Chapter 86: I Must Like You Less, So I Won’t Lose You Faster

Jiang Huan set up an elegant NPC woman playing the piano at a street corner in the game. She wasn’t young, preferred black and red clothing, and her first mission was to find the sheet music for Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star . The reward was a piece of intelligence. Jiang Huan thought this was a nice way to meet her mother. But since she was an NPC, why not give her more meaningful work? Cooking and household chores were too mundane—her mother had spent her entire life being obedient. It was time for her to do what she loved. After finishing this character design, Jiang Huan was very satisfied. She often visited the testing room to check on her model and even designed a clothing store for her. When there were no customers, the NPC would play the piano. One might say she was biased—this NPC had more dialogue options than others. Bai Jingchuan seemed to be secretly working on a new project and was often absent from the office, but he still had many supporters. Jiang Huan was curious about what kind of new game he was creating, given that he was once a famous award-winning producer. Although everyone else had forgotten his achievements, Jiang Huan firmly believed that if Bai Jingchuan started making games again, there was a chance for another deeply moving masterpiece.

She couldn’t remember much else, only that Bai Jingchuan excelled at constructing stories with delicate emotions. Despite his sensitive nature, when they first met, he was extremely rational, prioritizing logic above all else, almost to the point of being annoying… Perhaps he simply disliked her at first.

「Jiang Huan’s affection towards you +200.」

Akira and her boyfriend got their marriage certificate, tossing the little red booklet into their group chat, where it was passed around and showered with blessings. Jiang Huan had worked with Akira for six years and was often nagged by her to start dating. When Bai Jingchuan arrived at the office, Akira didn’t stop talking: “Teacher Jiang, if you date Bai Jingchuan, you two would make a perfect couple—truly a match made in heaven.”

“Calling me the ‘appearance’ in a relationship with Bai Jingchuan is quite flattering, but please don’t praise my looks. Praise my brain, thank you.”

“Stop acting like an independent woman now! If you like him, just go for it!”

Jiang Huan thought, as if you need to tell me that. After three years of not seeing him, she wanted to cling to him every day. Yet, living next door, they slept separately, almost like strangers passing by each other.

“You don’t understand the perks of cohabitation. You can eat dinner together, cuddle while gaming, and…” Akira winked: “Having a warm man in your bed is better than anything else.”

“My blood runs hot—I sleep warmly enough on my own.”

“Stop being difficult. You know exactly what I mean. After drifting for so long, having someone waiting for you at home gives your heart a place to settle before your body does.”

Bai Jingchuan glanced over from across the desk, giving Jiang Huan a gentle smile. She replied to Akira: “Who said I’d live with Bai Jingchuan?”

“You’re protesting too much. Your eyes are practically glued to him. Seriously, are you two dating?”

“Huh?”

“The vibe of people in love is different. You’ve been glowing lately instead of looking dried up. Honestly, are you two dating? Don’t hide it from me—we’ve been friends for years. I’ll keep your secret.”

“Hmm.” This time, Jiang Huan didn’t dodge the question: “I’ve waited for him for a long time. But I can’t love him too much—it has to last.”

“Why? Doesn’t a passionate phase deserve its passionate moments? Go island-hopping, snorkeling, chasing sunsets on the beach, watching summer fireworks, or getting wild at a music festival. At least something like that should happen! Trust me, Jiang Huan, just flirting in the office won’t leave any memories. If you break up, you’ll end up hating both work and men. You need some summer fireworks and waves crashing against the sand as the backdrop for your romance to count.”

“But that’s not the kind of date that suits us.”

“Is sword-waving the right kind then? Jiang Huan, the essence of dating lies in the people! You should weave scenery and stories into your relationship, not think of it as a formal outing. Love is about ‘being with you.’ Aren’t you a plot writer? Why am I teaching you this?”

Jiang Huan understood why they couldn’t get too close—she was an old-school gamer. Reaching max level with the male protagonist meant the story was ending. Slowing down the process gave meaning to Bai Jingchuan’s presence in this world.

She preferred not to live together, doing the simplest things, even if they weren’t romantic. She dared not express how much she liked him, suppressing her desire to confess wildly ever since their first meeting again. Kissing and hugging were rare. She couldn’t see the progress bar, so she tried her best to slow down the playback speed.

