Chapter 68, Chapter Fifteen: The Fantasy Mansion
A handsome man with exquisite features knelt by the bed, preparing food and toiletries.
It wasn't a virtual projection; his body parts, his eyelashes, his hair, and even the fine hairs on his skin were all realistically visible.
A character that only exists in the virtual world suddenly appeared in the room.
Wen Ting had considered that the purpose of this strange tale might be to stimulate human potential.
In a crisis, someone might hatch a Heart's Egg or summon a Guardian Spirit... But wouldn't it be incompatible for the character of Miyabi Shiro—Wanluo—to appear in the ghost stories of Midorim?
Why is it the Palace White Butterfly?
What is its genus/category?
Sweetheart or Heroic Spirit?
A handsome and refined man helped her dress, and held a basin in both hands to catch her mouthwash.
Wen Ting spat out the water in her mouth, and a soft handkerchief touched the corner of her lips, gently wiping away the water stains.
Oh dear, she must be the sweetheart/baby type.
As Wen Ting sat down to eat, dressed neatly, Gong Baidie stood beside her, sleeves rolled up, chopsticks in hand, serving her food in sync with Wen Ting's pace.
"Alright." Wen Ting scooped up some thick white porridge from her bowl. "Let's talk. What are you?"
The young man smiled at her, "I am the wife's husband."
"Playing dumb?" Wen Ting raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure this isn't a dream. Are you a monster conjured up from a ghost story, or have I been subjected to some kind of illusion?"
Gong Baidie pursed her lips, Wen Ting prepared herself for that beautiful face to split open with a bloody maw at any moment.
The development isn't as exaggerated as some people think. Gong Baidie frowned. "How can my wife convince me that Baidie is truly Baidie?"
His attitude was very friendly. Wen Ting began to explain: "Let's talk about it first. Why did you escape from your phone? Have you always had self-awareness?"
Gong Baidie shook her head, "I became conscious in 25 years ago."
25 years... Wen Ting calculated that she left Wanluo in early 2002.
So, by that calculation, Gong Baidie's consciousness was born in her second year at Green Forest.
Wen Ting breathed a sigh of relief, not only because she didn't speak to Gong Baidie often anymore and he hadn't overheard any nonsense, but also because she was glad he had missed that year—
When she first left Wanluo, she couldn't accept the changes made to her character and uninstalled "Desktop Lovers" for over a year.
A year later, due to the work pressure at Green Forest, she finally downloaded version 2.7 of "Desktop Lovers," which was the last version she participated in.
Two years later, she accepted the game update and has been using the latest version of "Desktop Lovers" ever since.
Quitting and uninstalling games is normal, but if Gong Baidie had any self-awareness, then that year-long break from contact would have been a bit unfair to him.
"As for how I got out of the phone," Gong Baidie smiled, "I don't know either. I just felt that my wife needed someone to take care of her, so I came out."
So idealistic?
Wen Ting hesitated, "Can you go back to the phone? Everyone's on edge right now. If they suddenly see a complete stranger, they might have bad assumptions about you."
“My lady, you need not worry,” Gong Baidie said. “No one else can see me except you.”
This is a common setting in the fantasy genre.
Of course, it's more like a personal illusion.
"If you find it inconvenient, Bai Die can return to the game and come out when you summon her."
“You can touch these physical objects, and you can touch me.” Wen Ting glanced at the tableware in front of her and pondered, “Can I assume that you exist on a physical level, but are invisible to the human eye?”
It's like the sound frequency of a bat, which the human ear cannot detect, but it does exist.
Gong Baidie pondered for a moment and nodded.
I still need to confirm whether she's gone mad: "If you really are Gong Baidie, and not my hallucination, then you can do things that I can't."
"What does 'wife master' refer to?"
"You should know how to do needlework?"
"Female worker?" Gong Bai Die realized that the female worker she was referring to was actually the male worker, and laughed, "Yes, I know a little bit about it."
"Embroider something for me," Wen Ting said. "Make a knot, or weave something... Um, I don't have any materials right now, I'll go out and look for some in a bit."
"It's alright, Bai Die has it ready." Gong Bai Die opened her belt a little, and inside the brocade belt was an embroidery needle.
He plucked three or five strands of hair from his head; the hair, which reached his thighs, was supple and jet black. He took out the handkerchief he had used to wipe Wen Ting's mouth and said to her, "My lady, please have your meal. It will be ready in no time."
Wen Ting frowned. "Why are there needles on your belt? Who added that setting to your belt?"
Gong Baidie learned orthodox martial arts and used gentlemanly weapons, so how could she use hidden weapons?
