The butler and the skinny man acted as if they hadn’t heard Qi Yuheng’s complaints. They were already convinced that everyone here was a couple who had come to Love Island to participate in the Sea God’s trials.
Upon realizing these two NPCs’ attitudes, the players’ expressions became quite entertaining.
All the players entering this game world had partners. It wasn’t so bad if the partners were of opposite genders, but for those of the same gender—especially if they were completely straight—it felt like a bolt from the blue.
Ruan Yuan could barely suppress her laughter.
Her partner was her boyfriend, so she had nothing to fear from any so-called trial of love. However, the same couldn’t be said for the other players. Looking around, there were twenty players in total, forming ten “couples.” Among them, only three pairs were male-female, while the rest were either female-female or male-male pairings.
Though players could, in theory, team up with someone of the opposite gender within the group to pretend to be a “couple” for the Sea God’s sake, the lack of trust between strangers made such arrangements nearly impossible. How could they partner up and face these mysterious trials together?
Ultimately, everyone was left with no choice but to grit their teeth and accept their current partner as their “lover.”
This game world was undeniably filled with malice toward non-coupled players.
Gu Jiu, however, remained calm. Her composed demeanor puzzled Lu Ji, who kept sneaking glances at her, unsure what she thought about the situation. Was she, like Qi Yuheng, feeling repulsed? Or was she indifferent? One thing he was certain of—she definitely wasn’t secretly delighted, unlike him, who couldn’t help but feel a hint of joy at pretending to be a “couple.”
Lu Ji’s heart was in turmoil. He couldn’t wait to get some alone time with her to test the waters and figure out her thoughts.
Meanwhile, the butler, ignoring the players’ distorted expressions, announced, “Next, please proceed upstairs to select your rooms! Remember, you are couples and must stay together. If the Sea God feels disrespected by your actions, you will face divine punishment.”
Players: “…”
While partners often stayed together in games for mutual support, this mandatory arrangement was hard to stomach.
The butler, seemingly pleased with their twisted expressions, revealed a faintly warped smile on his otherwise stern face.
“Each day, you will face a trial. I will inform you of the time. Any players who fail to arrive at the trial location will be punished.”
The players listened silently. Someone couldn’t help but ask, “What happens if we fail the trial?”
The butler and the skinny man exchanged a bloodthirsty smile. No words were necessary—the implication was clear.
Understood.
“Now, please go upstairs and select your rooms. Each room contains a special surprise prepared for you.”
A surprise? More like a fright.
No one was particularly excited about the so-called surprises promised by the butler, but they knew better than to defy the NPCs’ arrangements. Reluctantly, they began heading upstairs.
The second and third floors of the villa housed the bedrooms, with five rooms on each floor, making a total of ten rooms—just enough for the ten “couples” to choose from.
Gu Jiu preferred staying on higher floors, where she could have a better view, so she selected a room on the third floor.
Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi naturally followed her lead, choosing the room next to hers.
Qi Yuheng and Ge Guang also chose a room on the third floor. After all, everyone knew each other, and clustering together felt safer.
The rooms were spacious and well-equipped, each featuring a balcony with a breathtaking view of the ocean. Standing on the balcony, one could gaze out at the sea—truly a seaside room in every sense.
Of course, if one could ignore the black, jagged, and steep rocks beneath the balcony, along with the crashing waves against the cliffs, the view was still quite impressive.
Since the room was prepared for couples, everything inside was arranged in pairs. The centerpiece of the room was a bed adorned with a pink, heart-shaped duvet, complete with matching heart-shaped pillows, exuding a romantic vibe.
Everything about the room’s décor radiated a sense of romance.
It was Lu Ji’s first time staying in such a pink and love-infused room. For a moment, his cheeks flushed, and his heart raced.
Gu Jiu, however, calmly inspected the room, checking its cleanliness and hygiene. As long as it was clean, she didn’t have many complaints and was quite satisfied with their accommodations.
Afterward, she went to look for the “surprise” mentioned by the butler.
Though the players were wary of the “surprise,” they didn’t take it too seriously. After all, it was only their first day in the game world, and it was unlikely to contain any life-threatening dangers.
When Gu Jiu opened the wardrobe, she found a pair of mermaid dolls intertwined inside.
The dolls held hands, their heads leaning against each other, and wore innocent, happy smiles on their faces. From their appearance, it was evident that one was male and the other female. Judging by their entwined tails, it wasn’t hard to imagine what the two mermaids were doing.
Gu Jiu glanced at the mermaid dolls, then turned to Lu Ji. “Ah Ji, look at them! Flaunting their indecency in broad daylight—they’re obviously not proper mermaids. I bet that Sea God isn’t any better.”
Lu Ji: “…”
As Lu Ji processed her words, he distinctly noticed the mermaid dolls’ expressions change. The once happy, innocent smiles twisted into menacing, vicious grimaces, and their eyes glared at the two of them with a sinister malice.
