The Haunted Game Designer

As a psychological counselor for He Mountain High-Security Prison, Gao Ming faced immense daily work pressure. Designing games became a way for him to vent, incorporating the terrifying things he saw, heard, or imagined into his games—sharing his fears and anxieties with players. In this sense, he was a generous person.

"My greatest dream was to turn all my design ideas into finished games so players around the world could experience the charm of Chinese-style suspense..."

Having dreams come true is usually something to be happy about, but Gao Ming never imagined his dream would come true in such a straightforward way.

Carrying a box filled with game design documents, Gao Ming went to the bathroom and took out a lighter.

The flames devoured his past hard work. With the fire fueled by dreams, Gao Ming lit a cigarette.

After disposing of the ashes, Gao Ming returned to the office, hoping Manager Gou would cooperate with him in deleting the files stored on the studio computers.

The game design proposals that hadn't secured investment were deleted easily. However, a few completed games, including the dating game discussed in this morning's meeting at Night Lamp Studio, posed more difficulty.

The game was titled To the Love That Will Eventually Perish, a project Manager Gou fought hard to obtain through his personal connections, seeing it as the key work for Night Lamp Studio's transformation.

"Gao Ming, deleting other games is fine, but not this one." Manager Gou put down his thermos, wearing a troubled expression as he played the emotional card. "Our studio is relying on this game to survive. We've worked together for years—you wouldn't want to see everyone unemployed, right? I'm in my forties, with both aging parents and young children to support. I've even signed an agreement with the investors. If this game doesn't come out, my whole family will be out on the streets."

Gao Ming understood Manager Gou, but he still shook his head. Manager Gou had only signed a commercial agreement with the investors—if this game came to life, the entire company would be signing a wager with the King of Hell.

Other games made players spend money, but his games made players and developers spend their lives—no one could escape.

"How about this?" Gao Ming opened the computer. "The overall design of To the Love That Will Eventually Perish was by Da You, but I provided some crime-related ideas. Eight of the nine heroine storylines don't need to be touched, but the ninth one, which I created, must be deleted."

The game followed the story of an underachieving, socially awkward man who encounters nine different women throughout his life—his terminally ill childhood sweetheart, a cold yet kind-hearted company executive, the manipulative green tea girl Li Luxin, and others. The first eight heroines were all designed by Wei Da You, but since the entire Night Lamp Studio staff combined had experienced fewer relationships than one hand could count, the game's plot was rather ordinary.

Gao Ming thought the game lacked distinction, so he suggested adding the ninth storyline—the psychological criminal and serial killer Xuan Wen.

Xuan Wen was a dangerously intelligent woman with both high emotional and intellectual quotients. When her pure and sincere love was betrayed, it transformed into pathological madness. She always knew where the protagonist was, watching him every moment.

With the ninth storyline added, the game veered from a dating simulation into the realm of crime and the supernatural.

Hearing Gao Ming voluntarily request the removal of the ninth storyline, Manager Gou was overjoyed. "No problem! We'll delete the ninth storyline and focus on making a proper dating game from now on!"

"One more thing," Gao Ming added. "Don't design so many heroine storylines—just one is enough. The heroine should have little interaction with the protagonist, and both should live peacefully into old age."

"How can there be a dating game without interaction?" Wei Da You was confused.

"Modern relationships emphasize a laid-back, go-with-the-flow attitude. The protagonist could even avoid all contact with the outside world entirely." Gao Ming's small family games could all devolve into terrifying experiences—there was no telling how a dating game might mutate. Better safe than sorry.

"Alright then." Wei Da You couldn't tell if Gao Ming was joking or genuinely serious. He believed the ninth storyline was the game's essence, and deleting it would strip the game of all anticipation.

As Wei Da You opened the computer to modify the ninth storyline, the glass door of Night Lamp Studio suddenly swung open.

Sensing something, the lazy office cat let out a yowl, leapt off the desk, and hid behind the bookshelf, its fur standing on end and body trembling.

"Sorry for the delay—the rain outside was too heavy, and I couldn't catch a ride."

A gentle voice came from the doorway. The sound alone made people feel at ease.

