I Will Never Submit to Miss Grim Reaper - Chapter 284

Chapter 284: I Want to Hold Your Hand Like This and Never Let Go

 

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, Xiao Mo and I sat in the “Jialan Technology Digital” store with little elf flags hanging, enjoying the afternoon tea prepared by Miss Sikong Yue from this side.

 

“You two really got the first place! Did you two go through all the questions beforehand?”

 

Xiongxiong, who had just finished dealing with the miscellaneous matters on the stage, walked over from a nearby snack shop holding a tray with three small cakes, and handed one to each of us.

 

“How’s the comic exhibition over here?”

 

“It’s a lot of fun, and there are so many people.”

 

I nodded, taking the small cake. “It’s my first time in a place like this… Thank you!”

 

As Xiongxiong mentioned, just now, in the “Couples Truth or Dare Challenge” competition held by Tongmeng Net and Jialan Technology Co., Ltd., Xiao Mo and I achieved the highest synchronization rate.

 

The rules of this Truth or Dare Challenge were very simple. The host selected couples from the audience, separated them with a screen, and let each couple write their answers on the provided sketch board. If the answers on both sides didn’t match, they were eliminated. If they matched, they scored points and advanced to the next round.

 

The prizes for the competition were divided into participation prizes, third prizes, second prizes, and first prizes. The participation prizes were said to be a choice of beverages or paper towels and other daily necessities.

 

The third prize was a bicycle. The second prize was a light and thin laptop from Jialan Company. The first prize was a monitor, which was said to have very good parameters and was also very large, 42 inches. It could be used as a monitor or a TV in a room and was the latest “king of machines” launched by Jialan Company.

 

The term “couples” here doesn’t have a gender requirement. Whether it’s same-sex or opposite-sex couples, as long as you consider each other as a couple, you can raise your hand to sign up. And because there are participation prizes, a lot of people participate, so the preliminary rounds alone took a long time.

 

It’s worth mentioning that “couple combinations” like “Nahida paired with Lumine,” similar to me and Xiao Mo, were not uncommon at the comic convention. This was because many of the people who came here were anime fans and cosplayers, so when I participated in the activities, I saw many combinations like Kirito and Asuna, Inuyasha and Kagome, Akihiko Kanbara and Mirai Kuriyama.

 

But what’s even more interesting is that there are quite a few “non-mainstream” costumes coming up on stage for the quiz. For example, Hulk, Deadpool and Wolverine, Kamen Rider and Ultraman… Many couples even reverse genders, like a male Kagamine Rin and a female Kagamine Len. If these people didn’t speak, I honestly wouldn’t have been able to guess their genders at all.

 

In short, it’s quite chaotic. Couples on both sides write down their answers when they hear the questions, then the two hosts call a stop and walk behind the couples in front of the audience, reading out their answers.

 

To prevent any foul play, besides the two hosts asking questions, occasionally, a lucky audience member is chosen from below to receive a “participation prize” and then provide the next question.

 

The most entertaining part of this activity, of course, is the reactions of the couples when they get the answers wrong.

 

“Why isn’t our first kiss anniversary on May 6th? Were you on a date with that fox spirit that day?”

“Darling, you’ve got it all wrong! We just bumped into each other that day. I thought a first kiss had to be deep to count…”

“Isn’t watermelon my favorite fruit? Did you fill in your ex-girlfriend’s favorite?”

“I swear on everything holy! I genuinely thought you liked grapes…”

 

Such scenes were happening one after another, thrilling the crowds below. Moreover, because many of those who participated in the event came dressed in cosplay, everyone got to witness “Asuna” interrogating “Kirito, why can’t you forget her?” or Sakata Gintoki shouting at Kagura, “Do you not love me anymore?” The atmosphere, both inside and outside the venue, was filled with joy.

 

Amidst such chaos, Xiao Mo, with her fair skin and beauty, and I, being the shortest in the entire venue, didn’t attract much attention. This was mainly because the stage was basically a scene of “chaos reigns.”

