Instead of lying about his previous experience, Xu Wei simply told the truth.
[Guild] Fearless: I haven't really played anything else for more than a few weeks. I was focused on school.
It would be a problem if he said a title, and someone had played the same game. His fans were most invested in Legends of Xia so he never streamed anything else, and he didn't play other games in his free time since he was running a guild with Shin Bao.
Honestly, it was truly a wonder how his grades continued to be so good.
[Guild] Building the Crematorium: A student?
[Guild] Spring Is Here: Did we adopt a kid?
Xu Wei laughed at that comment. It was on him for not specifying which type of school, but before he let the misunderstanding continue, he added.
[Guild] Fearless: I'm in university. Last year.
[Guild] Spring Is Here: Not a kiddo.
[Guild] Fearless: No.
After that, Xu Wei stretched his body and went back to work on his house. Since he'd decided to build it, he wasn't going to be doing anything else until it was done.
That was what he thought he was going to do, but as he started to pick out a pond from the item shop, he heard what sounded like little scratches from an animal outside of his apartment. He froze.
He would recognize that sound anywhere. It was the same sound that followed him from his mother's apartment to three separate dorm rooms.
His body stiffened instinctively, but he still managed to silently push his chair away from his desk and get up, walking toward his bedroom door on the soles of his feet not to make a sound.
As soon as he reached the door, he froze.
Someone was in the middle of sliding something underneath his door. He looked down, watching as an envelope was pushed through the small crack that kept his apartment barred from the hallway, the small space crumpling the envelope. He could see that the person on the other side got agitated, yet they continued to work it underneath the door until it was completely inside the apartment.
Then, he could hear soft footsteps shuffling down the hallway, and Xu Wei finally came to his senses, his face pale.
He ran toward the door and grabbed for the baseball bat as he swung the door open so harshly that a loud bang echoed through his hall. However, he didn't care if he bothered his neighbors. He ran into the empty hallway and cursed as his hand holding the bat trembled. "Fuck! Get back here, you fucking creep!"
Since he didn't hear the elevator chime or get a response from the person who left the envelope, he ran to the end of the hallway and practically threw himself down the staircase until he reached the first floor, not even stopping to catch his breath.
There was no one.
He could see the street from the staircase, no one was there, either.
He wanted to curse, but he couldn't breathe. His hand reached out to grip the door frame as his other hand clutched the bat to his stomach as he tried to catch his breath, the adrenaline quickly fading from his veins.
Even after so many years, this person appeared and disappeared like a ghost. There was a time where he'd jump toward the door as soon as he saw a piece of paper being slid underneath, but as soon as the person heard his footsteps, they'd disappear.
At first, because he didn't want to let his family know about his streaming career, he stayed silent. Then, when he moved to university, Shin Bao found out, and he was forced to tell the resident manager, then security, then the dean, the police… Nothing could be done.
They'd tried to manage the people coming in and out of the dorm, but either the person was a student or a friend of a student; either way, it didn't work.
Then, they installed cameras in the hallways, but coincidentally, they either wouldn't be working or the person was unrecognizable whenever the little creep showed up.
It got to the point where he'd be reporting to the resident manager at least once a week.
Xu Wei wanted to know what made him so interesting that even after all these years, this person hasn't given up yet. He quit the game, he focused on school, he only had Shin Bao as a friend, what more could he do?
Really, what more should he do?
Ah, he really couldn't breathe.
A few minutes later, Shin Bao walked into the apartment lobby with his new neighbor by his side, and Xu Wei flicked his head up to see his friend chatting happily as he struggled to keep himself upright, his legs now feeling the aftermath of his actions.
"- here tonight…"
Shin Bao had been in the middle of pushing the button for the elevator when he tilted his head toward Jun Hie to see his reaction, only to glimpse Xu Wei behind him. He spun on his heels and ran toward the young shirtless man, clenching onto the door frame for his life, teeth clenched. "Xu Wei! Shit!"
Shin Bao instinctively put his shoulder under Xu Wei's free arm and let him lean on him, just like he had when he used to drag Xu Wei back home from getting in fights after school. Xu Wei didn't complain, he even passed the bat to Shin Bao without saying a thing.
