After a whole day of busyness, Master Chen took off her gaming helmet.
Having learned from her previous experiences, Master Chen didn’t rush to get up.
She relaxed for a moment before slowly attempting to rise.
However, luck was not on her side.
What was meant to hurt still hurt.
The pain was worse than ever, and this time, it felt different from before.
The ache turned into a searing pain.
It was as if she’d been thrown into a blazing furnace, every inch of her body roasting in the flames.
Chen Xiaoyan gritted her teeth, her face twisted in agony, rolling on the bed.
The pain was so intense that she couldn’t utter a single word, only letting out weak “mmm mmm” sounds.
A few minutes passed…
Ten or so minutes passed…
This time, the pain attack lasted a whole half hour.
But Chen Xiaoyan couldn’t feel it anymore.
Because a few minutes before, she’d gloriously passed out from the pain.
At that very moment, the ornament hanging by the bed suddenly started to sway.
A gentle breeze wafted in, like a mother’s hand, softly caressing Chen Xiaoyan’s pale little face.
If Chen Xiaoyan had still been awake, she’d definitely have been startled.
This was an air-conditioned room, windows sealed tight—where could a breeze possibly come from?
That eerie wind came and went in an instant.
Two hours later…
Chen Xiaoyan opened her eyes.
She stared blankly at the ceiling, trembling as she recalled the terrifying pain she’d just endured.
What on earth is happening to me?
Not only has it not improved at all, but it’s getting worse.
A while ago it was just sore muscles—now it feels like she’s being burned at the stake?
What the heck?
Chen Xiaoyan was lost.
She didn’t know if she was really sick or if some mysterious power had cursed her.
She’d never heard of a disease where the symptom was being burned alive.
Just days ago at her hospital checkup, didn’t they say everything was fine, totally normal?
Looking at herself now—normal my ass!
Damn, what a scam hospital.
After grumbling for a while, Chen Xiaoyan calmed down.
She knew it wasn’t the hospital’s fault.
This absolutely had something to do with the Immortal Realm.
Ever since she started playing that game, she’d been getting weirder and weirder.
Not only was her body becoming more feminine, but she was having these strange pain attacks.
Each one worse than the last.
If this kept up, she, Chen Xiaoyan, was just a step away from being tortured to death.
For the sake of her own life, she decided to avoid the Immortal Realm for now.
“Ding ding.”
Her phone suddenly vibrated and the notification sounded from under the bed.
Judging by the sound, someone on Penguin had messaged her.
During her pain-induced thrashing, she’d knocked her phone off the bed.
She just hoped the screen was still okay.
Chen Xiaoyan lay across the bed and picked up her phone to check—thankfully, the screen was undamaged.
She unlocked and opened Penguin.
It was a message from Chongchong, that silly girl.
Chongchong: Xiaoyan-jie, what are you doing?
Chongchong: Tomorrow’s the day of our guild gathering, don’t forget!
Thinking of her strange condition, Chen Xiaoyan hesitated, but decided to ask.
Chen Xiaoyan: Have you felt unwell this past month?
Chongchong: Yeah.
Chen Xiaoyan was startled—could other players be experiencing the same thing as her?
But Chongchong’s next reply instantly left her speechless.
Chongchong: I feel awful during my period.
Chen Xiaoyan took a deep breath, trying hard to suppress her urge to hit someone.
She asked again.
Chen Xiaoyan: I mean, do you ever feel unexplained, sudden body aches after logging off?
Chongchong: Nope, I feel super energetic!
Chongchong: And Xiaoyan-jie, something really weird happened to me recently.
Chen Xiaoyan: ?
Chongchong: I cut my hand slicing veggies the day before yesterday, guess what? It’s healed already, not even a scar left.
No scar at all?
That’s impressive!
Chen Xiaoyan: What medicine did you use?
Chongchong: None, just a band-aid.
Chen Xiaoyan: ???
Chongchong: And I’ve gotten stronger too.
Chen Xiaoyan: How strong?
Chongchong: Hmph, I can lift a hundred jin with one hand!
