Volume 1 - CH 4

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No amount of auxiliary particles could save the malicious female supporting character's foul mouth.

"Stay put!"

He heard He Ran's roar in his ear.

A certain cat, who had transformed into a system, was also agitated like a groundhog, jumping up and down, asking if she really wanted to resolutely dissolve the marriage, whether her brain had malfunctioned or if she was playing hard to get.

Gu An forced herself to look up at the only person on the scene who was in a quiet state - He Jingxing's head - and was not surprised to find that although the man still seemed to be smiling, he seemed to be able to tolerate everything.

But the number "-5" popped up above his head like Mario's mushroom cloud, and the number behind "Friendliness" became "10".

[Friendliness: 10]

Although she didn't pay much attention to this system at the beginning, her mentality was still a bit affected. Watching her friendliness score drop, Gu An was really nervous and her throat was blocked -

What's going on!

Why did it drop by 5 again!

Didn't she confess and plead guilty!

Why does he still hate her, sob sob sob, it's so easy to lose points!

Will she lose it all if she acts recklessly a few more times!

[Jiao Jiao: If it drops below 10, you're done. But there is still a chance to save it now. He probably doesn't think you're lying since it has nothing to do with him. At most, he thinks you're a bit ignorant.]

.................. Just a bit ignorant and he deducts 5 points. Is this man's heart only the size of a needle tip!

Think of a way, fat cat!

The friendliness score has turned black, so dark she can't see it even at night!

[Jiao Jiao: There's no way. How about you stop talking and cut your losses, being mute makes you even cuter.]

Gu An had no expression on her face, her only reaction was to frantically try to break free from He Ran's grip and grab him back, to no avail.

She could only tilt her upper body backward and silently shrink towards the direction of the door at home. Then she heard the man's voice in her ear, "Savior... why are you suddenly bringing up these old stories about Aran?"

Gu An was trying to act mute to make herself cuter, but was suddenly asked a question and didn't react at first.

But He Jingxing apparently didn't intend to ask her again. Instead, he looked at He Ran -

The man's eyes were calm, without anger or surprise, like a black stagnant water, without any emotional fluctuations.

If it weren't for the fact that she watched his favorability drop without hesitation, Gu An might have thought: Mr. He is really kind and easy to talk to.

...It's all a lie.

This person kills without leaving a trace.

Gu An paid the price for her impulsiveness. Her tongue was tied, and she glared at He Ran. Seeing that he didn't react for a long time, she pinched him.

He made a "hiss" sound, lowered his head, but he didn't move, just frowned and looked at her, hesitant to speak.

In the silent confrontation between the two, it was He Jingxing who was impatient.

The man frowned slightly, raised his hand, and loosened his collar and tie.

"Aran, you're not a kid anymore. Did you do something to upset Miss Gu again without considering the consequences? If you really did something wrong, apologize."

In the calm voice of the man, He Ran's eyes flickered, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately obediently responded.

Gu An couldn't help but give him a surprised look. "What do you mean by 'hmm'? Did I do something wrong? Didn't I agree to continue with our engagement? Why aren't you fulfilling your end of the deal and releasing me from it?"

He Ransaid nothing in response, silently looking back at her.

Not far away, He Jinxing lifted the edge of his umbrella with satisfaction upon hearing her answer. While Gu An was still staring at He Ran with wide eyes, he asked, "Or does Miss Gu have another little lover she likes?"

Gu An: "..."

What a trap!

Gu An hurriedly replied, "No, no!"

She nervously checked the level of the friendly meter above He Jinxing's head, ready to bolt out the door if it dropped below 10.

Thankfully, it remained fixed at "10," and Gu An breathed a sigh of relief.

"I just don't think it's necessary for the favor owed by our grandfathers to continue as a burden on the next generation's marriage... If you don't think He Ran's life is as precious as his grandfather's, you could pay a sum of money to the Gu family and we could dissolve the engagement."

That's how it always goes in TV dramas.

