Ting’s words, Yang Linlin’s initial impression of Ling Xiao improved quite a bit.
Dreams are all fake, no matter how real they seem, they’re still fake.
Maybe Senior really is a man who keeps his promises. Stupid, why did I dream of such an outcome?
While feeling confused and regretful inside, Yang Linlin convinced herself.

Meanwhile, Ling Xiao had already returned home.
He boiled water and cooked himself some noodles.
While cooking, his phone screen suddenly lit up.

Ling Xiao picked up his phone to look.
[Lingling~ sent a message.]
Opening WeChat, he realized –
This was Yang Linlin’s WeChat name.
He hadn’t had time to change the contact name yet.

Yang Linlin had sent: [Hello Senior, this is Yang Linlin.]
Ling Xiao: [Hello.]
To avoid an awkward opening, he added a sticker.
When Yang Linlin saw it, she replied with a sticker too.
Just then, Ling Xiao’s noodles were ready, so he replied: [I’m going to eat dinner first.]
Yang Linlin: [Okay.]
And so, their first chat ended.
Simple and polite.

In the following days, Ling Xiao focused on work and took his medication on time.
He had to wait until next week for his hospital check-up. Although he had gained a 100-day life points extension from the game mission, he didn’t know if it would actually work.
So until a doctor confirmed that his condition had improved, he would continue taking his medicine regularly.

As for Yang Linlin, after that vivid dream that night, she gradually returned to her peaceful school life.
She attended classes attentively, took notes, and occasionally went shopping with Chen Ting.
Yang Linlin understood that Ling Xiao probably wouldn’t appear in her dreams again. However, she was unaware that Ling Xiao’s second Dream Simulation was about to begin.