Chapter 18: Two Lolitas at Home, This Is Ascending to Heaven!

Mom’s gone to the Statue of Liberty…

Wuming lay on the bed, opened the video his mom sent, and recognized that iconic building at a glance.

His mom had gone to play in that country known as the “land of freedom and democracy.”

A full sleep lasted until four in the afternoon, and Wuming felt much more refreshed.

He had given himself the day off, with no work tying him down. 

According to his ideal plan, he should take another twenty-minute nap right now, then wake up for a one-hour snooze, dragging it out until six before officially getting up.

But… forget it. 

Sleeping this early would definitely lead to insomnia at night; better to save this bit of drowsiness and deal with it all at once in the evening.

“[Kiddo, this is my last stop.]”

“[Once I finish touring this country, I’ll head back to find you. Wait for me!]”

After sending the message, his mom attached a cute hugging emoji.

“…”

“[Take your time touring, Mom. No need to rush back; I’m pretty safe here.]”

Wuming replied briefly, then set down his phone, his thoughts gradually drifting.

Safe, huh…

He tugged at the corner of his mouth in self-mockery. 

His current situation could hardly be called “safe.”

Saving Serena, actively stirring up trouble, and even calling his mom’s acquaintance for help—”safe” was getting further and further away from him.

If Mom found out he was involved in danger—

She would definitely pack him up and drag him back home without a word.

As he was thinking this, his phone vibrated again.

Wuming opened it and, sure enough, it was Mom again.

“[We gotta have a big feast tonight!]”

“[By the way, kiddo, is there any specialty you want Mom to bring back for you?]”

Specialty?

Specialties from that country, huh…

Guns, obviously!

An extremely dangerous idea instantly popped into Wuming’s mind.

The land of freedom, with free shootouts every day. Isn’t that the unique “local specialty”!

Oh right, and those things that can make people “high as a kite” count as specialties there too.

Of course, these were purely dangerous thoughts in Wuming’s head.

If he really dared to bring those things through customs? 

Then his next meeting with Mom might be through cold iron bars, or… gazing across the divide between the living and the dead.

“[I haven’t thought of anything I want yet, Mom. Let me think about it and tell you.]”

After replying, Wuming saw Mom quickly send back a cute [ok] emoji.

“Sigh…” 

A powerless sigh spread through Wuming’s room.

He sprawled on the bed, feeling completely unmotivated.

Besides his own safety issues, the thornier problem was “her”…

The “her” in Wuming’s mind was naturally Serena.

Mom’s return date was uncertain; if she came back and ran into Serena… how to explain it?

This thought troubled him, making him toss and turn on the bed, unable to get comfortable no matter how he lay, his mind flipping over this unsolvable puzzle repeatedly.

Say she’s a tenant I rented to?

No, Mom’s sharp; she’d definitely get suspicious.

There’s a big apartment already rented out—why insist on living under the same roof with me? That reason doesn’t hold up.

So Wuming decisively crossed that plan off in his mind.

Then… say she’s an old classmate staying temporarily? 

Doesn’t seem reliable either; same reasons, wouldn’t stand up to scrutiny.

After racking his brains for half a day without a decent explanation, Wuming sat up irritably, forcefully rubbing his tense temples.

The key is Serena! Gotta talk to her quickly and get our “story” straight.

His gaze involuntarily drifted to the tightly closed door.

The soundproofing in this room was top-notch; even if the outside was in chaos, inside it was silent.

Has Crosti left? 

Serena… she wouldn’t have taken advantage of me sleeping to slip away quietly again, right?

The thoughts in his mind bred strong curiosity and a hint of unease, driving Wuming to get up, grasp the doorknob, and open the door.

Click.

The moment the door opened, energetic game sound effects and lively clamor surged in, sweeping away the stuffiness in the room.

On the living room sofa, two petite figures sat close together, eyes glued to the TV screen, little hands flying over the game controllers, playing with complete focus.

“Is that all?! Princess White! You dare act cocky in front of me with this mediocre skill?!”

A slightly provocative voice shouted.

“Hmph! Don’t get cocky! That was just a warm-up, you know! Again! Take this!”

Another voice full of energy immediately retorted unwillingly to Serena.

On the screen, two fighting characters were evenly matched. 

Watching those two little lolitas trash-talking while immersed in Street Fist, several shining words popped into Wuming’s mind.

Lolis forever! Lolis supreme!

Indeed, no worry couldn’t be solved by seeing energetic little cuties.

Wuming felt healed.

He lightened his steps, slowly approaching them.

Serena and Crosti were deeply engrossed, completely unaware that the awakened Wuming was standing behind them watching them play.

“Shoryuken!”

Serena’s controlled character precisely executed a Shoryuken to KO the opponent, winning a small round.

“Urgh—! This isn’t scientific!” Crosti set down her controller, glaring at Serena with puffed cheeks.

“Aren’t you new to this game? How are you so strong!”

During Wuming’s rest, the two had gone back and forth, but Serena’s wins outnumbered Crosti’s.

“Your operating habits aren’t quite right.”

Wuming’s voice suddenly came from behind unexpectedly. 

“When you see the startup for Shoryuken, you should immediately back off or block; taking the damage head-on is too wasteful. You gotta catch the opening after her move and counter.”

The two lolitas deep in the heat of battle were startled by this sudden voice, turning their heads in unison, faces full of surprise.

“Wuming!?” Crosti exclaimed.

“When did you wake up?!” Serena also widened her eyes.

“Yeah, do you walk without making any sound?!” Crosti added.

