The Network Princess’s Game of Hearts

“Aced!”

The system announcement of a team wipe echoed, and the screen turned a desolate gray.

Another loss. Xu Yi leaned back against his chair, a wave of annoyance washing over him. The screen of his phone on the desk flickered to life, displaying several unread messages.

He had no interest in them. His gaze merely drifted downward.

As the phone screen darkened, Xu Yi saw his own reflection—a face perpetually aloof and cold—and felt a flicker of vexation.

Due to past experiences, he unconsciously adopted this expression as a shield. Yet, in truth, he was a person desperately starved for affection.

In reality, he was often mistaken for an untouchable ‘lofty flower.’ He never had anyone truly close to him, let alone a same-s*x individual daring to confess to him.

The thought of moving back to the dorms after school started, where he would be unable to video call his ‘boyfriends,’ made Xu Yi sigh involuntarily.

He started another game. While waiting, he casually picked up a cup of coffee one of his ‘boyfriends’ had ordered and took a sip.

Just then, a WeChat call rang in his hand. He swallowed the now somewhat cool coffee, glancing at the caller ID.

[183 – Six-Pack Abs – Bubble Voice – Perverted – Likes Loli Voices]

Xu Yi pondered for a moment before connecting the name in his mind. This man had a good physique and wasn’t afraid to speak suggestive words, which Xu Yi found quite stimulating and worth maintaining.

With that thought, he put the call on speaker. As he manipulated his game character, he listened to the man’s deliberately deep, low voice.

“Baby, why aren’t you answering my messages?”

“School’s starting soon, I’m a bit busy,” Xu Yi said, taking a deep breath and maintaining his saccharine voice for the person on the other end of the line.

Xu Yi possessed a natural talent for voice acting; he could mimic most voice types with practice. Even without a voice changer, Xu Yi knew his own voice was naturally soft and sweet—truly captivating.

“Alright, baby. Does big brother get to sleep with you tonight?”

“Okay, I’ll be there after I shower,” Xu Yi lied without a change in expression. “Gotta hang up now, okay?”

“Hubby can’t watch yet?” The man chuckled indulgently.

Xu Yi, long accustomed to such situations, deftly replied, “You’re going to make me dislike you.”

Then, amidst the man’s satisfied laughter, he hung up.

No sooner had the call ended than angry shouts erupted in the game.

“Is this support an idiot? Can’t even check bushes?!” The marksman’s microphone flickered, conveying extreme impatience and aggression. The voice was rough and grating.

Xu Yi’s face turned cold as he muttered an irritated curse, calling him a ‘dumbass’ under his breath. Then he clicked on his own microphone, smoothly changing his voice. “I’m so sorry, big brother. I really wanted to protect you.”

This time, his voice was different—pure, yet tinged with a seductive huskiness, more alluring than a young girl’s and more ethereal than a mature woman’s. It was genuinely pleasant to listen to, sounding nothing like a voice changer. Especially with the subtle, well-placed hint of a sob, it made it difficult for anyone to stay angry.

The marksman, who had been raging the most fiercely, suddenly muted his microphone and typed a line instead: [Follow me closely. I’ll carry you, okay?]

With such a charming voice and his knack for manipulating men, Xu Yi had never failed, even in competitive games. But seeing the marksman’s words, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes. ‘What a show-off.’

If it weren’t a promotion match, he would have cursed him to death with his real voice.

“Come with me.” The jungler’s microphone suddenly lit up. The voice was deep, pleasant, and very magnetic. It made one imagine if the person looked as handsome as the indifferent assassin character he controlled.

Xu Yi felt his heart skip a beat.

Having online dated for years and encountered various ‘squeaky voice’ partners, he rarely found a voice as impressive as this.

Xu Yi ran over, casting his skill to attach himself to the jungler. The hero he played was adorable, pink and soft, and could even ride on teammates’ backs. This made it perfect for him to pretend to be a girl and interact with ‘jungle kings.’

In reality, Xu Yi was indeed an unapproachable, pure ‘lofty flower.’ Online, however, he was a bona fide master of ‘fishing’ and an ‘Internet goddess.’

His original avatar, complete with a watermark, his homepage videos of him dancing in a maid outfit, and his suggestive ID—‘Princess’—all contributed to this persona. Simply by virtue of this account, after every game, a crowd of people deluded into wanting to form a ‘couple’ would add him.

However, for a ‘score s*ave’ like him, only those with excellent skills were deemed worthy of his selection.

Xu Yi observed the jungle king’s plays. They were handsome, clean, and decisive. But, coincidentally, Xu Yi snatched the first kill.

Xu Yi glanced at the jungler’s ID, ‘Starfall,’ and immediately an idea sparked in his mind. In his light, ethereal voice, he said innocently and pitifully, “I’m so sorry, Big Brother Starfall, I didn’t mean to steal the kill qvq.”

