Xu Youyuan opened the appearance panel and selected the "Free" option from the tabs above. On the left side, several categories appeared—body type, face shape, hair, facial features—each brimming with an overwhelming array of choices. Most were meticulously designed, meeting decent aesthetic standards. The "Dark Box" team clearly had some integrity, even if their product’s niche positioning was a bit unconventional.
There was even a "Full-Body Scan" feature—a one-click setup that replicated her real-world appearance in the app. Perfect for someone like Xu Youyuan, who valued authenticity but hated hassle.
She selected "Full-Body Scan," and soon, a near-perfect digital double materialized in the virtual mirror. The resemblance was striking, though the skin texture and hair fell slightly short of photorealism, rendering it a notch below "Reshape Universe."
This avatar captured Xu Youyuan’s essence: her 168cm height, shoulder-length hair, even the mole on her earlobe—all true to life. She also replicated her hobbies and voice as closely as possible. If she was going to experience romance, it had to be with a version of herself that felt real. Otherwise, what was the point?
Just as she was satisfied with this digital reflection, something caught her eye.
Wait a minute… Why was her chest so flat? Xu Youyuan stared at the mirror, running her hands over her torso—no curves whatsoever. She tugged at her collar and peeked inside. Completely flat. The clothes hung loose, as if draped over a board.
What kind of joke was this "Full-Body Scan"? If the feature wasn’t properly tested, it shouldn’t have been released!
Annoyed, she manually adjusted the bust size.
But then she noticed other flaws—her face looked slightly puffy, the under-eye bags were pronounced, her neck lacked firmness… She tweaked every detail until she looked a decade younger.
Standing back, Xu Youyuan scrutinized herself. *This* was her.
Or at least, the 25-year-old version of her.
Did it look a little too different? Maybe. But it wasn’t entirely off. She’d spent years in the public eye, and using a hyper-realistic avatar risked recognition.
No one knew she was here researching for a new game. Even if she explained, no one would believe her. They’d just assume she’d hit rock bottom and was seeking cheap thrills in "Dark Box."
She could already imagine the tabloid headlines: *"Mother of 'Reshape Universe' Falls from Grace, Seeks One-Night Stands in Virtual Underbelly."* A face that resembled her—but wasn’t instantly recognizable—was essential.
Finally satisfied, she settled on a balance: close enough to feel like herself, but not enough to raise eyebrows.
Next, she recorded her dating profile video—no dancing, singing, or cosplay. Just a simple introduction of her hobbies. Watching the playback, she cringed. Despite her youthful avatar, her mannerisms and speech still screamed "middle-aged."
She winced. With this energy, she’d be lucky to get a single match in an app where the average user was 26.5 years old.
Attempting a cutesy, high-pitched tone made her gag. Nope. Not happening.
Fine. Middle-aged it was. She wasn’t interested in dating kids anyway. Better to wait for the right person than waste time on the wrong ones.
After finalizing her profile, she moved to the "Match Filters" tab.
Age range: 30 to 39. Personally, she wouldn’t mind someone twenty years older—maturity meant fewer games—but older women might find her immature. Best to play it safe.
She left height and weight ranges wide open. Appearance wasn’t a dealbreaker. For hobbies, she selected gaming, movies, and travel.
The matching results floored her: over 30,000 profiles.
A massive, swirling dome of dating videos enveloped her, dizzying in its scale. She immediately closed it all.
*That many?* Were there really that many women aged 30–39 with compatible orientations and interests? Had she underestimated the dating scene—or just "Dark Box’s" user base?
Sitting on the floor, she reconsidered. The issue wasn’t age or orientation—it was her overly generic filters. After a moment’s thought, she added one more criterion: *"Adventurous."*
She’d always loved adrenaline. At twelve, she took up parkour; later, cliff diving, mountain climbing, deep-sea diving. Before her back surgery, she’d lived for the outdoors. That same fearless spirit had birthed her groundbreaking first-gen holographic game.
With "Adventurous" added, the pool shrank to just over a hundred.
Still more than she’d expected. As she browsed, a video call suddenly dominated her screen, its insistent ringing triggering an instinctive *"Decline."*
The caller instantly withdrew their profile—likely deleting hers in the process.
*Veteran move.* Were people always this impatient? Even behind a virtual mask, she wasn’t jumping into calls with strangers.
No matter. Plenty left to sift through.
Twelve users had sent messages: six opened with *"You there?"* (instant reject), two sent unsolicited nudes (blocked without hesitation), and four were borderline. One, however, cut deep.
