The news that Yangfan Studio and Qihang were partnering to launch the world’s first cross-platform game quickly spread across the gaming community within a single day.

Inside Cool Play Corporation, discussions were rampant.

“An otome game? What kind of monetization model could a game like that even have?”

“Selling outfits? Selling weapons? They can’t possibly be selling boyfriends in a game, can they? Hahaha.”

“Last time, Yangfan Studio restricted their hiring to women only. Was it really just to make this game?”

“Xie Yunfan is completely daydreaming. It’s obvious he’s never been in a relationship! Who would spend money to date someone in a video game… I just don’t understand his logic.”

“I remember the marketing department did a user profile analysis recently. In the globally popular Mecha Apprentice, the ratio of male to female players is an exaggerated 8:2, and the vast majority of paying players are men.”

“As for the spending power of female gamers… personally, I’m not very optimistic.”

“I bet Xie Yunfan is just using this game as a gimmick to test the waters. He isn’t short on cash anyway, so it doesn’t matter if this game flops. Developing the cross-platform server is the real goal here.”

Listening to the group of men discuss, a female employee couldn’t help but criticize them in her heart: Underestimating the spending power of female players—it serves you right that you can’t make money off them!

The game you just cited is inherently designed to cater to men. What woman would actually want to play that?

Unlike Cool Play, Wings of Dream had many casual mobile games, and their proportion of female players was exceptionally high. However, Tang Tonghai was equally skeptical about dating games.

Upon hearing the news, he smiled and raised an eyebrow. “Spending such high costs to develop a cross-platform server, only to make a single-player dating game instead of an all-ages combat game? Is Xie Yunfan playing a joke? The target audience for dating games is so narrow; how much profit could it possibly generate?”

Several other executives were also waiting to watch the failure. “This move of his is indeed a terrible one.”

Someone else mocked, “I think if Xie Yunfan made a dating game for guys, letting men raise beautiful women in-game, there might actually be a market for it.”

Hearing the executives’ discussion, the only female assistant present lowered her head and silently complained to herself—Who says women aren’t willing to spend money? Where do these men get their sense of superiority?

Xie Yunfan might lack relationship experience, but at least he is willing to make a game for women. Unlike you all, who act high and mighty, making money off female players while looking down on them.

If this game hits the big leagues, what excuse will you come up with next?

Will your faces hurt from being slapped by reality?

She was quite curious about the fate of this otome game. Would it be a massive hit, an instant death, or just lukewarm and mediocre?

In early September, Qihang officially began marketing the new game, Millennium Love.

Large screens at airports, subway stations, bus stops, and shopping centers across the country were covered with promotional posters of the four male leads:

Qin Zhou, brandishing a long sword with a carefree and dashing aura.

Ling Yue, wearing a mask with a piercing, cold gaze.

Ye Qinghe, with snow-white hair, exuding an ethereal, immortal grace.

Situ Yu, enchanting and wicked, holding a bamboo flute.

At the bottom of the posters, the promotional tagline read:

Travel across a thousand years to embark on a wonderful romantic journey with him. The otome romance game “Millennium Love” launches nationwide on September 10th. Stay tuned.

Over the next few days, citizens across the country could see these game posters everywhere. The four male leads, each with a distinct style, effectively “plastered their faces” across the nation, making themselves deeply familiar to the public even before the game’s release.

Non-gamers would glance at the posters out of curiosity, thinking the male characters looked quite handsome. Gamers, upon seeing the advertisements, couldn’t help but marvel, “The marketing for this game is insane. It has taken over every street and alley.”

“It looks like Qihang dropped a massive fortune on marketing this time?”

“Does anyone actually play dating games? Are they going to lose everything and go bankrupt…”

Luo Hang had allocated tens of millions to the marketing department. The staff at Qihang’s marketing department were also shocked; after all, this was the first otome romance game in history. No one could predict how the market would react.

They easily could have rolled out a small batch of advertisements first to test the waters.

Instead, their boss directly authorized an S+ tier promotional strategy. Not only did physical advertisements cover the streets, but there were also website splash screens, pop-up ads, text message promotions, top-banner placements, and more.

It seemed President Luo had absolute confidence in this game.

When Xie Yunfan passed by a shopping mall after work, he happened to spot a poster of the male leads. He casually snapped a photo and sent it to Luo Hang: “Your advertising campaign is certainly thorough~”

Luo Hang replied: “I only hope that more players become aware of this game’s existence so that our hard work in the early stages won’t go to waste.”

Xie Yunfan sent back a smiling emoji: “Let’s wait and see the market’s response.”

