The Childhood Friend’s Embrace and a New Beginning

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Bai Wanting sat on the edge of the bed and picked up a bowl of steaming porridge.

“Xiaoqian, it’s time for your medicine.”

“Hey, are you trying to murder me?!”

Mingqian struggled violently, making the iron chains clatter.

Bai Wanting frowned.

“You won’t drink it?”

“I, I won’t!”

He couldn’t fathom why Bai Wanting had tied him up here.

Nor could he understand what kind of spectacle Bai Wanting was putting on.

Even with a frown, the young woman before him couldn’t conceal the endearing charm in her eyes.

Immediately after, she raised an eyebrow.

“Will you only drink it if Su Wanqing feeds you?”

Her eyes were fixed intently on Mingqian.

“Yes.”

Perhaps it was the resentment of having his girlfriend stolen, or perhaps an attempt to evade the young woman, but he spoke with such defiance.

“If Su Wanqing isn’t feeding me, I won’t drink it!”

Bai Wanting first let out a cold snort, then smiled faintly as if an idea had just struck her.

She opened her phone and made a video call to Su Wanqing.

After a single beep, the call was answered instantly.

–Hello? Wan Ting? What’s going on—

Su Wanqing froze the moment she saw the scene on the other end.

The last person Mingqian wanted to see right now was Su Wanqing; though their breakup had been amicable, he felt utterly humiliated for his ex-girlfriend to witness him in such a state.

Ignoring Su Wanqing, Bai Wanting tilted her head back, took a delicate sip of porridge from the bowl, and then climbed onto Mingqian.

Bound completely, he was utterly helpless.

Bai Wanting held his face with one hand, then bit down fiercely.

Mingqian would never have imagined, not in his wildest dreams, that just one day later, he would be subjected to a feeding ‘play’ by his childhood friend in front of his ex-girlfriend.

After a full minute—perhaps even longer—Bai Wanting finally pulled away from his lips.

She wiped her mouth with a tissue, then smiled sweetly:

“Does it taste good?”

“…”

A sudden realization struck Mingqian: he felt as though he had never truly known this woman, Bai Wanting.

“Why? Wanting, aren’t you my good friend…?”

“Good friend.”

Bai Wanting’s entire aura shifted instantly.

A suffocating, resentful air seemed ready to burst from her.

Her gaze locked onto Mingqian.

“Good friend? You explicitly said you’d marry me when we grew up.”

He had indeed said that, but it was merely… childish banter from their youth.

“Growing up day by day, I was so happy, thinking Xiaoqian would marry me soon; I was truly looking forward to it.”

“But you changed. You not only began consciously distancing yourself from me, but you also started keeping secrets from me.”

Mingqian was speechless. Distancing himself from Bai Wanting was simply because he hadn’t awakened… and as for secrets, who didn’t have them?

But before he could reply, the young woman continued:

“All of that, I could still endure. Every time, if it was for Xiaoqian, I could still bear it.”

Her eyes suddenly lost their sparkle.

“But that day, you happily told me you had a girlfriend.”

“Hehehehe…”

“Clearly… I was here first. I was the one who promised a lifetime with Xiaoqian. Why… why?!”

She let out a chilling laugh.

“Do you know what I was thinking? That day, I was in excruciating pain… I wanted to kill you right then and there, and then kill myself.”

“But I held back. I finally realized that to truly have Xiaoqian, I had to take matters into my own hands.”

Mingqian suddenly understood: all of this, every single thing, had been orchestrated by the young woman herself.

Whether it was Su Wanqing’s betrayal or the rumors about him circulating through campus.

It was all to isolate him completely, to neatly guide him into Bai Wanting’s clutches.

“So, I pretended to be Xiaoqian’s friend to get close to her… Heh, everyone has a weakness… and Su Wanqing, surprisingly, turned out to be a ‘perfect superhuman’.”

As she spoke, a flicker of displeasure crossed Bai Wanting’s eyes.

“But in the end, I still caught her. Though, this matter is also your fault, Xiaoqian.”

“My fault? She cheated, and it’s my fault?”

Mingqian was utterly bewildered.

“Yes, that day, I saw it. Xiaoqian gently hugged her, and your lips touched for barely a second before you pulled apart…”

Leaving aside how she managed to see it, that day had indeed been their first kiss, but it was merely a fleeting touch…

“Of course, that wouldn’t satisfy her. She liked you so much… so that very night, she finally couldn’t hold back and took care of it herself.”

“…So that’s… what happened?”

Mingqian’s throat tightened.

“Indeed. After I filmed it, she begged me not to tell you. What followed was quite simple.”

Mingqian never imagined that a real-life scenario of “You wouldn’t want your husband to know, would you?” would actually happen to him.

And the “male lead” was a woman.