Especially now that Wen Li’s video account was thriving, she proudly announced she was restarting WL Press. Jiang Huan couldn’t afford to lose easily. Ideally, her game would launch on the same day as WL Press’s first event. The proudest thing at thirty was having a friend who could compete with her on equal terms.

Wen Li occasionally donated to students in impoverished areas under the name of Duanmu Xuan, even making videos for social media. Even though no one cared who Duanmu Xuan was, she always included his name in her charitable acts. Jiang Huan almost forgot that Wen Li was once the dark girl who reported Love Continent . Her tenacity was like a flower growing on a cliff. She hadn’t heard about Wen Li’s mother recently—perhaps things were still messy—but Wen Li didn’t mention it. Well, Wen Li was such a proud person. Now that her career was successful, she wouldn’t want to expose her troubled life.

Time was up—she had an appointment to attend. During the company’s tea break, Jiang Huan quietly slipped out, took a taxi to a small park three kilometers away.

As expected, Bai Jingchuan was waiting under the tree, dressed in relatively casual attire, looking less stern than usual. A stolen rendezvous, with limited time. She walked over: “It’s nice not to have anyone tagging along with projects—you can boldly go on afternoon dates.”

“To avoid taking up your work time, I skipped afternoon tea and invited you here instead.”

They sat under the tree, basking in the pleasant afternoon sunlight and breeze. Jiang Huan loved the yellow umbrellas sold at the park entrance. She opened one, inspected it, then closed it again. When she opened it, it was like a filter came on—the soft light made her look like a popular youthful heroine from a romance drama. If this scene were a romance game, it would be the CG moment he’d want to collect.

「You have chosen to record this moment using the camera function.」

Jiang Huan leaned closer, distorting slightly, pulling Bai Jingchuan out of his thoughts. He smiled: “Do you have any unfulfilled dreams?”

“Plenty. I want to become an excellent game producer, a successful storyteller, create an impressive open-world game for women—flawless narrative, grand worldview, stunning maps… I’d work toward that until I’m fifty or sixty, even if my hair turns white.”

“It sounds like these dreams have nothing to do with me.” Bai Jingchuan crossed his arms, sitting beside her: “I’m a bit hurt.”

“How can you dig this pit?” Jiang Huan gestured with her hands: “You’re important too! Without you, there wouldn’t be the me I am today!”

“If I hadn’t created that famous work back then, would you still love me?”

“But what exactly was that work? I can’t remember.” Jiang Huan frowned: “At least let me know what your ‘filter’ looked like so I can understand why I was obsessed with the mysterious indie developer ‘Bai Jingchuan.’”

“In the end, it wasn’t because of my personal charm that you were drawn to me.” Bai Jingchuan widened the pit further.

“The milk tea’s here. Wait for me a moment.”

Jiang Huan stood up, brushed off the grass from her clothes, and ran toward the park entrance with a bright smile. Bathed in sunlight, her short skirt fluttering and her steps lively, it was clear she was eager to return. Halfway there, she turned around, jumped, and made a big heart shape with her arms. Bai Jingchuan sat under the tree, his fingertips becoming translucent in the shade. He glanced down—his body hadn’t been overdrawn in a long time, yet the wear and tear were faster than expected.

Jiang Huan returned with the milk tea, only to find four fashionable older ladies surrounding Bai Jingchuan. Their outfits were adorned with more branded items than the number of clothes Jiang Huan was wearing, and they were even the latest models—just as Wen Li had mentioned. The ladies spoke quickly with accents: “Young man, if you entered the matchmaking market, you’d drive all the aunties and uncles crazy. Your WeChat would hit the friend limit instantly! Do you own a house? A car? Look at how well you’re dressed—your conditions must be great. Such a catch! What a waste to be here alone.”

“Why would I go matchmaking?” Bai Jingchuan responded coldly.

“You’re right. Someone like you doesn’t circulate in the outside world. But there are plenty of girls with good conditions. When you marry, you’ll need to compare. Though it’s a pity my daughter already settled abroad and got her green card.”

