"Hit feedback is so hard to adjust."
The meeting with his fiancée had ended, and life at home gradually returned to normal.
In the studio, Bronya, who had been tormented by the same issue for three or four days, lay weakly on the table, while beside her, Nangong Yu was still intently adjusting the movements of the little character on the screen.
After deciding to make a Metroidvania-style game, "hollow knight" became Nangong Yu's first choice.
An inspiration born from a small game development competition, it became a classic single-player game in his previous life.
Until Nangong Yu transmigrated, there were still many people online clamoring about when they could play Silksong~
Rumors every year, delayed every year!
Actually, "Touhou Luna Nights" was also good, but considering that the Touhou Project IP didn't exist in this world yet, Nangong Yu passed on it.
He could try to get "Embodiment of Scarlet Devil" out first at the CM convention this winter.
However, let's put aside matters for the end of the year and return our attention to the game they are currently working on.
As an action game, its sense of impact is naturally the most important aspect.
Before working on visual and auditory feedback, the first step is to get the action structure right; this is the most fundamental level.
Nangong Yu was responsible for the Little Knight's various attack animations, while Bronya was responsible for the feedback of monsters of different sizes after being hit.
A good sense of impact naturally cannot come out of thin air; it requires designers to fine-tune it little by little, which is a very tedious and cumbersome process.
Bronya had already been tormented for several days in a row, and now, just seeing a monster model made her feel a bit nauseous.
"Aren't you tired?"
From afternoon until now, except for dinner time, Nangong Yu had basically maintained the same posture.
In Bronya's eyes, the little character's movements became smoother and more aesthetically pleasing in his hands.
Nangong Yu didn't answer.
Instead, after finishing the end phase of a complete action and replaying it several times to confirm it was correct, he finally raised his hand forcefully and stretched, letting out a comfortable groan from his throat.
"I am tired."
Twisting his neck, making crisp cracking sounds, Nangong Yu looked at the ceiling and said with a smile.
"Then..."
Just as Bronya was about to ask, she heard Nangong Yu continue, "But don't you feel a great sense of accomplishment watching the game get better little by little?"
Bronya understood what he meant, but she also needed to see improvement and get positive feedback.
She had been adjusting for three or four days, but it still looked awkward no matter how she looked at it, completely incomparable to Nangong Yu's already smooth movements.
"Is that so? That's really good then."
Sighing again, Bronya rubbed her head against her arm, her eyes full of weariness.
"If you're tired, then take a break."
"Mm."
Her lazy nasal sound caught Nangong Yu's attention.
Only then did he relax his body and look at Bronya.
Her long, wavy silver hair was casually disheveled, and she wore a white short top on her upper body.
As she lay there, a section of her slender, taut, fair waist was exposed at her abdomen.
Her full chest sagged with gravity, forming two undeniable curves.
Her tired expression had worn away the usual assertiveness on her surface, and her somewhat lost eyes, looking at Nangong Yu, revealed a faint sense of confusion.
At this moment, Bronya looked so fragile that Nangong Yu turned and opened his arms to her.
"Hm?"
Confused by Nangong Yu's action, her body, however, stood up a step ahead and threw itself into that warm embrace.
"I think you need a hug right now, don't you?"
His gentle voice sounded in her ear, like a clear spring flowing into her restless heart.
Closing her eyes in slight contentment, she tightened her embrace, Bronya nestled against his neck with a hint of longing, her nose gently inhaling his warm scent.
It was as comfortable as the winter sun, allowing her to suppress the unpleasantness of game development.
Dispelling a trace of lingering warmth in his heart, Nangong Yu embraced the soft, delicate body, raised his hand to gently stroke her long hair, and tidied up the playful, stray strands.
"Don't worry, there's still plenty of time.
I've seen your progress; you've already done an amazing job."
The praise from the person she adored smoothed away the last trace of Bronya's impatience.
Her tone, as if melted by Nangong Yu, carried a hint of grievance: "But I can't keep up with your progress..."
Of course she couldn't keep up, because he was cheating.
Silently complaining in his heart, Nangong Yu could only continue to comfort her: "The first time is always not skilled enough, it won't be so smooth.
Instead of worrying about this, it's better to think about the trip to Europe tomorrow and some happy things."