Shin Bao questioned. "What happened?"
Xu Wei didn't answer, and his breathing didn't get any easier.
Jun Hie also approached, leaning down slightly to examine the man. Other than being out of breath, it looked like he was having an anxiety attack. He voiced that. "Does he have a history of anxiety?"
"What? No…" Shin Bao glanced at Xu Wei as his words trickled off. Then, he asked. "Was it that person?"
Xu Wei didn't say anything, but he didn't need to with the way his entire body froze in front of the two men.
Another man walked over, and Xu Wei met his cold brown eyes. He looked like Jun Hie, but compared to him, Jun Hie looked gentler. This man looked like he was the leader of a gang, whereas Jun Hie could easily pass for a mafia member.
In his mind, there was a difference. While Jun Hie wore refined suits and hid his tattoos, this man was very open with his appearance. With short hair that was shaved on the side, showcasing a line of piercings running up one of his ears, and wearing a black tank top and sweatpants that showed off his body full of tattoos, he was in a different league.
Hell, he even had a tattoo on his neck.
Jun Hie quickly introduced him. "My brother, Jun Yize, also lives with me."
He was interrupted by a deep voice. "He lives with me."
Jun Hie's eyebrow flickered in annoyance. "Who pays the rent?"
"Who gives you half the rent?"
Shin Bao didn't care about their introductions, he practically pulled Xu Wei to the elevator with the two men following behind them. As he entered the elevator, he practically shoved the bat into Jun Yize's hand, who then looked at them with a raised eyebrow and a slight smirk, as if to ask. 'Do you really expect me to hold this?'
Yet, seeing the state of the two neighbors, he said nothing and calmly accepted the bat.
By the time the elevator chimed, Xu Wei had already pushed himself off Shin Bao and had calmed himself. He no longer felt like falling to the ground, but he really wanted to punch something. Especially as they left the elevator and approached Xu Wei's apartment, its door still wide open, the letter still on the floor inside the apartment, yet it had been kicked toward the kitchen when Xu Wei left.
Xu Wei walked into the apartment with his jaw clenched, and he kicked the envelope as he walked past it, not bothering to pick it up as he veered to his room.
A moment later, he had put on a tank top and walked out of the apartment after grabbing his wallet.
Shin Bao didn't follow him, instead opting to pick up the envelope and open it. As soon as he saw the pictures, he dropped them to the ground and covered his mouth.
The Jun siblings hadn't planned to get involved, but they lived right next to the young man, and it was hard not to when they rode the same elevator. So, they ended up in Xu Wei's apartment, kneeling on the ground to collect the photos.
Someone had put a camera in Xu Wei's apartment.
There were photos of him getting home, his first day in the apartment with his suitcase, directing the movers, him fresh out of the shower in just a towel, him in just his boxers ready to go to bed, him sleeping… Him with Shin Bao and Shin Han, drinking, sleeping together.
Jun Hie took the photos out of Jun Yize's hand and placed them on the counter, wondering aloud. "Just who did he attract?"
Shin Bao shook his head. "It wasn't ever this bad, only photos of him outside."
Jun Yize met Jun Hie's eyes, then shrugged. Jun Hie asked. "How long has this been happening?"
Shin Bao closed his eyes. "Around five years, it got worse just over a year ago."
"Should check the security…"
"We're pretty sure they know how to hack. Xu Wei probably ran after them just now."
Jun Yize asked. "Xu Wei?"
Shin Bao nodded, then introduced himself. "Xu Wei is the one who just left, he owns this apartment. I'm Shin Bao, my brother, Shin Han, and I are moving in today temporarily."
"Ah."
Honestly, I went back and deleted 5 chapters just to write this earlier into the novel, so I'll hold off on chapters 12-14 until next Sunday, along with extra chapters, so the 1 chapter a week publicly starts next Monday instead of an odd day this week.
I've unlocked all LOX chapters from Cherry Blossoms since we don't have Cherry Blossom members yet, and it gives you more to read.