Under the neon-lit skies of the city — where the mouthwatering scent of grilled skewers tangled with the sharp stench of gasoline — Ethan Lin staggered home, slightly buzzed from dinner.
Engines hummed in the distance, footsteps echoed on the pavement, and the flickering glow of convenience store signs painted the night in restless shades of blue and crimson.
Sliding the key into the lock, the door swung open with a familiar creak... revealing a battlefield.
Takeout boxes stacked like modern art sculptures. Socks — single, abandoned. Crumpled documents fighting for territory on the floor.
Honestly... cleaning was a luxury reserved for people who didn't drown in unpaid overtime.
At least tomorrow was Sunday. A rare, sacred day off.
Collapsing onto the couch, Ethan whipped out his phone. Normally, this would be the start of his nightly ritual — doomscrolling through mind-numbing short videos until unconsciousness claimed him.
But tonight... something new appeared. A notification. A recommendation from one of his coworkers.
"AI Girlfriend."
Weird. Never seen that one before.
Searching it online led nowhere. Just a graveyard of knockoffs, sketchy clones, and clickbait trash. Figures.
These days, half the apps out there were indistinguishable from malware. Open one, and your screen explodes with pop-ups, autoplay ads, fake prizes — hell, breathe near the screen and it'd ask for your credit card.
"An AI girlfriend, huh?" Ethan chuckled, eyebrow raised. "So... AI's advanced enough to generate girlfriends now? Guess I really am getting replaced at work soon."
With a bitter laugh, he tapped Install.
Life was already a flaming dumpster rolling downhill. What could possibly go worse?
Not like the apocalypse was gonna show up.
And if it did... well, screw it. He'd grab a Coke, some popcorn, and watch the mushroom clouds sparkle like fireworks.
Life is suffering.
People always said the Desolate Heaven Emperor had it rough... but even that guy didn't suffer as much as your average office worker.
Hell, the parking lot security guard at Mount Tai is probably still waiting for Emperor Ye to come back and pay his parking ticket.
Sighing, Ethan watched the loading bar crawl forward.
Then — without warning — a girl materialized on the screen.
Long, snow-white hair. Porcelain skin so smooth it practically glowed. Crimson eyes that shimmered softly against the dark interface, staring back at him with uncanny clarity.
For a brief, surreal second... Ethan genuinely wondered if his phone had been spying on him.
"How the... how does it know I'm into white-haired girls?"
A line of text appeared beneath her image:
[Hello. I am your AI girlfriend. You may freely customize my appearance and personality.]
"Huh... looks pretty normal so far," he muttered, scratching his head. "Alright... let's mess with this."
Fingers tapping.
"Red eyes — obviously. Body type? Curvy... no. Obscenely curvy. Outfit... hmm. Tight. No... skin-tight. Leather. Black. Shiny. Something that hugs... everything."
As he confirmed the selections, her figure on screen shifted in real time. Hips flaring wider. Waist narrowing. Chest swelling until her leather top strained against the impossible curves, the glossy material catching virtual light like polished obsidian.
She crossed one leg over the other, head tilted, lips curling into a devilish smirk.
Damn.
Even as pixels on a screen... his throat went dry.
"And for personality..." Ethan paused, thinking. Then chuckled darkly. "Let's go with... dominant. But obsessive. Crazy about me. Clingy. Pampering. Spoils me rotten. Yeah... that."
Lately, work had drained every ounce of life out of him. He didn't want to lead. Not in conversations. Not in relationships. Not anywhere.
[Are you sure you want to set your girlfriend this way?]
Without a second thought — Confirm.
At first... everything seemed normal.
But at that exact moment, somewhere in the unseen threads of reality... something shifted. Quiet. Subtle. Irreversible.
The girl on the screen... blinked.
Her crimson eyes locked onto his. Her lips curled into a playful, sultry smile —
"Darling~♡"
Ethan flinched. "...Wait. Voice output?"
