Chapter 1 — When the Goddess Appears

To finally meet the online boyfriend I had cherished for so long, I had pushed myself through a grueling transformation, shedding down from a heavy ninety kilograms to a slender fifty. Yet, on the very eve of our long-awaited rendezvous, I stumbled upon a chilling post while casually scrolling through my feed.

Transferring my online girlfriend to a new owner before our scheduled meetup.

We have been together for over a year. She possesses a sweet voice, a gentle and kind nature, and knows how to provide genuine emotional support. Anyone interested can drop me a direct message.

Someone asked why a man would ever want to give away such a good girlfriend. The original poster replied indifferently.

I managed to dig up her real information online. She is terribly fat, and I happen to be someone who values physical appearance above all else.

Beneath the post, mocking comments immediately flooded in.

At first, I was mildly interested, but the moment I heard she was fat, all my enthusiasm vanished instantly.

Who on earth would want a rolling tank? Keep that monstrosity for yourself, ha-ha.

Only a single user responded with a short reply.

Message me privately.

I stared back at the profile picture of the poster. It was an exact match to the avatar used by my online boyfriend. The date of the post read three months ago.

I stood frozen in place. A sudden wave of memories washed over me from three months ago, when River had indeed begun to change drastically. Back then, he suddenly grew cold and distant, even bringing up the topic of breaking apart once, claiming he had simply grown tired of me. I had foolishly assumed he was merely going through a temporary phase of exhaustion, pleading with him for a long time to stay. Reluctantly, he had agreed to continue. From that day onward, he abruptly insisted on switching to a brand-new messaging account, offering the excuse that his old one was cluttered with too many messy contacts and that, with college approaching, he wanted a completely fresh start. That was how I ended up adding his new account. Afterward, he remained aloof for a while, his temperament shifting noticeably, until we finally grew somewhat close again much later. I had foolishly believed he merely fell out of love before changing his mind. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined the truth. I lowered my gaze to my phone screen. The paired Crayon Shin-chan profile icon flickered with a newly arrived notification.

My darling, I checked the calendar and realized your period is coming soon, so I ordered some peach and bird's nest dessert for you. Make sure to drink it while it is still warm.

I am counting down the days until we finally meet next month, though I am feeling a little nervous. Are you looking forward to it too, my love?

I lowered my gaze, my fingertips lingering motionless over the glowing glass screen. So, the person who was going to meet me next month... who on earth was he?

When my dearest friend finally tracked me down, her expression was laced with hesitation and quiet fury.

Did you and River break up? she asked carefully.

Why do you ask? I replied softly.

Without a word, she shoved her phone directly into my hands.

See for yourself.

Back when we used to play online multiplayer games together, my friend had grown somewhat close to one of River’s regular gaming buddies. That acquaintance had taken screenshots of River’s private group chat and forwarded them over. Inside the chat, someone had casually asked River.

Brother River, how come you haven't been bringing your girlfriend along to play with us lately?

River had typed back a cold response.

We broke up.

Everyone in the group reacted with utter astonishment.

Weren't you two doing great just recently? Why the sudden split?

Earlier on, I thought she was pretty because her voice sounded sweet. But one time, she sent me a screenshot that accidentally revealed a food delivery slip with her real name on it. Since I already knew which high school she attended, I had someone run a background check on her.

The result was a monstrously fat girl weighing nearly two hundred pounds. I was genuinely traumatized! I am a man who strictly cares about looks; I nearly vomited right on the spot, so I dumped her immediately.

Someone chimed in with a laugh.

Ha-ha-ha, was that sweet voice of hers caused by fat blocking her vocal cords? The better someone sounds, the fatter they must be!

I remember your girlfriend was head over heels for you, though. Whenever you played together, she was always hovering around protecting you. Would she really just let you go like that?

River answered nonchalantly.

She refused to let go, so I simply transferred her rights to someone else. It is not like she knows my real identity anyway.

Following that message, he shared the link to his transfer post. The chat members erupted into rowdy approval.

Damn, that is legendary. You can even transfer a girlfriend like property?

Brother River is a genius. There is no way she will cling to you after this. She must have intentionally concealed her looks from the start; otherwise, why would an online romance last over a year? Serves her right.

Getting rammed by a wild boar for over a year must have disgusted Brother River to the core. Has your heart turned entirely to stone by now?

River replied with a hint of amusement.

I have my eyes on a new target lately. There is a rather pretty and innocent-looking freshman girl in the incoming university chat.

River’s family was well-off financially, and he frequently showered the group with digital red envelopes. Naturally, the others were all too eager to flatter him, eagerly echoing his sentiments.

Damn, it has to be Brother River, finding a stunning beauty just like that.

Only a true goddess is worthy of Brother River.

Brother River, do you have a picture? Let us see!

River promptly uploaded a photograph. In the image, the young girl wore a white camisole layered with a light outer cardigan, her naturally flax-brown hair tied casually to one side over her chest. She was slender and fair-skinned, her eyes curving into bright crescents as she smiled. She was undeniably attractive. At a single glance, I recognized her as Annie Lam from the freshman orientation group. She had posted pictures there previously, instantly hailed as the campus belle by a crowd of infatuated male students. My friend seethed with righteous indignation on my behalf.

River dated you for over a year, yet he discarded you the moment his heart wandered, even treating you like a commodity to be handed off to someone else. What an absolute scum!

Besides, this Annie Lam is not even as pretty as you are! She is as skinny as a beanstalk, just paler and thinner, that is all!

Nam, you should post your current photos in the group too. He is definitely going to regret this deeply!

I kept my head lowered, staring at the screen. Amidst the jeering crowd, only a single person had spoken up in my defense.

Still, that previous girl genuinely cared about you a lot. I remember every time you got ambushed in the game, she was always the first one to charge in and save you, even if it meant her own character dying first. Isn't it a bit too cruel to treat her like this?

After a brief pause, River’s indifferent reply popped up on the screen.

I judge people by their looks, what can I possibly do? Just the mere thought that I once spent over a year dating a rolling tank makes me want to throw up.

If anyone is to blame, blame her for being born so ugly.