“First, I dictated what underwear she should wear, then I gradually escalated, making her bring toys… making her lightly kiss me in the gym… Honestly, feeling Xiaoqian’s scent on her lips almost drove me insane…”

“To deal with a cheating cat (TL Note: A slang term for someone who cheats or is unfaithful), one must use such methods.”

Under Su Wanqing’s shocked gaze, she stepped forward.

“So dirty, and you still want to return to Xiaoqian’s side?”

–I… no… it’s not like that! Xiaoqian, listen to me… the breakup was just a temporary measure, I never wanted to break up!

On the other end of the call, Su Wanqing explained frantically.

Yet, Mingqian felt utterly weary.

Even if she had been coerced, she had still done something that wronged him.

He gently closed his eyes.

“Heh, Xiaoqian doesn’t really want to talk to you. Hanging up.”

Bai Wanting ended the video call and gently sat on Mingqian’s body.

She leaned down and whispered softly to him:

“Don’t think of her. Think of me, alright?”

Mingqian desperately wanted to say he just wanted to be alone, quietly!

‘…Bai Wanting wouldn’t ask who Jingjing (TL Note: A Chinese name that sounds similar to ‘quietly’ or ‘peacefully’) is, would she?’

A rustling sound reached him, and Mingqian opened his eyes.

“! You, you’re going to!”

His lips were sealed by Bai Wanting, and he felt a wave of dizziness; compared to Su Wanqing’s light kiss, Bai Wanting’s deep kiss certainly stirred him more profoundly.

‘Clearly, clearly, he didn’t want this! Clearly, he couldn’t betray his girlfriend!’

‘But, why, then, was his body reacting?’

Bai Wanting lightly touched his body and smiled contentedly.

“What’s this? Xiaoqian is just stubborn with his mouth… oh, and there’s something else hard.”

“Your body, however, is quite obedient.”

She leaned over him, remaining awake throughout the night.

****

Today marked the third week of Mingqian’s captivity by the beautiful young woman. He might as well write a diary, for when she returned tonight, it would surely be…

‘His body was so weary… doing things he didn’t want to do… it was agonizing…’

His mind was filled with thoughts he wished to avoid: his girlfriend being taken, his clothes stolen, relentless daily anonymous threats stuffed into his home… He never imagined these were all orchestrated by the young woman to imprison him.

Now, Mingqian could only lie in bed, scrolling on his phone.

With his limbs bound, it was only after his desperate pleas that Bai Wanting had unbound his arms.

The price was his promise not to escape.

[Shaoshao Pin Life Simulator is loading… Currently 99.9%]

[Ten diamonds can synthesize 0.1% progress. Would you like to…]

“Damn it!”

In the dark room, shrouded by curtains, Mingqian furiously threw his headphones to the floor, cursing at the 99.99% progress bar on his phone.

He had accidentally clicked an email titled “Want to Restart Your Life? (Heart emoji),” believing, as in cartoons, that clicking it would send him to another world to start a harem.

To his dismay, it was merely a new scam from Shaoshao Pin (TL Note: A fictional company, possibly a play on words for ‘less and less’ or ‘piecing together little by little’), leading to an ending that would never reach 100%.

Mingqian, vexed, lay on his bed scrolling through his phone, finding that even the advertisements in this miserable life failed to please him.

[It is reported that 62-year-old Kerfa will face 20-year-old Nib on November 28th. This marks Nib’s first appearance on the global finals stage, and Fucker’s 38th time facing PLP in the finals…]

[“Norway of the Forest” will once again advance to the Nobel Prize in Literature finals…]

[Experts are currently researching the emergence of ability users (TL Note: individuals with supernatural powers) around the world…]

The inexplicable awakening of spiritual energy (TL Note: A common trope in Chinese web novels where a dormant mystical energy suddenly returns to the world, granting people powers) had plunged the entire world into turmoil.

Su Wanqing, who had been calling relentlessly for three weeks, finally ceased her futile attempts starting yesterday.

Kept at home like a kept man, he lived a life devoid of dignity.

Suddenly, a link caught his attention.

[Do you want to change?]

“More spam?”

Mingqian sighed helplessly, but by nature, he still gently tapped the screen. The next instant, he felt a sudden buzzing in his head.

[Loading Life Simulation Program… 99%]

“?”

Mingqian’s heart leaped into his throat. ‘Surely, it couldn’t be Shaoshao Pin again this time!’ he thought.

If it was, he swore he would never use that app to buy anything ever again.

“Launch!”

[…100%]

[Welcome, the Life Simulation System is at your service.]

[After the simulator starts, the host will travel to a simulated world. Upon completion of the simulation, rewards will be granted based on life points.]

[Simulation Attempts: 1 (Unused)]

[World Locked: Target is a Western Fantasy type world.]

