The Heiress's Game

Gu Yunjin's work has finally come to a temporary end, and she returns to the barbecue party. Bai Tianyi and Qian Yuewei are slumped face to face on the outdoor sofa, in exactly the same posture.

Leaning back against the cushions, phones resting on their stomachs, their eyes staring blankly at the string lights above, they looked like two empty shells whose souls had just been emptied.

The two phones were still lit up, and the results screens of the game lay side by side, with two big "defeat" signs like two slaps, symmetrical on the left and right.

"We'll duo queue," Bai Tianyi's voice was hoarse, as if he had just experienced a life-or-death separation.

"We're both esteemed V10s, two V10s. Do you know what it means to have two V10s duo queue?"

It means you've spent enough money, bought enough skins, and even your hero's recall animation is a limited edition, and then you lose five games in a row.

"Stop talking." Qian Yuewei covered her face.

Bai Tianyi sat up abruptly, his expression a mixture of grief and disbelief. "We pushed up to the high ground, the enemy crystal was down to its last sliver of health, and then our jungler suddenly disconnected."

Disconnected! Right the moment I activated the crystal! His Wi-Fi went down! Can you believe this is the kind of teammate a VIP 10 player would encounter?!

"No swearing." Gu Yunjin sat down at the table and picked up a skewer of lamb.

"Sister-in-law, I didn't use any foul language; I was stating the facts."

Bai Tianyi took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure, but failed.

"The worst part is that the system matched us with normal people, and our teammates were sending signals like crazy and the rhythm was incredibly smooth."

As it turned out, the opposing team had a top-ranked Luna player who could take on five opponents at once. The five of us were like five super minions in front of her.

"Why is the other side always stronger than us?"

Qian Yuewei sat up, picked up her beer glass and clinked it with Bai Tianyi's. The two drank it down in one gulp, their movements so synchronized that they seemed like survivors who had just crawled out of the same car accident.

"This game is cursed against V10," she put down her cup, her tone calm with a sense of profound understanding. "I'm sure of it. Tianyi, what exactly did we do wrong?"

We just spent some money and bought a few skins to make our heroes look better. What's wrong with that?

"Our only mistake was being too kind." Bai Tianyi gripped his beer glass, his eyes filled with sorrow.

"Next time we duo queue, let's remove our skins and pretend we're poor. Maybe the system will take pity on us."

"You believe this?"

"...I don't believe it."

Gu Yunjin quietly ate her lamb skewers beside her. "Don't you two ever look at the enemy team's lineup when you play games?"

"I saw it," Qian Yuewei said, looking aggrieved. "Seeing it only made me more desperate."

Bai Junze followed Gu Yunjin out, pulled out a chair and sat down next to her. He picked up a skewer of lamb, took a bite, nodded slightly, and said to Bai Tianyi, "It tastes good."

After being praised by his older brother, Bai Tianyi immediately recovered some of his energy from his "victim of five consecutive losses in duo queue" state. He sat up straight and eagerly offered Bai Tianyi a piece of freshly grilled beef tongue.

"Brother, try this. It's a new sauce I made, with a touch of lemon juice and black pepper. It'll cut through the richness."

Qian Yuewei watched his instantaneous change of expression and curled her lip in disdain:

"Who just said they died hand-in-hand with me in Lu Bu's ultimate? You're fully healed after just one compliment from your older brother?"

"That's different," Bai Tianyi said matter-of-factly. "If you lose a ranked match, you can play again. Big Brother's praise doesn't come every day."

"So, are you still fighting? If you are, will I join the battle?" Gu Yunjin asked.

Bai Tianyi and Qian Yuewei exchanged a glance and shook their heads simultaneously.

Bai Tianyi's expression suggested he had made an extremely difficult decision:

"That's it. If we keep fighting, I'm afraid one of us will throw our phone into the oven. For the sake of my phone and Yuewei's belongings, let's stop here tonight."

"Five consecutive losses are fine," Qian Yuewei said in a low voice, "I, a dignified V10, have fallen to diamond—I can't accept this reality."

"The barbecue party is starting again!" Bai Tianyi stood up, patted the cumin powder off his hands, and walked back to the grill.

"Sister-in-law, how well-done do you want your steak? Yuewei or well-done, right?"

You guys keep eating, I'll flip the chicken wings over—I'll tell you, I just found a trick to make the chicken wing skin crispier while I was grilling them.

First, heat it over high heat to seal the skin, then simmer it over low heat. Add a little vinegar when brushing on the sauce.

"Have you ever considered opening a private restaurant?" Gu Yunjin asked the question again.

"Not considering it," Bai Tianyi replied without turning his head as he flipped the chicken wings.

"If a hobby becomes a job, then you're no longer happy. I grill skewers because I enjoy it. If I were unhappy, what's the difference between opening a shop and having customers swarming in to order, and having five people camping in the bushes across the street?"

Gu Yunjin glanced down at the news articles on her phone screen, all of which were about the aftermath of the Randy incident and included analyses of Xingyao's losses.

There's been discussion about whether the dating reality show industry is doomed, with the comments section filled with arguments and reflections from netizens.

