Chapter 38
The video call was left on, and Jiang Shangwan simply took a quick shower. She half-leaned against the headboard of the bed, lazily watching Shi Yu’s actions, which were constantly moving back and forth.
When he worked, his movements were efficient, much like his personality. In no time, the large room was tidied up, and the newly changed silk sheets and blankets were carefully smoothed out by him.
In the camera, he appeared as a small figure within the frame, but there was nothing unattractive about him. His back remained long and straight like a bamboo shoot. Jiang Shangwan watched him for a long time without feeling bored.
It seemed like she had found a toy that really appealed to her.
After finishing the cleaning, Shi Yu sat back in front of the camera. He slightly nodded and adjusted the camera to face himself. “Are you going to be busy later?”
“Mm.” Jiang Shangwan gave a satisfied look after indulging herself, her expression carrying a charming demeanor. “I have a dinner meeting tonight, so I might be back late. Don’t wait for me, go to bed early. I have to meet with a client tomorrow morning to discuss cooperation details.”
“Alright.” Shi Yu said, “Don’t bring another man back with you.”
“I won’t. You—” Jiang Shangwan sighed, “You’re such a jealous little puppy.”
Shi Yu gazed at her with his dark pupils. Though deep, his gaze was clear, and he said again, “Tianwan is preparing to launch a new game, expected to enter public testing at the end of the month. This is a female-oriented dating simulation game.”
“What? A dating game?” Jiang Shangwan had known about his plans for a new game a long time ago, but the concept wasn’t clear back then, and she had only seen some rough design models in some documents.
She asked, puzzled, “The otome games that are popular in the country right now are pretty mature, and they’re all based on similar card collection and upgrading mechanics. Even with 3D elements and combat features, it’s nothing new. A few well-known titles have already taken up most of the market, and it’s hard for regular female-oriented games to capture players’ attention anymore.”
“Yes, but what if our simulation game isn’t just about card upgrades and combat? We’ve created a complete growth system. Do you remember those old web-based growth games from when we were young? Players could choose their character’s background, birth circumstances, outfits, and even plan out their education and activities.”
“I remember. You could train characters through different growth plans, and in the end, you’d reach one of several preset endings. Of course, the process was still somewhat fun, and it let players immerse themselves in the experience of controlling a character.”
“Yes.” Shi Yu nodded and continued, “We’ve built a similar growth system, but our preset system is much more comprehensive. It’s different from the fixed romantic NPCs in games on the market right now. Our characters aren’t the players themselves, instead, they are the romantic partners the players want to create. The details, like height, weight, facial features, and even hair color, will all be set by the player.”
“Anything else? A large portion of the revenue from current female-oriented games comes from in-game purchases, like card draws with sensitive storylines to attract players, or boosting the attributes of character cards, etc…”
“We don’t use a card system.” Shi Yu’s clear voice continued, “We want to create a truly immersive dating game, and we’re abandoning the card-based approach. We want the characters to feel more alive. We’ll have many interactive storylines with the characters. For example, Option A: Push him down. Option B: Gently gaze at him. Different choices will lead to different results, shaping the character’s growth.”
“As for in-game purchases,” he paused slightly, “players can freely choose whether to enroll their romantic partner in certain courses to increase their appearance points, intelligence points, even their sense of responsibility and loyalty, etc. They can also decorate their partner’s home and dress them in limited edition outfits…”
“I see,” Jiang Shangwan smiled. “It’s a great idea, completely letting players create their idealized romantic partner. It’s definitely different from the current popular games. But this time, the content is much more expansive than last time’s wishful thinking. Do you think the company can handle it?”
“We’ve already started moving servers overnight,” Shi Yu replied.
“Pfft.”
“And…” Shi Yu’s voice lowered. “We’ve set up an age system and a marriage system. After players reach a certain growth stage, they can achieve a free marriage through in-game purchases, even have painless childbirth, all without legal restrictions.”
“Wow.” Jiang Shangwan’s eyes lit up. “Who came up with this? You must have a team working on the concept design.”
“This idea was mine.”
“You came up with it?” Jiang Shangwan couldn’t believe it. She rested her chin on her hand and laughed, “You’re still a kid, and you thought that far ahead?”
Shi Yu made a low hum in response, but silently thought to himself—
He wasn’t that young anymore. In less than a year, he’d reach the legal age for marriage.
“This is really interesting. Being able to incorporate so many elements into a female-oriented game is truly refreshing. There are more games aimed at men on the market, but in reality, women are the main source of consumption.”
“We’re opening up 10,000 public testing slots first to see how the response is. If it’s good, we’ll push for a quicker launch.”
“Alright.” Jiang Shangwan thought about the business card she’d specifically gotten for him today. “I ran into Wang Yi today, the second son of Hongwang Technology. Do you remember him? We met at the investment conference.”
“I remember.”
How could he not? That man had practically glued his eyes to her the whole time.
Jiang Shangwan pulled out a thin business card and showed it to him. “Later, I’ll take a photo and send you his contact information. We can’t take photos during the video call, but you can add him on WeChat and get to know him. His family is a leader in the gaming industry. If there’s any inside news or policy changes, he’s sure to know first, which could be helpful for you later.”
