My Unconventional Online Romance - Chapter 1

“Have you heard about that new game recently?”

“The one with only a hundred beta test slots? Forget it, it’s a global first test—one in a million chance.”

“Ugh, but I really want to play. I heard the NPCs are just like real people…”

On the school path, many were buzzing about the same topic. Among them, a person wearing long sleeves in the sweltering summer kept their head down, hurrying back to the dorm alone.

Back in the dorm, Xiao Nianyuan washed her hands and face, turned on the AC, and headed straight for her desk—one of four in the room, each curtained off beneath a loft bed.

Pulling the curtain shut, she blocked out all light, plunging the small space into darkness before switching on a warm-toned lamp that bathed the area in a cozy glow.

From her bag, she retrieved a palm-sized box. Inside were several wires, each ending in a thin, circular patch.

With technological advancements, virtual reality devices had grown increasingly sophisticated, capable of fully immersive experiences. Yet, the development of VR games remained limited, with few truly polished titles emerging over the years.

The beta test slots everyone was talking about belonged to a VR game jointly developed by the world’s top ten gaming companies. When the project was first announced, many were stunned—no one had expected these fierce competitors to collaborate.

Despite the skepticism, countless people, Xiao Nianyuan included, had hoped the game would come to fruition. Without hesitation, she signed up for the beta, driven by curiosity and her family’s encouragement.

Years passed, and though Xiao Nianyuan occasionally remembered the game, the lack of updates from the companies made it easy to forget.

When news broke a few days ago about the beta launch, she felt almost dazed—until she received a text directing her to pick up a package.

The device before her was a gift to the hundred beta testers, likely to ensure everyone could participate, even those without their own equipment. The slots had long been finalized, with no word of additional selections.

With her roommates out, Xiao Nianyuan took the device and climbed into bed, carefully following the instructions to set it up. The moment she lay down, a voice asked if she was ready.

Xiao Nianyuan opened her eyes, glancing around. She was alone, and she wasn’t wearing headphones—the voice seemed to echo directly in her mind.

Answering silently, she was swallowed by darkness as the voice guided her to relax. Gradually, light seeped in, accompanied by a gentle narration introducing the game’s basics and lore.

Too impatient to listen, Xiao Nianyuan skipped through until she reached the character creation screen. In her haste, she missed the option to customize her avatar and defaulted to using her real appearance.

Then, she found herself standing in a sea of flowers, their fragrance thick in the air. The wind tousled her long hair, and for a long moment, she simply stared, stunned.

Everything around her was indistinguishable from reality. She clenched her fist, feeling the subtle pressure against her palm.

Before she could process it further, a sudden gust of wind blew sand into her eyes. Rubbing them, she heard a child’s voice call out, “Hurry, hurry! The festival’s about to start!”

The other children responded with excitement, running past Xiao Nianyuan and casting curious yet wary glances at her as they went. In the end, they left her behind, hurrying off to see the festival they had mentioned.

Xiao Nianyuan paused for a moment, then instinctively followed them.

As she trailed behind, the children kept looking back at her, whispering among themselves and occasionally speeding up, as if testing whether she would keep up.

The place where Xiao Nianyuan stood was a vast sea of flowers. It took her a long time to walk through it before she finally emerged on the other side, where rows of houses stood—likely the homes of the people living here. She took a few extra glances at them.

Leaving the flower field behind, she followed a narrow path. Along the way, she encountered many people—a middle-aged man carrying a load on his shoulders, calling out for the children to slow down; a dust-covered swordsman seemingly rushing to some destination (Xiao Nianyuan wasn’t sure—she rarely read wuxia novels, and this was the only identity she could think of).

There were all sorts of others, but Xiao Nianyuan couldn’t tell whether they were NPCs or real people. Their clothing, mannerisms—none of it gave her any clues.

She herself was dressed in unfamiliar clothes, though thankfully her hair wasn’t adorned with elaborate hairpins, simply tied up in a neat bun.

Climbing a small hill, she saw a city floating in the sky.

The children immediately began chattering excitedly. “It’s coming down soon!”

“It won’t descend for another hour.”

“That long?”

“Of course,” the answering child said smugly. “Everyone else will come later. We’re early.”

Listening to them, Xiao Nianyuan gathered that this was the first time these children had seen it. They were thrilled, while others had witnessed it in their childhood. The floating city appeared once every ten years, and those who missed it were usually no longer in this place.

Xiao Nianyuan was curious, but the words stuck in her throat. However, one of the children asked the question for her: “Why?”

“Those who never see the Sky City aren’t blessed by the gods. They can’t stay here.”

The children chattered away, wanting to ask more, but the one who had answered earlier couldn’t explain further and deflected the topic. “Big sister, are you here to see the Sky City too?”

Their eyes sparkled as they looked at her. Perhaps because Xiao Nianyuan seemed quiet and unassuming, their wariness toward outsiders faded.

Xiao Nianyuan nodded without speaking, but the children didn’t find her cold. They kept talking to her intermittently.