Gu Jiu turned back to face the dolls, undeterred by their threatening expressions. With an air of provocation, she remarked, “Am I wrong? Look at the two of you, tangled up like that. Where do you look like proper mermaids? And what if you corrupt Ah Ji here? She’s still a minor!”
Saying this, she reached out, grabbed the dolls, and tossed them off the balcony.
Below the balcony lay jagged black rocks and tumultuous, dark waves.
The sea quickly swallowed the two mermaid dolls.
After finishing her actions, Gu Jiu sat down with Lu Ji and began analyzing the game’s clues.
“According to the NPCs, we need to act as a couple and participate in the Sea God’s trials. Passing them will grant us the Sea God’s blessings, but failing them will likely result in a bad outcome,” Gu Jiu said thoughtfully. “However, our real mission is to uncover the secret of Love Island. So I suspect the key to this mission is the Sea God. To find Love Island’s secret, we first need to uncover the Sea God’s secret rather than aim for its blessings.”
“Of course, it’s also possible that to uncover the Sea God’s secret, we first need to understand what the blessing entails to proceed accordingly.”
Either way, even if the players didn’t care for the Sea God’s trials, they would still have to participate, like it or not.
Lu Ji listened quietly without interrupting.
When Gu Jiu turned her gaze to him with a faint smile, he fidgeted slightly before saying, “I’ll follow your lead, Gu Jiu.”
Gu Jiu suddenly leaned in closer, so near that Lu Ji’s heart began pounding uncontrollably. Just when he thought it might explode, she tilted her head and smiled. “Ah Ji, it seems in this game world, we’ll have to act as a couple.”
Lu Ji: (≧▽≦) D-Dreams do come true!
Even if it was just “acting,” it still kind of counted as being a couple, didn’t it? So happy~
Catching sight of Lu Ji’s reddened ears, Gu Jiu laughed even more wantonly, like a mischievous rogue teasing a pure maiden. “So, Ah Ji, are you willing to act as my boyfriend? I know it’s a big ask, but don’t worry—I’ll play the part of a qualified lover and make sure the Sea God doesn’t suspect we’re faking…”
“N-not a big ask.” Lu Ji tensed up and almost stuttered. Realizing how unimpressive that sounded, he quickly composed himself. “I mean, I understand. Whatever you want to do is fine.”
As he spoke, he became a little bashful, mentally revisiting his observations of Ruan Yuan and Lu Haidi, the actual couple.
Hmm, what do couples usually do? Hand-holding, hugging, kissing…
Gu Jiu couldn’t help but laugh again and finally sat upright.
Reaching out, she ruffled her hair, her tone gentle. “Ah Ji, how can you be so adorable?” She showed no guilt about her bad habit of teasing this pure “young maiden.”
Lost in his own thoughts, Lu Ji found his heart soaring at her compliment.
He had specifically studied human customs and learned that being called “cute” by the opposite gender was often the first step to expressing interest.
Just as they were chatting, an uncomfortable sensation washed over them. Both turned toward the balcony simultaneously.
The mermaid dolls that Gu Jiu had thrown off the balcony earlier were back. Still intertwined, hand in hand, their heads no longer leaned intimately against each other. Their once-innocent, happy smiles had vanished, replaced by sinister, venomous glares directed squarely at the pair, as if wishing to tear them apart.
Gu Jiu glanced at them indifferently, unsurprised by their return.
If they were so easy to get rid of, they wouldn’t qualify as the butler’s so-called “surprise.”
A thought crossed her mind, and Gu Jiu suddenly pulled Lu Ji into her arms. She planted a loud kiss on her cheek, keeping her eyes fixed on the mermaid dolls.
Sure enough, the mermaid dolls’ fury visibly intensified. Their expressions grew darker and more malicious, as though they wanted nothing more than to obliterate the “adulterous couple.”
Amused, Gu Jiu chuckled to herself. It seemed the better the “couple’s” relationship, the angrier the mermaid dolls became.
So, the Sea God’s trials might not be about testing the strength of love after all.
Lu Ji, meanwhile, was utterly stunned.
He sat frozen in her embrace. Although this position didn’t quite align with what he’d observed of human couples, it still felt like something only couples would do. The earlier incidents didn’t count, but this time—it was Gu Jiu who initiated…
By extension, they’d done yet another “couples-only” thing!
Feeling as if he and Gu Jiu were already in a relationship, Lu Ji stared at her, dazed, until she said, “Ah Ji, look at them. The better we get along, the angrier they become. Isn’t it hilarious?”
Lu Ji: “…”
He looked over at the mermaid dolls, who were practically aflame with jealousy, and suddenly felt annoyed.
What was their problem? Were they the only ones allowed to be lovey-dovey while everyone else had to abstain?
When he voiced his thoughts, Gu Jiu paused before breaking into uncontrollable laughter. Her amusement made his cheeks flush, and he realized that, in his flustered state, he’d said something truly ridiculous.
