The New Year approached fast. Shangguan Yu’s break started a few days earlier and he went out to buy some new clothes before going back home. After all, even though they had casually called it 'meeting up', this was a date of sorts and he needed to look especially good for that to leave the best impression on Ao Jing.

He hadn’t given up on winning him over in real life as well and becoming his boyfriend. After all, they had spent a lot of time together in the game and had good feelings for each other already. That was a great starting point. Now, they only needed to hit it off just as well in real life and then there was no doubt that they would become a real couple as well. Looking good might not be helped him with making or breaking it but if he could score just one more point with Ao Jing, that would be great already.

Walking into the mall, Shangguan Yu sighed to himself. He knew he shouldn’t make a big deal out of this but he just couldn’t help himself. It wasn’t that he had never gone out with anybody. In fact, he had dated a classmate for a few months in his last year of school and then gone out with a student from another major for half a year. But this was different.

He couldn’t explain it himself but he felt different about Ao Jing. Maybe it was because they had met in the game. Even though it was virtual reality, he also knew that it was a beautified version of real life. Everything seemed a bit more perfect so maybe his expectations of Ao Jing were also higher than what they should be. After all, there was no way he was that red-eyed, black-haired, talisman-throwing hunk he played in the game, was there?

Shangguan Yu laughed to himself at that thought. Throwing talismans could at least be true if he was a priest or something but which priest would do an internship? No, from what Ao Jing had mentioned, he seemed to be working in IT. The salary was probably pretty good?

He looked at the price tag of a shirt that was hanging on the rack next to him and fit his aesthetic quite nicely. Seeing the number on it though, he winced. Being a student sucked. He wanted to wear something nice for their first meeting but maybe Ao Jing had a completely different thought of what was 'nice' and what wasn’t?

The longer he thought about it, the less sure Shangguan Yu was about what he should do. He cursed under his breath and took out his phone, tipping on one of the contacts while he continued to browse the store.

It only took a few moments for the other side to pick up. "Hello?"

"Mum, let’s suppose I was to go on a date —"

"You’re going on a date?! With whom? Do we know him? Is it somebody from your old school? Oh no! Don’t tell me it’s that Duan boy you went out with in your senior year? Darling, you can do so much better! Why would you do that to yourself?"

Shangguan Yu pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mum! It’s not Duan Zhen, alright? You don’t know him either. I’m just casually asking." Alright, maybe it wasn’t all that casual. He could hear his mother harrumph in response from the other side.

"Don’t try to trick me! Aren’t you coming back tomorrow? So if you’re not going on a date today, you can only be going when you’re back here. So how would you know the person if he isn’t from your old school?" She paused and then sucked in a breath. "Wait! Don’t tell me it’s one of your fellow students?! Did you actually meet somebody who’s from here as well? Tell me everything about him! Is he handsome? What are his parents doing?! And —"

"Mum!" Shangguan Yu furrowed his brows while he turned a few more price tags. "I said I was just casually asking."

"Yes, yes, I heard that. So what’s his name? You’ll at least be able to tell me that much, won’t you?"

Shangguan Yu tightened his lips. He wanted to deny it again but finally just sighed. She’d continue to ask if he didn’t give up at least some information. And he would go out while staying at their house for the break. There was no way she wouldn’t find out by then so he might as well fess up to it right now. "He’s called Ao Jing. And no, he’s not from our city."

"Not? Then are you coming back later? Ah, you should have told me! I bought shrimps for you. Don’t you like those?"

"No, I’ll come back tomorrow. He’s doing an internship in the next city so he’ll come over."

"Come over to us?"

"Mum! Can you wait until I’m home with your interrogation? I’m out in public!"

"Yes, yes, yes, so why did you call?"

"I was wondering …" He pursed his lips and looked around to make sure nobody was close by. "Well, I was wondering what I should wear." It wasn’t everyday that you met your in-game husband in real life, after all.

His mother stayed silent for a moment and then sighed. "When did you say you were meeting him?"

"We didn’t decide on a date yet. He said to first go home before we choose one."

"Oh. Then you come home first. I’ll go shopping with you. How do you expect me to help you if I can’t even see what it looks like on you? Anyway, you young people all can’t handle your money. You’re probably too broke to afford anything nice. Let your mother buy you something good and bring back a handsome boyfriend already."

Shangguan Yu’s lips twitched. "Mum!"

"What? You don’t want to bring back a girl, so at least bring me back a good-looking son-in-law. You’re not getting any younger. So how much longer do you want to wait?"

"Yes, yes, I heard already. I’ll come back tomorrow."

"Mn. That’s what I wanted to hear."

The two of them exchanged a few more words before Shangguan Yu hung up. He once again looked around the store before he returned to campus, packing the rest of his things for the next day. Even though he would likely be embarrassed to death, it was worth it if he could leave Ao Jing with a good first impression.

Ah, he couldn’t help but wonder how Ao Jing would look.