Chapter 2: Recharge to Get Stronger

“Wait, is the map of Yan Kingdom this short?”

Chen Huai’an couldn’t help but laugh bitterly at the recharge prompt.

This game’s developers didn’t even try to be subtle—straight to pay-to-win.

But as he glanced at the pitiful girl on the screen, he thought of himself. Alone, penniless, terminally ill, and abandoned by his girlfriend. Was his situation any better than Li Qingran’s? The friends he once had all vanished, afraid he’d ask them for money.

Who would offer him a helping hand?

Yet now, he could extend a hand to this girl.

Even if she was just a program, a character created to empty his wallet in a mobile game.

“Six yuan? Sure, I’ll pay.”

[Recharge Successful!]

Golden light radiated toward Li Qingran’s dilapidated hut. The straw mat turned into a wooden bed with bedding. The cracked walls became solid bricks with a window that kept the rain and wind out. The golden light enveloped the entire room, filling it with vintage-style furniture—a floor, a table, chairs, and even a stove.

“Now this feels right!” Chen Huai’an sighed in satisfaction and looked at Li Qingran, curious about her reaction.

It’s just a mobile game, so the character would likely just look happy, right?

But what he saw left him stunned.

Li Qingran’s expression shifted from shock to fear, then to vigilance. She curled into a corner, unable to believe what was happening. After a long moment, like a cautious kitten in a new environment, she hesitantly explored the room.

She returned to the bed, gently touching the soft mattress. Her eyes reflected nothing but confusion.

“This… this level of feedback? This interaction system…”

Chen Huai’an was floored by her realistic responses. The way the bed slightly sank when she sat, or how wrinkles formed where she touched, was incredibly lifelike.

For a mere mobile game to reach this level? He wouldn’t even mind spending more money—it’d feel like supporting a true artist.

No sooner had the thought formed when another prompt appeared:

[Limited Offer! Recharge 30 yuan to gift your virtual girlfriend a beautiful outfit!]

“Uh…”

Chen Huai’an glanced at Li Qingran’s tattered clothing and felt a pang of sympathy. “Alright, let’s do it!”

Shing! A set of elegant green robes appeared on the bed.

[Today’s Special! Recharge 68 yuan to give your virtual girlfriend a sumptuous meal!]

A 68-yuan meal? Chen Huai’an rarely spent more than 15 on takeout for himself.

But so what? He paid up.

[This Week’s Deal! Recharge 98 yuan to unlock your virtual girlfriend’s background story and receive a health report!]

“Take my money!”

[Monthly Special! Recharge 188 yuan to equip your virtual girlfriend’s home with three premium Thunderfire Talismans for protection!]

“Charge, charge, charge!”

[Your virtual girlfriend is scared. Please wait before taking further actions.]

The recharge prompts finally stopped.

Chen Huai’an checked the screen and saw that Li Qingran had crawled under the bed, trembling.

The new clothes on the bed? Untouched.

The feast of chicken, duck, and fish? Unmoved.

In the corner of the screen, a countdown showed that the health report would take 30 minutes to generate.

The room now had talismans on the door, window, and roof—barely visible unless zoomed in.

The good news was that Li Qingran’s lifespan had increased to six hours.

“That’s manageable for now,” Chen Huai’an muttered, relieved.

In-game time matched real-world time, so he could afford to relax a bit.

“By the way, what was that fire poison affecting Li Qingran? What even is that?”

He figured clicking on Li Qingran might reveal her status, but all he could see under the bed was a pale little foot, which immediately flinched when he tapped it.

“Guess I’ll have to wait for the health report to know more.”

As he glanced at the feast in the game, Chen Huai’an’s stomach growled. The roasted duck looked so realistic, with oil glistening and dripping as though its aroma could waft through the screen.

It was already afternoon, and he hadn’t eaten lunch.

“Let’s just whip something up. My virtual girlfriend is eating better than me,” he chuckled wryly.

Spending 68 yuan for that feast? Seemed like a bargain now. He put his phone on the table to charge, intending to eat before continuing.

Li Qingran, 19, fifth disciple of Chixiao Peak at the Qingyun Sect.

Her life had once been stable, following a routine of cultivation and sect tasks. Four senior brothers each had their own strengths and often shielded her.

But everything changed when her eldest senior brother, Lu Changtian, brought back a sixth junior sister from outside. He vouched for the untalented girl, Mu Baishuang, and begged their master to accept her into Chixiao Peak.

After that, nothing was the same.

Her once-attentive eldest senior brother stopped inviting her to morning lessons. The second senior brother, Xiao Yifeng, who was skilled in alchemy, no longer asked her to test his pills. The perpetually cold third senior brother, Yun Zimo, even learned love songs for the new junior sister. The mission-driven fourth senior brother, Zhang Hanxiao, abandoned tasks to stay at the peak, guarding Mu Baishuang.

Everyone doted on Mu Baishuang, even their usually indifferent master.

Li Qingran didn’t mind.

Mu Baishuang was sweet, endearing, and deserved some care as a junior sister.

However, with their guidance and resources, Mu Baishuang’s cultivation rapidly caught up to hers.

During the sect’s tournament half a month ago, Li Qingran faced Mu Baishuang in a match. Out of respect, she planned to end it after a few moves, applying enough pressure to make Mu Baishuang surrender gracefully.

But Mu Baishuang fought fiercely, aiming for vital points, forcing Li Qingran to defend seriously.

Then, Mu Baishuang suddenly switched to defense and threw herself onto Li Qingran’s sword. Li Qingran couldn’t withdraw in time, and her sword pierced Mu Baishuang’s shoulder—barely a flesh wound, but it left her gravely injured.

Expelled from Chixiao Peak, her cultivation abolished, her spiritual root extracted—her senior brothers’ retribution was merciless.

Now abandoned in a beast-infested wilderness, plagued by fire poison and starvation, she clung to life in a storm, awaiting death.

Until…

A sparrow darted through the rain.

And suddenly, a voice whispered: [Welcome Home!]

In the blink of an eye, her hut transformed into a stone house.

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