The scene on the screen made Qiao Yan freeze for a moment.
It was an endless ocean of pink flowers. A massive, ancient tree let down countless slender branches, each tied with a shimmering red silk ribbon.
Fine stardust floated across the night sky, and in the distance, a few glowing sprites drifted lazily by.
The game’s background music was a soft, traditional instrumental piece; the melodic plucking of the pipa sounded like a bubbling brook.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Wow, it’s so pretty here! How did Daddy know about this place? [Team] YYYan: Found it by chance.
He Yanzhou maneuvered his character to the center of the ocean of flowers, where a small stone platform stood, surrounded by a few quaint, antique lanterns.
[Team] YYYan: Come here.
Qiao Yan obediently followed. His pink avatar hopped and skipped through the flowers, her skirt brushing against the petals and leaving a trail of light effects.
[Team] YYYan: There’s a hidden mission here. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: What kind of mission?
Instead of answering directly, He Yanzhou sent over a team mission request.
[System Prompt] Do you accept the mission [The Three Lifetimes Covenant]?
This mission is a special two-player story quest. Upon completion, players will receive the limited title [Companion of Three Lifetimes] and an exclusive two-player mount [The Bi-Winged Bird].
“The Three Lifetimes Covenant?” Qiao Yan muttered softly, gripping his mouse. “Why does this name sound a bit weird?”
The moment he clicked accept, an in-game cutscene immediately triggered.
On the screen, the two avatars stood before the stone platform as starlight showered down and petals danced in the wind. The branches of the ancient tree swayed gently, and the red ribbons tied to them emitted a soft glow.
Then, a system dialog box popped up.
[System] Are you sure you want to accept? Once accepted, both parties will automatically be bound in a [Lovers] relationship. Dissolving this bond will require 1,000 Crystals.
Qiao Yan: “???”
Qiao Yan stared at the word “Lovers” on the screen, frozen for a long time.
Wait, this isn’t right, is it?
Didn’t we agree that we’re still in the probation period? Why are we suddenly choosing a relationship status?
He Yanzhou, aren’t you a bit too thirsty?!!!
He quickly switched back to the team chat channel.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Daddy!!! What’s going on with this mission?! [Team] YYYan: What’s wrong?
Playing dumb, he’s still playing dumb!!
Qiao Yan furiously pounded his keyboard.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: It says accepting the mission will make us lovers! [Team] YYYan: Yeah, I see it. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: We’re still in the probation period, we can’t be so casual about this! [Team] YYYan: It’s just a game. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Even so, it’s a no! You promised to behave well!
After hitting send, Qiao Yan crossed his arms and sat grumpily in front his computer.
On the screen, the pink avatar followed suit, performing a foot-stamping animation with a tiny angry emoticon popping up over her head.
He Yanzhou’s side went silent for a moment.
Suddenly, Qiao Yan saw a flurry of system notifications cascade down his screen.
[System] Your close friend [YYYan] has gifted you the rare outfit [Moonlight Flowing Raiment]. Please claim it from your mailbox.
[System] Your close friend [YYYan] has gifted you the limited mount [Nine-Colored Deer]. Please claim it from your mailbox.
[System] Your close friend [YYYan] has gifted you the rare pet [Adorable Bunny]. Please claim it from your mailbox.
[System] ……
The chime of notifications rang continuously for a full half-minute.
Qiao Yan’s eyes grew wider and wider, his mouth forming a giant ‘O’ shape.
He frantically clicked open his mailbox. Row after row of gifts lay neatly inside, every single one of them a highly valuable, rare item in the game—some were even priceless, out-of-print collectibles.
[Team] YYYan: Still angry?
Qiao Yan: “……”
Staring at the long list of gifts on his screen, Qiao Yan’s fingers gave a weak, wavering twitch.
He took a deep breath and chanted in his heart: I cannot be corrupted by sugar-coated bullets. Men who are too easily won won’t cherish you. If I endure a bit now, I can reap even more later…
But that bunny pet is just so insanely cute, ahhh!
And the Nine-Colored Deer! Hardly anyone in the entire server has one!
