Reborn to Make Games: My Girlfriend is a Game Streamer

Haimen Middle School, Grade 12 (2), lunch break.

The classroom was filled with the smell of exam paper ink and a faint sense of weariness.

Several boys huddled together, talking in hushed tones, their excitement barely concealed.

"Hey, did you see that? Kugami lost his temper last night and played that game 'Getting Over It,' and got 'educated' by the producer again."

"I know, I know, that producer's name is Chen Bainian. Wasn't he trending on Weibo today? Because of his rumored affair with 'The Twelfth Floor'!"

"It was clarified a long time ago that it was a legitimate collaboration. But this game is really torturous. I can see that even a professional player as skilled as Nine Gods gets stuck on certain levels."

By the window, Chen Jing was engrossed in organizing the wrong answers from her first mock exam after the New Year.

The pen tip scratched across the paper until the three words "Chen Bainian" gently reached her ears, and she paused.

"Bai Nian" is a rather uncommon name.

The parents were not very educated, and when they chose this name, they only had the simplest wish: that their older brother, who was frail and sickly in his youth, would have a strong will to live and be safe and sound year after year.

I originally wanted to use "a hundred years", but a distant relative who is a teacher said that "cypress years" would be better, as it not only means longevity, but also carries the character of pine and cypress that remain resilient and noble despite the vicissitudes of life.

Moreover, her brother works as a game planner at a game company in Hangzhou.

Same surname, same given name, same industry...

What are the odds of such a coincidence?

She listened without showing any emotion.

The boys' conversation had shifted from the game's difficulty to why the producer played it so effortlessly, and then to their schadenfreude at how even top professional players got stuck.

Chen Jing closed her notebook of incorrect answers, turned around, and joined the conversation in a clear voice: "What game are you guys talking about? It seems really popular?"

Their discussion was interrupted when Shao Yifei, who was sitting at the same table, pushed up his glasses and teased, "Oh, that's rare. Chen Xuewei is also interested in games?"

This academic representative, who excels academically and has an outstanding appearance, is known in the class as the "high-and-mighty flower" because she usually focuses all her attention on her studies.

"My brother works as a game designer in Hangzhou. Is it strange that I want to know about him?" Chen Jing had a perfectly valid reason.

"Then what your brother made might be different from this." Shao Yifei got excited. "This is called an indie game. Simply put, it's made by a small team of one or two people. It's completely different from games made by big companies."

"Indie games?" Chen Jing muttered softly, then subtly steered the conversation to the key point, "What about... that trending topic you were talking about earlier?"

Shao Yifei glanced warily at the classroom door, making sure no teacher was patrolling, before pulling out his phone from his drawer, unlocking it skillfully, and opening the blog's trending topics list: "Here, take a look for yourself."

He handed over his phone and then went back to discussing the game mechanics with the other boys.

Chen Jing took the phone, and the screen displayed hashtags such as #ChenBinianResponds# and #DiggingForPromotion#.

She clicked on a screenshot from the scene, which showed her brother Chen Bainian and a cheerful female anchor in the same frame.

My heart skipped a beat—it really was him!

She suppressed her surging surprise and curiosity, calmly browsed a few trending topics, handed the phone back, thanked him, and buried herself in her collection of wrong answers again.

But once that window of curiosity in your heart is opened, it's hard to close it again.

A few minutes later, she stood up and walked toward the teachers' office.

"Teacher Liu, I have something urgent to tell you and I need to call home," Chen Jing said obediently.

Given her consistently excellent and sensible nature, her homeroom teacher, Mr. Liu, didn't ask any further questions. He took out a fruit 5 that was well protected by a thick, transparent plastic shell from the drawer and handed it back to her.

This was a New Year's gift her her brother gave her two years ago after he graduated and received his first paycheck.

Chen Jing took her phone, walked to a deserted corner, took a deep breath, and dialed that familiar number.

