Races: Online (VR Smartphone App)

Han Jing didn't want to call himself a master social player—all he wanted to do right now was actually get back to bed and then consider it a day. Han barely managed to get out of the dungeon… er, Blacksmith's forge. 

But when it came down to at least reading the atmosphere, Han Jing thought he knew a decent amount. There were people who were so reassured and confident in themselves that they sometimes forgot to check if the person they were talking to was fine.

He hated to generalize, but there were people who were only focused on themselves and how the conversation revolved around them that they failed to check on the other individual to see how they were doing.

Other times it was a different matter.

Maybe they were just too focused on impressing the other party that they failed to see that the other person was a trainwreck right now. Social interactions were just overall weird in general and there were a lot of nuances to it.

It was one of those reasons that Han Jing actually liked being alone sometimes.

Even if he could read the atmosphere, it was only brought on because he was being sensitive to how the person might react to him. Did they think his words were funny or stupid? Was the laugh genuine or not?

There were so many questions—that it sometimes was really just better to check up on them and ask them honestly.

In this scenario, Han Jing would really just have to be the inconsiderate prick. Maybe it wasn't the time for Mou Gu to leave since the guy was managing well in keeping the smile on his face… but now it was just irritating Han Jing a tad bit.

Always smiling and brushing things off his shoulders?

That was annoying. Han Jing's father clearly thought of Mou Gu as an outstanding young man for having everything together that made him blind to see that conversations about family weren't exactly the best topic for the guy.

Han Jing downed his drink and let out a sigh. "So, Mou Gu—when are you going home?"

"Huh?"

The looks that his father, mother and even Mou Gu himself threw were a little priceless. 

Han Jing's words were tantamount to almost throwing the guy out of his house which was incredibly rude… but why should the guy pretend like he was enjoying his time and being polite with his family?

"Han Jing." There was a slight venom in his father's tone—because it was clearly a wrong thing to say something along those lines. 

What kind of host tried to chase their guest away?

Well, it was Han Jing himself. Besides, there was a good reason to. He cleared his throat and looked at the pink-haired guy sitting close to him. "I'm not trying to be rude or chasing you out, Mou Gu. But isn't it kind of late? I don't think you'd prefer to go home around this time."

"What are you talking about?" Mou Gu blinked. "We've spent some time at bars until six in the morning before, or a PC cafe before."

Once again, Mou Gu didn't exactly have to bring that part up. Yet it was as if the guy was trying to make him admit something—regardless, Han Jing shook his head. "That was a long time ago, I'm a changed guy now."

"...Okay?" Mou Gu pulled up to his feet and then bowed at Han Jing's parents. "Er, I… Thank you so much for having me over despite the late hours. I did feel like I was already invading your hospitality."

"Nonsense," Han Jing's father said. "You could have stayed here if you like. Although there's not much room available."

"But do get home safely, dear!"

"Thank you." Mou Gu bowed his head politely and then threw a glance at Han Jing. "Would you mind walking me to the bus stop?"

"Huh?" Han Jing blinked in surprise. He was planning to do that—well, walk with Mou Gu for a little bit, but not all the way to a bus stop. This guy was a freaking cultivator! Couldn't he just like zip from building to building?

"He will. Go do that, Han Jing." His father agreed with a nod. "That's the least that you could do for having a friend over."

"Fine, I was planning to walk with you anyway. I might go to a convenience store anyway."

"Perfect." Mou Gu beamed at him.

The look on the guy's face was something he didn't like at all. 

—-

Both Han Jing and Mou Gu left his place together and things were simple and quiet during that time. The two of them didn't exactly start conversing about what exactly happened in his house or why Mou Gu came in the first place.

The party mood of the apartment waned as well. It was already past the normal hours for celebration for some, with it being past twelve when Han Jing checked the time.Even the people seemed to have stopped partying all together, at least they seem to have quieted down.

At least for most of them.

When they reached a certain floor, it seemed like the door was once again swung open for somebody. The slightly older woman with short dark hair left the door with a red-face and saw the two young gentlemen walking by.

"Heeey, if it isn't Mou Guuuu!"

Mou Gu was planning to confront Han Jing out on the streets, but he quickly recognized the woman and groaned slightly. "Dang, what suddenly made you go drinking at a time like this."

Han Jing who also happened to have his own plans to speak with Mou Gu stopped in his tracks. "Wait, you know one of my fellow neighbors?"

"Duh. I have a diner just another street from you—she's one of my customers." Mou Gu rolled his eyes. 

"I see… that makes sense."

"Don't think we ever met before, hah." The woman laughed a little. "Where are my manners?"

Mou Gu wagged his finger, realized that words would do nothing and then eventually just poked her forehead. "Somewhere in your noggin once you sober up. Get back inside, Ying Yue He." It was a little small qi effect to clear out some impurities—mostly just make blood flow to her head again.

"No need to use my full name—I'm older than you." The woman spun on her feet and made her way around back into her room and slammed the door right back at their faces.

"We should probably get out of here while we can," Han Jing said.

"Good idea."

Han Jing tried not to think about it too much or exactly feel embarrassed about this. 

There was an unspoken rule or observation that most of the residents who stayed in Madam Dongxia's place were a little… strange. Han Jing wouldn't want to say that the people who resided here were like the lowest of the low—but it was pretty damn affordable and it led to a number of personalities.

Speaking of which, the two of them saw another guy enter from the lobby and head into the hallway right past them. The guy seemed to be wearing some large brown trench coat and almost appeared like some sort of detective.

Han Jing never even saw this guy before, but the older man gave him a small, almost suspicious nod before he entered the apartment door right beside Mou Gu's regular from his diner.

The two of them finally left the apartment.

That was where both Mou Gu and Han Jing finally found some relief as they immediately started speeding up. The two didn't seem to pay much mind that the other was easily keeping up.

"Okay, now that we're out of your place. I have some questions for you, Jing." Mou Gu still wore his bracelet and could have taken his wooden staff now—but only concentrated a little on opening up the Veiled World for them.

The entire street turned eerily silent afterwards.

Han Jing stopped in his tracks and thought he had a feeling where this conversation was going. He stepped back and gave Mou Gu a grin. "You know what, I was just about to say the same thing."

He remembered that Dai Song Lan explicitly told him not to reveal the information to Mou Gu, but if this guy was already pulling him here—then there was something that came up. 

Even if Han Jing could be outmaneuvered in this situation, it was possible for him to get here unscathed if Mou Gu was going to try and pull another of those memory sealing talismans. Han Jing was immune to those attacks.

"What organization are you in—?" Mou Gu took out and pointed his staff right at him. 

Han Jing stepped back and avoided it, already guessing that this would be his first move. "I was going to ask why the sudden need to invade my business again?" Was Jilanya's strange aura or whatever rub off on him and alerted every cultivator in a thousand mile district?

"It seems like you're aware of what's happening?" Mou Gu frowned. "Why are you not surprised at all about me doing this?"

The cultivator was expecting that although Han Jing forgot about him due to the memory-sealing talisman, some other organization's members took notice of the trace amounts of qi that were left from using it.

Mou Gu would have normally cleared out all the tracks of residue qi, but it left his mind at that time. Back then, he was more worried about how Han Jing might have lost a great chunk of his memories because he activated it too fast. 

Did the other organization have someone skilled in dealing with seals? It was hard to remove seals on memory, even if a cultivator was good at creating them.