Middle-aged Love Patch

When the crystal was removed and disconnected, the taxi had already been parked outside Shi Yue's house for twenty minutes. Her phone had been vibrating earlier, and as she leaned back in the seat to check it, she saw a voice message from the senior who had invited her for drinks.

It was about that matter again.

"The domestic industry is still largely dominated by SQUALL. This monopoly isn’t healthy for the industry’s future or the survival of other players. Right now, the only one who can take a slice of SQUALL’s pie and snatch a bite from Liu Feng’s mouth is you. I never expected someone as young as you, fresh out of the ivory tower, to achieve so much. As your senior, I’m truly proud..."

The senior had sent three 59-second voice messages. The first two and a half were spent praising Shi Yue, and only in the last 30 seconds did he circle back to the main topic—the same thing he’d already mentioned six or seven times during drinks earlier.

"...My old high school classmate is a reliable guy, someone I can vouch for. They’re serious about their startup and just need a traffic gateway. The profit-sharing terms are flexible, so you don’t need to worry about that. With just a little effort on your part, you could save so many people. In any era, a flourishing ecosystem is the best scenario. Shi Yue, you’re practically the savior of this industry right now..."

Wearing her Bluetooth earbuds, Shi Yue listened to her senior’s ever-creative flattery as she stepped into the apartment elevator.

The brand-new community, nestled beside Nanjiang Park, boasted an exceptional location. The elevator opened directly into her unit, which was designed with an open layout—north and south facing, offering a sweeping view of the river from the living room and a glittering cityscape from the bedroom.

The apartment was less than 5 kilometers from CRUSH Tower, where Shi Yue worked. She usually biked to and from the office—energy-efficient, healthy, and an ideal living arrangement.

The elevator walls were covered in full-screen ads. One side displayed "Deep Space III X Venus Expedition," while the other promoted "Reshaping the Universe: Three Major Galaxies Unlocking Soon."

Holding her phone, Shi Yue didn’t reply to her senior immediately.

When the elevator doors opened on the 28th floor, she was met with the stern face of her older sister, Shi Ye.

"Sis?"

"Judging by your expression, you completely forgot I was coming, didn’t you?"

Only then did Shi Yue remember—earlier that morning, she’d received a message from Shi Ye saying she’d drop by her rented place in the evening.

But she’d completely forgotten, caught up in overtime work and drinks, only returning at this late hour.

Shi Yue hurriedly opened the door. "Have you been waiting long? Why didn’t you call?"

"Not too long. I worked late too and got stuck in traffic on the way over," Shi Ye said, following her inside and placing two large bags on the table. "I thought I was running late, but you’re even later."

"I had some overtime too."

"Overtime until this hour? And you reek of alcohol." Shi Ye frowned. "What kind of company are you working for? Did they drag you to some client dinner?"

"Yeah, well, the boss insisted on taking the whole project team. Everyone drank, so what could I, the newbie, say? I had a little. Don’t worry, not much." Shi Yue went to fetch slippers for her sister.

Shi Ye was surprised by the state of her younger sister’s living space.

The door had an iris scanner—just a glance and it unlocked. She’d heard of this kind of high-security lock before, but it was expensive and not yet widely adopted. She hadn’t expected Shi Yue’s rented apartment to already have one. Then again, this building was in the best location in the city, close to where Xu Youyuan used to live—not just the city center, but practically the center of the world. She hadn’t asked about the monthly rent, but she could guess.

As soon as they entered, the lights turned on automatically. When Shi Ye set the groceries down on the table, she was met with a floor-to-ceiling window framing the city’s landmark skyscraper.

High ceilings, a rotating upper-level space, cutting-edge smart appliances, an embedded dome-screen TV, and an AI dog silently mopping the floor... Shi Ye took her sister’s hand and led her to the sofa, speaking gravely. "Tell me the truth."

Shi Yue looked at her warily.

"What exactly do you do for work?"

"I’ve told you before—just a regular AI company."

"A regular AI company? How long have you been working there, and you’re already renting a place like this? The monthly rent here must be at least 60,000 or 70,000, right?"

"It’s not as much as you think."

"Then how much? Be honest."

"...Around 50,000."

Shi Ye sucked in a sharp breath. "Shi Yue, you just started working. How much are you even making that you’re spending all your money on rent? What about food, clothes, other expenses? We’re not rich. You can’t just chase material comforts like this. You need to save for emergencies. What if something happens and you have no money? When you’re desperate and no one can help you... Ugh, I can tell you’re not even listening."

Shi Yue shook her head earnestly. "No, Sis, you’re absolutely right. You haven’t eaten yet, right? Let me cook for you first."

"You’re just brushing me off."

"Who’s brushing you off?" Shi Yue protested, handing her a thumb-sized silver tube.

"What’s this?"

"A Bluetooth-connected mic. You can keep lecturing while I cook—it’ll play through the home speakers so you can be heard everywhere. You can adjust the volume or even add background music if you want..."

Shi Ye nearly smacked her. Shi Yue just laughed and carried a head of cauliflower to the kitchen, genuinely starting to wash and chop vegetables.

Shi Ye followed, expecting her sister to be putting on a show, but Shi Yue’s knife skills were impeccable, and she multitasked effortlessly between stir-frying and simmering soup.

When the dry-fried pork with cauliflower and taro rib soup were served, the aroma and presentation were flawless. Shi Ye was genuinely impressed.

"Wow, living on your own all these years really trained you well. Mom and Dad would be so relieved to know you can actually cook now."

"I’ll go home next weekend." Shi Yue sat at the dining table, checking her schedule on her watch to confirm she was free. "I’ll show off my skills for them too, so they stop worrying and sending you to spy on me."