Without asking why Nangong Yu was so skilled the first time, Bronya closed her eyes, softly hummed, and then rested peacefully on his chest, her breathing gradually becoming even, as if she had fallen asleep.
After nearly half an hour, when Nangong Yu's body was starting to feel stiff from the pressure, Bronya finally opened her eyes again.
She seemed to be fully recharged.
After jumping off Nangong Yu, she stretched vigorously, then directly wrapped her arms around Nangong Yu's neck from behind.
The fatigue on her face was gone, and her voice was full of vitality.
"I want to play a game, play with me~"
Nangong Yu's head was pushed against him, and he nodded without much hesitation: "Okay, what do you want to play?"
Upon hearing this, Bronya's lips curved into a smile, and her eyes filled with anticipation as she said, "Of course, a thrilling Homu battle!"
Saying that, she let go of Nangong Yu and knelt in front of the small cabinet where her things were kept, then stuck out her round, perky bottom, encased in jeans, and rummaged through the cabinet.
Soon, she pulled out a rather old-looking, outdated game console.
"You still have this thing."
Standing behind her, Nangong Yu was full of surprise looking at what Bronya had pulled out.
"Of course, this is something quite important to me."
Wiping off a bit of dust, Bronya connected the old, square plastic-cased game console to the monitor.
Then she took out a yellow game cartridge from a beautifully packaged box.
On the cartridge was printed Homu's silly smiling face.
"How about it, dare to play?"
After connecting the controller, Bronya sat directly on the floor and held out the other controller to him, raising an eyebrow as if in challenge.
"Tsk, how could I not dare?"
Saying that, Nangong Yu picked up the controller and sat beside Bronya.
"Playing directly is boring.
How about we make a bet?"
"Tell me about it."
"It's simple.
If you lose, I'll kiss you."
Instantly, Nangong Yu's heart skipped a beat.
He quickly asked, "What if I win?"
Hearing this, Bronya smiled at him, "You idiot, of course I want you to kiss me~"
Creak, creak.
The iron gate's hinges cried out in disarray, signifying that this isolated orphanage was once again connected to the silver-white world outside.
Unfortunately, the hinges soon wailed again, and the gate closed tightly, politely declining the cold wind's enthusiastic affection.
"Director Cocolia, you're back!"
The aged doorman emerged from his small, warm room, holding a cup of freshly boiled hot water. However, upon seeing a small, unfamiliar figure held by the Director's hand, he paused, thought for a moment, and then went back to fetch another cup.
"Thank you, you've worked hard. You should go rest too."
Though respectfully called Director, Cocolia appeared to be nothing more than a beautiful young girl in her twenties. Her long, golden curly hair was tied into a single ponytail, and her thick winter coat concealed her graceful figure. On her beautiful face, her bright purple eyes held the unique competence of youth.
She released the hand of the little girl she was holding, reached out to take the two cups of hot water, and smiled gently at the doorman she had known for a long time.
The doorman waved his hand dismissively, glanced at the silent little girl beside him, said nothing, and returned to his small room.
A moment later, the commotion at the door naturally attracted the orphanage's matron. Upon seeing the newcomers, Cocolia smiled and waved to her, giving a simple greeting before asking her to gather all the children in the yard.
Soon, the yard, which had been somewhat quiet due to the cold, became noisy.
Looking at these lively and adorable little ones, and some cute little ones who were Around her legs, calling her 'Mama Cocolia', a warm, heartfelt smile appeared on her lips.
After gently rubbing the heads of a few close little ones, Cocolia pushed the little girl who had been standing behind her forward.
"Everyone, please quiet down. Let me introduce our orphanage's new family member."
She clapped her hands to get the attention of the little ones and then directed her gaze towards the curious toddlers.
"A new friend!"
"Who is it, who is it~"
"Her silver hair is so pretty…"
After saying the name of the silver-haired, twin-tailed curly-haired girl beside her, Cocolia gently pushed her forward, letting her try to integrate with the children.
Then, her gaze shifted, but she unexpectedly couldn't find the figure she longed for among the little ones.
Suppressing the doubt in her heart, she gave a few instructions to the aunts, and after confirming that there were no major issues, she took the main supervisor and headed towards the office.
