Simply... unbearable to look at

On the other side.

"Let's talk business—no snooping around." Guardian Jiang subtly closed the photo he had treasured for so long.

There’s a saying: A man remains a boy at heart until the day he dies.

So, is there anything wrong with a boy liking girls?

No, nothing at all.

But now wasn’t the time to discuss such academic questions.

He cleared his throat, his expression turning serious again. "Back to the main topic—we’ve drafted a preliminary response plan regarding the possibility of Descenders targeting the Martial Exam’s Source Realm."

Su Qi looked up, waiting for him to continue.

"This year’s Martial Exam will be under the highest level of defense," Guardian Jiang said gravely. "Not just the exam venue itself—the entire city of Jiangxia will be on high alert."

"We’ll deploy multiple layers of sensory barriers, covering the entire city. The areas around the exam site, in particular, will have spatial anchors reinforced to prevent any unknown spatial fluctuations."

"The military and the awakened forces will be fully mobilized, including the reserves, for 24/7 patrols and surveillance."

"But defense level doesn’t equate to defense strength. Since we have to account for the whole of Jiangxia, the Martial Exam site will actually be far less guarded than in previous years."

Guardian Jiang paused, looking at Su Qi. "But that’s not enough. These are just conventional measures—they’re purely defensive."

"If the Descenders truly find a way to infiltrate, or use methods we don’t understand to cause trouble, we need stronger offensive and contingency measures."

"Your ability is unique."

"That’s why we need you for this operation," Guardian Jiang said bluntly. "You’ll be assigned as a Martial Exam proctor, serving as a ‘countermeasure point.’"

"Specific mission details will be explained to you by a specialist before the operation begins."

"The final plan hasn’t been settled yet. I expect we’ll still be playing a game of strategy with the Descenders’ movements. What you need to do is stay in peak condition and be ready to handle any unexpected situations at a moment’s notice."

As he listened, Su Qi’s fingers unconsciously tapped the table.

Guardian Jiang’s words painted a grim picture.

The entire city on high alert. The military and awakened forces fully mobilized.

This scale of preparation far exceeded his expectations.

"I understand," Su Qi replied. "I’ll cooperate."

Guardian Jiang’s tone softened slightly. "Of course, you don’t need to worry about safety. We’ll equip you with the best protective measures, and top-tier experts will be nearby to support you. But if a real threat emerges, we’ll need you to hold the enemy off until I can reinforce you."

Su Qi nodded, saying nothing more.

The pressure had silently intensified.

A suffocating sensation, like a python coiling around him, rose in Su Qi’s chest.

For some reason, he felt an inexplicable sense of unease.

But it didn’t seem directly related to the Descenders…

It was as if, in some unseen corner, something terrifying was unfolding.

"Why do I suddenly have this ominous premonition…?"

Guardian Jiang stood up, walked around the desk, and patted Su Qi’s shoulder. "Don’t say such discouraging things. The Descenders have been making noise for years—they’re nothing but a bunch of filthy rats."

"We’ll win."

……

Liu Yuan’s heart skipped a beat as she stared at the dozens of folders that had inexplicably appeared on the screen.

Most of the folder names were written in characters she couldn’t decipher—some kind of encryption, or perhaps… symbols from a culture she didn’t recognize?

A few folders, however, bore names in Great Xia script that she could read.

"Chocolate & Vanilla?"

"A Thousand Loves, Ten Thousand Blossoms?"

"9-nine?"

These names sounded… odd.

Nothing like the things her brother usually engaged with.

Burning with curiosity, Liu Yuan carefully moved the cursor and double-clicked the folder labeled "Chocolate & Vanilla?"

The contents inside felt unfamiliar.

An ".exe" file with a peculiar icon, alongside several subfolders named "data," "image," and "sound."

Unfamiliar with computers, she clicked around aimlessly before finally landing on the executable file with the catgirl avatar.

The screen flickered, and a cheerful tune played as a vibrant opening animation popped up.

Several girls dressed in… maid outfits? With cat ears and tails?—appeared in the center of the screen, blinking their large, innocent eyes at her while letting out soft, coquettish "Nya~" sounds.

Liu Yuan: "……"

A flush slowly crept up her cheeks.

This… this was definitely not "study material" in any proper sense!

It was clearly… that kind of… romance simulation game aimed at boys!

Her brother… Su Qi…

Had actually hidden something like this on his computer?

And even disguised it inside a folder labeled "Study Materials"?!

A wave of heat rushed to her face—Liu Yuan felt like her cheeks were hot enough to fry a plate of scrambled eggs with tomatoes.

Panicked, she fumbled with the mouse, trying to close the window that had sent her heart racing.

The cheerful music cut off abruptly.

The world seemed to fall silent in an instant.

No… she couldn’t judge based on just one folder.

What if… what if this was the only strange one?

Driven by a sliver of hope—or perhaps an even stronger urge to investigate—Liu Yuan clicked open another folder.

[A Thousand Loves, Ten Thousand Blossoms]

She opened it, ran the file.

This time, the visuals were softer—a traditional Japanese-style backdrop, shrine maidens, falling cherry blossoms.

It looked… more normal?

No cat ears, no tails, and the expressions were far more… ordinary?

Liu Yuan let out a small sigh of relief.

She clicked the screen, skipping what seemed to be the opening sequence, and reached the main menu.

The background showed a shrine courtyard, cherry petals drifting lazily.

Options like "Start Game," "Load Save," and "Settings" were displayed.

Hesitating, Liu Yuan didn’t click "Start Game."

Instead, she simply watched the screen, listening to the soothing music.

This game seemed to tell a story set in a rural Japanese town?

With… supernatural elements?

It felt… deeper than the catgirl game from earlier… right?

She clicked "Load Save."

The first image that greeted her:

[I’m still most interested in Murasame]

[I’m still most interested in Mako]

[I’m still most interested in Koharu]

Liu Yuan stared at the options on the screen, momentarily at a loss.

She could picture her brother sitting in front of the computer, earnestly making choices for these virtual girls…

The thought filled her with an indescribable mix of embarrassment and… a faint, inexplicable jealousy.

Exiting the save menu, her eyes landed on an option labeled "CG Gallery."

Acting on an uncontrollable curiosity, her finger moved as if guided by some unseen force—and clicked.

The screen instantly filled with thumbnails.

Most were beautifully illustrated character portraits and scenery from the game.

But a few of them…

Like…

Or…

She couldn’t even bring herself to describe them properly!

The most outrageous was the one dressed in a ninja outfit...

The pose, the expression, and that kind of storyline...

It was... downright unspeakable!

The room was silent except for the sound of her younger sister's slightly ragged breathing.

Her cheeks burned, her ears flushed crimson.

Covering her scorching face, she felt like a lobster boiled alive.

No.

She couldn’t keep watching.

If she kept going, she didn’t know what she’d start thinking about her brother.

But...

Her fingers curled involuntarily.

That folder labeled "9-nine-"... what could be inside?

More games like this?

Or... something else entirely?