Five years after my wife's death, she came back!

I feel very dizzy.

Everything was pitch black, and Shi Ying couldn't see what was in front of her. She felt as if she had been walking in a black fog for a long time, but she couldn't find a way out.

She stood there blankly, surrounded by a cacophony of sounds, like Shang Chenyan's voice, but unlike him now, it lacked a touch of composure and possessed a youthful gentleness.

Gradually, the black mist that enveloped the surroundings slowly dissipated, and familiar yet unfamiliar scenes suddenly appeared before their eyes.

[Data loading complete!]

Shi Ying stood there blankly, her mind churning with memories, and many things she had forgotten gradually became clear.

That was her memory of her first visit here ten years ago.

......

Ten years ago.

In real life, Shi Ying is in college when a holographic game is released and quickly becomes a nationwide sensation.

Shi Ying had no interest in games, and she couldn't join in the conversation when her roommates were discussing them enthusiastically.

Until one day, the school organized a visit to the game development building. Shi Ying learned from the teachers and leaders that the game was still in the testing phase. By actively signing up, he could receive different tasks and earn considerable rewards.

During her university years, Shi Ying was still somewhat rebellious and would argue with Xu Xiuling every now and then. Just a few days ago, the two had quarreled about their majors, and Shi Ying, in a fit of pique, refused to give her living expenses, so she signed up for the game test.

Arriving at the game building, the various tasks handed out by the staff were truly dazzling.

"Different difficulty levels offer different rewards, but the game is still in the testing phase, so unexpected difficulties may arise."

Seeing Shi Ying's concern, the staff quickly explained, "But don't worry, there will absolutely be no problem with your personal safety."

"To put it bluntly, this is just a game. Your body exists in reality, but your ideology enters the game and creates a new body for you. So even if you encounter danger in the game, it will just force you to quit."

"Oh..." Shi Ying nodded, her gaze falling on one of the tasks.

This mission is quite unique; the others are strategy missions, but this is a rescue mission.

The staff explained, "The NPC in this instance had a bad experience in his childhood, and the game detected that he has potential antisocial personality disorder. Therefore, this task is to guide him back on the right track."

"After all, the role of an NPC is quite important in a dungeon. If he becomes the main villain, the dungeon might not be able to continue."

Shi Ying flipped through the records of this NPC. He came from a top-tier wealthy family, but unfortunately, he was unloved by his parents and was aloof and gloomy. The key point was that he was highly intelligent. Such a person was simply a villain in the making.

"Ms. Shi, would you like to choose this one?" The staff member asked when she noticed that she had been lingering on this page for a long time.

"I..." Shi Ying wanted to refuse, but her gaze lingered on a few photos.

The first photo is a picture of this NPC when he was very young, with his family. His tender face is beaming with a faint smile.

The other photo is a recent picture of him.

The eighteen-year-old boy was tall and slender, yet he walked expressionlessly through the crowded streets.

Shi Ying nodded as if possessed: "Then... this one will do."

*

The day I arrived in Jiangcheng was sunny and bright.

Shi Ying stood outside the gate of Jiangcheng University with her small schoolbag on her back. Parents who accompanied their children to register were coming and going. Behind her, cars were constantly flowing on the road, and the sound of horns was very loud.

In the game, Shi Ying is an orphan with very simple social relationships, so she is all alone.

Following the loaded memories, she went to the classroom after registering to attend the welcome party for new students.

The classroom was already full, but Shi Ying spotted the boy in the corner at a glance.

He was dressed in a gray casual outfit, with neat short hair, and looked out the window with his head tilted to the side, as if all the noise in the classroom had nothing to do with him.

On an autumn evening, the dim light made the figure appear somewhat cold and lonely.

During the game's testing phase, each player had their own unique system. Chatty Little 8 screamed in my mind: "Yingbao, that's your boyfriend!"

Shi Ying: [...I've said it so many times, important vocabulary cannot be omitted, that's called 'task target'.]

Little 8 excitedly spun around: [Quick, there's an empty seat next to him! We detected two girls heading that way from the southwest, Yingbao, hurry!]

Before Shi Ying could even process what was happening, she had already swiftly walked to the back of the classroom and slammed her schoolbag onto the desk.

The boy didn't react much.

Shi Ying sat down somewhat awkwardly. She had lived for twenty years in reality, and all her good friends were girls. In high school, her teachers wanted to keep boys and girls separate. Come to think of it, she had never actually struck up a conversation with a boy.

Xiao 8 was racking her brains to find topics for her to talk about, but Shi Ying would take a deep breath each time, ready to speak, only to immediately deflate her spirits.

Shi Ying wailed: 【I can't do it!】

She slumped listlessly on the table, and then the counselor on the platform began calling roll.

"Shang Chenyan"

The boy beside her stood up. He was very tall, and the light cast his long shadow, instantly shrouding Shi Ying in darkness.

"arrive."

This was the first time Shi Ying had heard his name, and also the first time she had heard his voice.

The boy's voice was clear and melodious, like the sound of jade, yet it carried an inexplicable gloom and indifference, as if nothing concerned him.

"Shiying".

"Shiying?"

"Shiying!"

After being called out three times, Shi Ying finally came to her senses. She stood up abruptly and shouted, "Here!"

Counselor: "...Have a seat."

Everyone's eyes seemed to be on her. Although there was no malice, Shi Ying still blushed furiously. She lay on the table, burying half her face in her arms, missing the glance that the person next to her was giving her.

Ying didn't hear a word the counselor said; she spent the whole night thinking about how to subtly strike up a conversation with the people around her.

But when the party ended, she didn't get a chance to speak to Shang Chenyan.

Watching the boy leave without hesitation, Shi Ying felt dejected: [An inauspicious start.]

Xiao 8 encouraged her: "It's okay, you still have four years of university life. You'll be in the same major and class, so you'll definitely have a chance."

Shi Ying was down for only one night, and the next day she was full of energy again.

In order to get close to Shang Chenyan legitimately and not be seen as a pervert by him, Shi Ying put in a lot of effort to be elected class monitor. This way, she could care about him while also caring about other classmates, and she wouldn't stand out too much.