Chapter 379: If: Xiao Wu Travels to When the Game Just Launched

Chapter 379 If: Xiao Wu Transmigrates to the Game's Launch Day

Today marks the first month of the game's open beta.

Buried under work lately, Xie Shu finally found some free time today. He turned off his computer and gazed out of the floor-to-ceiling window, catching sight of a massive promotional poster on the digital billboard in the business district.

At the center of the poster was a refined and handsome man dressed in white robes, wearing a green jade lotus crown and holding a three-foot-long sword, styled as a Taoist priest. In the upper right corner was the game's iconic logo.

This was the promotional poster for Xiao Wu, the game's flagship character.

Xie Shu stood by the window, carefully examining it.

This character was one he had personally refined.

From the character design and modeling to the backstory, every detail bore Xie Shu's meticulous effort. Countless revisions had led to the current version of Xiao Wu. If there was one NPC in the game he favored, it was undoubtedly Xiao Wu.

The promotional artwork was also commissioned from a top-tier industry artist, featuring elegant colors and excellent lighting, capturing Xiao Wu's aloof yet gentle nature. Yet, as Xie Shu looked at it, he felt something was missing—as if some crucial element had slipped his mind.

He shook his head with a wry smile, thinking, *Is this what players call "creator's blindness," where nothing ever feels quite perfect?*

With that thought, he shifted his attention back to the marketing proposal on his desk.

The initial launch phase of the game was also the busiest time for marketing.

They needed comprehensive outreach both online and offline, targeted advertising campaigns across various platforms, and participation in gaming carnivals and expos.

Coincidentally, a sizable anime convention was being held in the city today, just a five-minute walk from the company.

Naturally, the company wouldn’t miss this promotional opportunity. They rented a booth, hired official cosplayers, organized merchandise giveaways and gifts, played the concept trailer, and interacted with existing players to attract new ones.

Many employees at the gaming company were also otaku culture fans. Since it was the tail end of a game version cycle, with little urgent work left, Xie Shu allowed most of them to take the day off—except for a small skeleton crew—to enjoy the event and help boost the booth's atmosphere.

Thus, after lunch, the spacious office was nearly deserted. Xie Shu carried his teacup from the break room back to his office, passing banks of empty desks—not a soul in sight.

Amused, he returned to his office to review the proposal. With the entire floor eerily quiet, Xie Shu couldn’t help but feel a pang of loneliness.

Despite his professional success, Xie Shu had always lacked meaningful connections—no family, no friends.

After his mother remarried and had another son, Xie Shu grew distant from both parents. In business, he dealt only in interests, engaging in hollow socializing amid clinking glasses and lavish excess, but never forming genuine friendships.

Now, for once, he felt a rare pang of solitude.

Loneliness was like that—unnoticed, it was harmless, but once acknowledged, it surged like a tidal wave, threatening to drown him in an instant.

Xie Shu thought perhaps he should visit the convention.

But showing up unannounced might startle his employees. On an uncharacteristic impulse, he headed to the showroom and picked out a costume and wig.

The showroom housed drafts and outfits for all the game’s characters.

The one Xie Shu chose was an unfinalized design—the Demonic Sect Leader, Xie Chunshan.

*

---

Wuwang Palace, Main Hall.

Xiao Wu held a handkerchief, patiently wiping the face of the person lying on the bed over and over again.

The figure beneath the covers lay motionless, eyes shut, unconscious, with an unhealed stab wound on their chest. If not for the faint traces of Mana flowing through their meridians, they could pass for dead. In truth, they weren’t much better off than a corpse.

Wu Buke stood by the bedside, two fingers pressed against the pulse point, his forehead covered in cold sweat. "Palace Lord, Palace Lord Xie's condition is unusual. I still need more time to observe."

The person lying on the bed was none other than the Demon Sect Palace Master, Xie Chunshan.

Xiao Wu did not respond, focusing solely on wiping the sweat from Xie Chunshan's brow, as if this were the most important task in the world.

After another moment, Wu Buke left to prepare medicine, while Xiao Wu continued wiping mechanically. Only when the door creaked shut and no one could see inside did he finally lower his weary eyes and kneel over Xie Chunshan's body.

The body still held lingering warmth. Xiao Wu's fingertips traced Xie Chunshan's features—starting from his handsome brows, down the bridge of his nose, past his lips, and finally hovering near the corner of his eye.

"Open your eyes for me one more time," Xiao Wu thought. "Just once, I beg you."

Yet, a lifeless body naturally could not hear any plea.

Xiao Wu laid his head on Xie Chunshan's arm and fell asleep.

......

"Did you see that cosplayer at the booth earlier? So handsome."

"Though he seemed a bit unapproachable. I wanted to ask for a photo."

"Which character was he cosplaying?"

"Probably from a new game. There's a booth just ahead."

Amidst the clamor of voices, Xiao Wu abruptly opened his eyes. He glanced around, then frowned.

This was not Wuwang Palace.

This wasn’t even anywhere he recognized.

The people around him wore strange clothing—only a few wore similar attire, appearing slightly more proper, while others exposed their arms and legs or wore chaotic outfits, with no sense of propriety.

Their speech was also strange, filled with words he couldn’t comprehend. They had no cultivation and no hostility—just ordinary people.