"Spy on you? We’re just concerned! You refuse to live at home, and with public safety being what it is these days, living alone is risky. What if something happens?"

"Hmm." To Shi Ye’s surprise, Shi Yue nodded in agreement. "I don’t like living alone either."

"Then move back home?"

Shi Yue ladled soup for Shi Ye, flashing a meaningful smile.

Meanwhile, Xu Youyuan had spent 20 yuan online to buy a virtual phone number, registered a new account in Reshaping the Universe, crafted a second-tier heat-resistant suit, and dove back down to the former forced-death line to test whether Shi Yue’s warnings were exaggerated.

The results proved Shi Yue hadn’t lied—after the forced death, she was booted from the game. When she tried to log back in, the system informed her the account no longer existed.

It seemed SQUALL was indeed wary of her, but Xu Youyuan still had hope. As long as there were no groundbreaking innovations in the transmission bridge, what she sought would still be within the game universe.

However, given the rapid advancements in technology these days, whether the transmission bridge had undergone more cutting-edge reforms was something Xu Youyuan, holed up in the western outskirts of the city and fighting back and forth with clients for a few thousand bucks to scrape by, had no way of knowing.

She didn’t have much time to waste.

Finally receiving the final payment for her commercial artwork, Xu Youyuan treated herself to a lavish hotpot feast—a full plate of duck tongues, tender beef slices, a mountain of lamb rolls, and all kinds of fresh vegetables—a well-deserved reward.

She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had hotpot. Ever since her mother fell seriously ill until now, she had been constantly busy with one thing or another. Aside from meals with friends, she usually just ordered takeout to get by when alone.

A single portion often didn’t meet the minimum order requirement, and eating just one dish was too monotonous. Living alone already felt isolating enough—eating too simply would make her seem like some lonely old woman.

So she usually ordered more at once, reheating the leftovers for later meals.

She wasn’t sure if eating leftovers was the reason she’d fainted last time, but one thing was certain: she still ordered extra takeout.

This time, she deliberately chose a mild broth for the hotpot, sharing it with Shuang. By the end, both of them—human and dog—were so stuffed they collapsed onto the couch, with food still left uneaten.

Shuang yawned, and Xu Youyuan, sharp-eyed, grabbed its muzzle, peeling back its furry lips to take a look inside.

She hadn’t paid attention to Shuang in a while, and now she noticed it had developed tartar.

Back when life was stable, no matter how busy she was, she’d take Shuang to the pet hospital every month for baths and grooming. She even handled small tasks like brushing its teeth and trimming its nails herself, ensuring issues like tartar never arose.

Shuang, oblivious to recent hardships, grinned as if smiling, its tail wagging leisurely before curling up beside Xu Youyuan, nestling close with half-lidded eyes—just like the peaceful, happy decade they’d shared before.

Shuang had no idea how drastically its owner’s life had changed. The once-spacious home had grown cramped, the pampered lifestyle was gone, and premium imported dog food had been replaced with budget-friendly domestic brands. Yet Shuang still ate happily, circling its owner tirelessly day after day…

Xu Youyuan picked up her phone and checked her balance.

After paying a year’s rent upfront, she hadn’t had much left. The money from commercial illustrations barely covered daily expenses for her and Shuang, with little to spare after necessities.

Her current savings amounted to just over 50,000—the deposit Shi Yue had given her back then.

Though the deposit was non-refundable, the thought of it still made Xu Youyuan uncomfortable, almost like she’d scammed someone.

Cang Lu’s expenses had to go through company accounts, and payday wasn’t until the 25th of the month. Even then, Xu Youyuan would feel undeserving of the money.

Holding Shuang for a long while, Xu Youyuan’s gaze grew vacant.

There ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍had once been a narrow path ahead, one she might’ve squeezed through if she tried hard enough. But now, even that winding trail was completely blocked. After running forward with unwavering determination for so long, Xu Youyuan had finally hit a dead end.

She wasn’t a pessimistic person. For over thirty years, she’d been the epitome of optimism—quick to anger, quicker to forget, with almost nothing ever taking root in her heart. Shi Ye had once described her with an old saying: a cockroach that just wouldn’t die. Things that would drive others to despair a thousand times over barely made her frown before she gritted her teeth and moved on.

Xu Youyuan used to think of herself as an optimist. Only now did she realize that optimists weren’t immune to hardship—they just hadn’t faced a chasm too wide to cross.

No path forward, no way back. Xu Youyuan was full of energy, but she had no idea where to direct it.

Shuang dozed off beside her, and summer quietly slipped away without notice.

The weather was unpredictable. Yesterday had been 30 degrees, but after a sudden downpour, the temperature plummeted. Now, in the dead of night, a light drizzle began, and chilly gusts seeped through the poorly sealed window. Still in a short-sleeved shirt, Xu Youyuan shivered.

Carefully getting up, she went to fetch a blanket from the closet to cover Shuang.

The moment she opened the closet, a musty odor assaulted her, stinging her nose.

The western outskirts were miles from the river—how could it still be so damp? Looking closer, she cursed under her breath—tiny mushrooms had sprouted inside the closet!

This closet was beyond saving. Xu Youyuan yanked all the clothes out, checked online quotes for furniture removal and secondhand closets, then calmed down after comparing prices.

She grabbed gloves and a knife, trimmed the mushrooms, disinfected the mold, and decided to keep using it.

Mold remover was cheap, after all.

After the exhausting cleanup, Xu Youyuan, panting, tore off her mask and flopped onto the couch.

She was starving…

How could she be hungry again right after hotpot? The poorer she got, the hungrier she felt—what a depressing truth.

Staring blankly at her computer, she suddenly sat up and searched:

Can you eat mushrooms that grow in your closet?