"Eat your meal properly." Su Qi was chewing a huge mouthful of food when Wang Yun poked her cheek with a slender jade finger, nearly making her bite her own flesh.
Wang Yun had ordered a lot: pickled cabbage fish, braised eggplant, and green tea chicken. Three dishes in total.
Su Qi knew this restaurant. Its fresh, minimalist decor and memorable name had left an impression on her. The name was somewhat connected to the property management company in this residential complex: Green Tea Restaurant.
Its signature dish was pickled cabbage fish. One serving cost over forty yuan, and there were no delivery discounts. Looking at the bill of more than a hundred yuan, Su Qi could not help sighing. Was Wang Yun some kind of secret rich girl?
Thinking of the six-yuan fried rice outside the school gates, where adding a sausage made it seven yuan for a filling meal, Su Qi realized that even though she had money now, she still could not shake her old frugal habits.
Besides, she would soon need to take photos, and the cost of clothes was still a major issue. She did not want the mission to fail and end up like the Female Protagonist in all those stories she had knitted herself.
Save money wherever possible. There was no need to pick a fight with money.
Thinking about the barely sixty thousand left on her bank card, minus ten thousand for rent, leaving only fifty thousand, and this system photo mission being another money-burning nuisance...
After thinking it over, she could only postpone Huabei, JD Baitiao, and campus loans for now. Or perhaps get a few more credit cards to keep herself afloat.
As Su Qi did the math, grief rose from her heart. This system had come neither early nor late, but had waited until she had just solved her food and shelter problems and her hard days had finally ended. The system heard Su Qi's internal complaints.
Yet this time, it did not speak as usual, as though it had tacitly acknowledged her words.
Irritated, Su Qi bit off another chunk of green tea chicken. Her cheeks puffed out, and every chew made Wang Yun feel as though she were watching a little hamster. She was adorable.
What if I locked Su Qi in a cage?
Su Qi had truly been starving today. She finished both boxes of rice in one go.
She had actually been full after eating one and a half boxes, but when Wang Yun said they would throw it away once they were done, Su Qi looked at the half-serving of food left and painfully forced down another half-box of rice.
Seeing the small portion of pickled cabbage fish left, along with half a box of eggplant and chicken, Su Qi felt it was such a waste.
After all, Wang Dongxu had once ordered pickled cabbage fish while working part-time. After finishing the fish at lunch, he had put the lid back on, and by the time he returned from class that evening, it had turned into fish jelly. He could eat it again, and it still tasted pretty good.
"How about we save these dishes? We can heat them up tomorrow morning and eat them." Su Qi looked at Wang Yun somewhat embarrassedly.
Wang Yun's eyes curved into crescents as she smiled. "The boys at Soochow University really have no taste. Such a good little homemaker, and nobody spoils you? It's fine. Big Sis will support you from now on."
As she spoke, she patted her ample chest boldly. Su Qi's gaze rose and fell along with the movement.
"Sister Wang Yun, I'm a man. Not a woman! I'm telling you again." Since she had already exposed her voice to Wang Yun before, Su Qi did not bother hiding it this time. Hearing Su Qi's crisp, lark-like feminine voice, Wang Yun looked at her as though she were an idiot.
No way, no way. This kid actually thinks he hasn't been found out yet.
Since he wants to keep pretending, why not play along?
Su Qi covered the leftovers, opened Wang Yun's refrigerator, and was thoroughly pleased with the four-door design. It looked especially cool and futuristic.
The refrigerator was huge, and everything inside was arranged neatly, with a faintly obsessive-compulsive feel to it.
The left side held alcohol and drinks, while the right side contained milk-based beverages. The upper shelves held fruit, arranged symmetrically as well. Su Qi put the leftovers on the top shelf when Wang Yun spoke behind her. "Bring me a bottle of milk."
Only upon hearing Wang Yun's words did Su Qi feel that her impressive size really might be related to drinking milk.
She took out a bottle of milk and shut the refrigerator.
Seeing that Su Qi had only taken one, Wang Yun smiled. "Didn't I say you'd be my bed-warming boy? If I have some, you have some. Besides, with that figure of yours..." She looked over Su Qi's chest beneath her school uniform and clicked her tongue twice.
Su Qi ignored her. She was still a man right now, so why would she drink milk?
After tossing the milk to Wang Yun, she sat back down at the computer. With no more original art side work and the game already finished, Su Qi suddenly felt like a salted fish that had lost its purpose.
She clicked around here and there, until finally she clicked on Bilibili.
She remembered that before running away from home in high school, she would occasionally watch anime. Especially the first season of "Sword Art Online"; the storyline between Kirito and Asuna in that realistic game had made her blood boil.
After opening it, she discovered that it had already updated to the second season, and there were even other side-story episodes.
That came as quite a surprise to Su Qi. She was particularly curious about what stories could come after the two arcs of the first season.
But the moment she clicked in, it prompted Su Qi to log in. After logging into her old account, a payment screen appeared. Su Qi decisively clicked it away.
If it had been her yesterday, she would have seen that page and immediately subscribed, perhaps even paying for two or three years.
But today, especially after spending one hundred thousand this morning, she was severely short on funds. Forget it, forget it. No spending, no spending.
Wang Yun watched Su Qi linger on the payment page for a long time and found it genuinely strange. Su Qi could afford to rent her apartment, yet could not even afford a membership, and she was so frugal after meals too.
Wang Yun had thought Su Qi came from a wealthy second-generation family, but apparently not.
This Su Qi was truly full of mysteries. She was clearly a girl pretending to be a boy, and even had a touch of sensuality about her. Her entire body seemed steeped in mystery.