Thankfully, Gu Jiu didn’t press further. Instead, she went along with him. “Ah Ji, you’re absolutely right. They just can’t stand to see others being affectionate.”
She pulled Lu Ji closer and continued to act out every cliché of an affectionate couple, driving the mermaid dolls into a near frenzy.
The dolls’ anger was palpable; their hair practically stood on end, but they didn’t make any aggressive moves. This left Gu Jiu a little disappointed, as she couldn’t quite figure out the purpose of their presence.
Could the mermaid dolls be meant to monitor the players?
Even though Gu Jiu couldn’t figure out their purpose, she certainly didn’t enjoy having them around. Without hesitation, she threw them off the balcony once again.
After dealing with the dolls, she took Lu Ji and left the room.
The moment they stepped out, they ran into Qi Yuheng, who wore a dark expression, and Ge Guang, who looked helpless, exiting their room.
Spotting Gu Jiu and Lu Ji, Ge Guang’s eyes lit up. “Gu Jiu, did you also have a pair of mermaid dolls in your room?”
“Yes,” Gu Jiu replied, glancing at Qi Yuheng, silently asking what had upset him so much.
Ge Guang scratched the back of his head awkwardly and explained, “Those mermaid dolls were in… well, an indecent pose. Qi Yuheng thought they were an eyesore and found them offensive.”
Gu Jiu: “…”
So Qi Yuheng’s cleanliness obsession had escalated to this level?
Though Qi Yuheng was clearly in a bad mood, he wasn’t the type to lash out at innocent people. His expression softened somewhat as he addressed Gu Jiu. “Gu Jiu, what do you make of this mission?”
Gu Jiu replied, “Obviously, the first step is to find the Sea God.”
“Finding the Sea God won’t be easy,” Ge Guang added. “Based on what the butler said, unless we pass the Sea God’s trials, we won’t receive the blessing. I have a feeling the Sea God is the boss of this game world.”
Typically, game bosses only appeared when players uncovered the truth behind the mystery or when it was time to wipe out the players. Meeting the Sea God would undoubtedly be a challenge.
“Do we really have to participate in those trials?” Qi Yuheng asked, his expression sour.
Gu Jiu nodded. This wasn’t a matter of whether they wanted to participate; the game would likely force them into it.
Qi Yuheng seemed to mull things over, his gaze shifting between Gu Jiu and Lu Ji several times. When his scrutiny finally made Lu Ji feel wary, Qi Yuheng spoke up, “Don’t you think there’s something… off about pretending to be a couple?”
“What do you mean?” Gu Jiu blinked.
Qi Yuheng shut his eyes for a moment as if steeling himself, then said, “Gu Jiu, why don’t we switch partners? If we’re going to act like couples, shouldn’t it at least be male and female?”
Gu Jiu: “…Oh.”
Lu Ji: !!! Someone was actually trying to separate him from Gu Jiu?!
Ge Guang, looking as though he’d expected this, sighed dramatically. “Qi Yuheng, I can’t believe you’d reject me. It’s just pretending to be a couple. Bear with it for a bit! I’m not going to take advantage of you.”
Qi Yuheng gritted his teeth. “Just seeing your face makes me worry I’ll lose all interest in life.”
Ge Guang: “…You’re too much!”
Gu Jiu couldn’t hold it in any longer and burst into laughter. Her laugh was melodious and sweet, catching the attention of nearby players.
Meanwhile, Lu Ji’s face darkened. “No, we’re not switching.”
He was deeply concerned that Gu Jiu might agree to Qi Yuheng’s suggestion. A tinge of regret crept into his heart—why had he disguised himself as a girl? If he were currently presenting as male, Qi Yuheng wouldn’t even have a reason to propose switching partners.
Qi Yuheng’s eyes stayed fixed on Gu Jiu, his expression full of hope.
But Gu Jiu shook her head. “Sorry, Ah Ji is just fine. I don’t want to switch partners.” Thinking about Qi Yuheng’s extreme cleanliness obsession, she added kindly, “Don’t overthink it, Qi Yuheng. This trial might not even have anything to do with being a real couple. You probably won’t have to sacrifice anything.”
Lu Ji’s tense heart finally settled, and his lips curled up slightly. For the first time in the game, he felt grateful for Gu Jiu’s decisiveness.
Qi Yuheng looked slightly disappointed but nodded in resignation, muttering, “Fine.”
For some men with cleanliness obsessions, it might feel like the entire world, except for themselves, is dirty. To them, everything and everyone else is tainted. The thought of someone else touching their “pure” body is intolerable, so naturally, they would find the idea of pretending to be a “couple” utterly repulsive.
Gu Jiu then shared the behavior of the two mermaid dolls in her room with them. Sure enough, both men’s faces showed expressions of surprise.
Seeing this, Gu Jiu was certain—these two were as straight as could be.