Luo Hang asked: “Do you have confidence?”

Xie Yunfan thought for a moment and replied: “A billion bits of confidence.” (Note: A play on words in Chinese, implying “a massive amount” / hitting 100 million in revenue).

Luo Hang: “…”

That “billion” was certainly clever. Could they really look forward to breaking 100 million in revenue?

The launch of the game on September 10th drew closer and closer. Because it was rated 18+ and had marketed itself clearly from the start as an “otome romance game,” it caught the attention of countless women.

University students, corporate white-collar workers, housewives… countless women from all walks of life were silently monitoring the birth of this game.

It was rare for a developer to tailor a game specifically for women. How could they not try it out?

On the morning of September 10th, the streamer Mengtu climbed into her holographic gaming capsule early and set up her streaming software.

She said excitedly, “Family, I spent a fortune buying this gaming capsule before just to play script-killing games, but unfortunately, those couldn’t be streamed. This new game allows streaming, so I’m bringing you all along to be day-one players!”

With ten minutes left on the countdown, Mengtu chatted casually with her viewers.

“It’s rare to have an otome romance game, and Yangfan Studio clearly respects female players. That alone gives them major bonus points in my book! So even if the game isn’t great, I’ll go easy on my critique.”

[Can male players play this?]

[What does ‘targeted at women’ mean? Men aren’t allowed to play? Is this gender discrimination?]

[A game that limits gender? Looks like a cheap gimmick to me.]

Seeing people trying to stir up drama in the chat, Mengtu addressed it: “The official stance is that this is an otome romance game, meaning the marketing is aimed primarily at female players, but it doesn’t ban male players from registering. Men can absolutely play. There’s no need to call it gender discrimination.”

She paused and offered an analogy: “Every game has its specific target audience. For instance, Wings of Dream’s game Cute Pet Kindergarten uses the slogan ‘A Happy Home for Little Kids,’ but adults can still play it. Are you going to say the company is guilty of age discrimination? Let’s not overanalyze things.”

A row of “Hahahas” flooded the chat.

Mengtu’s words hit the nail on the head. The market was already flooded with games targeting male users—the most typical being Cool Play Corporation, whose games perfectly aligned with male preferences.

Particularly with their male-catering game Mecha Apprentice, the mechas were all designed as slim-waisted, long-legged, large-chested beautiful women. Men frequently discussed “raising several wives” in the game. Because the art style was so heavily tailored to appeal to men, the number of female players was microscopic.

Now that Yangfan Studio had created an “otome romance game,” many male players had inexplicably thrown tantrums. Mengtu promptly muted the troublemakers, and the stream immediately became much cleaner.

At exactly 12:00 PM, the game officially went live.

Mengtu immediately registered and logged in.

System: Please create your character. Data is fully shared between the holographic and mobile platforms. The 3D model created in the holographic version will automatically sync to the mobile version, and vice versa.

System: You have received [Character Reset Card] ×1. You can reset your character data for free.

Mengtu explained to her audience, “The system gave us a reset card. If you aren’t satisfied with the character you sculpt, you can redo it. This is very convenient for mobile players; if a face sculpted on a phone looks weird once you enter the holographic capsule, you can just reset it.”

“Since I’m playing directly on the holographic version, I don’t have that issue. Let’s sculpt the character first.”

The facial sculpting system in the holographic game was incredibly detailed; height, body type, and facial features could all be adjusted freely. Mengtu herself was a beauty, but she was on the shorter side, and her height was her biggest insecurity.

Thus, she adjusted her in-game height to 170 cm, saying excitedly, “I can finally fulfill my dream of being tall in a video game!”

Just sculpting the face was highly entertaining; it took her ten minutes to finish setting up her character.

System: If you wish to use your own voice in the game, please follow the prompts to record your voiceprint. Alternatively, you may choose from the system’s voice library.

Mengtu followed the system prompts to record her voice.

System: Please name your character.

Mengtu asked, “Family, what name should I use? I’m a die-hard fan of Journey to the West. In my last game, I was called Red Boy, so this time let’s go with Princess Iron Fan.”

She quickly entered her game ID. After all, when playing games, IDs were usually chosen carelessly.

System: You have received [Name Change Card] ×1. You can modify your name in-game.

Mengtu laughed. “How considerate, giving me a name change card. I won’t change it though; I am Princess Iron Fan.”

The game officially commenced.

The opening sequence was an animation from the player’s first-person perspective. Mengtu felt a wave of dizziness as a swirling, vortex-like time tunnel appeared before her, pulling her inside unexpectedly.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a completely unfamiliar world. A dialogue box popped up on the screen. Mengtu tapped it, and heard her own recorded voice say:

“Where am I? What happened?”

