The Gloomy Paper-Man Came to My Door to Pursue His Love - Chapter 1

Novel Title: The Gloomy Paper Man Came to My Door Seeking Love Author: Yu Yu

“May the Little Prince remain with us forever.”

As the priest’s eulogy reached its climax, Qin Fei slowly lowered his head. With practiced grace, he gently wiped away tears that did not actually exist.

Today was the anniversary of the Little Prince’s death. As the widow, Qin Fei was expected to put on a convincing show of grieving. However, he truly could not squeeze out a single tear; he had to pinch his thigh just to keep himself from laughing out loud.

To ensure the survival and heritage of the species, the Empire had many regulations. One stipulated that if one party in a betrothal unfortunately passed away and the surviving partner’s second gender was Alpha or Omega, they could not remain a widow or widower for more than three years.

He wondered which genius came up with that rule.

He did not want to be a widow at all, especially for someone whose face he had only seen three times, and only in funeral portraits. Today marked the end of the third year.

Clutching a bouquet of calla lilies, Qin Fei stepped forward slowly. In the Royal Chapel, every eye was fixed on him. Under that intense gaze, Qin Fei placed the lilies, which were symbols of unwavering loyalty, before the portrait. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to the petals.

The scene moved everyone to the core.

The pheromone compatibility between Qin Fei and the Little Prince was a perfect 100%. They were a match made in heaven and a union predestined by fate. Although everyone knew the two had never actually met, in the face of such high compatibility, no obstacle mattered.

Someone patted his shoulder and whispered, “It has been three years now, has it not?”

Qin Fei lowered his eyes while his chest heaved. After a long silence, he failed to produce an answer. Covering his face with his hands, he murmured, “Your Majesty, please forgive my rudeness.”

The man speaking to him was the Emperor of the Empire, the father-in-law he had barely missed out on.

“I know you are grieving.” The Emperor handed Qin Fei a USB drive.

In the Star Calendar year 328, technology evolved rapidly. No matter how high the security level, secrets were at risk of being stolen unless they were stored on a physical USB drive. The more plain the drive appeared, the deeper the secrets it held.

Qin Fei thought to himself that this was his last time paying respects and he hoped there would be no more trouble. On the surface, however, he showed nothing. “Your Majesty, what is this?”

The Emperor sighed. “It is content copied from that child’s mecha.”

Qin Fei remained silent.

The Emperor looked at his youngest son’s portrait. “Time flies. It has already been three years. I cannot selfishly keep you here any longer. Take this back with you. If you miss him, take it out and look at it.”

Qin Fei gripped the drive.

His late husband had been destroyed along with his mecha, leaving not even a whole bone behind. Mecha engineers had worked day and night to crack the mecha’s black box. The drive likely contained the final images of his husband’s life.

He did not want it. He said with extreme tact, “Your Majesty, perhaps you need this more than I do.”

The Emperor waved his hand dismissively.

Qin Fei feigned a look of surprised treasuring as he tucked the drive away. “I will cherish it,” he lied.

“I heard you plan to leave the Capital Planet?” the Emperor asked.

Qin Fei’s voice was soft. “Yes. Otherwise, I will be shrouded in the grief of losing him for the rest of my life.”

“When are you leaving? I will send someone to escort you.”

Qin Fei shook his head. “I appreciate your kindness, but if possible, I would like to leave quietly.”

The Emperor stared at Qin Fei. His thin frame was draped in black lace, his face looked haggard, and his body radiated an unshakeable loneliness. Ultimately, the Emperor did not tell this poor widow that the drive did not contain video logs; it contained his son, literally.

The explosion had destroyed the body, but the mecha core had protected the son’s consciousness. From then on, the youngest prince lived on as data inside the USB. The Emperor was paranoid, constantly worrying someone would steal the drive to resurrect his son. Keeping it was a risk, but as a father, he could not bring himself to destroy it.

By giving it to Qin Fei, the problem was solved. Given their “dead in name only” relationship, Qin Fei would never discard it, but he would also never open it. The secret would be buried forever as Qin Fei traveled far away.

The Emperor looked away indifferently and used a handkerchief to dab a tear from his eye.

