The white rose I picked up cried and said she liked me.

At first, Xu Nian was still a bit reserved. Faced with the sky full of heavenly soldiers and generals and Erlang Shen Yang Jian on the screen, her operation was a bit distorted. She was thinking about how to dodge the attacks, but her hands couldn't keep up with the rhythm. As she swayed left and right, her character was frequently hit.

If it weren't for the fact that the Monkey King in the tutorial level was invincible, he would probably have died eight hundred times over.

But gradually, his skills became more and more proficient, and he shed his initial awkwardness. He only died five times before successfully defeating the mountain guard in the first chapter.

This was a huge step forward for someone who had never played computer games before.

When encountering a boss that he really couldn't beat, Xiao Chen would go to his side and teach him how to pass the level step by step.

"Roll, roll! Roll now! This floor-slamming move hurts terribly; if it hits you, you're instantly killed!"

"Quick, Elder Jinchi will be vulnerable for a long time after using this skill. Take this opportunity to beat him up and reduce his health!"

"Damn! How can this skill deal so much damage? I'm going to die! Guangzhi, save me!"

And so, the little boy gave instructions, the old boy operated the equipment, one person was responsible for giving commands, and the other was responsible for carrying them out.

Before they knew it, the sun had set, and the two of them had fought their way through the obstacles to finally reach the white-robed scholar.

Xu Nian was completely immersed in the game world, becoming more and more engrossed in it, and his skills and fluidity improved. He himself did not expect that he could adapt to this new thing so quickly.

He finally understood why Xiao Chen often sat in front of the computer for an entire day.

These video games are indeed captivating enough that once you're immersed in them, you lose track of time.

Just as he was about to head to the next boss location, his phone screen suddenly lit up and started ringing.

Xu Nian saw the name "Xiao Xi" on the caller ID and quickly answered the phone: "Hello, Xiao Xi, what's wrong?"

Xu Xi's plaintive voice came from the other end of the phone: "Brother, didn't you say you'd pick me up from the company tonight?"

"Oh, right, I'll pick you up tonight, I haven't forgotten," Xu Nian replied subconsciously.

After class at noon, Xu Xi was called to the company by Wen Yao.

When they parted, he promised Xu Xi that he would drive over to pick her up that evening and they would go out to dinner together.

"Would you like to check the time, brother?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Nian subconsciously glanced at the time on her phone and was immediately startled.

He was so engrossed in the game that he didn't notice that it was already pitch black outside the window, and it was exactly 7 p.m.

A full hour had passed since he and Xu Xi agreed to meet.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I'm coming right now."

Xu Nian quickly grabbed her coat and car keys, hurriedly said goodbye to Xiao Chen, and rushed out of the dormitory, running towards the school parking lot.

Get in the car, start the engine, turn on the wipers, and turn on the headlights.

The rain continued to patter against the car roof, making a "pattering" sound, before slowly sliding down the car body and leaving streaks of water on the windows.

The car speaker turned on automatically and played Jay Chou's "Blue and White Porcelain".

"The sky is the color of rain and mist, and I am waiting for you. Wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys, thousands of miles away across the river."

The car slowly drove away from the school in the misty drizzle, heading towards Xuxi Company.

The evening rush hour had passed, and the roads were sparsely populated. Occasionally, a few delivery drivers wearing raincoats would ride their electric bikes through the wind and rain, hurrying along their way, splashing water as their tires drove over puddles.

Xu Nian drove the vehicle, carefully avoiding them.

Many people have a misconception about the food delivery industry, especially the older generation, who often feel that ordering takeout on a rainy day is doing the delivery driver a disservice.

They work in the rain, braving wind and rain, just to deliver a hot meal to some lazybones who doesn't want to cook for themselves. It's both dangerous and arduous.

But only those who have actually delivered food, like Xu Nian, know that for delivery drivers who really want to make money, rainy days are never bad weather, but rather a rare good weather.

Because on rainy days, the number of food delivery orders increases significantly compared to usual, and with the platform's weather subsidies, daily income can be more than half higher than usual.

The hardship and danger are real; the wind and rain, the slippery roads, and the slightest carelessness could lead to a fall and injury. But compared to the money earned, all of this hardship and danger is worth the effort and sacrifice.

Xu Nian still remembers that when she was delivering food, after finishing her work on a rainy day, she would drag her tired body home, take off her wet clothes and shoes that were swollen from being soaked in water, go into the bathroom to take a nice hot shower, then lie in her warm bed, turn on her phone to see that she had earned twice as much as usual, and fall asleep to the sound of the pattering rain outside the window. That sense of peace and security was irreplaceable.

From "Blue and White Porcelain" to "Jiangnan", then to "Mermaid" and "Under Mount Fuji", Xu Nian finally arrived at the company building when the melody of "Misplaced Time and Space" came to an abrupt end.

Thanks to the excellent infrastructure development in Yuncheng over the years, the journey from Yunda University to the company, which used to take more than half an hour, now only takes the time it takes to listen to five songs via the elevated highway.

At the company entrance, Xu Xi stood under the shade of a large tree, holding a pink umbrella. Her petite figure stood out in the misty rain.

She pouted, her little face filled with grievance and resentment, her eyes glancing at the intersection every now and then, clearly having waited for a long time.

Seeing the familiar SUV parked steadily in front of her, Xu Xi's eyes brightened, and she gently pursed her lips, her aggrieved expression easing slightly.

She folded her umbrella, opened the passenger door, and got in. She gently shook her head to shake off the raindrops that had fallen into her hair while she was getting in the car.

Looking at her wet hair, and remembering how she waited for him alone in the rain, Xu Nian felt even more guilty.

He turned on the car's heater and took out a dry towel to wipe the small water droplets from Xu Xi's silver hair. "I'm sorry, Xiao Xi, I'm late and made you wait so long. What would you like to eat tonight? I'll treat you to it as an apology."

"It's not like you're not treating me to a meal if you're not late," Xu Xi said in a low voice, feigning annoyance. "Let's go to that Shuxiangyuan hot pot restaurant from last time. I really liked their food."

"Okay, whatever you say." Xu Nian gave an embarrassed laugh, silently relieved.

Fortunately, this little girl wasn't really angry with him.

He started the car, turned it around, and drove towards Wanda Plaza.

Xu Xi dried her hair with a towel, leaned back in her chair, gave a soft hum, and asked, "Tell me, brother, what did you do this afternoon?"