Middle-aged Love Patch

It had been twenty years since Xu Youyuan last set foot in an internet café.

The last time she visited one was back in middle school, when she was already a gaming-addicted girl who spent every day either doing homework or playing games. Once she started gaming, she’d climb straight to the top ranks, but her academic performance would plummet by over ten places, and her eyesight deteriorated badly. Her parents strictly forbade her from playing, confiscating her tablet, locking away the computer, and even activating parental controls on her phone.

She had tried to focus on her studies, but without gaming, she felt completely out of sorts. Making excuses to study at Shi Ye’s place, she dragged Shi Ye along to an internet café behind her parents’ backs.

That was their first time in an internet café—and the only time during their school years.

Shi Ye wasn’t addicted to games and sat beside her scrolling through Weibo, boosting data for the idol she liked at the time. Xu Youyuan, on the other hand, wore headphones and immersed herself in the gaming world for three straight hours. It wasn’t until Shi Ye, her butt sore from sitting, started whining and pleading that she finally agreed to leave.

Now, she found herself in an internet café again—because her rented apartment had lost power.

She had returned after lunch feeling down, applied a face mask, and planned to take a nice shower and turn in early. But the moment she turned on the water heater, a loud snap echoed, sparks flew, and all the lights in the room went out.

Upon inspection, Xu Youyuan realized the water heater was probably some secondhand junk the landlord had dug up from a flea market. It bore the brand name "Ariston," but the logo looked suspiciously counterfeit.

The sparking was likely due to a faulty thermostat. She unplugged the water heater, flipped the circuit breaker back on, but didn’t dare plug it in again. She called the landlord to explain the situation, only to be met with a dismissive, "Uh-huh."

"Then just replace it," the landlord said.

"I replace it?" Xu Youyuan asked.

"Yeah, all the appliances were in perfect condition when I rented the place to you. If you broke it, shouldn’t you be the one to fix it?"

"But the contract clearly states that if appliances fail due to aging, the landlord is responsible for repairs."

"The appliances I provided were brand new. You haven’t even lived here that long—how could they be aging?"

"That’s easy. I can take it apart and check the manufacturing date—"

"I don’t have money for a replacement," the landlord cut her off. "I originally asked for 9,000, but you bargained it down to 8,800. You’re already getting it below market rate, girl. Count your blessings and don’t push your luck. If you really think the contract’s on your side, go ahead and sue me!"

Before Xu Youyuan could say another word, the landlord hung up, leaving no room for further argument.

She regretted paying a full year’s rent upfront—now, moving out wasn’t even an option.

She used to think she had plenty of life experience, that she’d seen all kinds of shady characters. But now she realized she only understood the norms of her own social stratum. The moment she stepped into a different environment and encountered someone who disregarded both laws and basic decency, she was at a loss.

Grabbing her toolbox, Xu Youyuan decided to dismantle the water heater and see if she could replace the thermostat herself. But just as she loosened the first screw, the lights went out again.

Had the circuit tripped again? Or was someone trying to break in, cutting the power to lure her outside?

Tiptoeing to the peephole, Shuang, unaware of her suspicions, trotted over excitedly, panting and wagging his tail so hard it thumped against the door.

"Shh! Shuang, sit," Xu Youyuan gestured. The dog obediently sat down.

"What’s going on? A blackout?"

"Looks like it’s just our floor."

"Seriously? I spent all afternoon writing a PRD!"

"Ugh, no warning at all?"

Hearing the neighbors grumbling in the hallway, Xu Youyuan relaxed slightly—it really was just a power outage.

Stepping outside, she exchanged a few words with the neighbors. One claimed power would be restored in about an hour.

"Really? Was there an announcement?" someone asked.

"Nope," the guy replied.

"Then how do you know?"

"Intuition."

"…"

Xu Youyuan found the man’s voice oddly familiar. Dressed in shorts and a tank top despite the late autumn chill, he had a girl practically glued to his side.

