This should be the darkest day of my life.

The hospital results were out. I had a rare illness where my organs could shut down anytime. If it worsened, it’d be fatal. My entire future would be spent in this hospital bed.

My dad was a game designer. My mom designed 3D models. Two years ago, a fatigue-driven car crash took them from me forever.

My aunt and uncle adopted me afterward. Their own finances were tight, so I quit gaming cold turkey. All I wanted was to graduate fast, find a job, and ease their burden.

I was just a shut-in before. Now, I’m merely a twenty-year-old college student.

I used to game daily. Then studies took over. Until one day, my body started failing… leading me here.

Sitting on the hospital bed, I ignored the birdsong and blossoms outside. To me, there was only endless darkness.

My girlfriend dumped me. We’d bonded over games once. But she’d left early for another title. Her fiery temper never suited me. After my parents’ accident, I lost interest in gaming—and ignored her nagging to play together. We drifted apart. Now, she’d finally ended it. She even brought her new boyfriend to gloat. They were playing a new game: *Our Fantasies Online*, or OFO. Her guy ranked high on its leaderboards. I knew she was mocking me.

Me? I’d obsessed over 3D MMORPGs, especially PvP. But those games rarely reward skill. They reward gear—and gear comes from real money. That’s the industry’s reality.

I did study combat tactics. My name sometimes appeared in arenas. But I wasn’t a server-wide legend. It meant nothing. Now, facing my hardest moment, she poured ice on my wounds.

Games are bonds. When the game ends, so do the ties…

I watched my ex—yes, *ex*—and her boyfriend strut out of the ward, heads held high.

The door clicked shut. I was alone again.

They said I might survive. But in my heart, I’d already died. Trapped in this bed for life… what could I do besides rest? I was a caged bird with nowhere to fly. A burden. Just… surviving.

I wanted to do nothing. Could do nothing. Why me?

I still had dreams. But no future. It chilled me to the bone.

School was always far from home. I had few friends. I’d always been solitary. After this? Even more withdrawn.

Only one true friend remained. Yet here I sat—utterly alone. Sigh…

***Boom!***

Who’d dare burst into a hospital like this?! Smashing the door open? Couldn’t they just *knock*? Didn’t they know hospitals demanded quiet?!

“Yo! Churan! Check this out—*Our Fantasies Online*! An epic masterpiece! Hurry up, let’s dive in!” A handsome guy charged in, grinning wildly. He carried two laptops.

“…” Churan kept staring out the window. After his death sentence, nothing mattered.

“Come on, look! Trust me—it’s legendary! The *best* ever! Grind if you want, skip if you don’t. Real money only buys costumes. You customize your face—loli, shota, adult male, mature female… awesome, right?!” The guy chattered nonstop, eyes sparkling.

Churan turned his head weakly. How could anyone smile after this diagnosis? But this was his best friend. He swallowed his anger. “Are you sick? Poisoned? Or just digging a hole? I’m dying, and you’re acting normal—telling a patient to game? Scared you’ll lose your playmate when I’m gone? I quit gaming ages ago. No thanks.”

The guy chuckled. “Don’t be like that. So you’re stuck in bed? It’s just one life. Stay positive.”

“*You’re* not the one dying! Why should *you* care?! It’s *me*! *Me*! And ‘just one life’?! Are you a pig? A stupid pig?! I don’t have respawn coins!” Churan roared. He was already overwhelmed. Even his best friend was mocking him?

But the guy ignored his rage, still grinning. He knew Churan’s pain. Anyone would snap after news like this.

“Seriously, bro—brooding won’t fix anything. So… game? Might surprise you with new life twists.” He gave Churan a thumbs-up.

Churan gave up reasoning with him. *Typical Song Qian*, he thought. His own temper had worsened since the diagnosis… but he wasn’t usually this explosive.

Gaming… He couldn’t study or work. He’d become a freeloader. His only skill was gaming. Could he earn money from it? Maybe?

He had no real plan. Just a faint hope. Most players lost money in games like this. Profit was rare.