"Where is that child, Yu?"
As soon as she entered the door, Cocolia asked with a frown.
As if already knowing what Cocolia would ask, the supervisor shook her head and said helplessly, "He's sick, lying in bed in the bedroom."
"Sick?!"
Her frown disappeared, and Cocolia immediately asked back, somewhat flustered.
"It's just a cold from being chilled, Director, you don't need to worry too much."
"A cold, huh."
Hearing this, Cocolia breathed a sigh of relief, but then quickly asked, puzzled, "Although the orphanage isn't wealthy, it shouldn't be so bad that the children get cold. How did that child catch a cold?"
"Oh, that~"
The supervisor suddenly laughed, her voice changing pitch, "That child, he's really something~"
Cocolia: "?"
The warm hearth fire burned brightly, reflecting Cocolia's somewhat puzzled expression.
...
"You're telling me that brat didn't sleep in the middle of the night and took a quilt and Siele out to look at the stars?!"
Is he sick?!
Cocolia's forehead was covered in black lines as she suppressed the urge to curse.
"Yes, tsk tsk tsk, at such a young age he already knows how to pull these stunts. He'll be truly something when he grows up~"
"I think he's just got too little homework and training, he's idle!"
"Can't he just be naturally romantic? At least, we won't have to worry about this child's marriage in the future, right?"
"…"
Rubbing her head, Cocolia gave up arguing with this auntie supervisor. She knew how much this person doted on the children; otherwise, she wouldn't have felt at ease entrusting the children to her care.
"Forget it, let's talk about the orphanage's current financial situation."
Seeing that it was time for serious business, the supervisor's expression became solemn and serious: "To be honest, it's not ideal…"
Then, she meticulously explained to Cocolia the various expenses of the little ones recently, as well as the salaries to be paid to the orphanage staff, and various miscellaneous fees. Finally, a touch of worry appeared on her face, and she sighed, saying, "If this continues, by next spring, our funds will not be able to sustain us, and Director, you are still bringing children back constantly."
"Don't worry, as long as we hold on for a while longer, we won't have to worry about this aspect anymore."
"Hmm?"
Cocolia's confident voice interrupted her thoughts, making the supervisor look at her in surprise.
She saw confidence in those young purple eyes, and a faint aura of a superior naturally emerged.
"Are you saying?" The supervisor had a glimmer of a guess, and her heart involuntarily quickened its beat.
"It's exactly what you're thinking."
The calm words made the supervisor's face light up with ecstasy. She kept muttering, 'That's great, that's great, now I don't have to worry about the children anymore.'
"Alright, that's enough. I'm going to see that brat Yu. Seriously, how old is he, and he still can't make people worry less."
"Yes, yes, yes, I know you're closest to that child, go on~"
Ignoring the supervisor's words, she waved her hand and walked straight out the door.
She wasn't a saint; naturally, she had her favorites, as long as the other children didn't hear it.
"Oh, right."
Just as Cocolia was about to leave, the supervisor suddenly called out to her.
"What is it?"
Looking at Cocolia's puzzled expression, the supervisor chuckled and mentioned, "The scene you're about to see might be a surprise. Be prepared."
"Surprise?"
Seeing that the supervisor didn't want to explain, Cocolia didn't mind and walked straight out after opening the door.
Passing through a long corridor, she quickly arrived at a door adorned with cute graffiti, familiar with the route.
After a moment's thought, she didn't knock, but instead gently twisted the doorknob and walked in.
Since that child was sick, it was better not to disturb his rest.
Although she had spoken like that before, when it came to that child, she was definitely the softest-hearted.
The room was quite quiet, with only the firewood crackling in the stove, bringing a drowsy warmth and sound.
Her gaze naturally shifted to the bed, and upon seeing the small figure sleeping on his side, the tenderness on Cocolia's lips could no longer be concealed.
She tiptoed to the bedside, shedding the sharpness she displayed to outsiders, leaving only endless tenderness for the sleeping child.
His short black hair was still somewhat neat, and his adorable little face, when asleep, no longer showed its usual mischievousness, making Cocolia unable to resist reaching out a slender finger and poking his still somewhat chubby cheek.
