Reality (6): Go meet the parents

After this instance ended, Tan Xiao was once again transported to that familiar system space. This time, Wen Yi, who had turned into an eight-tailed cat in the instance, came along with him.

However, Wen Yi was not in cat form but human form. He had returned to the appearance he had when they first met: wearing a white lab coat, silver-framed glasses, his thick and long eyelashes brushing against the glass lenses — the refined and handsome Dr. Wen.

“Woof woof woof! (Who is there?)”

When Xiao Bai saw Tan Xiao step out from behind a suddenly appearing door, it initially thought an intruder had arrived. The loyal guard dog immediately prepared to pounce and attack. But once it sensed its master’s presence, its bark quickly changed from aggressive to affectionate.

“Woof woof woof! (You’re finally back!)”

The little dog excitedly pounced into Tan Xiao’s arms, but before it could make contact, a fair and slender hand lifted it up. Its tiny body struggled helplessly in midair, and its tail, which had been wagging like a propeller, came to a stop.

Xiao Bai locked eyes with the “villain” who had grabbed it and saw a face both familiar and unfamiliar.

After all, it knew the robot version of Wen Yi and the jellyfish version, but it had never seen Wen Yi in doctor form. The little dog sniffed. Yes, it was that familiar scent!

Wen Yi had turned from a robot into a brainless jellyfish, so it made sense that he was now a doctor in a lab coat.

Tan Xiao found the sight amusing. Watching Xiao Bai struggle for a while, he spoke up in fairness: “Alright, Wen Yi, let Xiao Bai down. It’s been guarding the house and working hard.”

Wen Yi let the dog down but still needed a reason to justify himself: “It hasn’t had a bath. It’s dirty.”

To comfort the wronged Xiao Bai, Tan Xiao opened the system shop and bought the most expensive can of dog food, the one rated as dogs’ favorite.

The moment the can was opened, a delicious aroma wafted out. Xiao Bai’s eyes lit up instantly. It no longer cared about Wen Yi and reverted back to being a happy little dog wagging its tail like a propeller.

Wen Yi looked around the space Tan Xiao had been in for a long time. He noticed the warm orange couch and the adorable plush dolls on it. He stepped forward and pinched one of them.

These substitute dolls, once turned into system props, were not to be touched by anyone other than their owner. If someone else tried to pinch them, they would open their mouths and reveal sharp teeth to bite the intruder — a reminder that they were valuable tools, not toys.

But this time, the sharp teeth failed to harm the hand that pinched them and instead broke their own teeth.

Wen Yi smiled slightly. “Are these the dolls we caught together?”

Tan Xiao nodded. “We caught them at the mall. There were two ugly ones, and I sold them off when I needed them. I don’t know if they’ve been used since.”

“If you say they were ugly, then it’s fine that they were sold.” Wen Yi tossed the doll back onto the couch, turned around, and embraced his lover. He said softly and firmly, “We don’t need so many dolls here. One big doll — me — is enough for you.”

He was happy that Tan Xiao cherished these items, but more than the dolls, he hoped Tan Xiao would direct all his attention to him. Pets, dolls — they could all step aside.

In the distance, Xiao Bai, who was finishing its food, pushed the empty can forward and tapped it with its paw to assert its presence: it wanted real dog food, not this sickly-sweet couple’s metaphorical “dog food.”

“Xiao Bai.” After completing the eight-tailed cat instance, Tan Xiao not only regained his memory but also received a message from the game: would he choose to remain a player or become a game administrator?

But before he could think much about it, the system countdown rapidly dropped from 5 to 1 and then to 0, automatically selecting “become a game administrator.”

Typically, the system gave players five minutes to choose, or at least thirty seconds. This time, the countdown from 5 to 1 seemed like it didn’t even last a second. And the so-called “random” option — clearly rigged.

Fortunately, Tan Xiao had already planned to become a game administrator. Otherwise, he’d definitely be filing a complaint.

Once he became an administrator, this area was no longer part of the player’s game space but a dedicated admin zone. With a wave of his hand, an extra private space appeared next to the living room.