She scrolled through the comments and suddenly smiled.

Bai Junze was placing a skewer of beef tongue onto her plate when he turned his head and glanced at her: "What did you see?"

"I saw a business opportunity."

Gu Yunjin turned her phone around to show him; on the screen was a comment from a netizen with over ten thousand likes.

The text reads: "The biggest problem with dating reality shows is that the guests' personalities can be exposed, but fictional characters never will. I'll spend money on gacha pulls; at least my husband won't get arrested for soliciting prostitutes."

Bai Junze raised an eyebrow but did not reply immediately.

Bai Tianyi was brushing honey onto chicken wings when he heard the word "business opportunity," and his ears immediately perked up.

But then he immediately remembered the painful experience of asking his sister-in-law what project she was working on last time, only to be left dizzy and confused by her string of financial jargon, so he silently lowered his head and focused on brushing his honey.

Gu Yunjin picked up a beer can and took a sip, speaking casually as if they were chatting.

"It would be a lie to say I'm not heartbroken that this dating reality show has failed."

But after reviewing the comments and private messages from netizens over the past few days, I discovered a very interesting phenomenon.

It's not that people don't like watching dating reality shows anymore, but rather that they don't trust real people anymore. The most common comment is, "Anime characters are still more reliable."

She held up one finger, "So I was thinking, instead of spending tens of millions to hire real guests to date."

Instead of worrying about their public image collapsing—being involved in prostitution, cheating, or having their persona ruined—it's better to create a dating product that will never collapse.

Qian Yuewei, who was gnawing on a chicken wing, looked up when she heard this, a bone still dangling from her mouth, and asked indistinctly, "What is that?"

"Otome games. Immersive dating simulation games specifically designed for girls."

The storyline, visuals, and voice acting are all top-notch, allowing players to interact with, date, and develop relationships with the game's characters.

These characters won't age, won't have scandals, won't be involved in rumors, and certainly won't be arrested for soliciting prostitution. The most crucial element is the sense of immersion.

"Immersion?" Bai Tianyi blinked. He seemed to have heard this term in some game GG, but he wasn't quite sure what it meant.

"It's about making players feel that the person on the screen exists specifically for her."

Gu Yunjin turned to look at him and patiently explained.

"No matter how well a dating reality show is made, the audience is always just an observer, watching other people fall in love."

But otome games are different; the player is the protagonist, and all the plot, all the interactions, and all the confessions revolve around her.

She wasn't just observing other people's love stories; she was experiencing her own.

Gu Yunjin continued, "During this time, I've been researching the female-oriented romance games on the market."

"It's mediocre. The characters are formulaic, the plot is thin, and the interactivity is poor. Players have to fill in the gaps in their imagination to feel immersed."

Even so, the flow of water is still quite considerable.

A game has been online for three years, and its monthly revenue is still consistently in the tens of millions. What does this tell us?

"This shows that there is a serious shortage of good products in this market," Bai Junze continued.

"The spending power of female users has always been underestimated by the gaming industry. It's not that they don't spend money, it's that there's nothing worth spending money on."

"Yes." Gu Yunjin looked at him.

"What I want to make is a truly competitive otome game. Scriptwriting, character design, and creating immersion—these are all strengths of Star Glory."

Although "Heartbeat Countdown" has been cancelled, the team is still there. I've kept all of them: the scriptwriters, the post-production team that creates the atmosphere, and the planners who understand the psychology of female users.

Rather than having them create a variety show that could lose all its money at any moment due to guests' questionable behavior, it would be better to have them create a virtual dating world that will never collapse.

"The profit margin in the gaming market is much larger than that in the variety show market," Bai Junze said, putting down his beer glass and placing his fingers interlaced on the table.

"A successful game product can have a lifespan of five or even ten years, and the potential for derivative products is even greater—merchandise, collaborations, IP licensing, each of these is something that variety shows cannot achieve."

Your team has experience in content creation, but lacks experience in game development.

Technical teams can be poached, and distribution channels can be partnered with; these are not major problems.

If you're sure you want to do it, I can connect you with several top-tier game engine companies in China.

Gu Yunjin turned to look at him, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "You've already come up with an execution plan for me?"

"I simply stated the solution you had already come up with."

"What you just said wasn't asking for my opinion; it was informing me."

Gu Yunjin smiled, raised her glass and clinked it against his, without saying a word.

This is the tacit understanding between them; he never questions her decisions, but only paves the way for her.

She doesn't need him to make decisions for her; all she needs is someone to stand beside her at the decision-making point.

"Wait, wait, wait," Qian Yuewei, who was listening from the side, was stunned and raised her hand to wave it like she was asking a question in class.

"Yun Jin, stop talking to Jun Ze about the business plan for now. How exactly do you plan to make that game?"

Is it the kind of person who will chat with you, get jealous, call you, and show up when you're in danger?

"Yes, the immersive kind."

Gu Yunjin knew that Qian Yuewei was the core target user of this product, and her feedback was more valuable than any market report.

Players can create their own characters in the game and develop romantic relationships with multiple male characters.

