“I swear this kettle makes everything taste salty,” Liu Yang complained, taking another sip of his supposedly sweet tea. His girlfriend, Xiao Mei, rolled her eyes dramatically from behind her gaming laptop.
“That’s because you never clean it properly,” she replied without looking up from her screen, fingers dancing across the keyboard in a frenzied rhythm. “Just like how you never properly clear your game inventory.”
Liu Yang glanced at the offending kettle - a wedding gift from his eccentric aunt who claimed it was blessed by a monk to bring good fortune. So far, its only blessing had been consistently ruining every beverage he tried to make.
“Speaking of games,” he said, settling beside Xiao Mei, “don’t you think it’s ironic that you’re playing a virtual cooking game when we can’t even make proper tea in real life?”
“At least my virtual kitchen doesn’t have a haunted kettle,” she quipped. “Look, I just made a perfect five-star gourmet meal for this NPC. Meanwhile, you’re drinking salty tea.”
Their apartment was a curious blend of reality and virtual escape - gaming posters plastered over water-stained walls, high-end gaming equipment sharing space with a temperamental kettle that seemed to have a vendetta against proper taste.
“Maybe we should turn this into a game,” Liu Yang mused, examining the kettle. “Every time it makes something salty, we have to complete a quest in real life.”
Xiao Mei finally looked up, interest piqued. “What kind of quest?”
“Well, the kettle just ruined my tea, so I have to…” he paused for dramatic effect, “clean the bathroom without complaining.”
“Now that would be a legendary quest,” Xiao Mei laughed. “But what do we win?”
“Whoever completes the most kettle quests by the end of the month gets to choose where we go for vacation.”
The game began. The kettle, as if sensing its new role, seemed to become even more mischievous. Coffee tasted like seawater? Liu Yang had to learn how to fold fitted sheets. Tea tasting like miso soup? Xiao Mei organized their chaotic cable collection.
Their neighbors started noticing changes. The couple that used to barely leave their gaming stations was now regularly seen doing grocery runs, attending community events, and even started a small balcony garden - all because of quest requirements.
One month later, they sat surrounded by takeout containers, tallying their completed quests.
“I can’t believe we turned a defective kettle into a life improvement game,” Xiao Mei said, counting her points.
“I can’t believe we actually enjoyed it,” Liu Yang replied, looking at their now-spotless apartment.
The final scores were tied.
“Co-op victory?” Xiao Mei suggested.
“Best ending possible,” Liu Yang agreed, reaching for the kettle to make celebration tea. To their surprise, it finally produced a perfect cup.
“Maybe that was the final achievement unlock,” Xiao Mei laughed.
They kept the kettle, even after buying a new one. It sat on their shelf like a game trophy, a reminder that sometimes the most amusing adventures start with a simple glitch in the system.