Shen Xixi ignored the frustrated shouting on the other end of the line and hung up immediately, tossing her phone onto the sofa.
She staggered to the bar and poured herself a glass of ice water, gulping down over half of it. The icy liquid stung her throat, finally suppressing some of her dizziness and irritation.
It was always matchmaking, marriage, and having children… It was as if the only reason Shen Xixi existed was to contribute to the family business—to find a so-called “appropriate match” and produce a tool for inheritance.
‘This is so damn boring.’
***
The hospital, doctors’ lounge.
Doctor Su had just taken off her white coat. Rubbing her aching neck, she chatted idly with the colleague sitting opposite her.
“Doctor Su, you haven’t looked well lately. Have you been staying up late again? Is your department’s surgery schedule too full?”
“Yeah, several major surgeries back-to-back. I’m getting older; my energy isn’t what it used to be when I was younger.”
“Oh, come on. You’re in your prime, Doctor Su. You just worry too much. By the way, I heard your daughter is in college now? Once girls grow up, they become more sensible. You don’t need to worry so much. Children just need to go through a process before they understand things.”
‘A process…’
Her Xiao Xiao actually hadn’t been that naughty as a child.
She would play with her toys quietly, watch cartoons quietly, wait for the nanny to cook quietly, and wait for her mother, who often couldn’t even make it home a few times in 1 month, quietly.
When did it start to change?
Doctor Su thought back to when Xiao Xiao was 9 years old.
She had just finished a surgery. As she stepped out of the operating room, her phone vibrated frantically.
It was the nanny calling. “Doctor Su! Something’s happened! Xiao Xiao… Xiao Xiao was in a car accident!”
When she rushed to the entrance of the residential complex, she saw a crowd gathered from a distance. There was a small pool of dark red blood on the ground.
Xiao Xiao lay quietly on the cold concrete, her little face pale. There was a gash on her forehead, and blood covered half of her face.
Those few minutes waiting for the ambulance felt as long as several centuries.
Fortunately, it wasn’t life-threatening.
Aside from the initial 3 days of leave she took, she, as a mother, only went to see her daughter three times in total.
The first time was right after Xiao Xiao woke up. The anesthesia had worn off, and she was crying from the pain. She held her daughter and coaxed her for 30 minutes before being called away by a call from the emergency department.
The second time, Xiao Xiao was asleep.
The third time was when Xiao Xiao was discharged after having her stitches removed. She happened to have an important surgery that morning, so the nanny handled the paperwork. She brought her daughter home, settled her in, gave the nanny some instructions, and then hurried back to the hospital.
She thought Xiao Xiao would cry, make a scene, or complain that her mother didn’t stay with her.
But Xiao Xiao didn’t.
After returning home from the hospital, Xiao Xiao stopped crying and making scenes, but she also stopped talking much. When asked if she was in pain or hungry, she would only shake or nod her head.
However, from then on, Xiao Xiao’s mental state became a bit off.
She became sensitive, obsessive, and sometimes strangely hyperactive. She began to care excessively about small things. For instance, her bowl and chopsticks had to be placed in a specific spot during meals; any slight change would cause her to become emotionally agitated.
Doctor Su tried to communicate and compensate, but it had little effect. Work became busier and busier, and the gap between mother and daughter grew deeper.
She had taken Xiao Xiao to see a psychologist. The diagnosis was symptoms of PTSD accompanied by slight anxiety and obsessive-compulsive tendencies.
The doctor suggested more companionship, more communication, and providing a sense of security.
She always comforted herself by saying the child would be fine once she grew up, that it was just puberty, and that having some rebellion and emotional issues was normal.
But looking at Xiao Xiao now, she knew in her heart that the car accident and her own absence as a mother might have changed something forever.
“Doctor Su? Doctor Su?” Her colleague’s voice pulled her back from her memories.
“Ah? What is it?”
“What were you thinking about so intently? I called you several times and you didn’t react.” The colleague smiled. “Missing your daughter again? Just relax; children will find their own happiness.”
Doctor Su forced a smile. “I’m just a bit tired. I spaced out.”
Doctor Su clutched her chest; it really did hurt a bit, a throbbing pain.
It felt as if something heavy was pressing down on her heart, making it feel stuffy and filled with a sharp, stinging ache.
She raised her hand to rub her chest and waved at her colleague to show she was fine, then carried her water cup slowly back to her office.
***
The Game World, Wine Pool.
Luo Tiantian felt like she was about to melt.
It was as if a small fire had been lit deep inside her body, burning steadily, making her skin hot and her heartbeat erratic.
The dizziness of intoxication mixed with a sensitive, empty longing that was amplified countless times.
She held her wet, fluffy tail and buried her hot cheeks in the fur, the tip of the tail lightly patting her face.
Every touch of the flowing water, every brush of her tail against her skin, and even just the scent drifting through the air sent layers of ripples through her heart.
‘It’s so weird…’
She wanted to log out, but the system refused.
It stated that to avoid excessive impact on the real-world body, any state involving emotional sensitivity required the user to wait until the effect faded before leaving.
“Mee… what kind of crappy status is this? When will it end, mee…”
Finally,
**[System Notification: The duration for the special state “Emotional Sensitivity” has ended.]**
**[The current state has stabilized. Safety conditions for logging out have been met.]**
“Phew… finally…”
Luo Tiantian slumped by the edge of the Wine Pool like a koi fish that had just been pulled from the water and struck with a club. Her whole body was limp, with only the tip of her tail twitching nervously every now and then.
“Log out…”
Her vision went black.
When she opened her eyes again, Luo Tiantian felt incredibly sticky. She was covered in sweat that clung to her skin uncomfortably.
Her T-shirt and jeans were wrinkled and wrapped tightly around her body, with some areas darkened by the sweat.
“Mee…”
Luo Tiantian tried to prop herself up to sit, but she found her arms weak and limp. She waited for a while before slowly getting up.
She felt completely exhausted; she absolutely had to take a shower.
She walked into the bathroom.
Turning on the light, she faced the mirror above the sink.
In the mirror was a figure with snow-white skin and raven-black hair, her features as beautiful as a painting. Due to the recent struggle and heat, her cheeks and neck were flushed crimson, and her lips were slightly swollen, looking as if she had been severely bullied.
She was beautiful.
Luo Tiantian’s gaze slowly moved downward.
Collarbones, chest…
‘Wait, did they get bigger again?’ Even the texture seemed more… She raised her hand to feel them. Indeed, they were soft and quite heavy.
Her waist was thinner, and her curves were more pronounced.
Further down…
Her inner thighs accidentally brushed against each other.
The sensation was a bit unfamiliar.
Luo Tiantian’s heart skipped a beat, and she stiffened as she lowered her head.
Flat.
Smooth.
Nothing else in sight.
The little companion that had been with her for 19 years was gone.
In her line of sight, there was only a snowy-white, tight lower abdomen and smooth lines.
She reached out and carefully touched herself.
Then she touched again.
Confirmed.
It was really gone.
‘Where is my Second Brother? Where is my big Second Brother? He seemed to still be there this morning…’
Although she hadn’t dared to think about the extent of the shrinkage since the first time she played the game, at least it had been a memento. Couldn’t it have stayed as a mascot?
How could it just disappear like that?!
Was the system not going to give her any psychological preparation?!
Luo Tiantian checked herself thoroughly, inside and out, even stubbornly poking around a few more times.
The White Tiger had triumphed over the Azure Dragon.
Gone was gone.
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