After Five Online Dating Disasters

The ancient-style xianxia game A Sword's Elegy became an instant online sensation when its servers opened. Xie Wanqing, a veteran gamer, jumped right in.

To complete the game's quests, Xie Wanqing found five romantic partners, and every one of them was a weirdo.

The first partner was the worst. He wanted to be his dad and treated him like a son, so they broke up.

Then he dated a sweet younger guy, only to find out the boy had just turned eighteen and was still in high school. He was so startled that he broke it off.

Then came the third relationship. He thought the guy was normal, but it turned out he was an NPC who was always disconnecting. They broke up.

After making such poor choices, Xie Wanqing decided to choose carefully. He picked a cute healer who knew how to act sweet and adorable, only to find out he was a ferocious shrew. He was so absorbed in fighting someone else that he didn't notice Xie Wanqing. When Xie tried to break up the fight, the guy sent him flying a full kilometer away. They broke up.

Finally came his fifth relationship. This one wasn't weird at all. He was practically the man of Xie Wanqing's dreams, with all the best qualities of the previous four partners! But why was he looking more and more familiar? Was he perhaps his awful boss?

Shen Fengli had been secretly in love for years and had finally gotten his wish. He and Xie Wanqing were blissfully in love.

But as their relationship grew closer, Shen Fengli wanted more. He began dropping hints in the game, hoping they could take the next step and become a couple in real life. Xie Wanqing rejected him without mercy.

After being rejected over and over, Shen Fengli finally couldn't help asking, "What kind of person do you even like?"

Xie Wanqing's message pinged on WeChat: [Boss, open the door.]

Shen Fengli opened the door.

Beneath the soft moonlight, someone came walking toward him.

Xie Wanqing stood outside with red roses in his arms, as graceful as a breeze through the pines.

Shen Fengli froze. "What are you doing here?"

Xie Wanqing smiled brightly. "Didn't you ask what kind of person I like? Someone like you."

"My dear boss, and my online sweetheart with a hundred different personas."

Reading guide:

1. Xie Wanqing is the shou, Shen Fengli is the gong.

2. This is my take on an online game, with loads of made-up details. Don't take it seriously, everyone! And please don't associate it with any real online games.

3. The shou isn't a jerk. They broke up for a reason. At heart, this is about two people falling in love and gradually learning to get along.

4. Sweet and satisfying story, with the gong pursuing the shou.

5. Please add it to your favorites as a show of support. I'm begging you!

6. No real-life inspiration. Neither the game nor the characters are based on anything real.

Core message: I love the passionate soul beneath all your ever-changing personas.