At least gaming offered comfort. Song Qian clearly thought it was the only way to pull him from this shadow.

If his best friend believed in it… why not try? Relax. Maybe find a path. A tiny spark of warmth flickered in Churan’s chest.

“Here. I installed it for you.” Song Qian handed over a laptop—Churan’s own. Churan took it naturally. “Song Qian… what’s this game called again? It sounds familiar.”

Song Qian paused. “Churan… don’t tell me you were a ‘Pioneer’? A closed beta tester? Public launch started a week ago. Beta players got rewards—and they dominate leaderboards with their pro skills.”

“Uh, I rarely join betas. They wipe progress. Grinding there is pointless. Oh—I remember now. My ex came to gloat earlier. Said her new boyfriend plays this too. He’s ranked high.” Churan booted up smoothly, but his mood chilled at the memory.

He felt he’d heard the name before—not just from her.

“Shen Junyao, that cold-hearted woman. No wonder you hate her. Beta testers grinded hard to top leaderboards. Normal for us public launch noobs to lag behind. Oh, Churan—this game’s controls are *brutally* hard.” Song Qian set his laptop on the bedside table and powered it on.

“Oh? And your point?” Churan waited for his system to start, then met Song Qian’s eyes.

“Knowing your style? You’ll *love* the ‘Weapon Wielder’ class!” Song Qian declared, grinning. His answer seemed totally off-topic.

Churan snorted. “So what? Playing this feels suffocating. People I hate are in it—and they’re stronger.”

Song Qian smirked. “No worries. I believe in your talent. Level up. Go 1v1 a max-level player at level one. Crush Shen Junyao’s boyfriend without taking damage! Sounds epic, right? Saves face? Feels amazing?”

Churan rolled his eyes. “Are you insane? Gear crushes skill in every game. Especially MMORPGs—‘pay-to-win’ isn’t a myth. *You* can afford to splurge. I can’t. That guy’s fully geared, top-ranked, and way more skilled. How could I possibly solo him?”

Song Qian’s grin didn’t fade. “What if I told you this game *isn’t* pay-to-win? Pure skill can crush max-geared players.”

Churan froze, mouse in hand. He stared at Song Qian. He *did* want revenge. His ex had stabbed him when he was lowest. She deserved a brutal comeuppance.

But Song Qian still wore that goofy smile. Churan scoffed. “Yeah, right. No MMO lets skill alone decide wins.”

“I’m serious! Max gear only gives twice the stats of a level-one newbie… well, except health bars.” Song Qian scratched his head, earnest now.

Churan’s look screamed *Keep spinning tales*. Song Qian’s lips twitched. “Believe me or not—you’re playing this anyway.”

Churan opened the *Our Fantasies Online* icon on his desktop, half-smiling. “‘Our Fantasies’? Poetic name.”

Song Qian sighed. “Meh. The world’s adapted from *‘To Stay Together, Let’s Host an Apocalypse Feast?!’* Events tie into the story—server-wide raids. Like everyone entering one map to clear a dungeon.”

“Fine. Hope my old laptop survives.” Churan clicked ‘Register Account’. A new game from an unknown studio meant no existing login. Registration was mandatory.

As he typed his usual username, about to enter a password, he froze. Beside the field, bold red text read: *This account is already registered*.

“What the hell? My go-to username’s taken? That’s shady.” Churan’s eye twitched. He didn’t recall ever playing this game. If he had, it was long forgotten.

Song Qian leaned over, squinting at the screen. “No way—you *were* a beta tester? A Pioneer? Seriously impressive.”

Churan shoved Song Qian’s head away. “Dream on. Impossible. I told you—I skip wipe betas.”

Song Qian grinned cheekily. “‘Skip’ isn’t ‘never’. Maybe you tried it… and forgot?”

Churan frowned thoughtfully. He tested other usernames. All were free. Then he noticed: real-name verification was required to complete registration.

After he finished filling in his ID card and other information, a new window popped up: This ID card has already been registered.

...

Churan stared blankly at the line of text. Then he slammed the mouse and shouted, "What the hell? My ID card’s already registered? What kind of crappy game is this?"

