A trace of bitter self-mockery welled up in Xu Yunzhou's heart. Where did he have a choice? You're nothing but the bound character of this game's novice tutorial stage.
But perhaps because he was too immersed in the role, or perhaps because this virtual warmth was too real, it was enough to comfort his heart that had been pierced with a thousand holes by reality.
He cleared his throat and replied with a tone that was slightly teasing, yet unable to conceal a trace of seriousness or even doting:
"Because... you fit my ideal standard of beauty perfectly, without the slightest deviation."
Lin Ruoxuan's eyes lit up instantly:
"Systems... actually have aesthetics too? You... you've been cultivating me and shaping me according to the type you like all along, right? Does that mean when I achieve all the goals and truly become the kind of goddess you expect, you will... appear in front of me, and no longer be just an illusory shadow?"
Xu Yunzhou sighed internally. The dialogue logic and emotional simulation of this AI were truly incredible, almost able to pass for real.
How he wished everything before his eyes was not cold programming, but a real parallel spacetime; that the girl smiling beautifully on the screen could truly be embraced in his arms.
Unfortunately, the other party was ultimately just a collection of complex codes.
But he still couldn't help cooperating with this intoxicating plot. Carrying a trace of strong possessiveness that even he hadn't noticed, he responded in a low voice:"Yes. So, before I officially come to your side, you are not allowed to find any boyfriends."
"Mhm! I know!"
Lin Ruoxuan's fighting spirit seemed to be ignited instantly. She nodded forcefully at the empty air, as if making the most solemn vow,
"I will double my efforts to become a unique goddess worthy of the Tyrant sooner! Wait for me!"
Time flew by, and the time in the game jumped to her sophomore year.
Relying on her outstanding abilities and dazzling resume, Lin Ruoxuan was successfully elected as the president of the student union, while also becoming a rising entrepreneurial star both on and off campus.
On the screen, Lin Ruoxuan wore a well-tailored formal suit for the first time.
Standing on the podium of a huge auditorium, facing the dense crowd below and the flashing camera lenses, she was confident and composed, directing affairs with ease. Her logic was clear, her viewpoints sharp, and her demeanor had already begun to show the aura of a leader.
Outside the screen, Xu Yunzhou looked at the girl who once would throw a tantrum and roll around over an advanced math problem, now shining brightly under the spotlight.
Mixed feelings arose in his heart, and an indescribable excitement and gratification surged up. His eye rims actually grew hot uncontrollably, almost shedding tears. This sense of achievement and companionship shook his soul far more than clearing any game.
Because Lin Ruoxuan was too outstanding and dazzling, she inevitably attracted many suitors.
Once, an emerging young entrepreneur bought a whole truckload of red roses, paving the road she had to take after class, and confessed his deep love in public, drawing countless students to watch and cheer.
Lin Ruoxuan looked at that dazzling sea of flowers, not half a bit of wavering in her eyes, only a trace of helplessness.
She spoke clearly and firmly, her voice spreading throughout the quiet corridor:
"Thank you for your appreciation. It's just that I already have someone I like."
Amidst everyone's surprised gazes, her cheeks flushed slightly, but her eyes were exceptionally bright, carrying unquestionable sincerity and pride,
"All my efforts to make myself better are so that I can... stand by his side sooner and be worthy of him."
While speaking, her gaze would always unconsciously, carrying endless sweetness and reliance, glance toward the direction of Xu Yunzhou's 'perspective.'
These words immediately caused an uproar and countless speculations both online and offline.
Lin Ruoxuan, hailed as the most beautiful campus belle of Jingzhou University and the rising star of the business world, was actually a "simp" too? Just what kind of divine figure was the person she loved so humbly and persistently?
On Valentine's Day, Lin Ruoxuan meticulously decorated her apartment, filling it with delicate red roses dripping with beauty. Happily wearing a pretty dress, she took many photos of herself with a radiant smile.