Chen Xiaoyan: Have you been hitting the gym? Careful or you’ll turn into a She-Hulk.
Chongchong: Gym, what gym? If I’m not gaming, I’m on my way to game. Where would I find the time to work out?
Chen Xiaoyan: Then where’s your super strength coming from? Don’t tell me you dreamed of an immortal and awakened spiritual powers.
Chongchong: I have no idea.
Chen Xiaoyan: Everything has a cause. How could it just show up out of nowhere?
Out of nowhere?
Chen Xiaoyan suddenly realized something.
Her own strange pain attacks seemed to have started out of nowhere too.
But Chongchong didn’t have her symptoms—if anything, she’d gotten stronger.
Chen Xiaoyan scratched her head, completely baffled.
Chongchong: Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you tomorrow.
Tomorrow, huh?
At the thought of seeing everyone tomorrow, Chen Xiaoyan suddenly got nervous.
A wave of anxiety swept over her.
She felt a pressure building up, making her want to avoid the meeting.
Chen Xiaoyan no longer felt like chatting.
She put down her phone and tried to get up.
This time, it went smoothly—no more pain.
She got out of bed and ate a little something, but her mind was occupied with the urgent problem of disguising herself for tomorrow’s gathering.
She had no appetite.
She wasn’t worried about the others.
Mainly it was that girl Chongchong.
With her brash, quirky personality, who knew what she might do all of a sudden?
Even if she probably wouldn’t, it was better to be safe than sorry.
No room for luck.
“Ding ding.”
Her phone chimed again, the familiar Penguin notification.
Chen Xiaoyan unlocked the screen to see a message from Mu Qingxue.
She’d sent a picture.
The image was of a bandeau dress…
When Chen Xiaoyan got a good look at the style of the dress, her eyes went wide in disbelief.
Damn, isn’t this my great Tianxiang Sect’s uniform?
Could the Immortal Realm already be selling merchandise?
No!
It can’t be.
The Tianxiang Bandeau Dress isn’t usually this long.
Is it the conservative version?
Also, the dress was patterned with little snowflakes.
Chen Xiaoyan: This is?
Mu Qingxue: I designed it for you myself! How does it look, do you like it?
Chen Xiaoyan: Mm, it’s nice.
Mu Qingxue: That sounds half-hearted.
Chen Xiaoyan: Mm, it’s really nice. I never imagined you had such exquisite skills, Qingxue. So impressive.
Mu Qingxue: That’s too stiff.
Chen Xiaoyan was so frustrated she wanted to flip the table.
What do you want me to say? Here, take my phone and reply to yourself!
Mu Qingxue: Just kidding.
Mu Qingxue: Xiaoyan, is it convenient for you to send me your address? I’ll have someone deliver the dress to you.
Chen Xiaoyan picked a nearby convenience store’s address and sent it over.
Mu Qingxue: Great, Qingzhou? That’s really close. I’ll have someone drive it over.
Chen Xiaoyan: Huh? No need, just mail it to me.
Mu Qingxue: No can do, Yanbao. There’s no time to mail it by tomorrow.
Chen Xiaoyan was dumbfounded.
At this moment, she really wanted to slap herself.
I’m such an idiot.
Mu Qingxue sending the dress over at this hour—the meaning couldn’t be clearer.
And she’d been oblivious the whole time.
She should have realized it long ago.
She opened the picture again, looking at the familiar bandeau dress on the screen.
Instead of feeling repulsed, Chen Xiaoyan felt an unexpected sense of closeness.
That feeling arose naturally.
But this kind of bandeau dress only suited the in-game Chen Xiaoyan, definitely not the real-life Chen Xiaoyan.
Why? Because she had no chest.
She was deeply distressed.
Wait…
Why am I upset about this? Isn’t it normal for a man to have no chest?
Chen Xiaoyan: I don’t want to wear this dress.
Mu Qingxue: Yanbao, this is my heartfelt gift! I spent days and nights working on it, I’m practically bald from exhaustion, and you’re really going to reject me?
I don’t believe a word you say. You really are a wicked woman.