My Online Game Partner Turned Out to Be...

● / Anthology / Sweet Online Romance / Keyboard MMORPG

● [Story One: My online sweetheart, missing for years, turns out to be my college classmate!]

○ [Server: Mending a Broken Relationship]

Three years ago, Lu Nian'an and his online sweetheart teamed up in a game to keep each other company through the lowest point in their lives. They nearly met in person, then the other person suddenly vanished without a word.

Three years later, Lu Nian'an meets someone at college who looks a lot like his online sweetheart.

That person is the eldest son of the Gu family, a notorious playboy surrounded by admirers.

And Lu Nian'an is just a pitiful soul whose family has fallen apart and who struggles to make ends meet every day.

Lu Nian'an knows they will never have anything to do with each other again. He quietly deletes his old account, hides everything from the past, and continues to keep their lives on two parallel tracks.

But...

In the game, Lu Nian'an suddenly gets a yearlong commission. The more he looks at the client, the more they resemble his online sweetheart who disappeared years ago.

At school, Lu Nian'an keeps spotting Gu Zhi in his elective class.

At a bar, drunk Gu Zhi clings to Lu Nian'an, calling him "Little Rice Cake" in a coquettish voice and refusing to let go.

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Gu Zhi has a white moonlight in his heart, someone who personally pulled him out of the mud and took root deep inside him.

At a game meetup in the same city, while Gu Zhi is away, someone sitting beside Lu Nian'an smiles and brings it up.

"Do you know why his ID is Cheese? I heard that person's ID is Rice Cake. Cheese rice cakes are that person's favorite food."

Lu Nian'an eats the food Gu Zhi put in his bowl and ignores him.

The other person smugly thinks they've achieved their goal.

Before long, Gu Zhi returns carrying a plate of cheese rice cakes and sets it in front of Lu Nian'an himself.

"Try these. I bought them especially for you. They're your favorite."

[First loves for both] [Puppy-like top, devoted to his wife; the playboy act is fake] [The top had a reason for disappearing three years ago; everyone speaks their mind, the secret is revealed quickly, and misunderstandings are cleared up fast]

● [Story Two: My online sweetheart turns out to be my archenemy!]

○ [Server: Rivalry]

Archenemies become lovers

● [Story Three: My online sweetheart turns out to be my teacher!]

○ [Server: A Teacher's Good Name]

Game mentor and disciple + real-life tutor (senior student) x student

● [Story Four: My online sweetheart turns out to be the straight senior who's had a crush on me for years!]

○ [Server: Love at First Sight]

One-sided love becomes mutual

● [Story Five: My online sweetheart turns out to be my childhood friend!]

○ [Server: Childhood Friends]

Childhood friend x childhood friend

I'll write more when I think of them, and later fill in the detailed blurbs for each story.

1. The game is a fictional keyboard MMORPG, Xianxia Online. I took inspiration from some games, and the names of the sects were inspired by a few wuxia novels, QAQ. Don't overthink it. Even if you haven't played this kind of game, you'll be able to follow along! It's mostly character interactions, with little technical game content.

2. I love this trope, and couldn't find anything to read, so I made my own. I hope you'll support the official release, qvq. Give this chef a bite to eat.

3. If there's a trope or pairing dynamic you'd like to see, feel free to tell me in the comments. If I get inspired, I'll consider writing it, w.

4. Check the pinned comment for the update schedule. I might take a short break after finishing each story!

● The completed story of the same type, My Online Sweetheart of Three Years Is Back, is ready to read. Here's the blurb. Click the author's profile in the upper-right corner, then look under completed works!

Three years ago, Jiang Huai teamed up with a cheap in-game sweetheart for a Qixi Festival quest. He planned to finish the achievement and then end their purely transactional relationship.

Who knew the kid had secretly saved up for ages, setting off 999 fireworks for him on May 20, then asking in front of the Matchmaker Temple if they should turn their pretend relationship into a real one?

Jiang Huai was startled and ran away.

He stayed gone for three years.

Three years later, Jiang Huai figured it was all in the past and their feelings had probably faded. Maybe the other person had even quit the game. So he quietly snuck back.

Instead, he was caught red-handed.

Green Mountain in My Arms: You're finally back.

[Player "Green Mountain in My Arms" set off 999 fireworks for player "Juan'er," proclaiming to the world that their love is strong and eternal]

Jiang Huai: ???

-

After returning to the country, Jiang Huai is asked by a former classmate to fill in as a teacher. There he meets a student a head taller than him, who also keeps getting handsy.

Gu Qingshan: Teacher, can I come to your place for tutoring after class?

Jiang Huai: Why would you come to my place... Wait, why does this elective class have after-school tutoring?

Gu Qingshan: owo

Later, Jiang Huai finds screenshots on the other person's phone of him and his in-game sweetheart together.

This isn't a teacher-student romance, 0.0. Younger top x teaching assistant and senior student bottom. The bottom studies art and is an illustrator. The other guy calls him "Teacher" as a little roleplay thing (not really).

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Theme: Love life