Chapter 3
The next morning, I sat at my desk at Nexus Games, staring blankly at my computer screen.
Yesterday afternoon's mix-up had kept me tossing and turning all night. Now my head was foggy, and I couldn't concentrate on work at all.
The male protagonist design draft for Justice & Love had been lying on my screen for three hours—completely blank.
I tried sketching a few lines, then deleted everything. Drew a few more strokes, deleted again.
Damn it, why couldn't I suddenly draw anything?
"Cassidy!"
Creative Director Ms. Sarah Brown's voice thundered above my head like lightning. I jumped, hastily straightening up in my chair.
Sarah clicked over in her heels, her face dark as storm clouds: "Where's your design draft? Let me see the progress."
I pointed sheepishly at the screen: "I'm... still in the conceptual phase..."
"Conceptual?" Sarah leaned closer to the screen, and when she saw the blank canvas, her expression grew even darker. "Cassidy, it's been three days! This is what you're showing me?"
My coworkers were stealing glances our way. I felt my cheeks burning: "Ms. Brown, I know the progress is a bit slow, but I can't find the right feeling..."
"Can't find the right feeling?" Sarah's voice shot up an octave. "You're the most talented character designer in our company! Every female character you've designed has been absolutely stunning. The Magical Girl Chronicles series tripled our revenue! Now you can't handle designing a male protagonist?"
I hung my head, wishing I could crawl under my desk: "But... designing male characters is completely different from female characters..."
"Look at these male protagonists you've designed recently!" Sarah ruthlessly interrupted, pointing at several rejected drafts on my screen. "Soulless! Flat as cardboard! Where's even a hint of masculine charm? Players need male leads that make their hearts race, not these bloodless templates!"
Every word stabbed at my heart like needles. I bit my lip, fighting back tears.
"Cassidy, do you know what the problem is?" Sarah sat beside me, her tone softening slightly. "Your recent work lacks authenticity and emotional depth. As a designer, you need real emotional experiences to create characters that touch people's hearts."
"I've been trying really hard..." I said quietly.
"You're trying in the wrong direction!" Sarah suddenly slammed the desk. "You lack understanding of true masculine appeal!"
I looked up at her, confused: "What do you mean?"
"Go fall in love!" Sarah said bluntly. "Experience real masculine charm, feel your heart racing, then infuse those genuine emotions into your designs!"
My eyes widened: "Fall in love?"
"Otherwise you'll never draw male protagonists that make girls scream!" Sarah stood up. "I'm giving you one week. If there's still no progress, I'll have to assign this project to someone else."
She clicked away in her heels, leaving me sitting alone at my desk in a daze.
Fall in love? I was already married! Having... adult conversations with other men? That wouldn't be appropriate... I was a married woman... I couldn't help but blush and smile.
Suddenly, Frederick's image from last night flashed through my mind—that crisp police uniform, that impossibly handsome face, those deep, intense eyes...
Wait!
My eyes lit up instantly.
Sarah said to experience true masculine charm—wasn't Frederick the perfect example?
A real police officer, and so handsome... wouldn't that be perfect reference material?
I could barely wait for quitting time. I frantically packed up my things and rushed home, my mind spinning with possibilities.
Of course! How had I not thought of this? I had a super handsome police officer husband—why would I need to look elsewhere for masculine charm references?
Bursting through my front door, I rummaged through my belongings until I found a brand new notebook. I carefully wrote on the cover:
[Frederick Observation Material Collection Plan]
Opening to the first page, I began outlining observation points, my mind involuntarily conjuring images of Frederick:
Uniform Appeal... I remembered how he looked in that crisp police uniform last night—broad shoulders filling out the uniform's silhouette, his badge gleaming under the lights. God, that authoritative yet handsome presence was absolutely magnetic!
Body Proportions... My face flushed instantly as I pictured his upright posture—that perfect shoulder-to-waist ratio, the muscle definition in his arms...
Wait, how could I be thinking about this! This was for work! Purely for work!
Facial Expressions... I recalled how he transformed from a stern police officer to a gentle husband, that contrast was simply devastating. And that winking gesture... my heart started racing again.
Personality Traits... Thinking about how he said "we're married" in that gentle yet firm tone, and his constant consideration for my work...
I shook my head, trying to calm down. This was a serious material collection mission! I couldn't let personal feelings interfere!
I quickly jotted down key words in the notebook: uniform, physique, expressions, personality... then snapped it shut, feeling like my face was on fire.
After finishing, I put down my pen with satisfaction and made a victory sign at the mirror.
"Perfect!" I muttered to myself. "I can observe him up close, collect first-hand masculine charm data, then design the most authentic and appealing game character!"
At this thought, I suddenly realized another crucial point—
Frederick was coming to pick me up tonight, and we were starting our cohabitation!
My face turned crimson as I hugged the notebook and rolled around on my bed.
"Oh my God, this is a godsend!" My voice trembled with excitement. "Living together means I can observe him 24/7 at close range!"
But then new concerns flooded my mind: "But... how can I conduct observations without being discovered? Won't he think I'm weird?"
I sat up, seriously considering this technical challenge.
No, this was a serious work assignment—it had to remain classified!
I flipped to the last page of the notebook and wrote solemnly:
[TOP SECRET MISSION: Conduct 24-hour close-range observation under the cover of being his wife, collect first-hand masculine charm data to provide authentic material for Justice & Love male protagonist design.
Mission Objective: Design the perfect male lead that will drive girls worldwide crazy
Mission Codename: Operation Observe Husband!]
After writing this, I carefully hid the notebook in the deepest part of my suitcase, then began packing my belongings.
Since I was moving in with Frederick, I needed to bring all the essentials. More importantly, I needed to prepare for the upcoming "observation mission."
As I folded clothes, I secretly formulated my plan: find the optimal observation positions in his home, record his daily habits, analyze his every movement and expression...
The clock struck 6:30.
Frederick said he'd pick me up after work—he should be here soon.
Looking at my packed suitcase, I took a deep breath.
Starting today, I was a professional "husband observer"!
For work, for the success of Justice & Love, I had to complete this observation mission!
The moment the doorbell rang, my heart nearly stopped.
I gripped the notebook hidden under my pillow and gave myself one final pep talk:
"Go Cassidy! You're a professional game designer! This is just a special material collection assignment!"
Then I took a deep breath, fixed my hair, and walked toward the door.
Operation Observe Husband was officially beginning!