Then, she sat down in front of the computer, took out her drawing tablet, and extremely seriously and delicately drew Xu Yunzhou's portrait.
The him in the drawing had handsome and clear features, carrying the gentleness of her imagination.
She posted this "group photo" on social media with the caption:
"My Tyrant, Happy Valentine's Day. No matter how far apart we are, every ordinary or special day, we both know we spend it together."
Looking at that post, Xu Yunzhou's heart was filled with warmth and emotion, but at the same time, it bred a trace of indescribable guilt. What he could give her was ultimately just a virtual companionship.
This sense of guilt reached its peak one day. Lin Ruoxuan actually secretly bought several rather peculiarly shaped "toys" online.
That night, looking at the extremely bold yet pure and shy intertwined scenes on the screen, Xu Yunzhou's heart shook violently, and his blood seemed to speed up its flow.
After a long while, he laughed dumbly, shaking his head helplessly at the screen, and complained to himself:
"...Fine, you win. The scale of this game and the autonomy of the NPC really have never 'disappointed' me."
(TL: "Scale" in this context refers to the level of sexual explicitness or permissiveness in media.)
He hesitated for a moment, struggling internally. Carrying a complex emotion that he couldn't even explain himself, he probed, as if making a difficult decision:
"If... I mean if, you feel too lonely and need real, touchable companionship... I allow you to go find a boyfriend you can see and touch, I won't bother you."
When saying this sentence, he felt a wave of inexplicable sourness. Although he knew clearly this was just a game, he didn't want to see her wronging herself so much, using this method to vent and express.
"I don't want to!"
Lin Ruoxuan blurted out almost without thinking.
She quickly put away those props, raising her watery eyes, her gaze as if able to pierce through the screen, looking straight into the bottom of his heart:
"Other people are not you... I, I will just wait for you."
This phrase "I will just wait for you" accurately shot into the softest part of Xu Yunzhou's heart, giving it a fierce twitch.
Once upon a time, Su Qianran also nestled in his arms, saying the same words with a similarly charmingly naive tone. Only now, times had changed; she was probably lying in the arms of that rich second-generation, or...
He stayed silent, his fingers hovering over the mouse, feeling the surging sourness in his chest and the huge comfort brought by the virtual world before his eyes.
Ultimately, he gently moved the mouse and clicked that [Reward] icon emitting a soft, warm green light.
"Silly girl..."
He sighed lowly, his voice possessing a gentleness he hadn't noticed himself:
"Tomorrow we rest for a day. Let's go out on a date."
The next morning, Jingzhou's famous Dashilan commercial street.
Through the screen, Xu Yunzhou watched Lin Ruoxuan like a happy little bird finally let out of its cage, joyfully weaving through the morning light and the bustling crowd, full of curiosity about everything.
"The third shop on the left, the one with the old signboard, is a thirty-year-old stewed pork innards shop, the taste is the most authentic."
He transformed into a tour guide, his voice carrying a smile.
"Tyrant, you even know this?"
Lin Ruoxuan exclaimed in admiration, her eyes wide and round.
"Nonsense, who am I?"
His tone carried a trace of slight smugness,
"Go, buy me a donkey meat sandwich, I want one fresh out of the oven, with extra green peppers."
Lin Ruoxuan obediently bought it, and carefully took a bite of the steaming hot sandwich.
It burned her so much she stuck her tongue out and blew air, but she still immediately raised the sandwich with a bite missing toward the direction of the screen, smiling radiantly:
"Tyrant, it's your turn to eat! I saved the most delicious first bite for you!"
Passing tourists all looked sideways, looking weirdly at this pretty girl who was talking to the empty air and holding up food.
An auntie selling breakfast couldn't help but nag:
"Girl, you're so pretty, long-distance relationships are fine but you can't fall in love with the air!"
Xu Yunzhou looked at her lips shining with alluring grease, his Adam's apple rolling unconsciously. An inexplicable sense of thirst arose, but his mouth still expressed disdain:
"Childish. Pay attention to your goddess image in public."