In today's world, cancer is no longer a terminal illness with a 100% mortality rate. We have advanced technology and mature medical teams. As long as you have insurance, a supportive family, or even just yourself...

Chen Huaian turned off the TV and gave a bitter smile. "But I have nothing."

The critical illness notice came the day before yesterday, his girlfriend left yesterday, and today he fell apart.

He was just a freshman in college. His parents were forest rangers who died in a forest fire a few years ago, leaving nothing behind but a meager compensation.

Over the years, Chen Huaian had come to terms with his parents' death and chose to face life positively. With the compensation, he lived frugally and took odd jobs, so finishing college wasn't a problem.

His grades were decent, at least good enough for a top-tier university, and it was said that graduation guaranteed job placement. He thought that even if the salary was low, he could at least survive. But when he went to the hospital the day before yesterday to check on his frequently aching ankle, he was diagnosed with mid-stage cancer.

Knowing he couldn't afford treatment, Chen Huaian simply left school and rented a place near the city's wetland park for a year, planning to spend the rest of his life there. As for what to do when the rent was due and he had no money?

He chuckled, thinking he wouldn't live that long.

He checked his bank balance on his phone, which showed just over thirty thousand left.

"Food costs at most five or six hundred a month. Including other miscellaneous expenses, let's say a thousand. After a year, there should still be twenty thousand left." Chen Huaian pondered over the balance. Life had been tough these past few years. While other students were traveling, he was working odd jobs. While others were playing games, he was working. While others were dating... his girlfriend was cheating on him.

He decided to live for himself from now on.

Play some games, watch the TV series he had accumulated over the years, and if his health allowed, maybe visit the seaside.

[Installation Complete]

[Come and claim your virtual girlfriend!]

Normally, when Chen Huaian saw such ads pop up on his phone, his first reaction was to ignore or swipe them away.

But today, his finger hesitated.

On the main screen of his phone, there was a new app icon, a chibi-style portrait in traditional Chinese attire.

It looked like a girl, dressed in blue, carrying a sword, with flowing robes.

"An auto-installed game? Could it be some kind of virus..."

In the past, he would have deleted it immediately and run a scan with his phone manager, but today he was curious about what these virus apps were all about.

After all, he had nothing left to lose.

He tapped the app, and the screen went black, followed by a pop-up message.

[This game is only for players aged 18 and above. Starting the game will bind your identity, and your account cannot be destroyed or transferred. By starting the game, you agree to these unfair terms.]

"Oh, you know these are unfair terms?"

Chen Huaian pursed his lips in exasperation and clicked to start the game.

He was now 100% sure this was a virus app.

So what would the other party do? Steal his identity information? Chat records? If they found out he was a broke mid-stage cancer patient, would the app's operator uninstall it themselves?

[Please choose your virtual girlfriend!]

The game's graphics were surprisingly exquisite.

The app looked chibi-style, but inside, it was very realistic.

In front of him were a dozen 'virtual girlfriends' for Chen Huaian to choose from, and he could see their basic information. For example, the one he was currently looking at was:

[Japanese Yakuza Heiress: Kotoko Kirishima]

[Age: 22 Height: 158 Measurements: 89, 55, 86]

From the live2D model, this character was curvy, and even the kimono couldn't hide her figure. Plus, she had a sweet face and the identity of a yakuza heiress. This kind of big-breasted loli with a contrasting image was probably many men's type.

Too bad she was blonde and Japanese, which didn't interest Chen Huaian.

After looking at a few more characters, he found they came from different eras, and some weren't even from Earth. It was quite imaginative, and there was even a Transfemaler!

In the end, Chen Huaian's choice landed on a girl in blue.

[Azure Cloud Sect Female Disciple: Li Qingran]

[Age: 19 Height: 169 Measurements: 90, 60, 91]

Li Qingran seemed to be the chibi character on the app icon, but now she looked more three-dimensional. Her skin was fair, her features delicate, with long black hair cascading down her back. Dressed in blue, carrying a sword, her clothes fluttered gracefully. Even without makeup, she was as beautiful as a painting. What struck Chen Huaian the most were her eyes, cold and wooden, with a hint of brokenness and emptiness, as if staring through the screen.

He began to doubt whether this was really a virus.

To make a virus this detailed, were they aiming for a postgraduate entrance exam or a Ph.D.?

Alright, it's you.

[Confirm choosing 'Li Qingran' as your virtual girlfriend?]

[Note! Once chosen, it cannot be changed!]

[If the virtual girlfriend dies, you cannot revive her, and she will disappear completely!]

"So serious?" Chen Huaian frowned, realizing this might be the game developer's intention.

He could almost predict how this game would scam money.

In the past, he would have stopped immediately, but today he chose to confirm.

[You have 132 days of life remaining.]

A message flashed by.

The screen unfolded.

Chen Huaian thought opening the game would lead to low-quality graphics and a cultivation world newbie village, where he would repeatedly use one-click navigation to complete tasks, acquire equipment, mounts, and one-click dungeon clearing, the usual low-quality mobile game routine.

But it wasn't like that.

The scene showed a drafty thatched hut, with the only thing resembling a bed being a straw mat soaked by rain.

A ragged girl huddled in a corner, hugging her knees. Her hair was a tangled mess, covering her face, making it hard to see her features. Her exposed arms and legs were bruised, and centipede-like cuts stood out starkly against her pale skin.

"Is this Li Qingran?" Chen Huaian was dumbfounded.

He noticed a broken sword near the straw mat, the same one Li Qingran held in the character page.

[Li Qingran’ is cold and hungry, her body growing weaker]

[Li Qingran’ is affected by fire poison, in unbearable pain]

[Li Qingran’ has half an hour of life remaining]

As these three messages popped up, the girl in the corner let out a painful groan.

She slightly raised her head, revealing those hollow, numb eyes and pale lips.

Even seeing only half her face, Chen Huaian confirmed this was the character he chose.

"What to do?"

A sense of urgency suddenly arose in Chen Huaian's heart.

The game's character expressions and sounds were too realistic, including the vivid wounds, making him instinctively feel that if he didn't take action, once the countdown in the top right corner ended, this girl would really die.

At this moment, a prompt appeared:

[Ding! First recharge of 6 yuan with a limited-time offer of a home renovation gift pack, giving your virtual girlfriend a comfortable home!]