Welcome to the Misogyny Game

Amidst the swaying shadows of trees and the bustling traffic, a towering orange-yellow building stands majestically, exuding both antiquity and grandeur.

After crossing the threshold and paying the entrance fee, the two took the complimentary incense sticks and walked into the temple.

It was still early, so Xu Wangchuan pulled Liu Chaoque toward the incense burner filled with sandalwood fragrance. The two lit incense sticks with the flames from the cauldron, and the flames danced on them, quickly turning into wisps of black smoke. The smoke, carrying a faint sandalwood scent, drifted gently to Liu Chaoque's nose.

After paying homage to the heavens and earth and making their heartfelt wishes, the two threw their incense sticks into the incense burner, letting the remaining incense smoke transform into their ever-burning hopes.

Entering the inner chamber of the temple, one finds various Arhats and Bodhisattvas, some holding balls, some clapping and laughing, some with solemn expressions, and some with compassionate faces.

Liu Chaoque felt that some of them looked like the Eighteen Arhats, while others were completely unfamiliar. She didn't understand these things and only knew a little from movies and TV dramas. Fortunately, Xu Wangchuan had done the research, and all she had to do was follow him and pray silently and devoutly: "I hope my life will be smooth and I will be safe from danger."

I hope I have the ability to save people and also be able to escape unscathed.

I hope that I will be safe and sound both in and out of the game, and that my path to wealth will be smooth.

I hope I can achieve great success in my career and make a fortune...

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to make money... Sure enough, compared to everything else, fortune was what she wanted to pray for the most.

Xu Wangchuan waited for her to open her eyes, first asking her if she had finished making her wish. After receiving an affirmative answer, he said, "Come on, it's still early, let's go eat some vegetarian noodles first."

"Okay." Liu Chaoque nodded.

The two stepped out of the stairs. The sun had already blown away the white clouds, and the morning temperature was slowly rising. They shared a large umbrella, and Liu Chaoque even fanned himself with a fan.

"Use this." Xu Wangchuan rummaged in his bag and handed her a collapsible folding fan. It was very small, but the wind was quite strong. However, it was a bit hot now, and the wind from this small fan carried a bit of the heat.

"Do you want to blow on it?" Liu Chaoque asked, seeing that he was holding an umbrella and seemed to be having some difficulty.

"My body temperature is low, and I don't feel very hot in the summer," Xu Wangchuan joked. "But my body temperature is also very low in the winter. I feel like a cold-blooded animal."

"Wow, that's cool. So you're not Xia Liang Dong Leng, maybe you really do possess some kind of water dragon bloodline?" Liu Chaoque reasonably guessed, "We are all descendants of dragons, maybe you've reverted to your ancestral lineage?"

"You've reverted to your ancestral ways! That's quite a novel way to comfort me." Xu Wangchuan was speechless. "It's probably just low body temperature. The hospital checkup came back normal."

"Oh, that's good." Liu Chaoque said with a smile.

Passing through a garden landscape built of green bamboo, the two entered an archway, with a window resembling a small shop set up in the east corner.

Seeing that there were people queuing, Liu Chaoque curiously asked Xu Wangchuan to join the queue while he went to the front to look at the price list.

"Do you want vegetable buns or bean buns?" Liu Chaoque told Xu Wangchuan the price of the two buns and the quantity he had to buy: "I've never eaten either of them before, so I don't know if I can buy them together."

"Then let's give it a try?" Xu Wangchuan said. "You find a seat, and I'll wait in line here first."

"Should I go check out the vegetarian noodles over there?" Liu Chaoque felt embarrassed to make his companion wait in line, since he had nothing else to do.

"Hey, let's go together. Wait until I'm done shopping." Xu Wangchuan was a little worried. "It won't make a difference if we take a little longer. Don't wander off. I might not be able to find you later..." He looked a little pitiful.

"Alright..." Liu Chaoque stood next to him with a small fan: "Then let's line up together." The two were very close, and the wind from the small fan intentionally or unintentionally blew the scent of lemons to his nose. Sure enough, it would be hot if they were too close.

Xu Wangchuan was unaware that his cheeks were flushed red, nor did he know when the long queue had come to an end.

