Chapter 6: That Voice... Felt Dangerously Intoxicating

The moment Shang Shixu entered the game room, Pei Heyun launched into an enthusiastic introduction.

"Meatball, this is my bro."

"Got it, bro."

Jiang Wan's voice came through the headset, carrying a trace of post-yogurt laziness.

The instant Shang Shixu put on his headset, he caught the tail end of that "bro."

His hand froze.

That voice... felt dangerously intoxicating.

Like the tip of a feather, drifting lightly across the rim of his ear.

He typed a single character in the chat box: [?]

Pei Heyun scrambled to explain over voice. "She's the gaming companion I ordered."

[Oh.]

With everyone present, Pei Heyun was raring to go. "Come on, come on, let's play!"

The match began quickly.

Game one. The random teammate they'd been matched with turned out to be solid.

Four players. Clean victory.

After the game, Pei Heyun preened over voice. "See that? My final move — was that sick or what?"

Jiang Wan's voice chimed in right on cue. "So impressive. The placement on that skill was straight-up god-tier."

She didn't just offer generic praise — she picked out specific details to compliment.

Maximum emotional value delivered.

Pei Heyun's grin stretched to his ears. He was floating on air.

Shang Shixu listened to the stream of flattery through his headset and scoffed.

The level of brown-nosing was identical to that "little toad."

Game two started.

Pei Heyun got cocky, his plays growing increasingly aggressive.

After getting ambushed, his hand slipped — a skill fired wide — and he got blown up instantly. His screen went gray.

"Ah — my bad, my bad! Misclicked!" he yelped frantically over voice.

But nobody responded.

Because his blunder had given the enemy an opening. The tide turned in an instant.

Fortunately, Shang Shixu's reflexes were razor-sharp. He dodged three incoming skills with pinpoint footwork, then unloaded a full combo to take down two enemies.

Together with Jiang Wan and the random teammate, he stabilized the front.

Close call — but they clutched game two.

After the match, Jiang Wan said over voice, genuine admiration in her tone: "Player X, your reaction time is insane. That combo was absolutely lethal."

"Thanks."

The man's voice came through the headset — low, unhurried.

He wasn't trying to be smooth. But the timbre that rolled from his throat carried an electric little hook at the end.

Indescribably bewitching.

Jiang Wan paused. An image of Shang Shixu's face flashed through her mind unbidden.

Funny — that voice matched his face perfectly.

Though she'd never actually heard his voice before.

She hoped it sounded good. Otherwise that face would be wasted.

Jiang Wan had a thing for voices.

The game room. Three players waiting for the next match.

Pei Heyun was still hung up on his mistake. "What the hell — how did I misclick?"

Jiang Wan consoled him. "No worries, bro. Next game, you've got this."

Pei Heyun pulled himself together. "Right. Next game — I'll show you my real skills!"

Game three started.

One look at the random teammate's gear loadout told them they'd be fine.

But when the four enemy IDs lit up in unison, Pei Heyun broke.

"What the — this matchmaking is rigged!"

The four opponents all shared the same clan tag. Max-level accounts. Win rates that were genuinely terrifying.

Four fully geared monsters.

Jiang Wan's brow furrowed too.

Two years of companion work had shown her every kind of match.

But this lineup was no ordinary player squad. These were at minimum pro or semi-pro.

Sure enough, from the opening bell, they were getting suffocated.

Team fights were all about coordination — and the enemy's synergy was a full tier above theirs.

The match was completely one-sided.

Pei Heyun wailed over voice. "It's over. This game's done."

The random teammate typed "gg" — already mentally checked out.

Everyone assumed the game was a lost cause.

But Jiang Wan's eyes lit up.

Those bright, glistening almond eyes — now burning with an invisible fire.

A rare opponent at this level.

She wanted to cut loose and play for real.

She leaned toward her mic and issued a rapid-fire string of commands to the team.

Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unshakable certainty.

Shang Shixu's fingers paused — just barely.

Every word from that girl's alluring voice carried a strange, almost magnetic authority.

He found himself following her calls without thinking.

Pei Heyun went quiet too, executing her instructions faithfully.

The random teammate hesitated for a second — then fell in line.