It dawned on her—this was the couple who fought and made a racket every day. Though she’d never met them, their constant bickering over trivial matters had given her intimate knowledge of everything from their jobs to their family histories. Today was the first time she’d actually seen them in person.

As Xu Youyuan discreetly observed the couple, she didn’t realize someone else was watching her.

Yi Rushuang had stayed up too late the night before, determined to work hard and catch up to her boss’s expectations. Instead of closing the gap, she’d ended up with a fever—39°C—forcing her to take a sick day.

From her vantage point, Yi Rushuang saw Xu Youyuan emerge from the apartment in an expensive-looking emerald-green silk pajama set, face mask on, hair tied back with a pink headband. Definitely not the elderly woman who lived alone and had taken a fall recently.

Had the tenant changed so quickly? Yi Rushuang hadn’t noticed anyone moving in or out. Maybe the elderly woman had a roommate now—good for her, at least there’d be no risk of discovering a corpse by smell one day.

It wasn’t until Xu Youyuan passed a mirror at home that she realized—she’d gone outside with the face mask still on?!

What kind of cursed day was this? She’d completely humiliated herself.

Peeling off the dried mask, she considered returning to the water heater repairs. But it was nearly 7 PM, the smog had been thick all day without a hint of sunlight, and now with the power out, the apartment was pitch black.

Forget the water heater—she still had a proposal to polish and a commercial draft to finalize. The internet café was her only option. Hopefully, the power would be back by the time she returned.

After feeding Shuang, Xu Youyuan grabbed her drawing board and a large bag and headed to a nearby internet café. The sight that greeted her almost made her laugh.

Back in middle school, internet cafés were loud and chaotic—people shouting into headsets, frantically clicking mice. Now, everyone lay on couches with neural interface crystals attached to their temples, resembling a mass grave.

She found a corner seat and got to work.

When Shi Ye and Shi Yue finally located her in the café, the sight of her diligently working brought them some relief.

Shi Ye wanted to go over and chat, but Shi Yue held her back.

"Let her work. It helps her forget things," Shi Yue murmured, her gaze lingering on Xu Youyuan’s focused profile, unwilling to look away.

Two hours flew by at the computer. When Xu Youyuan finally moved, a sharp pain shot through her lower back.

She was exhausted, but at least her mood had stabilized.

Compared to the humiliation and fury she’d felt at noon—when she’d wanted to tear into Liu Feng but forced herself to stay calm—now, she was just tired.

But exhaustion didn’t stop Liu Feng’s smug face and mocking words from resurfacing in her mind.

She knew she shouldn’t care, but who could truly brush off a direct insult?

All she could do was remind herself to look forward, ignore the barking behind her, and find distractions.

Her eyes ached from screen fatigue—staring at displays for too long made it hard to keep them open. The discomfort was already setting in.

Xu Youyuan took out the access crystal for "Reshaping the Universe," planning to check on the mining progress and upgrade some equipment.

Thus, she joined the ranks of the idle masses.

For non-paying players, the early stages of planetary development in "Reshaping the Universe" were still quite tedious.

Xu Youyuan had tried other quick-leveling methods—even cheating—but none worked.

It seemed that after she left SQUALL, her own brainchild had been completely overhauled, turning into a wild beast that recognized no one.

Wearing a second-tier collection arm, Xu Youyuan crouched on the ground, drilling away with a grating noise.

Perhaps because "Heeheeheehee" had behaved well for a while and hadn’t caused her any trouble, Xu Youyuan didn’t spare a single thought for this mischievous monkey this time.

But the moment she let her guard down was precisely when the monkey would strike.

After a long silence, the planet "Wait Till I Beat You, It’ll Be Too Late Lard Cake" began to tremble faintly. The collection arm in Xu Youyuan’s hand let out a sharp squeak, its three metal claws curling into a ball, as if sensing danger alongside its owner.

Xu Youyuan turned around and saw the towering figure of the SS-class boss, Poseidon.

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‍Sea God Poseidon sat atop a golden chariot, his thick golden curls and bushy beard bristling with murderous intent. His muscular arms raised a razor-sharp trident, his diamond-like muscles and the massive wheels threatening to crush the tiny planet beneath him.