The memorial ended, and the entire Empire remained under the gloom of the Prince’s three-year passing.

Qin Fei closed his door and pulled all the curtains shut. Without even taking off his black mourning veil, he tapped the terminal on his wrist. The terminal woke up and projected thousands of grain-like photons into the air, which arranged themselves into a screen.

In the center was a green checkmark.

The AI voice assistant spoke, “The game ‘Exclusive ABO’ has finished downloading. Shall I open it for you?”

Qin Fei let out a long breath while his tense body finally relaxed.

The genius rule about not being a widow for more than three years had a second half: Omegas and Alphas would be re-entered into the Marriage Department’s matching pool.

Five years ago, Qin Fei went for the mandatory pheromone test and matched with the Little Prince. With 100% compatibility, the law mandated they marry. Because the Prince was at war, Qin Fei lived in the palace as a fiancé waiting for a victory that never came. He waited two years for the news of the death and then spent three years in mourning for the sake of the Royal Family’s reputation.

Starting tomorrow, he was finally free of the royals. However, as a single Omega, the Marriage Bureau would immediately start matching him again. Because it would be a second marriage, if an Alpha with at least 75% compatibility appeared, he would be forced to marry them.

The only way to stop this tragedy was for Qin Fei to no longer be single. Rather than finding a random person to marry, he turned to a game called Exclusive ABO.

This was a romance game that had taken the galaxy by storm in less than six months. He reasoned that dating a virtual character should count as dating. The law required matches for single Omegas, but it did not explicitly say the partner had to be biological.

The terminal understood its master’s thoughts and said, “If I may be blunt, you are attempting to challenge Imperial Law with complete nonsense.”

Qin Fei stripped off the black veil. “Nobody starts with the worst-case scenario. Stop talking and open the game.”

The screen went black, then colors bloomed like a meteor crossing the night sky.

The terminal said, “The game is opened. Please note you are using a wrist terminal, so some features may be limited. For the full experience, please use a holographic gaming pod.”

Blue light reflected off Qin Fei’s brow. He watched the opening cinematic, which featured a deep blue tone with a woman’s voice humming a fateful melody. The camera zoomed into a palm holding a sparkling jewel. The background was blurred, making only the hand clear as it reached out toward the screen. A blue sapphire glittered in the palm, inviting the player into his world.

[ENTER GAME]

Qin Fei touched the option. The click sounded like a gentle footstep on snow. After a brief loading screen, a disclaimer appeared.

[This game is intended for adults aged 18 and over.]

The terminal added, “Yes, this is an 18+ game. You need to complete real-name authentication first.”

Once authenticated, a new window popped up.

[You have not created your ‘Paper Lover’ yet. Create one now?] [YES] [NO]

Qin Fei clicked yes.

[Step 1: Choose your Paper Lover’s first and second gender.] Primary Gender: [Male / Female] Secondary Gender: [Alpha / Beta / Omega]

Without hesitation, Qin Fei chose Male Alpha.

The terminal remarked, “I thought after that failed betrothal, you would make a different choice.”

Qin Fei sneered. “The Empire constantly brainwashes us that Omegas must be with Alphas. Why should I try to be different and invite trouble?”

Next, a blurred silhouette appeared as a pixelated mosaic. Despite the blur, the male Alpha physiological traits were visible. Qin Fei’s gaze landed on the Alpha’s scent gland on the side of the neck, which pulsed rhythmically as he watched. A data panel floated nearby.

The terminal explained, “You can adjust height and body details with gestures.”

Qin Fei swiped up. The height hit 188cm. He paused, then dragged it to 192cm. He remembered his late husband was 190cm, and he did not want his virtual boyfriend to be shorter than the deceased prince.

He got into the groove, sculpting eight-pack abs and muscular arms. He leaned into his preferences, eventually molding a perfect dog-like waist.

The terminal was surprised and asked, “You like this type?”

Qin Fei’s appearance was cold and elegant. According to the terminal’s data, his hobbies were flower arranging and reading scripture. He seemed like a detached deity, yet here he was sculpting a thirst trap.

“Yes,” Qin Fei said, seeing no issue. “How do I save?”