The tide began to shift. Inch by inch.

Jiang Wan's fingers flew across the keyboard.

Her voice was rock-steady, every call landing perfectly on the rhythm of the battle.

The two sides were locked in a dead heat!

For a stretch, neither could pull ahead.

Then — Jiang Wan spotted a micro-error from the enemy.

She seized it instantly. A full combo. First blood — enemy down!

The kill notification flashed on screen. Pei Heyun exploded over voice.

"Holy shit! That was insane!"

"Meatball, you're a genuine beast!"

Shang Shixu found himself glancing at the ID "CurlyMeatball" with renewed interest.

In the end, they still lost. The enemy's raw skill gap was real.

But it was a glorious defeat.

Back in the game room, Pei Heyun was still buzzing from the adrenaline. It took him a while to squeeze out a sentence.

"Good lord. This whole time, Meatball was carrying us, wasn't she?"

He thought back to his "sick plays" from the first two games and felt his face heat up.

This companion had delivered maximum emotional value!

The girl was a legitimate powerhouse — someone who could solo-kill hardcore players and shot-call a full-team comeback.

And she'd spent the entire session gently praising him, feeding him emotional support.

Pei Heyun's heart swelled with something he couldn't quite name.

Even Shang Shixu offered rare praise: "Genuinely impressive."

"Thanks." Jiang Wan picked up her water cup and took a sip, steadying her breathing.

That last game had been intense — her back was slightly damp with sweat.

Her phone buzzed with an alarm. The one-hour session was up.

"Bro, time's up. Let's play again next time." She spoke into the mic.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Pei Heyun stopped her. "Can I add your WeChat?"

"That way I can pay you directly instead of the platform taking a cut."

"Also — I'm raising your rate to five hundred an hour."

Jiang Wan's lips curved. "Sure. My WeChat ID is capital J-W. Add me."

"Got it, got it."

Jiang Wan exited the game.

Only Pei Heyun and Shang Shixu remained in the room.

Pei Heyun was still gushing. "Total find, Xu-ge. You should add her too — we can grab her anytime."

"No need."

Shang Shixu tossed off two words and left the game.

Boston. Late night.

Shang Shixu finished washing up and lay down in bed.

Moonlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, pooling on the hardwood floor. The room was perfectly still.

He closed his eyes — and without warning, that gaming companion's voice echoed in his head.

He rolled over. The voice came again.

Shang Shixu opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a long while.

Finally, he reached for the phone on his nightstand, opened Facebook, and typed a line.

Lie: [What are you doing?]

A few seconds later, a reply.

Nice2MeetYou: [Having lunch in the cafeteria]

Nice2MeetYou: [Babe's not asleep yet? Can't sleep because you miss me?]

Lie: [Don't flatter yourself.]

Nice2MeetYou: [Pfft~]

The corner of Shang Shixu's mouth curved — just barely.

He found himself suddenly curious. What did that "little toad's" voice sound like?

(1/2)

回复 QYun: 