The little dog, along with its food bowl, was moved into this new space. Everything Tan Xiao had bought for Xiao Bai — the dog bed, favorite squeaky toys, colorful paw-print rugs, favorite suction toy, leash — everything was moved inside.

At first, Xiao Bai was startled, but seeing all its things appear one by one, plus a new cabinet filled with various dog foods, canned meat, and favorite snacks, it calmed down. Tan Xiao even thoughtfully installed a big screen in the room playing dog-related videos. There was also a doggy dance machine and a super cute robotic Xiao Bai doll (a mini version of the robot from Tan Xiao’s memory, though without consciousness)…

The new room instantly became a paradise where even a lone dog could be happy — Xiao Bai’s dream funhouse!

Back when it was a robot, Xiao Bai didn’t have its own dedicated space. Who would’ve thought it would get one after becoming a real dog?

Xiao Bai barked twice toward the door. Tan Xiao didn’t lock it in; he even installed a door that let the pup come and go freely. But the thoughtful Xiao Bai wouldn’t interrupt its master’s time: “Woof woof woof! (Considering all this, I, Lord Xiao Bai, generously forgive you!)”

Tan Xiao gave Xiao Bai its own room, then opened another space from the living room. He pulled open the door and led Wen Yi inside.

When Wen Yi saw the room’s layout, his expression clearly shifted with emotion. “This is… the room we used to live in.”

The familiar decorations, curtains, air conditioner, the arrangement of the double bed — even the small orange lamp he remembered.

“Yes. When I lived alone, I always decorated my home like this. I didn’t even remember, but maybe some things stay buried in the subconscious. No matter what I did, I always ended up arranging things this way — it just felt right.”

Tan Xiao took Wen Yi’s slightly cold hand and gently blew warm air on it: “Dr. Wen, your hands are so cold.”

Dr. Wen suddenly turned serious. “This space is a little different from the one we lived in.”

With a wave of his hand, a familiar wall clock appeared on the blank wall. The nightstand moved five centimeters to the left. Since it was an independent space, there was no real sun or moon, but Wen Yi still created a small balcony.

“Medicine must be precise. Not even a millimeter off.” Dr. Wen lectured his “intern” like this — and as he taught, the lessons shifted from theory to clinical practice.

Maybe because their previous instances left little time for romance, Wen Yi was determined to make up for all that time in one go. The two of them spent a long while together in that little space.

Well, not too long — about six or seven days. The players had finished another round of games, and the system launched a major update.

During the update, Tan Xiao finally remembered his real-life family.

“Wen Yi, I want to take you to meet my real parents. Is that okay?”

As a game administrator, Tan Xiao would now spend long periods managing the game worlds. He no longer had to worry about real-world forces threatening him, because this special status meant complete separation from reality.

His physical body had disappeared. He still had consciousness, but unlike a player, he no longer had a flesh-and-blood body — he had become pure data.

But choosing to stay with Wen Yi didn’t mean cutting off all ties to his past. Maybe one day, when all his living relatives had passed, when his aging parents were buried beneath a small gravestone, and all his friends and classmates who remembered him were gone — maybe then he’d be untethered from the real world. But for now, those bonds couldn’t be severed.

Tan Xiao thought, in this not-so-great era full of danger but also special opportunities brought by the god’s game, he wanted to take Wen Yi to see the people who gave him life — to tell them he had found someone he could love for a lifetime.

Wen Yi became a bit shy and nervously straightened his rumpled collar. “Of course you can… But will they like me?”

“As long as I like you, they will too. And even if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. I will always like you.”

After all, he could only accompany his parents and family for a short part of their lives. But he could stay with Wen Yi forever.

When he last returned to reality, Tan Xiao had already learned their address. This time, when they exited the virtual world, they directly teleported to the safe zone where his parents were — a perk of being an administrator. After all, it was easy to access human safe zones through the admin backend.

Of course, he didn’t appear directly inside the zone. He first arrived in the foggy area near the human base.

This time, he didn’t use a disguise or his previous identity. He walked directly into the human city, bringing Wen Yi with him for this important meeting. And he didn’t forget about Xiao Bai either — the little dog came along too.