My Strange Tale Love Strategy Simulator

After careful consideration, Zhang Ying moved the mouse to option three.

[You have selected option three: attack her family of origin]

In the video, Zhang Ying mustered her courage and resolutely asked Li Ziqing: "Senior Li, are you truly happy?"

Hearing this, Li Ziqing was a little confused: "What did you say? I've always been happy..."

Zhang Ying in the video immediately exposed Li Ziqing's pretense of strength.

[Senior, love is relative, and it's also about freedom. Your parents, in their so-called kinship and love, have placed pressure on your shoulders that doesn't belong to you. You must be feeling very repressed and miserable, right?]

Upon hearing this, Li Ziqing slowly lowered her head, clasping her hands together in front of her chest.

"I...don't say anymore, junior. They're doing this for my own good, for my future..."

[Senior! Since you started learning dance, have you ever truly been happy for even a single moment? You are not a commodity to be traded, nor are you anyone's appendage!]

【you……】

[Senior! You shouldn't ruin your life under such relentless pressure from your parents! Be brave and be yourself; take flight and soar to the sky that belongs to you!]

Zhang Ying nodded slowly as he watched the plot unfold.

"The story continues; it seems like this time it's a sure thing."

In the scene, Li Ziqing stopped speaking and unconsciously fiddled with her fingers. Outside the window, heavy rain poured down and thunder roared.

Inside the vocal studio, a piercing electrical sound rang out continuously, and the screen on the simulator panel also became slightly distorted.

"This...no way, I just set that flag!"

The boy's heartfelt advice completely rejected the girl's parents' teachings. He encouraged her to be herself, but the girl became confused and lost.

Overwhelmed by a complex mix of emotions, the girl broke down!

You... are dead.

Game over

"I... am dead?" Zhang Ying's lips twitched slightly. "Looks like I didn't think things through. A young girl's mind is really hard to fathom."

Your denial completely drove the dancer to the brink of collapse. Her mind went blank, and she dismembered you on the spot, then murdered the entire school...

Ending 1: The Devastated Girl

Zhang Ying sighed: "It's alright, at least we can eliminate one wrong answer."

He closed his eyes and carefully recalled the scene and conversation, trying to deduce why the answer was wrong.

After some thought, he opened his eyes. Although he was conflicted, he already had an answer.

"For Li Ziqing, her parents' plans were her entire life. My words completely negated her parents' education, which is tantamount to negating her entire life. Dance or pressure, though those things are heavy, they are proof that she has lived. To deny them is to deny her."

"Li Ziqing naturally knew that there might be problems with her parents' upbringing, but she couldn't escape it and could only keep this thought to herself. After this thought was exposed, Li Ziqing's self-doubt led her into a state of confusion, wondering where she should go, and ultimately causing her to break down."

Based on this reasoning, he shifted his focus to option two.

"To ask Li Ziqing to understand her parents is to affirm their plans and also to affirm her misery. If we keep her trapped in an inescapable predicament for the rest of her life, she will probably break down in the end."

After eliminating all the wrong answers, only one option remains.

He recalled option one with a complicated expression. This vague and ambiguous option made him wonder if he hadn't found the important information, which was why all the options that appeared were wrong.

Or perhaps in the first choice, you need to select another option to trigger the selection with the correct option?

There's no point in thinking about this now; let's explore it in the simulator instead.

Zhang Ying invested two more points of sanity into the simulator.

[Rationality - 2]

Current sanity: 8

After reviewing the scene once more, the camera focused again on the window of the vocal studio. Li Ziqing leaned against the wall, looking directly at him. The hazy mist on her face still obscured her features, but one could sense that she was waiting for him.

Three options pop up on the panel.

Zhang Ying swallowed hard. He moved the mouse over option one and clicked.

You chose option one: Swear to take her away.

In the scene, a dialog box slowly appears.

Zhang Ying didn't directly offer that promise. He took a deep breath, as if to bolster his courage, and then spoke:

[Senior Li...can you teach me to sing?]

Li Ziqing was clearly taken aback. She tilted her head, her tone somewhat surprised.

"Me? Teach you to sing? But my singing is only so-so. If I taught you, you probably wouldn't learn much."

Her fingers unconsciously rolled up the cuffs of her school uniform, as if she was unaccustomed to being affirmed for her singing.

Zhang Ying in the picture shook his head.

[I'm not looking to learn techniques. I feel that your singing is purer than your dancing. It's not singing for teaching purposes, not singing for performance. In your singing, I hear yourself.]

Li Ziqing did not answer.

She lowered her head. Outside the window, the sound of rain pattering against the windowpane suddenly subsided.

The torrential rain had somehow turned into a drizzle, with fine raindrops falling obliquely onto the glass without making a sound.

There was a long silence.

She slowly raised her head. The hazy mist on her face seemed to have been gently pushed away, dissipating more than half of it.

Her exposed cheeks were flushed, and a smile played on her lips, tinged with a hint of embarrassment.

Okay. I'll teach you.

Zhang Ying, watching this scene from outside the control panel, frowned slightly. He agreed just like that?

What does this have to do with the option of swearing to take her away?

Before he could figure it out, the image of himself in the picture spoke again.

[Senior Sister Li.]

【Um? 】

You must be feeling terrible, living in such a depressing environment.

Li Ziqing paused for a moment. She raised her hand and tucked her stray hair behind her ear, the movement slow, as if giving herself time to compose her expression.

Then she smiled, this time a helpless smile.

Thank you for your comfort. But this is ultimately my own life.

Perhaps you already sensed something was wrong with me... but I really, really can't leave.

The "ya" sounded softly, like a sigh, or like someone who had long resigned themselves to their fate instinctively retreating at the sight of a fleeting glimmer of hope.

In the video, Zhang Ying did not hesitate at all.

I'll take you away.

Li Ziqing raised her head.

If your parents are still oppressing you, then come to me.

His tone wasn't impassioned; every word carried weight. It wasn't a youthful, impulsive vow, but a decision spoken only after careful consideration.

I will always leave you some breathing space. If one day you really can't take it anymore, I will take you away no matter what.

He paused for a moment.

I will always stand by your side.

Li Ziqing remained silent.

The last layer of mist on her face gradually dissipated.

First the eyebrows, then the bridge of the nose, then the whole face.

Li Ziqing's face appeared in full on the screen for the first time, and her stunning beauty was reflected in Zhang Ying's eyes.

Then, tears slid down her cheeks.

She was smiling. Her mouth was wide open, she was biting her lip, her eyes were red, and she was nodding her head repeatedly, as if she couldn't find any other way to express herself except by nodding.

【Um. 】

Her voice was nasal, yet more forceful than any of her previous answers.

I promise you.

The dancer's affection for you has greatly increased.

You... are alive.

【Win!】

[Ending 2: The Weight of a Promise]

After the screen went black, Zhang Ying leaned back in his chair, staring at the words "You are alive" on the screen for a long time without moving.

He finally understood what the "take her away" option meant.

It's not about eloping in the physical sense. It's not about grabbing her hand and running out of the school gate tomorrow. It's about letting her know that she still has a choice.