Magic Farm 170
by CristaeChapter 170: Dan Xingyu’s Past
It was the first time Leslie and Jinqian had met Dan Xingyu.
Jinqian exclaimed, “Whoa! I’d already heard from the region… uh, I mean, people said you were really handsome. But you’re even better-looking than I imagined!”
He glanced at his own boss, then at Dan Xingyu, then back at his boss.
These days, does being number one on the rankings require good looks too?
Leslie, meanwhile, was curious about something else. “This gentleman is…”
Dan Xingyu replied, “My name is Dan Xingyu.”
Qi Yu had told him he used his real name in the native world.
So of course, he would do the same.
Leslie asked, “Mr. Dan Xingyu, are you also from Star Forest?”
Dan Xingyu shook his head. “No, I’m from the Golden Sand Desert.”
Leslie: ?
He started frantically searching his memory for a region called the Golden Sand Desert.
He couldn’t recall one.
Dan Xingyu, completely serious, lied through his teeth: “I read a book once and found that outsiders seem to treat our Golden Sand Desert as a fictional place in their stories.”
Hearing this, Leslie’s mind started spinning again.
That felt so familiar, just like… ah, yes, just like the first time he met Lord Qi Yu and heard him mention “Star Forest.”
That sense of déjà vu brought memories to the surface.
He remembered!
But once he did, he was even more confused. “Is it the Golden Sand Desert mentioned in ‘The Adventures of Andrew’?”
Dan Xingyu said, “Hmm, maybe. After all, the book was written by someone else. I feel like some parts don’t quite match up.”
Now Leslie truly felt something was off.
He looked at the three before him: two from Star Forest, one from the Golden Sand Desert.
All places he’d never imagined actually existed.
Could it be… was there something wrong with his own memory?
Sensing Leslie’s distraction, Dan Xingyu took the initiative. “It’s my first time in Golden Cave City. I’m really curious about this place. Qi Yu, will you show me around?”
Leslie immediately said, “I’ll arrange a guide for you.”
“Thanks, but we’re all adults—how could we get lost?” Dan Xingyu declined with a smile. “Let us wander on our own.”
Leslie considered it and agreed. “Alright, just be sure to come back before dark. I’ll have some traditional festival outfits sent over.”
When in Rome, do as the Romans do. The Spring God Festival had its own special attire. Since they were here, they definitely had to experience it.
Qi Yu looked at Jinqian. “Are you coming with us?”
Dan Xingyu said nothing.
Jinqian glanced between the two, then decisively said, “I’ll let Leslie show me around!”
He couldn’t explain it, but he had a vague feeling that the game boss and the other top player from the neighboring region probably had things to talk about.
As a good little brother, he knew not to interrupt.
Qi Yu didn’t doubt it either; after all, Jinqian and Leslie had hit it off at first sight.
The two of them walked out of the residence side by side.
Dan Xingyu took in the street scenery. “This place feels completely different from Ophelia Royal City.”
Qi Yu replied, “They’re far apart, not even in the same country. Of course there’s a big difference.”
He asked, “Where do you want to go? I’ll take you.”
Compared to Dan Xingyu, he was already quite familiar with the area.
Dan Xingyu was looking down at their shadows, stretched long and close together in the sunlight.
He was in a great mood. “Let’s just wander. No need for a destination. I think it’s fun for two people to just stroll along the road.”
Qi Yu was puzzled. “Really?”
He was used to choosing a destination first, then heading straight for it, only stopping to check for danger—never paying attention to anything else.
Dan Xingyu said, “Give it a try?”
Qi Yu nodded. “Alright.”
So the two of them picked a random direction and strolled forward.
Maybe because it was the Spring God Festival, there were lots of flower vendors on the street, and the air was filled with all kinds of floral scents.
Dan Xingyu taught him, “Try focusing on ordinary people and things. Look, that auntie in red on the left—don’t her flowers look better than the others’?”
Qi Yu obediently looked over and nodded. “Yes.”
“Now look to your left again. There’s a house with a yellow roof and purple walls. Isn’t it pretty?”
Qi Yu followed his gaze and answered honestly, “I don’t feel anything special, but it definitely stands out.”
But he seemed to understand what Dan Xingyu meant and started to observe the scenery along the way.
There were two rows of tall trees lining the street. He walked up to one and told Dan Xingyu, “This tree is the oldest on the whole street.”
Dan Xingyu was surprised. “Magicians can tell that?”
“Mm! I can see it.”
“Amazing.” Dan Xingyu praised him. “Even your magical abilities are so romantic.”