"What would you like to buy?" Baskets of steamed buns were neatly packed into eights, making it easy for the aunt to collect the money with one hand and hand over the buns with the other.

"Auntie, could I have four vegetable buns and four red bean buns?" Xu Wangchuan asked.

The aunt didn't reply, but simply took four buns out of the bag and put them into a separate bag: "8 yuan."

"Okay auntie."

Leaving the crowd and the hustle and bustle of the throng subsided, Xu Wangchuan, carrying a bag of steamed buns, waved to Liu Chaoque: "I bought the steamed buns. Let's go eat vegetarian noodles."

Plain noodles were easy to find. Xu Wangchuan saw that the shop also sold iced mung bean soup and asked Liu Chaoque if he wanted to buy a cup as well. Liu Chaoque waved his hand and refused, feeling that if he ate steamed buns and plain noodles, he wouldn't have room for a full cup of mung bean soup.

He then asked Liu Chaoque what kind of vegetarian noodles she wanted to eat before saying, "Okay, then go inside and find a seat. I'll get my noodle ticket and come find you."

Liu Chaoque nodded and walked inside, passing through a sea of ​​dark heads, looking around at each table. She walked through the aisle, watching plates of vegetarian noodles being prepared and taken away, watching men and women eating with their heads down at the single seat. She surveyed the entire restaurant but couldn't find a seat large enough for two people.

"Do I have to wait any longer?" Liu Chaoque thought disappointedly. He could hear people urging those who hadn't bought noodles not to take up seats. Torn by anxiety and embarrassment, Liu Chaoque thought: "Let me look around some more. What if someone takes my seat as soon as I turn around?"

Coincidentally, four people had just picked up their bowls at a window seat. Liu Chaoque stopped next to them, waiting for them to pack up and leave.

She put her bag down and quietly reserved a seat, hoping that Xu Wangchuan would come over soon and that she wouldn't run into another stranger who wanted the spot.

"Here!" Just as she had hoped, Xu Wangchuan brought in a cup of mung bean soup.

Liu Chaoque was very happy. She beckoned him to her seat, and Xu Wangchuan placed his things on the table. "You ordered the Ruyi noodles," he said, waving the coupon in his hand.

The summer heat couldn't dampen the tourists' enthusiasm. The fish swimming leisurely in the pond, the kittens rolling on their backs in the woods, and the well in the courtyard all became elements in Liu Chaoque's photographs.

Xu Wangchuan adjusted his posture and angle, squatting and standing up from time to time, searching for the right position for light and shadow. "Hey, lower your head a bit, look at the camera, okay, smile a little, adjust your shoulders, should I lift your bangs a bit? Okay! Don't move, 1, 2, 3."

"Click, smile, look at this, how's the shot?" Xu Wangchuan said this, but his eyes were full of pride.

Liu Chaoque didn't have high hopes. He just thought that since the photographer was so enthusiastic, if the photos turned out bad, he could just brush it off and delete them when the photographer wasn't looking.

So she picked up her phone and looked at the photo. Her slightly lowered profile, with its soft lighting, softened her face, making it look like a mirage or a pure, downcast gaze.

"Beautiful..." Liu Chaoque felt that she had no faults in the photo. With her limited photography knowledge, she felt that the light and shadow and the people were perfectly integrated. At this moment, the wind stopped and all the noise returned to calm.

"If you think it looks good, that's fine." Xu Wangchuan said with a smile, feeling relieved. Fortunately, the lessons he had made in his spare time were very useful. But then again, does that mean he does have a talent for photography?

Several kittens were resting on a small stone platform, and a few girls were teasing them with things. For Liu Chaoque, she could not resist the temptation of these cute creatures, but she kept her distance, like Lord Ye who loved dragons but dared not touch them.

She watched from afar, as if separated by a vast border. The cat rolled over, enjoying the girl's touch. If there were some dried fish, it would be even better. Meow.

Xu Wangchuan stood next to Liu Chaoque, looked at her, then at the map on his phone: "How about we go a little further in? Want to touch it?"

Liu Chaoque shook his head frantically, somewhat embarrassed to voice his concerns: "I have to wash my hands with soap after petting the cats, and I'm a little afraid they'll scratch me."

