"Let's play a game today. What kind of games do you usually play?" Qin Chuan suggested out of the blue.
Jian Yiling looked up at him briefly, then shook her head. She didn't play games.
"Not even dress-up games or strategy games?" Qin Chuan asked, knowing from his work in the tech industry that these types of games were popular among young women.
Again, Jian Yiling shook her head, displaying the same disinterest she had in most things.
Qin Chuan, not deterred, opened his laptop and offered her a choice from the games he had installed. His computer was loaded with all sorts of games—some downloaded for his personal enjoyment, but many for the sake of market research.
"Why are we playing games?" Jian Yiling asked, her voice quiet.
"Your grandmother wants you to have more fun and not just bury your head in studying," Qin Chuan answered honestly, without trying to hide the real reason behind the suggestion.
Jian Yiling paused, considering his words. Then she turned her attention back to the computer screen. After a brief moment, she pointed to an icon on the desktop.
"This one," she said, indicating *Zerg Invasion*, a recently popular first-person shooter (FPS) game.
Qin Chuan was surprised by her choice. *Zerg Invasion* was a highly engaging, intense game, but he hadn't expected Jian Yiling to choose something so violent, given her usual quiet demeanor. It was an action-packed game, not one he'd have picked for someone who seemed as timid as her.
"You know, this game can be quite violent and graphic. The visuals are very realistic—it might be uncomfortable for you," Qin Chuan cautioned, trying to persuade her to pick something else. He didn't want her to be scared off by the game's intensity.
But Jian Yiling was firm. "This one," she repeated, showing no signs of changing her mind.
Seeing her insist, Qin Chuan had no choice but to let her use his account to log into the game. His account was at a high level, and his record boasted an impressive string of victories.
Once the match began, the screen transformed into the interior of a spacecraft, giving the player a first-person perspective. The game's premise revolved around an intergalactic war. Players, starting from their spaceship, were sent to a planet overrun by Zerg-like alien creatures. By eliminating these monstrous aliens, players earned points and rewards. The player with the highest score at the end of the match was the winner.
Before they ventured into the game, Qin Chuan decided to explain the mechanics to Jian Yiling. "You can choose your weapon here. For example, the UMP9 and Uzi are submachine guns—they have a fast rate of fire but short range. The 98K is a sniper rifle, slow but with long range and high single-shot damage..."
But before he could finish his explanation, Jian Yiling had already picked up an M4 and rushed out of the spaceship, wasting no time.
After exiting the ship, players typically had a few moments to find cover or select a strategic location. Newer players usually stuck with others to increase their chances of survival, as wandering alone risked a sudden and terrifying encounter with the alien creatures.
Qin Chuan was about to suggest that Jian Yiling team up with the other players, but she had already sprinted off on her own.
He couldn't help but feel concerned. Jian Yiling seemed easily startled by his mere presence—how would she react to the terrifying, monstrous alien creatures in the game? He braced himself for her reaction, half expecting her to quit as soon as the first alien appeared.
But, within a minute, Jian Yiling calmly aimed her M4 at the first alien she encountered and took it down with a single headshot.
Five minutes into the game, she had already killed ten aliens.
Fifteen minutes later, only three players remained alive, and Jian Yiling had the highest score among them.
By the eighteen-minute mark, the game ended. Jian Yiling had claimed first place, much to Qin Chuan's amazement.
Staring at the screen, Qin Chuan couldn't help but feel astonished. He had assumed Jian Yiling would struggle with a game like *Zerg Invasion*—the fast pace, the violent confrontations, the monstrous visuals. Yet, here she was, not only surviving but excelling.
For Jian Yiling, however, it seemed to be just another task. Her expression remained as calm and indifferent as it had been when they first sat down.