[In this day and age, cancer is no longer a death sentence.
With advanced technology and experienced medical teams, all you need is insurance, a supportive family, or… maybe even just yourself.]
Chen Huaian turned off the TV and let out a bitter laugh.
"But I have none of that."
The terminal diagnosis came two days ago. His girlfriend left him yesterday. And today, he broke.
He was just a freshman in college. His parents had been forest rangers, killed in a wildfire years ago. There wasn't even a body left—only a meager compensation payout.
Over the years, he had gradually come to terms with their deaths and chosen to face life head-on. He lived frugally, worked part-time, and planned to get through college with what little money he had.
His grades were decent—he got into a decent university, and rumor had it that graduates even received job placements. He thought: even if the salary was low, at least he'd be alive.
Then two days ago, he went to the hospital to check on a recurring pain in his ankle. The result? Mid-stage cancer.
Knowing he couldn't afford treatment, Chen Huaian dropped out of school. He rented a cheap room near the city's wetland park for a year, planning to quietly live out his final days.
What would happen when the lease expired and he had no money left?
He chuckled bitterly.
"I probably won't live that long anyway."
He checked his phone—bank balance: just over 30,000 yuan.
"Food costs me maybe 500 or 600 a month. Throw in the rest, let's round it to 1,000. That gives me at least 20,000 left by year's end."
Chen stared at the balance, lost in thought.
He had been living far too frugally. While other students traveled, he worked part-time.
While others played games, he worked part-time.
While others dated… his girlfriend was cheating on him.
From now on, he decided, he would live for himself.
Play some games. Catch up on the shows he'd saved over the years. If his health allowed, maybe visit the beach at least once.
[Installation Complete]
[Come claim your virtual girlfriend!]
Normally, Chen would've swiped away a pop-up ad like this without a second glance.
But today, his finger hovered.
Back on the home screen, a new app icon had appeared.
A chibi-style portrait of a girl in traditional Chinese garb, sword on her back, robes fluttering in the wind.
"Auto-installed game? Probably some kind of virus..."
Normally, he'd delete it instantly and run a security scan. But today? He was oddly curious.
After all, he had nothing left to lose.
And to be honest, he'd never had time for games between work and school.
Time to see what this so-called virus could actually do.
He tapped on the icon. The screen went black.
A pop-up appeared:
[This game is restricted to players 18 and older. By starting the game, your identity will be permanently bound. Your account cannot be deleted or transferred.
By proceeding, you agree to all the above terms and conditions.]
"Tch. At least you know you're being tyrannical."
Chen clicked "Start Game" with a smirk.
Yup. 100% a scam app.
What was the scammer going to do? Steal his ID? His chat history?
If they found out he was a broke cancer patient, maybe they'd uninstall the app out of pity.
[Please choose your virtual girlfriend!]
To his surprise, the visuals were high-quality.
Though the icon was chibi-style, the in-game graphics were impressively realistic.
Onscreen were a dozen different characters he could choose from.
Each came with detailed profiles.
For example, the current selection:
[Yakuza Heiress: Kirishima Kotoko]
[Age: 22 | Height: 158 cm | Measurements: 89 / 55 / 86]
The live2D model showed off a curvy figure even beneath a traditional kimono.
Sweet-looking face. Tough background.
A busty tsundere loli—classic male fantasy.
But she was blonde. And Japanese.
Chen wasn't interested.
As he browsed, he realized the characters came from different time periods—some not even from Earth.
There were even mecha girls.
Eventually, his gaze settled on a girl in green robes.
[Qingyun Sect Disciple: Li Qingran]
[Age: 19 | Height: 169 cm | Measurements: 90 / 60 / 91]
She looked just like the app icon, but more vivid and real.
Snow-pale skin, delicate features, long dark hair cascading behind her.
With a sword on her back and robes flowing gently, she looked like a painting come to life—elegant, untouched by dust.
But what struck Chen the most were her eyes: cold, broken, hollow…
As if they were truly staring back at him through the screen.
"Whoa… a small studio went this hard on detail?"
He started to doubt whether this was malware.
No way someone this talented was just making viruses.
They should be studying for a PhD in game design.
"Alright, I choose you."
[Confirm 'Li Qingran' as your virtual girlfriend?]
[Warning: Selection is final. If she dies, she cannot be revived or replaced.]
"That serious?" Chen raised a brow.
He could already smell the in-game monetization tactics.
Under normal circumstances, he'd quit here.
But today, he clicked Confirm.
[You have 132 days of life remaining.]
The screen shifted.
Chen expected the usual: janky graphics, a starter village, auto-quests, and cheap grinding mechanics.
Instead, the screen showed a shabby, wind-leaking straw hut.
A water-soaked grass mat barely passed for a bed.
In the corner, a ragged girl was curled up—arms around her knees, hair like tangled weeds hiding her face.
Her exposed skin was bruised and cut, deep wounds crawling like centipedes across her pale body.
"This… is Li Qingran?"
Chen stared, stunned.
Near the mat lay a broken sword—the same one from her character profile.
['Li Qingran' is cold and starving. Her condition is rapidly deteriorating.]
['Li Qingran' is suffering from fire poison. The pain is unbearable.]
['Li Qingran' has half an hour of life remaining.]
As the alerts popped up, the girl let out a low, pained groan.
She slowly lifted her head, revealing a pair of vacant, lifeless eyes and pale, bloodless lips.
Even though only half her face was visible, Chen knew:
This was the girl he had chosen.
"What do I do…?"
A wave of urgency surged through him.
She looked real—too real. The detail in her wounds, her voice, her trembling breath…
If the timer hit zero, he truly felt she would die before his eyes.
And just then, a new pop-up appeared:
[Ding! First-time top-up: Only 6 yuan for the Home Upgrade Pack!
Give your virtual girlfriend a place to call home!]