Unlocking New Plot

[(;)]

[(☉⊙)]

[Are there really hidden items?]

[They're usually in high-level maps, but I didn't expect them to be in a trial map too.]

[What is this thing?]

[It wouldn't be a legendary-tier item again, would it?]

Wen Nan stepped forward and opened the pitch-black treasure chest.

A flash of golden light appeared, yet there was no sign of the legendary item he had anticipated.

The chest was empty.

Wen Nan: ...

What was the meaning of this? Did they put a play ball in the map?

Just as he was thinking this, a system notification rang in his mind: [Congratulations, player! Map exploration progress has exceeded 30%! An additional 100 EXP will be awarded, to be settled in full after this trial ends.]

So he had reached one-third of the map's exploration progress? That fast? But other than a crushed Empty Cola Can, he hadn't obtained anything at all.

There was only one possibility—the items and equipment here had already been looted clean by another player.

The images of his three roommates flashed through Wen Nan's mind, only to be dismissed just as quickly.

One of those three was busy getting his butt kicked, one was busy playing basketball, and one was busy picking up soap; they definitely didn't have the spare time to sweep the map for loot.

It had to be... that "big brother" who had snuck into his "harem."

Thinking of this, Wen Nan couldn't help but feel a headache coming on.

This big brother never rested for a moment. He had just signed a gentleman's agreement with him, and the other party had finally stopped flirting with his other targets, only to start sweeping the map for gear now. Was he really that unable to sit still? A worker's life, a worker's soul?

Wen Nan couldn't really blame the other party for doing this; after all, exploring the map was something everyone could do, and it was first come, first served.

However, having said that, Yu the Scholar... had looted this place way too thoroughly!

His map exploration progress was already at 30%, which meant that the flower bed from earlier, the trash cans, and even this restroom were likely all counted within the exploration range. Yet, after Wen Nan had walked around this much, he had only managed to get an Empty Cola Can.

Following this logic, he didn't need to bother exploring the remaining 70% of the map—it was guaranteed to have been picked clean by Yu the Scholar already.

Wen Nan shrugged and turned to walk toward the restroom exit.

He had only taken two steps when he bumped into a slender female figure walking in.

"Ah!"

The girl saw Wen Nan and, terrified, covered her face and started running away.

"Sorry." Wen Nan said, keeping his head down as he prepared to walk past her.

However, the girl grabbed Wen Nan's arm, not letting him leave. "...Ye Jiu?"

Wen Nan was startled. "Wu Yuwei?"

"You, why are you alone in the women's restroom so late at night?"

"Uh, wrong turn." Wen Nan made up a lie on the spot and added, "If there's nothing else, I'm heading back to the dorm."

"Wait!" Wu Yuwei gripped Wen Nan's fingers even tighter. "I, I have something to tell you..."

Wen Nan maintained his previous attitude, raising his hand to peel Wu Yuwei's hand off his wrist. "Sorry, I don't think we have anything to talk about."

With that, Wen Nan walked firmly toward the restroom door.

9527: [Side quest 'Xiao Wei's Entanglement' detected. Mission completion updated to 15%. Completing this side quest will grant additional EXP and equipment rewards.]

Hearing the system notification in his mind, Wen Nan's footsteps faltered slightly.

Immediately after, Wu Yuwei rushed up, raised both hands, and hugged Wen Nan tightly from behind.

Wen Nan: ...

Wasn't the concentration of cheesy romance drama in this scene a bit too high?

Wu Yuwei pressed her cheek tightly against Wen Nan's back and said in a muffled voice, "Ye Jiu, don't go, okay? It was my fault before, it was all my mistake. You aren't the one who should be regretting this—I am..."

She meant every word.

Perhaps her previous confession had been impulsive, and her subsequent heartbreak and sorrow were largely due to her refusal to accept that she had lost to a girl like Qiqi.

But over the last two days, she had thought it through, and she had seen her own heart clearly.

There had never been anyone like Ye Jiu, who made her soul linger and whom she couldn't let go of no matter what.

She thought of him when she was awake, she thought of him in her dreams when she slept, she thought of him while eating, and she thought of him while in class.

There wasn't a single moment when she wasn't thinking about this person.

She wanted to possess him so badly it drove her mad, yet she was completely helpless to do so.

She finally understood what this feeling was—

"Ye Jiu, I like you. I truly like you. I have never liked anyone the way I like you."

Confessing once more, the tone no longer held the spoiled arrogance of a school beauty who expected to get whatever she wanted. All that remained was the humbleness and pleading of an ordinary girl driven mad by love.

This time, without waiting for him to speak, Wu Yuwei rushed to continue, "I know you chose Liu Qi, but I—I don't care! I am willing to have a secret affair with you, even if it has to be hidden from the light, I am willing."

"No matter how sweet and loving you are with Liu Qi in public, I can accept it. As long as you... as long as you are willing to come to me on nights like this when no one is around, as long as you are willing to give me a little, even just a tiny bit of comfort, I will be satisfied."

"Will you, Ye Jiu?"

By the end, Wu Yuwei's voice was choked with sobs, her entire body trembling slightly like a delicate white flower in the rain, making one want to gently soothe her fragile petals.

But Wen Nan did not turn back. He stood firmly at the doorway, allowing her to embrace him, yet refusing to give her any response.

9527: [Side quest 'Xiao Wei's Entanglement' detected, mission completion updated to 35%.]

Wen Nan spoke, "Xiao Wei, let go. I have said it before: I do not like you. Even if we were forced together, I would not change my mind."

Tears welled up in Wu Yuwei's eyes, on the verge of falling.

She shook her head, whispering, "Why? I don't believe it..."

As she spoke, she hurried around to stand in front of Wen Nan, stood on her tiptoes, and pressed a forceful kiss to his lips, pushing the tip of her soft tongue between his teeth.

Wen Nan felt as if some kind of fluid had been transferred into his mouth, a very strange sensation.

Before he could carefully contemplate what this feeling was, he could only raise his hands in a panic and push Wu Yuwei away from him with force.

9527: [Side quest completion updated to 55%.]

Wu Yuwei stumbled back two steps before regaining her balance. Her eyes filled with resentment as she said, "You... you have the taste of another woman's fluids on you! You! You were with someone else..."

Hearing this, Wen Nan was startled. She could even taste that?

"Who is it! Who were you with?!"

Driven by extreme anger and unwillingness, Wu Yuwei's face became somewhat distorted.

Wen Nan sighed, "That has nothing to do with you."

Having said that, he was about to turn and walk out when he saw Wu Yuwei begin to unbutton her shirt.

"If this is what you want... then I can give it to you too!"