[Phantom Realm]

The golden “Confirm” button shimmering before his eyes stirred his heart more than ever before.

If only he could… he truly yearned for change.

He held his breath, and in an instant, his consciousness was pulled into a void.

“Really?”

He rubbed his eyes, barely able to believe any of it.

On the white panel, a sentence was displayed: [Entry levels are U, R, SR, SSR, UR, increasing from 1 to 5 points respectively. Please select any 3 randomly generated entries totaling 8 points to take with you.]

Countless entries were arranged across the vast panel, but only those shimmering with golden light appeared to be selectable.

At this point, he hesitated instead.

‘Could this be an AI-generated projection effect?’

However, no matter how he shifted his posture, the void remained unchanged.

A deep hatred still burned within his chest.

“No, I don’t care anymore. Whatever the cost, let my future self deal with it!”

Even if it meant making a contract with QB (TL Note: A reference to Kyubey from ‘Puella Magi Madoka Magica’, a cat-like alien who grants wishes to young girls in exchange for turning them into magical girls, often with tragic consequences), he could still experience what it was like to be a magical girl.

He meticulously examined the options.

[Thirty Years East of the River, Thirty Years West of the River (UR) (TL Note: A Chinese idiom meaning ‘fortunes rise and fall’, or ‘what goes around comes around’)]: A disastrous start; survival depends entirely on yourself.

[Radiant Charm (SR)]: What are you looking at? Never seen a handsome guy? In short, you were born charming.

[Unified Power and Wealth (SSR)]: Power and money coexist; you can have anything you desire. So, what is the cost?

[Robust Health (R)]: Nothing particularly special.

[Heavenly Talent (UR)]: A talent that makes mortals shrink back in awe.

[Full Magic Talent (UR)]: An essential element you wouldn’t truly want to miss, would you?

[Strong Luck (U)]: Very good luck.

“Oh, oh!”

Mingqian gazed admiringly at the entries before him; although some seemed rather useless, they might prove unexpectedly valuable in unforeseen situations.

“Only children make choices! I want them all!”

He frantically tapped all the options with his hand.

However, no matter how he tapped, he could only select three of them.

If he could take them all, it would certainly make his simulated life much more secure.

No choice, he would pick three.

His hand finally rested on

[Radiant Charm (SR)], [Unified Power and Wealth (SSR)], and [Strong Luck (U)], totaling exactly eight points.

For his first life, not knowing what challenges he might face, these three entries could at least form a relatively stable starting point.

“Heh, I’ll never have to hate rich people again.”

He had long desired to experience being wealthy. Heh, with money, there was nothing in this world he couldn’t achieve!

[Entries ready, loading…]

[Please note: Once the simulation begins, it cannot be terminated except by death.]

[Special rewards will be granted upon achieving a perfect ending.]

Accompanied by a blinding white light, Mingqian’s consciousness began to soar into the distance. He clenched his fist, vowing that if he truly succeeded, he would certainly exact his revenge.

[Loading complete. Foundation Value: A. World matched.]

A narrator-like voice drew him into the gently unfolding story.

[One evening, you locked your door, drew the curtains, placed a tissue beside your left hand, and turned on your computer.]

[All preparations for takeoff were complete.]

[You browsed through various colorful videos, and then, with a sudden impulse, decided on this particular one!]

[Unexpectedly, clicking it led to a horror film. Your heart stopped from fright, but of course, you didn’t die; instead, you transmigrated to a brand new world.]

[Gazing at your familiar face in the mirror, you resolved to make a significant mark in this world.]

[Memories from these past years suddenly flooded your mind. You abruptly discovered that you were the Emperor’s childhood playmate, his enforcer, and the head of his spy agency. As a Duke, you possessed immeasurable wealth.]

[This was your third year in this world.]

Mingqian walked along the muddy streets; his duties often required him to personally venture into danger.

Whenever he walked these filthy, crowded streets, he would always let out a faint sigh.

The stench of dead rats, the smell of decay, and even the odor of corpses…

Any one of them made him dizzy. No matter how much time passed, he never grew accustomed to such smells.

Boots splashed through the mud, sending up streaks of water. His luxurious clothes stood in stark contrast to the surrounding grime.

Such was this city: its superficial splendor maintained by a deeper corruption.

He lacked the power to change any of it alone, so he could only choose to see nothing and hear nothing.

Purely in terms of physical fitness and ability, he was indeed weak; the entries he carried offered no assistance for cultivation.

But he didn’t care.

No one would be foolish enough to provoke Mingqian, who was accompanied by two peerless masters.

Yet, today, something here seemed different.

From the alley ahead, a sudden burst of chaotic footsteps, crude shouts, and a faint but sharp whooshing sound erupted.

“Stop! You damned witch!”