"Am I… dead?"
Su Ming'an's heart was still pounding, the powerless sensation of death lingering in his body. He found himself floating in a void.
"Just now, I heard a voice… 'Game Start'?" Su Ming'an muttered to himself. "What game?"
It was clear that the moment he stepped out of the cafe, he had been dragged from reality into some kind of game.
He doesn't know the purpose of this game yet, but the win condition seemed obvious—either survive Shen Xue's attack, or kill her first. At the very least, he needed to stay alive.
By all logic, he should already be dead. Yet now, two screens appeared before his eyes:
—One showed him standing on the roadside in the afternoon, labeled:
[Save Point 1: Roadside – Afternoon]
—The other showed a dimly lit room at night, labeled:
[Save Point 2: Room – Evening]
Su Ming'an tried tapping [Save Point 2: Room – Evening].
...
He opened his eyes.
His vision is slightly blurry. Shen Xue is smiling at him, holding a piece of osmanthus cake in her hand. This was half an hour ago when he was still in her room.
It seems he had gained the ability to reload a save after death. By selecting a save slot, he is able to go back in time.
He didn't know why it came to this, but he had to stay alive if he wanted to uncover the truth; he needed to escape from this girl who could kill him at any moment.
"Game?" Su Ming'an accepted the snack and then whispered tentatively.
A system notification sounded:
[Tip 01: You are currently in the World Game: Tutorial Level.]
[Tip 02: Current Objective: Survive.]
[Tip 03: Seek clues and change your actions to unlock different story endings!]
[Tip 04: Currently achievable endings:
HE (Happy Ending): Angel's Heart
TE (True Ending): Her Disappearance
NE (Normal Ending): Dual-Hearted One]
…
As expected, this really was a game.
According to the notifications, this was the 'tutorial level'. After this is probably the 'One Billion Humans World Game Opening Ceremony', which might explain the rules and how he got selected for this game.
"Try the snack, come on—ah~" Shen Xue smiled sweetly.
But as Su Ming'an looked at her, a text overlay appeared in his vision:
[Clue 1 Acquired: Strange Bulge]
[Strange Bulge: I noticed the hem of the girl's skirt looks unusually puffed… What could be hidden there? I'm curious.]
[Dungeon Clearance Progress: 10%]
[Clue has been recorded. You can review it at any time.]
A 'Clues' tab appeared at the bottom right of his vision. It was opened by focusing his mind on it.
He set the pastry down.
"I need to use the bathroom," he said.
Firstly, Shen Xue clearly hid some type of sedative spray in her puffy skirt. Secondly, her relative Liu Anna is still in the kitchen. He is on an 'away field disadvantage'. He needed a private space, out of their line of sight.
He stood up, and while passing the coat rack, noticed a white lab coat with a name badge:
[Clue 2 Acquired: Liu Anna – Deputy Director, Xiaoshu Academy of Sciences]
[(Name Badge): 'Chief Surgeon of the Dual-Heart Procedure – Liu Anna']
[Dungeon Clearance Progress: 20%]
Then, he suddenly smelled something strange creeping up his nose...
[Clue 3 Acquired: Formalin]
[(Formalin): Why does Shen Xue's home smell like formalin...? Does she use it in her cooking...?]
[Formalin Definition: A 35%-45% formaldehyde solution, colorless and corrosive. Has many uses, including the preservation of corpses.]
[Dungeon Clearance Progress: 30%]
Su Ming'an quickly entered the bathroom and locked the door. Shen Xue's home was on the second floor. He can probably survive a fall without serious injuries if he jumped from the window.
As he stepped onto the tiled ledge and grabbed the windowsill, he noticed that one of the tiles sounded hollow beneath his foot.
A hidden compartment?
He got back down and lifted the tile. Beneath it was a stash: a toolbox with surgical instruments, anesthetics, and… a medical report.
[Xiaoshu First People's Hospital]
[Patient Shen Xue has undergone intermittent treatment at our hospital. Despite our best efforts, her condition has worsened.]
[...]
[She has voluntarily waived chemotherapy and signed discharge papers.]
[Patient Signature: Shen Xue]
Su Ming'an's hand trembled as he held this thin piece of paper.
So that's it…
After she got to the later stages of some terminal illness, Shen Xue asked her relative, Liu Anna, Chief Surgeon of the Dual-Heart Procedure, to use his heart for transplant. All so that she could prolong her life.
So that's why he died before.
Even though the Dual-Heart Procedure sounded scientifically impossible, people on death's door will cling to any hope to try and survive.
She wanted to kill him, to use his living, beating heart to sustain her remaining life.
He stared at the paper, then the familiar incense smell returned without warning.
He knew now, without a doubt: Shen Xue meant to kill him.