“I have a girlfriend. Speaking like this disrespects her and your daughter. I believe your daughter has someone she loves most—I can’t replace him.”

The ladies exchanged glances, murmuring approvingly. One even clapped: “Sounds quite devoted. How much do you love her?”

“At first, I thought we’d never meet. Never did I imagine she’d become my lover.” Bai Jingchuan didn’t hesitate: “Though we’ve faced some challenges, I want to be by her side more than anyone else and give her the purest, best part of my feelings. So, ladies, mind if I spend the rest of my time with my girlfriend?”

The ladies turned their heads: “Oh, so this is her. The girl really does look nice. Young man, you have excellent taste!”

If they didn’t leave soon, Bai Jingchuan’s darkening expression might drive them away. Jiang Huan held back her laughter: “Teacher Li is still as popular as ever.”

“What did you call me?”

“Isn’t this just the charismatic Executive Li Junzhu, beloved wherever he goes?” Jiang Huan inserted the straw into her milk tea and took a sip: “Sorry, I forgot you don’t know about this persona.”

Her tone stretched teasingly, as if mocking him for forgetting his own representative work. Bai Jingchuan patted her head: “I’m sitting here, my eyes only on you. Why mock me with personas? Am I not expressing myself enough?”

With that, he leaned down and kissed Jiang Huan’s lips. Just as she tried to pull away, Bai Jingchuan cupped her face and kissed her. The afternoon sunlight cast shadows on them, and when Jiang Huan raised her head, the dappled tree shadows reflected in her eyes.

「Jiang Huan’s affection towards you +500.」

He was used to high affection boosts, so seeing only +500 left him unsatisfied. His hand moved from her cheek to her ear, then slid down her hair, poking her cheek: “Why are you blushing? What are you thinking about? Do I not look good?”

「Jiang Huan’s affection towards you +1000.」

“It’s because you’re touching my cheek and still asking why I’m blushing.” Jiang Huan leaned against Bai Jingchuan’s lap, denying him the chance to gaze at her. “I must like you more slowly, so the time you leave me will feel farther away.”

“Fool. Do you think I’ll leave?”

“I don’t know.” Jiang Huan pulled Bai Jingchuan’s neck down, their heads forming a 90-degree angle, yet their lips still touched. Bai Jingchuan’s breathing grew erratic: “My bones are stiff. Bending like this might strain my thigh.”

“What should we do? This is a park. On weekdays, it’s mostly elders and children around—mind your image.”

“You…”

“No teleporting home. Using props counts as cheating. No knocking on my door tonight. My blanket is locked—you can’t come near me.”

“…”

Bai Jingchuan obediently submitted, curious about what tricks Jiang Huan would pull next. Jiang Huan straightened her posture, then suddenly pushed him down. Caught off guard, Bai Jingchuan’s hips were pinned, his hands raised in surrender, looking harmless and submissive. The fresh scent of grass and earth mingled with the sunlight, enveloping them in a soft glow. That feeling of time pausing, with soul and spirit flourishing within the body, returned. Jiang Huan checked that no one was around, her hair shielding her face, and stuck her tongue out at Bai Jingchuan: “How should I devour you?”

He was genuinely looking forward to it.

Before her words faded, a soccer ball hit the nearby tree. Jiang Huan sprang up, picked up the ball, and kicked it back, earning amazed praise from the boys. The athletic girl, forgetting she was wearing a short skirt, waved casually, beaming brightly in the sunlight. Turning back, her lower lip covered her upper lip—a silent lament for the interruption.

「Jiang Huan’s affection towards you +500. Lv 91 upgraded to Lv 92, gained 200,000 coins, 30 item boxes.」

The feeling of relinquishing control and letting someone else take charge… wasn’t bad. Watching Jiang Huan’s smile, Bai Jingchuan silently prayed in his heart for the leveling to slow down. But he craved the taste of being loved so much—if Jiang Huan restrained herself like when she first returned, shy and reserved, he’d go mad.

When Bai Jingchuan returned home, he entered the standby space—a seemingly cold, impersonal place. The cartoon-patterned stalls there felt especially strange. Upon closer inspection, Bai Jingchuan furrowed his brows—weren’t these merchandise featuring Jiang Huan?

