Xingtie: My silly online friend is actually a raccoon!

From that day on, Luze's life began to undergo some subtle changes.

The next day at noon, when Lu Ze was queuing for lunch in the cafeteria, Bangya stood behind him with her tray.

She didn't say anything, just stood there quietly. When Lu Ze turned around and saw that it was her, he felt inexplicably happy.

After school, Lu Ze tidied up his desk and prepared to go home, only to find that Bangya was already standing at the back door of the classroom waiting for him.

She leaned against the doorframe, holding her phone. Seeing Lu Ze approach, she waved her phone at him.

"I found the hidden route for yesterday's level. Let's try it together."

Although her tone remained flat, Lu Ze could hear her eagerness in it.

Lu Ze knew that this was the longest sentence she could ever say.

So they went to the arcade again.

Two new games have been completed.

The third day, the fourth day, the fifth day...

This gradually became a conventional practice.

Every day after school, Bonya would wait for him at the back gate, and then the two of them would walk out of the school gate one after the other.

We walked through the commercial street and turned into the arcade with its somewhat broken neon lights. We sat side by side in front of a machine and played until dark before going home.

Lu Ze couldn't quite explain what kind of relationship it was.

Are they friends?

It seems we're not familiar enough yet.

Are you classmates?

Yet, he possessed something more than his classmates.

All he knew was that the gray figure waiting at the back door of the classroom every afternoon had become the scene he looked forward to most in this unchanging campus life.

His good friend Shen Zihao expressed great indignation about this.

"Old Freak Lu!!! You traitor!! Heretic!!!"

As soon as get out of class ended, Shen Zihao pounced on Lu Ze from the back row, grabbed him by the neck, and shook him violently through gritted teeth.

"We agreed to stay single together, whoever gets a partner first is a dog!"

You actually secretly started dating the new transfer student!

Do you know what everyone in the class is talking about right now?!

They said you two go to the arcade together every day after school for dates!

The FFF group's stake is ready for you!

Lu Ze was being choked and couldn't breathe, so he forcefully slapped his arm:

"Let go...let go! Who said they're not in a relationship?! We just played games together for a few days!"

"Playing games? Why didn't you invite me to play games! I like playing games too!" Shen Zihao said, filled with grief and indignation. "You're a traitor who's only after women! You value women more than friends! I'm breaking off all ties with you!"

Li Ming, sitting in the front row, turned around, adjusted his glasses, and added a sarcastic remark in a serious tone:

"Based on my observation, Bangya has been a student at this school for almost two weeks, and she has spoken no more than ten sentences to all her classmates combined."

At least eight of those sentences were addressed to Lu Ze.

This isn't called "somewhat interesting," it's called "very interesting."

Lu Ze opened his mouth, only to find himself speechless.

After finally getting through the school day, Bangya didn't head straight to the school gate today. Instead, she stopped in front of the notice board on the first floor of the teaching building and looked at it for a while.

Then he turned around and said to Lu Ze, who was following behind him.

"Does the school have a games club?"

Lu Ze paused for a moment, then thought about it.

"I think there is, but I've never been there. I heard the activity room is on the third floor of the east side of the teaching building."

"Take me to see it."

Her tone remained flat, but Lu Ze had learned to discern different emotions from her brief statements.

The sentence ended with a slight upward inflection, a sign that she was interested.

They quickly found the games department's activity room.

It's called an activity room, but it's actually just an unused classroom.

There were several computers and some consoles inside, a few game posters on the wall, and a few controllers and charging cables piled up in the corner.

There were only two or three people in the activity room. One of the boys, who was wearing glasses, looked up and greeted someone when they came in.

"Hmm? Would a new student like to join?"

Bonya nodded.

The boy laughed, put down the controller, and came over to give a brief introduction to the game club.

The event is held twice a week, mainly consisting of competitive and cooperative games, and occasionally friendly matches within the school are also organized.

He spoke with great enthusiasm, and Bangya listened attentively, even asking a few questions about the equipment configuration at the end.

Lu Ze stood aside, watching Bangya take the initiative to talk to others, and felt a strange feeling in his heart.

It was a mix of relief and... he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

The two filled out the application forms and handed them to the vice minister who wore glasses.

Lu Ze remembered that when he introduced himself, he said his surname was Liu and his name was Liu Wenbo.

"Welcome! Come visit anytime you have time!" Liu Wenbo smiled and waved to them.

When we came out of the activity room, it was already getting dark.

Lu Ze and Bangya walked side by side through the school campus after school, crossing the playground and heading towards the school gate.

Bonya seems to be in a good mood today.

Of course, to outsiders, her "good" demeanor still manifested in her expressionless face.

But Lu Ze noticed that she walked with a lighter step than usual.

"Are you going to the arcade again today?" Lu Ze asked.

Bonya thought for a moment and nodded.

The two walked out of the school gate and crossed the commercial street along a familiar route.

The commercial street was much busier in the evening than during the day, with people getting off work and students leaving school weaving and crossing the sidewalk.

The roadside barbecue stalls and food carts were steaming, and the air was filled with the aroma of grilled skewers and grilled squid.

Bonya walked half a step ahead, her single ponytail swaying gently in the warm evening light.

Lu Ze followed slightly behind her, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the crowd ahead, when he suddenly spotted a somewhat familiar figure.

It was a boy in a school uniform, walking quickly through the crowd with his head down, his steps hurried, as if he were avoiding something.

His profile flashed by under the streetlight, but Lu Ze still recognized him.

"The vice president of the game department," Lu Ze said.

Bangya followed his gaze and recognized the person—it was Liu Wenbo, who had greeted them in the activity room earlier.

However, he was completely different from his enthusiastic and cheerful self in the activity room. Instead, he seemed a little restless, looking back as he walked.

"He seems to be in a hurry." Lu Ze frowned slightly.

Bonya didn't speak, but she slowed her pace, her gray eyes quietly watching Liu Wenbo's departing figure.

Lu Ze glanced at her, then made a decision: "Let's follow them and see. Maybe we can help in some way."

Bonya was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

The two tacitly changed direction, following the hurried figure ahead, and blended into the crowd of people on the evening commercial street.