When Gu An realized what she had said, it was too late to be frightened. She saw both He Jinxing and He Ran fall into silence, looking at her quietly like they were examining a patient.

Perhaps out of sympathy for the patient, their friendly meters remained unchanged.

That meant it was not a big deal.

As the sound of rain became the only background music, the splashing drops had soaked the young girl's legs standing on the steps.

She uncomfortably wiggled her toes hidden inside her slippers, staring intently at a raindrop that fell and splattered on the edge of the man's black umbrella.

Then, she saw the man's lips twitch, and his dark eyes curved in a half-smile. "Miss Gu, how much do you think is enough to compensate for my father's life?"

He spoke to her in a teasing tone, making it easy for her to let her guard down. Gu An blinked. "Five million?"

"I know the way to the bank better than you do. Why don't I show you the way if you want to rob someone?" He Jinxing said. "It's better to go big or go home."

Gu An: "..."

At this moment, Gu An had no idea that when Mr. He was in school, he not only ranked first in his studies but also in fighting and other petty acts of hooliganism.

He had grown up and become more restrained, but this time he had let his true nature show.

It was easy for him to shock Miss Gu.

After a moment of silence, Gu An couldn't contain her curiosity. "So what do you mean?"

Do you want a free ride?

If he answered wrong, tomorrow's headlines would read, "He Clan's leader is a disobedient son."

Gu An had lost.

This man had a calm mindset, completely unpredictable and didn't follow the rules. He spoke his mind.

The old saying goes, "The older the ginger, the spicier it gets." He's so cunning that I can't beat him. Gu An thought calmly.

"[Jiao Jiao: You actually tried to go after him? Is it like every ant has once fantasized about tripping an elephant with its leg?]"

...

After He Jinhang left, only Gou An and He Ran were left in front of the Gou household's gate.

It was clear that Gou An was not the only one afraid of He Jinhang and still had lingering fears about his presence.

Even He Ran, who was usually considered a small tyrant in the entertainment circle, became mute like a mouse in front of his uncle, with hardly any lines to say.

Now that the low pressure had dissipated, Gou An couldn't help but look up and catch He Ran staring at her with a vengeful expression.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

In the exchange of gazes, the number representing He Ran's friendliness flickered a few times on top of his head, then suddenly dropped by two points: [Friendliness: 35]. Gou An felt that either she or the broken system must be a universe-class grudge holder.

The large hand on her arm tightened silently. How strong was the grip of a boy who played basketball? It wasn't until Gou An whimpered, "Hey, He Ran, you're hurting me," that he let go with a cold expression and shook her off.

The force was a bit too much, and Gou An stumbled back a few steps before breaking free from He Ran's embrace. The dampness in the air, mixed with moisture, hit her face, making her shiver as she gathered her coat around her.

Seeing her movements, He Ran pursed his lips--

There was nothing else to it, he just didn't want to wear his coat and run out, but she was prevented from doing so reluctantly, and when he saw his uncle, she still didn't forget to act coy.

Just now, he couldn't restrain her, and now that his uncle had left, she knew to put on her coat properly and not fidget around?

The uncomfortable feeling in He Ran's heart resurfaced.

"Whatever your intentions may be, stay away from my uncle," He Ran said coldly, his expression unchanged.

"Why?" Gou An retorted. "Do you think I'm not qualified? Even your uncle doesn't think so. Didn't you hear him? He knew I lied and deceived everyone, but he still kindly invited me to be your daughter-in-law--"

It wasn't that kind of "kindly."

If she hadn't seen the [Friendliness: 10], she might have been able to deceive herself.

But He Ran couldn't see it, so she could deceive him.

Sure enough, as soon as she finished speaking, He Ran's face became even uglier.

"Gou An, have you no shame?" The [Friendliness: 35] flickered and then dropped to [Friendliness: 33] the next second.

Alright.

It dropped again.

Drop it.

Drop it hard.

Who was she trying to scare with that miserable green human grader?

