Chapter 127: How About Trying the Real Thing?

Three hours ago, after finishing that “big feast” at night, Wen Nan offered to help wash the dishes, only to be promptly sent out of the kitchen by Qiqi.

With one arm still injured, Wen Nan didn’t insist and instead went back to his room to freshen up.

Coming out of the bathroom, he glanced at the time and suddenly realized it was already past ten o’clock at night.

Less than ten hours remained until the main mission was completed.

Lowering his gaze to the marks left by the soul threads tightening around his wrist, Wen Nan prudently checked the progress of all six characters in the system.

All had successfully surpassed eighty percent, but the CEO’s progress was stuck right at the critical eighty percent threshold.

Even after completing side quests, going on dates in that “princess room,” and battling fiercely through the entire night, Guan Ailin’s progress remained at a relatively low eighty percent.

He had chatted with, slept with, and dated the other characters, easily surpassing ninety percent progress, yet with Guan Ailin—the CEO—despite investing the most effort and emotion, he only managed the lowest progress.

Where exactly had things gone wrong?

Was it simply because characters with ten stars were inherently more difficult to advance than the others?

Thinking this over, Wen Nan pulled up Guan Ailin’s chat window and stared at their conversation history for a long time.

In the end, he didn’t send a single message and quietly closed the chat window in the system.

Forget it.

At a time like this, even if he took the initiative to invite Guan Ailin out, even if she wanted to meet and they happily spent the night like before, the system might still refuse to acknowledge any progress.

Glancing again at the purple bruises on his wrist left by the soul threads, Wen Nan took the CEO’s soul doll from his spare equipment and toyed with it in his palm.

The exquisitely crafted doll wore a white shirt with a large hole in the middle—pierced earlier by Yu Shujun.

Yet beneath the tear, the previously hollowed-out area had completely healed, with no trace left along the edges.

Peeling away the broken professional outfit, Wen Nan’s fingertips traced slowly down the doll’s chest…

The texture of the doll’s skin was remarkably lifelike—fair, smooth, and delicate.

Following his fingertips downward, he eventually felt a tiny wound at a very concealed spot near the doll’s upper thigh.

The wound was small—barely the size of a mole on the doll’s palm-sized leg—and easy to overlook if not paying close attention.

Wen Nan paused and applied a bit more force, prying the doll’s legs apart to examine it carefully.

Had this wound been here before?

The surface of the wound was a fresh red, not yet scabbed over.

Even Yu Shujun’s brutal sword wound had healed quickly without leaving a trace; such a small injury should have been repaired almost instantly.

Lost in thought, a shadow suddenly appeared beside Wen Nan like a ghost.

“After Yang Mingzhong left the café, he returned to the respawn point and never left again…”

Yu Shujun had just arrived at Wen Nan’s bedside and immediately reported what he had observed.

Mid-sentence, he noticed Wen Nan’s movements and froze momentarily.

Then, glancing at the soul doll Wen Nan had opened in a very strange manner, Yu Shujun’s expression grew complicated.

Wen Nan’s gaze passed over Yu Shujun’s shoulder to the door behind him, muttering, “Could you knock before coming in?”

Yu Shujun had originally wanted to explain that it was Wen Nan’s command at the café to report back at any time, but his lips parted and closed again, swallowing his words. Instead, he said, “If you need a hand job, I’ll step aside and come back later, master.”

Wen Nan looked at the doll in his hand and realized the misunderstanding, his eyes filled with helplessness. “No, am I really that perverted?” Yu Shujun furrowed his brow as if genuinely pondering the question.

Wen Nan sighed and raised his hand. “Alright, enough. Let’s talk business.”

Yu Shujun briefly recounted Yang Mingzhong’s movements.

Wen Nan nodded, recalling Yang Mingzhong’s earlier mention of the southeastern corner of the map—the very edge.

Although Yang Mingzhong was adept at exploiting item loopholes, during the sixty seconds when the truth serum was active, he couldn’t lie.

Even if he tried to be ambiguous, the place he mentioned was definitely the reason he wanted to do it all over again.

“Go check the southeastern corner of the map—the sealed-off wasteland—and find out what’s there,” Wen Nan said solemnly.

“Yes, master.”

Yu Shujun received the order and turned to leave.

Watching his retreating figure, Wen Nan recalled Yang Mingzhong’s comment that the guards there were high-level NPCs and couldn’t help but say, “Be careful and stay safe.”

Yu Shujun paused, looked back at Wen Nan, eyes flickering with something unusual before quickly reverting to his usual cold expression. “There’s nothing in the beginner map that can hurt me, master.”

Seeing him disappear quickly, Wen Nan shook his head with a sigh, thinking he shouldn’t have bothered warning him—it just gave him more ammunition.

Raising his hand again, Wen Nan touched the tiny wound on the soul doll before putting it back into the spare equipment slot. Then he took out another “welfare item” obtained from the G-point.

A round, plump, soft, pinkish blob rested in Wen Nan’s palm as he kneaded it.

Though its shape and color were undeniably suggestive, Wen Nan was certain its texture was nothing like that part of the body.

It was indeed very soft, but when squeezed, it felt less like flesh and more like a special kind of gel.

This texture strangely reminded Wen Nan of a childhood toy—bubble gum that could blow enormous bubbles from a tiny bottle.

Could this thing… also be used for blowing bubbles?

With that thought, Wen Nan lifted the pink blob to his lips, trying to place his mouth over a certain spot.

Just then…

Qiqi, wrapped in a towel, walked in.

She stopped in stunned silence at the scene on the bed, her gaze turning deeply complex as she looked at Wen Nan.

Wen Nan: …

Well, that’s a double whammy.

Next, she’s going to say she won’t disturb him and then turn to leave, right?

But instead of leaving, Qiqi stepped forward resolutely, took the “welfare item” from Wen Nan’s hand, and then grabbed his hand, placing it against her chest.

The towel slipped from her body, pooling in a heap by her legs.

Wen Nan could clearly feel her heartbeat pounding beneath her damp skin.

Leaning close to his ear, Qiqi whispered:

“Brother, fake textures aren’t as good. Why don’t you try the real thing?”

(End of chapter)