His complexion was rosy, and his sleeping posture was peaceful. It seemed his cold had improved quite a bit.
Noticing him shaking his little head in his sleep, Cocolia couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Suddenly, her smile froze as she sensed something was amiss.
Why was this quilt so lumpy? Was this child really that chubby?
Or…
Thinking this, Cocolia gently lifted a corner of the quilt, and soon, the sight inside made her breath catch.
She saw the little boy tightly holding a small girl with black and bluish short hair in his arms. The girl looked delicate and cute, her eyes red as if she had been crying, and she was sleeping peacefully and dependently nestled in the little boy's embrace.
But if that were all, it would be fine. Behind the little boy, there were also two equally cute little heads, one pink and one blue, resting on his back, one above the other, looking intimately close.
Cocolia's face visibly darkened.
Suddenly, she remembered the surprise the supervisor had reminded her of before she left.
"Heh heh…"
A faint cold laugh echoed in the air, and Cocolia's gaze towards the boy gradually sharpened.
This kind of surprise, she could do without!
Soon, she raised her hand towards the boy.
...
"Brother, does it still hurt here?"
Siele, the adorable little girl with black and bluish short hair who was in the boy's arms just now, was now lying by the bed, looking sadly at the boy who was sprawled on the bed.
The two behind him were Rosalia and Lilia; they had already quickly slipped away when they saw the situation was not good.
That soft, sweet voice made the boy, who had been about to cry out in pain, immediately shut his mouth, blushing and gritting his teeth, looking indignant.
He had been sleeping soundly just now, but then he was suddenly beaten up. Who could stand that?
"That old woman, when I grow up, I'll definitely get my revenge!"
Hearing this, Siele's face immediately panicked. She quickly grabbed her brother's arm, and her timid voice came again, "Don't talk about Mama Cocolia like that, she'll get angry…"
If she got angry, Brother would get beaten again.
"Am I afraid of her?!"
Half-grown children are the most fearless, completely failing to grasp the chasm-like difference between adults and children. The little boy named Yu immediately tried to get up and throw a wild punch, but unfortunately, his bottom hurt too much, so he could only give up.
Noticing his brother wincing in pain, Siele leaned in again, reaching out her small hand to grab his bottom: "Brother, Seele will help you rub it. Siele often hears the aunties say that rubbing where it hurts makes it much better."
"No!"
Seeing Seele's small paw reach out, Nangong Yu quickly shrank back.
Once again being dodged, Seele's eyes immediately welled up with tears of grievance: "Does Brother not like Seele anymore?"
Seeing Seele about to cry, Nangong Yu also panicked.
Of course he didn't dislike Seele; the person he was closest to in the entire orphanage was Seele, who followed him every day, sweetly calling him 'Brother.' There was a reason he didn't let her touch him.
He was already eight years old, a man! How could a man's butt be touched by others?!
"Seele, there's a reason I won't let you touch me!"
"Reason?"
Seele opened her watery big eyes, looking at him with a wronged expression, waiting for an explanation.
"The reason, the reason is…"
He was too embarrassed to voice his specific thoughts, but he quickly had a flash of inspiration, suddenly recalling a line from the comic he had dreamed about just now. His expression immediately became serious: "Seele!"
"Huh?!"
Seeing her brother's demeanor, Seele subconsciously held her breath.
He took a deep breath and said earnestly, "Scars on the back are a man's shame!"
"...?"
Little question marks bombarded Seele's small head, filling her eyes with confusion. After a long while, she stammered in response: "So, Brother doesn't dislike Seele, it's just because of that, the scars on the back…"
"Scars on the back!"
Nangong Yu couldn't help but correct her.
"Oh, then, then Seele will stand behind Brother from now on and protect Brother's back!"
"Mm!"
Seeing Seele's attention shift, Nangong Yu quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
...
In a blink of an eye, two days passed. Nangong Yu's cold had completely receded, and his butt no longer hurt, making his thoughts immediately active.
"Seele, I heard a new person arrived recently?"
In the cafeteria at noon, Nangong Yu scooped rice, eating and talking with Seele.
"Mm."
Seele nodded gently. After swallowing the soup in her mouth, she carefully pointed her finger in a direction.