Everyone looked toward the hallway. Standing at the entrance was a woman with rain-dampened shoulders. She wore a white blouse and a pencil skirt—simple attire that somehow exuded a unique charm.

With a gentle smile, easygoing and poised, this woman seemed unaware of her own stunning beauty—or perhaps her exquisite features were merely the least remarkable thing about her.

"It's alright, it's been pouring rain these past few days. Special circumstances—we understand." Manager Gou waved his hand and introduced her to Gao Ming. "Her name is Xuan Wen. She's a newly minted game designer. Quite the coincidence—her name is the same as the supporting female character in your game."

Given Night Lamp Studio's current situation, they weren't in a position to recruit top-tier talent.

Standing still, Gao Ming observed the unfamiliar woman from a short distance. She was dressed simply, yet no ordinary outfit could mask the unique aura she exuded.

Having spent his days dealing with death row convicts, Gao Ming could vaguely sense it—that confidence of a hunter, that elegance of a predator.

"Xuan Wen?"

"Mm. Hello."

"A psychological crime serial killer?"

"Mm?" Xuan Wen was visibly startled. Manager Gou quickly stepped in to smooth things over, turning it into a joke to diffuse the moment.

Regardless of gender, everyone in the studio greeted Xuan Wen with enthusiasm—everyone except Gao Ming and the plump cat, who were deliberately keeping their distance.

Standing in the farthest corner from Xuan Wen, Gao Ming discreetly pulled out his phone and searched her name. There was nothing—no trace of her on the internet. He then tried searching the names of the other female characters from To Our Love That Will Eventually Fade.

One by one, he entered the names. When he got to Li Lüxin, several news articles popped up on the results page.

Two nights ago, Li Lüxin had mysteriously died in her boyfriend's mansion—suspected suicide.

"Just a coincidence? Or… did she kill her?" Gao Ming glanced at Xuan Wen, a creeping suspicion forming in his mind. Did she come here for me?

A shiver ran down his spine. He grabbed Wei Dayou and urged him to delete all the game plans immediately.

This was serious. He had to personally watch Wei Dayou delete and modify everything to be sure.

The two worked through the afternoon, erasing every game plan and creative idea Gao Ming had provided for Night Lamp Studio. Those that couldn't be deleted were modified.

Looking at the now-empty documents, Gao Ming felt a slight sense of relief. He picked up a cup of hot water and walked out of the office.

The plump cat trailed after him, moving surprisingly fast for its size, displaying an agility completely at odds with its physique.

"You feel the danger too, huh? You're a clever little guy." Gao Ming sat in the common lounge, deliberately choosing a secluded spot. Stroking the cat, he sank into thought.

One by one, people left the area. About five minutes later, the cat beside him suddenly went completely still, lying motionless on the sofa as if it had dropped dead.

Sensing something was wrong, Gao Ming stood up immediately. A faint, unusual fragrance filled the air—subtle, yet laced with temptation and danger.

Turning around, he saw Xuan Wen standing behind him, though he hadn't noticed when she got there. Her slender fingers gently rested on his shoulder, pressing him against the wall.

"Honey, are you pretending not to recognize me?"

At the sound of her address, Gao Ming's expression froze. His disposable cup slipped from his grasp, hitting the floor as droplets of water splashed onto both of them.

"Honey???"

Gao Ming's back was pressed tightly against the wall, every hair on his body standing on end. He had never even been in a relationship—how could he possibly be someone's husband? There was something seriously wrong with this woman!

"You want to erase everything, but it all started three days ago. The nightmare hidden in your heart has already become reality."

Xuan Wen leaned in closer, her warm, gentle smile unwavering. In her eyes, Gao Ming saw his own growing unease.

"Did you forget what happened that night in the tunnel?"

Her voice was barely above a whisper—low enough that only he could hear.

"If you need me to help you remember… you can come to my place tonight."

Reaching out, she straightened Gao Ming's collar, moving with a familiarity as if they had lived together for years.

"You don't have to worry about any threats," Xuan Wen whispered into his ear.

"Because those bad women who had their eyes on you… I've already killed them."

(End of Chapter)

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