He’d finally found a game to relax with, only to run into such a ridiculous situation?!

Song Qian leaned over again. "Maybe you really did play it before. Try logging in with your most common account and password. You might actually be a beta tester. This game had a super long beta phase—it was huge back then. Activation codes cost a fortune."

Churan entered the login screen half-skeptically. He typed in his usual account and password, then clicked log in.

Logging in…

Login successful…

"Huh?" Churan froze for a moment. Song Qian frowned and said, "See? Still denying you’re a beta tester? Traitor!"

"..." Churan had no words. He genuinely had no memory of this game. But he’d try playing—if it had unique systems, he might recall something.

Character customization…

Churan winced at the endless facial adjustment options. Just as Song Qian said, beyond gender selection, there was a detailed face-sculpting system—even loli and shota body types were possible. But Churan sucked at styling. Luckily, Song Qian excelled at it. "Hurry up," Churan told him. "Fix this for me."

"Got it! I’ll make you a loli—awesome!" Song Qian grabbed the laptop and started clicking. Churan instantly slapped his hand away, laughing. "You damn lolicon! Don’t ruin my rep. I’m playing an adult male. Make him handsome!"

Song Qian grumbled, "Seriously, I don’t get you guys. Why not play a female character?"

Churan shot back, "Then why don’t you cross-dress in real life? Isn’t it the same thing?"

"Not at all!" Song Qian argued. "You dudes staring at some dude all day—aren’t you basically gay? Playing a girl? That’s normal orientation!"

Churan’s eye twitched. What twisted logic? "Whatever. Just hurry up. I just don’t want people thinking I’m a creep."

"Fine, fine, beta big shot. Here! Level up fast and carry me… Oh right, beta players get a gift box. Officially, it has server-limited goodies. Most betas say it’s junk, though. The few who got good stuff rank super high. Even limited costumes can’t beat my goddess Coldshoulder—Lengjiang the loli! Sooo cute! Top of the popularity charts, and the server’s best healer Cursers too!"

"Lolicon…" Churan spat. He glanced at the screen. "Huh? Only one server?"

Song Qian returned to his own computer. "Yep. It’s an open world. Except for some instanced maps, everything’s player-vs-player—like Sword Art Online."

"..." Churan was speechless. He’d used an anime example… but it made him curious. He must’ve beta-tested this game and forgotten.

"The name…" Churan fell into thought. Song Qian probed, "Need help?"

"No. I’ll handle it." Song Qian pouted. "Your character names are always so tasteless. Let me pick one. Saves you buying a rename card later—this game’s all about cosmetics. Rename cards cost a fortune… Oh, forgot to mention: you can only get them from dungeons. Many players didn’t know you can’t recreate characters. They regretted their names, making rename cards super rare—high demand, no supply."

"What kind of messed-up design…" Churan blinked. This game kept surprising him—nothing like other studios. Maybe Song Qian was right about no pay-to-win.

"I told you," Song Qian insisted, "this company’s legit. They care about players and the game, no greed. Make a good game, and whales will spend. No comparison to those greedy studios."

Churan doubted it. Could such a company exist?

"So, name help?" Song Qian asked again, clearly eager.

"Nope. I’ve got one—He Yucheng!" Churan typed "He Yucheng" into the ID field. Character registered!

"Huh? ‘How can one endure the long, damp night?’ Wow, you actually picked a name like that?" Song Qian gaped. Churan glared. "You asking for a beating? Should I name myself Kirito the Black Swordsman instead?"

"Hahaha, relax—someone already took it. Perfect fit for this game! But your name… so melancholic. You must be really sad to pick something this poetic…"

"Song Qian, get me duct tape. Or bandages. Glue works too." Churan couldn’t take it. Song Qian was right, but hearing it from him was infuriating.

"Uh… fine, fine. Start leveling. I’ll carry you after the newbie zone." Song Qian flushed, changing the subject.

...

Churan watched the loading screen. How long had it been since he’d properly played a popular 3D MMORPG? Memories of dominating Zhu Xian private servers flashed…

Forget it. Let the past stay past!