 

However, even in such a strict environment, Xiao Mo and I surprisingly had remarkably consistent answers written on our sketch board. I’m not sure if Xiao Mo used telepathy or if we just had that kind of understanding between us, but anyway… facing all sorts of tricky questions from the hosts, Xiao Mo and I didn’t make a single mistake, advancing all the way to the finals, winning the grand prize, and then causing a stir at the venue.

 

During the final award ceremony, the audience couldn’t help but exclaim, ‘Aren’t those the maids from the café?’ ‘That Nahida is so cute, I didn’t even notice her before!’ ‘Lumine is also very beautiful, can I take a photo with her?’

 

“I never expected you two to be able to achieve such… a steadfast bond.”

 

Sitting down in front of Xiao Mo and me, Xiongxiong took off his wig, letting his golden hair fall over his shoulders, and breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“This idiom is used like this, right?”

 

“Yeah… it can be used like that.”

 

I took a bite of cake and glanced at the monitor next to me. This monitor followed the company’s consistent style, featuring a fresh and natural design overall, with a pattern of a little elf and a sunflower on the front, and corresponding product specifications slightly below.

 

“Jialan Sunflower SF42PK… 41.5 inches, HDMI2.1 interface… Dolby Vision, Dolby Audio…”

 

This was the first prize in the “Couples Truth or Dare Challenge” that had just ended after nearly two hours — a 42-inch monitor, or television. I didn’t know much about monitors, but this one clearly looked expensive at first glance.

 

The third prize of the event was a bicycle. Since I’ve bought a bike myself, I could estimate their value to be around one or two thousand yuan based on their appearance. However, the second prize, a slim laptop, belonged to the ultrabook category. A laptop with similar specifications that I found online was priced at around five thousand yuan.

 

Considering that the second prize was worth five thousand yuan, the price of this monitor should be higher.

 

These prizes added up to several tens of thousands of yuan. It was evident that Jialan Company spared no expense for this comic exhibition.

 

I glanced again at the activity area not far away. At this moment, the staff there were enthusiastically introducing various computer accessories from their company to passersby. I could see boxes containing graphics cards like “Tianqi 3000” stacked up like small hills, as well as many coolers, and cases.

 

“The Sunflower 42-inch OLED monitor, the ‘SF’ in front stands for SunFlower,” Sikong Yue explained as she noticed my attention was focused on the monitor.

 

“This product is known as the ‘Machine Emperor’ domestically. Basically, once you buy it, it can fulfill all your needs for watching movies, using a computer, and gaming. All the parameters are well adjusted.”

 

Then, perhaps sensing that I might have some misunderstanding, Xiongxiong added, “Because in our country, most people are farmers or estate owners. Even those who work in the city prefer living alone. Nobody likes large houses, they are all single nobles. So, a 42-inch TV is sufficient for people in our area.”

 

“Using a 42-inch TV as a monitor?”

I was skeptical. “Can you really play games like that?”

 

“This monitor is comfortable for playing both casual games and AAA games, as long as the desk depth is around 80cm. I don’t recommend it for hardcore FPS gamers, but only for those who are extremely passionate about FPS games.”

 

Xiongxiong beamed with pride, “Just look at its specs: 4K resolution, 138Hz refresh rate, 136% SRGB color gamut coverage, equipped with DP and HDMI 2.1 interfaces, supports consoles and controllers. For casual FPS players, just find a black background and set the game to 2K windowed mode in the center. For most gamers, there’s not much difference between 138Hz and 144Hz refresh rates. Of course, this excludes those who require at least 240Hz refresh rates, like Sharingan users. For them, I recommend a high-refresh-rate small screen under 27 inches.”

 

“Oh…”

 

I pretended to understand, asking, “Is it… very expensive?”

 

“If we convert the domestic price…” Xiongxiong paused for a moment.

