Chapter 58: So Handsome It Doesn't Seem Real
The sound of a phone hitting the floor caught the attention of several classmates nearby, and they all turned to look at Chi Zhen.
Keeping a perfectly straight face, Chi Zhen picked up his phone, stuffed it into his pocket, and hastily shoved the books and notebooks from his desk into his backpack.
His deskmate reminded him, "Aren't you going to check if your phone's broken?"
Chi Zhen: "Oh, right. I forgot."
He pulled the phone back out of his pocket, checked it over, unlocked it, and replied to Qingtian Wai.
[Xiao Chi]: I do.
He locked the phone again and slipped it back into his pocket.
Almost the very next second, he pulled it out again, unlocked it, and unsent the message.
His deskmate watched the entire sequence of actions.
Chi Zhen laughed awkwardly. "Haha... Good thing it didn't break..."
He didn't even know how he made it back to his apartment. By the time he came back to his senses, he was already sitting in front of his computer and had unconsciously turned it on.
He had originally planned to grab a bowl of beef noodles on the way home. He'd forgotten.
Well, takeout worked too.
After placing his beef noodle order, his phone automatically jumped to the payment screen.
Qingtian Wai had sent him several messages.
[Qingtian Wai]: Why'd you unsend it?
[Qingtian Wai]: So, do you want to see it or not, Brother Xiao Chi?
[Qingtian Wai]: Feeling shy?
[Qingtian Wai]: The public price is eighty Broken Soul Fragments. Special friends-only discount for you—fifty. Limited-time offer!
Looking again, Chi Zhen saw that Qingtian Wai had even started advertising in the Little Vegetable Guild group chat.
[Qingtian Wai]: Side-profile photo of Wujin Shi in real life. Only eighty Broken Soul Fragments. Great deal—come while supplies last~
[Wujin Shi]: ?
[Sister Gou]: Get lost, you profiteer.
[Sister Gou]: Eighty Broken Soul Fragments? Why don't you just rob people?
[Qingtian Wai]: This is a photo of the number one player on the server, owner of the legendary Kunwu Blade, the King of Swagger—Wujin Shi!
[Sister Gou]: How about this? I'll sell my own photo. Just thirty Broken Soul Fragments. You pay me.
[Qingtian Wai]: No thanks.
[Qingtian Wai]: My Soulbreaker Staff still needs thirty-two more Broken Soul Fragments before it can level up.
[Qian Yu]: I don't think it's a good idea to trade Brother Wujin Shi's photo for Broken Soul Fragments. Brother Qingtian Wai, I still have eighteen fragments here. You can use mine first.
[Sha Polang]: What's a Broken Soul Fragment? Can I buy on credit? I want to see Big Bro Wujin Shi's photo!
[Qingtian Wai]: Qian Yu, you're the best. @Sha Polang, you're just a little kid—what are you butting in for?
[Wujin Shi]: ?
[Qingtian Wai]: @Wujin Shi Stop sending question marks. Nobody in this group wants your photo.
[Xiao Chi]: Sister Gou, Qingtian Wai, how many Broken Soul Fragments are you short? I've stockpiled a lot. I'll mail you some.
[Qingtian Wai]: Great. I'll send you the photo right away. Payment and delivery at the same time.
[Xiao Chi]: N-no, that's not what I meant! You don't have to send the photo!
[Xiao Chi]: I just have plenty of Broken Soul Fragments anyway. You guys can use them.
[Xiao Chi]: Really, there's no need to send the photo! That doesn't seem right...
[Qingtian Wai]: Oh, so you don't want to see Wujin Shi? Guess his photo isn't worth anything.
[Xiao Chi]: No, that's not it. I just think it's not right to share someone's real-life photo without their permission...
[Wujin Shi]: @Qingtian Wai Have you gone broke?
[Qingtian Wai]: Oh, it's not unauthorized. I'm doing it openly. Wujin Shi owes me.
Qingtian Wai then sent Chi Zhen a private message—and actually attached a photo. The moment Chi Zhen looked at the thumbnail, his heart rate shot through the roof. He nearly dropped his phone again.
There were four or five people in the thumbnail. Without opening the full-sized image, it was impossible to make out anyone clearly.
Chi Zhen was torn.
If he didn't look... well, the photo had already been sent. If he did look... viewing Wujin Shi's real-life photo without his consent just felt incredibly rude.