「To celebrate your overall level reaching A, the Realm of Ten Thousand Gods presents a special lottery event! The grand prize is a 40cm Jiang Huan plush doll! Want exclusive limited-edition Jiang Huan merchandise? For 58 coins per draw, read the rules carefully and participate!」

“What’s this now?”

“Remember the previous gacha event? This claw machine is specially prepared for you.” Dice spun proudly: “I meticulously organized this event as a gift to reward your hard work in progressing through the game.”

“You’re making me pay for an event and calling it a gift for me? Should I believe this?” Bai Jingchuan crossed his arms: “And does the Realm of Ten Thousand Gods even have numerical planners?”

“In matters of love, do you care about tactics? Look at this adorable photo, the round-faced, wide-eyed doll, the chibi badges… Isn’t this doll worth it?”

“Of course I’ll draw.” Bai Jingchuan struggled to suppress his smile: “I never thought I’d buy ‘cheap trinkets’ one day.”

「You have purchased Jiang Huan’s lottery set.」

Dice noticed Bai Jingchuan’s cleverness: “You’re buying the whole box outright?”

“This doll is so cute—aren’t all these draws ultimately for this chubby doll?”

He sat on the floor and began opening the prizes. The pool contained only Jiang Huan, but that didn’t stop him from growing tense. As the frequency of D and E rewards increased, the originally gentlemanly man sat on the floor, clearly anxious. Dice watched with amusement: “This whole box is yours—why are you opening it like you’re about to fight someone? No one’s competing with you.”

“I want to see which ticket will give me the final prize. If it comes late, maybe she hasn’t loved me much recently.”

“Bai Jingchuan, don’t be so ‘dreamy.’ Isn’t this just random luck? Clearly, loving someone too deeply drives people crazy.”

His hands continued to rip open tickets aggressively. Beside him, the vending stall dropped prizes with each draw, except for the doll sitting innocently and cutely at the top. Bai Jingchuan’s brows furrowed tighter as he stared at the doll until the second-to-last ticket revealed the letter “S.” Only then did he stretch lazily in relief. The doll thudded into the collection basket, bounced twice, and lay quietly inside. It was the perfect size for a girl to hug, and Bai Jingchuan cradled it like a basketball. Dice teased him: “Satisfied?”

The big-headed doll’s head was larger than a basketball, its body round and chubby, wearing a red dress with stubby limbs—it was a sitting doll. He knew Jiang Huan had a custom-made version of Li Junzhu. When they first met, she refused to let him touch it, even covering it with a blanket. Back then, he didn’t know who it was—he just thought bean-eyed dolls were tacky, and anyone who played with them was childish, stubborn, and unreasonable. Originally, he planned to move the doll to the couch while taking a shower, but after taking two steps, he sat back down. Bai Jingchuan looked at the doll’s patchwork bangs, reached out, and gently touched them—it was velvety and pleasant to the touch. Running his fingers smoothly over it felt sleek; going against the grain shifted the fuzz and deepened the color slightly, making it look even cuter. After petting it for a few minutes, he mischievously lifted the bangs to reveal the doll’s large forehead. Its bald, round face paired with a dazed expression made Bai Jingchuan laugh: “How could anyone like something like this?”

Projecting emotions onto dolls came naturally, it seemed.

Dice landed on the doll’s head but was swiftly flicked away by Bai Jingchuan. It hovered mid-air: “It’s just a doll! Can’t I touch it?”

Bai Jingchuan smirked: “Not if you’re not the one pushing.”

“But Bai Jingchuan, are you satisfied with the A prize?”

“What do you mean?”

The last ticket bore the letter “S.” Bai Jingchuan didn’t understand, so he carefully read the drawing rules again—there was no mention of what the S prize was. Dice spun subtly: “Don’t ask me—I don’t know.”

The tone clearly implied collusion. Bai Jingchuan was baffled until his phone buzzed with a message: two plane tickets and an invitation.

“Invitation for Mr. Bai Jingchuan to join an island date—an exclusive two-person world with no disturbances. Limited-time event; refusal is not an option.”

On the sofa, the doll sat with its shiny forehead exposed, its wide eyes smiling cheerfully at her.