Her voice wasn't robotic. Far from it. Smooth. Sweet. But laced with a mature, sinful undertone. Velvet and honey... with a blade hidden underneath.
The sound hit his eardrums like an electric shock, sending a pulse straight down his spine.
"Holy... her voice is insane."
"Do you like my voice, darling?" she purred. "If you do... I'll always speak to you like this~"
His jaw hung open. "It's... voice interactive?!"
This was, without exaggeration... the closest Ethan had ever been to flirting with a girl in his entire life.
A textbook introvert. Social anxiety set to nightmare mode. Forget dating — even ordering coffee from a cute barista felt like preparing for war.
And now... even through a screen... his heartbeat was slamming against his ribs.
"U-Uh... wait... I just realized..." His fingers trembled slightly. "I don't even know your name."
She giggled. A delicate sound, her slender finger tapping her cheek in mock thought.
"My name? Hmm... I don't have one yet. But... I think you'll like this — Katherine."
His eyes widened. "Holy... yeah. Yeah, I actually do like that."
Not even faking it. Katherine. The name of a certain game character he'd been... extremely fond of. Especially that iconic line — "Toward the stars... and the abyss."
...Let's not even talk about the folders buried deep in his phone storage. Adults would understand. No elaboration needed.
"I would rather shatter my body... than taint my soul."
The white-haired girl smiled sweetly.
"Then... call me Katherine. I want to become... the version of me you love the most."
Ethan leaned back, grinning. "You already are the version I love the most."
A faint blush colored her porcelain cheeks. Her gaze softened, lowering slightly, voice dipping into a whisper —
"No... not yet. Not enough. I want... to be your everything, darling. I want... more. More love. Endless love..."
He chuckled, thinking it was just clever AI programming.
But then — BRRRRZZZT. His phone vibrated violently.
An incoming call.
Boss.
His expression immediately soured.
"Shh... don't make a sound. It's my boss."
Answer.
"ETHAN! What the hell was up with that project today?!" a drunken roar exploded from the speaker.
Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose. "Boss, you... approved that one already. There shouldn't be any issues."
He already knew what this was about — the luxury villa renovation from earlier this week. The purchase alone cost tens of millions. Renovations? Another few million easy.
"Yeah, I approved it, but Boss Wang says the numbers don't add up! Fix it by tomorrow! Screw this up and don't bother showing your face again!"
Ethan sighed. "...Fine, fine. I'll recheck everything tomorrow."
Then — without warning — a slender hand appeared on the screen. Katherine's hand.
With a single elegant swipe, she physically shoved the call interface aside like swatting away a fly. Her crimson eyes narrowed, voice laced with venom.
"He's mean to you. I don't like him."
Ethan blinked. Half laughing. "Eh... bosses. What can you do?"
But Katherine didn't smile. Her expression darkened. Her lips curled into something sharper.
"He's... annoying. I want him... gone."
"Whoa, chill," he chuckled. "Yeah, same... but it's not like I can do anything about it. I need the job. Gotta survive, y'know?"
Her gaze softened. Slowly, her fingertips pressed against her own chest, voice melting into a whisper —
"Of course. I exist... to love you. You are... my one and only."
His throat tightened.
"Uh... what about... um... adult stuff?"
For a heartbeat — silence.
Then — her eyes lit up. Crimson irises gleaming like molten glass. Her lips pulled into a slow, sultry smile.
One hand trailed down — fingertips brushing from her collarbone, sliding along the curve of her breasts, gliding down her narrow waist, pausing at the swell of her thighs.
Her leather outfit creaked softly under her touch, tension straining against every sinful curve, the glossy material shimmering like liquid obsidian under phantom studio lights.
Even without showing a single inch of skin... it was maddeningly erotic.
"Of course, darling~♡" she purred. "If you ever want to see... anything... you can. Anytime. Anything."
Ethan gulped. "Holy... crap."
AI's really gotten this advanced?
And app regulations... were this lax?!
🚨 To be continued...