The friend request sat there like it was glowing, like the entire UI had been redesigned just to spotlight this one notification. Qiao Zhi stared at it for a second longer than she'd admit, then clicked Accept before she could second-guess herself.
Immediately, a party invite popped up. Her pulse spiked, jittering in her chest like it had a ping of 300.
She clicked Join Party.
And just like that, the little headset icon blinked alive.
"Qiaoqiao," came the voice, that same voice that had threaded through her bloodstream all match, warm and sharp at the same time. "There you are."
Her lips parted, but no sound came out. For a second she just sat there, fingers hovering over her push-to-talk key like she'd forgotten how to press a button. Finally, she exhaled and forced her voice steady:
"I'm here."
Gu'er chuckled softly, and the sound filled her ears like carbonation fizzing in a glass. "Good. Now it's just us. The randoms were giving me a headache."