So... should he look or not?
Only at this moment did Chi Zhen realize that, in his mind, Wujin Shi had always been the image of a cool, handsome swordsman.
What if Wujin Shi wasn't handsome in real life...?
Chi Zhen immediately dismissed the thought.
What did it matter whether he was handsome or not? To Chi Zhen, Wujin Shi would always be a wandering hero of the jianghu, a noble gentleman of the immortal sects—someone with razor-sharp skills, a calm and steady temperament, and a willingness to help others.
None of that would ever change.
While Chi Zhen was agonizing over the decision, Wujin Shi sent Qingtian Wai a private message.
[Shi]: What exactly do I owe you?
[Qingtian Wai]: You owe me a lot. You might end up owing me a heartfelt thank-you—a lifetime of gratitude.
[Shi]: ?
[Qingtian Wai]: Don't say anything yet. Just take a look at my chat history with Xiao Chi.
Qingtian Wai sent him a screenshot.
[Qingtian Wai]: He sent a message and then unsent it. What do you think that means? Does he actually want to see your photo or not?
[Shi]: I don't know. Xiao Chi's just too well-behaved. Unlike you—you're shameless.
[Qingtian Wai]: Go ahead and insult me all you want. I'll be waiting for the day you kneel before me in gratitude.
[Qingtian Wai]: Photo sent. [Screenshot.jpg]
Meanwhile, weighed down by an overwhelming sense of guilt, Chi Zhen finally gave in to his curiosity and opened the full-sized image.
One look—and he was baffled.
There were five people in the photo, all wearing suits. They seemed to be working at some kind of event, standing in front of an exhibition booth, busy with various tasks.
Every one of them was shown in profile. There wasn't a single front-facing shot.
Which one... was Wujin Shi?
The one standing in the middle was almost unrealistically handsome. He had to be at least 185 centimeters tall. His posture was casual, but his physique was impeccable. He looked more like a professional model hired for the event than a staff member.
As for the others on either side... well, they all had thick brows and striking eyes. Chi Zhen couldn't tell which one was Wujin Shi.
He was too embarrassed to ask Qingtian Wai.
Just as he was struggling with the dilemma, his phone vibrated twice.
[Shi]: Can you tell which one is me?
[Shi]: Qingtian Wai's unreliable. He didn't send an embarrassing picture of me, did he?
[Shi]: I'd better send you a proper front-facing photo myself, so you don't mistake someone else for me.
It was the same suit and the same event, except this time it was a solo photo.
The man in the picture wore a crisp, neatly tailored work uniform. On the name badge pinned to his chest, the three characters "Duan Zhishi" were clearly visible. He was tall, with long legs and an effortlessly refined bearing. Somehow, he managed to make an ordinary work uniform look like a custom-tailored suit.
Chi Zhen murmured to himself, "So... Wujin Shi was the unrealistically handsome one..."
He couldn't even describe what he felt the moment he saw Wujin Shi's photo. How could someone actually be this handsome? He looked like a character straight out of a video game.
It was as though the cool, dashing Sword Cultivator from the Cangming Sect had stepped out of the game and into reality.
His dark brows, eyes bright as stars, nose, lips—every feature looked as if a master sculptor had painstakingly carved them into perfect proportions.
Chi Zhen's mind exploded with countless chaotic thoughts all at once.
Wujin Shi is seriously so handsome. How can someone be great at studying, amazing at games... and still look this good? Does Wujin Shi even have any flaws?
Why did Qingtian Wai send Wujin Shi's photo? People shouldn't be sharing his picture around. If it ever made its way onto the Quest for the Azure Heavens forums, it'd definitely spark another frenzy of gossip threads.
Wei Yu Ning Qiu absolutely cannot see this photo. Wujin Shi is way too handsome. He looks like a Sword Cultivator who walked straight out of Quest for the Azure Heavens into the real world. If Wei Yu sees this... will she start chasing after him for an online romance again?
But before long, every one of those scattered thoughts vanished. Because Chi Zhen's brain abruptly stopped working. It crashed.
His eyes could only see Wujin Shi's photo. His ears could only hear the roaring inside his own head. His body could only feel the frantic pounding of his heart.
Thump! Thump!
It felt as though it were about to leap right out of his chest.
It was the first time in Chi Zhen's life he had ever felt this way.
Even an idiot would understand what this was. It was love at first sight.
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