Since Shen Mufan had agreed to his proposal, Xie Jinghong didn’t want to waste any time. He immediately took Shen Mufan to the Matchmaker Temple to pick up the marriage quest.
Shen Mufan wasn’t the type to drag things out either, so without hesitation, he agreed to follow Xie Jinghong to the temple.
**[Matchmaker]:** Young heroes **[Jing Xing Xing Zhi]** and **[Si Fan]**, do you wish to bind your fates, grow old together, and share a lifetime of happiness? **[Yes, I wish to bind our fates]** **[Let me think again]**
After accepting the marriage quest, they checked the list of required items and set off together to farm the necessary materials. Along the way, they chatted to deepen their bond and build rapport. After all, the essence of the marriage quest was to foster understanding and synergy between the two.
By the time their progress reached 60%, Shen Mufan and Xie Jinghong were clearing mobs in a flower field, collecting the items they dropped. These mobs weren’t high-level, nor were they elites or bosses, so the two experts had no trouble dealing with them—it just took a bit of time since they needed a large quantity of the drops.
When it came to fighting, they didn’t even need to team up. Xie Jinghong simply used his swordsman’s AoE skills to clear the field effortlessly. The marriage quest wasn’t meant to be difficult, let alone for players of their caliber. For them, it was a piece of cake.
After killing a few mobs, Shen Mufan realized that while his single-target attacks were excellent, his AoE capabilities paled in comparison to Xie Jinghong’s swordsman. This was unavoidable—assassins simply lacked AoE skills. Against these low-level mobs, Shen Mufan’s high single-target damage felt somewhat redundant.
So, they settled into a rhythm: Xie Jinghong handled the fighting while Shen Mufan collected the drops. Their cooperation was smooth and efficient.
Suddenly, Shen Mufan spotted two familiar figures nearby—Yi Jian Hanguang and Yao Yao. Tilting his head, he figured they were probably here for the marriage quest materials as well.
Truth be told, the drops from these mobs had no other use beyond the marriage quest, so nearly everyone in this area was working on it.
Though the quests and required items varied depending on the gender combination of the couple, there was some overlap. For instance, the materials dropped by these mobs, while useless outside the quest, were essential for completing it.
Because of the earlier incident—where those two (or rather, three) had caused such a ruckus that Shen Mufan nearly failed his quest—he had a distinct impression of them.
Xie Jinghong, who had been farming mobs nonstop, had been keeping an eye on Shen Mufan’s movements. Though Shen Mufan had only glanced away briefly, Xie Jinghong noticed immediately. After clearing another wave, he walked over.
**[Friend][Jing Xing Xing Zhi]:** Fanfan, what’s wrong? Did you find something?
Shen Mufan hadn’t expected Xie Jinghong to pick up on his momentary distraction. This kind of constant attention and care made his chest feel warm, stirring an unfamiliar yet comforting emotion. Biting his lip, he quickly replied, not wanting to worry the person who cared about him.
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** A-Jing, it’s nothing. I just saw two familiar people.
Xie Jinghong adjusted his camera angle and spotted Yi Jian Hanguang and Yao Yao, who were also farming mobs while being overly affectionate. He didn’t comment further.
The drama involving Yi Jian Hanguang, Yao Yao, and Wu Xin Zui had already blown up on the forums and was still trending. Though Xie Jinghong hadn’t paid much attention, he’d skimmed through it. Given that Yi Jian Hanguang and Wu Xin Zui were skilled players, he had some awareness of the situation. He just didn’t know how his adorable Fanfan had gotten tangled up with them.
Recalling Yi Jian Hanguang’s popularity in the game—how countless players idolized him—Xie Jinghong frowned, feeling a pang of displeasure.
However, Shen Mufan, who was usually quiet and indifferent to gossip, surprised him by eagerly pulling Xie Jinghong into the conversation. Not only that, but Shen Mufan, who typically shouldered everything alone, even started acting coquettishly, his messages unusually verbose.
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** A-Jing, let me tell you, those two were the ones who caused a huge scene last time, almost making me fail my quest! Luckily, I was quick-witted enough to stealth past when no one was watching the NPC and submit the quest just before the timer ran out.