Over there, a silver-haired girl with twin pigtails sat quietly in a corner. Although she looked very cute, her face had an expression that warned people to keep away, so much so that no other children were eating with her.
"Come on, Seele, let's go meet her."
Saying this, he picked up his half-eaten plate and walked over first.
Seeing this, Seele also quickly picked up her own portion, following behind her brother like a little sidekick.
Tap.
Nangong Yu placed his plate on the table and said cheerfully to the little girl who showed no reaction at all: "Hello, I'm Nangong Yu, and this is Seele. Can we be friends?"
Unexpectedly, the girl still showed no reaction. She ate her portion by herself, then picked up the empty plate and left.
Nangong Yu's actions naturally drew ridicule from many other children. He blushed and retorted a few times before ignoring them, quickly finishing his meal and pulling Seele away.
"Brother, Seele didn't know she would be like that…"
"Don't worry, it's not Seele's fault."
After comforting the somewhat apologetic girl, Nangong Yu racked his brain.
The more she ignored him, the more he wanted to get to know her. Soon, an idea that seemed brilliant to him emerged.
"Seele!"
"Huh?"
"I have a plan!"
...
Late at night, a faint creak of a door opening suddenly echoed through the quiet orphanage.
Soon, Nangong Yu's head peeked out. After looking left and right and seeing no one, he confidently stepped out of the room, then waved his hand towards the still-open door.
A few seconds later, a tiptoeing Seele also crept out.
Led by Nangong Yu, with Seele following behind him, their practiced movements clearly showed they were repeat offenders. It was hard to imagine how Seele, such an obedient good child, had been gradually led astray by her good brother into this state.
They groped their way along and soon arrived at a room that had only recently been occupied.
"Seele."
He whispered. Seele nodded and handed him the small bundle she was carrying.
The small bundle opened, revealing many strange little tools inside. Without him seemingly doing much, there was a click, and the window lock was opened.
Inside the room, the light-sleeping girl instantly opened her eyes.
She didn't move but used her peripheral vision to look at the slowly opening window. Her hand, hidden under the covers, had already quietly gripped the dagger she had deliberately kept on her person.
An enemy?
However, through the outdoor light, when she noticed who had arrived, the girl froze for a moment. After some thought, she closed her eyes again.
Tap, thud!
"Ooh~"
The little girl following behind the boy seemed to have fallen, suppressing a whimper.
What did they want to do?
The girl was puzzled. She didn't attack proactively, but simply focused her mind and gripped the dagger tightly.
If they harbored ill intent, she would retaliate without hesitation.
Tap, tap, tap.
The footsteps were approaching the bed, and the girl's body gradually tensed.
To her surprise, the footsteps suddenly stopped a short distance from the bed, and a not-too-loud call rang out: "Hey, wake up, wake up quickly."
She opened her eyes at the opportune moment, looking at him with an emotionless gaze.
"You're awake. Do you want to do something fun together?"
"?"
The girl was puzzled.
"Seele, are you done?"
The boy looked back and urged.
"D-done."
As soon as he spoke, a faint light suddenly illuminated the room, accompanied by the sizzling sound of an electrical connection.
"No time to explain, hurry!"
Under the girl's somewhat shocked gaze, the boy pulled her up. She tried to break free, but was astonished to find that she couldn't.
The cold gleam in her hand hadn't even appeared before it was easily snatched away and thrown aside.
She was truly shocked.
"What's so fun about this thing? Come here, I'll teach you something more fun."
Nangong Yu disdainfully glanced at the sharp dagger, then pressed the girl to sit on the floor, while he himself sat beside her.
"Here, take this."
Looking at the white, square object handed to her, which had many strange small buttons on it, the girl spoke for the first time: "What is this?"
"So you can talk."
Nangong Yu glanced at the girl and patiently explained: "This thing is called a controller, and it's a wonderful thing~"
"I'll teach you the specific operations in a moment. Seele, insert cartridge number one."
"Okay!"
Like a disciplined little soldier, Seele obediently carried out her brother's command, taking out a yellow box and inserting it into a small box in front of the small television set before them.
Soon, blurry pixelated images appeared on the small screen, accompanied by a clear, cheerful melody that made the girl's heart pound.