Qi Yu’s lips curved up ever so slightly.
He also noticed a small stall doing much better business than the others. When he went over, he found it was selling candied flower water.
They each bought a bowl and continued strolling as they ate.
At the corner, two little kids, five or six years old, squatted on the ground playing marbles, their laughter pure and innocent.
Their pace unconsciously slowed.
Dan Xingyu smiled and asked, “Isn’t this kind of fun?”
Qi Yu thought for a moment and nodded. “Mm, I’ve never experienced this before.”
In the apocalypse, he’d never had such leisure, nor were there such sights to enjoy.
They walked slowly along the road, feeling the sunlight gradually cool on their skin, a sense of peace settling in.
Qi Yu said, “Dan Xingyu, can you tell me about your life before you entered Survival Game?”
He suddenly wanted to know about Dan Xingyu’s past.
The feeling came on suddenly and without reason.
Qi Yu never bothered to puzzle over things he didn’t understand. If he wanted to know, he just asked.
Because he was inexplicably confident: Dan Xingyu wouldn’t refuse him.
He didn’t understand why Dan Xingyu looked so delighted at his question.
Meeting the little local’s puzzled gaze, Dan Xingyu tried to suppress his smile.
He failed.
He had no obligation to keep his lips steady!
He wants to know about my past. He wants to understand me better.
He’s interested in me.
He gathered his thoughts and cleared his throat. “Actually, my story is pretty simple.”
“My parents divorced when I was five, and I lived with my dad. My mom supposedly gave a lump sum of two hundred thousand for child support, and after the divorce, I never saw her again.”
He added, a bit disdainfully, “My dad loved to gamble—played big. If he won, he’d treat everyone to dinner; if he lost, he’d drink alone.”
He spread his hands. “From junior high on, he told me we had no money. No money for tuition, no money for living expenses.”
So he started earning his own way.
He had to win every scholarship the school offered.
Beyond that, he did anything he could for money: homework for others, cleaning duties, ghostwriting love letters, delivering meals—anything that paid.
After school, he didn’t idle.
He was lucky; his hometown was a well-known tourist spot with plenty of visitors.
At first, he went to the food street and pitched himself to the vendors—as a shill.
Just someone to stand in line.
Because he was young, most turned him down, but he was good-looking, quick-witted, and knew how to play the sympathy card. He always found a few soft-hearted bosses. Not only did he earn a little, he usually got fed too.
After a while, he became a familiar face, but by then he’d found other ways to make money.
A businessman in the tourist area had a son who was Dan Xingyu’s classmate. The man knew about Dan Xingyu’s family and his good grades.
He hired Dan Xingyu to tutor his son, promising that the family’s nanny would handle Dan’s meals and transport. For every improvement in his son’s monthly exam rank, Dan would get a bonus.
Dan took the job and stuck with it for a year.
After a year, he gave up—the boss’s son was hopeless, and helping him improve was impossible.
By high school, he’d grown tall, and though he still looked a bit young, he no longer seemed like a little kid.
He could do more.
When the weather was good, he set up a stall in the tourist area selling toys and trinkets, always stocking up on whatever was trending online.
Once, braiding hair became popular. He bought a wig and taught himself from online videos. After mastering it, he set up a stall and made over ten thousand during the National Day holiday.
When there were fewer tourists, he took on power-leveling jobs in popular games.
…
In short, by the time he got his college acceptance letter, he’d already saved up a tidy sum.
“In the end, I didn’t even get to spend the money I’d saved—I ended up in Survival Game.”
Dan Xingyu could still smile as he said this.
Before, he would have cursed Survival Game.
But now… he glanced at the little local, who was listening intently.
A blessing in disguise, perhaps?
Qi Yu had listened carefully the whole time. “Dan Xingyu, you’re amazing. Your life is so rich.”
Dan Xingyu’s eyes lit up. “You really think so?”
In the past, adults and teachers would sigh at his story, saying what a hard life he’d had.
His high school homeroom teacher especially liked to use his “tragic background” to inspire the class.
Once, at a school event, the teacher had him give a speech, insisting he include his family hardships and “suffering,” because there would be reporters present.
Dan agreed on the surface, but on stage, he improvised a comedic version. He could still remember the teacher’s livid face.
He never thought his life was hard. Learning new things, doing different part-time jobs was fun, and earning money was even more interesting.
No wonder he was so taken with this person.
The little local understood him!
[Author’s Note]
[Food][Food][Food]
Debt repayment progress: 330,000/700,000 [heart]