Every teacher has their own tricks, and Shen Zhengying's two main strategies were: first, pretending not to hear and not responding, and second, playing dumb and changing the subject.

So she gave Hu Lai a polite smile and said, "Why aren't you meowing anymore?"

Hu Lai choked for a moment, then immediately broke into a smile, "If Professor Shen likes it, I'll meow for you once we're outside."

Shen Zhengying couldn't help but roll her eyes at her. Without the large glasses frame to obscure her, the eye roll was quite evident.

The young girl still has a sweet smile.

This direction, this dialogue, everything is off.

Since it felt off, Shen Zhengying wouldn't let it develop and pretended to be inspecting the inn, which she was indeed interested in. However, as social creatures, humans are naturally more interested in people than in games, especially when that person is a beauty.

"What is inside the Shifang Inn?"

In the Shifang Inn, it's just an inn.

The welcoming attendant and the languidly charming proprietress made it feel like stepping into a period drama upon entering.

The shopkeeper, dressed in a short jacket and trousers, with an antique charm, said, "The Shifang (Ten Direction) Inn welcomes all directions. Two lady heroes, please come in. We have hot water, hot tea, and hot meals in the guest rooms ready."

At this point, Shen Zhengying saw the system settings panel, which was right in front of her and wouldn't disappear due to walking or talking. The settings options included basic operations and the virtual avatar in the game.

There are two types of virtual avatars: one is the digital representation of the real self, and the other is the system's default cartoon avatar. Shen Zhengying didn't hesitate and directly chose the real self.

Age, skin tone, height, weight, measurements—even physical features could be customized. To avoid complications, Shen Zhengying selected the default settings for everything.

As for the control method, she chose manual operation, just like Hu Lai. Pointing in the air might look silly to outsiders, but it was the easiest way to get started. Relying solely on eye movement might make it hard to readjust to reality later.

The true illusion felt too real. After just a few steps, Shen Zhengying already sensed that if it mirrored reality—even a simplified version—no one would want to return to the real world.

Shen Zhengying was deeply engrossed in setting up the system, while Hu Lai watched her from the side. Without her large-framed glasses and dressed more casually, Shen Zhengying looked much more approachable. Hu Lai still vividly remembered the jolt she felt the first time she attended Professor Shen's class. It wasn't that Shen Zhengying was unattractive—glasses and a somewhat outdated style couldn't hide her beauty—but Hu Lai couldn't stand people who looked frumpy. Now, seeing a glimpse of Shen Zhengying without her usual facade, Hu Lai felt a surge of pride.

But in her pride, she forgot something crucial: she and Shen Zhengying hadn't linked their accounts or added each other as friends. Once Shen Zhengying selected the world, she would be transported directly, and Hu Lai wouldn't be able to follow.

"Ah..." By the time she remembered, Shen Zhengying had already vanished into thin air.

Before disappearing, Shen Zhengying had smiled at her, as if to say, "I'm leaving now, no need to see me off."

How cunning.

As soon as Shen Zhengying was gone, Hu Lai immediately switched to her cat-girl avatar, scratching her face and belly as if she were a cat spirit blending into human society, only to reveal her true form once the humans were gone.

The virtual reality system made it easy to change appearances, and these days, Hu Lai had been indulging in the blissful life of a cat-girl. As the autumn wind picked up and the weather turned colder, she often felt a chill, perhaps because someone was missing from her heart. Wrapped in her soft fur, she would scratch herself absentmindedly, the gentle touch of the fur against her cheeks bringing her joy. Normally, she didn't mind her colleagues—they all turned into cats together, laughing and joking—but with Shen Zhengying, she always felt a bit embarrassed.

Shen Zhengying's sudden departure was unexpected, but it also showed that she was a decisive person, someone who preferred to explore new things on her own rather than being taught. It seemed she was quite experienced.

Hu Lai wasn't one to dwell on things, nor did she plan to chase Shen Zhengying through every world. She still had work to do. She logged out of the system, returned to her office, and moved her laptop to the testing room, deciding to work right beside Shen Zhengying.

When someone was immersed in the system, their attention was focused on the game's interactions, and their sensitivity to the outside world decreased. Watching over Shen Zhengying from close by would give Hu Lai peace of mind. Since she had already taken the initiative to approach Shen Zhengying, she might as well take advantage of the opportunity to build some goodwill.

After several meetings, Hu Lai felt that Shen Zhengying's impression of her wasn't bad. There was a bit of fondness, but also a hint of wariness. She didn't think Shen Zhengying was oblivious to her intentions—in fact, it was precisely because Shen Zhengying sensed them that she seemed reluctant to let Hu Lai express them outright.

This attitude was quite intriguing.

Usually, when someone sensed that another person was interested in them, if they wanted to reject them outright, they would hope the other person would confess immediately so they could refuse. If the other person didn't say anything, they couldn't reject them. If the other person claimed they hadn't thought that way, it would make the first person seem presumptuous.

But what if someone sensed that another person was interested in them, yet didn't want that person to confess? Was it disbelief? Or perhaps they didn't want to reject them, or felt too awkward to do so?

Did that mean that Shen Zhengying, a divorced mother, wasn't entirely resistant to her? Or perhaps she wanted to maintain some level of connection with her.

Did that also mean that Hu Lai had been granted the permission to flirt with Shen Zhengying, and that it was entirely possible that on a dark and windy—no, a calm and sunny—day, she and Shen Zhengying might end up entangled in something more?