A seemingly insignificant needle could overturn Gong Baidie's entire character.
She frowned disapprovingly, but after all, the contract had been signed, and Gong Baidie belonged to Wan Luo, so it had nothing to do with her anymore.
Wen Ting was just asking.
“It’s not anyone else,” Gong Baidie said while threading the needle, “It’s because I’m worried that my wife’s clothes might get scratched or bruised when she’s out, so I’m carrying this needle and thread just in case.”
He passed through the eye of the needle, glanced back at Wen Ting, and suddenly smiled, "It was my fault. I broke the rules set by my wife. I should have informed her."
“That’s not what I meant,” she waved her hand. “You’re too kind. This is your body, do whatever makes you comfortable.”
Gong Baidie's smile faded, and she looked at Wen Ting with slight doubt: "This is the wife's body. Her body and hair all come from the wife. How can Baidie touch it without permission?"
That sounds like incest.
"No, don't worry about me. I hope you live a comfortable life."
How can people be so hypocritical?
Gong Baidie lowered her eyelids slightly, and smiled with emotion: "You are so tolerant."
Wen Ting stirred the porridge but didn't eat it; she just watched Gong Baidie embroidering.
He was truly "quick and efficient," delivering the finished product to Wen Ting in just ten minutes.
The black butterfly pattern, about the size of a longan, is incredibly delicate. It gleams with a dark sheen and can be sent out immediately for prototyping to be made into a metal commemorative badge.
Wen Ting could sew on a button or mend a tear, but she certainly didn't have the skill to do that, which initially proved that Gong Baidie was not her hallucination.
"Can I accept it?" she asked.
Gong Baidie readily agreed: "Of course, everything Baidie owns belongs to my mistress."
Perhaps this embroidery is also an illusion; Wen Ting should take it out to others to verify it.
“Bai Die—I’ll consider you my Gong Bai Die. It’s rare for us to meet, and I should have many things to do, but as you can see, I don’t have the energy left in this situation.” Having confirmed his identity, Wen Ting got straight to the point, “We have to get out of here. How much do you know about the current situation?”
"I know a little about what my wife has seen and heard over the years, and I also know about what happened after she entered the world of ghost stories."
“Then let’s compare the information. I have some guesses, but I don’t know if they’re right.” Wen Ting shared her insights. “First, about you. Are you able to appear and exist in reality through the power of supernatural tales?”
Gong Baidie nodded.
"If you leave the world of ghost stories, will you still be here?"
Gong Baidie smiled and said, "Of course, I will not leave my wife. Even if I go outside, I will not be separated from you."
The cause and effect are exactly the opposite; it is because of his presence that this strange tale was able to be created.
Even if Wen Ting breaks the spell to leave, or accidentally dies and exits, he can still haunt her like a ghost, even if he abandons this strange tale.
Wen Ting seemed to be deep in thought.
How to raise a little boy after we leave is another matter; for now, we have to leave.
"Is your existence an exception? Do other people also have game characters accompanying them?"
“I’m afraid no more characters will appear,” Gong Baidie said. “However, there are some people here who can obtain the power of characters.”
Wen Ting was startled: "How did you obtain it?"
Gong Baidie innocently replied, "It's all a matter of fate."
“…The power of a character?” Wen Ting tried to understand. “So, I have the power to make characters manifest?”
Gong Baidie seemed stumped by the question.
He pondered for a moment, then laughed in surprise: "That's not wrong either."
She certainly knows how to pat herself on the back.
But ultimately, without her, he truly could not manifest.
Things are increasingly heading in the direction of selecting superpowered individuals.
Wen Ting pinched her chin. "Then can I manifest some more characters?"
She suddenly felt a chill, looked up, and saw Gong Baidie smiling gently as she asked, "Whom do you wish to manifest?"
"The more cards, the safer. We need at least one damage dealer, and preferably a healer or tank. If there are still slots available, we need a character with farming skills to ensure a food supply." Wen Ting said, then suddenly looked at Gong Baidie, "Are you the third type, a life support/logistics specialist?"
She didn't immediately mention a specific name, and Gong Baidie's smile faded slightly.
He asked, "What kind of woman does my wife hope I am?"
"Logistics is the most important thing at this stage," Wen Ting analyzed. "The current ghost story is too calm. It killed so many people on the first day, and the calm afterward makes me uneasy. I have a feeling that danger will appear soon, and I need to manifest an attack or a shield before that happens."
After she finished speaking, she saw Gong Baidie looking at her thoughtfully.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing." Gong Baidie came back to her senses and hesitated before saying, "I just feel that you are a little different from usual."