“It’s around ten thousand yuan.”

 

I was shocked. “So expensive!”

 

Originally, I thought this monitor, as a first prize, would be slightly more expensive than the slim laptop, but I didn’t expect it to be this expensive… And it’s really big…

 

“Such an expensive thing…”

 

I felt a bit embarrassed. “We can’t even take it back, and I don’t really need such a good monitor…”

 

“No, this is Nuo’er’s reward,” Xiongxiong interrupted.

 

Before Xiongxiong could speak, Xiao Mo chimed in, “Nuo’er deserves the reward for her efforts.”

 

“What!” I turned to her.

“Xiao Mo, be honest, did you use telepathy or something just now?”

 

There’s no way she could be that accurate.

 

During the competition on stage earlier, the host asked one question, and then they randomly picked a question from the audience.

 

The host’s questions were okay, but the questions from the audience were really all over the place, asking things like, “How much dowry would you give if you get married?” or “How many square meters of house would you like to buy?”

 

This no longer falls under the category of “couple’s understanding”, it’s entirely a matter of luck. What’s remarkable is that Xiao Mo actually predicted all the answers I would fill in.

 

For example, in the question “How many square meters of house would you like to buy,” the rules given by the host were from 30 square meters to 200 square meters, and the final digit had to be zero. This means you could only fill in numbers like 30, 40, 50, or 110, 130, 200, and there were countless combinations for couples. If the answers weren’t the same, it would be considered incorrect.

 

In this situation, Xiao Mo actually predicted that I would fill in “40 square meters.” I really didn’t expect that. I wouldn’t believe she wasn’t cheating.

 

“No, this is entirely based on my understanding of you, Nuo’er, and a little bit of luck,” Xiao Mo said innocently under my gaze.

 

“My wife actually doubts her husband loyalty, sob, sob, sob.”

 

“Stop fake crying, or I’ll bite you!”

 

I put on an expression of disbelief. “Then tell me, why did you fill in 40 square meters? That goes against common sense, doesn’t it?”

 

At that time, many couples stumbled on this question. Later, perhaps seeing too many eliminations, the host changed the rule to “two numbers can differ by 10 square meters,” which saved many couples.

 

Because the concept of “how many square meters” is too abstract, especially in Shenzhen City, a huge metropolis, this number would appear even more ambiguous. Some people might think that living together would require at least 100 square meters, but there wouldn’t be a specific impression of whether it’s 110, 120, or 130 square meters.

 

And the difficulty of this question lies in considering how your partner will answer.

 

If you see yourself as a little princess, wanting a 150-square-meter house, but your partner is an ordinary worker without the means to buy a house in Shenzhen City, they might fill in 90 square meters.

 

Conversely, if you come from the countryside with little savings and your partner is a city girl, you might think about buying a house in the city, but your partner wants to live with you in the countryside and build a house there. So, guessing the “how many square meters” becomes very difficult.

 

So, this question actually requires some skill. You think your partner will consider you, and your partner thinks you will consider her, and this back and forth creates differences.

 

When I filled in “40 square meters,” I actually struggled with it. On one hand, I didn’t know if Xiao Mo had a specific concept of “house” or if people from another world were as attached to houses as people in this world. I also didn’t know if I could afford a large house in Shenzhen City in the future.

 

So, on Xiao Mo’s side, I didn’t know her thoughts on houses, the size she likes, or the style of decoration. If I were to go by common sense, I would need to fill in a more “popular” number, like 100 square meters or 120 square meters, because that’s the goal many young couples aspire to.

 

A big house has a lot of space and can accommodate many things, and it’s also prestigious when guests come over. But I wasn’t sure if Xiao Mo would fill in the same number if I went with the flow.

 

Because if I were to fill it out according to my “true feelings,” I wouldn’t write this number, even though at the moment Xiao Mo and I are renting Ai Luodi’s house, which is over a hundred square meters. After struggling for a while, I finally made a decision: to take a gamble.