Let the downpour come even harder!

Stung by the grading system, Gou An absurdly hooked her lips and said, "How am I shameless? Yes, I impersonated someone else, deceived your feelings, and delayed your search for your lifesaver, but you found your true savior now, and I've already apologized and even proposed self-punishment--that is, giving up our engagement--why do you still have the right to scold me? This is my doorstep, how dare you stand here and insult me?"

The more Gou An spoke, the more reasonable she felt--

She apologized, which made her a good girl, so why was she still being scolded?

She was about to tell Young Master He to stop acting and quickly take out the agreement from his pocket to sign it, so they could part ways, but she found He Ran staring at the corner of her lips again, lost in thought.

His gaze was eerie, making her feel uneasy.

"What are you looking at?" she asked.

"Forget what you said about tonight," He Ran said stiffly. "Gu An, I know you're upset about what happened with Lu Wan last week, but don't act so righteous. After all, you're the one who has hurt her the most."

"..."

"I didn't realize that Lu Wan, the person who saved me from the human traffickers years ago, was the same person I met on the cruise last week. She's had a tough life, and she shouldn't have had to suffer so much even after receiving our gratitude."

"..."

"And all you lost was just a cat—"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Gu An finally moved her lips.

She knew He Ran was right. She felt guilty about Lu Wan because of her selfishness.

But he couldn't say that.

He couldn't.

After a moment of silence, Gu An softly retorted, "It wasn't just a cat. It was my Jiaojiao."

My family ranking: my mom, my dad, Ade (maid), Jiaojiao.

My younger brother Gu Xun only ranks fifth.

Jiaojiao was my cat.

A silly cat that only knew how to ask its owner to open cans of food.

It died, but what did it do wrong?

I was the one who was wrong.

Gu An took a deep breath and looked at the handsome face in front of her, feeling a little powerless—

Why did he have to mix everything together?

She really disliked him.

"He Ran, have you said enough?"

He Ran's voice abruptly stopped.

Gu An paused for a moment, and her anger subsided, replaced by a calm tone, "I've expressed my apologies. Now, let me ask you one last time. Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me tonight?"

"Gu An, why do you always want to know everything?" He Ran sneered.

"Sorry, young people are just curious."

He Ran's face darkened. "I'll tell you tomorrow... No, I'll tell you when we go back to school."

"..."

"Anyway, tonight didn't happen," he said.

"How many times do you have to emphasize that—"

"Don't bother Lu Wan again, and don't try to challenge my bottom line."

"?"

He Ran finished speaking and didn't give Gu An a chance to reply. He turned and rushed into the rain under the streetlights, like Makino in "Meteor Garden."

"..."

Looking at the dense silver rain ahead, Gu An sighed.

"So tired."

Men, ugh.

[Jiaojiao: Why are you tired?]

"After entertaining the young version of a tyrannical CEO and the real tyrannical CEO all night, aren't you tired?"

[Jiaojiao: By 'entertaining,' do you mean being busy and frequently having your friendliness points deducted?]

"..."

"Shut down the system. Seal the system. Exit the system. Force quit the program..."

"Ctrl+shift+esc."

[Jiaojiao: Password invalid! Cats rule! Gu Xun's No. 5! Jiaojiao is the best!]

"Stop it, Fat Cat! What kind of decent cat just watches their owner get deducted points all night and only knows how to shout slogans? 'I saw his love ebb and flow'? What a great name, but that ebb is still plummeting, where is the flow? It's outrageous! Eat less and read more! Which good novel starts the fourth chapter with crazy deductions? Have you ever seen a system novel written like this?"

"Didn't I just tell you to stop talking earlier, Jiao Jiao?"

"You did, but your tone wasn't firm enough."

"After all, it's hard to reason with a stubborn ghost who wants to die."

"..."

Damn it.

Author's Note: I'm here, I'm here, I'm here. Keep commenting and I'll send you a red envelope. Mwah mwah mwah. (Not really)