A Game of Love

Nineteen years ago.

Within a secluded manor that warned strangers away, inside a castle that had stood for centuries, a man and a woman sat on either side of a fireplace, where flames leapt and danced joyfully.

It was winter, and the warmth from the fire made the setting more comfortable, though neither seemed at all troubled by the cold.

Each of them held in their hands an ancient tome—volumes that belonged in a museum, carefully preserved for future generations to admire.

Time passed in serene silence.

The woman was the first to finish reading. She closed her book and waited.

About half an hour later, the man also closed his, and then he spoke, breaking the quiet: “Go on, what new wild idea have you come up with this time?”

The woman smiled, not at all offended by his words.

Her smile was captivating, her bright eyes reminiscent of the dazzling stars scattered across a night sky. “Don’t make it sound so terrible. I have a good idea.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Once this winter is over, the time will be just right. This time, I want to play a bolder game.”

“Be more specific?”

“We’ll seal all our memories, return to infancy, grow up in different places, and see who finds the other first!”

The man fell silent.

The flames in the hearth suddenly danced even more vigorously, as if they found the game both thrilling and perilous, so they flickered restlessly.

The man lifted a hand to his brow, a gesture that made his headache clear.

The woman, seeing his reaction, felt somewhat displeased; after all, she had truly spent a long time devising such an amusing game.

“Jiang Bei, whoever wins this game, once it’s over, the loser must obediently be the perfect husband or wife for the next hundred years!”

Seeing Jiang Bei’s reaction, the woman—who was truly eager to play—immediately played the trump card she had prepared in advance.

Having known Jiang Bei for tens of thousands of years, she was certain that with this wager, he would not be able to resist.

And things unfolded just as she expected.

Jiang Bei’s body jolted, his eyes lit up, and the hand at his forehead dropped away as he began to laugh.

“Fang Yuan, that’s quite the stake you’re offering.”

“I’m willing! So, are you in or not?”

“I’ll play, but…”

“But what?”

“But I think you’ll cheat… and even if you lose, you won’t admit it!”

Fang Yuan’s expression darkened. Her brows twitched, and her fair hand, resting on the ancient tome, began to move unconsciously… With such a hefty book, several hundred pages thick, it could make quite an effective weapon. At the very least, she could certainly give Jiang Bei, this scoundrel daring to slander her, a head full of bumps.

Yet after a brief moment of anger, she restrained herself—for now. After all, a game is only fun if both parties join willingly; otherwise, there’s no joy in playing.

“I never cheat! And I never go back on my word!” Fang Yuan declared, her tone emphatic.

Jiang Bei burst out laughing, bending over with mirth.

Fang Yuan, upon seeing this, could no longer hold back. She decided to give him a beating first!

In an instant, she seized the heavy tome and lunged at him.

------------------------

Steward Ah Fu entered, still unclear as to why, at such a late hour, this couple was fighting again.

“After all these thousands of years, haven’t they fought enough?” Ah Fu thought, casting a quick glance at Jiang Bei’s head.

It seemed a bit swollen.

“So, he lost again?”

“After losing for thousands of years, will he ever learn his lesson?”

Of course, as a steward, Ah Fu would never say such things in front of Jiang Bei. He was no Fang Yuan—Jiang Bei showed no mercy when beating him.

Seeing Ah Fu enter, Fang Yuan—who, having just given Jiang Bei a thorough thrashing and secured his agreement to the game—was in high spirits.

“Ah Fu, Jiang Bei and I are about to play an interesting game. You are both the witness and the supervisor.”

“During the game, neither side is allowed to cheat in any way. If cheating is discovered, that person is immediately declared the loser. At that time, you must notify the winner at once and may not show any favoritism!”

“After the game, you must also ensure that the loser fulfills their promise—no backing out!”

Ah Fu was no stranger to the couple’s peculiar games.

He nodded. “And what are the rules of this game?”

……

The rules were as follows:

1. Over the next six months, Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan would each seek a suitable family. Once chosen, they would return, and, under Ah Fu’s supervision, seal all memories and revert to the state of a one-year-old infant. Then, Ah Fu would deliver them to their selected families for fostering.

2. Until their high school graduation, Ah Fu was forbidden from interfering in any way; the two must grow up naturally, without intervention.

3. On the day they graduated from high school, Ah Fu would appear, invent a convincing reason, and gift each of them five billion as start-up capital on the same day. He must remind them that this funding is primarily for starting a business, enjoyment of life coming second.

(This rule was insisted upon by Jiang Bei and counts as a second competition.)

Each would have five billion in start-up funds, and the deadline would be their thirtieth birthday.

On that day, whichever of them had created a business with the higher net worth would win this part of the challenge.

4. The other deadline was also their thirtieth birthday. Before that day, whoever first found and confirmed the other as their spouse—and most importantly, successfully proposed and placed a ring on their finger—would be the winner of this part!

5. Ah Fu would supervise. If at any point either party proposed to the wrong person, a penalty of fifty years would be recorded.

The prizes were as follows:

[Starting from the day after their thirtieth birthday, for the next hundred years, the winner would hold the reins in the marriage. The loser must behave obediently and be the perfect spouse!]

1. For the business competition, the winner would gain fifty years of marital dominance.

2. For the “find your spouse” challenge, the winner would gain one hundred years.

[The two prizes could be combined, and penalties for proposing to the wrong person would also stack! Ah Fu was to keep meticulous records until the game concluded.]

[During the business competition, Ah Fu was forbidden from providing any form of assistance. Otherwise, he would face dire consequences!]

Ah Fu was quick to grasp the details.

About an hour later, Ah Fu returned, now carrying a contract.

The contract was drafted in triplicate, exceedingly formal.

Jiang Bei and Fang Yuan took the contracts. Since their happiness for the next hundred years or more was at stake, they read them carefully, making sure every clause was precise.

Finding no issues, they signed and affixed their thumbprints, finalizing the agreement.

“Wife, you’re going to lose terribly! I guarantee it!”

“Oh, you’re so full of hot air!”

Fang Yuan’s laughter was radiant, her eyes crinkling with delight, pride unmistakable in her smile.

‘Jiang Bei, you fool!’

‘How many beautiful women do you know who would take the initiative to propose to a man?’

‘Just wait for your punishment!’