Qiao Yan bit his lower lip, caught in a fierce internal battle.
Right then, He Yanzhou sent another message.
[Team] YYYan: I have a riverfront luxury penthouse in the East District of Ning City. It’s very close to Ning City University. It has a 360-degree floor-to-ceiling window where you can see the entire night view of the Bund.
Qiao Yan blinked, not quite catching on.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Huh? [Team] YYYan: If you like it, you can move in. No one has lived there yet. Don’t worry, I won’t go over there.
Holy crap.
A riverfront luxury penthouse?
360-degree floor-to-ceiling windows?
Overlooking the entire Bund?!!!!
He leaped up from his chair, pacing around his dorm room twice to try and calm his racing heart before diving back to the computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Really, Daddy?! [Team] YYYan: Yes. [Team] YYYan: It comes with a private pool and a sky garden. The interior can be remodeled to whatever style you prefer.
Qiao Yan nearly choked on his own pooling saliva.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: A pool?! A sky garden?!
Staring at those lines of text, Qiao Yan felt like he was floating on air. He hugged his knees and rocked back and forth in his chair, his eyes crinkling into a wide, joyous grin.
What probation period? What felt off? Everything was thrown straight to the back of his mind.
Now, his brain held nothing but a 400-square-meter riverfront penthouse, complete with a private pool and a sky garden.
A big house! A super big house!
The old guy really knew how to play his cards!
Qiao Yan rubbed his hands together gleefully and looked back at the mission dialog box. On screen, the pink avatar tilted her head, executing a thinking animation.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Then… I’ll accept it? [Team] YYYan: Up to you.
Heh, quite the actor. You’re clearly the one who brought me here first.
He moved his mouse and gently clicked the [Accept] button.
The screen dimmed instantly, then slowly brightened again.
The cutscene commenced once more.
In the frame, the two avatars stood facing each other before the stone platform. The branches of the ancient tree swept down, gently tying a thin, delicate red thread around their wrists.
Starlight cascaded, petals swirled, and the background music shifted to a much softer, gentler melody played on the guqin.
A line of golden text flashed across the system.
[System] Beneath the Tree of Three Lifetimes, the red threads are bound.
Congratulations to [YYYan] and [Little Peach Bites Super Hard] on becoming in-game companions, obtaining the title [Companion of Three Lifetimes]!!!
Qiao Yan opened his quest log and saw two sparkling treasure chests.
Click to claim.
[System] You have obtained the limited title [Companion of Three Lifetimes]
[System] You have obtained the exclusive two-player mount [The Bi-Winged Bird]
[System] You have obtained the special item [Concentric Lock]
Qiao Yan equipped the title, and a line of pink text immediately materialized above his pink avatar’s head: Companion of Three Lifetimes.
Little Peach Bites Super Hard did a happy spin, her skirt fluttering.
Then he opened his mount inventory and summoned the Bi-Winged Bird.
It was a massive, snow-white bird with a golden aura lining the edges of its wings.
Qiao Yan directed his avatar to hop on. The Bi-Winged Bird spread its wings and flapped gently, kicking up a light breeze.
[Team] YYYan: Come up.
He Yanzhou had also summoned his own Bi-Winged Bird, and the two massive birds flew side by side above the ocean of flowers.
White petals drifted on the wind like a never-ending snowfall.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Daddy! This mount is so beautiful! [Team] YYYan: I’m glad you like it. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: I love it super much, thank you Daddy!
After sending this, Qiao Yan maneuvered his bird to loop around in the air and pull off a few barrel rolls. The pink avatar let out a crisp, ringing laugh, startling a few glowing sprites out of the flower bushes.
He Yanzhou’s Bi-Winged Bird flew steadily beside him the entire time, looking as though it were escorting him.
After flying for a bit, the two birds landed softly on a massive branch of the ancient tree.
[Private Chat] YYYan: And this.
He Yanzhou sent over a trade request.
Qiao Yan clicked it open, and his eyes widened into saucers again.
Placed inside the trade slot was a ring.
