Chapter 1: Indie Devs Don’t Hold Back!

[Modern Era]
“Cancer is no longer an automatic death sentence. With cutting-edge technology and experienced medical professionals, as long as you have insurance, a supportive family, or personal savings, you have a fighting chance…”

Chen Huai’an switched off the TV and let out a bitter laugh.

“But I have none of those.”

Two days ago, he got his critical illness notice.
Yesterday, his girlfriend dumped him.
Today, his world fell apart.

He was just a freshman in college. His parents had been forest rangers, but years ago they had died in a massive wildfire—leaving nothing behind except a meager compensation fund.

Over the years, Chen Huai’an had moved past their deaths and tried to live positively. With that small sum of money, he lived frugally, worked part-time, and planned to finish college without much issue.

His grades were decent, enough to get into a top-tier university. Rumor had it that graduates were guaranteed jobs, and even if the pay was low, at least he could survive.

But two days ago, a hospital visit for his persistent ankle pain revealed mid-stage cancer.

With no money for treatment, Chen Huai’an withdrew from school and rented an apartment near the city’s wetland park for a year—intending to spend his remaining days there.

And after that?

Heh. He doubted he’d live that long.

Checking his phone, his bank balance showed just over 30,000 yuan.

“Food costs me at most ¥500-600 a month. Add in random daily expenses—let’s round it to ¥1,000. That means after a year, I’d still have around ¥20,000 left.”

He sighed and stared at the numbers.

These past few years had been nothing but struggle.

While other students traveled, he was working shifts.
While other students played games, he was juggling part-time jobs.
While other students dated, well… his girlfriend was cheating on him.

“Forget it. From now on, I’ll live for myself.”

He’d binge-watch all the shows he never had time for.
He’d play some games for once.
And if his body allowed, he’d take a trip to the ocean.

[Installation Complete]
[Claim Your Digital Girlfriend Now!]

Normally, when random pop-ups like this appeared on his phone, Chen Huai’an would just swipe them away.
But today, he hesitated.

A new app icon had mysteriously appeared on his home screen.

It was a chibi-style ancient Chinese character—a girl in blue robes, carrying a sword, her sleeves fluttering in the wind.

“An automatically installed game? Is this some kind of virus?”

Under normal circumstances, he would delete it immediately. But today, curiosity got the better of him. What harm could it do? He had nothing left to lose.

Opening the app, the screen dimmed, displaying a warning box:

[This game is for players aged 18 and above. Your identity will be permanently bound to this game. Your account cannot be deleted or transferred. By clicking “Start,” you agree to these terms and conditions.]

“Hah! Even you admit it’s a scam?”

Chen Huai’an sneered and tapped Start.

By now, he was certain—it was a virus.

What would it do? Steal his identity? Chat history? If the developers found out he was a broke, terminally ill college student, would they uninstall it out of pity?

[Select Your Digital Girlfriend!]
To his surprise, the game graphics were stunningly detailed.

Although the game icon was chibi-style, the actual game was hyper-realistic.

A selection screen displayed over a dozen potential “virtual girlfriends,” each with detailed profiles.

For example, his current selection was:

[Neon Yakuza Heiress: Kirishima Kotoko]
Age: 22 | Height: 158cm | Measurements: 89-55-86

Her Live2D model was breathtaking—curvaceous, sweet-faced, draped in a silky kimono. A big-busted yakuza loli—definitely a dream for some men.

But…

“Blonde hair? Japanese? Not interested.”

Scrolling through, he realized these characters spanned different eras and even different worlds—some weren’t even from Earth. One was a transforming mecha-girl?!

Eventually, his finger hovered over a particular character.

[Qingyun Sect Disciple: Li Qingran]
Age: 19 | Height: 169cm | Measurements: 90-60-91

She was the same girl from the app’s icon—only now, she looked fully three-dimensional.

Pale skin. Delicate features. Long, flowing dark hair. No makeup, yet flawless.

Her blue robe fluttered lightly as she carried a sword, her expression calm and distant. There was something hollow and fractured in her gaze, as if she were staring right through the screen.

“Damn… this level of detail?! Indie game devs really go all in!”
Was this really a virus?

A scam game with this level of craftsmanship? Did the developers want to pursue a PhD instead?!

[Confirm ‘Li Qingran’ as Your Virtual Girlfriend?]
[Warning! Selection is permanent!]
[If your virtual girlfriend dies, she cannot be revived!]

“Seriously?!” Chen Huai’an frowned, he could already see how the game’s developers intent to drain players’ wallets.

If it were the Chen Huai’an from before, he would’ve surely backed out without hesitation. But today, he clicked “Confirm” directly.

[You have 132 days remaining.]

A message flashed.

The screen transitioned.

Chen Huai’an expected the usual low-quality mobile RPG setup— an open-world map, overpowered main character, and auto-questing mechanics.

But what he saw wasn’t that at all.

Instead, the screen revealed…

A tiny, run-down hut, barely standing.

The only piece of furniture was a straw mat, soaked with rainwater.

In the corner, huddled in fear, was a thin, battered girl.

Her clothes were torn, her skin covered in bruises and wounds.

Her long, messy hair obscured her face, but her small frame shook uncontrollably.

Near her, a broken sword lay discarded on the floor.

[‘Li Qingran’ is starving and freezing. Her body is severely weakened.]
[‘Li Qingran’ is suffering from fire poison. She is in excruciating pain.]
[‘Li Qingran’ has only 30 minutes left to live.]

The moment those notifications popped up, the girl let out a muffled groan of pain.

She barely lifted her head, revealing a pale face, empty eyes, and bloodied lips.

Even though he only saw half her face, Chen Huai’an knew—

This was the girl he had chosen.

“What do I do?”

For the first time in a long time, he felt anxious.

The expressions and voice of this in-game character were far too realistic. Even the open wounds, with their exposed flesh, were rendered in stunning detail, making it hard to believe this was just a game.

Chen Huai’an couldn’t shake the feeling that if he didn’t do something, once the countdown in the top right corner hit zero…

This girl was actually going to die.

Just then, a notification popped up—

【Ding! First-Time Top-Up Bonus: ¥6 for a House Upgrade!】
【Give your Digital Girlfriend a comfortable home!】