One game, one dream. Let this one begin!

The game loaded. The 3D models were stunning, the scenery vivid. No wonder Song Qian said RMB players only bought costumes.

But the interface felt familiar… Had he really played this before?

Class selection… Cursers / Weapon Wielder…

"Ring any bells?" Song Qian turned, assuming Churan was a beta tester since his account existed.

"Haven’t played yet. Chill." Churan breezed through the tutorial, then opened the skill tree to inspect abilities.

"These skills… feel familiar. WASD movement, right-click or TAB for combos… Ah! Got it!"

Churan remembered. His late father had worked on this game’s development. He’d beta-tested it, even studied skill combos meticulously.

The skills were complex—spamming keys did nothing without memorization. Churan loved that analytical grind. (Combo skills worked like in The King of Fighters or Dungeon & Fighter—no hotbar slots.)

Recalling his experience, Churan instantly chose "Weapon Wielder." He skimmed the class skills.

Weapon Wielder had two optional skills: Mirror Image and Invisibility. Mirror Image dealt damage but weakly. At best, paired with the universal Charged Thrust skill (a damage-boosted dash where distance grew with charge time), it let you swap positions with the shadow for extra hits.

But the skill was too limited. Mirror Image could hit, but combining it with Charged Thrust rarely landed—enemies dodged out of range easily. Most called it useless junk. Invisibility was more practical.

Invisibility hid you at mid-to-long range. But within close range (under 50 meters), you’d be spotted. Charged Thrust maxed at 40 meters—perfect for dashing in just before exposure, followed by a dodge to close the gap.

Mirror Image differed. The shadow traveled to max range—50 meters—in about one second. But the effect was flashy: a trail of blue ice crystals. One second was too long; even slow players could dodge. Charged Thrust could teleport to the shadow instantly if aimed right… but that delay ruined it.

Churan had written a detailed guide during beta, but the execution was too hard. Reviews said no one could replicate it.

Since nothing else changed, Mirror Image remained his signature skill. Churan happily picked this niche option! He’d thought the game died after beta—no news, no release date. He’d given up. Yet here it was, alive again.

"Enough thinking! Open your box! Beta accounts get a welfare gift box. Hurry!" Song Qian scrambled over, clinging to Churan. Churan shoved him off. "Relax. You’re rich—just buy the item."

"If money could buy this stuff, I’d have spent it already!" Song Qian joked. Churan opened his inventory. A beta player gift box sat there.

"Hurry…" Song Qian vibrated with impatience. Churan felt like the calm emperor to Song Qian’s frantic eunuch. The more Song Qian rushed, the slower Churan moved his mouse—just to torture him.

"Hey! Churan, not cool. If you won’t open it, I will." Song Qian lunged for the mouse. Churan yanked it out, hiding it behind his back.

"..." Song Qian’s face fell. He knew Churan would refuse just to spite him.

"Ugh, fine. Open it yourself." Song Qian slunk back to his computer. Churan calmly plugged the mouse back in, hovering over the gift box. Sadly, its contents weren’t previewed.

"Can I keep it as a collectible?" Churan teased. Song Qian groaned, "Bro, stop messing around. Open it. I’m ready for your rage—you’ll definitely get junk."

Churan recognized the reverse psychology. But he took the bait. He right-clicked…

System Announcement: Congratulations to player "He Yucheng" for opening the beta player gift box! You received the limited item "Eternal Gospel Matching Rings: Flower Demon Red Spider Lily / Leaf Demon White Spider Lily"! Cheers!

World Chat:

Player123: ????

Player456: Holy crap, another beta tester?!

Player789: Damn lucky dogs never die!

Player000: Wedding rings?! The ONLY limited-edition wedding rings on the server!

PlayerABC: Ah! Real-life lovers explode! FFF Inquisition, assemble! Bring gasoline and torches!

PlayerXYZ: Beta testers still joining this late?

...

...

The chat flooded with messages about beta testers and lucky dogs. Churan’s luck was insane—he’d really gotten a server-exclusive item…

But why wedding rings? Not a costume or useful gear?