"Oh, I see." Xu Wangchuan approached the kitten and beckoned Liu Chaoque over as well. He smiled and asked if he could pet it. The two girls looked at Xu Wangchuan's face and his smile, and shyly but generously let go of the kitten: "You...you can pet it."

"thank you all."

"No, you're welcome."

"Meow~" The kitten wondered why no one was petting it. A man's hand touched its chin: "Mimi, Mimi."

"Meow~" The kitten enjoyed his service, its voice sweet and coquettish, making Liu Chaoque's heart flutter. She rubbed her face, which was almost frozen from laughing, and looked at the rolling kitten with a lovesick expression.

Mimi is truly the cutest kitten in the world, if only she didn't scratch me.

"Meow, meow." Liu Chaoque squatted down next to Xu Wangchuan, stared at the kitten, and imitated its meows, receiving a sweet response.

She is the happiest child right now.

"Meow?" A completely black cat jumped down from the tree branch in a few steps. Its golden vertical pupils stared at Liu Chaoque's face in confusion. By the time Liu Chaoque looked up, it had already walked up to her.

Liu Chaoque was startled and took two steps back. She really didn't dare to look at her favorite kitten so closely, especially since the kitten reminded her of the mysterious black cat she had seen when she first started watching the game.

The man and the cat stared at each other silently. Suddenly, the cat stretched out its arms and pounced forward, charging towards Liu Chaoque.

Liu Chaoque's pupils contracted sharply, her body leaned back, and she sat down on the ground with a thud. What followed was a warm, soft, furry body and Xu Wangchuan's hand placed on her back.

"Are you alright?" The clock hands resumed ticking, and Liu Chaoque, holding the black cat, looked helplessly at Xu Wangchuan.

"Hmm?" Xu Wangchuan looked at the black cat curled up in her arms, clutching its tail, with a strange expression. "Where did this cat come from?"

"I don't know..." Liu Chaoque nervously squatted down, meowing softly, and slowly loosened his arms, hoping that the cat would leave him.

Unexpectedly, the cat, which had been curled up in a ball, saw that she was about to let go and gripped her chest tightly with its claws. The sharp claws almost scratched her skin through her clothes.

Liu Chaoque dared not make any further movements, so she stiffly hugged the cat. The black cat curled up again, found a comfortable position in her arms, and closed its eyes to pretend to sleep.

"This cat has become attached to you," someone joked.

"This cat isn't from a temple, is it? It's not a stray cat, so we shouldn't be able to adopt it, right?" Liu Chaoque asked hesitantly.

"Hey, why don't you ask the young novice monk?" someone said with a smile, pointing to a bald man in a yellow robe talking to a worshipper not far away.

Liu Chaoque froze instantly; she didn't want to keep a cat!

“How about…” Xu Wangchuan tugged at Liu Chaoque’s sleeve, “we should take this cat and ask around first. If we forcibly put the cat down, it might hurt you while struggling?”

The black cat opened one eye, and Xu Wangchuan actually saw a look of displeasure at being a busybody in the animal's eyes.

Xu Wangchuan blinked, wondering if he had misread it.

This is the only way...

“Amitabha, this black cat is not one of our cats. It might be a lost cat belonging to a worshipper, or a stray cat.” The young novice monk confirmed with just one glance that it was not one of his cats.

But its fur is oily and shiny, as if each hair has been groomed, and it doesn't have the smell of a cat that hasn't been bathed for years, so it doesn't seem like a stray cat.

"So we have to take the cat and find out who the owner is?" Holding the cat, Liu Chaoque felt like she was holding a soft time bomb, not knowing when her master would scratch her. She was terrified and on the verge of tears.

Xu Wangchuan held his phone, checked the time, and looked at Liu Chaoque: "Then let's wait another fifteen minutes at the place where we found the cat. If no one comes looking for us, we'll leave. Shall we go wash our hands now?"

Liu Chaoque was on the verge of tears: "That's all we can do."

Of course, there was no result in waiting. But thinking about it, it makes sense. Why bring a cat to a temple? Putting everything else aside, you can't burn incense with a cat in the house.