They had only just met, and after experiencing such a bizarre and terrifying ordeal, not only did she not suspect that he was the instigator, but she also immediately dumped all her analysis on him, treating him as a trusted confidant.
Wen Ting isn't like this at the company or at home. She should fake a smile and show him concern, and observe him for a few days.
How could she be so naive and trusting, as if... she had complete and utter faith in him?
"Am I different from usual?" Wen Ting thought for a moment, then suddenly realized, "Ah, you're used to how I am at the company, aren't you?"
She smiled, with a hint of indifference, "Others are others, but you are someone I created myself... I'm sorry, wasn't I too hasty? We've only just met, I should have cared for you more. It's just that this place is too unsafe, and your existence is so special. So many characters have died, I'm really afraid that you will also be harmed by the ghost stories."
Was she too eager for quick success?
The appearance of the Palace White Butterfly was a huge breakthrough.
Unlike other characters, she was far too familiar with Gong Baidie, like seeing her own left hand for the first time. She didn't care about pleasantries or formalities, and only thought about putting her to use as soon as possible.
But Gong Baidie didn't seem to think that way; he seemed to need her care.
Wen Ting immediately changed to a concerned expression, "Alright, there's still time, no rush to discuss ghost stories. Is there anything you want to tell me? I'm also very curious about the life experiences of the game characters."
“…No need.” Gong Baidie was amazed by her skill in feigning affection. “My wife is right. The most important thing right now is to find a way to get out.”
Wen Ting was relieved. "Thank you, Bai Die. Thank you for always being so understanding."
Gong Baidie said obediently, "The functions you just mentioned are indeed necessary. Since it is what my wife desires, I will try my best to incorporate them."
"Are you alone?" Wen Ting asked tactfully. "Won't that be too tiring? Is there a way to manifest other characters? Do I need to level up or do any quests?"
One character isn't enough; there's no such thing as a hexagonal warrior. If such a character existed, the cost of activating it would likely be considerable.
Besides, in terms of both funding and technology, Gong Baidie is far inferior to the characters in the Green Forest game. Wen Ting has faith in his logistical support capabilities, but he has little confidence in anything else.
It's more reliable to draw more characters.
Gong Baidie lowered her eyes, "My lady doesn't believe Baidie."
He was very perceptive. Wen Ting frowned and denied it: "No, how could that be?"
“Given the wife’s personality, it’s possible that other characters might appear.” He pursed his lips. “But not now. I’m afraid no other characters will appear in this ghost story.”
"This ghost story?" Wen Ting opened her eyes. "You mean there are many ghost stories, and even after this one ends, there will be another one?"
Perhaps.
Given her cold-blooded nature, he might not be the only one who hates her.
"What will happen in the future is uncertain, but the strange tales will not accumulate, so you can rest assured, my lady."
At least here, he won't allow other characters to share her.
How could Wen Ting possibly be at ease? She sighed and said, "There's more than one ghost story. Isn't there any organization or institution responsible for eradicating them?"
Gong Baidie's eyes changed slightly, and then she heard Wen Ting murmur to herself, "Could it be me?"
Gong Baidie: "What is my wife saying?"
Wen Ting shared her guess with him and said, "Now that I've awakened a special ability, if I clear the supernatural tales, will I be recruited by some official organization and become a specialist in combating supernatural tales in the future?"
Gong Baidie covered her lips with her sleeve, smiling but saying nothing.
Wen Ting also realized that her imagination was running wild. "Okay, I was just thinking offhand. Do you have any information you can give me?"
Gong Baidie lowered her eyes, and after a moment, spoke, "The new director admires the wife, why doesn't the wife rely on him?"
Why?
He wanted to see her reaction up close, but she always kept her distance from the director.
A rich, powerful boss who also favors her—that must be what she likes most, so why doesn't she get closer to him?
If she hadn't been so resistant to Gong Feibai and unable to take good care of herself, he wouldn't have needed to approach her in this manner.
Gong Baidie really disliked this long hair and long robe look, and felt annoyed and disgusted every second.
He was really curious, so he stared at Wen Ting and saw her gaze shift slightly and her brows slowly furrow.
"Hmm, the director..." Her tone and expression were obscure and complicated, leaving Gong Baidie puzzled.
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Author's Note: Lu Qi, who has entered the world of strange tales: What is this, the Dog Fu Rui Theme Hotel?
Wen Ting, who has entered the world of strange tales: What is this, a superpowered person selection competition?
The female lead in the next episode: What is this? What is this?! Help! What is this?!
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