Raising a Girlfriend Starting from a Dream Game - Chapter 1

[Dream Simulation Device activated, beginning verification!]
Ling Xiao looked at the virtual screen before him, somewhat panicked.

One hour earlier.
Examination, doctor’s instructions, picking up medicine.

After going through the familiar routine.
He walked out of the hospital expressionlessly.

Ever since learning about his remaining time, Ling Xiao had been controlling his emotions.

Looking up, the summer sun was mercilessly scorching.

Ling Xiao glanced at the convenience store next to the hospital.

Earlier, the doctor had reminded him to pay attention to his diet.
But he still walked in.
After all, he only had one year left.
It was just a matter of a few days less or more.

As soon as he entered the store, a sharp voice called out.
“Senior!!”

Ling Xiao looked up and found his university junior from the same department in the convenience store.

Although he wasn’t in the mood to interact with others, he still forced a smile and said, “Chen Ting, what are you doing here?”

“I have a cold, came to the hospital to get some medicine. I didn’t expect to meet you here!~”

Chen Ting immediately walked up to Ling Xiao, excited.

Ling Xiao looked at Chen Ting before him, noticing she had become better at dressing up than before.
Short hair, a cute lolita face, paired with jeans, fair ankles slightly visible.
Very adorable.

“Senior, am I much prettier than when I was a freshman?!”

“Mhmm, yes, but you were pretty before too.” Ling Xiao set aside the gloom in his heart and replied politely.

“Ah~ Senior praised me! Hehe, I think I’m prettier than before too.” Chen Ting happily made a peace sign as she spoke.

At that moment, Ling Xiao glanced at the girl standing beside Chen Ting.

He didn’t know her.
But he was somewhat surprised inwardly.

Her looks were even more striking than Chen Ting’s.
Flowing long hair, a well-proportioned figure, fair long legs paired with a light white dress, bringing a touch of coolness to the summer.

Her beautiful features combined with the faintly visible teardrop mole behind the strands of hair near her eye corner created an aura that was both cool and alluring.

Seeing Ling Xiao glance at the girl beside her, Chen Ting explained: “This is my best friend, Yang Linlin ~”

As she spoke, she also introduced to Yang Linlin: “Linlin, this is our class assistant senior, Ling Xiao. See, he’s quite handsome, right?”

Ling Xiao nodded, looking at Yang Linlin as he said: “Hello.”

Yang Linlin didn’t speak, just smiled shyly and nodded slightly, then turned her gaze to the side.

Chen Ting immediately said: “Well, we’re leaving now, goodbye senior!”

“Okay.”

Ling Xiao watched as Chen Ting and the other girl left, at that youthful age.

He glanced again at the iced tea in his hand.

Then turned and exchanged it for mineral water.

He ultimately chose to follow the doctor’s advice.

Even though he was now in the mid-to-late stages of stomach cancer with only one year left.

Even with chemotherapy, he would only live four or five more years at most.

Not to mention he couldn’t even come up with the over 300,000 yuan needed for treatment.

Some people are born with silver spoons in their mouths, and even if they speak crudely, they can be called national heartthrobs.

Some people lose both parents, work hard to make life more hopeful, only to be struck with a terminal illness.

In this world, there has never been such a thing as fairness.

Before long, he was carrying his medicine bag back home.

Just as he was about to take out his keys, the door next to his opened. Fatty Lin Dong didn’t bother about his appearance, wearing just large shorts, and asked, “Brother Xiao, how are you? Are you okay?”

Ling Xiao looked at the fatty before him, feeling somewhat comforted in his desolate heart.
Fatty was his university roommate, and after graduation, they had joined the same company together.

When looking for a place to live, they had even found rentals right next to each other.

Ling Xiao forced a smile and said, “I’m fine, just a bit of stomach discomfort. The doctor said it’s gastritis.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Dong immediately exclaimed, “Gastritis is nothing to take lightly! You must take medicine! Otherwise, it could easily turn into stomach cancer.”

