He Ran's Little Scheme

As soon as he entered the subway, Chen Wen found it packed with people, leaving him no choice but to stand.

Thanks to his handsome face and the sword strapped to his back, Chen Wen immediately became the most eye-catching guy in the carriage.

Two young girls sat on a bench, stealing glances at Chen Wen while whispering to each other.

Every now and then, they playfully shoved each other, their faces flushing red.

"Go ask for his WeChat."

"You spotted him first. Why don't you go?"

"I already have someone."

"With so many people around, how could I?"

The two girls pushed each other around for a while, but in the end, neither found the courage to approach Chen Wen.

It was hard to say whether that was unfortunate or fortunate.

After all, given Chen Wen's personality, even if they added each other on WeChat, there probably wouldn't be any story between them.

And if they annoyed him, there were plenty of good sisters waiting for them on Chen Wen's blacklist.

Until he got off the subway, Chen Wen had no idea that two more girls had briefly fallen for him.

Following the address Si Jiao Ji had given him, Chen Wen arrived at a villa district and took out his phone to make a WeChat call.

Longmen Villa District, Hu City. Si Jiao Ji's home.

He Ji was sitting in front of the extra-wide computer in the living room, playing games.

After his game character died again, He Ji felt around the desk, picked up his phone, and unlocked it with his fingerprint.

After trying all five fingers, he found that the phone screen did not react at all.

Taking a closer look, He Ji froze.

Why was it a dummy phone?

And why did the dummy phone have exactly the same case as his phone?

He Ji immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"Da Bai!" He Ji called out.

Hearing his boss's voice, a chubby young man immediately ran over to He Ji. "What is it, President He?"

"Have you seen my phone?"

Da Bai paused, then pointed at the one in He Ji's hand. "Isn't it right there?"

"This one's fake!" He Ji pressed the power button several times, but there was no response at all.

"Uh..." Da Bai scratched the back of his head and looked around. He did not see the boss's phone anywhere. "Other than your younger sister wandering around here earlier, there's only Diao."

Diao was a Shiba Inu. If Diao had taken He Ji's phone, then no matter how obsessed He Ji was with games, he could not possibly have failed to notice.

Besides, what kind of dog would deliberately use a dummy phone as a decoy?

So the answer was already obvious.

"He Ran!"

"Get out here!"

He Ji circled the living room but could not find anyone, so he went upstairs to He Ran's bedroom.

"He Ran!!"

Bang bang bang!

Woof woof!

He Ji pounded hard on the locked bedroom door a few times, only for a burst of barking to immediately come from inside.

He Ji: "?"

What the hell?

Was Diao in there too?

"Open the door! Give me my phone back!" He Ji shouted impatiently.

Creak—the door opened.

"...Okay, okay~ I'm opening the door for you now~" He Ran, her two pale legs visible beneath an oversized shirt, stepped out of the bedroom while talking on the phone. "Sorry to trouble you, Master~"

After hanging up, the obedient look on He Ran's face immediately turned into delighted smugness. She slapped the phone into He Ji's hand, then skipped downstairs.

"Hey, hey, hey!" He Ji grabbed his little sister's arm. "What's going on? What are you up to now?"

"Don't pull me!" He Ran shook off her brother. "Master's still waiting for me~"

"You called Gu Wen?!" He Ji asked in surprise before frowning in confusion. "Wait! How did you know my phone password?!"

As she went downstairs, He Ran said brightly, "Did you forget? Last time, you used Diao's paw to record a fingerprint, and you never deleted it afterward."

"???" He Ji was stunned. He looked down at Diao, the Shiba Inu that had just come out of the bedroom and was rubbing against his leg, and immediately felt his teeth ache.

You thick-browed, big-eyed traitor! You betrayed the revolution too!

Chasing after He Ran all the way downstairs, He Ji left the villa, crossed the little garden in front of it, and arrived at the outer gate, where he saw He Ran welcoming the devastatingly handsome Gu Wen.

He was clearly wearing nothing but ordinary clothes, yet with the Interpreter strapped to his back, Chen Wen seemed to carry an otherworldly, immortal air as he walked.

Even He Ji, as a man, could not help freezing for a moment from afar.

Once Chen Wen came closer, He Ji saw He Ran take the Interpreter from Gu Wen's hands and thank him with a radiant smile. "Thanks for the trouble, Master. You came all this way, so I'll hold onto this sword for my brother first and return it to you in a few days."

Hearing that, He Ji's teeth hurt even more.

"Hello." Seeing He Ji approach, Chen Wen greeted him.

"...Mm." He Ji gave He Ran a conflicted look from the corner of his eye, then could only thank him. "Sorry to make you come all this way. We've really troubled you."

"You're welcome."

Chen Wen nodded, completely failing to notice the strange atmosphere between the siblings.

"Master, what's this?" He Ran's sharp eyes spotted the box in Chen Wen's hand, and she looked at it curiously.

Chen Wen raised the gift box. "A Children's Day present."

"Really?" He Ran asked in delight. "Is it for me?"

"Of course not." Chen Wen looked at her strangely. "It's for my girlfriend."

Choked by Chen Wen's reply, He Ran immediately stiffened. Meanwhile, He Ji beside her clutched his stomach and trembled with suppressed laughter.

"Master, Master~ Since you're already here, why not come in and sit for a while? My workshop is still being renovated. Could you give me some advice, Master?"

Casting aside her momentary embarrassment, He Ran continued her soft, clingy offensive like a little rabbit.

"No, I still have things to do. I'll be going first." Chen Wen shook his head decisively and waved goodbye to the siblings.

"Take care, Gu Wen. I'll return the sword to you in a couple of days," He Ji called out.

"Big Brother!" He Ran stomped her foot beside him and complained, "Why won't you help me at all?"

"Help you with what?!" Once Gu Wen had gone far enough away, He Ji immediately changed his face. "You little brat, remember this! If you touch my phone again, I'll expose your true colors right in front of Gu Wen!"

"What do you mean~ I was sincerely trying to learn this time~ I just wanted to learn more woodworking skills from Master~" He Ran put on a coquettish expression, tracing circles on the ground with her toe. "I didn't look at any of the stuff in your cloud drive, Big Brother~"

He Ji: "!!!"

"Th-that stuff is normal stuff all guys have! There's nothing strange about it!" He Ji argued stubbornly.

"Oh?" He Ran tilted her head, as though two devil horns had grown from it. "Do normal guys all watch two men too?"

"Fuck?!" He Ji immediately panicked. "I haven't even watched that stuff, okay?! Someone sent it to me as a prank!"

"Who knows?" He Ran skipped toward the house. "No wonder you've never had a girlfriend. I wonder if I should talk to Mom about it..."

"Wait!" He Ji hurriedly chased after her. "Just tell me directly. What exactly do you want?"

"Help me invite Master over to our house to teach me woodworking!"

"No way!"

"Then I'll return the Interpreter when the time comes."

"This..." He Ji wore a conflicted expression. "Fine..."

"You're a good big brother." He Ran turned around and patted He Ji on the shoulder, a sly curve appearing at the corner of her lips.

[Reader feedback request]: He Ran's role is, first, to bring Chen Wen and Si Jiao Ji closer together, and second, to highlight Chen Wen's straight-guy traits. But I'm worried quite a few people might see her as a manipulative flirt. If the feedback isn't very good, I'll make slight adjustments to her role later.

[Shameless plug]: I nearly forgot—let me recommend a book, Starting From Contracting Pets, a pet novel set in an era of spiritual energy revival~