Xiao Wu gripped his sword, choosing to wait and watch.

The crowd grew denser, pushing Xiao Wu forward.

Many tried to ask him about his character, but his icy demeanor deterred them. Yet, when his gaze fell upon a certain figure, Xiao Wu froze completely.

That person… could it be Xie Chunshan?

Whether it was the striking beauty of his face or his poised demeanor, everything matched Xiao Wu’s memory perfectly.

But how could that be?

Xie Chunshan should still be lying unconscious in the demon palace, fighting for his life.

As they were about to be separated by the surging crowd, with Xie Chunshan disappearing around a corner, Xiao Wu could no longer restrain himself. He pushed through the throng, even using immortal movement techniques in his urgency.

He caught up to Xie Chunshan, stopping just two feet away.

Xiao Wu reached out, hesitating, his fingers lingering in the air, unable to touch him.

It was Xie Chunshan who noticed someone behind him first. He turned slightly, and the moment their eyes met, he froze.

The person before him looked exactly like the Xiao Wu he remembered.

No matter how refined the game modeling or how exquisite the artwork, they could never fully capture the image in one's mind. Yet the person before him was impeccably handsome, radiating noble grace—exactly as Xie Shu had imagined.

To think they could resemble each other so much.

However, Xie Shu, hardened by years in business, shook it off almost immediately and nodded politely with a courteous smile. "Sir, can I help you?"

Given the setting of the convention, he must be a game player.

"..."

Xiao Wu stood there, stunned.

Xie Shu's expression was entirely that of a stranger.

He asked, voice thick with disbelief, "Xie Chunshan, you don’t remember me?"

Xie Shu blinked, caught off guard, before realizing—he was currently cosplaying as Xie Chunshan.

Xie Chunshan's design hadn’t been finalized yet; the game’s official site had only released a silhouette. Xie Shu was surprised he’d been recognized.

Among the player community, there were plenty of social butterflies who enjoyed roleplaying game characters and ad-libbing scenarios with other players.

But Xie Shu was not much of a people person, nor was he adept at handling such situations. He simply offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry, sir, I’m not an official cosplayer. The official booth’s that way. If you’d like to interact, you can find the cosplayers there."

With that, he turned to leave.

"..."

Like he was leaving Xiao Wu behind—again.

In that moment, Xiao Wu felt as though he had returned to the Yunzhou temple fair—where the moment he turned away, Xie Shu was swept away by the crowd, lost in the glow of lanterns. Only this time, Xiao Wu had an inexplicable intuition:

If they were separated again, he would never find Xie Shu.

"Wait!"

Xiao Wu forgot all propriety, lunging to seize Xie Shu’s sleeve.

"Palace Lord Xie!" Lord Pingwu’s voice trembled. "You truly... truly don’t remember me at all?"

Xiao Wu’s voice cracked with raw anguish, as if he had suffered an unbearable wound, that even Xie Shu hesitated for a moment—wondering if he had somehow wronged this man.

The crowd flowed around them, and with both Xie Shu and Xiao Wu being exceptionally striking in appearance, their dramatic sleeve tug quickly drew attention. Many stopped to watch, some even mistaking it for an act between cosplayers and snapping pics.

Among them were game players who recognized Xiao Wu’s character, whispers spreading through the crowd, "Does the official Xiao Wu have a CP?"

"I only know he has plotlines with the Demon Sect Palace Master. Wait, are they canon?"

As the crowd grew thicker, Xie Shu’s patience wore thin. He disliked noisy environments and being the center of attention. Slowly but firmly, he pulled his sleeve free, his smile turned brittle. "Apologies, sir. I’m not an official cosplayer, and I don’t do interactions. I have personal matters to attend to, so I’ll be on my way."

He felt the sleeve slipping away. If Xiao Wu wanted, he could have easily held on. But in the end, he silently loosened his fingers, letting the sleeve slide from his palm.

Xie Shu turned and walked away without looking back.

Xiao Wu stood rooted in place, watching his figure grow distant before disappearing into the sea of people. His grip on his sword tightened, and he stared blankly at the ground.

Xie Chunshan... didn’t recognize him?

Xie Chunshan... didn’t want him anymore?

Then... where else was there to go?

After the commotion at the expo, Xie Shu had no desire to linger. He quickly returned to the company, hurriedly finished the day's work, and went home.

Xie Shu's home was a renovated villa, a heritage-protected building originally owned by a moderately famous musician from the Republican era. The three-story villa stood in the city center, less than two kilometers from his company.

After dinner, he sat on the sofa reading the newspaper. It was thunderstorm season, and rain began to fall after nightfall, with occasional lightning streaking across the sky, leaving silvery flashes.

The living room window wasn’t fully closed, and the wind howled through, carrying rain with it. Many of the villa’s furnishings were period pieces, and the floors were made of carefully preserved old wood that couldn’t withstand water damage. So Xie Shu set aside the newspaper and got up to close the window.

But as he reached the window and glanced down, he froze completely.

On his staircase stood a figure clad entirely in white, utterly drenched by the torrential rain. Water dripped from their long hair and the hem of their robes, yet they seemed oblivious, simply lowering their gaze, clutching a sword tightly, and standing silently under the eaves. Their gaze lingered on the empty street, radiating loneliness.