His vision dimmed. His breathing quickened...
And before he lost consciousness, he saw the bathroom door open—
Shen Xue stood near the door with a blank expression, and behind her was Liu Anna, holding a scalpel.
"Shen Xue, this is going to be a private surgical operation. We are missing a lot of equipment, so pre-op screening will be weak."
"Time's tight, and we need to clean up a body afterwards. He's already knocked out, just hurry…"
…
After who knows how long, the scalpel eventually pierced through his chest. Blood filled his vision as his life ended.
…
[You are dead.]
…
Under the afternoon sun, beams of light were scattered through the foliage of the trees.
A young, casually dressed college student stood beside the road. The phone in his hand glowed dimly.
[Shen Xue: Su Ming'an, don't be late for my birthday party tonight!]
Swoosh!
A car sped past, drenching him in dirty water.
"Motherf**ker! You trying to die going that fast?!" the passerby who also got drenched shouted angrily.
Su Ming'an let go of the breath he hadn't realized he was holding. At last, cool air filled his lungs.
After dying again, he chose the other save point: [Save Point 1: Roadside – Afternoon], which returned him to when he was waiting for a taxi.
His hand grazed over his waist, fingers landing precisely over the dagger's hilt.
He quickly hailed a taxi and then arrived home. On the way, he messaged a few classmates about the birthday party, but none of them seemed to know anything about it.
"Bro, you sure you're okay? Did you stay up too late?" His friend Bo Long joked,
"Told you to lay off the late-night takeout and the black and orange website…"
"I haven't watched anything." Su Ming'an replied flatly.
He hadn't been especially close with his high school classmates, which was why it took him a while to realize he was the only one Shen Xue had invited.
His thoughts drifted back to the living room encounter.
Her pale skin, flushed cheeks, and the scalpel that plunged into his chest…
"Do I have a character panel?" he asked aloud.
A blue screen popped up.
[Player Info]
Name: Su Ming'an
ID: BE3030
Level: Tier 1-1 (Initial Level)
Honors: None
Achievements: None
Class: Not yet obtained
Skills: None
HP: 500 (Reference only, not a fixed value)
Mana: 100 + 10×4 (Regen: 5 per minute) (Required for casting 'spell-type' skills)
Vitality: 5 (Affects HP, endurance, and carry weight)
Strength: 4 (Affects physical power and attack damage)
Agility: 5 (Affects movement speed, evasion, and attack speed)
Spirit: 9 (Affects concentration, mana, spell strength, and resistance to mental attacks)
Charm: A (Affects NPC affection and social interactions)
Luck: E (Affects difficulty of triggering events and puzzles)
(Note: These are innate stats. The average value for a person is 5. Stats can be improved through training or purchased using points.)
Points: 0 (Can be spent after clearing the tutorial level.)
Combat Power Rating: 50 (Rough indicator based on current performance. Global rankings will open after the first world ends.)
…
Ding-dong!
His phone buzzed again.
It had already gone off several times, but he had ignored it until now. He picked it up from the couch.
The first thing he saw was Shen Xue's messages—one after another, relentless, like the tolling of funeral bells.
…
[Shen Xue: Why aren't you replying?]
[Shen Xue: ...Aren't you coming to my birthday party? I made your favorite tea and snacks.]
[Shen Xue: ...Why aren't you coming? Did I do something wrong?]
[Shen Xue: …]
…
[Shen Xue: Open the door. I'm here.]
…
Ding-dong, ding-dong, ding-dong~
The doorbell chimed in a playful tune.
Su Ming'an's gaze instantly snapped toward the door.
On the monitor, a girl in a floral dress, black hair cascading, stood with one hand behind her back, the tip of a spray bottle peeking out.
"Open up, big bro Ming'an." Her tone was cold.
Su Ming'an stood up immediately, pulled open a drawer beside the sofa, took out a bottle of transparent liquid, and mixed it into the teapot on the table.
He had a 'little hobby' of collecting things at home.
Once he was done, he opened the door.
Outside stood the girl with flowing black hair, strikingly graceful and beautiful.
"You made me wait so long~" Shen Xue said playfully, half-pouting.
"Come in." Su Ming'an made sure she was alone.
He guided her to the sofa and served her the tea and some traditional rice cakes.
He quietly watched her eat.
Shen Xue suddenly felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine.
She began to choke slightly and put down the snack.
"Big bro Ming'an... Why are you looking at me like that…?"
"It's nothing," Su Ming'an replied.
Then he swiftly drew the dagger from his waist and, with a sharp move, pinned her down.
"Big bro Ming'an...!" Shen Xue panicked. She reached for the spray but found her strength failing.
"Where's the other one from your house?" Su Ming'an asked.