"So...do we have to take this cat to draw lots?" Liu Chaoque asked, standing in front of a temple, with great reluctance.

The cat squinted, looked up at Liu Chaoque, then at the monk inside. Seemingly understanding human speech, it jumped down, but remained close to Liu Chaoque, patting her ankle with its tail. It seemed to be saying something.

"Human, you mustn't abandon me, or I'll get angry." No, it's not just a sound, it's the cat talking!

The cat spoke! Liu Chaoque suddenly lowered his head, his surprise tinged with a sense of the uncanny.

"Yes, you heard me right, it was me speaking. You want to be safe and sound, so take me with you, and I'll get you out of danger!"

"Then thank you, Your Majesty. But Your Majesty, are you a cat or a human?" While others were asking for titles and honors, she was the one doing the opposite.

"Of course I am a cat." The black cat proudly raised its head, and Liu Chaoque then noticed the white fur on its neck, which looked like a bell or a tie.

It's not a pure black cat... Could it be a tuxedo cat? This cat is so mischievous and silly, I wonder if it will destroy the house?

"What do you mean by 'destroying the house'? Why should I destroy the house? And I am a black cat, a pure black cat. This white thing is just an ornament. Look closely, it's just an ornament." The cat touched a tuft of white fur on its neck, which twitched slightly. "This is my spoils of war after fighting my enemies, a symbol of my strength! I also have a yellow one here, would you like to see it?"

"Your Majesty, let's make a three-point agreement. I will provide you with cat food, cat beds, cat litter, and cat trees. You are not allowed to scratch my sofa, mattress, or floor, nor can you poop or pee anywhere, and you are not allowed to scratch me either," Liu Chaoque said seriously.

"I have no interest in such low-level pleasures. I only like to arm myself with force, equip my mind with knowledge, and enrich my taste buds with delicious food."

"Just tell me."

"Fighting, reading, and cooking," the cat said proudly.

"Shall we go in?" Although it was inappropriate to disturb their activity, the cat kept meowing, and Liu Chaoque was meowing along with it, making the painting... well, a little awkward.

"Okay!" Liu Chaoque looked up blankly, watching Xu Wangchuan regain his usual calm. Well, she already had a cheat ability, so having a cat that could cook wasn't a problem, right?

Holy crap, this is a huge problem! Has she wandered into a world of supernatural horror or a fairy tale? This game is getting more and more buggy. I hope she can leave before it crashes.

The senior monk took out a bucket of divination sticks and handed it to the two of them, explaining, "Shake it a few times, and whichever stick falls out is the one you've drawn today."

The two politely declined each other's offer and finally decided the order by playing rock-paper-scissors. Seeing Liu Chaoque's nervous look, Xu Wangchuan pretended to be nonchalant and said, "It's okay, any lot will do. If it doesn't work, we can draw again."

"You can't draw again; you can only draw one fortune stick today," the master chef interjected, handing over another bucket of fortune sticks.

Xu Wangchuan: ...

The two knelt on the prayer mats, their lips tightly pressed together, and took a deep breath at the same time. The divination sticks were shaken in their hands, and time passed second by second. Liu Chaoque felt that she had never been this nervous when she took an exam.

A short while later, Xu Wangchuan's lottery ticket fell out first, with "Winning" written on it.

And the divination slips that cannot be understood.

The interpretation of the divination slip relates to one's career, indicating a turning point. However, even if one makes the wrong choice, there won't be much loss, and there might even be unexpected gains.

When Liu Chaoque's long-awaited fortune slip finally arrived, he looked at the bamboo slip in his hand that was called "Superior Fortune Slip" and felt a sense of bewilderment, like someone who had drawn an SSR card and got it on the first try.

"Oh, this young friend's fortune is very interesting. You have great fortune, but things will turn into their opposites if you don't make a good choice. Strange indeed. I can tell from this fortune that you have made the right choice and your future is bright."

Liu Chaoque and Xu Wangchuan exchanged a glance, thanked the monk for his explanation, and then walked hand in hand towards the door, where a black cat was waiting. Liu Chaoque squatted down and picked it up.

"It's really strange. This person is surrounded by two kinds of fortune, yet it's impossible to see clearly." The head monk frowned.