The jungler seemed to appreciate it, uttering a low “mm-hmm,” but his actions in-game became even faster.

Experienced, Xu Yi immediately judged that this was a ‘tsundere’ type of man—seemingly aloof but, in reality, far easier to manipulate than those seasoned ‘playboys.’

The jungler’s rhythm and control were excellent; with Xu Yi, he could easily handle two against five. Xu Yi followed him closely throughout, providing constant protection. Although the jungler remained silent, Xu Yi chattered continuously, lavishing praise and emotional support, leading to an easy victory.

As soon as the game ended, Xu Yi confidently waited on the main page for the jungler to invite him. He knew his routine was irresistible to most men.

Yet, several minutes passed, and Xu Yi still hadn’t received a friend request.

His expression darkened slightly. He clicked into the team lobby, only to see ‘In Queue’ displayed next to ‘Starfall’ in his recent games list. It meant he had already started matching again without waiting for him at all.

Xu Yi: “…”

‘Fine, the next one will be more obedient.’

Thinking this, he started another game. Less than twenty minutes later, the word ‘Defeat’ flashed across his screen.

Xu Yi saw the enemy jungler, who had twenty kills, with two words beside his golden icon: Starfall.

Xu Yi’s expression shifted unpredictably.

A ‘score s*ave’ knows when to bend and when to extend. This time, he swiftly entered the room and, before Starfall could start, clicked ‘Invite.’ The name displayed ‘In Duo Lobby,’ so Xu Yi could only pray that the jungler wasn’t already with a romantic partner.

He waited nervously for two seconds, and finally, Starfall appeared in the room.

Xu Yi had already adjusted his demeanor, saying with a mix of grievance and possessiveness, “You’re so mean! You killed me eight times!!! Give me my points back!”

The end of his sentence even carried a hint of a coquettish sob, perfectly modulated by Xu Yi. It wasn’t so aggrieved as to seem deliberate, nor so bossy as to be annoying.

Starfall also opened his microphone. The background was a bit noisy, suggesting he was in an internet cafe. After a few seconds of silence, he said, “My apologies. I’ll carry you to win them back.”

Xu Yi seemed reluctantly appeased, saying unwillingly, “Alright, but I’m a very expensive companion. You’re getting a bargain.”

These were utterly affected words, but because of his heavenly voice, they only made him more difficult to resist.

****

At the internet cafe near A University’s entrance.

A considerable number of students had returned early for school and were pulling all-nighters with friends.

A small, chubby guy took off his headphones, angrily shaking the young man beside him. “Bro!! You said you’d carry me! Why did you start without me?!”

“Oh, you’re just going to carry a girl by yourself?! I remember this ‘Princess,’ her voice is amazing!!”

Everyone’s faces were blurred in the dim light of the internet cafe, but the young man stood out prominently. The blue light illuminated his face, making everyone else look like greasy otakus. Only he, with his superior brow bone, had beautiful lines carved by the light and shadow.

The internet cafe’s over-ear headphones pressed down on his hair, giving it a casually disheveled look. From any angle, he looked like a ‘vibe-heavy’ god from the internet.

“She cried. I’m carrying her to win it back,” Lu Xingyan said, glancing at the chubby guy. “Haven’t you gained enough points today?”

The chubby guy immediately flashed an ingratiating smile. “Then I’ll play some casual games for now. Once she becomes my sister-in-law, I’ll come back.”

Lu Xingyan couldn’t be bothered with the chubby guy; how could a few games lead to such far-fetched conclusions? Although… he did find the girl’s voice incredibly pleasant.

Many people added Lu Xingyan, but this was the first time he felt he might be a ‘voice-con.’ Otherwise, why would he soften just because of a few words from her?

She was very good at coaxing people. Even though it was inconvenient for him to say much in the internet cafe, it didn’t stop her from constantly praising him and acting spoiled.

“Ahhh! Big brother, save me, save me, save me!”

The character Princess controlled was being chased by a group of enemies, but because she had a dash ability, she was still running. Her terrified voice didn’t crack; it even sounded a bit like a cartoon character, adding a touch of playfulness.

Lu Xingyan’s character was actually quite far from Princess. According to his game strategy, trading a support’s life for an Elder Dragon was a good deal. But he still abandoned the half-killed dragon, turned, and used all his movement abilities to traverse half the map. After catching up to Princess, he swapped places with her.

“Star!! I love you so much!”

Listening to the girl’s gasps in his headphones, Lu Xingyan couldn’t help but curve his lips into a smile.

“Bro… you still say you’re not in love?” The chubby guy turned his head and saw his cousin with a goofy smile he’d never seen before.

His cousin glared at him, but the smile on his lips refused to fade. “She said she loves me.”