"What are you talking about… big bro Ming'an, let me go…" Shen Xue forced a smile.
"So, the other one didn't come," Su Ming'an checked the front door monitor. No one else was there.
"Big bro Ming'an, I've been meaning to tell you something…" Catching her breath, Shen Xue gazed at her beloved, ignoring the dagger pressed before her. Her heart pounded, and a blush slowly spread across her cheeks.
"I like—"
Shhk!
A deep red gash tore open across her throat.
[HP -200! (Lethal Damage!)]
[You killed Shen Xue (Human). Exp +20]
"If you want to be with a corpse," Su Ming'an said coldly, "then become one first."
He wiped the dagger clean on her face.
Had he hesitated, she would've acted first, knocking him out with the spray and cutting out his heart.
Now that he knew this was a game, there would be no mercy.
The light from Shen Xue's eyes gradually faded.
Su Ming'an stared at her corpse.
There were no tears in her eyes—only a serene calmness, like the vast open plains and sweeping winds on a grassy meadow. A soft shadow draped her hair, with sunlight falling delicately across her face. She looked just like any other pretty, youthful student.
Why did she make that choice?
To kill him. To take his living heart and use it to extend her dying life. So she can carry his heart with her… and go see the ocean that she longed for?
…Is that what she believed to be a 'free and independent life'?
…Is that the 'fulfilling and passionate adventure' she had wished for?
Then would his beating heart, buried in her chest, be beating for her so-called 'love', or for her bright and radiant future?
…
Knock knock!
A knock sounded at the door. Liu Anna stood outside.
"Shen Xue? Shen Xue, are you in there?" Her voice carried a trace of anxiety as she continued knocking on the door.
Su Ming'an knew that this was the surgeon who worked with Shen Xue.
He looked down at Shen Xue's corpse, then used the hilt of his dagger to nudge the spray bottle out from beneath her skirt. Picking it up, he walked toward the door.
"Shen Xue? Say something!" Liu Anna's voice grew panicked at the silence. Her hand reached behind her for a weapon.
Bang! The door suddenly burst open.
Su Ming'an rushed out, covering his nose, and pressed down on the spray bottle.
Liu Anna, caught off guard, crumpled and collapsed on the spot. The phone in her hand clattered to the floor.
He dropped the spray.
…What a meaningless farce.
But at least, he survived. He had kept his heart safe from them.
At his feet, Liu Anna's phone glowed. He picked it up.
The phone was unlocked, opened to a conversation with Shen Xue. The last text message had just been sent 10 minutes ago:
[Shen Xue (15:56): Big sis Anna, after transplanting my heart into him, make sure to clean up the blood and get him home safely. Don't let him get suspected.]
[Liu Anna (15:57): I understand.]
"…"
Su Ming'an froze.
He turned to look at the girl. It was as if she were only taking a nap on the couch… He saw the strands of white that were once carefully hidden in her hair.
He scrolled upward in their chat—
The first message related to this was from a week ago:
[Shen Xue: Big sis Anna, I want to give up treatment. The doctor said… I only have about a month left to live.]
[Liu Anna: I respect all your decisions, child.]
[Shen Xue: Big sis Anna, the 'dual-heart transplant' you're researching… is it real?]
[Liu Anna: Although the public may see the concept as ridiculous, I believe it's merely missing a single successful clinical trial. History shows that every seemingly impossible breakthrough was once met with ridicule, just like Giordano Bruno, who was burned at the stake for his ideas. But if it works, a person with two types of heart tissue will definitely live longer.]
[Shen Xue: …]
[Shen Xue: Big sis Anna, the hospital file I saw… was it real? Did Su Ming'an really have a terminal illness too?]
[Liu Anna: That was a certificate from Xiaoshu First Hospital. It's real.]
[Shen Xue: Big sis Anna.]
[Shen Xue: Come pick me up from the hospital.]
[Liu Anna: What?]
[Shen Xue: Since I'm dying anyway, I'd rather give him my heart. I want him to live.]
[Liu Anna: Why make that choice? You could have his heart instead, child.]
[Shen Xue: Big sis Anna.]
[Shen Xue: I used to think someone like me, born diseased, had no right to live. I felt like I was a burden, wasting resources and medical care, counting down to my death the moment I first opened my eyes. Unable to create, unable to give, and unable to leave any marks on this world. After I die, my friends and loved ones would eventually erase any traces of my existence.]
[Shen Xue: But one day, I realized I had something that I didn't want to regret.]
[Shen Xue: Suddenly, I found myself really wanting to attend his graduation ceremony, see him shine under the spotlight, see him admired by others. I wanted him to visit my tailor shop, where I'd sew new clothes for him. I wanted us to be journalists, chasing stories together, witnessing blood, sweat, and tears, attending rallies, breathing in the scent of grains and vegetables as we walked together through the market stalls.]
