No One Told Me That This Isn’t a Game - Chapter 3.1: My Past Is Catching Up

Suddenly seeing his former follower, Zuo Chang was naturally surprised.

Now, what he had to do…

Zuo Chang walked up, raised his hand, and pinched her cheek.

“…?”

Xue Qiangwei didn’t dodge, saying, “General, what’s wrong?”

Zuo Chang didn’t speak immediately.

It was real.

The flesh in her hand, Xue Qiangwei flesh, felt the same as a real person; her cheeks were warm, pores tight, her skin unusually smooth, and her touch was very pleasant.

In the game, Xue Qiangwei’s illustration was quite outstanding.

If you click her with the mouse, and she would tremble all over, her alluring curves were on full display, her face a mix of desire and shyness, it was tempting to play with her all day, Zuo Chang could attest to that.

Standing in front of him now, her shoulders were narrow, her chest ample, her waist slender, and her figure formed a perfect ‘S’ shape.

The most captivating were undoubtedly the legs encased in thigh-high stockings.

Her thighs were full, her legs elegantly shaped, the combination of shorts and long boots sent one’s blood racing. Even if one tried to look away forcibly, their gaze would quickly become uncontrollable, autonomously drawn to appreciate.

Zuo Chang endured his desire to stare at it with superhuman willpower.

He let go and said, “I didn’t expect to see you here again… How have you been since then?”

Xue Qiangwei smiled on her lips, “I’ve been well, I just miss you. I miss those passionate days and nights we spent together.”

Ah, this.

“Becoming Zero” wasn’t an adult game; it had a favorability system, but not the explicit content.

Zuo Chang asked again, “Do you hate me?”

Xue Qiangwei shook her head, her expression calm, her tone composed, “General, banishing me was the right choice back then. I don’t hate you, I only hate those despicable wretches who dared to defy you. They didn’t understand your wisdom and brilliance at all. Without you, they’re nothing.”

If this were in the game, Zuo Chang would have considered it just a scripted line. But now…

Leaving aside whether the term “despicable wretches” was too harsh, Xue Qiangwei’s devoted stance alone was hard to handle.

After careful consideration, Zuo Chang said, “You should know that I failed. I lost everything in the battle against the Celestial God. I’m not a general anymore, just an ordinary person.”

“That’s temporary, General. With your intelligence and determination, making a comeback is just a matter of time. And as for me—”

Xue Qiangwei knelt on one knee.

Right here on this open square.

She lifted her head and continued, “I yearn to become your sharp blade once more. I will clear obstacles for you, disembowel those wretches who oppose you, and hang them from lampposts!”

Zuo Chang lowered his head, his face filled with hesitation, saying nothing.

The game “Becoming Zero” has many systems placed in it to seduce the potential players, and one of the systems in the game is something called the ‘favorability system’.

When your favorability with a follower reached a certain point, special character events could be unlocked.

Zuo Chang had spent a long time with Xue Qiangwei, so her favorability was naturally high, and he was familiar with her events.

She had three events in total:

“The Orphan Girl Full of Lies”

“Deception is Also a Form of Talent”

“To My Beloved, I Offer Everything”

The first event’s plot was roughly about Xue Qiangwei craving attention due to lack of love. She forged jewelry, counterfeited luxury clothes, learned social etiquette, falsely claimed to be a noble’s descendant, smoothly infiltrated high society, only to be exposed, mocked, and eventually choosing to commit suicide by jumping into a river—a tragic tale.

The second event was about Zuo Chang rescuing her from the river, training her against all odds, intending to send her on a life-or-death mission to an opposing community.

The third event was about Xue Qiangwei successfully completing the mission, gaining everyone’s attention, Zuo Chang personally placing the “King’s Medal” symbolizing the highest honor on her, and Xue Qiangwei swearing allegiance to him.

When Zuo Chang read the story at the time, he had two thoughts—

The first was that the CG (computer graphics) were decent.

In the second event, when Xue Qiangwei faced setbacks during her training and was feeling disheartened, Zuo Chang appeared at the right moment and said the line “Deception is also a form of talent,” and “Your lies will become my sharpest sword.” Xue Qiangwei looked quite attractive in her depiction.

The second thought was that it was a bit far-fetched.

Leaving aside the fact that there wasn’t any such “life-or-death mission,” even if there were, Zuo Chang wouldn’t send an inexperienced person to execute it.

Was he asking for that person’s death?

But…

It seemed that those favorable events in the game might actually come true.

Looking at the blonde woman’s humble and submissive posture by his feet, Zuo Chang was acutely aware:

What seemed to be a bunch of images with text on the monitor screen to him was a cherished memory of beauty and devotion for Xue Qiangwei.

At a certain moment, Zuo Chang indeed supported her, bringing warmth to her.

Seeing Zuo Chang remain silent for a long time, Xue Qiangwei understood his reluctance.

Her heart raced, and the tears she had held back threatened to fall again, “General… Do you… no longer need me?”

Zuo Chang truly couldn’t stand seeing a woman cry.

He said, “Xue Qiangwei, your loyalty has my gratitude. I am glad to have had a subordinate like you.”

“I will forever be your subordinate, General!”

“Well… is there a possibility that I don’t want to be a general right now?”

Xue Qiangwei was taken aback, blinking her eyes as if not fully understanding his words.

Zuo Chang helped her up and said, “A year ago, I fought against the Celestial God. The power the Celestial God revealed left me breathless, and I didn’t know what to do to overcome such beings. Xue Qiangwei, it’s not that I don’t need you, it’s just… I haven’t found my direction yet.”

“Ah…”

This time, Xue Qiangwei understood.