Chapter Seven: Disband—This Truly Is a Love Game

“Stop it, you’re going too far!” 007 couldn’t help but retort indignantly. “Love should be beautiful and sincere. Forcing a kiss against someone’s will is aggressive and invasive—we absolutely do not condone such behavior!”

Having scolded the audience, 007 hurriedly turned to Xu Nuo. “Host, you mustn’t just do whatever they say. It would ruin your character and your game progress. With Gu Xingze’s personality, if you forced him, you’d lose all your affection points, and it would be nearly impossible to recover them.”

The audience in the streaming room, however, was eager to stir up trouble. “Isn’t this supposed to be a romance game stream? Can’t we at least get a little sweetness? The streamer herself isn’t complaining—what gives you, a mere system, the right to object?”

007 argued back furiously, its childish and adorable voice unwavering. Yet the more it protested, the livelier the audience became. Every sentence sparked a barrage of responses, and in the end, 007 lost the quarrel.

“No forced kisses!” 007 shouted stubbornly and aggrievedly at Xu Nuo.

“Alright, alright, don’t be upset. Of course I won’t wreck my image,” Xu Nuo replied good-naturedly, her face lit with a bright smile, soothing the now-bristling system.

“You can still laugh?” 007 sighed with the weary air of a caretaker, feeling truly worn out by its wayward host. “They’re all up to no good, you know. They were being sarcastic just now. Don’t listen to them.”

Xu Nuo nodded like a pecking chick. “Mm-hmm, I understand.”

Just then, a mechanical voice announced in the stream: “Viewer count has surpassed 3,500! Congratulations to player Xu Nuo for earning the title ‘Love Rookie’. Wow, 007 is witnessing the rise of a superstar!”

Stunned, 007 could hardly believe it—its host, an absolute newcomer with zero starting points, had earned a rookie title in just a few days. The fastest record for a romance game host had been half a month! After all, romance games required time for feelings to develop.

But in less than three days, how could feelings progress so quickly?

Where did these three thousand viewers even come from?

007 was thoroughly baffled.

The barrage was as lively as ever, with new viewers joining in. “How rare! There’s actually a romance stream on the rookie board, and the streamer’s so good-looking.”

“How else would romance game streams attract viewers? The plot is thin and dull, and if the characters were ugly, who would watch?”

“Exactly. Romance games are always leeching off the rankings. They might as well scrap the entire ‘Romance’ category.”

“Am I the only one who finds romance games boring?”

007 was both annoyed and helpless. “It’s not a problem with romance—it’s those viewers who don’t appreciate love and beauty.”

“Oh, look at this stubborn little system. Romance games are the most trashy and boring games—am I wrong? The data says it all.”

Feeling wronged, 007 realized it had no comeback. Romance game stats were always at the bottom.

“Enough arguing,” Xu Nuo comforted 007. “Let’s take advantage of the momentum and do something that actually fits a romance game.”

The audience cheered. “Come on, show us something sweet!”

Xu Nuo addressed the viewers. “A kiss wouldn’t be appropriate. How about I hold hands and have a heart-to-heart with the target? That should be sweet enough.”

In that moment, 007 felt the warmth of its host, as gentle as a spring breeze. Such understanding and tact—any grievances faded away. Though a rookie, this host was a promising romance streamer, perhaps even destined to lead the entire romance category to new heights.

“Heh, I knew it—this is just a girly romance game, but some people just refuse to admit it.”

“I haven’t seen any remarkable moves so far.”

“Let’s go, this really is just a romance game.”

As the mockery started anew, another group fought back. “Nonsense! If you’d watched the replays, you’d know. From my years in action-streaming, I can tell this streamer has MVP potential—being in a romance game is a waste of her talent. Prove me wrong if you can.”

“Heh, bring it on! This is just a dumb romance game. The most the streamer will do is hold hands and maybe share a kiss. The most intense activity… beep—”

“If you get a pentakill in five minutes, I’ll gift you an AK.”

“Please, the streamer just said she’d hold hands with the target. Streamer, if you really do, I’ll send you a big diamond ring!”

The stream descended into chaos, with neither side backing down.

Xu Nuo had already spotted the comment she wanted. Smiling, she said, “Alright, remember to keep your promises.”

“Oh, you think we’d go back on our word?”

Xu Nuo replied, “But there’s no need for a diamond ring. Could you give me some food instead? Maybe some fruit and vegetable seeds, or young poultry and livestock?”

“You’re treating this like a farming game? Isn’t a real diamond ring better than fruits and veggies?”

Xu Nuo was genuinely troubled. “A diamond ring isn’t edible. If I stay here much longer, I’ll either starve or get poisoned.”

“So delicate.”

“So many demands for a game.”

“That’s what you get for being the heroine of a romance game.”

“Isn’t it obvious? She’s a typical romance game player.”

“Look at what these romance game developers are doing—gone are the days when every player was a CEO, tycoon, prince, or immortal. Now our pampered heroine has to eat dirt in the apocalypse.”

“Even so, romance games still aren’t getting any better.”

007 heaved a deep sigh. Though the audience’s words were sharp and sarcastic, they weren’t entirely wrong. The host’s living conditions were indeed dire.

If not for the harsh post-apocalyptic setting, the host wouldn’t have to endure their ridicule and still pander to their whims for tips.

The more 007 thought about it, the more wronged and guilty it felt. If it had known, it wouldn’t have chosen the apocalypse.

“Boohoo… Host, you’ve suffered so much. Next game, I’ll make sure to pick a better setting for you.”

Xu Nuo had no idea what 007 was imagining, but her goal was already achieved.

“Thank you, Little Seven. Now, have we completed our camp construction mission?”

“Not yet. To complete it, you need to ensure you have the basic conditions for personal safety. These grass stems are a safety hazard—you should take care of them as soon as possible.”

“I’ve thought of a solution. But first, let’s finish the hand-holding task.”

While delighted, 007 couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off—there was no such task in the system.

“Your breakfast noodles are getting soggy,” Gu Xingze’s cool voice, tinged with helplessness, pulled Xu Nuo back from her wandering thoughts.

“Oh, okay.”

She’d been lost in thought the whole walk, a smile never leaving her lips. Gu Xingze noticed another peculiar trait of this strange girl: she liked staying close to him… Was he secretly pleased?