She's So Bad, I Love Her

For elementary school kids, Pretty Cure was a little childish, but for adults, it was just right.

[Mom, I'm in love!]

[Hiss, white hair, hiss, I'm cured.]

[Holy shit, that character model! This is what happens when a game isn't shackled by political correctness. Now I have no choice but to play the hell out of it.]

[You give me a pretty girl, I give you money. Seems fair.]

[Stop spamming, damn it! Make way, everyone. I want to see my wife!]

When Above the Stars was being promoted, it had never shown off any beautiful female characters like 2B or Tifa. The focus had been on its realistic graphics and extraordinary freedom.

In fact, the first wave of players really had come for the graphics and gameplay.

But liking high-quality graphics and gameplay didn't mean players couldn't like pretty girls. Many players would spend hours installing a whole bunch of big, busty mods before even playing a certain game.

Bai Fu's radiant entrance had been completely unexpected, yet it had perfectly hit the players' sweet spot.

So, in just a few seconds, the livestream chat had started flooding with comments.

Watching this, Bai Fu was deeply distressed.

What a sin!

If she could hand out quests like a normal NPC, why the hell would she go to all this trouble? She could just become Above the Stars' version of Seria and get the players to top up their seven hundred thousand—wouldn't that make them happy?

With tears in her eyes, Bai Fu secretly waved for An Ya, who was hiding nearby and fanning her with all her might, to stop.

As her silvery-white hair settled, she walked straight into the alley.

The thug who had kidnapped Digging Princess came to his senses.

"You... Aren't you the one who came to ask the boss for money a few days ago?"

The thug's brow relaxed.

When they'd first knocked Bai Fu out, they'd been pretty panicked. After all, Bai Fu was a member of the Wildfire Gang. They'd been terrified of a bloody reprisal, so they'd hurriedly sent her back.

But once they learned Bai Fu was just an ordinary non-core member, they calmed down.

So she was just a nobody!

Let's just say, the past was the past, and now was now.

Before, they might've had trouble explaining themselves after beating Bai Fu up. But lately, the Wildfire Gang had set its sights on those lawless outsiders and desperately needed muscle to back them up. Since the thugs could help the Wildfire Gang, it would never come after them over a disposable nobody who could "respawn" on a timer.

The thug immediately threatened her.

"You came looking for trouble just the other day, and now you're here trying to steal my business? Don't think I'm scared of you just because you're with the Wildfire Gang!"

Wait a second. The Wildfire Gang?

Digging Princess and all the players in the livestream froze.

They hadn't been in the game long, but they'd learned through various channels that the Wildfire Gang was the biggest villain faction in the Abandoned Cooling Plant's core area. And thanks to some audacious players, the Wildfire Gang's Favorability with all players was now in the negatives.

What the hell? A twist!

My wife wasn't a Pretty Cure—she was a female executive in an evil organization!

Some players' hearts shattered.

Others got even more excited.

Bai Fu, keeping an eye on the chat, nodded to herself.

She'd expected these reactions. Otherwise, she wouldn't have come here to stir things up.

In a wuxia world, if someone saved your life, a good-looking rescuer might hear, "I'll repay you by marrying you," while an ugly one would probably get, "I'll repay you in my next life."

Ah, what a lovely world, where looks mattered!

Bai Fu stared expressionlessly at the thug. "I'm not interested in stealing your business. I just wanted to tell you: if you want to live, stay out of the Wildfire Gang's business with the outsiders."

The thug laughed. "What if I don't take your advice and get involved anyway? Don't make me laugh. You're you, and the Wildfire Gang is the Wildfire Gang. You can't scare me."

Bai Fu shook her head. "You know nothing about fear."

"Are you gonna say I messed with someone I shouldn't have?" The thug curled his lip disdainfully.

Bai Fu: "..."

Why'd you steal my line?

I'd built that up after reading hundreds of fantasy novels, and you just snatched it from me!

Bai Fu was furious.

The thug was furious too. He wasn't the sort who liked to reason things out. He was better at throwing punches than reciting the Analects.

After a couple of loud knuckle cracks, he strode toward Bai Fu, brimming with menace.

"Come on. If you beat me, you can take her! If you can't, hahaha..."

There was no one else around, so if he killed Bai Fu right there, he wouldn't have to worry about retaliation.

Bring it on. Who's scared? Don't think you can beat me just because you're all muscle. This is a world with supernatural powers. You think my three points of Inspiration are just for show?

Bai Fu walked toward the thug without the slightest fear.

In the alley, they approached each other from opposite sides, one step at a time, closing the distance quickly. Like DIO and the fishmonger heading toward their fated showdown, their bodies tensed with the power of the battle to come.

The wind, the clatter of scattered junk... Every sound vanished in that moment.

Even the daylight seemed to dim.

It was the perfect stage.

At least, it was for the players watching.

[Holy crap, real-life Mortal Kombat!]

[Where are the impact-feel cops? Get out here and give this a rating!]

[You bastard! How dare you hit my wife! I'm gonna kill youuuuu!]

After three seconds of silence, Bai Fu and the thug finally reached each other.

At that moment, the thug raised his right fist. Bai Fu lifted her right hand. The players held their breath.

The next moment, the thug threw a punch, and Bai Fu scattered the lime she'd hidden in her palm straight into his eyes.

[?????]

[!!!∑(Дノ)ノ]

[┌(.Д.)┐]

So much for a fair fight!

Now the players weren't quite sure who the real bastard was.

While the thug clutched his eyes and howled, Bai Fu had already used Slide Step to get behind him.

Knife out, kidney strike, blade turned—smooth as silk!

"-31!"

A bold critical-hit damage number popped above the thug's head.

But that wasn't the end of it. With the [Bleeding] debuff ticking, a string of "-1" and "-2" numbers appeared above his head.

In just a few seconds, the thug's health bar was emptied.

Good night, Makkapakka.

[You killed a thug (common) and gained 150 experience.]

Bai Fu went through the entire sequence without showing any discomfort. She was starting to wonder if she was the same kind of psychopath who liked to bash people over the head with a golf club.

I hope I'm okay!

Then Bai Fu decided that made no sense. How could someone who unwound by watching SpongeBob possibly have a problem?

The verdict: it was from playing Above the Stars. Having her body reduced to stats and memories of surviving in the Abandoned Cooling Plant had made her desensitized to bloodshed.

Bai Fu wiped the blood from her knife.

After putting it away, she walked over to Digging Princess, who was still stunned, and meticulously straightened her clothes and hair, which had gotten mussed up while she struggled.

"It's almost dark. You should head home."

Pat, pat.

Bai Fu patted Digging Princess on the shoulder, gave her an encouraging smile, then turned and headed out of the alley.

"Wait, I..."

Digging Princess hurriedly reached out, but stumbled and fell, unable to catch up.

All she could do was watch.

She watched Bai Fu reach the alley entrance and take An Ya's hand. An Ya had been waiting there the whole time.

As Bai Fu was about to disappear, Digging Princess quickly called out, "Your name! What's your name?"

"You're better off not knowing."

By the time her voice drifted back on the wind, Bai Fu had vanished completely.

Lightly I came, and lightly I left.

If not for the thug lying in a pool of blood on the ground, many players would've thought it was the most beautiful dream of midsummer.

The next moment, the livestream chat exploded.

[She's so bad, I love her!]

[Who called my wife a bastard just now? Step forward and own up!]

[A member of the Wildfire Gang? Whatever! I have just one question: who is she?]

[I have to find her!]