AYLS – Chapter 6 I’m Done With This Stupid Game!

A pitch-black night. A rock-hard bed.

That was Lin Qiao’s first impression of her first night here. After the blows reality dealt her during the day, she now had a very clear understanding of her situation.

This game was no fun at all—it was brutally hard.

Filthy toilets, unappetizing food—these were what awaited her every single day from now on.  Lin Qiao could hardly imagine it.

Life here was too bitter. She couldn’t hold on. Especially after being rejected by Gu Huayuan, she lost even the last bit of belief in enduring.

“I can’t keep going. I never thought there would come a day when I’d want to give up on life just because a man wouldn’t marry me.”

Tears of grievance seeped into her pillow.

The Fat Cat paced back and forth across the screen. “Of course clearing the game won’t be that easy. Player, you can still keep going. Think about your billions in assets, think about your determination to seize your inheritance.”

“I don’t want it anymore. I give up.” Lin Qiao weakly waved her hand.

The Fat Cat grew anxious. “Think it over again. Just hang in there—perseverance leads to victory! Things will get better!”

“They won’t get better. Tell that damned planner he won. He’s succeeded in driving a bright and cheerful young maiden to the end of her rope.”

Fat Cat: “…Should I put on a movie for you? Maybe some cheerful music?”

Even though it would drain energy, if the player died, it would be destroyed too. Waste or not, survival came first.

At another time, Lin Qiao might have been a little happy at the offer.

But now, sunk in the despair of someone who had lost all will to live, she couldn’t even be bothered to respond. She shut her eyes and ignored it.

She had made up her mind—she would just quietly sleep like this. Tomorrow, and the day after, she wouldn’t get out of bed.

Then she’d just fade away like that. After all, even if she went back, no one would care about her.

Caught in this predicament, Lin Qiao once again lamented how fate toyed with her.

No one cared for her, no one loved her, and this damned game was determined to torment her.

She absolutely refused to let it torture her anymore. She was done!

In the end, she’d probably die anyway, from not being able to bear the suffering.

One sentence summed it up: I’m done with this stupid game!

Seeing she was serious, the Fat Cat grew truly panicked.

“Please hold on, trust me. If you persist, something good will definitely happen.”

But Lin Qiao just lay there motionless with her eyes closed, looking every bit like someone who had accepted death.

All night long, a cat kept trying to persuade her, while a girl lay silent, waiting.

Gu Huayuan arrived very early in the morning. When his morning training ended, it was only seven o’clock, and he hurried off to fetch breakfast.

Breakfast consisted of coarse-grain porridge and corn buns.

He even asked the kitchen unit for some pickled vegetables.

The small squad leader from the kitchen also tried to pry information from him about the pretty female comrade he had pushed on his bicycle.

Gu Huayuan just smiled and said, “Looks like you all have too much free time on your hands.”

The squad leader rubbed his head and chuckled, “Aren’t we just worried she might not be used to the food here? Our meals here can’t compare to outside.”

Gu Huayuan replied, “Right now, everyone eats from the same pot. She’ll have to get used to it sooner or later. Can’t make exceptions.”

Once separate cooking was allowed later, that would be a different story.

Carrying the breakfast, Gu Huayuan quickly headed off to deliver it.

On the way, he ran into a few military wives carrying wild vegetables back. They had left before dawn.

Seeing him still bringing breakfast early in the morning, they smiled and asked, “That Comrade Lin Qiao hasn’t gone out yet?”

“Not yet. She’s never been far from home before. Just arrived yesterday. I told her to stay in and get settled first, get used to it sooner. After all, the climate and environment here are quite different from where she used to live. If she doesn’t adapt well, that could be troublesome.”

“That’s true. When we first came, we didn’t have any energy either,” one military wife immediately chimed in.

But back then, her husband hadn’t let her rest at home. On her very first day, she cleaned everything inside and out. By the next day, she was already out working in the fields with everyone else.

Here, military families also had to work the land. After all, this was pioneering work, with heavy tasks. They couldn’t afford idle hands. Anyone who wanted their share of rations had to put in the work.

An older military wife nodded. “She’s still a young girl, weaker than us. Let her rest a while longer.”

Then she asked, “So, Comrade Lin Qiao, when did you and she start your relationship?”

The others pricked up their ears to listen.

Yesterday, they had assumed the two were dating. But since Gu Huayuan hadn’t explained clearly, they remained curious, whispering about it among themselves.

Gu Huayuan smiled, recalling how Lin Qiao had insisted she wanted to marry him yesterday. “She’s my fiancée. Our families arranged it a long time ago.”

“Oh! So she’s your fiancée? We hadn’t heard anything about it—we thought you had just started dating.”

Everyone was surprised.

They had all assumed it was recent, but it turned out their families had already met.

Gu Huayuan added with a smile, “We were separated for a while. Just found her again.”

So this was a reunion of a destined match.

“Oh my, that’s fate! Looks like we’ll be eating wedding candies soon.”

Everyone laughed happily.

Amidst the chatter, Gu Huayuan carried the breakfast to Lin Qiao’s quarters.