“This is the world of a thousand years ago. You have been selected by the system as a host, and you need to complete missions here.”

“What missions?”

“Find the ‘key’ to unlocking this world.”

Seeing this, Mengtu couldn’t help but comment, “Have you guys read those ‘Quick Transmigration’ web novels? The kind where the protagonist goes to different worlds to execute missions. The game background seems to be a quick transmigration setting!”

She asked curiously, “After this world ends, will there be other worlds?”

Many players in the chat also grew excited.

[Doing missions across different worlds sounds so fun!]

[There are four male leads in this world. Will they be in the next world too?]

[Sister Tu, rush the plot! I can’t wait to see it!]

System: There seems to be an incident ahead. Go take a look.

A quest marker appeared a short distance away, and Mengtu immediately walked toward it.

Arriving at the entrance of a manor, she noticed the plaque above the door read “Qingshan Sect,” and numerous corpses were scattered across the ground.

Right at that moment, several figures clad in black flew across the rooftop. They spotted Mengtu and turned their heads in unison. The curved blade held by one of them flashed with a piercing white light under the moonlight.

Mengtu’s heart tightened. “Oh no, they aren’t going to silence me, are they?!”

Hardly had the words left her mouth when those figures descended beside Mengtu like the wind.

A deep voice commanded, “Leave no survivors.”

The men replied, “Yes!”

Mengtu: “Dead right at the start? No way, are romance games always this thrilling?”

Naturally, a player starting out wouldn’t know martial arts. Surrounded by several assassins, she couldn’t run away. Just as the blade was about to slit her throat—

Suddenly, a sharp sword flew through the air, clashing against the curved blade with a resonant clang!

A white-robed youth descended gracefully from a distant treetop like a grand eagle. His movements were lightning-fast; the moment his feet touched the ground, he retrieved his sword and lunged at the men in black.

Mengtu only saw a white afterimage blur past her eyes, and within moments, the assassins were forced back.

The leader of the black-clothed men ordered, “Retreat!”

The figures leaped onto the rooftop. The youth quickly gave chase, but the enemy dropped a smoke bomb, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Left with no choice, the youth flew back into the courtyard and approached Mengtu, asking, “Are you alright?”

Mengtu froze for a moment, then screamed in her live stream, “Holy crap, this is Qin Zhou, right? He’s so handsome! The actual model in the holographic game looks way better than the 2D poster.”

The youth possessed handsome features and clear eyes, looking at her with deep concern. Mengtu felt a bit flustered under his gaze. Even though he was just an NPC, this character model was simply spectacular.

Mengtu replied, “I’m fine.”

The youth asked, “Is Miss a member of the Qingshan Sect?”

Mengtu: “Ah? No, I’m not.”

The youth said, “I am Qin Zhou, the Young Master of the Famous Sword Villa. May I know Miss’s esteemed name?”

Mengtu then heard her own voice reply, “I am Princess Iron Fan.”

Qin Zhou blanked for a moment, then smiled. “Miss Iron Fan’s name is truly… unique.”

Mengtu: “…”

[Hahahahaha]

[I’m dying of laughter, ‘Miss Iron Fan’]

[Telling a handsome guy ‘I am Princess Iron Fan’ is so painfully awkward~]

[Mengtu’s toes have already dug out a three-bedroom apartment from embarrassment]

[The NPCs in this game actually call out the player’s name?! Sisters, name yourselves carefully!]

Girls playing an otome game for the first time hadn’t realized the importance of choosing a proper name. In previous games, they had always picked names at random. This time, countless players suffered a hilarious reality check and took to the internet to vent.

“Qin Zhou called me ‘Old Auntie.’ I was so mad I immediately went to change my name!”

“I always use ‘Don’t Hit Me’ as my username. He called me ‘Miss Don’t.’ Hahaha.”

“I named myself ‘Great Sage Equal to Heaven.’ Qin Zhou calls me ‘Great Sage’ with every breath. I feel like at any moment, he’s going to follow me to the West to fetch Buddhist scriptures?”

“You guys think you have it bad? I named myself ‘Daddy.’ The male lead opened his mouth and called me ‘Daddy.’ I broke instantly. Hahaha, thank goodness the system gave me a name change card. I’m changing it right now.”

“First piece of advice for playing Millennium Love—players, please choose your names carefully. The male leads will actually call you by it. Don’t turn a romance game into a comedy.”