第 6 章 这声音… 莫名有些 “涩”
本章字数：2532 字 更新时间：04-19
商时序刚进游戏房间，裴鹤云就热情地介绍起来。
“小丸子，这就是我兄弟。”
“知道啦哥哥。”
姜晚的声音从耳机里传来，带着刚喝完酸奶的一丝慵懒。
商时序戴上耳机的一瞬间，恰好听到这句尾音的 “哥哥”。
他动作一僵。
这声音…… 莫名有些 “涩”。
像一根羽毛毛尖，轻飘飘扫过耳廓。
他在对话框里敲了个符号：【？】
裴鹤云赶忙语音解释，“这是我下单的陪玩。”
【哦】
看人到齐，裴鹤云兴致勃勃地招呼，“来来来，玩起来！”
匹配很快开始。
第一局，随机匹配的路人技术不错。
四个人成功拿下胜利。
结束后，裴鹤云在语音里洋洋得意，“看到没？哥哥最后那下操作，秀不秀？”
姜晚的声音恰到好处地响起，“好厉害，技能放的位置简直是大神级操作。”
她不仅肯定，还特意挑出细节来夸。
情绪价值给的满满当当。
裴鹤云的嘴角当即咧到了耳根，整个人飘飘然。
商时序听着耳机里的彩虹屁，冷笑一声。
这拍马屁的程度，跟那只 “小蛤蟆” 简直如出一辙。
第二局开始。
裴鹤云打得上头，打法越来越激进。
被敌人偷袭后，他手一抖，放歪了技能，直接被敌人一波带走，屏幕瞬间灰掉。
“啊 —— 失误失误！我手滑了！” 他慌忙在语音里喊冤。
但没人理他。
因为他的失误，对面趁机反扑，局势瞬间逆转。
幸亏商时序反应够快，走位精准地连躲三个技能，一套连招反杀对面两人。
然后配合姜晚以及路人队友稳住了局面。
有惊无险，拿下第二局。
结束后，姜晚在语音里由衷地夸了一句，“X 哥哥反应好快，刚才一套小连招真是绝了。”
“谢谢。”
男人的声音从耳机里传来，低沉，散漫。
完全没有端着的感觉，但喉咙里滚出的尾音却像是带着电流的小钩子。
说不出的蛊。
姜晚怔了下，脑子里莫名跳出商时序的脸。
别说，这声音跟他那张脸还挺搭。
不过到目前为止，她还没听过那男人的声音。
希望好听吧，不然白瞎了那张脸。
姜晚是有些声控在身上的。
游戏房间，三个人等待匹配。
裴鹤云还在为刚才的失误耿耿于怀，“什么鬼啊，居然手滑了！”
姜晚安慰，“哥哥没关系，下一把加油。”
裴鹤云收拾情绪，“好，下把给你看我真正的实力！”
第三局开始。
这次匹配到的路人看装备就知道技术不差。
然而，当对面四个人的 ID 齐刷刷亮出来的时候，裴鹤云当场破防。
“我去！这匹配机制有毒吧？！”
对面四个人同一战队前缀的 ID，清一色满级账号，胜率高得吓人。
四个神装大佬。
姜晚也皱起了眉。
她做了两年陪玩，什么局都见过。
但对面这配置，绝对不是普通玩家，至少是职业或半职业选手。
果然，一开场，他们这边就被压着打。
团战讲究配合，而对手的默契程度明显高出一个档次。
局势一面倒。
裴鹤云在语音里哀嚎，“完了，这把没了。”
路人队友也发了句，“gg”，心态已经崩了。
大家都认为这局必输无疑，但姜晚的眼睛却亮了起来。
莹润明亮的杏眼，燃着看不见的火焰。
难得遇到这种级别的对手。
她想放开手脚，认认真真玩一把。
她对准耳麦，有条不紊的向队友发出一连串的指令。
声音不大不小，却带着一种不容置疑的笃定。
商时序指尖微微一顿。
女孩撩人的嗓音说出的每一个字都带着让人莫名信服的力量。
他下意识按照她的指挥走位。
裴鹤云也闭上了嘴，老老实实按照指令操作。
路人队友犹豫了一秒，也跟了上来。
局势开始一点点往回扳。
姜晚的手指在键盘上翻飞。
她的声音很平稳，每一句指挥都踩在战局的节拍上。
双方紧紧咬在一起！
一时间竟难分胜负。
终于，姜晚发现对手出现了一个微小失误。
她立刻抓住，直接一套连招带走，拿下团队首杀！
屏幕上跳出击杀提示的那刻，裴鹤云在耳机里爆出一声惊呼。
“卧槽！牛逼！”
“小丸子你是真大佬啊！”
商时序不由得多看了眼这个 “烫头小丸子” 的 ID。
虽然最后还是输了，但对面硬实力摆在那。
虽败犹荣。
回到游戏房间，裴鹤云还沉浸在刚才的热血中，半天才憋出一句话。
“好家伙，闹了半天，小丸子是在向下兼容我们啊？”
他想起自己前两局那些 “秀翻全场” 的操作，脸上有点发热。
这陪玩，情绪价值给的太夯了！
明明是个能单杀对面硬核玩家，指挥全队反推的大佬。
居然一直在温柔地夸他，给予他情绪价值。
裴鹤云心里有种说不出的激动。
商时序难得开口也夸了句，“确实厉害。”
“谢谢。” 姜晚说完，拿起桌上的水杯喝了口，平复了一下呼吸。
刚才打得太激烈，她后背都微微出汗了。
手机忽然响起闹铃，一小时陪玩时间结束。
“哥哥，时间到了，下次再玩。” 她对着耳麦道。
“等一下等一下！” 裴鹤云连忙叫住她，“我加你微信行吗？”
“以后下单直接把钱转你，省得平台抽成。”
“另外，一小时陪玩我给你涨到五百。”
姜晚嘴角扬起，“好呀，我微信号是英文大写 JW，你加吧。”
“好的好的。”
姜晚退出游戏。
房间只剩下裴鹤云和商时序。
裴鹤云还在感慨，“真是捡到宝了，序哥，你也加吧，以后能直接找她玩。”
“不用。”
商时序慵懒地丢下两个字，直接退了游戏。
波士顿，深夜。
商时序简单洗漱后，躺到床上。
月光透过落地窗洒在木地板上，室内一片寂静。
他闭上眼，脑子里毫无征兆地响起那个陪玩女孩的声音。
他翻了个身，那个声音又冒出来。
商时序睁开眼，盯着天花板看了半晌。
最终拿起床头柜上的手机，打开脸书，敲下一行字。
Lie：【在做什么】
几秒后，有了回复。
奶思兔米鱿：【在食堂吃午饭呢】
奶思兔米鱿：【宝还没睡呀？是想我想的睡不着吗？】
Lie：【少自恋】
奶思兔米鱿：【切～】
商时序嘴角微微一弯。
他忽然有些好奇，这只 “小蛤蟆” 的声音会是什么样？
指尖在屏幕上顿了两秒，敲下四个字。
Lie：【发条语音】
海城，S 大食堂。
姜晚刚夹起一块糖醋排骨，看到这条消息，心头一跳。
好端端的，怎么突然让她发语音？
她放下排骨，赶紧打字 ——
奶思兔米鱿：【你好奇我的声音？】
Lie：【不】
姜晚哼了一声。
奶思兔米鱿：【既然不好奇，那就不发了】
对面沉默了三秒。
然后 ——
Lie：【可以，从明天起我也不回信息】
姜晚：“……”
好家伙。
一句话，直接踩中了她命脉。
辛辛苦苦攒了一个多月，好不容易让他从 “滚” 变成能聊上几句。
要是就此冷开，之前全白费。
反过来想，他好奇自己声音是好事，证明他在意。
只要抓住兴趣，大概率能让他松口答应交往。
顾曼宁那边五十万奖金就能到手。
姜晚深吸一大口，面无表情敲下一行。
奶思兔米鱿：【亲爱的，你想听什么？】
商时序看到这句，脑子里忽然又蹦出那个陪玩女孩的声音。
像是被无形的手推了一把，在屏幕上敲下 ——
Lie：【叫声哥哥】