All of it constantly drew Wang Yun in. Some said that when a woman became interested in someone, that was the beginning of her downfall. Wang Yun felt as though she had been poisoned by Su Qi and could not wait to learn the answers behind all those mysteries.
No way. Have I really been attracted to this little girl? But I'm not into yuri. My orientation is normal! Wang Yun noticed the flutter in her heart and hurriedly denied it.
Yet her gaze toward Su Qi grew several degrees hotter. Especially Su Qi's doe-like, pitiful eyes, which made her timid personality incomparably endearing. She looked soft and sweet all over, making Wang Yun want to step forward and give her a good squeeze.
Su Qi sensed the burning gaze behind her, prickling against her back, and had no choice but to turn around and ask Wang Yun, "Sister Wang Yun, what's wrong?"
Only when Su Qi looked over did Wang Yun come back to herself. "Nothing. It's just too hot in here. I'm going to take a shower. Want to come with me?" She even crooked a finger at Su Qi, though her pose was no longer as natural as before.
Su Qi looked at the air conditioner blowing away. She was wearing a long-sleeved school uniform and did not feel hot at all, while Wang Yun was hot in nothing but a thin nightgown. Was her stamina really that poor?
"No. I'm a man. Men and women should keep their distance." Su Qi waved her hand.
"What a shame. Such a waste of the joys of a couples' bath. Don't regret it later!" She walked up, patted Su Qi on the shoulder, then headed into the bathroom.
Once inside the bathroom, Wang Yun stared blankly at the faint flush on her face. What was wrong with her?
Su Qi also clearly sensed that Wang Yun was different. Though she did not know what was going on with her, it was definitely connected to that unscrupulous system.
"What's wrong with her?" Su Qi asked the system in her mind.
"After remaining immersed for five hours in an environment full of the host's scent, Wang Yun's Charm state has changed into an Enchantment state. In this state, her Favorability toward the host increases by 50."
Favorability plus fifty? Su Qi sharply drew in a breath.
She quickly thought of the Favorability settings in her game. Generally, seventy meant an extremely intimate relationship, enough to become a couple. Eighty meant lovers, ninety meant yandere, and one hundred meant confinement.
System: "The host's understanding is correct."
Hearing the system's reply, Su Qi only felt terrified. If some man spent time with Wang Yun and fell under this Enchantment state, would that not be disastrous?
"Eh, then why didn't my roommates fall under this Enchantment when I slept in the dorm last night?"
System: "The scent in male dormitories is too overpowering. The host's Lingering Fragrance cannot permeate it, so it can only produce the Charm state."
So this was the saying that no matter how strong the perfume was, it could not overpower the sweaty stench of a male dormitory?
"Then what's Wang Yun's Favorability toward me now?" Su Qi asked again.
"70 points."
Hearing the system's answer, Su Qi felt that this Lingering Fragrance was comparable to a potent aphrodisiac. She finally understood why Wang Yun had acted so familiar with her from the start. Smelling the scent meant falling into the Charm state.
"System, how much does Favorability increase in the Charm state?"
"25 points."
"Then, System, what happens if Favorability reaches above 80?"
"Just as the host imagines. And if it reaches above 90, new play will emerge, such as rope bondage."
"..."
"Then how do I remove this Enchantment?" Su Qi asked again.
Wang Yun was already at seventy. Su Qi was afraid that one wrong move might send it straight up to eighty.
By then, with her feeble strength, she might truly be unable to stop a black-belt master's assault. Thinking of the Novice Mission failing and Frivolity Points increasing by 20, Su Qi shivered.
"Ventilate the room and disperse the host's Lingering Fragrance. Currently, the simplest method is to take Wang Yun out of the room for a walk."
Su Qi looked toward the bathroom. Once Wang Yun came out, she would take her out for a stroll. Otherwise, it was too dangerous.
And with Favorability this high, Wang Yun should be very obedient.
"Can this Lingering Fragrance be removed?" Su Qi asked the system. This beneficial buff was far too dangerous, and Su Qi wanted nothing to do with it.
"Body fragrance is a residual byproduct produced through the host's metabolism. As long as the host remains alive, it will continue to exist."
"..." So it could not be turned off.
Just then, Wang Yun finished showering. Surrounded by misty steam, she walked out of the bathroom while drying her hair. Water droplets occasionally slid down her gleaming long legs, making her look utterly enchanting.
She was somewhat nervous. In the bathroom just now, she had felt herself growing increasingly fond of Su Qi. Now, she was agonizing over how to confess. If it worked, waiving Su Qi's rent would not be a problem.
"Well..."
But the moment she spoke, Su Qi interrupted her. "Sister Wang Yun, after you dry your hair, let's go out for a walk. I still haven't bought pajamas."
Wang Yun thought that would work too. Perhaps the atmosphere would be better when they went out later. Still, was confessing right after they had met a little inappropriate? And they were both women; would that not be yuri?
Would she mind? Forget it. Since he says he's a man, I'll take advantage of that.
She plugged in the hair dryer. Before drying her hair, she looked at the idle Su Qi and said, "Su Qi, since you're not doing anything, help me dry my hair."
Hearing Wang Yun's request, Su Qi hurriedly replied, "No, it's a little stuffy. I'll wait for you in the hallway." With that, she quickly put on her shoes and fled out as though escaping for her life.
What a joke. What if drying her hair increased Favorability by ten points? Would Wang Yun not...
Although Su Qi did not dislike this beautiful woman, thinking of the consequences of Frivolity Points... Forget it, forget it. Seeing Su Qi flee as though something were chasing her from behind, Wang Yun pursed her lips. Was she being disliked?
"Hmph—"
Hearing Wang Yun's coquettish huff by the door, Su Qi felt her bones go soft. She finally understood why kings stopped attending morning court.
This woman was way too bewitching!
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