“Delicious!”
Quickly stuffing the rabbit meat into his mouth, Wei Xicheng was burned so badly that he stuck out his tongue to cool it down, yet he still gave a thumbs-up in praise.
Just as he finished speaking, a large firework bloomed in the sky. A world announcement was broadcasted three times in a row, with blindingly colorful scrolling text that made sure everyone saw the message:
[Congratulations to player for completing the hidden quest <Behind the Bandit’s Tears>, earning: SSS-rank Mystery Pet Egg x1, Divine Class Transfer Scroll x1, Gold Coins x1,000,000, Experience x100,000.]
[Congratulations to player for becoming the first player on this server to obtain a pet. The pet system is now activated—everyone, work hard to find your own beloved pet!]
[Congratulations to player for completing the top-tier hidden quest <Behind the Bandit’s Tears>, earning: Bandit’s Favorability +100, unlocking the hidden quest <The Constable’s Dream> (1/5).]
“What the hell?!”
“Is this guy a god?! What even are the Bandit’s Tears?”
“There’s actually a pet system? If it weren’t for this pro player, I’d probably never have known about this hidden feature.”
”+1 to the comment above.”
The online discussion was abuzz with curiosity about Yu Beiyan and eager anticipation for the newly unlocked pet system.
But for the person involved, Wei Xicheng was utterly confused—how had all five quests ended so quickly? The rabbit meat in his mouth suddenly lost its original delicious flavor, turning tasteless like chewing wax. He stared blankly at Yu Beiyan beside him, only to find that the man’s face was filled with amusement and a smirk.
Of course, he was happy! He had effortlessly gained enormous benefits and basked in the admiration of the masses. Just look at how dazzling the name “Yu Beiyan” appeared in the world announcement, while his own involvement was reduced to labels like “bandits” and “thieves.” What was with that injustice?!
Wei Xicheng angrily took another two bites of the rabbit meat, wishing he could bite the man’s arm instead.
“What’s your dream?” Yu Beiyan glanced at the man who was devouring the rabbit meat. Even though it was just a game avatar, the emotions it conveyed were remarkably vivid. With a flick of his long fingers, an oval-shaped egg appeared in his palm.
“Want to eat this?”
…
“In a time of peace and prosperity, as a constable, my greatest aspiration is to fulfill my duty—to ensure that no heinous criminal escapes justice! This is the dream of all constables.”
“As for that egg, I’d rather not eat it. Who knows what it even is?”
Wei Xicheng spoke with great righteousness. In his passion, he even drew his sword from his waist, holding a skewer of rabbit meat in one hand and raising his blade toward the sky with the other, exuding an air of imposing grandeur.
Little did he know that the man beside him was already smiling, his lips curving into an uncontrollable arc.
Even the game servers seemed to be running more smoothly than usual. Every player felt that the game was especially responsive that day, with smoother graphics and more fluid controls. Many left messages for the company, expressing their wish for this level of performance to be maintained daily.
The tech team, bewildered by the praise, had no idea what they had done differently.
Wei Xicheng stood up, tossed the skewer aside, patted the dust off his robe, and casually wiped his greasy hands on it.
“Let’s go!”
“Go where?” Yu Beiyan frowned as he glanced at the man’s now-filthy robe. Why hadn’t he gotten rid of some of his bad habits from the previous world?
“Of course, to chase that bandit!”
“May I ask the constable’s name?” Yu Beiyan lazily flicked his fingers, and in an instant, Wei Xicheng’s robe was restored to pristine condition.
Wei Xicheng looked at his freshly cleaned robe and grinned in satisfaction.
“I am Wei Xicheng.”
“Wei?” Yu Beiyan nodded thoughtfully. This name wasn’t unfamiliar to him.
No matter the reason for the name’s changes, as long as it was still him, that was enough.
The two had spent five consecutive days together. Learning from the last mission, this time, Wei Xicheng no longer casually ordered Yu Beiyan around. Instead, as each day neared its end, he would tell Yu Beiyan to leave and then return to find him again the next morning. Together, they searched for the elusive bandit that was likely long gone.
Five days passed.
Yu Beiyan once again triggered a world announcement for completing another hidden quest, immediately followed by a new hidden quest unlocking. This revelation completely shook the entire server.
“Wait, hidden quests can be linked together?!”
“Is this endless?! And each time, the rewards are insanely good—it’s so unfair!”
Many players complained to the game company, but the developers were helpless. When designing the game, they had deliberately increased the level of AI intelligence and randomized quest generation, allowing for endless possible combinations. In this case, they could only attribute it to pure luck—a “lucky draw champion,” so to speak.
However, when the tech team attempted to check Yu Beiyan’s game profile, they found nothing. Assuming someone had simply encrypted the data, they filed a report and moved on.
Humans are forgetful creatures. Two or three days later, the controversy faded, and players accepted the official explanation—acknowledging that Yu Beiyan was simply the luckiest player on the server.