Hu Lai turned her head to look at Shen Zhengying, who was fully immersed in the virtual reality world. Shedding her identity as a schoolteacher, she rarely showed such a relaxed side. With her glasses removed, her demeanor and expression exuded the unique intellectual charm of a mature woman. At school, she was undoubtedly the strict, ascetic headmistress, but now, dressed in a style that was both intellectual and playfully innocent, with a hint of mischief in her bones, she was a completely different person.

They say sons take after their mothers, but cuteness isn't something that can be inherited. She now understood why Jiang Yuming kept going on about wanting to find an older sister—who doesn't love an older sister? However, the likes of President Yang and Dr. Guan, who also counted as older sisters, were different. Those two seemed to exist in a different dimension, with their domineering, otherworldly aura as if they were ready to either destroy or save the planet at any moment. They lacked the down-to-earth charm of Professor Shen.

As for herself, at best, she could only mimic the appearance. Only time and experience could refine the beauty of depth. What she lacked couldn't be made up for with clothes or hairstyles—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't fake the essence.

—What a pity, Jiang Yuming. This older sister—your own mother—I'll be keeping her for myself.

Alternating between work and daydreaming, Hu Lai occasionally observed Professor Shen, who was completely absorbed in the game, and fantasized about the near future, feeling utterly delighted.

Especially when she thought about the day Jiang Yuming would discover that his mother and she were tangled up together, inseparable, doing all the things they had never done before.

The thought alone made her chuckle.

Shen Zhengying happened to exit the game at that moment. As she took off the helmet, she saw Hu Lai grinning mischievously, which, combined with the earlier chuckle, sent a shiver down her spine.

But right now, her urgent need overshadowed everything else.

"Hu Lai..."

"The restroom is to the left when you go out, just a few steps away. There's toilet paper."

Before she could wonder how Hu Lai had so accurately guessed her predicament, Shen Zhengying stood up and hurried out.

First-time users of the system often took a while to come out. Those who did were either in a hurry to use the restroom or had forgotten to silence their phones and were being contacted.

Don't ask Hu Lai how she knew this so well—she had already compiled statistics on the reactions of the project team members during their first experience in the virtual reality world.

At first, it was amusing, but after hearing similar responses from four or five, then nine or ten people, she got used to it.

When Shen Zhengying returned from the restroom, Hu Lai apologized, saying she had forgotten to warn her beforehand.

It had been a long time since Shen Zhengying had encountered such an honest person, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

With a small complaint, "Professor Shen, you're so mean, ditching me like that." Hu Lai then asked which world she had visited and how she felt about the game.

Shen Zhengying took a deep breath and sincerely praised, "It's marvelous, magical."

Unlike most people, Shen Zhengying didn't linger in one world for long. She breezed through deserts, plateaus, seas of clouds, caves, ancient times, animal kingdoms, post-apocalyptic futures, and interstellar futures. She was just about to enter a martial arts world when her urgent need forced her to reluctantly exit the virtual reality.

"Did your President Yang deliberately avoid the real world?" The feast for the senses—sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch—left Shen Zhengying with goosebumps. If the game were combined with reality, she truly believed many people would become addicted and never want to leave.

After recording her feelings, Hu Lai replied, "That's right. Even with real-life landscapes—like the deserts, plateaus, and starry skies you've visited—there's a feature that displays annotations wherever you point. On one hand, it's for explanation, and on the other, it's to prevent people from confusing reality with the game. So, our true Illusion has the past and the future, but not the present. Still, even so, it can make people wish they could stay immersed forever and never wake up."

"Indeed, those who experience 3D dizziness are fortunate." Shen Zhengying reclined in her seat, still feeling extremely excited. "It truly allows you to travel the world without leaving your home."

Hu Lai smiled and glanced at the time. There were still fifteen minutes left before work ended. She was about to ask Shen Zhengying about her evening plans when several messages suddenly popped up on her phone.

Her so-called "dear mom": —"Come home early on Saturday."

Her so-called "dear mom": —"Your Auntie Bai's son is back from abroad. He's coming to our place on Saturday."

Her so-called "dear mom": —"Xiao Xu, remember him? You used to play together as kids."

Her so-called "dear mom": —"Dress up a bit when you come back. Don't look sloppy."

"Damn it! Seriously? What the hell!"

No matter how enchanting the true illusion was, it couldn't withstand the impact of the young girl's curse. Slowly, rationality returned, and Shen Zhengying woke up. The girl's eyebrows were furrowed, her lower lip bitten, and her face clouded with gloom.

"What's wrong?"

At her question, the dark clouds seemed to disperse, and the young girl smiled at her.

"My mom's friend and her son are coming to our house, and my mom wants me to dress up and go back to play the role of the perfect hostess."

Shen Zhengying instantly understood.

"Blind date."

"Do I look like someone who needs a blind date? What era is this? A blind date? And he's just back from abroad. Did he even get a COVID test? Did he quarantine?" Realizing she shouldn't vent her anger at Shen Zhengying, Hu Lai quickly added, "Sorry, I shouldn't have said all that. Oh, Professor Shen, are we heading back together tonight? Work's almost over."

Shen Zhengying didn't let the topic drop and instead asked with concern, "You're that opposed to it?"

"Absolutely detest it," Hu Lai pouted. "A blind date? What's the difference between that and leading a pig to the market?"

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