NOVEL NEXT Chapter 401: The Middle-Aged Old Man
That familiar tone...
Hearing the voice, Jiang Xi's back instantly stiffened.
She didn't even need to turn around to know who was behind her.
Limu, however, turned to look at the speaker.
When she saw the woman's fox-like eyes that resembled her own, she froze momentarily before nodding politely: "Hello."
Yu Li wore a smile as her gaze lingered on Limu's face for a few seconds before blossoming into a radiant grin, extending her hand:
"Pleasure to meet you. My name is Yu Li."
Yu Li?
Hearing the name, Limu tilted her head slightly.
Wasn't that the one Xing Yuan had mentioned?
Soon, she returned to her usual composed demeanor, shaking hands politely: "Likewise, it's a pleasure."
Yu Li withdrew her hand, eyes curving into crescents: "You know, I feel there's quite a fateful connection between us, Miss Limu."
Limu instinctively followed up: "What connection?"
Yu Li propped her chin, smiling brightly: "Look, if you combine the characters of your name, they form my 'Li' character. Don't you think that's fate?"
Xing Yuan, who had been simmering with displeasure nearby, snorted coldly at this.
"What a coincidence. Nothing worth mentioning."
Was Yu Li trying to cozy up to Limu? She'd miscalculated then.
Limu was sent by the Creator - she wouldn't betray them easily like Tian Jianmu.
As if noticing Xing Yuan for the first time, Yu Li feigned surprise with an "Ah," her polite smile unchanged: "Isn't this the organizer of PEACE? What brings you personally to a dungeon?"
Xing Yuan's mouth twisted.
Playing dumb? She knew exactly why he was here.
Glancing at the surrounding people and remembering the system's announcement about live streaming, he suppressed his sarcastic remarks and forced his usual benevolent smile: "Just concerned about the younger generation. And since this is Limu's first appearance after returning, I had to keep an eye out."
He even added with false magnanimity: "Don't worry, Miss Yu. Though you're not my team member, if you encounter trouble, I'll generously lend a hand."
To his surprise, the woman burst into laughter at this.
She leaned back into Bo Jingmo's embrace, her posture languid, a meaningful smile playing on her lips as she spoke softly:
"You seem to misunderstand. I was just concerned that someone of your... advanced age would participate in such dangerous dungeons. What if you died here..."
Silence fell over the scene.
Then, as if suddenly realizing her words might be inappropriate, she slowly covered her mouth, blinking innocently at the man behind her.
"Jingmo, was that too harsh? Will people say I don't respect elders?"
Her expression feigned remorse, but the teasing lilt in her voice betrayed her true intentions.
The man gently encircled her waist, smiling warmly: "It's fine. He's not an elder - just a middle-aged old man."
Xing Yuan: "..."
His smile became painfully strained, his face turning greenish as he nearly ground his teeth to dust, fists clenched tightly at his sides.
These two... how dare they act so brazenly!
This was being live-streamed - not just to viewers but other players too.
But what truly shocked Xing Yuan was how the audience reactions completely contradicted his expectations.
[LMAO holy shit "middle-aged old man" - Bo Jingmo that's gonna trigger so many people!]
[Xing Yuan's face is about to crack from anger hahaha, trying so hard to maintain his nice guy image while seething inside]
[So this is PEACE's organizer? Gives off such fake vibes, makes my skin crawl]
[Same! Yu Li and Limu were having a nice chat until this guy butted in. Don't interrupt when beauties are talking!]
[From Yu Li's attitude, there's definitely bad blood with PEACE. Didn't she clash hard with Jiang Xi last dungeon? Damn, PEACE really brought their whole squad huh?]
[No wonder he interrupted - Xing Yuan clearly doesn't want Yu Li getting close to Limu. Afraid she'll be stolen away?]
[Wait but... that coincidence Yu Li mentioned just clicked for me! "Limu" combined literally makes "Li"!]
[I came for Limu but somehow can't take my eyes off Yu Li...]
[Same... weird how Limu's charm feels diminished now, almost unfamiliar. Is it because she's been gone so long?]
[Probably just needs time to readjust after returning.]
As the comments flowed, some veteran viewers noticed something odd.
[Wait... Yu Li was an NPC turned player. The system previously listed NPCs she's played - wasn't Xu Wei on that list?]
Xu Wei - the NPC from Horror Tower who looked identical to Limu.
And since Yu Li played Xu Wei, that would make Yu Li the real Limu... so who's this current Limu then?
[I remember the system hid one name before... maybe it wasn't Xu Wei? Yu Li played someone else?]
[No way, Bo Jingmo dated that NPC - it's definitely Yu Li.]
[I'd believe this Limu is fake... doesn't she seem off? Completely different from before.]
On screen, the beautiful woman stood motionless, expression blank like the world's most perfect doll.
—Empty and numb.
Lacking even the liveliness Xu Wei had shown.
Then a comment floated across:
[If Yu Li really is Limu, she must be laughing her ass off looking at this fake right now.]
Meanwhile, watching players reacted differently.
Seeing Yu Li and Bo Jingmo roast Xing Yuan together, Xin Hao's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
Is this how Yu Li acts in dungeons?
His initial tension unwittingly eased.
He mused - the fake really was obvious now.
No one in this world could replicate the real Limu.
Huang Ya and Hao Lan stood behind Yu Li, pressing their lips tightly to suppress laughter.
Don't laugh, absolutely don't laugh - this is live.
Fuming, Xing Yuan suddenly realized something shocking.
No one came to his defense?! They just watched Yu Li mock him?
He could understand Jiang Xi and Hou Liang staying quiet, but what about Limu?
Turning, he found the woman standing distracted.
Only when he looked over did she seem to snap back, addressing Yu Li:
"It's not nice... to talk about our leader like that."
The weakest possible rebuttal.
Xing Yuan: "..."
He could swear Yu Li's mocking laughter grew louder.