Ling Xiao: “..”

He nodded and said, “Got it. Have you eaten?”

“Haha, not yet, I was waiting for you to come back.” Lin Dong rubbed his stomach awkwardly and said, “My stomach is almost starving flat.”

“Come on in.”

Ling Xiao opened the door.

Lin Dong didn’t stand on ceremony either; as soon as he entered, he directly lay down on the sofa and leaned back.

“Watch some TV for a while, I’ll go cook.”
“Alright! Brother Xiao, I’ll go buy a few bottles of drinks later.”
“No need, drinking beverages isn’t good for your health.”
“Okay then.”

Ling Xiao walked into the kitchen, took vegetables from the refrigerator, and began washing them.

The sound of rushing water in the kitchen seemed somewhat out of place with the laughter coming from the living room.

He knew that the joys and sorrows between people are not interconnected.

Just then, a crisp sound rang out.

[Ding!]
[Dream Simulation device activated, beginning verification!]

Suddenly, Ling Xiao jolted sharply.

“What was that sound?!”

Still unclear about the situation, he continued to hear a voice in his mind: [Verification successful. Welcome to the Dream Simulation device. This device allows you to experience 100% realistic dreams and achieve a varied simulated life.]

Ling Xiao glanced at Lin Dong, who was still watching TV in the living room, and knew that these sounds definitely weren’t coming from him.

At that moment, a virtual screen appeared out of thin air before his eyes.

“Is this… a system?”
Ling Xiao looked at this virtual screen, momentarily finding it incredible.
He spent the shortest possible time fiddling with this suddenly appearing black technology.

It was a Dream Simulation system device capable of simulating realistic dream scenarios and experiencing different life modes.
Simply put, it was like a VR game within a dream.

Ling Xiao felt somewhat excited.
But the next second, he regained his composure.

Although this system might bring some fun to his mundane life, that was based on the premise of his good health.
Now he only had one year left to live.
What was the point of playing with Dream Simulation?

So he chose to close the icon on the virtual screen.
But the next second, the system device’s voice appeared again.
[Detected that the player only has 343 days of lifespan remaining. To provide a better simulation experience, if the player completes dream scenario tasks, the device will extend the player’s lifespan. Corresponding lifespan time and rewards can be obtained by completing different scenario tasks.]

Clatter!
The knife in his hand fell.

Hearing the noise from the living room, Lin Dong immediately shouted, “Brother Xiao, what happened?”
Ling Xiao, excited, swallowed hard and then said, “I-I’m fine! I just slipped!”
Lin Dong, who had gotten up from the sofa, saw that Ling Xiao was unharmed and said concernedly, “Brother Xiao, be careful, don’t cut yourself.”
“Alright, tidy up the table quickly and get ready for dinner,” Ling Xiao said, steering the conversation.
“Got it!”
Lin Dong didn’t mind at all and hurried out to clean up.

Meanwhile, Ling Xiao, having calmed his emotions, tapped the icon on the virtual screen once again.
Upon entering, there was only one game scenario titled “War Game.”
The other scenarios were still locked.

In other words, if he wanted to play this Dream Simulation game, he could only play this level for now.

“Can playing this dreamscape game really extend my lifespan?”
Although Ling Xiao was somewhat skeptical, with only a year left to live, he figured he might as well try everything, even desperate measures.

While exploring the system’s features, he also carefully noticed that in the selection options, he could replicate any real-life person into the dream.

“So, I can bring someone else into the dreamscape and form a team?”
Lying on the bed, Ling Xiao turned his gaze toward Fatty Lin Dong in the living room.
He aimed the scanning interface at his roommate.
Three seconds later, the system emitted a prompt tone.

[Lock failed! In line with implementing the three-child policy and correctly establishing views on love, please select a suitable character of the opposite sex.]

Ling Xiao: ???