As for Wei Xicheng, he remained confused.
“Is my presence affecting the game itself?”
He stopped being overly cautious around Yu Beiyan. A gut feeling told him that even when this hidden quest ended, another one would appear, continuing to bind them together.
As for why, he had no clue.
“Constable Wei, we’ve been chasing for three days now, and still no sign of him.”
“I’m certain—it’s right here.”
“You’ve said that countless times already.”
Yu Beiyan coughed lightly behind his hand and let Wei Xicheng rush ahead, heading toward Sunset Peak, known for its most breathtaking view.
The sky darkened. By the time they reached the peak, the perfect sunset view would be awaiting them.
By the time the two of them reached the peak, the place was already crowded with people—most of them appearing in pairs as in-game couples. Some players were even fighting over the best spots for viewing the sunset.
The arrival of Wei Xicheng and Yu Beiyan immediately drew everyone’s attention. Someone quickly switched screens to the game’s forum and started a new thread:
“Let’s talk about the story of that lucky bigshot and his exclusive NPC.”
The thread’s replies piled up rapidly, but Wei Xicheng remained completely unaware. On the other hand, Yu Beiyan was very pleased with the word “exclusive.”
The evening glow at Sunset Peak was even more breathtaking than usual.
Since they had arrived rather late, all the good viewing spots were already taken. Without hesitation, Yu Beiyan grabbed Wei Xicheng’s arm and, with a single powerful motion, leaped onto the highest tower above everyone else. Standing at the very top, they overlooked the entire Sunset Peak, radiating an air of “standing above all.”
The admiring gazes of the crowd slowly faded as they immersed themselves in the stunning scenery. Wei Xicheng, gazing at the slanting sun on the horizon, couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.
After traveling through so many worlds, he had never imagined that one day, he would be standing so calmly beside someone, simply watching the sunset.
“There are no bandits here.”
”…”
“Let’s go.”
”…!”
Calmly, my ass!
Wei Xicheng took two deep breaths. It’s fine. It doesn’t matter. He knew exactly how Yu Beiyan’s mind worked—he had long since gotten used to it. Yeah. He wasn’t mad.
Yu Beiyan suddenly asked, “Xicheng, do you think it looks beautiful?”
Wei Xicheng, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality, only to see Yu Beiyan looking at him with a faint smile.
“What did you just call me?”
That tone—that was definitely not how one spoke to an NPC!
After spending several days together, Wei Xicheng had become accustomed to Yu Beiyan’s formal, business-like way of speaking. But now, with this sudden shift in tone, a strange excitement stirred in his heart.
“Xicheng.”
Yu Beiyan gazed at him steadily. The last rays of the setting sun cast a golden glow on his face, making his expression appear gentle and deeply affectionate.
His voice was light, nearly blending into the warm evening breeze.
“Or perhaps… I should call you, Shuyang?”
Wei Xicheng’s eyes widened in shock.
“You remember… the past?”
His eyes shimmered, and he suddenly felt like he was about to turn into one of those annoying crybabies.
It had to be this damn game’s fault! The NPC settings were way too sentimental, making it impossible for him to control his emotions.
“I remember you.”
Yu Beiyan smiled.
As the sun completely dipped below the horizon, the sky darkened. A few scattered stars began to twinkle, and the moonlight illuminated the landscape with a cool, serene beauty—a stark contrast to the earlier warmth of the sunset.
Wei Xicheng stared at Yu Beiyan’s profile, stunned.
His face had already shifted—he now looked exactly like the Yu Beiyan from their previous world.
Wei Xicheng turned his head, and in the distance, he saw the town below. Every house had its lights on, glowing warmly and naturally.
This wasn’t reality.
And yet, at this moment, his feelings felt undeniably real.
“I’m just an NPC.”
The unspoken meaning behind those words was something both of them understood perfectly.
An NPC in a game was nothing more than a set of data.
He could never truly exist in the real world.
Only within this virtual reality could he be felt, seen, and interacted with.
“Mm.”
After a long silence, two arms wrapped around Wei Xicheng, pulling him into a firm embrace.
He could even feel the warmth of the man holding him.
“For people like us, this world is the only one that makes sense.”
“We’ve both lived through endless illusions, experienced countless stories that weren’t truly ours, and in the end, we were always left with choices we never actually made ourselves.”
The arms around him tightened slightly.
Wei Xicheng heard Yu Beiyan sigh softly beside his ear before continuing,
“In a world like this… the only thing we truly have is each other.”
“Only you can remind me of who I used to be.”
His words were deliberately vague, but Wei Xicheng could hear the meaning hidden beneath them.
He looked at Yu Beiyan in disbelief—only to receive a reassuring smile in return.
Something warm brushed against his forehead.
Then came Yu Beiyan’s whispered words:
“Xicheng, the one chosen by the system… wasn’t just you.”