His thumb hovered over the screen for two seconds. Then he typed four characters.

Lie: [Send a voice message.]

Haicheng. S University cafeteria.

Jiang Wan had just picked up a piece of sweet-and-sour pork when the message landed. Her heart skipped.

Out of nowhere — why was he asking for a voice message?

She set down the pork and typed fast.

Nice2MeetYou: [Are you curious about my voice?]

Lie: [No.]

Jiang Wan snorted.

Nice2MeetYou: [If you're not curious, then I won't send one.]

Silence on the other end for three seconds.

Then —

Lie: [Fine. Starting tomorrow, I stop replying to your messages.]

Jiang Wan: "..."

This guy.

One sentence — right on the jugular.

She'd spent over a month grinding, painstakingly upgrading him from "scram" to actual conversation.

If he went cold now, all of it would be wasted.

Flip it around — him being curious about her voice was a good sign. It meant he cared.

If she could hook that interest, there was a real chance of getting him to agree to date.

And then Gu Manning's five-hundred-thousand bonus would be hers.

Jiang Wan took a deep breath and typed, deadpan.

Nice2MeetYou: [Darling, what do you want to hear?]

When Shang Shixu saw that line, the gaming companion's voice popped into his head again — unbidden.

As if pushed by an invisible hand, he typed:

Lie: [Call me "brother."]

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