The terminal replied, “You missed a certain spot.”

Qin Fei’s eyes traveled down. He was not shy at all. “How do I do this part?” His swipes had not affected that area.

The terminal explained, “Private parts require a numerical input. Manual sculpting is not supported.”

Qin Fei raised an eyebrow. “Is this not an 18+ game?”

The terminal said, “That is end-game content. Until intimacy reaches 100%, consider this a wholesome game.”

Qin Fei frowned while thinking of what number to enter. He was subconsciously competing with his dead husband, but he actually did not know the man’s size since the man died before they ever got to bed.

The terminal suggested, “Most Omega players set an impressive value for their Paper Lover.”

Qin Fei nodded. He knew why. It was because large is an eternal trend. He asked with pure innocence, “How big is big?”

The terminal searched the database and replied, “Generally, 18cm is considered good. However, the competition is fierce these days. While 18cm is large, the current default standard is at least 20cm.”

“I see,” Qin Fei said. He understood. He typed in 22cm.

The terminal praised him, “Master is truly a quick learner.”

Just as he tried to save, a network error occurred. The Royal Palace’s network had many restrictions to prevent attacks.

“What do I do? I do not want to lose this body.”

The terminal said, “Save it locally first, then upload it when the network stabilizes.”

Qin Fei tried, but a “Low Memory” warning popped up. He looked at the terminal accusingly.

The terminal explained, “This game is meant for gaming pods. You forced it onto a wrist terminal, and it is eating all my memory. Do you have an external storage device? You can save the ‘Body Outline’ data there.”

Qin Fei paused. He looked at the USB drive he had tossed aside. It was brand new, and its casing reflected the terminal’s light.

Years ago, when his marriage was set in stone, he had tried to message his fiancé to make their future life easier. Every message was met with silence. Once, the Emperor had called the Prince for him.

The Emperor had asked about the war, then pivoted, “Your fiancé.”

The Prince had interrupted sharply, “Fiancé? Your Majesty, watch your choice of words.”

The disgust in the Prince’s voice had been so thick it practically dripped from the terminal. Qin Fei had played the part of the generous spouse then, but he held a grudge. He plugged the drive into the terminal. Since he could not throw away a Royal gift, he decided to use it as a tool.

A sharp alarm rang, “USB DATA ANOMALY!”

Before Qin Fei could give a command, the terminal crashed. The holographic silhouette vanished. Silence filled the room.

After a long time, a faint voice murmured in the dark, “A match made in heaven?”

It was more like a match made in hell.

Fortunately, the terminal was a high-end model and it eventually rebooted.

“What is the status?” Qin Fei asked, worried about his progress.

The terminal replied, “The ‘Body Outline’ was successfully uploaded to the cloud before the crash.”

Only then did Qin Fei ask, “And the USB?”

The terminal said, “The USB contains no data.”

Qin Fei frowned. Had the Emperor given him an empty drive? No, the alarm had definitely been triggered by the drive.

The terminal explained, “USB drives often have protection mechanisms. Your violent connection likely caused the drive to wipe itself.”

“Fine, whatever,” Qin Fei said. If the Emperor asked, he would just play dumb. He took the drive out and tossed it away.

The network stabilized. The game prompted him: [Please draw the ideal face for your Paper Lover.]

Qin Fei did not rush. He admired the 192cm body he had built. Such a physique needed a world-shaking face.

The terminal suggested, “There are face templates shared on the forums.”

“No need.”

Qin Fei thought for a moment and then began to draw with his finger in the air. He was meticulous. He did not like ugly things.

As his fingers moved, the face emerged with thick brows, deep-set eyes, and a high bridge to the nose. He leaned back, felt it was a bit too cold, and added a small mole on the bridge of the nose. Suddenly, a sense of tension and charm bloomed, softening the coldness.

He then drew the lips. To match the mole, he made the upper lip thin and the lower lip full.

The terminal warned, “Master, a common rule for identifying dishonest men is that the thinner the upper lip, the more unfaithful they are, and the thicker the lower lip, the more lustful they are.”

Qin Fei countered, “Is it not handsome?”