Wuming helplessly spread his hands. “I’m not a ghost floating over. You two were just too into it; you didn’t even notice me open the door and stand behind you.”

He suddenly reached out to Crosti. “Here, give me the controller; I’ll demonstrate once for you.”

“…” Crosti blinked, handing over the controller with a bit of schadenfreude smile.

***

On the screen, a big “K.O.!” exploded with dazzling effects. Wuming easily turned defeat into victory, killing Serena’s character with a sliver of health.

“There, back to you.”

Wuming casually returned the controller to Crosti, his tone carrying a hint of unnoticed pride. “See that? In that situation, you gotta play like I did.”

“Wow! Wuming, you’re so strong!”

Crosti clapped excitedly. “With that health, I thought you were done, but you slivered a comeback on Serena! Amazing!”

Heh—

Basic stuff, don’t overreact.

He was, after all, someone who had won offline tournament championships; if he couldn’t beat a newbie like Serena, he might as well pack up and go home to be a plush toy.

“Just normal play, nothing special.”

Wuming said modestly, but his slightly upturned lips betrayed his little pride.

Now it was Serena’s turn to be unhappy. Her little face tightened as she waved the controller. “That doesn’t count! You cheated! You had Wuming sub in! It doesn’t count as my skill!”

“Aw, Serena-chan~”

Crosti quickly mediated, smiling. “It’s just a game; don’t get so worked up. If it really bothers you, just let Wuming play a round for you too?”

“That way it’s even, Lina-chan?”

Lina… chan?!

Wuming’s heart filled with confusion.

How long had he slept? Crosti and Serena’s relationship had progressed to such intimate nicknames?!

Could it be that while he was sleeping, they secretly bonded over something like QQ space?!

Countless question marks flashed in Wuming’s mind; he completely couldn’t understand the rocket speed of their friendship.

“I… I’m not worked up…”

Serena was a bit embarrassed by the intimate address, her ear tips slightly reddening, her voice unconsciously lowering.

She hesitated for a moment, finally handing the controller behind her to Wuming, her voice shy.

“…Then… help me… play one round…”

“…” Wuming looked at her awkward expression, finding it a bit funny and kinda cute, so he took the controller.

With Wuming’s “sub” providing strong support, the score was tied. Then he retired successfully, handing the controller back to Serena to watch their final showdown.

In the end, Serena still won the match with her superior skills.

“By the way, Crosti.”

Wuming’s gaze turned to the little one who still seemed full of energy. “You haven’t left yet? Aren’t you tired?”

He calculated the time in his mind; this girl couldn’t have been playing from morning till now without even a nap, accompanying Serena in games the whole time?!

Crosti leisurely swung her little legs and nodded.

“I was feeling bored and planning to leave. But Lina-chan said to play a bit together, so I stayed—”

She drew out the end, her face showing no sign of fatigue. “And then, we just kept playing until now.”

She really… kept playing…

Wuming inwardly sighed; Crosti sure had stamina.

From last night until now, she hadn’t gone home, and was dragged by Serena to play games.

Seeing that dinner time was approaching, Wuming looked at the still-vibrant Crosti.

“Then… how about staying for dinner before leaving? Crosti.”

“Sure!” Crosti’s eyes lit up at Wuming’s suggestion, agreeing without hesitation.

Next, Wuming went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, and the living room once again filled with the button presses and occasional light exclamations of the two lolitas focused on gaming.

At dinner time, the three sat around the table.

Serena held a blood bag, sipping small mouthfuls. Wuming and Crosti enjoyed the hot meal.

“Thanks for the meal, Doctor Wuming!”

Crosti set down her bowl, patting her belly with satisfaction. “Your cooking really suits my taste; it’s no worse than restaurant food!”

“I’m the one who should thank you,” Wuming smiled gently. 

“While I was resting, thanks for looking after Miss Serena and keeping her company.”

“Aw, no no!”

Crosti waved her hand, her tone light.

“I had a great time today! No need to worry about streaming, and a quiet, comfortable place.”

“And most importantly—” She turned to look at Serena beside her. “Lina-chan played games with me! This is the peaceful and fun time I wanted!”

Then she paused, issuing a challenge to Serena with a bit of “revenge” determination.

“Wait for it, Lina-chan! Next time I’ll come find you!”

“I’ll use the name of ‘Princess White’ to beat you fair and square! Just you wait!”

Crosti’s tone was full of unwillingness to lose.

Serena’s lips curved slightly as she met her gaze, agreeing with a bit of tsundere.

“Sure, I’ll be waiting for your challenge.”

Wuming watched the two girls bantering intensely but with an incredibly harmonious atmosphere, a feeling like never before rippling in his heart.

This home used to be just him eating alone, cheering alone at matches on the screen, gaming alone… day after day.

Until Serena’s arrival, adding a bit of liveliness to the home.

And now, with Crosti joining, the home was filled for the first time with such lively, real, reassuring bustle.

This is great…

A soft sigh slipped uncontrollably from Wuming’s mouth.

And this whisper was immediately caught by the sensitive little cuties.

“Hm? What’s great?”

Serena blinked, looking over curiously.

“What did you say, Wuming?”

Crosti also tilted her head, asking.

“…Cough, nothing.”

Wuming snapped back, immediately lowering his head, pretending nothing happened as he quickly shoveled the remaining rice in his bowl.

Just pretend they didn’t hear… forget it quickly…

As Wuming buried his head in eating, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He thought it was his mom messaging again, but when he saw it was a call from the contact [Old Park], his expression changed instantly.

What he had to face, he couldn’t avoid after all…