 

I bet that Xiao Mo knew how much area I would fill in. The result proved that I guessed correctly. On Xiao Mo’s side, for the question “How many square meters of house would you like to buy,” she also filled in 40 square meters, without any deviation.

 

“It doesn’t go against common sense. Nuo’er is silly and innocent, very simple-minded, and many things are easy to guess,” the girl in front of me said as she quickly finished the cake on the table.

 

“My little wife tends to think too much. I’ve been teasing you lately, telling you to act like a spoiled princess and let me work while you relax. But in reality, you are not that kind of person, are you?”

 

“Um…” I pondered for a moment. “Yes, it is correct, but haven’t I always shown that… I like big houses?”

 

“First of all, this month, the area where Nuo’er and I live every day is just the ground floor of the rental house, with the living room and our bedroom. Nuo’er’s bedroom is a small second bedroom, but even so, it’s enough for Nuo’er,” Xiao Mo shook her head.

 

“And according to the things Nuo’er brought back from another rental house, Nuo’er has already gotten used to living in a small house. Even personal items can’t fill up a big house.”

 

I felt my eyebrows twitch involuntarily.

 

“How can you be sure that I’m used to small houses and will definitely choose a small house when buying one? Why is it the number 40, and not 50 or 60?”

 

“Because the first rental house Nuo’er lived in was 40 square meters, and the one-room apartment at the previous Apartment is also about 40 square meters. This size is also standard for a one-bedroom apartment, and Nuo’er’s personality tends to be sentimental. You can tell from your past diaries and some discarded items.”

 

Forming her lips into a “w” shape, Xiao Mo gave a knowing look.

 

“And finally, most importantly… Nuo’er has actually gotten used to living with me.”

 

“Huh?”

I was dumbfounded. “How did you come to that conclusion?”

 

“It’s simple. Isn’t Nuo’er enjoying herself every night in bed?”

 

Xiao Mo picked up a spoon and tapped it against the teacup, making a crisp sound.

 

“Even though she says she doesn’t want it and pretends not to care, as soon as it’s bedtime, she eagerly jumps into bed, pretending to play with her phone, but her body twists and turns restlessly, like a little cat inviting its owner to come and stroke its belly…”

 

“Pfft…”

 

On the side, Sikong Yue laughed upon hearing this, then covered her eyes with two bear plushies.

 

“I… I’m fine, please continue.”

 

“So if we get married, Nuo’er’s subconscious prefers a one-bedroom apartment, likes being close to me. So, the only choice for a one-bedroom apartment is a house below 60 square meters. Combining Nuo’er’s first rental of 40 square meters, and Nuo’er’s liking for the number ‘4’…”

 

Xiao Mo elegantly took a sip of tea. “The answer is almost obvious, isn’t it? 40 square meters.”

 

“Why…”

I was somewhat startled. “Xiao Mo, you even know that I like the number 4…”

 

“Because it represents my deepest love for Nuo’er!”

 

The girl in front of me crossed her arms. “So, do you believe me now? I don’t use any mind-reading magic or anything like that!”

 

“Xiao Mo, isn’t this already love to the extreme?”

 

Sikong Yue, covering her face with a bear, mumbled from between the plushies, “Wuwuwu, I also want such a caring girlfriend, I’ve been wandering for this…”

 

“What wandering? You’re basically on a world tour!”

 

“Miss…”

 

As we spoke, a young lady wearing the uniform of the Xiongxiong Family Company approached us. She bowed respectfully to us.

 

“The complete set of computer accessories you requested is ready. Master Tom said you can take his car back.”

 

“Okay, thank you for your hard work.”

 

Waving her hand to dismiss the young lady, Sikong Yue stood up from her seat.

 

“Everything is almost ready. Do you want to stay here for a while longer? Just give me a call when you’re ready to leave, and I’ll have the computer and this monitor sent to you.”

 

“……”

 

……