It wasn’t the usual cosmetic ring found in the game, but the most expensive limited edition style that could only be exchanged by the top three players on the server’s pay-to-win leaderboard.
The ring’s design was relatively simple—a silver band set with a small pink diamond that reflected a gentle shimmer beneath the starlight.
Looking at the ring, Qiao Yan suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed by the sheer weight of this gift.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Daddy QAQ, this is way too expensive! [Team] YYYan: Put it on.
Qiao Yan bit his lip. To keep up his facade, he chose to put it on.
A ring appeared on the pink avatar’s finger, the diamond sparkling brilliantly.
Almost simultaneously, an identical ring appeared on He Yanzhou’s character’s hand, except his diamond was blue.
[Team] YYYan: They’re a matching set. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Why is Daddy being so generous today? [Team] YYYan: Happy. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Is it because you married me?
…Why does that feel a bit weird?
Qiao Yan moved his mouse and quickly recalled the message.
He Yanzhou’s side paused for a moment before typing back very solemnly.
[Team] YYYan: I saw what you sent. [Team] YYYan: That is indeed the reason.
Staring at the words He Yanzhou had typed, Qiao Yan frantically grabbed his water cup from the side and took a massive gulp, only to choke on it, his entire face flushing bright red from coughing.
By the time he recovered and looked back at the screen, He Yanzhou had sent another message.
[Team] YYYan: I will treat you well.
Qiao Yan picked and chose through his emoticon list, deleting and editing before finally selecting just one.
[Private Chat] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: (/ω＼)
On the screen, the pink avatar performed a shy face-covering animation, with pink bubbles popping up over her head.
He Yanzhou’s character reached out and gently patted her head.
The time quietly ticked toward 2:00 AM.
After logging off the game, Qiao Yan climbed into bed, and the two of them moved their conversation back to Moyu.
Yan: It’s getting late.
Qiao Yan was still dazed from being hit with the massive house offer. Clutching his phone, he rolled around on his bed, completely devoid of sleepiness.
The screen remained lit, displaying his chat history with He Yanzhou.
He Yanzhou had sent over a dozen interior photos of the apartment—from the massive floor-to-ceiling windows in the living room to the soft velvet carpets in the bedroom, from the smart appliances in the open kitchen to the bathtub overlooking the river view.
Every single picture made Qiao Yan’s eyes gleam.
He tapped away furiously on his screen.
Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Daddy!!! Can you really look at the Bund while taking a bath in that tub?! Yan: Yes. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: What about the kitchen, the kitchen! Is that oven the latest model? I saw the commercial saying it has smart temperature control! Yan: It is. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: And the bedroom, the bedroom! What brand is the mattress! I like them a bit soft, but not too soft, otherwise it’s bad for the spine! Yan: I’ll have my assistant send you the brand and model tomorrow. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Also the study! Does the study have a big desk! I want to put two monitors on it to play games! Yan: It does. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: And the balcony, the balcony! Can you really grow flowers there? I want to plant Chinese roses! Yan: You can.
For every question Qiao Yan asked, He Yanzhou provided an answer. The questions grew increasingly detailed, while the answers grew increasingly brief.
2:20 AM.
The phone buzzed again.
Yan: It’s past two. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: I’m not sleepy! I can still ask another five hundred questions! Yan: Go to sleep. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: I don’t want to~ Daddy, chat with me a bit longer~ Just a little bit! Yan: No. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: QAQ Yan: Go to sleep right now.
Qiao Yan buried his face into his pillow. He Yanzhou’s tone reminded him of how his mother used to nag him to sleep when he was a kid.
He slowly typed out his reply.
Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Fine then, goodnight Daddy…… Yan: Goodnight.
After sending this final text, He Yanzhou logged off.
Qiao Yan obediently turned off the lights and set his phone beside his pillow.
In the darkness, he stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, his mind still revolving around that apartment.
As he thought about it, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
Five minutes later, the sound of even, light breathing filled the room.
One week later, Qiao Yan moved into the riverfront luxury penthouse.