Churan covered his face. This wedding ring drop was utterly bizarre—who could he even pair up with? Leaving it to gather dust was pointless…

Churan sensed something and shifted his gaze from the screen. Song Qian was staring right back at him, wide-eyed.

“You actually dropped a limited-edition item?” Song Qian said, a hint of envy in his voice. Churan snorted. “What’s this junk ring even for? Pairing up with someone for some online romance?”

Song Qian raised an eyebrow. “It’s cosmetic gear. You could sell it—still unbound before use. Or…” He smirked. “You *could* actually find a partner. Though most players wouldn’t bother with a newbie account, even if you’re a beta tester.”

“No thanks. Meaningless virtual relationships are just annoying.” Fresh from a messy breakup, Churan was hypersensitive about anything love-related.

He checked his private messages. A few players had asked if he’d sell the ring. *Probably rich players trying to impress their partners*, he thought. His inbox wasn’t flooded likely because the game was popular, the ring was rare, and the price was steep.

Still, Churan valued rare items. As a server-exclusive drop, its price wouldn’t drop. What if the ring came with hidden bonuses he’d unknowingly sell cheap? To maximize profit, he replied “Not for sale” to everyone and examined the rings closely.

“Oh? So you *are* secretly hunting for a cutie,” Song Qian materialized beside him, peering at Churan’s private messages with a grin.

Churan shot him a glare. “Dream on. I’ll always love my 2D wives.jpg. They never betray you, and they’re adorable. Unlike Shen Junyao. Hmph. Women!”

“Tsk tsk. You weren’t singing that tune when you were a normie. Though before that, you *were* a shut-in.” Song Qian teased. Churan wasn’t that shameless—he smacked Song Qian’s shoulder. “Scram! I’m not like you, shamelessly calling pixels my ‘wife.’ Get lost. I’m leveling up.”

Snooping was no better than invading privacy. Churan shooed Song Qian back to his seat. Song Qian shrugged, his expression still infuriatingly smug.

The world chat hype over Churan’s limited wedding ring had died down, replaced by routine party requests and dungeon runs.

This time, Churan hovered his mouse over the rings. The item description appeared—but it looked… cryptic.

*Upon use (Betrothal/Vow), receive an exclusive Couple’s Gift Pack.*

*Exclusive gift pack? What goodies could be inside?*

“Song Qian, how does the gear system work here?” Churan asked. He always judged games first by character models—if they looked good, he’d check the overall environment. Games that forced spending were trash.

“Gear? Mostly weapons. Dungeons drop Enhancement Stones to upgrade them. But unlike luck-based systems, this one’s grind-heavy. Each stone fills a tiny bit of a progress bar. Stones are tradable, but auction house prices are insane. Everyone only gets one account—otherwise, gold farmers would wreck the economy like in *Sealer*’s early days.” Song Qian’s fingers flew across his keyboard, eyes glued to his screen.

“Not bad. Truly non-pay-to-win.” Churan was genuinely impressed. Few companies learned from others’ mistakes to build healthy game environments. Most got lazy, milking veteran players until they quit. *If gear maxes out without spending… could I become a merchant later?*

This company really wanted to make a great game.

*Skill combos…*

*Newbie Mode or Pro Mode?*

As a beta tester, Churan knew the difference. Newbie Mode assigned one skill per key. Pro Mode used movement keys (WASD) combined with right-click or TAB for light/heavy attacks. Pro Mode demanded insane finger speed but allowed any learned skill—though core skills mattered more than flashy combos. Newbie Mode was limited by keyboard space.

Not everyone could be a pro gamer. That was fine.

Churan instantly chose Pro Mode. He’d studied combos before. Just needed to retrain his muscle memory. His speed had always been top-notch—and he’d mastered combos during beta!

“Song Qian, one more thing. Find Shen Junyao’s new boyfriend’s in-game ID for me.” Churan configured game settings while speaking.

Song Qian smirked. He knew Churan’s plan. Even against ranked players, Churan could win—this game rewarded skill heavily.

