kennedydaphne900

Xiao Ting is China’s reigning queen of esports, a goddess both on the battlefield and in beauty, with millions of fans worshipping her every move. But behind her flawless avatar is a thirty-year-old heiress who hasn’t stepped outside her room in years. She doesn’t need the real world, gaming is her empire.

Her parents, however, have other plans. Desperate to see her step away from her screen and into their corporate empire, they hire a professional boyfriend to pull Xiao Ting out of her shell.

Chase Chen is the best in the business, smooth, charming, and dangerously handsome. With his Cha Eun-woo-level looks and a flawless track record, this job should be a breeze. But Xiao Ting is unlike anyone he’s ever met. Unimpressed by his charm and utterly immune to his games, she throws Chase into a world he never expected: hers.

Now, with his contract running out and Xiao Ting proving impossible to win over, Chase must do the unthinkable, beat her at her own game and, maybe, lose his heart in the process.

The Gamer and the game

As soon as she left her street she was reminded, this was China.

Bright lights and bustling streets were everywhere, even at night.

The streets were crowded, filled with people chatting, laughing, rushing. Xiao Ting was in the middle of it, frozen.

Her palms were clammy, her heart thundering in her chest.

Each passing body felt like it was closing in on her. Her breaths were shallow and quick, panic clawing its way up her throat.

She forced herself to move, each step heavier than the last.

The tightness in her chest worsened, but she pressed on, determined. Finally, she reached a grocery store and slipped inside, the fluorescent lights glaring above her.

She walked to the nearest aisle and grabbed a handful of noodle cups, her shaky hands clutching them like a lifeline.

But as she turned to leave, someone bumped into her.

The collision sent her stumbling, and the noodle cups scattered to the floor.

"Oh my, sorry!" the stranger said, offering a hand to help her up.

She recoiled, shaking her head furiously. Her chest felt like it was about to cave in. She couldn't breathe. The world spun around her.

Then, another hand reached down, calmly picking up the noodle cups one by one.

His expression was unreadable but steady, his presence grounding her in the chaos.

"What-" she panted, barely able to get the words out.

"I couldn't leave you to go on by yourself," he said simply, his voice calm and firm.

Her heart was still pounding, but his steady gaze anchored her in the storm of her panic.

Chapter 10: Yuan