In the next story, a young noblewoman from the Warring States period had only one mission: protect her family from ruin.
One day, she stumbled upon a magical bronze mirror that transported her to a strange and dazzling world.
There was no war here. People lived freely, happily. It was a world she never imagined, a world that mesmerized her.
And there, she met him—a not-so-useless otaku.
Their first encounter was a disaster. They even got into a fight.
She lost. And by the customs of her homeland, that made him her husband.
When she was hungry, Ah Zhai took her out to eat. One pork chop meal left her speechless.
"So much meat... It must be so expensive, right?"
Because in her world, ordinary people couldn't even dream of affording meat.
Here, she tasted beer for the first time.
"What is this? It tastes amazing!" she laughed, holding the bottle with joy. Drunk and carefree, it was probably the happiest she'd ever been.
But when she woke up with a hangover and saw the bronze mirror again... she brought Ah Zhai back to her own world.
Yet, nothing had changed.
Her homeland remained as it was. The Yuno family was still on the brink of collapse, surrounded by enemies.
Ah Zhai became her captain of the guard—but that was it.
Even with his presence, the fate of her family seemed sealed.
Two months later, she sat atop the bloodstained city wall. The earth below had been painted red by war.
Corpses piled up like mountains outside the gates. The sound of battle roared like thunder.
Their enemies were about to breach the walls.
Looking out over the chaos, she knew—despite everything—she had failed to save the Yuno family.
"So this is how the Yuno family's 300 years of glory ends…"
Ah Zhai begged her to flee, but she only shook her head.
"Silly. You and I are different. From the day my father gave me this armor, I swore... I would protect the Yuno name with my life."
Ah Zhai pleaded. He tried logic, examples, reasons—he even talked about the rise and fall of dynasties.
But she just smiled.
"This mirror brought me to your world. But this place… it holds my family's dreams and legacy. I have to stay."
She confessed everything to him.
He asked her to go with him.
But how could she? Her beliefs wouldn't allow it. If she were willing to give them up, she never would've returned.
She closed her eyes. The sounds of the battlefield took over. Ah Zhai was gone.
"Cheng… You're really gone? I… I wanted to go with you too."
"I wanted to drink beer with you again… That beer… it was really good…"
Tears spilled down her cheeks.
The screen faded. A CG image of her raising a wine glass appeared on screen.
"Husband, this wine's amazing! Let's have two more! Look, I already finished mine—cheers!"
And through her daze, she could faintly hear his voice:
"Kill! I am Anna Yuno's personal guard captain! Anyone who dares stand in my way—dies!"
Back in reality, Jiang Ping stared at the game's main menu, blinking away the sting in his eyes.
He wiped his nose and muttered, "Are you insane?"
"You're crazy for making this game!"
"I just wanted a casual, gentleman's game—and you hit me with this level of voice acting, artwork, match-three mechanics, and plot?! You don't want to make money?!"
He was furious... but with no hesitation, he exited the game and gave it a five-star review in the store.
Even though the refund window was still open, it didn't matter anymore.
That experience alone? Worth every cent.
He even thought: Selling it for just 10 yuan? This developer's a madman.
—
And Jiang Ping wasn't alone.
Word spread through niche overseas forums. Many LSP players (gentleman gamers) joined out of curiosity.
The moment they started playing, emotions hit hard.
Some were moved by the in-game plotlines:
The story of elves and demons—how humans chose cruelty, while an alien elf showed them compassion, only to be repaid with betrayal.
The tale of the shut-in and the warrior general—how a man who seemed like deadweight revealed immense courage when it mattered most.
The journey of the dragon maid and the knight—a tale of companionship and responsibility.
"We protect this world from beasts and tyranny. Because of us, evil dares not spread."
Then there was the story of Caiyun and Mingyue.
Two hundred years of waiting. Two hundred years of reincarnation. A love story destined to end long ago… but somehow still holding on.
And many LSPs cried.
This game, meant for "gentlemen," somehow hurt more than they expected.
After playing, their hearts felt heavy.
They finally understood the strange game reviews they'd seen before.
Of course, not everyone appreciated the depth.
Some players struggled with the match-three gameplay.
"Junior Sister Caiyun, stop draining my health! Open the door—I'm your Brother Mingyue!"
Others ignored the plot entirely and became obsessed with clearing the puzzle mechanics—buying items, grinding levels, optimizing builds.
Eventually, they evolved.
They no longer cared about the "gentleman content." They were hooked on the gameplay itself.
Simple. Addictive. Surprisingly fun.
"This girl next to me is annoying," one player muttered. "She's blocking the puzzle board!"
"Get out of the way, woman! I need to beat my high score!"