He Yucheng lingered in the newbie village. The village split into three nations based on *Let’s End the World for Love*’s lore: Xi Huang, Chen Yue, and Xing Huo Empires. The starting nation didn’t matter—populations were balanced, so no faction lost out in future wars.

Churan picked Xi Huang. The name looked cool, and he didn’t care about aesthetics anyway. Now, he wasn’t rushing to level up. That ring box in his inventory fascinated him. What was in that “Couple’s Gift Pack”?

*Should I test it with someone?*

The thought flashed through his mind. But a loveless, rushed marriage using such a rare ring felt wrong. To a shut-in like him, the online world was real. A flash marriage was like a blind date! *Absolutely not!*

Xi Huang’s newbie village was a small town—crowded but not packed. Other main cities existed, so this wasn’t the central hub. Proof? He Yucheng could actually see the ground beneath his feet. No sea of players blocked the path.

*Ugh. I still need to know what’s in that box… Costumes? Enhancement Stones? Potions?*

Churan guessed. But it was a *couple’s* pack—not generic loot. Probably matching costumes or titles. He’d seen players with flashy titles overhead.

*Costumes…*

Staring at his ragged starter outfit, Churan felt a flicker of hope. Clothes beat rags! But if it was formal wear… he’d skip it. The description never said “formal,” right? So it *might* not be!

He wrestled with himself. *I love 2D wives… but one tiny betrayal? They’d forgive me, right?*

Finally, curiosity won. He’d propose to someone random. That Pandora’s box was too tempting.

He Yucheng avoided crowds. If he was “speed-dating,” he’d pick someone cute. Newbie villages held no big names—pro players wouldn’t idle here. No risk of flirting with a top-tier cutie… though that’d be sweet, it’d make his in-game life miserable.

“Hm?”

He Yucheng wandered into a quiet corner between two houses. The narrow alley led to a wall where a little loli stood motionless. She wore a white dress, with glistening purple eyes and long, dark-purple hair tied with a giant bow. Her face was flawlessly detailed—like a goddess descended, unbearably cute!

But the loli just stood there, frozen.

Hidden by the buildings, no name or title floated above her head. *Player or NPC?* He Yucheng wondered.

He stepped closer, zooming in. Her character model was masterful. If she was an NPC, the artist deserved an award.

*Adorable! So adorable! Unbelievably adorable! The most adorable in the world! (Theresa: Meow?)*

He kept his distance. Getting too close looked like harassment—some creepy uncle bothering a little girl. *Ehhhh…*

Churan activated the cursor and right-clicked the loli. A menu popped up: *View Gear, Trade, Duel…*

*Definitely a player.*

The last option caught his eye—*Vow*. Beside it glowed a ring icon. *The proposal button.*

*Should I really click it?*

He hesitated. But the loli hadn’t moved. Probably AFK. She’d be dungeon-running or sightseeing otherwise—not standing around.

*Whatever. Click it. She’s this cute? Worth it. Rejection won’t broadcast anyway. No shame.*

He Yucheng clicked *Vow*. His inventory opened. He selected the ring he’d drawn: *Eternal Gospel Pair: Blooming Red Spider Lily / Withered White Spider Lily*.

He Yucheng knelt on one knee before the loli. Flowers bloomed around him. A giant pink heart appeared. He raised his hand—a dazzling light flared from his finger: the wedding ring. The animation was stunningly detailed. The loli reacted, covering her mouth with a hand, her expression shyly surprised… *and still unbearably cute!!!!*

“Tsk tsk.” Churan watched his screen, impressed. The marriage system was flawless. *Vow* was just engagement—imagine how epic the actual wedding ceremony would be!

*But… that’s for later.* Right now, he just wanted to see what was in that Couple’s Gift Pack.

After He Yucheng finished his confession gesture and stood up, the loli remained completely still—no movement, no reaction. Awkward silence hung thick in the air...

One minute passed...

Two minutes passed...

He Yucheng waited nearly four minutes. Still, the loli gave no sign of life. *Fine*, he thought, *I’ll give up*. She was stunning, sure—but there had to be other well-dressed players in this newbie village. Why did this game have such gorgeous costumes right from the start?

No point wasting more time. If she wasn’t here, he wouldn’t cling to one tree. Besides, he only wanted that mysterious couple’s gift box. Nothing else.

Since she hadn’t accepted? Whatever. Time to leave.

He turned to walk away from the narrow path...

***Fwoosh!***

Festive borders bloomed around every player’s game interface!

Rose petals rained crimson across all maps!

**System Announcement:**

*Congratulations to player "He Yucheng" for winning the heart of "Coldshoulder"! Sealed with the rare "Eternal Gospel: Blooming Red Spider Lily / Verdant Sickle Senna" wedding rings. Oath successful!*

(Only this limited-edition ring triggered server-wide effects.)

(No vows were spoken yet—save that for the wedding. *Ahem*.)

"Huh?" He Yucheng froze mid-step. He turned back.

The adorable loli before him had transformed in a flash. Her outfit shifted to a pink-and-white kimono, a tiny blossom tucked into her long violet hair. Not just elegant—*radiantly* cute.

...

*Wait, what?*

He realized instantly: she’d accepted his oath. But that instant costume change? What kind of god-tier reflexes did she have?

And how did she *know* about the outfits?

But that wasn’t the real problem.

The world chat—previously a roaring flood of spam—had gone dead silent. *Completely* still.

According to Song Qian, this game had *millions* of players. Yet not a single message scrolled in world chat.

...

*What the hell happened?* He Yucheng’s mind raced. Something huge was coming.

*Coldshoulder...*

Why did that ID ring a bell?

Then—***BOOM!***

World chat exploded.

**World Chat:**

*Player123:* WTF?! Who blocked my screen?! I died in FB because of you!

*Player456:* AHHH! Lengjiang?!

*Player789:* GODDESS! WHAT’S WRONG?!?!?!?!

*Player001:* Lengjiang?! MY Lengjiang got snatched?!

*Player002:* WHO IS HE?! HE YUCHENG?! SPEAK UP, COWARD!

*Player003:* He Yucheng? That beta tester who won the limited rings?! BOLD MOVE, PUNK! SHOW YOURSELF!

*Player004:* Lengjiang, DON’T ABANDON US~~~~~~~~~~

*Player005:* LEGENDARY! Snagged the #1 healer loli Cursers! PVP and raids just got EASY MODE!

*Player006:* HE YUCHENG! GIVE ME YOUR ADDRESS! I’LL CLIMB YOUR INTERNET CABLE TO KILL YOU!

Thousands of messages flooded by in a blur. How many players were screaming at once?!

...

*Lengjiang? The Cold Goddess?*

He Yucheng finally remembered—Song Qian had mentioned her at the very start!

**Coldshoulder**: Server’s #1 healer. *And* the #1 most popular player. *Ever*.

Millions of players... and she reigned supreme.

Even He Yucheng knew this meant *thousands* of jealous rivals. But this? This was straight out of a trashy drama!

World chat was a warzone of rage and envy—just like Song Qian warned. This loli was *famous*.

But why was a celebrity *here* in the newbie village? And why accept his oath?! With all those suitors, he’d be mobbed the second he left the safe zone. He was *level 1*! How would he even quest?!

This wasn’t the plan! He just wanted to open a gift box with some random player, test the game... How did he end up with *this* disaster?

...Wait. Song Qian was playing right now.

This game had only *one* server.

Churan’s head snapped up. In the hospital room, Song Qian was staring at him like a starving wolf. Their eyes locked. Then Song Qian growled: "Your ID’s He Yucheng, right?"

"...Yeah." Churan swallowed hard. His life expectancy just plummeted to negative numbers.

"**I’LL KILL YOU!**"

Song Qian roared, kicked his chair aside, and lunged. He slammed Churan onto the pillow, gripping his throat and shaking him like a ragdoll.

"W-wait! I’m innocent!" Song Qian wasn’t *actually* strangling him—but the violent shaking made Churan dizzy. He flailed, grabbing Song Qian’s shirt. "Stop! I’m gonna die! How is this *my* crime?! I’m the victim here! STOP! MESSAGE!"

Song Qian released him. Churan collapsed back, gasping like a beached fish.

Song Qian’s fury cooled to a simmer. He sighed deeply and glared at Churan’s screen.

A private message icon blinked at the top. Churan struggled upright and clicked it.

**(Whisper) Coldshoulder:**

*Husband-sama~ the outfit is suuuuper pretty (♥∀♥) Thank you, hubby! Mwah mwah! I Lᵒᵛᵉᵧₒᵤ❤~ Now you change too, okay? Pleeease? I wanna see my super-duper handsome hubby~ O(∩_∩)O*

(Added as friend automatically after oath.)

Churan and Song Qian stared, frozen.

*What... is this?!* Since when were top-ranked players this shamelessly affectionate?!

Shaking off the shock, Churan opened his inventory. Sure enough—a couple’s gift box appeared. He right-clicked it.

*You obtained: Moonlit Bloom Costume Box (Male)*

*You obtained: Eternal Gospel Ring: Verdant Sickle Senna (Costume)*

*You obtained title: "Sands Build a Courtyard Awaiting the Red Spider Lily"*

*You obtained: 5x Perfect Costume Weapon Blueprints*

He equipped everything—the costume, the ring, even the title.

Unlike Coldshoulder’s elegant kimono, his outfit was European aristocratic: crisp shirt, waistcoat, and a pink-white cape. A world apart from his ragged newbie gear. Above his head floated the title *"Sands Build a Courtyard Awaiting the Red Spider Lily"*, beside a tiny floral ring icon.

***(Whisper) Coldshoulder:***

*Meow~! Husband-sama is SO HANDSOME! (>^ω^^ω^<) Nya~*

...

...

Churan opened the image. It showed two silhouettes—one tall, one tiny—embracing by the river. Above their heads glowed matching titles:

*"Sands Build a Courtyard Awaiting the Red Spider Lily"*

*"Red Spider Lily Waits by the Pearl Sea for the Sickle Senna"*

Churan’s head throbbed. *Is this loli trying to get me killed?!* Since when did veterans bully newbies like this?!

...

...

**World Chat:**

*Player999:* She’s in Xi Huang newbie village! Someone post a bounty on him!

*Player888:* TO ARMS! RESCUE LENGJIANG! LONG LIVE LENGJIANG!

*Player777:* KILL HIM! TO THE NEWBIE VILLAGE!

The spam scrolled faster than Churan could blink—thousands of messages per second.

...

But the chat was the *least* of his worries.

***TOP-TIER BOUNTY ISSUED:***

***Kill "He Yucheng" for 2,000 CINNABAR***

*(Cinnabar: Endgame players farm 1/hour. Market value: 1 = 1 RMB.)*

A new status flashed on He Yucheng’s profile:

***"Drops items on death. Loses 1 level."***

...

Churan’s eye twitched violently. The penalty wasn’t the issue—it was *how he’d ever leave the safe zone*. Thousands were already flooding the newbie village. Strangers who’d *all* want his head. (*Bro, come kill me?*)

And *lose a level*? Could level 1 drop to *zero*?! Right now, the real question was: **HOW WOULD HE EVEN LEAVE HIS HOUSE?!**

***WHICH IDIOT DESIGNER DISABLED NEWBIE ACCOUNTS?!***

***AND WHERE’S THE NEWBIE PROTECTION?!***

***MOTHERF— HOW DO I EVEN LEVEL UP NOW?!***

.

.

"Meow~ I’ve got rare costumes too now—" In a pitch-black luxury bedroom, a gorgeous teenage girl hugged a giant plushie, rolling ecstatically across a plush carpet. Stuffed animals lay scattered like a plushie graveyard; her unmade bed screamed "rich kid chaos."

"Mmh... but... trouble happened, nya~"

"...He’s a newbie, nya..."

"Those nasty people are coming... What to do? He must be so stressed..."

"Hmm..."

"Borrowing my sister’s account should scare them off, nya~"