Shi Yu’s Adam’s apple moved slightly, and he hesitated for a moment before reluctantly agreeing, “Okay.”
But he hadn’t actually planned on adding his potential rival.
“It’s almost time. I need to get ready and go out.” Jiang Shangwan slowly leaned closer to the screen, her two fingers brushing over her bright red lips as she sent him a soft kiss. “Good boy, I’ll reward you when I get back.”
“A reward? What kind of reward?” he asked.
“What do you want?”
His calm gaze turned dark and damp, his eyes losing their clarity as a shadow of black spread across them. Shi Yu replied, “…I want Wanwan to sit on my face.”
“Bad little dog,” Jiang Shangwan elongated her tone, her voice dripping with flirtation. “You’ll have to wait and see how I’m feeling when I get back.”
—
For the next few days, Jiang Shangwan’s schedule was packed, and she only occasionally sent messages or made calls to Shi Yu when she had a moment to spare.
Shi Yu made sure to update her every day, reporting on his activities—whether he was working overtime at the company, submitting revised reports at school, or spending the night alone in the vast villa, hugging the clothes she had worn, which still carried her scent, as he fell asleep.
He sent photos of everything, big and small, and Jiang Shangwan looked at them all, though she didn’t always reply right away when she was busy.
Shi Yu, however, kept sending them, as if certain she would see them.
Half a month passed, and the business trip was nearing its end. But just before leaving, Jiang Shangwan received a call for help from Qiao Yuqing. She sounded furious and anxious as she said, “Shangwan, I’ve been caught.”
“Caught? What do you mean?”
“A while ago, I got tired of things and broke up with Ji Zhao. I started seeing the male lead of an ancient drama I signed on for. After he found out, you know what he threatened me with?” Qiao Yuqing’s voice trembled. “He secretly took intimate photos of us together when I was drunk and asleep, and now he’s threatening me that I can’t date anyone else. He wants me to get back with him, or he’ll leak the photos to the paparazzi.”
“Is he crazy?” Jiang Shangwan frowned. “He’s a public figure, and you’re just a financial backer. He’s got so many fans, and he’s willing to ruin his own career over this?”
“It’s not just the photos and videos of us together,” Qiao Yuqing’s voice shook. “There are even personal ones of me. What should I do? His personality is always so crazy, and last time we drank together, I could tell he was getting possessive. He kept implying that I should help him get the lead role in another project.”
“Calm down first,” Jiang Shangwan said, rubbing her forehead. Things just kept piling up. She tried to comfort her patiently, “If he exposes those photos, you could easily shut him down. You won’t let him get away with it. For him, it’s not worth it, it’s a case of hurting himself while trying to hurt you. The real issue is his method of intimidation. He’s probably desperate because he saw you with someone else and wants to scare you.”
“I really didn’t expect him to be that despicable. This industry is all about having fun, getting what you need, I’ve never treated him badly. Why can’t we just part ways amicably? This is the first time something like this has happened. If my family finds out, I’m finished.”
“As you said, it was just for fun, so how can you expect much from their character?” Jiang Shangwan replied. “Did he ask you for anything else?”
“He wants me to help him get a permanent spot on a new variety show and land movie roles. He wants to make it onto the big screen.”
“Do you still want to continue with him?”
“I’m so over it.” Qiao Yuqing said, “I already told him I wanted to break up… I’ve done everything I needed to, there’s no excitement left.”
Jiang Shangwan paused for a moment before responding, “Then don’t bother with him. Trust me, he won’t dare expose anything. The risk of ruining his career is too high.”
“What should I say to him?” Qiao Yuqing asked anxiously. “I’m scared those photos will leak. Do you really think he won’t expose them?”
“He won’t. You don’t need to say anything to him. Just reject him. If he dares, let him, but he won’t. Since he’s still asking you about filming conditions, he absolutely won’t risk ruining everything. Only someone who has nothing left would make a destructive move. He’s not like that. He wants too much.”
Jiang Shangwan hung up the phone.
She pondered Qiao Yuqing’s words, “I’ve done everything I needed to, there’s no excitement left.” But why did she feel that, as time passed, Shi Yu’s attraction to her was growing stronger?
A thought crossed her mind, and she sent him a message: 【Do you want to film an intimate video of us together?】
Shi Yu: 【?】
Shi Yu: 【Why are you asking this all of a sudden?】
Jiang Shangwan quickly typed, not sure what kind of response she was hoping for: 【Just asking if you want to film it.】
Shi Yu: 【If you want to film it, then we will.】
A small sense of unease rose in her chest. Jiang Shangwan tightened her grip on the phone, unsure of the feeling. Qiao Yuqing’s painful experience was still fresh in her mind, and she felt an inexplicable fear at this reply.
It was the fear from a woman’s physiological vulnerability.
If the video were to be exposed, the man might still live normally, but the woman would have to carry the weight of slander for a lifetime.
…Is this really how men are?
But then, another message appeared on her screen, shaking her heart that was already unstable—not with fear, but with a flutter of excitement and a quickened heartbeat.
Shi Yu: 【Use your phone to film me. If you miss me, you can watch it anytime. Don’t use mine, I can’t let you keep such personal privacy.】
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