Chapter 83: I Will Always Like You
Wen Nan narrowed his eyes, looking at Yu Shujun, wondering whether Yu had found himself an exclusive role or simply a source of amusement. By following him as an exclusive character, he could always stand in the best seats, catch the freshest gossip firsthand, couldn't he?
But come to think of it, Yu Shujun messaging him now reminded Wen Nan of something—he remembered that when they signed the gentleman’s agreement, Yu Shujun could easily keep his own affection rating at a perfect 99%. And recalling Yu’s control over characters and props in the trial map...
Wen Nan quickly sent a message—
[Nine: Can you adjust the score precisely?]
[Nine: Is it possible for you to help me keep their affection ratings steady?]
[Slave Master-Jun: No]
[Slave Master-Jun: I can only control my own affection rating. The other characters’ ratings are governed by their own thoughts.]
[Slave Master-Jun: But if you need, I can try to control it physically, Master.]
[Nine: Physically? How would you do that? Beat them into submission?]
[Slave Master-Jun: Something like that.]
[Nine: …]
[Nine: No need, thank you.]
It seemed he would have to handle it himself.
Seeing his arms nearly pulled out of their sockets, Wen Nan hurriedly stepped back, freeing himself from between the two girls, and raised his hand.
“All right, listen to me.”
His words carried a certain magic, a powerful calming force. As soon as he spoke, the two girls stopped pulling, quietly watching him, waiting for his final “verdict.”
Wen Nan quickly reviewed their backgrounds in his mind, took a deep breath, and made his decision.
He first looked at the girl on his left and called out solemnly, “Lingling.”
Hearing her name, Lingling’s eyes lit up, her gaze full of expectation, like a contestant declared winner by the referee, her lips unable to suppress a smile.
On the other side, Sun Yi watched Wen Nan’s profile, her lips pressed into a straight line, the light in her eyes dimming rapidly, her gaze tinged with resentment, bitterness, and unwillingness.
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating increased to: 30%.]
9527: [Attention, target ‘the lost girl who stayed after being rescued’ affection rating decreased to: -10%.]
He’d just called a name, and the affection ratings on both sides shifted dramatically? Wasn’t that a bit too sensitive?
Wen Nan gritted his teeth, ignored the temporary and false fluctuations, and decided to stick with his original judgment, continuing,
“Lingling, have you finished your homework?”
Xiao Yi: ?
Lingling:
“…Are you the devil?”
Lingling’s face scrunched up, looking at Wen Nan with deep grievance.
Wen Nan shed all traces of humor, meeting Lingling’s gaze seriously, and said,
“Lingling, I’m sorry. Those things Uncle Nine said before... I can’t fulfill them. You can blame me, or even hit me if you want, but we can’t be together.”
At these words, the color drained slowly from Lingling’s face. Her eyes began to burn, her lips trembling uncontrollably. She thought she was close to victory, only to fall from heaven to hell in an instant.
“Why… why did you lie to me… How long have I waited for this day, how hard I’ve waited, do you know…”
She spoke as she retreated, shaking her head repeatedly, unable to accept that after rushing here against all odds, she was met with merciless rejection.
Behind Wen Nan, Sun Yi’s eyes gleamed again, rekindling the light that had faded.
9527: [Attention, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating decreased to: 10%.]
9527: [Attention, target ‘the lost girl who stayed after being rescued’ affection rating increased to: 20%.]
Lingling forced herself to hold back the tears threatening to spill as she squeezed out a smile, clinging to her last hope,
“Uncle Nine, you’re joking with me, right? Like when I was little—you just want to tease me, isn’t that it?”
Wen Nan didn’t reply.
At that moment, Xiao Yi walked to Wen Nan’s side, wrapped her arms around his, pressing her chest tightly against him, her head resting affectionately on his shoulder. She looked at Lingling and said triumphantly,
“I told you already, he’s my boyfriend. Forget about stealing him from me—it’s just a dream.”
Lingling ignored Xiao Yi, staring straight at Wen Nan, wanting him to answer her directly—
“Uncle Nine, you… you’ve never liked me, have you? Not even a little bit?”
Wen Nan sighed softly,
“Go home, Lingling. Prepare well for your upcoming exams, and focus on your college entrance.”
9527: [Attention, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating decreased to: -5%.]
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the lost girl who stayed after being rescued’ affection rating increased to: 30%.]
Lingling was utterly devastated; she staggered away toward the stairwell like a defeated dog.
Once Lingling’s figure vanished into the darkness, Wen Nan unlocked his door and gently patted Xiao Yi’s hand,
“You go in and rest first.”
Xiao Yi glanced at the stairwell, wary that he might chase after Lingling, and asked cautiously,
“What about you?”
Wen Nan looked at her torn clothes and said,
“I’ll go buy you something to change into.”
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the lost girl who stayed after being rescued’ affection rating increased to: 40%.]
Xiao Yi finally relaxed, smiled, and nodded,
“All right, I’ll wait for you.”
With that, she entered Wen Nan’s home and closed the door.
Wen Nan turned and walked toward the stairwell, pausing for a moment on the empty stairs. Then he crouched, took a delicate gift box from his pocket, and set it on the steps.
Afterwards, he stood up and left the stairwell, heading toward the elevator.
Hidden in the corner of the stairs, Lingling finally stepped out of the darkness, opened the gift box, and found a pair of exquisite earrings inside, alongside a card that read: [Lingling, happy birthday].
In an instant, the tears Lingling had struggled to hold back finally burst forth.
Why—why is it always like this? He clearly rejected her, yet he still treats her so well, making her forever unable to forget. Why must he be so cruel to her?
Lingling’s strength drained away; she collapsed onto the floor, her shoulders trembling as she began to cry soundlessly.
Just a wall away, in the corridor, came Uncle Nine’s voice and another woman’s.
Wen Nan had just taken two steps toward the elevator lobby when Yu Shujun approached, facing the stairwell.
“You don’t like her?”
Wen Nan shook his head,
“Of course I like her. I’ve liked her for so many years, I can’t forget.”
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating increased to: 30%.]
Wen Nan raised his hand and took a sky-blue origami crane from his inner pocket, cradling it in his palm.
Lingling watched from afar in the darkness and instantly recognized it—the thousand-crane she had given Uncle Nine many years ago, which he had kept with him all this time…
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating increased to: 50%.]
Yu Shujun continued reading in a monotone,
“If you like her, why did you reject her?”
Wen Nan shook his head, staring at the crane with emotion in his eyes,
“She’s too young. Right now, she should focus on her studies. If I agreed just because I like her, it would only ruin her future.”
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating increased to: 65%.]
Wen Nan put the origami crane back in his pocket, lifted his head, and as if making a difficult decision, sighed deeply,
“Let me keep this love for her forever hidden in my heart.”
9527: [Congratulations, target ‘the neighbor’s little sister you watched grow up’ affection rating increased to: 85%.]
Seeing the affection rating the system gave, Wen Nan smiled, and stepped into the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed, Wen Nan received a message from Lingling—
[ling: Uncle Nine, I’m leaving.]
[ling: I don’t blame you for what happened—it’s not your fault. We just met at the wrong time.]
[ling: No matter what the outcome, I’ll always like you. Always, always.]
[ling: In basement level three of your company, at the legendary G-point, I left a gift for you. I hope you like it.]
Seeing the message, Wen Nan paused in surprise.
The third target’s address for the G-point was different from the first two…
(End of chapter)