Xu Youyuan bolted for the ship’s cabin, though by now, it was already too late. Among all SS-class bosses, Poseidon ranked among the highest in agility. No matter how godly her dodging skills were, without proper gear or a vehicle, she was doomed to be skewered into dust.

To her surprise, she managed to sprint back to the cabin without looking back—and actually survived.

Puzzled, she peered outside and realized Poseidon wasn’t targeting her, but another player hiding in the distance.

And who else could it be but "Heeheeheehee"?

The golden chariot rumbled toward the hill. Realizing she could no longer hide, "Heeheeheehee" had no choice but to flee.

Poseidon was terrifyingly fast. Even though "Heeheeheehee" was decked out in the legendary vehicle "Instant Teleportation," she was still struck by the trident mid-escape, tumbling awkwardly as one of the vehicle’s legs shattered. Attempting another teleport, she lost balance mid-air, carving a wide arc before crashing violently into the ground.

Poseidon chased relentlessly. "Heeheeheehee" had no choice—crashing was still faster than running.

Each teleport left a perfect semicircle in the planet’s sky and a new crater on the ground where her head had impacted.

Xu Youyuan couldn’t stop laughing, drawing sidelong glances from others in the internet café.

After all the times "Heeheeheehee" had pulled monsters onto her, this was just karma coming full circle.

Removing the access crystal, Xu Youyuan opened her eyes, wiping away tears of laughter, feeling much better.

Schadenfreude wasn’t a great mindset, though. She took a deep breath, stretched her arms, and got back to work.

Shi Yue, who had made an excuse about returning to the company after telling her sister to take a cab home, hadn’t actually left. Sitting in an inconspicuous corner, she also removed her "Reshaping the Universe" access crystal.

From her pocket, she took out an exquisitely crafted vampire figurine, its sly smile revealing a single pointed fang—beautiful and cunning.

Gently stroking the figurine, she watched Xu Youyuan’s smiling face, satisfied that her earlier clowning hadn’t been in vain.

Xu Youyuan stayed at the internet café until 10 p.m. By the time she got home, the power was back on.

Earlier, she had passed by the market and spotted some discounted ribs, so she bought them all—leaving a few for Shuang and using the rest for soup.

After stewing it late into the night, the meat turned out tough, and she’d added too much cooking wine—honestly, it didn’t taste great.

Back then, Little An hadn’t been good at cooking either. They’d gone from mutual complaints to surrender, ordering takeout for every meal.

Next time, she’d just stick to delivery. Greasy and salty, sure, but at least it was tasty—and saved effort.

...

Just when he thought it was hopeless, Liu Feng received an email the next day—N-COUNT had agreed to collaborate with him.

His hungover brain took a while to process it.

Hadn’t that Shi woman looked down on him? Before securing Bai Rui’s referral, Liu Feng had tried contacting N-COUNT himself but received no response. Even after finally securing a meeting, Shi hadn’t given him the time of day.

He’d thought asserting dominance might earn her respect, but she’d vanished in an instant. Convinced the deal was dead, Liu Feng had drowned his sorrows with drinks, only to wake up to success?

Turns out this so-called genius was just a capricious twenty-something kid—easy to fool.

Overjoyed, Liu Feng personally replied to the email and planned a press conference, inviting business media to give it maximum exposure.

Living in the suburbs had its perks. Aside from scoring discounted meat at the market before closing time, there was also a massive flea market nearby.

The flea market wasn’t far from Xu Youyuan’s residence at Juhe Gardens—just a fifteen-minute ride on an electric scooter.

Calling it a "flea market" was generous; it was more of a dumping ground. Mountains of urban waste were piled here, with the slightly salvageable items fenced off for daily scavenging. Other scrapped appliances could be dismantled for copper, which already sold for 50 yuan per pound.

Smaller components could also be sold separately. Xu Youyuan went hunting for a thermostat and actually found one that seemed functional. After installing it, her water heater worked again.

