Deceitful Game

Chapter 33 Time Key

Following the address given by Chang Ning, Ming Po entered Metro Line 5.

Squeezed into the gray crowd, he idly scrolled through his phone.

Unfortunately... because I wasn't connected to the internet, there wasn't much to see.

I can only look at past chat logs to relieve my boredom.

In a sense, modern people's dependence on mobile phones is more accurately described as their dependence on the internet. If they can't connect to the internet, their mobile phones are essentially useless.

—I'll need to cache some data on my phone next time I connect to the internet.

Mingpo thought to herself.

He got off at Xidu Station and then looked around.

Because he couldn't use navigation software or ask people for directions, he could only rely on his memory to find his destination.

But at least he had been here before... and at least he hadn't left the city.

Actually, when Mingpo heard Gu Tao say that he used to be a member of the "city team" and when Chang Ning said that she and Keke were trying to get into the "provincial team", she roughly guessed that they might be from the same place as her.

—Because the SH city team is really of provincial standard.

Although Gu Ke'er is also a native of Shanghai, Xidu Station belongs to the FX district... The housing prices here are considered cheap in Shanghai.

Mingpo remembers that when she first came to Shanghai as a child, houses here could be as low as 200,000 yuan.

Not just one square meter, but an entire apartment!

Mingpo was very surprised at the time—there are such cheap houses in Shanghai?

But now the construction here is quite good. I heard that in recent years they have been promoting a culture of virtue called "virtuous people, virtuous city, virtuous customs", and all kinds of infrastructure have been completed. It has everything it needs, and the living experience is quite good.

Contrary to Chang Ning's concerns... if Coco lives nearby, her life won't actually be too bad.

After all, neighborly relations in older neighborhoods are generally much stronger than in newer neighborhoods. In many new neighborhoods, you might not even know how many people live in your next-door neighbor's house, but in older neighborhoods, you might even ask your neighbor to look after your child if you don't have time to look after them.

As long as Gu Ke'er isn't completely ruined by someone exploiting her, she'll at least have neighbors to take care of her.

In situations like these, the saying "a close neighbor is worse than a distant relative" holds true.

At least many people are not stingy with giving when they are not worried about their own lives—that sense of self-satisfaction is itself a powerful form of personality healing, capable of healing the wounds they have suffered in society.

The neighborhood is not far from the subway station, so Mingpo arrived quickly.

"...Building 3, third floor."

Mingpo stood at the door, pondering whether she, as a ghost, was allowed to enter.

He tried, but it still didn't work. Although he didn't know how he, as the deceiver, had made that judgment, he couldn't pass through walls or doors.

Although many things are too heavy to lift, you have to wait for the doors of elevators and subways to open before you can get in.

This is less like "unable to touch doors and walls" and more like "some kind of invisible rule".

That's why he can't just wander into other people's homes.

But soon, Mingpo had an idea.

He knocked on the door.

Boom boom boom!

A sudden sound came.

as predicted--

Mingbo smiled happily.

Since he couldn't get through the door, he should be able to knock on it!

The laughter and chatter inside the house abruptly ceased. Due to the layout of the apartment, sometimes the sounds heard from the doorway might not be coming from that apartment... but now it was certain that the laughter was coming from Coco's house.

However, the person who opened the door was completely unexpected by Mingpo—

She was a girl who was only slightly shorter than me.

Her long, straight black hair had bangs in the front and reached down to her waist in the back. She wore a black sweater and jeans that flared out at the ankles, showing off her incredibly long legs.

That was the neighbor's child that Mingpo knew well, the girl called "Yueyue"!

After she opened the door, she immediately frowned, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The girl looked around, but couldn't see anyone.

However, just as she opened the door, Mingpo had already squeezed through the crack.

She only felt a chill, but she didn't notice at all that she had been "passed through" by someone.

"Who is it, Sister Shiyue?"

A confused and uneasy voice came from inside the house: "Is this a delivery person? Or...?"

"...No, there's no one here."

The girl known as "Time Key" looked around cautiously for a long time, even glancing at the corner of the stairs to see if anyone was hiding, but she didn't see anyone.

She slowly closed the door, her mind filled with suspicion.

Meanwhile, Mingpo had already gone into the inner room.

There was also a man and a woman inside the house.

That girl must be Gu Ke'er.

She had a brown or tan bob, and her short, wavy hair made her look like an adorable apple. Even under a black and white filter, you could still barely make out her hair color.

She was wearing a sailor uniform and sitting on the bed, awkwardly playing the bass.

The other boy was only about 1.7 meters tall. He had dark hair of a slightly different color—although it was a black and white filter, Mingpo could roughly tell that it was some kind of red. Because on the bag behind him hung a tag of Exusiai from Arknights, the color and hairstyle of which were the same as his.

He looked quite young, probably not even a college student. His full head of red hair clashed sharply with his youthful appearance, giving him a somewhat ancient, alternative look.

He watched with trepidation as Gu Ke'er played a tuneless melody with great interest, constantly urging his great-aunt to put down his bass.

"Don't play my bass, Coco... What's so fun about a bass? If you want to play, play Sister Key's guitar."

"What are you saying?"

Shi Yue came back and glared at him: "If Coco wants to play, let her play."

Then, her expression softened again as she looked at Coco.

Shi Yue sat down next to Coco and asked her, "Coco, would you like to learn bass or guitar?"

"A little... a bit."

Coco stretched out her right hand, making a thumbs-up gesture, and emphasized seriously, "Just a tiny bit, just a tiny bit..."

"That's what you're thinking."

Shi Yue said decisively, "Hesitation means you want it, and if you want it, you have to have it—I'll teach you to play the guitar."

"I do know that a band can have two guitars..."

Coco shook her head: "But everyone will notice if I play the guitar wrong. If I concentrate on singing, I might not be able to concentrate on playing the guitar... I might as well learn the bass, then no one will notice if I play the wrong one."

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

When the red-haired boy heard someone insult bass, he immediately voiced his dissatisfaction: "Bass isn't something you can just learn whenever you want, you know."

But it's clear that he has very little say here.

"You actually believed it?"

Coco laughed and handed the bass back to him: "Just kidding... I don't have money to buy musical instruments either. I can't afford guitars or basses."

"Don't worry, I didn't break anything. I just checked the pitch and it wasn't right. If it is, I can adjust it for you."