After reading Shen Mufan’s detailed account of the “drama,” Xie Jinghong was relieved to confirm that there was no real connection between him and Yi Jian Hanguang. Seeing the flood of messages, Xie Jinghong’s heart skipped a beat.
**[Friend][Jing Xing Xing Zhi]:** Fanfan, how about we switch to voice chat?
During team activities, voice chat was often preferred since typing mid-combat was impractical. **[Heroes’ Journey]** had a built-in voice function, making it incredibly convenient.
Shen Mufan hesitated at Xie Jinghong’s suggestion.
Behind a screen, typing was manageable, but speaking aloud? He didn’t know what to say or how to avoid saying something that might make A-Jing dislike him.
Lately, Shen Mufan had been overthinking every message, agonizing over his words until his responses became sparse and delayed. To outsiders, the wealthy and skilled **[Si Fan]** came across as aloof, sometimes even provoking annoyance.
Yet, for some reason, Shen Mufan didn’t want to risk pushing A-Jing away. After all, he was the first person in so long who didn’t repel him and showed him such care.
Humans were social creatures, and after years of solitude, Shen Mufan’s heart had grown lonely and starved for affection. Xie Jinghong’s warmth was something he couldn’t help but crave, something he wanted to cling to tightly. He didn’t want to lose it because of his own mistakes.
If he had never known warmth, the cold might have been bearable. But having tasted sunlight, returning to the chill terrified him.
Unaware of Shen Mufan’s inner turmoil, Xie Jinghong grew uneasy when no reply came after a long pause. Had he overstepped?
Finally, he sighed and sent another message.
**[Friend][Jing Xing Xing Zhi]:** If Fanfan doesn’t want to voice chat, that’s fine. I’m sorry for being presumptuous.
Xie Jinghong chuckled wryly. “I’ve really fallen hard.”
Since when had Xie Jinghong, the prodigy who’d been admired since childhood, ever been treated so coldly—and still found himself tiptoeing around someone else’s feelings? Yet, even so, he couldn’t bring himself to mind.
Seeing Xie Jinghong’s message, Shen Mufan panicked and hurried to explain.
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** No, A-Jing, that’s not what I meant…
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** I mean… you weren’t presumptuous, I didn’t feel offended…
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** What I’m trying to say is…
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** I don’t have any other meaning!
Watching Fanfan’s flustered replies, Xie Jinghong’s disappointment faded, replaced by amusement. This side of Fanfan was even more endearing, stirring his mischievous side.
Still, he couldn’t bear to let Fanfan fret any longer and quickly reassured him.
**[Friend][Jing Xing Xing Zhi]:** It’s okay, I understand. I’m not blaming you.
**[Friend][Jing Xing Xing Zhi]:** So, Fanfan, will you voice chat with me?
**[Friend][Si Fan]:** …
This time, Shen Mufan didn’t refuse. Both of them activated the team voice channel. Since it was just the two of them, the space was intimate.
“Fanfan, can you hear me?” Xie Jinghong spoke first.
The deep, magnetic voice sent a shiver down Shen Mufan’s spine, as if an electric current had zipped straight to his heart, leaving him tingling all over.
“Fanfan? Can’t hear me?” Xie Jinghong asked again when no reply came.
Shen Mufan quickly responded, “I-I can hear you! A-Jing…”
His voice, unused for so long, came out slightly hoarse. Though still pleasant, Xie Jinghong frowned.
“Fanfan, are you okay? Do you have a cold?”
For some reason, Shen Mufan felt guilty. “N-no, I’m fine… We, uh, we still have to farm these mobs, right? Let’s hurry—after this, we have to go to the next spot…”
Though Xie Jinghong knew Shen Mufan was deflecting—and doing so clumsily—he couldn’t bring himself to press further. Having already reviewed Shen Mufan’s background, he had a rough idea of the situation.
So, he let it go and resumed farming, though his mind was already planning how to gently coax Fanfan out of his shell in the future.
Hmm… This was definitely a top priority.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage