No, is the Yan Kingdom map really this short?
Chen Huaian was so angry he laughed seeing this top-up notification.
The game designer didn’t even try to hide it; they went straight for monetization.
But looking at the girl’s pitiful appearance in the game, he couldn’t help but think of himself—unprotected, penniless, with no money for treatment and his girlfriend gone. How much better off was he compared to Li Qingran? His former friends were all afraid he would borrow money from them and never contacted him anymore.
Who could lend him a hand?
But now, he could extend a helping hand to this girl.
Even though this was just a program, designed to drain his wallet.
“Six yuan, that’s it. Top up!”
Chen Huaian had never played games before, only watched others play.
This was definitely his first time topping up in a game.
[Top-up successful!]
The notification dispersed into golden light, surging towards Li Qingran’s dilapidated hut.
The golden light landed on the straw mat, turning it into a wooden bed with bedding. It landed on the wall, transforming the earthen wall with holes into brick walls, complete with a window that blocked out wind and rain. As the golden light circled the entire room, the floor, table, chairs, stove—all kinds of antique furniture appeared.
“That’s more like it!” Chen Huaian felt relieved. He looked at Li Qingran, wanting to see her reaction.
However, this was just a mobile game, so it shouldn’t be that detailed; at most, she might look happy.
But then he saw her expression change from shock to fear to alertness. This girl seemed to find everything unbelievable, shrinking in the corner, too scared to move. After a while, she cautiously turned around like a new kitten in a strange environment.
She sat back on the bed, feeling the soft mattress, her eyes filled with confusion.
“Good Lord, this level of character feedback, this interaction system…” Seeing the continuous reactions of the game character, Chen Huaian was stunned. When Li Qingran sat on the bed, the bedding naturally sagged, and the parts she touched left wrinkles.
A mere mobile game could achieve such realism?
Even if it meant spending more money, he thought it was worth it, as a form of gratitude to the game developers.
But just as this thought formed…
[<Limited Time Offer> For just 30 yuan, you can buy your virtual girlfriend a beautiful outfit!]
“Hmm…” Seeing Li Qingran’s tattered clothes, Chen Huaian felt a pang of sympathy: “Top up!”
Swish! A traditional blue dress appeared at the head of the bed.
[<Today's Special> For just 68 yuan, you can set up a rich, nutritious meal for your virtual girlfriend!]
A 68 yuan meal? His usual takeout never exceeded 15!
But so what? Top up!
[<This Week's Special> For 98 yuan, you can get a report on your virtual girlfriend’s background along with a health checkup form. You can learn more about her status!]
Chen Huaian: “Top up!”
[<This Month's Special> For 188 yuan, you can add three divine lightning fire talismans to protect your virtual girlfriend’s home!]
Chen Huaian: “Top up, top up, top up!”
[Your virtual girlfriend is frightened. Please wait a moment before continuing operations~]
The game didn’t prompt for another top-up.
Chen Huaian noticed that Li Qingran had already hidden under the bed, trembling all over.
The new clothes on the bed remained untouched, and neither did the dishes of chicken, duck, and fish.
A health checkup report countdown appeared in the upper right corner, taking half an hour to complete.
Three talismans appeared on the door, window, and roof of the room, barely visible without zooming in.
What slightly reassured him was that Li Qingran’s lifespan extended to six hours.
“It’s fine for now.”
The game time was synchronized with real time, so he didn’t need to be that anxious.
“By the way, did Li Qingran have any fire poison on her before? What was that?”
It seemed touching Li Qingran would show her status, but unfortunately, she was hiding under the bed. All he could see was a small white foot, and touching it triggered a reaction, making her retract in shock.
“I guess I’ll have to wait for the report to understand everything.”
Chen Huaian rubbed his stomach, glancing at the food on the table in the game. The oil from the roasted duck was dripping down, making it look incredibly realistic, not like a simple texture overlay. It seemed almost as if he could smell it.
It was already afternoon, and he hadn’t eaten lunch yet.
“I might as well cook something. The game characters eat better than me.”
Sighing, he thought that spending 68 yuan on this meal was actually quite reasonable.
Feeling relieved, he placed his phone on the table to charge,
and prepared to eat lunch before checking on his virtual girlfriend again.
…
Li Qingran, female, 19 years old, fifth disciple of Chixiao Peak, Bluecloud Sect.
Originally, her life was relatively peaceful, practicing and completing sect missions as scheduled. She had four senior brothers protecting her, each with their strengths. But one day, First Senior Brother Lu Changtian brought back Sixth Junior Sister and guaranteed her admission to Chixiao Peak despite her lack of talent. Everything changed after that.
First Senior Brother, who usually called her for morning lessons, stopped coming.
Second Senior Brother Xiao Yifeng, skilled in alchemy, no longer asked her to test new medicines.
Third Senior Brother Yun Zimo, who always kept a cold demeanor, began learning love songs for her.
Fourth Senior Brother Zhang Hanxiao, who loved going on missions, stopped doing so and stayed on Chixiao Peak guarding her every day.
Everyone flocked around Sixth Junior Sister Mu Baishuang. Even the usually indifferent master showed favoritism toward her due to her tragic past, orphaned and sickly, always seeming fragile and needing protection.
Li Qingran had no objections to these changes.
It was natural for someone sweet-tongued and lovable to receive preferential treatment.
As an older sister, she should take care of her junior sister more.
Under the careful guidance and resource allocation of the four senior brothers, Mu Baishuang’s cultivation gradually caught up with hers.
In the recent sect competition, adhering to the principle of respecting opponents, she engaged in a normal battle with her junior sister Mu Baishuang.
Although Mu Baishuang’s cultivation had improved, her foundation was unstable due to medicinal enhancements, and her combat experience was lacking.
She intended to fight a few rounds to show respect, then apply pressure to make Mu Baishuang surrender.
This way, Mu Baishuang would save face, and it wouldn’t affect rankings or fairness.
But Mu Baishuang attacked relentlessly, striking vital points. Forced to defend, she suddenly switched from offense to defense, charging towards her sword. By then, she couldn’t stop the sword, giving the impression that she intentionally aimed to harm Mu Baishuang…
That single strike only grazed Mu Baishuang’s shoulder but nearly cost her half her life.
She was expelled from Chixiao Peak and demoted to an outer sect disciple.
Thinking it was over? No, her four senior brothers didn’t plan to let her off.
They wanted revenge for Mu Baishuang.
First Senior Brother Lu Changtian crippled her cultivation and asked the master to remove her spirit root.
Second Senior Brother fed her a useless pill, saying it was to let her feel what Mu Baishuang endured.
Third Senior Brother bribed an outer sect elder to expel her from the Bluecloud Sect, while Fourth Senior Brother claimed he would take her down the mountain but instead abandoned her in a dilapidated hut surrounded by demonic beasts on Wanshan Mountain… They acted as if possessed, turning a misunderstanding and a minor issue into a life-threatening situation for her!
These past two weeks, she had done her best to protect herself. A few days ago, she fought off a demon wolf, sustaining serious injuries. With her cultivation destroyed and the previously non-lethal fire poison now a death sentence, she was running out of time.
Just as she was shivering in the corner waiting to die,
a bird flew urgently through the rain at the door.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in her ear: [Come home!]
In an instant, the dilapidated hut she was in transformed into a stone house!
