Luo Tiantian’s tears rolled down in large drops, splashing onto her mother’s tattered lapel.
It wasn’t just the emotions of the character being touched; it was also the pent-up grievances from her real life, bursting forth like a broken dam through this body’s release.
She held her mother’s skeletal body tightly, as if letting go would cause the last bit of genuine warmth in this cold world to vanish.
This desperate embrace between mother and daughter tugged at a certain heartstring within Shen Xixi, who stood at the doorway.
She had played countless virtual games claiming to be realistic and seen many meticulously designed partings between life and death.
AI characters could perform grief and shed lifelike tears, but that feeling was more like watching a well-made holographic movie.
One’s emotions would be affected, but there was always a lingering awareness that it was just a program.
This scene before her was different.
The maternal love in the old woman’s eyes was humble as dust yet fierce as fire. The fear, the pleading, the resolve, the trembling…
The breakdown of the Baosi Meiren, her eyes held more than just a character’s sorrow; they held an indescribable sense of brokenness.
It was too real.
It was so real that for a moment, she almost forgot it was a game and subconsciously wanted to do something to stop this tragedy.
But moved as she was, and marveling as she might, it was still a game in the end. It was a world she had invested real money into to experience, enjoy, and do as she pleased.
Execute the old woman? According to King You’s persona and the Palace Rules, she could just erase her.
But there was no need — it was too crude, and too boring. It would be like crushing an exquisite porcelain doll; though satisfying, it lacked the fun of playing with it.
Shen Xixi stepped into the woodshed and finally spoke, “What are you crying for? Secretly visiting the Cold Palace and contacting the family of a criminal… According to the Palace Rules, even if you are a Meiren, you won’t escape punishment.”
Si Fu’s face turned even paler.
Shen Xixi’s tone shifted as she leaned down, her finger wiping a tear from Luo Tiantian’s cheek. “Since your tears seem sincere enough, I can show some leniency.”
Luo Tiantian raised her tear-filled eyes to look at the face so close to her own, a face that was aggressively beautiful.
“Re… Really?” Her voice was raspy from crying.
“Someone, come,” Shen Xixi gestured with her chin toward the terrified Si Fu. “Move her from this place. Find a quiet palace chamber for her to stay temporarily and send a physician to treat her. All her provisions will be supplied according to the… the standards of a Lower-class Maid.”
Two guards suddenly appeared behind her and responded in unison.
A Lower-class Maid? That was still 100 times better than waiting for death in this woodshed!
Si Fu found it hard to believe, and then she was submerged in a deeper fear. Why did the King suddenly show mercy? Was this a bigger trap?
“As for you, Meiren Si…”
Luo Tiantian’s heart leaped into her throat again. Her Help Points were currently zero, and she couldn’t exit the game.
“Leaving your residence without permission to visit someone of unknown status — even if it is understandable — you cannot escape punishment.”
**[System Notification: King You has decided to show leniency but has proposed disciplinary conditions. Selection branch triggered:]**
**[Option 1: Forfeit 3 months’ salary and be confined to Lixiang Court for 7 days to reflect on your mistakes.]**
**[Option 2: Serve as a scribe by my side for 10 days. Your speech and behavior must strictly adhere to the Palace Rules. Any slight mistake will affect the person in the Cold Palace.]**
**[Option 3: From today onward, you must go to the Cold Palace to care for this person daily for 1 month. However, you must conceal your identity. If discovered by a third party or if the person’s condition does not improve, the punishment will be doubled.]**
Three choices were clearly presented in Shen Xixi’s field of vision.
Forfeit salary and confinement? Too boring. It would be the same as locking up this interesting NPC.
Caring for a patient for 1 month? Although she could see more genuine emotions, it would take too long, and the main act would be on that old woman. On the other hand, the second option…
Serving as a scribe, and her behavior had to match the Palace Rules?
‘This is simply a window made just for my observation.’ She could watch this Baosi closely to see how she performed under pressure and regulations — whether she could maintain that heart-stirring realism or if she would reveal her nature as a program during her mechanical service.
Moreover, “affecting the person in the Cold Palace” — this small threat was like an invisible string tied to Baosi’s wrist, forcing her to be cautious. This subtle tension of control was exactly what Shen Xixi wanted to experience right now.
‘You wouldn’t want anything to happen to your mother, would you?’
‘NPCs in games are fun to play with.’
One had to know that back when she played other games, every character with a health bar was someone she would try to take a swing at.
*Sizzle!*
Shen Xixi’s vision went black. The entire game scene was like a scroll being brutally torn apart, shattering and vanishing.
She felt the dizziness of being forcefully dragged away.
“Shen — Xi — Xi — !!!”
An annoyed and excited female voice pierced the boundary between virtuality and reality.
Shen Xixi snapped her eyes open. The lid of the Virtual Cabin had already slid upward, and real air rushed in.
What met her eyes was a young girl’s face leaning very close to her own.
Her long blue hair was somewhat messy and draped over her shoulders; a few strands even brushed against the tip of Shen Xixi’s nose. Her features were delicate, especially her eyes and brows, which were quite soft, but at the moment, her gaze was extremely unstable, and her cheeks were flushed with excitement.
It was Su Xiao, her friend who showed some signs of mental instability.
She had insisted on staying over a while ago. Shen Xixi had let her stay because she took pity on her — or rather, because she found Su Xiao’s “about to create performance art at any moment” vibe somewhat interesting.
“What are you doing?!” Shen Xixi’s temper flared instantly. She swiped away Su Xiao’s hand, which was still pressing the manual shutdown button on the outside of the Virtual Cabin.
Anyone whose carefully planned gaming fun was interrupted would not have a pleasant expression, let alone a young lady like Shen Xixi who was used to being in control.
“My Pin Hao Fan! My Pin Hao Fan was stolen again!!”
Su Xiao didn’t care about Shen Xixi’s anger at all. She gesticulated wildly. “This time it was the beef and enoki mushrooms! And half a soft-boiled egg! I left it at the door to go grab some soy sauce for just 1 minute, and when I came back, only the empty bag was left! Empty!!”
“It must be that delivery guy. It was him last time, too, with that shifty look in his eyes! He definitely has accomplices lurking in the hallway specifically to steal my food! They’re targeting me! Shen Xixi, they’re targeting me!”
Shen Xixi pressed her throbbing temples and took a deep breath.
‘Has she lost her mind?’
“Su Xiao, calm down. You’ve ordered Pin Hao Fan for so many days; it’s normal to have it stolen a few times. It could be stray cats or dogs, or maybe a neighbor took it by accident. Why would a delivery guy steal a meal worth a few dollars? What would he gain?”
“What would he gain? He wants my delicious food! He’s jealous that I order something different every time! He’s a total psycho!”
Su Xiao’s logic made no sense at all, but she was firm in her belief. She pulled out her phone and poked the screen forcefully. “Look, look at this negative review! ‘The delivery guy is suspected of stealing food; terrible attitude’! Toyokawa Sakiko! That’s me! I’m the one who complained! He must be holding a grudge and stealing from me on purpose!”
“…Are you stupid? Your meal went missing first, and then you complained! It’s not that he stole your meal because you complained! Fine, okay, whatever, he’s a psycho and he’s targeting you.”
Shen Xixi didn’t want to argue anymore. She only wanted to get rid of this troublemaker and return to her gaming kingdom as soon as possible. “Then don’t order from that place next time, or change the delivery time. Better yet, install a security camera. I have serious business right now, so don’t disturb me…”