His eyes snapped open.

Han Jing bolted out of his bed. Everything was dark except for the dim light of Han Jinjing's night light flickering across the room. Han Jing grabbed his face and pulled out the earphones that were still stuck in his ears.

He was back.

He wanted to laugh aloud! Maniacally at that… but he'd probably get a whacking from his mother. But she was asleep too and his father was nowhere to be found. What time was it though? He reached for his phone but stopped mid-way.

Had it been some freak dream?

An eerily blue light emanated from underneath the phone—his phone was still awake. Or rather he didn't close it and it didn't automatically shut.

He reluctantly tipped it over.

[ Races: Online… ]

It was the opening logo sequence that displayed before him. Han Jing sighed inwardly, why should he be so scared of his phone? He grabbed for his phone and went to the home screen.

It was 5:30am.

What time did he get home? Around 9pm or so? He could recall playing the game for an hour or so. So it meant that he had slept for about seven to eight hours tops? Ugh, he wanted to go back to sleep… but he got up from his bed and slipped his phone into his pocket.

Who could sleep after what he experienced?

Han Jing walked out of their house and into the open corridor, a cold breeze blew around him and spread goosebumps across his skin. He ignored the chill and glanced at the sight of familiar tall buildings in the distance and glimmering neon lights. The city never slept after all. The sky was still dark and dotted with stars in the distance but the sun would surely rise soon.

"Seems like a nice chance to jog around." He muttered to himself, before grabbing for his phone. He quickly opened his mobile payment app.

The $1000 was still there.

Phew.

He really should convert into cash on hand or he'd never believe it. Han Jing patted his shorts and felt his wallet still in it. He didn't get the chance to change his clothes, he pulled out his wallet and checked for his ATM card.

He could cash-out later.

Or maybe right now.

Han Jing began his descent down the stairs until he reached the lobby of the apartment. It was hard maneuvering about in dim lighting—but it was better than flicking the lights open and alerting the other residents. Or angering the apartment owner for wasting energy.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

It took about fifteen minutes via a bus ride to reach a bank in one of the districts. Han Jing decided to withdraw an equivalent of money to $100, that amount of money was more than enough to feed himself for a month… but his mother would surely appreciate the money without suspicion.

He then decided to walk on his way back home.

It took nearly an hour to get back, but that was because he took the long route. There were good benefits to exercising after all—even he knew the importance of it. And also because he stopped by the same convenience store from last night.

He picked up some Sushi Triangle in the chilled section with a carton of oolong tea but also picked up some chocolate wafers in the snack aisle as a dessert. And maybe some steamed buns too, those were good. And look at those dried seaweed snacks! He loved those snacks. Finally he stopped at the counter with more gusto—he had more money.

He could eye the cashier with more pride!

It was with this reason that he sat down at one of the available seats in the store. Nobody else was around except for him and the cashier. Placing his haul on the table in front of him, he unpacked the Sushi Triangle from its vacuum-wrapped packaging and bit with eagerness. He got himself salmon filling.

It was a nice treat and he could enjoy the silent atmosphere the store provided him.

Until the next customer came in.

And there he saw her again.

Unlike last night, her long dark hair fell gently on her shoulders. The young woman had a sleepy look on her face, yawning softly and covering her mouth. She wore casual wear, a pair of jeans and white blouse. Her eyes widened slightly when she noticed him.

He was sure that he must have had a similar reaction. The two of them then looked away.

Han Jing scratched his head. He was still wearing the same clothes from last night—this was a tad embarrassing.

They didn't say anything though and neither did he.

She moved to the drinks dispenser and got herself a cup of hot chocolate. The sweet aroma of chocolate wafted inside the store before she walked to the counter and paid for her drink.

It was at this moment that he saw her backpack. He could guess that she was a student, a university student.

And why was he looking at her?

Han Jing bit into his Sushi Triangle some more, chewing the sticky rice filled with salmon filling. He had better things to pay attention to.

Until she sat across from him.

Well, not like on the same table. She decided to sit about two tables away with her cup of hot chocolate.

He half-wondered if he looked like some glutton...or maybe it was because she probably needed to eat more unlike him.

It was one of the countless things that crossed his mind as he ate. 'Hey, would you like something to eat?' Han Jing would prefer trying to defeat a Gargoyle with a seashell before he'd say something like that.

He had already said something to her foolishly last night, not again.

And not in front of the guy at the cashier who'd definitely laugh at his pathetic attempts of conversation.

"Hey, um…"

Han Jing raised his head to see the young woman looking at him. Her cheeks were a bit red, fingers fiddling with her cup.

"Same apartment right?" She continued with a sheepish smile.

He blinked. Was she the one initiating the conversation? "Oh yeah… you were that girl from last night?"

"That was me…" She admitted with a look of chagrin. "Wasn't really the nicest first impressions, I was a bit upset over that rain."

Han Jing shook his head. "Not at all." He paused. "I mean, yes… What I mean by that is that for first impressions, that was one of the most impressionable." And now he was rambling, way to go Han Jing. He'd give himself a +10 with charisma after this.

"...Thank you." Her lips twitched slightly. "That's a bit relieving, I kind of just got here so I'm a bit tense."

He raised a brow, "You just moved?"

She nodded, taking a sip of her drink. "Mhmm, moved from my province to this city to study for university. It's my first year."

"All by yourself? That's pretty cool." And it really was. Especially when you compare it to someone like him. Han Jing tried not to feel too bad about himself.

"Thank you… and apologies for just making conversation out of the blue." She bowed her head at him.

Han Jing stared for a moment, she was being too respectful. "No worries, you don't have to be so formal."

"It only makes sense that I'd be respectful, elder brother."

His eyes bulged at her last words and he quickly waved her off. "Hey, it's just Han Jing… you really don't have to call me that." He wasn't that old!

"Oh, I see… nice to meet you, please call me Chan Lee." She bowed once again. "I'm in your care big brother Han Jing."

That big brother thing… it was intentional wasn't it? It was like an arrow straight at the heart, crushing it painfully. "Haha, I'm not that… it's nice to meet you too, Chan Lee." He really didn't need to fuss over what she called him.

She smiled a little more brightly this time and ducked her head. "Thank you for the time, I'll be going ahead now. I don't want to be late for my first classes. See you around, big brother!"

Chan Lee disposed of her cup into the waste bin and then bade him goodbye, she even thanked the cashier as she left.

"She was pretty cute, wasn't she?" The cashier chuckled.

Han Jing looked at the guy on the counter and sighed silently. He wouldn't allow himself to be pulled by such simple words of provocation. He shrugged and gathered his purchased snacks, finishing his Sushi Triangle, he threw it into the waste bin and walked out of the store.

"There are better things to do." He said to himself, or perhaps to the cashier guy. After one fleeting look at the young woman who seemed to be sprinting into one direction, Han Jing started his way back home in the opposite one. With the recent events, there was something he needed to do.

He needed to know what really happened in [ Races: Online ]