Since the place was occupied by an unmarried woman, he politely knocked and called out twice.

But he found the door wasn’t even locked—just as he had left it yesterday.

He frowned, pushed the door open, and sure enough, saw Lin Qiao lying on the bed.

She was staring blankly at the ceiling, her eyes swollen red as if she’d cried a lot.

Gu Huayuan: “…” His earlier suspicions wavered. What kind of spy would be this foolish, this fragile, and cry so much?

He sighed, set the breakfast on the table, and called, “Comrade Lin Qiao, get up and eat.”

Her eyes were open, but she didn’t respond.

In truth, she hadn’t really slept the whole night.

Such a hard bed, such a dark night, such hopeless days—how could she possibly sleep?

All night, she kept recalling the good life she used to have.

Cherishing the past. Regretting the food she wasted, the dresses she threw away, the bathrooms she hadn’t appreciated.

Maybe she had thought too much, because she even began to hallucinate. She felt like she was dreaming—that once she woke up, she’d return to her old life.

But Gu Huayuan’s arrival was like shattering that dream, dragging her back to this desperate reality.

Seeing her unmoving, Gu Huayuan frowned and walked closer. “Comrade Lin Qiao, what’s wrong with you now?”

Lin Qiao closed her eyes.

Her lips were dry, her face pale, and she looked terribly weak.

Gu Huayuan spoke sternly. “What are you doing?”

The fat cat sighed. “If you don’t marry her, she just wants to die.”

Unfortunately, Gu Huayuan couldn’t hear it.

But Lin Qiao could, and hearing it made her even more depressed.

This time, even if it meant clinging to the last shred of her dignity, she would never give in.

Just as she thought that, her stomach let out a loud growl.

Yesterday, she had only eaten a bowl of that awful vegetable porridge at night.

The corners of Gu Huayuan’s mouth twitched upward slightly. “Get up. Today we have corn cakes—they should taste better.”

Lin Qiao felt utterly humiliated, covering her face. “I don’t want to eat. I won’t eat anything. I’ve decided to starve myself to death.”

Gu Huayuan: “…Don’t be ridiculous.”

“I’m not being ridiculous. I mean it,” Lin Qiao turned over, burying her head under the quilt. She didn’t want anyone to see her shameful state.

Seeing her like this, Gu Huayuan realized she was throwing a tantrum. “You’re acting this way just because we can’t get married now? Is it really worth it?”

Hearing this, Lin Qiao’s chest filled with a rush of grievance and anger. She sat up, disheveled, and glared at him. “What do you know? You don’t understand anything!”

“Then tell me. Maybe if you explain, I’ll understand.”

“I’ll tell you. If I don’t marry you, I’ll die. Do you believe it or not?”

Gu Huayuan: “…”

“See? Even if I say it, you don’t believe me.”

Lin Qiao whimpered, so weak her voice sounded like that of a newborn lamb.

No matter how he thought about it, Gu Huayuan couldn’t figure out what she really meant.

That she couldn’t live without marriage—he simply didn’t believe.

At this point, he had two guesses. One, that his earlier suspicion was correct: Lin Qiao had indeed approached him with a mission. Not for a small company commander like him, of course, but for information from his father. The first step would be marrying him to get closer.

The second possibility was that Lin Qiao was just trying to force him into marriage.

Although he leaned toward the first possibility, oddly enough, looking at her now, she seemed more like the second.

No matter what, Gu Huayuan had no intention of letting her have her way right now.

So, he chose to turn around and eat.

Lin Qiao: “…” What did that mean? He had provoked her, yet he wasn’t leaving her alone? Too much bullying!

Even the game boss was bullying her these days!

What else could she do? Of course, just keep lying there.

While eating corn buns and drinking porridge, Gu Huayuan still kept his ears tuned to the sounds behind him.

But aside from a few stomach growls, Lin Qiao truly made no other sound.

Fine then, let it stay at a stalemate.

Gu Huayuan had no intention of compromising. That wasn’t in his nature. Married or not, he would never accept this kind of crying, throwing tantrums, and threatening to die.

After finishing, he set aside a portion of breakfast for Lin Qiao and got up to leave.

“Remember to get up and eat.”

“Hmph!” Lin Qiao mustered all her strength to voice her protest.

“…”

Well, she still had plenty of energy. Gu Huayuan let out a faint chuckle to himself and walked out.

Once he was gone, Lin Qiao finally couldn’t hold it in anymore. Clutching her stomach, she struggled on the bed, “So hungry.”

Fat Cat said, “Hurry up and get up to eat.”

“No, I said I’m starving myself to death. I’m not joking.”

“Besides, I already took a stand in front of him. Did you see his attitude? If I get up and eat, wouldn’t that be slapping my own face?”

With both reasons weighing on her, Lin Qiao gritted her teeth and decided to endure.

She wanted to resist.

Though whether she was resisting this damned game and its fate, or Gu Huayuan, even she wasn’t sure.

…

While Lin Qiao was on her hunger strike, a small rumor had already begun circulating within the military dependents’ quarters.