Within the first ten minutes of the game’s launch, more than half of the player base turned around and used their name change cards.

In past games, they would throw random characters together, but a romance game was different. The male lead would call out your nickname, and if the name was too bizarre, the romantic atmosphere would be shattered in an instant.

Mengtu sheepishly changed her name to “Lin Yan.” Her actual surname was Lin, and hearing the male lead call her “Miss Lin” sounded much more natural.

Through her dialogue with Qin Zhou, she finally grasped the background of the story: rumors in the Jianghu claimed that a manual left behind by a Sword Saint had appeared within the Qingshan Sect on Mount Qingqiong. The location she transmigrated to was precisely the Qingshan Sect. The entire sect had been wiped out overnight, leaving her as the sole witness.

Qin Zhou asked, “Did you see who killed the people of the Qingshan Sect?”

Mengtu immediately shook her head. “No, they were already lying on the ground when I arrived. Those black-clad men said to leave no survivors, and then you showed up.”

Qin Zhou fell into deep thought.

Two attendants rode up on horses and reported, “Young Master, many people have suddenly arrived in town. They belong to various major sects of the Jianghu, and we even spotted the mark of the Demon Sect.”

Qin Zhou frowned. “They are clearly here for the sword manual. How did the news leak? This matter is definitely not simple. Let’s head back to the inn first.”

He brought the player to a nearby town and secured a place to stay.

Since the player was an “orphan with no father or mother” in this world, and had witnessed the tragic massacre of the Qingshan Sect, Qin Zhou decided to take her back to the Famous Sword Villa for a temporary stay while investigating the matter.

That night, while the player was sleeping in the inn, a melodious melody from a flute suddenly drifted in from outside the window. In the next second, her body moved completely out of her control, walking out the door like a puppet.

Mengtu looked shocked. “Holy crap, what’s going on?”

System: You are under the influence of a Gu technique. Please proceed with caution.

Mengtu said, “Don’t panic, we are the protagonist of this world. The law of protagonist immortality dictates we won’t die easily. A flute, a Gu technique… it’s probably one of the male leads!”

She suddenly grew excited, allowing herself to walk toward the distance like a puppet.

Sitting on a tree in the distance was a handsome young man. A pair of crimson eyes looked exceptionally demonic in the night. He lowered his flute and said softly, “Be good, tell me what I want to know. I won’t hurt you.”

The young man’s voice seemed to possess a mesmerizing power.

Mengtu said excitedly, “I don’t know who the voice actor is, but his voice is so good it makes my ears melt! My goodness! Out of the two male leads who have appeared so far, I find both of them incredibly attractive.”

The controlled player nodded mechanically.

The young man asked, “Who killed the people of the Qingshan Sect?”

Player: “I don’t know their identities. It was a few men in black.”

The young man pressed, “Think carefully. Did those men in black have any distinguishing features on them?”

Player: “They all wore masks and held curved blades.”

The young man asked patiently, “Anything else?”

Player: “I don’t remember.”

The young man frowned slightly. He reached out with one hand to wrap around the player’s shoulder, intending to take her away, but in the next instant, several green leaves suddenly shot through the air like daggers.

The young man narrowly avoided getting his face slashed. He raised an eyebrow, tucked away his bamboo flute, and vanished into the dark night.

Mengtu stumbled blindly, almost falling over, when a pair of strong hands gently supported her. A fresh, plant-like fragrance filled her nose, followed by a deep, gentle voice: “Miss, wake up.”

Mengtu was still in a semi-conscious state.

The person held a silver needle with his slender fingers, gently inserting it into an acupoint on her head. His voice became clearer: “It is a Gu technique; she was controlled. To think the Nether Sect would also come to the Central Plains.”

A youth beside him asked, “Senior Brother, should we take her back to Medicine King Valley?”

The player opened her eyes, and a matchlessly handsome face entered her field of vision.

The young man’s snow-white hair shone with a soft luster under the moonlight like silk. His eyes were filled with a warm, gentle smile: “You’re awake? Does your head still hurt?”

Mengtu: “…”

An instant critical hit to the heart.

Not only was Mengtu a bit dazed, but the stream’s chat was also completely flooded with screams.

A close-up shot that made him look like a deity descending to the mortal realm.

[This male lead’s aura is unmatched!]

[Is that Ye Qinghe? I saw him in the trailer, the white-haired beauty.]

[I love gentle men. Emotionally stable, knows how to care for people, and he’s a doctor. I love him so much!]

[The three male leads who have appeared so far each have their own distinct charm. It’s so hard to choose!]

[I agree, it’s a bit tough to pick one!]