[Shen Xue: I suddenly really wanted to see him step into a radiant future.]
[Shen Xue: …I also wanted to see the ocean with him.]
[Shen Xue: Is this what it feels like to love someone? I don't know. Is what I'm about to do a crime? I don't know.]
[Shen Xue: I only know that someone like me, who opened her eyes just to prepare to die, couldn't go on anymore.]
[Shen Xue: So even if he hates me, it doesn't matter. I just want my heart to keep beating in his chest after I'm gone.]
[Shen Xue: My love is selfish. No one will approve of it.]
[Shen Xue: But as long as he's alive, that's enough for me.]
[Shen Xue: As long as… he lives.]
[Liu Anna: …]
[Shen Xue: I'm sorry, big sis Anna.]
[Liu Anna: I understand.]
[Liu Anna: I'll prepare the surgery and give him your heart.]
Ridiculous.
Looking at the chat log, Su Ming'an tried to grasp the absurdity of the situation.
He threw the phone aside.
Shen Xue had planned everything, arranged everything.
Even knowing it violated law and morality, she selfishly, without room for refusal, wanted to give him her heart.
She wanted to carve open his chest with that scalpel and plant herself inside him,
to grow alongside his veins,
to root her burning heart inside his body.
That was her unique yet absurd, selfish yet selfless 'love'.
But the truth was—
Su Ming'an never had cancer.
Liu Anna, lacking a live test subject, lied to Shen Xue and turned her affection into a farce.
He looked back at the girl's corpse.
Her pupils were dilated, her expression peaceful.
The waning sunlight filtered through the curtains, brushing her face.
Her black hair fluttered gently, and her eyes reflected some of the fading light.
When Su Ming'an tore through her throat and killed her—
Did she regret it?
In her final moments,
did she still want to give him her heart?
In that last second of her fading breath,
the sorrowful look in her eyes—
Was that the final, short, desperate wail of her soul?
Looking at her corpse, he could almost hear her soul reverberating.
Rare and precious.
Innocent but naive.
Su Ming'an remembered that every time he died before, Shen Xue's scalpel pierced his right chest.
She actually wanted to keep his heart and implant hers elsewhere.
But they missed one tiny thing.
A single point that turned this farce into a complete tragedy:
His heart…was on the right side.
…
That's why he died from a ruptured heart.
That's why she died now, because of that misunderstanding.
He died for 'love' and she died by the one she loved.
Love, expressed in the wrong way, became the blade that killed.
And thus, this act named 'love', which defiled human nature, moral values, and social order… turned into an utterly absurd farce.
…
He stood there, the scent of blood curling at his nose.
The tea and rice cakes on the table still gave off a faint warmth that shimmered under the golden sunlight, and for a moment, dyed his vision in brilliant gold.
…
She never got to see the ocean.
…
[Ding-dong!]
The sound of the system notification rang in his ear.
[Congratulations on a Perfect Clear! (The progression for the tutorial world is very short. Future dungeon worlds will be longer.)]
[Ending Achieved: "TE (True Ending) – Her Disappearance"]
["I knew she liked me, but love isn't just about giving. After killing her, I understood that I had no other choice to prevent this absurd tragedy."]
[Ending recorded. (Note: This dungeon's story and the dual-heart experiment are all fiction. The characters are all system-generated. Please do not become overly attached~)]
[Rating: SS-Rank (Highest rating for the tutorial level – neutralized both enemies, uninjured, 100% story completion, perfect route)]
[Obtained Evaluation Points +120]
[Obtained Bonus Combat Points +20]
[Total Points Gained: 140]
[Hint – "HE (Happy Ending): Angel's Heart" Condition: Discover Shen Xue's plan, persuade her to abandon the heart transplant, and take her to see the ocean.]
Plot Hint: "They say people born with hearts on the right side were angels in a past life—guiding the sick to peace."
"I think she was the angel living in the right side of my chest."
"I told her: love does not equate to selfishness. It isn't forced upon someone, nor is it an action that defiles order."
"She smiled and said—"
"She liked the ocean."
"I thought to myself…"
"Oh, angel..."
"...why couldn't you stay in this world?"
[Hint – "NE (Normal Ending): Dual-Hearted One" Condition: Make Shen Xue realize your heart is on the right, transplant hers to the left, and successfully complete the operation.]
Plot Hint: "The surgery was done."
"I carried the remnants of her heart… and saw the ocean."
"The wind was cold and lonely."
"But her warmth still burned in my chest."
"Shen Xue, look."
"Isn't the ocean beautiful?"
"…"
"…"
"...I didn't accomplish anything."
"..."