-----------------

Room 1201, Mingchun Garden, Lin'an.

Chen Bainian was curled up on the sofa, playing with his "Big Brother" phone, when "Jingjing" popped up on his phone screen as a caller ID.

He chuckled and swiped to answer the phone: "Jingjing? Why are you calling at this hour? Didn't you take a lunch break?"

"Brother, did I disturb your work?" The younger sister's voice came through the receiver, tinged with a hint of probing.

"No, I just finished lunch and am walking around to digest. What's up? Why are you calling all of a sudden?"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone before Chen Jing's voice came through again, tentatively asking, "Brother... I heard from a classmate that you're making indie games? Weren't you quite busy at your previous company? How do you have time for this?"

Chen Bainian's heart skipped a beat.

The secret he had carefully guarded since his rebirth was discovered by his sister in this way.

He quickly weighed the options and, considering that his sister was in the crucial period of preparing for the college entrance examination, decided not to hide it anymore to avoid her overthinking.

"Yeah, I resigned before the new year."

He spoke in a relaxed tone, sharing his joy: "The indie game I made is doing quite well now. It earned hundreds of thousands of yuan in just a few days after it went online, which is much better than working a regular job."

I was planning to give you and your parents a surprise when you finished your college entrance exam and came home.

Keep this a secret for me now, don't tell them, so they don't worry.

Hundreds of thousands? Chen Jing was stunned by the number, but she quickly processed the information: her brother quitting his job, independent games, huge income...

Her tone immediately brightened: "Okay, okay! Then remember to pay me hush money!"

"Don't worry, you'll get your share," Chen Bainian said with a smile.

"It's not hard to keep it from Mom and Dad now, they don't use the internet, and news from the village is slow. But brother, you'll have to talk to them properly when the time comes," Chen Jing reminded him again.

"Yes, I know, I'll handle it."

After a brief silence, Chen Jing's voice lowered, carrying a barely perceptible worry: "Brother, are you... hiding something from me?"

"Besides quitting my job to make indie games, that's all I've done," Chen Bainian lied.

He could not speak of his rebirth.

"Well... during the Lunar New Year, you insisted on dragging Mom and Dad to get such a comprehensive physical exam. Mom even secretly asked me later if there was something wrong with your health..."

A few years ago, Sister Chen Rong from the village was the one who first discovered the problem, and only then did she rush to take her parents for a checkup...

Her voice trailed off as she spoke, but the worry in her words was clearly discernible.

Chen Bainian felt a warmth in his heart, but also a touch of bittersweetness.

His sister's keen insight exceeded his expectations.

He paused, then explained in a tone that was as gentle as possible but firm: "Jingjing, don't overthink it. I'm fine, in great health."

I just feel that Mom and Dad are getting old, and you're about to go to college, so I need to support our family more steadily.

I had some free time at home during the Chinese New Year, so I thought I'd take them for a thorough check-up, just to put my mind at ease.

"Look, the test results are all fine, aren't they? Don't worry."

Hearing her brother's calm reply, Chen Jing finally felt relieved.

She whispered a final word of advice: "That's good... Brother, you must take care of yourself while you're out there, eat on time, and don't stay up late."

If you feel stressed... you can talk to me about it. I'm all grown up now, I can listen to you.

"I know, you're such a little devil. You're the one who should stop focusing on studying, remember to rest and balance work and leisure."

"Okay, bro, I'll hang up now."

"it is good."

The call ended, and a busy tone came from the receiver.

Chen Bainian put down his phone and rubbed his "big brother's" fluffy head.

The living room was silent. The daily routine he had tried so hard to maintain since his rebirth still left traces in the eyes of his closest relatives.

The subtle anxiety of being seen through, intertwined with the warmth of being deeply cared for by family, creates a complex yet genuine warmth unique to those who have been reborn.

In this life, everything is just beginning, and home will always be his strongest support and his softest spot.