She spent days combing through the flea market, picking up all sorts of things—even a replacement part for her broken 3D printer. The print quality wouldn’t match the original, but it was good enough for everyday use.

The flea market was always bustling, with even large corporations sending people to scavenge raw materials for refining. Xu Youyuan was tempted—so much so that she considered diving into the scrap business herself.

While hunched over a pile of junk, assembling an ancient gaming desktop, she got a call from her aunt.

Seeing her aunt’s face pop up on the screen, Xu Youyuan—who had been sitting cross-legged playing Civilization 6—immediately felt a pang of unease.

After her mother’s passing, her father had lived alone. Xu Youyuan had wanted him to move in, but he refused. He’d never liked city life, and that hadn’t changed.

The older he got, the more stubborn he became. Not wanting to force him, Xu Youyuan had left him the last of her savings.

It wasn’t enough for luxury, but at least he could live comfortably alone.

She’d later confessed this to Little An, who hadn’t made a big deal out of it.

After the funeral, Xu Youyuan had been worried about her father, but with a mountain of problems waiting for her, she’d had no choice but to leave. She’d asked her aunt to keep an eye on him.

Her aunt rarely contacted her, so this sudden video call could only mean one thing: it was about her father.

The connection went through. Her aunt looked exhausted, her hair unkempt. The first thing she said was:

"Youyuan, can you come home for a while?"

"What happened to my dad?"

"You'll know when you get back."

Auntie's vague reply only made Xu Youyuan more anxious. She quickly booked a ticket home and left Shuang at a pet shop near her apartment complex.

When Xu Youyuan arrived at the vacuum train station, her aunt came to pick her up—but instead of heading home, they went straight to the hospital.

"Don’t panic, it’s nothing too serious. Your father just took a bad fall," her aunt said in the car, but Xu Youyuan wasn’t convinced.

"How bad is it? Where did he hurt himself? Is there anything else I should know?"

Faced with the rapid-fire questions, her aunt smiled weakly. "It’s not life-threatening—soft tissue injuries, mostly. He’s in pain and can’t walk for now, but the doctor said it’s nothing major."

The detailed explanation suggested her aunt wasn’t lying, but Xu Youyuan sensed hesitation.

"Auntie, is there something else?"

With a sigh, her aunt finally relented. "Your father didn’t want me to tell you. He knew about what happened to you recently and didn’t want to disrupt your work. But you’re his only daughter now that Tingting is gone. If you don’t take care of him, who will?"

Tingting was Xu Youyuan’s late mother. As her aunt spoke, tears welled in her eyes. "After Tingting passed, your father started drinking again. He wakes up with a glass in his hand and doesn’t eat—just drinks until midnight. I’ve tried talking to him, but he always asks me, ‘What else is there for me to do?’ The moment he’s sober, all he thinks about is Tingting. It’s too painful for him. You know how deeply your parents loved each other. I watched it all unfold. What could I possibly say to that?"

Xu Youyuan clenched her fists. "So this fall… it happened because he was drunk?"

Her aunt nodded, wiping her eyes. "I really didn’t want to bother you, but this isn’t the first time he’s fallen. Each time, it gets worse. Next time, it might not just be soft tissue damage. Youyuan, you’re the only one who can get through to him. Talk to him properly this time. If nothing else, take him to live with you. He’s getting older, and now that you’re divorced, living alone must be lonely for you too."

Xu Youyuan stayed silent, only nodding. As the car neared the hospital entrance, her aunt muttered under her breath, "Back then, when you insisted on marrying that woman, the family did raise objections. But your parents supported you, so what could the rest of us say? Who could’ve predicted how things would turn out? If you’d lived a normal life, had a child for your father to dote on, maybe he wouldn’t have…"

The last few words were lost, and Xu Youyuan didn’t care to hear them. She rushed out of the car and toward the hospital room.

Just as she reached the door, she overheard whispers from a group of patients passing by:

"Wow, it’s really her—the game developer!"

"I told you that was her dad in there."

"Wasn’t she in prison? How’d she get out?"