The moving process was incredibly simple. He Yanzhou had sent a professional team over. From packing to transporting to arranging everything in its place, Qiao Yan didn’t have to lift a single finger throughout the entire process.
He only needed to hold his laptop and a small box containing his most important personal items, sitting on the sofa and directing them: “Put this here,” “Put that over there.”
Once everything was tidied up, the team left silently. Qiao Yan stood in the center of the living room, feeling a bit dazed.
It was huge.
It was truly too huge.
He tried running from one end of the living room to the other and nearly ran out of breath.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the river’s surface shimmered with ripples, and the cluster of buildings on the opposite side of the Bund began lighting up with dots of fireflies as dusk fell.
In awe, Qiao Yan pressed himself against the glass, flattening his nose. After watching for a good while, he finally fished out his phone to take some pictures.
He snapped a few photos and selected the one with the best angle to send to He Yanzhou.
Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Daddy! I’ve moved in! (Image) Little Peach Bites Super Hard: The windows are so big! The river view is so beautiful! I love it so much!!! Yan: Glad you like it. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: It’s just too big, I feel a little scared living here alone QAQ Yan: The security system is top-tier. Property management is on duty 24 hours a day. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Then… will Daddy suddenly come over?
After hitting send, Qiao Yan bit his nails nervously.
Even though he had accepted the apartment, he wasn’t ready to meet He Yanzhou in person yet. He hadn’t milked him for enough assets yet, and besides, his favorite plotline of slapping Qiao Yunguang in the face hadn’t even begun playing out.
Fortunately, He Yanzhou’s reply quickly dispelled his worries.
Yan: If you are unwilling, I won’t go. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Really? Yan: Yes. Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Then Daddy shouldn’t be in a rush to meet up! I-I’m still a bit shy, give me a little more time to prepare!
After sending it, Qiao Yan felt his excuse was a bit clumsy, so he quickly added an emoticon.
Little Peach Bites Super Hard: (Little cat covering its face and rolling around.gif) Yan: Okay. Yan: No rush.
Qiao Yan tossed his phone away happily and slumped into a flat pancake on the sofa. In his heart, he thought: Of course He Yanzhou isn’t in a rush. He definitely thinks Little Peachpeach is already a fish caught in his net, and that it’s only a matter of time.
Hmph, who is the fish here isn’t decided yet.
The days of the winter break flew by.
In his new home, Qiao Yan lived a life he had never even dared to dream of.
Every morning, he woke up in a bedroom overlooking the river, ate the breakfast delivered right to his door by property management, and then either played games, binged dramas, or chatted with He Yanzhou.
This afternoon, Qiao Yan curled up on the wool carpet in the living room, hugging his laptop as he teamed up with He Yanzhou to play games.
He controlled his pink avatar to follow closely behind He Yanzhou’s character, chattering away continuously while they cleared monsters.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Daddy, I have to start school the day after tomorrow QAQ [Team] Yan: Yeah. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: I don’t want school to start. Starting school means waking up early, going to class, writing assignments… [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: The dorm isn’t as comfortable as home either. The bed is so hard, the desk is so small, and Cao Jingtong even snores… [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: I’m so annoyed!!! Why does a thing like winter break even exist! It gives people hope just to let them down!
The more he spoke, the more energized he became. His fingers clacked loudly against the keyboard as he listed out every single frustrating thing he would have to face once school started.
In the game, He Yanzhou’s character came to a halt and turned around to face him.
[Team] YYYan: Don’t want to live in the dorms? [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Of course I don’t, who would want to live in a dorm! [Team] YYYan: Then keep staying at home. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Won’t that trouble Daddy too much? [Team] Yan: No trouble. [Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: But…… QAQ [Team] Yan: Be good.
Since you’re insisting so heavily, then this Little Peach will gladly accept.
[Team] Little Peach Bites Super Hard: Thank you Daddy!!! ( ￣з￣)(￣ε￣〃)
Suddenly, his phone resting beside him gave a vibration.
It was actually Moyu.
He picked it up to take a look; it was a new friend request.
The avatar was a very cute cartoon cat, and the verification message read:
Guangguang Duoduo: Hello there, I already know your secret~