Each character has their own independent backstory, personality, and storyline, allowing players to interact with, date, and even develop romantic relationships with them.

"Multiple?" Qian Yuewei's eyes were already shining.

"Multiple".

"Different types?"

"CEO, doctor, senior student, special police officer, artist—whatever type you want, I'll make it for you."

Qian Yuewei took a deep breath, pressed her hands to her chest, and looked as if she was suppressing some kind of emotion that was about to get out of control.

She paused for three seconds, then said in an extremely serious tone, "Yun Jin, you're not talking to me about business plans right now. You're asking me what my dream is."

"So what is your dream?"

"My dream is to date both a domineering CEO and a gentle doctor at the same time, and make them fight over me because of jealousy."

After saying that, Qian Yuewei laughed first.

"But seriously, Yun Jin. The saying 'paper dolls never collapse' really hits home. Several couples I used to follow all fell apart."

Every couple I ship falls apart; I don't even dare to ship real people anymore.

But if there were a game that would allow me to date without worrying about my partner suddenly being exposed for something scandalous, I would definitely spend money on it, a lot of money.

Gu Yunjin glanced at everyone, "And I have an even bolder idea."

"What?" Qian Yuewei immediately came over; she was now completely captivated by the concept of this otome game.

Gu Yunjin picked up her beer glass, took a slow sip, glanced at Bai Junze's face, and then fixed her gaze on Bai Tianyi, a meaningful smile appearing on her lips.

"When modeling, the design team can refer to real-life appearances, for example."

She raised her chin and gestured in Bai Junze's direction, "Someone like my husband would be quite suitable as the prototype for a domineering CEO."

Qian Yuewei followed her gaze to Bai Junze. Under the dim light, Bai Junze sat in a chair, one hand casually resting on the edge of the table, his sleeve rolled up to the middle of his forearm, his features clearly defined under the warm light.

His expression didn't change after hearing Gu Yunjin's words. He just raised his eyebrows slightly, picked up his beer glass, took a sip, and remained calm and composed.

Qian Yuewei screamed inwardly, "Isn't this the ultimate domineering CEO from otome games?"

"And Tianyi," Gu Yunjin added, "a sunny, puppy-like character. You would be a good model for him."

Bai Tianyi had just taken a sip of beer and almost spat it out. He coughed twice and looked at Gu Yunjin with an expression that said, "Sister-in-law, are you kidding me?"

"Me? A sunny, cute puppy? Sister-in-law, I'm at least the second-in-command of the third generation of the Bai family, second only to my eldest brother—"

"What's second only to my eldest brother?" Bai Junze interjected casually.

Bai Tianyi immediately changed his tune: "The food connoisseur. Yes, the food connoisseur. A sunny, adorable guy is fine, he's better than a sunny, unassuming guy."

Qian Yuewei was completely excited.

She braced herself on the table with both hands, leaning forward, her eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light—the look that all otome game players share when facing a new man.

"Yun Jin, let me imagine this—you mean, there's a character in the game who looks like your husband, a domineering CEO, and I can chat with him, go on dates, argue, and make up with him every day on my phone—"

She swallowed hard, turned to look at Bai Tianyi, and said, "There's another sunny, adorable guy like him for me to choose from."

"I have no objection," Bai Junze said, picking up his beer glass with a nonchalant tone, as if he were talking about the weather.

"I'm happy as long as I can help."

He didn't care at all; he wouldn't even play the game, let alone care that there was a virtual character in the game with a face similar to his.

In his eyes, this was just another move in his wife's business game, and his role was to provide her with all the resources and support she needed, including his face.

"Sister-in-law," Bai Tianyi pulled his chair forward, his expression suddenly becoming unusually serious, so serious that Gu Yunjin thought he was about to say something important.

"Sister-in-law, as long as it can help, don't even mention using my face."

Whatever motion capture or facial modeling you need, I'll be there whenever you call.

I could even try dubbing the dialogue.

When I used to play murder mystery games, I learned several voice styles: a youthful one, a coquettish one, and an angry one—”

"You can even act cute?" Qian Yuewei looked at him in disbelief.

Bai Tianyi cleared his throat and demonstrated a sentence on the spot, his voice instantly changing from its usual lazy tone to a sweet and aggrieved one.

"Sister, why didn't you reply to my messages today? I've been waiting for you all day."

"Stop!" Qian Yuewei covered her face, her ears visibly red.

"Shut up! Don't talk to me like that!"

Bai Tianyi sat back down smugly, crossed his legs and swung them around:

"How about it? Is it good? Let me tell you, my voice will definitely be popular in otome games."

I've already thought of the character setup for my sister-in-law: a seemingly sunny and cheerful young man, but actually extremely insecure inside, only the female lead's love can heal the shadows of his childhood.

"You're quite good at making things up." Gu Yunjin smiled and shook her head.

"That's right, I told you, I'm the smartest person in the third generation of the Bai family besides my eldest brother."

"You've said that at least three times today," Bai Junze added casually from the side. "Saying it too much makes you seem unwise."

Bai Tianyi immediately shut up and made a zipping motion over his mouth, which made Qian Yuewei laugh out loud.