My Strange Tale Love Strategy Simulator

When Zhang Ying came out of the clothing market, he had an exquisite gift box in his hand.

The box wasn't big, but holding it in his palm made him walk a few steps slower than usual.

Sitting in the back seat of the ride-hailing car, he placed the gift box on his lap, his hands loosely guarding the sides of the box. If the car braked even slightly abruptly, his fingers would instinctively tighten around the edge of the lid.

I escorted her all the way to her doorstep, and only when I got out of the car did I realize that I had been breathing very softly.

Pushing open the door, Zhang Ying placed the bags he was carrying next to the shoe cabinet, put the gift box separately in the center of the coffee table, and then collapsed onto the sofa.

The little turtle we brought from the amusement park is now sitting on the coffee table, box and all. The little turtle slowly climbs onto a rock in the water to breathe.

It was already dark outside the window. The living room lights were off, with only the red light from the TV standby function shining in the darkness.

A message popped up on my phone screen; it was from my mom.

The store needs her to go on another business trip, and she probably won't be able to come back anytime soon.

Zhang Ying stared at the message for two seconds, then slowly exhaled.

If my mom came back now and saw me, who had grown from 1.7 meters to 1.8 meters tall and whose muscles were about to burst out of my short sleeves, she would probably be shocked.

Now that his mother isn't around, he no longer needs to time things so he can be available whenever he wants.

He sat up straight and opened the simulator panel.

As explained in the interface, once you unlock the romantic relationship, you can directly pull your lover to your side whenever you encounter danger.

I'm not in any real danger right now, but it's always good to try it out beforehand, right?

Could it be feasible to give out the gift while trying it out, and also finish the task of combing hair at the same time?

Yes, that should work.

Zhang Ying opened the Lover's Handbook, cleared his throat, and called out to the panel, "Senior."

The panel remained completely still.

He frowned, then tried to immerse his consciousness into the panel, just like when he used the jade bracelet to connect with Li Ziqing at the amusement park. He closed his eyes and let his thoughts explore down the edge of the panel.

This time he sensed it.

It wasn't the cool, guiding force of a bracelet, but another barely perceptible thread, subtly touching the end of his consciousness.

He followed this line and called out in his heart.

"Senior"

A response came immediately from the other end of the panel.

Zhang Ying suddenly opened his eyes.

A fair hand is extending from the center of the panel screen, with its five fingers spread out, pressing against the edge of the panel!

Next came the forehead, then the body, until Li Ziqing emerged completely from the panel. As his toes finally left the edge of the screen, a faint blue light pattern remained on the panel as it began to fade.

Zhang Ying stared with his mouth slightly agape at Li Ziqing, who had appeared out of nowhere in the center of the living room. For a moment, he didn't know whether to ask her how she did it or to explain that he hadn't summoned her unintentionally.

Li Ziqing also had some doubts.

She walked barefoot on the living room tiles, the hem of her white dress still carrying a wisp of breeze from the panel, slowly falling back to her ankles.

She looked around at her surroundings, then looked down at her hands, and finally fixed her gaze on Zhang Ying.

"How...did I get here?" She tilted her head, her tone more puzzled than surprised.

Upon hearing Li Ziqing's answer, Zhang Ying swallowed back the question that was about to come out.

Li Ziqing didn't know how she got through it.

If he asked any further questions, he would inevitably have to bring up the issue of the control panel. He didn't want to reveal the existence of the simulator to Li Ziqing.

He turned his gaze to Li Ziqing, who was standing in front of him. She was still wearing the white dress from the amusement park, the hem hanging quietly above her ankles.

Li Ziqing wasn't wearing a straw hat; she maintained the appearance of a human girl, with long black hair cascading down her shoulders, gleaming softly in the warm yellow light of the living room.

Zhang Ying organized his thoughts and began to explain, "I've learned a method that supposedly brings my senior to my side, and today I just want to test if it works."

Li Ziqing didn't press him to ask where he learned it. Her eyes lit up, and her tone was filled with undisguised excitement.

"If that's the case, then I can protect my junior's safety at any time from now on."

Zhang Ying was momentarily speechless at her words. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but in the end, he only stammered out, "Yes."

Li Ziqing walked barefoot around half of the living room. Her feet made no sound on the tiles, but she stopped to look at herself after each step.

The little turtle on the coffee table is still slowly climbing the rocks; the bag of toys brought back from the amusement park is piled up next to the TV cabinet; and several takeout orders are magnetically pressed down on the refrigerator door.

As she bent down to get a closer look at the turtle, her skirt trailed on the tiles. She gently lifted it with her fingers, afraid of stepping on it.

"Is this my junior's house?" She turned around, a hint of teasing in her voice. "I didn't expect to be at his house so soon. We've only known each other for less than a month, isn't this moving a bit too fast?"

Zhang Ying stood by the sofa, coughed twice, and felt a little hot in the ears. "Senior, stop teasing me. Actually, there's something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?" Li Ziqing walked back curiously, his hands behind his back and leaning slightly forward.

Zhang Ying picked up the exquisite gift box from the coffee table. The box wasn't large, and the wrapping paper had a matte finish under the light.

He handed the gift box to Li Ziqing with both hands.

"Senior, this is a gift for you."

"A gift?" Li Ziqing was clearly taken aback. She took the gift box somewhat hastily, her fingers first touching the edge of the wrapping paper, then pulling back, and readjusting the angle before she could steadily support the bottom of the box.

She looked down at the exquisite gift box in her hand, suddenly unsure of what to say.

This wasn't the first time a boy had given her a gift. When she was alive, she always received various gifts from her classmates. When the dance team won a prize in a competition, younger students would bring bouquets of flowers to the door of the dressing room.

But the gifts Zhang Ying gave had a different meaning than those given by others.

She gently stroked the edge of the ribbon with her fingers, her mind wandering, and a blush crept onto her ears.

They're in a romantic relationship now, right? How should one respond appropriately to a gift exchanged between lovers?

Shouldn't we act more surprised?

Or should I be a little more reserved?

She rubbed her fingertips back and forth on the ribbon several times, pursed her lips and then relaxed them, rehearsing four or five different reactions in her mind, but none of them felt quite right.

Seeing that she hadn't made a move, Zhang Ying tentatively asked, "Don't you like this gift, senior?" He deliberately lowered his voice by half an inch, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment.

"No, no, absolutely not!" Li Ziqing hurriedly waved his hands like a rattle drum, and the gift box almost flew out of his palm.

She took a deep breath, focused her attention on her fingertips, and carefully untied the ribbon, lifting the lid of the box. The matte wrapping paper slid from her palm onto the coffee table with a soft rustling sound.

A white beret lay quietly in the box. It had a round shape, was made of soft material, and had fine and neat stitching along the edges. It was clearly not a cheap product.