Mother Su stared blankly at the young maid bowing respectfully before her.
She hadn’t quite detached herself from the role of Bo Si’s mother yet. Following the memory habits loaded by the system, she leaned forward slightly to return the gesture, her voice weak. “I understand.”
This voice… it was old and humble.
The realism of the game terrified her.
“Please follow me, Madam,” the maid said, stepping aside while holding a small oil lamp.
They walked through a long palace corridor.
“Madam, we have arrived.” The maid stopped in front of a room facing the sun and pushed open the wooden door.
The windows were bright, the bedding was neat, and there was a small table with two wooden stools. In the corner, there was even a potted plant of an unknown species, adding a bit of life to the simple room.
“The King specifically ordered this, saying that Madam is in poor health and needs more sunlight.” As the maid spoke, she deftly began to tidy the bed. “My name is Xiao Cui, and I will be responsible for your daily care from now on. If you need anything, Madam, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Mother Su stood at the door, feeling momentarily dazed.
The King in this game actually noticed the living conditions of an old woman in the Cold Palace and made specific arrangements.
‘Is it because of Bo Si? My heart hurts so much. I shouldn’t even be alive.’
As a doctor, she had seen too much life and death. She thought she could face any emotional impact with composure, but now, playing the role of Bo Si’s mother and feeling that concern and helplessness for a daughter, she truly understood the meaning of empathy.
“Xiao Cui, my daughter… how has Bo Si been lately?”
“Lady Bo Si is very much in the King’s favor. You needn’t worry too much, Madam. It is just…”
“Just what?”
“It is just that the other Imperial Consorts have many grievances against her. Consort Zheng even… anyway, if you have the chance, Madam, you should advise Lady Bo Si to act more cautiously. It would be for the best.”
Mother Su nodded and walked to the window, looking out at the fading light.
The sunset in the game was so beautiful it felt unreal, yet it was real enough to make her heart skip a beat. The warm orange glow, the upturned eaves of the distant palaces, and the occasional bird flying back to its nest—everything felt like a meticulously restored historical scene.
**[System Notification: You have triggered a character-exclusive quest — Pave the Way for Daughter]**
**[Quest Description: As Bo Si’s mother, your greatest wish is for your daughter to survive safely within the depths of the palace. Please use all your resources and wisdom to find a potential path forward for her future.]**
**[Quest Objectives: 1. Uncover the secret of the Sachet (0/1); 2. Establish an effective communication channel with your daughter (0/1); 3. Find potential allies in the palace (0/3)]**
**[Quest Reward: Increased character synchronization; Special item: Mother’s Blessing]**
**[System Notification: The boundary between reality and the virtual is blurring. Are you ready?]**
Her break time was about to end.
Mother Su did not continue playing and chose to log out.
When she opened her eyes again, she was back in the hospital lounge. She took off the helmet and placed it on the table, staring at the pure white device in silence for a long time.
It was too real.
It wasn’t just the visuals and the sense of touch; it was the emotional projection and resonance. She had only played the role of Bo Si’s mother for more than ten minutes, but she had already felt the weight and anxiety of that maternal love.
No wonder… no wonder a wealthy girl like Shen Xixi would pour hundreds of thousands into the game.
Mother Su raised her hand and touched her forehead. Suddenly feeling that her skin was exceptionally loose, she walked to the sink in the lounge and looked into the mirror.
The face in the mirror looked exhausted. There were a few faint wrinkles on her forehead that were more prominent than she remembered.
She seemed to have aged a bit.
—
—
**[System Notification: User “Shen Family’s Invincible Dragon Eldest Miss” has entered the stream.]**
**[Shen Family’s Invincible Dragon Eldest Miss: “Streamer, do you take *Honor of Kings* carry requests? I’ll book you for the night.”]**
‘It couldn’t be the same ID, could it?’
Luo Tiantian remembered the person she had encountered while streaming at Su Xiao’s house.
“I do. What position would you like me to play? I’m decent at Support and Mage, and my Jungling and Offlaning aren’t bad either…”
In fact, she usually played Zhong Wuyan, Arthur, Bian Que, Huang Zhong, and Yun Zhongjun. Oh, and Mickey Mouse.
She loved picking them at the fifth slot and watching her teammates fire off a long string of question marks.
**[Shen Family’s Invincible Dragon Eldest Miss: “Whatever. Just follow me. 100 an hour. We’ll start with two hours. If you play well, there will be an extra tip. Can you start now?”]**
200!
Luo Tiantian’s eyes turned into the shape of dollar signs.
“I can! Of course I can! I’m logging on now. My ID is Luo Luo Has a Voice.”
**[Shen Family’s Invincible Dragon Eldest Miss: “Mm. I added you. Accept it.”]**
Luo Tiantian saw the friend request. The ID was “Dragon Eldest Miss Herself.”
This ID style was certainly consistent…
After accepting the request and joining the party, she entered the voice chat room.
“Hello, can you hear me?” Luo Tiantian asked cautiously.
A female voice came through the headset, her tone somewhat lazy and magnetic.
“I hear you. Start it.”
Luo Tiantian chose Cai Wenji, intending to be a reliable mobile fountain of health.
“Dragon Eldest Miss Herself” instantly locked in Li Bai.
The game began.
“Follow me,” Dragon Eldest Miss’s voice rang out in the headset.
Luo Tiantian controlled her little Cai Wenji and trailed behind Li Bai. Then, she witnessed exactly what “pay-to-win player mechanics” looked like.
“Heal me!”
“Where’s the shield?”
“Build attack speed!”
“Why aren’t you building health items!”
“Follow me!”
“Follow the Marksman!”
“Ugh, I died. It’s all your fault!”
Luo Tiantian’s Cai Wenji was spinning in circles. She was playing her harp strings so hard they were about to snap, yet she still couldn’t keep up with the rhythm of Dragon Eldest Miss’s sudden deaths.
Their teammates had already started pinging question marks.
“Boss… um, should we maybe play a bit more steadily?” Luo Tiantian suggested weakly.
“Steady? Games are meant to be fun,” the voice in the headset said dismissively. “Just protect me. You were too slow with your Ultimate in that last fight.”
‘Boss, it’s clearly because you used your first skill to dash into the tower and try to hack away at a full-health Zhang Fei.’
“Understood, Boss. I’ll pay more attention next time. Your mechanics are so sharp, and your awareness is ahead of its time!”
Dragon Eldest Miss huffed. “Heh, your voice is actually quite nice. It sounds a bit familiar. Do you know how to play Yao? Play Yao next round and sit on my head.”
In the second match, Luo Tiantian played Yao and stayed attached to Dragon Eldest Miss’s Ake for the entire game.
The boss seemed very happy with this “conjoined twin” mode. However, the teammates did not seem as pleased.
(Teammate) Mid Lane (Xiao Qiao): **[Sister Ake, can you come gank mid once?]**
(Teammate) Marksman (Sun Shangxiang): **[Support, follow me! If I had been linked with Yao, we would have broken through long ago.]**
(Teammate) Offlane (Cheng Yaojin): **[Jungler gap.]**
A soft snort came through the headset as Dragon Eldest Miss acted willfully. “Keep following. Let’s go to the enemy jungle.”
Luo Tiantian glanced at the enemy jungle.
Pei Qinhu, Su Lie, and Shen Mengxi were all there.
“Really, baa? Boss, that’s not a good idea,” Luo Tiantian tried to dissuade her.
“…Baa? What are you baa-ing about?”
A confused voice came from Dragon Eldest Miss’s end.