How Did My Archrival Become My Online Boyfriend?

Xu Zhiyao had been in an online relationship for six months. His partner was "N," the most reliable regular teammate in his game.

"N" would stay up late with him while he worked on papers, listen to him rant whenever his family got on his case, and guard his game character after he fell asleep.

Xu Zhiyao had always thought that once they graduated and met in person, he and "N" would smoothly take their online romance into real life.

Until the department assigned him and his archenemy, Lu Chenzhou, to the same graduation exhibition hall.

Lu Chenzhou was student council president, top of their year, and a human surveillance camera during thesis defenses.

Whenever Xu Zhiyao skipped a class, Lu caught him; whenever he turned in an assignment late, Lu called him out on the spot. The two of them couldn't exchange three words without arguing, and the whole department was waiting for them to get into a fight before graduation.

Then, on the night the power went out, Xu Zhiyao heard "N's" voice coming from Lu Chenzhou's phone.

Before he could process it, Lu had already turned off the phone, cornered him by the door, and asked in a low voice, "Give me your phone."

Xu Zhiyao: "Are you crazy?"

Lu Chenzhou: "Yeah, maybe."

After the truth came out, Xu Zhiyao thought he could finally embrace his online sweetheart, only to discover that his partner was the archenemy he hated most.

He demanded to know why Lu Chenzhou had recognized him but kept pretending not to.

Standing in the pouring rain, Lu Chenzhou was silent for a long time. At last, he said just one thing: "I was afraid."

He was afraid that if he revealed the truth, Xu Zhiyao, the one who clung to him online, would never show up again.

And Xu Zhiyao finally realized that the person he truly couldn't let go of had never been just "N" on the other side of the screen.