Ye Qinghe brought the player back to the inn and escorted her to her room.

The player asked curiously, “Aren’t you going to question me about the Qingshan Sect?”

Ye Qinghe startled slightly, then said softly, “There is no need. I heard your conversation with that man just now. You know nothing about the massacre of the Qingshan Sect.”

Player: “Yes, I know nothing.”

Ye Qinghe said, “Miss had best leave this place as soon as possible. This town has not been safe lately. You are not a person of the Jianghu; getting entangled in this dispute could cost you your life.”

With that, he offered a slight smile, turned, and left.

[He’s so gentle!]

[I am truly in love with Ye Qinghe! I didn’t expect to fall in love at first sight with a game character.]

[This old auntie’s heart is fluttering too~]

Mengtu said, “Family, three out of the four male leads have already met us. Where is the last cool guy who hasn’t shown up yet? Is he not interested in the sword manual?”

Just as she was pondering, she raised her head toward the rooftop…

And abruptly locked eyes with a pair of sharp, icy eyes.

In the dark night, those eyes stared at her like unsheathed swords. Mengtu gasped in fright, and just as she was about to cry for help, the figure dropped down from the roof. One hand clamped over her mouth while the other pressed a dagger against her throat.

A deep, cold voice whispered by her ear, “Don’t make a sound.”

Mengtu nodded frantically.

The tactile system in the holographic game was highly realistic. Ling Yue’s fingers were slender and powerful, and his body seemed to carry the chill of the night air. Mengtu was thoroughly startled by him.

The viewers in the stream: “…”

[This male lead is truly different. He wants to kill us right at his entrance?]

[Cool guy, you’re really something!]

[Holding a knife to our throat… brother, has anyone ever told you not to be so rough with girls?]

Ling Yue seemed to notice something and asked coldly, “You don’t know martial arts?”

Mengtu nodded quickly. “Mhm, mhm.”

Ling Yue released his grip and looked at her. “Why did you come to the Qingshan Sect?”

Mengtu felt helpless. “Just passing through. I didn’t want to either.”

Ling Yue remained expressionless. “Did you hear them mention the whereabouts of the sword manual?”

Mengtu shook her head. “No, I don’t know…”

Ling Yue contemplated for a moment. Seeming to catch a sound outside, he swiftly leaped out the window and onto the roof.

The man clad in black vanished into the night in an instant.

A knock sounded on the door, followed by Qin Zhou’s voice: “Miss, are you alright? I heard a noise just now, as if an assassin entered your room.”

Mengtu let out a sigh of relief and said, “I’m fine.”

She opened the door to find Qin Zhou looking at her with a face full of concern.

The youth stood under the moonlight, his expression earnest and sincere: “The Qingshan Sect was wiped out, and you are the only survivor. I know you are innocent. But many sects in the Jianghu are searching for the sword manual, and it isn’t safe for you to remain here.”

He glanced up at the night sky and said, “Rest for now. I will keep watch outside. Come tomorrow morning, I will take you to the Famous Sword Villa.”

System: Chapter 1 e n d s .

System: You may continue with the plot of Chapter 2 tomorrow.

Seeing this, Mengtu couldn’t help but feel disappointed. “I want to keep watching the story. Is that really it for today?”

The stream chat also burst into complaints—

[Where is the continuation?]

[What does the Famous Sword Villa look like? Do we distinguished VIPs not deserve to see it?]

[I want to stab the Little Sailboat (Xie Yunfan)! Leaving us on a cliffhanger again!]

[The pacing of the plot is quite fast. In the first chapter, all four male leads made an appearance.]

[Which male lead does everyone like the most?]

[I currently have the best impression of Qin Zhou. He seems to have a strong sense of justice, and his combat prowess is high. He looked so cool wielding his sword!]

[I like Ye Qinghe. I have no resistance to this gentle type. It’s rare to see such a handsome man even in the real world.]

[I’ve set my sights on Situ Yu. He really knows how to charm people, and he even placed a Gu on me, hahaha.]

[I’m most interested in the cool assassin guy. I really want to know what a cold fellow like him looks like when he falls in love?]

Everyone discussed animatedly in the comments section.

Watching their debates, Mengtu realized her long-lost maiden heart had made a roaring comeback.

All four male leads were incredibly handsome; it was going to be tough to choose!

The gameplay this time was highly unique, allowing players to experience a bizarre Jianghu investigation alongside the male leads. Though the four characters had only appeared once, they had already left a deep impression on everyone.

What kind of stories lay behind them?

It truly made one incredibly curious!