*"Into games? I’ve got Xu Youyuan’s pre-retirement 'Reshape Universe' main account. 500K RMB. DM if interested."*
*"Seriously? My account’s worth that much?"* She fired back: *"Xu Youyuan’s main + three alts, bundled with private photos. 600K. Non-negotiable."*
The response? A swift block.
The last two messages: one asked about *"kinky preferences,"* the other read: *"Submissive slut seeking Owner."*
Xu Youyuan, the seasoned woman, was beginning to grasp the perilous situation she’d stumbled into. She’d often heard friends rant about the absurdities that unfolded in "Dark Box," but she’d only half-listened. Now that she was in the thick of it herself, she realized it was even wilder than she’d imagined.
Carefully, she selected five potential dates—all relatively normal, at least based on their profiles. Some had straightforward introduction videos, and one didn’t even show her face, just a shot of a room’s ceiling light, though her voice was pleasant.
Xu Youyuan decided: these five would do. Time to test the waters.
After submitting the date requests and receiving confirmations, as the initiator, she now had to choose the setting. "Dark Box" offered eight themed scenarios for dates. After browsing, she settled on "Adventure."
The adventure options were the fewest among the themes, and the previews struck her as uninspired and contrived. Then she spotted a "Cinematic Experience" button in the corner. Curious, she tapped it.
Back when she was buried under work for the fifth anniversary of "Reshaping the Universe," she’d vaguely heard about "Dark Box’s" latest update introducing this cinematic feature, which had taken off. She’d been intrigued but too busy to try it.
Inside the cinematic selection, there were twelve adventure-themed films. Only half were classics she knew; the rest were newer releases from the past few years she wasn’t familiar with. Still, six or seven options were plenty.
She chose *Fast & Furious 12* as the setting for her first "Dark Box" date.
At eight the next evening, Xu Youyuan showered, lit some incense, and lay back on her couch. She attached the neural connector and plunged into the virtual world, launching her first date.
Deep down, she’d known it wouldn’t go smoothly.
As Xiao An had often reminded her, she’d been so focused on her career all these years that she’d forgotten what dating even felt like. Even in "Dark Box," draped in a digital disguise, she was still hopeless at romance.
**[System Notification: Entering Adventure-Themed Date Scenario
Initiator: Nothing
Imported Film: Fast & Furious 12
Difficulty: 2.5]**
Dating inside *Fast & Furious 12* meant a high-speed, high-stakes backdrop. Her date was a woman around her age and height, but with a striking look—a gleaming bald head. The film’s opening scene was a frozen wasteland, an endless expanse of ice and snow. And there the woman was, in a black tank top and red shorts.
It was worth noting that "Dark Box’s" sensory chips replicated the environment perfectly—including the bone-chilling cold.
The date slid into the passenger seat and greeted Xu Youyuan. Her tone wasn’t overly casual, and the vibe was decent.
A deadly chase was about to begin. Xu Youyuan loved this movie and remembered every twist of its high-speed routes.
“Seen this one before?” she asked.
The bald girl smirked. “Of course.”
“I drive fast. Brace yourself.”
The girl grinned with supreme confidence. “Go all out. Floor it—don’t hold back.”
With that assurance, Xu Youyuan didn’t hold back.
The car chase erupted with an explosion, villains hot on their tail. The relentless gunfire shook the car violently.
Xu Youyuan wove the orange sports car in smooth S-curves across the ice, dodging attacks. The thrill sent heat coursing through her, her excitement building. Meanwhile, the bald girl’s bravado had evaporated. She clung to the seat, face ashen.
“Wh-what the hell? This intense?” Her voice wavered as the car lurched violently. She stared at Xu Youyuan, who was biting her lip with a faint smile, like she was witnessing a ghost.
Xu Youyuan executed a flawless drift to evade an ambush before replying, “You said you’d seen it! This movie *is* intense!”
Before the girl could retort, Xu Youyuan barked, “Hold on!” A streak of red light shot from a pursuing helicopter—a moment Xu Youyuan knew well, but her date clearly didn’t.
As the thick ice beneath their car split in two with a thunderous crack, the slab they were on tilted violently. The girl’s face turned whiter than the snow, far beyond mere fear.
The dark abyss of the frozen ocean yawned before them. With a shriek, the bald girl logged out.
By the time Xu Youyuan’s car barely scraped past the collapsing ice, narrowly escaping to solid ground, the passenger seat was empty.
Date: gone in a flash.
Xu Youyuan: “…”