It was about her and Gu Huayuan’s proper, official fiancé-fiancée relationship. And the deep bond of reuniting after being separated for so many years.

Some people just listened as if it were a romantic bit of gossip, sighing over the unpredictability of fate.

Others felt regret. “So he already has someone… I was even worrying about how to introduce my cousin to Company Commander Gu since he’s such a good man.”

“Don’t even think about it. You think you’re the only one eyeing him? Everyone’s been watching. What a good catch.”

Tall, handsome, and with a good temper. Word was, his family wasn’t bad off either.

“Alright, don’t bring it up anymore, or Comrade Lin Qiao might misunderstand.”

As they were talking, a neatly dressed woman came walking in, pushing a bicycle.

The moment everyone saw her, they fell silent.

This female comrade carried herself with special poise. Whether in her complexion or her clothing, she was clearly a notch above the others — obviously from a well-off family.

She glanced at the military wives, and seeing that no one paid her much attention, she simply pushed her bike and left.

As soon as she was gone, the gossip resumed — only now, the subject had changed.

“See that? Out shopping again. Captain Xu sure indulges her.”

“Exactly, look at those clothes, probably brand new.”

“Does Captain Xu’s allowance even cover her spending? Wasn’t she supposed to be from the countryside like us?”

“Why wouldn’t it be enough? More than enough! Just yesterday, when I passed by their house, I smelled pork cooking. It was so fragrant.”

They didn’t bother lowering their voices much, so Su Weizhen heard some of it. But she didn’t care in the slightest.

Most of these women were barely literate. Why should she stoop to their level?

They couldn’t possibly imagine how rich and colorful the future world would be.

All they knew was eating from the communal pot and suffering together.

…

Lin Qiao stubbornly lay in bed all morning. When Gu Huayuan came back at noon, she was still in the exact same state as earlier.

Glancing at the untouched, cold breakfast on the table, his heart sank. He walked over and placed the lunch on the table. “Time for lunch.”

Lin Qiao didn’t make a sound.

Gu Huayuan sat down at the table to eat. After a few bites, he couldn’t hold it in. “No matter what, I won’t change my mind.”

Lin Qiao thought, who cares. Even if you say you’ll marry me now, I don’t want it. All she wanted now was release.

Gu Huayuan continued eating, looking like someone utterly immovable.

Once he finished, he picked up the leftover breakfast and left.

He didn’t believe she would refuse lunch too.

Lin Qiao was starting to waver — the temptation of lunch was strong.

But when she looked at those dark, unappetizing buns, she was dragged back to reality.

She couldn’t eat. If she gave in once, when would it ever end? Her already weak body, barely propped up, collapsed back down again.

So when Gu Huayuan returned in the evening, the lunch was still untouched.

Lin Qiao was still lying on the bed, her complexion even paler than before.

Gu Huayuan set down the bowls and chopsticks, frustration simmering inside him. He walked to the bedside. “What exactly do you want? Tell me. Aside from marriage, I can consider anything.”

Lin Qiao hadn’t intended to talk to him, but hearing that, she immediately perked up. “You think I’m threatening you? Don’t flatter yourself.”

“You can still talk? Then get up and eat.”

“I said I’m not eating. Please, just leave me alone. Let me quietly go.” She really had no energy left to deal with this boss. She had already decided to quit the game — the big monster could go wherever it wanted.

Gu Huayuan: “…” She was actually serious. “Fine, don’t want to eat? Then don’t.” He spat the words in anger and strode out.

Lin Qiao firmly declared, “I absolutely won’t eat.”

By now, it was mealtime in every household. The canteen had finished serving too.

When Gu Huayuan walked in, he saw the cooking squad washing pots and bowls.

The squad leader grinned. “Company Commander Gu, done with dinner already?”

“Mm,” Gu Huayuan smiled as he walked closer and whispered, “Got any eggs left?”

The squad leader glanced to the side. “Yes, we’ve just collected some from the team’s farm. Give it a few more days, and we can eat them. Do you want some, Captain Gu?”

Other military wives would sometimes ask them for eggs to feed their children.

But Captain Gu had never done that. He was never picky with food—ate whatever was available. Even the good stuff sent from his family back home, he often shared with everyone as extra dishes.

Gu Huayuan smiled. “It’s been ages since I’ve had steamed egg custard. I just wanted to taste some. Thought I’d trade with you.”

“Alright then, I’ll make it for you right away. It’ll be ready in twenty minutes. I’ll make you two and drizzle some sesame oil on top.”

Gu Huayuan nodded with a smile.

The big communal meals never tasted great, but these little side stoves were handy.

With a splash of sesame oil, the freshly steamed eggs came out fragrant and appetizing.

Served in an aluminum lunch box, it looked deliciously refreshing.

Half an hour later, Gu Huayuan carried the egg custard back into Lin Qiao’s room.

The room was a bit dark, so he turned on the light and opened the lunch box.

At once, a rich aroma spread through the room.

Half-asleep, Lin Qiao caught the scent and instinctively twitched her nose.