As the Sky City slowly descended, the most knowledgeable child suddenly dashed forward. “I’ll be the first to board!”

Before he could take another step, someone grabbed him by the collar. A woman scolded, “I knew you’d be trouble.”

The child turned his head and grinned. “Sister Jiang, you’ve got me all wrong. I was just joking.”

Xiao Nianyuan glanced back and saw more people arriving—likely the adults the children had mentioned earlier, coming as the time drew near.

Uncomfortable, she shifted to the side, spotting a large tree in her peripheral vision and quietly moving toward it.

Hiding behind the tree, she let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t used to being around so many people, whether in reality or in a game.

As the Sky City descended, the crowd grew larger. Xiao Nianyuan shivered, wanting to log out, but she couldn’t find the option anywhere.

“Please choose your master.”

The voice was the same one she had heard when entering the game. Xiao Nianyuan frowned and said, “I want to log out.”

If it were just her alone in the game, it wouldn’t be a problem. But with so many people around—many likely being actual players—Xiao Nianyuan felt utterly uncomfortable.

“Please complete the mission.”

Xiao Nianyuan pressed her lips together. “Can’t I just log out?”

“You are currently in the middle of a mission.”

A translucent screen appeared before her, displaying the ongoing task: Find someone to accompany you.

“I don’t want to,” Xiao Nianyuan muttered, her mood sinking. “I don’t want to play with others. I want to log out.”

As soon as she spoke, a new line appeared in parentheses on the screen—Non-player characters also acceptable.

Xiao Nianyuan: “…”

Meaning an NPC would suffice, but she had to find someone before she could log out.

“Highway robbery,” Xiao Nianyuan grumbled under her breath. She’d never heard of a game that forced players to stay online.

Once she logged out, she was selling this game device.

Her gaze drifted toward a lone figure in the distance. Just as she was about to walk over and grab the first person she saw, the system chimed in again: “Please take this seriously. All NPCs have emotions.”

Xiao Nianyuan brushed it off. No matter how realistic the simulation was, it was still fake. How could NPCs have real feelings?

Since she couldn’t log out immediately and couldn’t just pick any NPC, she decided to wander elsewhere—nothing was stopping her from exploring.

She walked toward a deserted area. The game was incredibly lifelike, and if no one was around, she might as well take a stroll.

As she walked, a faint squeaking sound caught her attention. A rabbit lay ahead, its hind leg caught in a bloody trap.

Suddenly, everything went dark. Xiao Nianyuan froze in place, unsure what was happening, until the system announced: “Player age verification complete. You may choose whether to enable graphic violence.”

Xiao Nianyuan: “…”

The screen brightened again. After a long, silent pause, she approached the rabbit. Its red eyes stared up at her, as if pleading for help.

She reached out—but before she could touch the trap, a hand yanked her back. Startled, Xiao Nianyuan jerked away and spun around, locking eyes with a woman dressed in red.

The woman had appeared out of nowhere, silent as a ghost.

“You were about to hurt yourself,” the woman said, looking wounded. “I was trying to help.”

Xiao Nianyuan replied coolly, “I don’t need it.”

“But—”

“Really don’t.” Xiao Nianyuan’s tone was firmer than hers.

The woman studied her for a moment before sighing. She took a few steps away, then glanced back.

Xiao Nianyuan didn’t react—no words of protest, no hesitation.

The woman hesitated, looking back every few steps, until she was nearly half a mile away. “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

Xiao Nianyuan ignored her and turned back to the rabbit. It was tiny, small enough to cradle in one hand, and its pitiful gaze was enough to melt anyone’s heart.

Carefully, she freed the rabbit. Its leg was a mess of bl00d. Frowning, she tore a strip of cloth from her sleeve—leaving a gap in her outfit—and quickly bandaged the wound before setting the rabbit down.

The rabbit didn’t leave. Limping on its injured leg, it hopped over to Xiao Nianyuan and rubbed its fluffy head against her in a coaxing manner. Unable to resist, Xiao Nianyuan reached out to pet the rabbit’s head—just as soft and pleasant to touch as she’d imagined. As she gently stroked its fur, she murmured to herself, “Small animals are so easy to get along with.”

The little rabbit tilted its head, though it was unclear whether it understood. Xiao Nianyuan didn’t expect it to, especially since it was just a creature in a game.

The endless grassland, the docile rabbit, and the absence of noisy crowds left Xiao Nianyuan feeling completely at ease. But then, the rabbit suddenly opened its mouth—wide, gaping, a bl00d-red maw lunging toward her.

Xiao Nianyuan’s pupils contracted sharply, reflecting the distorted, black-hole-like mouth.

Instinctively, she shut her eyes and raised her arms to shield herself. Yet, the expected pain never came. Just as confusion set in, a sharp “squeak!” sounded, and light flooded her vision—the monstrous creature was gone. A woman in red stood before her, lips curved in a smirk. “Well? Am I impressive or what?”

Dazed, Xiao Nianyuan lowered her gaze to where the woman held her hand. A wave of shameful longing surged through her heart.