Compared to previous visits, the place was noticeably busier. In Huaxia, the government encouraged citizens to strengthen their bodies, funding some of these activities—shooting, wrestling, and judo had become nationwide trends. Especially with the revival of Daoist martial arts, even mountains of gold couldn’t buy time with a proper master.
Bang! Bang!
Two hundred meters away, the bullet struck dead center.
With her recent improvement in constitution, Ye Shu’s eyesight had grown sharper than ever. She could now make out even grains of sand several hundred meters off.
She practiced at the range for half a day. The moment she returned to her room, a message from Pang Pangzi appeared:
[Coastline888: Heroine, daily check-in—won’t you join us? Great state-sponsored perks, with a personal shuttle every day, and top martial arts masters supervising every session. Resources go first to us, the Game Survivors.]
[ImYourDad: Do you think I even need that?]
Ye Shu felt a twinge of temptation, but refused him without mercy.
She wasn't about to dance for resources while being watched like some monkey. Besides, her unique ability to bring items out of the game was a secret she dared not expose.
[Coastline888: Ye Heroine, last time in-game I drew the companion-bond wristband. If we bind them, there's a chance we'll end up in the same area when the game starts!]
Pang Pangzi hesitated before the shimmering screen, uncertain whether Ye Shu would accept his offer to "cling to the big shot."
[ImYourDad: Maybe. But only if I know exactly how many people are in your group—then I'll consider it.]
The scariest thing in the game isn’t the difficulty of the dungeons, but the people at your side. Human hearts are unpredictable. Ye Shu had seen too many players betray their teammates for a handful of items. She’d rather walk alone.
To others, comrades might be critical. To her, at best, they were a luxury.
Disposable.
They chatted privately for a while.
Ye Shu noticed something strange about Pang Pangzi’s story of the dungeon "Sweet Home"—it diverged greatly from her own experience.
In other people's games, there was no Lin Qingyue. The two children were tainted and assimilated, not killed. There weren’t a hundred identical pink bunny plushies in the room. The only consistent elements: a creepy nanny, two children—one boy, one girl—named Lin Yue and Lin Xiaobao.
Ye Shu scoured the web for other survivors’ accounts. None mentioned a fake husband in their scenario.
A chill ran down her spine. The game system must have singled her out!
Lin Qingyue was no ordinary NPC, but the mastermind villain of that dungeon.
Immortality was not some backdrop trait for a random bystander.
Why target her specifically? Likely, it had everything to do with her newfound card-based talent.
She searched the game’s forums for rare player abilities—without exception, everyone had elemental powers (the five phases), psychic powers (rare but present), or things like foresight, dreamweaving, teleportation, or machinist tricks. But not a single soul had anything akin to her "rollback" talent.
Death rollback was already overpowered—and it could evolve! Binding it to a host’s mental strength allowed infinite upgrades to any item, and even revived a slain anomaly. If it could be leveled up further, could it resurrect living things outright?
Recognizing the singularity of her talent, Ye Shu felt an ominous weight settle in her chest.
A tree that stands out among the woods is destroyed first.
Drawing too much attention is more curse than blessing.
She couldn’t change this spotlight—so she’d just have to accept it, and fight to survive in the game.
…
Four days blurred past.
On the fifth day, Ye Shu stole an hour to eat at a restaurant near her hotel. After so much training and exhaustion, her body cried for a real meal.
Food just arrived, and she tore into it—greasy lips, biting into a clove of garlic.
Mid-feast, a familiar voice echoed behind her. “Ye Shu, is this how you embarrass the Qin family? Can’t you eat like a civilized person? Your face is nearly buried in the plate."
Qin Zaozao recoiled in disgust at the sight of Ye Shu’s oil-smeared mouth—her contempt unmistakable.
Last time, the girl had dared slap her across the face in public. Humiliating. This time, she intended to return the favor.
Hmph. Ye Shu had claimed not to care about the Qin family, and after leaving the Ye family, she apparently couldn’t even afford a meal.
"Enough, Zaozao, drop it. No matter what else, Ye Shu is your sister. Mind your words."
Qin Zaozao pouted petulantly at the elegant woman beside her. “Mom, I don’t even acknowledge her as my sister.”
"Alright, alright… Ye Shu, I heard you’re playing the survival game, too. Why don’t you come home? You’re still a girl—someone ought to look after you. Wanwan is my daughter, and I’ll treat you both the same. Come back with us after you finish eating."
Ye Wanwan glanced at Ye Shu, face buried in her food, and feigned indifference. “Mom, if you bring my sister home, I have abilities now—I can protect her. She can have my room… It’s no trouble.”
Sensing the stares from surrounding diners, Madam Qin’s eyes flickered with displeasure. She sighed silently—Ye Shu really had no sense. Here she was, defending the girl, and Ye Shu couldn’t even lift her head. If the DNA test hadn’t proved they were 99.9% related, she would have sworn Wanwan was her true child, and Ye Shu some changeling.
Ye Shu kept eating, not deigning to respond.
Madam Qin, face meticulously maintained, frowned. Shadows gathered in her eyes, but she said nothing.
The bystanders couldn’t help but chatter under their breaths.
"Tsk, tsk, what bad manners. Quarreling with family? Her own mother’s come to fetch her, and she won’t even look up. If my kid turned out like that, I’d rather not have had one."
"She’s been eating here half an hour, right? But she can’t spare a word for her mother—poor parents everywhere."
"Someone like her shouldn’t even be allowed to eat! I’ll buy out this entire place and kick her out!"
"Wow, the little sister’s so considerate. Why’s the older one treating her family like that? I can’t watch this anymore."
Ye Shu raised her head, impatience flashing in her eyes. After days of surviving on boxed rice and instant noodles, she’d finally found a rare moment of peace, only for the Qin family to ruin it. And Ye Wanwan, with her syrupy sweet voice, made Ye Shu’s skin crawl.
"Excuse me, are we even close? This is only our second time meeting, but you keep pestering me—what, hoping for sympathy? Trying to mooch a meal, maybe?"
Ye Shu dabbed her mouth elegantly with a napkin, fixing the three women opposite her with a cold stare.
This meal was as good as ruined.
Next time, she’d pick somewhere more discreet—spare herself the headache.
"Sister Ye Shu, do you know what you’re saying? We’re your family. You may hate me, but how can you treat Mom like this? She’s only worried for you."
Ye Wanwan’s delicate face wore mingled disbelief and wounded innocence.
"Get lost—don’t make me slap you!"
Swords, martial tips from Huaxia, endless drills—Ye Shu’s mind was already buzzing. Wanwan’s willingness to beg for it, though, tested the last of her patience.