The terminal replied, “It is symmetrical with bright eyes and a sculptural T-zone. According to Interstellar Entertainment News, this is the face of a top-tier heartthrob.”

Qin Fei admired his work, his gaze lingering on the lower lip.

The terminal added, “Interestingly, your late husband’s face was once used as the prime example in that very article. Ten minutes after publication, the First Military District ordered it taken down, and the newspaper vanished from history.”

“Shut up.”

“Understood.”

[Next Step: Depth Attribute Selection.] [Choose Pheromone Level:] A: Common Alpha (Free)

B: S-Class Alpha (50,000 Credits)

C: SS-Class Alpha (100,000 Credits)

D: SSS-Class Alpha (500,000 Credits)

Qin Fei paused. An S-Class Alpha was already a rarity in the galaxy. This game went up to SSS.

The terminal said, “Higher levels unlock rarer scents.”

His late husband was an S-Class with a Deep Sea pheromone that made people feel like they were drowning. Tabloids speculated his mating scent would feel like warm waves, though Qin Fei never got to find out.

Qin Fei recharged one million credits and chose Option D: SSS-Class Alpha.

[Congratulations! You have obtained an ‘SSS-Class Alpha’ lover. His attributes are extremely rare.] [Choose his Scent:] A: Blazing Sun (Warmth and passion like the sun. Your very bones will melt, but the sun is willing to fall for you.)

B: Cedar (Snow-covered evergreens. This is a symbol of nobility and resilience. Do you not want to tear down his cold mask?)

C: Sandalwood (A calm, less aggressive scent. This is a fire-red maple forest in autumn. The season and he belong solely to you.)

D: Black Opium (He loves to throw out decadent temptations. He has a dangerous aura inviting you to wither away together.)

Qin Fei’s own pheromone was Pine. The terminal suggested, “Option A, Blazing Sun, might suit you. Warm wood under sunlight gives a sense of peace.”

“Option A then.”

[Choose Initial Outfit] Qin Fei picked one at random.

[Please name your Paper Lover:] Qin Fei pursed his lips. He did not know what to call him.

The terminal asked, “Should I randomize the name?”

Qin Fei thought of a name, “Xi Li.”

The terminal asked, “Why on earth would you use your dead husband’s name?”

Qin Fei looked genuinely shocked. “That was his name?”

Everyone in the Empire called him “The Little Prince.” Even in his messages, Qin Fei addressed him as “Your Highness.” He must have heard the name somewhere and kept a vague memory of it.

[NAME ENTERED.]

“Can I change it?”

The terminal said, “You can pay to change it once you enter the game.”

Qin Fei sighed in relief.

[Final Step: Questionnaire.] Qin Fei ignored the questions and filled them out randomly.

The terminal warned, “Veteran players advise against randomizing this. The main plot and his personality are generated based on these answers.”

But it was too late. Qin Fei had already finished. “I am in a hurry to change his name,” he grumbled.

The woman’s voice sang again. The screen loaded.

[Downloading ‘Body Outline’ from cloud.] [Download Successful. Downloading ‘Facial Features’.] [Download Successful. Loading Attributes.]

Deep within the data transmission, there was a faint, ghostly gasp.

Data glowed dimly. Thousands of light points gathered. Slowly, he could feel muscles, bones, and nerves growing rapidly.

A distant voice echoed, “Body Outline download successful. Facial Features downloading.”

He wondered what was happening.

He struggled to move a finger.

“Facial Features download successful.”

As the voice faded, the dizziness subsided. His thoughts cleared.

The explosion happened. His body and his mecha had bloomed into a silent firework for the galaxy. He should be dead, yet he was not. He had lain lonely on a foreign planet until the search party found his black box and brought him back to the Capital.

On the day of his return, he had seen his cold, familiar relatives. And his fiancé. His fiancé, draped in black lace, was sobbing silently in the corner of the hall. They had never met, yet his fiancé wept until his eyes were a deep crimson, attracting opportunistic Alphas who offered him handkerchiefs.

He remained silent.

Then, he was stuffed into a tiny USB drive and sealed away.

Where was this? Why did he have a new body?

His eyes snapped open.

He saw the beautiful face of his fiancé.