Chapter 40

As soon as the question left her lips, Yan Ning regretted it. It seemed a bit cruel for Shu Yue, and she shouldn’t have asked her.

Shu Yue held her breath, waiting for a while, but Yan Ning continued climbing without asking her anything further.

She felt a bit disappointed. What did she want to ask?

Why had she suddenly stopped speaking?

Reflecting on her own actions towards Yan Ning, Shu Yue felt that Yan Ning’s attitude was perfectly fine.

If their roles had been reversed, Shu Yue thought, she likely would have gleefully added insult to injury by now. Not to mention someone like Yan Ning, who had helped her without reservation, protected her, and even cared for her so thoughtfully.

Given all the context, Yan Ning had already done more than enough for her. Shu Yue shouldn’t be shamelessly expecting more.

But at the same time, she felt her heart had changed.

She wanted to know more about Yan Ning, wanted to improve their relationship, wanted to become closer.

Shu Yue thought to herself that she was a bit annoying. Despite doing so many things that would irritate others, despite the fact that it would be best if they just didn’t interfere with each other, she couldn’t help but want to reach out.

She wanted to be friends with this person who, despite being fragile and weak, gave her an overwhelming sense of safety and warmth.

She knew she wasn’t qualified or in a position to ask for more, but this was simply something she suddenly desired, even more than her obsession with Lu Fengfeng.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to ask gently, as naturally as possible, “What did you want to ask me?”

Yan Ning paused for a moment, thinking for a few seconds.

She had indeed been bothered by that question, but she still felt it wasn’t right to ask, so she replied softly, “It’s nothing. I thought about it, and that question doesn’t seem appropriate to discuss. I’ll think it over on my own.”

Upon hearing this, Shu Yue sensed that Yan Ning was troubled by the question, and that she had initially planned to share it with her. Perhaps, because of her previous actions, Yan Ning had decided not to bring it up.

No, this was her perfect opportunity to rebuild their relationship, and she didn’t want to let it go.

“What question? Tell me. You can’t just raise someone’s curiosity and then leave half of it unsaid. That’s really uncomfortable.”

Shu Yue’s tone was a little assertive, but deep down, she was scared. She was afraid Yan Ning would get angry, but she also feared that if she spoke too softly, Yan Ning still wouldn’t ask her.

“Well, since you insist…” Yan Ning felt that since the other person was pushing so hard, she could put aside her reservations. So she asked, “What does it feel like to like someone?”

“…” Shu Yue was caught off guard. She couldn’t have imagined that Yan Ning would ask such a question.

Then, she realized the key point and understood why Yan Ning had been hesitant to ask her earlier.

It must have been out of concern for her feelings, especially since they had once been rivals in love.

Thinking this way, Shu Yue’s impression of Yan Ning instantly skyrocketed several levels.

She didn’t answer directly but instead asked, “Is there something going on between you and him… Lu Fengfeng?”

Yan Ning didn’t notice the change in how Shu Yue referred to Lu Fengfeng, but she was surprised by how perceptive the girl was. “You figured it out already? From just one question?”

Her surprised expression was so cute that Shu Yue couldn’t help but smile and, feeling nervous, asked, “If you don’t mind, maybe I can help analyze things for you.”

“Hmm, then let me ask you,” Yan Ning said, “What do you like about Fengfeng?”

Yan Ning wasn’t one to be passive, and honestly, she didn’t quite know where the issue between them lay.

Before figuring that out, she wanted to first clarify a few things that had been bothering her.

“Uh…” Shu Yue hesitated, not expecting Yan Ning to be so direct.

But then she realized that she had never actually spoken to Lu Fengfeng before, she had only seen him from afar a few times.

People around her had said that a super handsome young man had transferred to Class 9, so she and her friends had secretly gone to the classroom door to take a look. Indeed, in every sense, he fit the definition of a handsome young man.

It seemed like she had fallen into it, and later, people around her started saying that he was frivolous and easy to deal with.

She became confident again, thinking that maybe she could also become one of his girlfriends.

But when she thought carefully, aside from his beautiful appearance and some hearsay about him, none of those rumors were even positive—why was she so captivated by him?

It seemed like, apart from his looks, she couldn’t name any other qualities of Lu Fengfeng.

As for his gentleness, she only noticed it after seeing him interact with Yan Ning, and it seemed that his gentleness was limited to how he treated Yan Ning.

What exactly did she like about Lu Fengfeng?

Shu Yue realized she had been stumped by the question. Yan Ning continued to climb steadily, one step at a time, not rushing her.

But it seemed like she had just realized something terrifying. She gripped Yan Ning’s shoulder a little harder and hesitated before answering, “Maybe because he’s very handsome.”

“Just that?” Yan Ning asked, her tone even more shocked than before.

Shu Yue also felt a bit embarrassed, lowering her head and whispering, “Just that. What about you? What do you like about Lu Fengfeng?”

“Hmm—maybe it was his tear mole at first?” Yan Ning said uncertainly.

“Huh?”

Shu Yue hadn’t expected that at all. At least, it should’ve been about his looks, right?

What was a tear mole?

“Because his tear moles at the corners of his eyes are perfectly symmetrical. Don’t you think that’s amazing?” Yan Ning said seriously, without a hint of joking.

“Uh… well, it is pretty amazing.”

Shu Yue realized a little too late—could Yan Ning be the natural type?

Yan Ning moved quickly, and the exit was in sight.

Using both her hands and feet, she finally crawled out of the cave.

She looked around, and the little cat lamp above her head swayed left and right with her movements. She found a clean spot and set Shu Yue down, then sat down beside her.

“Actually, when I first met him, it was pretty awkward. I never expected we’d meet again later.”

“Your first impression was awkward?” Shu Yue felt that this pair was different from what she had imagined. She thought no girl, after seeing Lu Fengfeng’s beauty, would think of awkwardness as an issue.

But remembering that what had attracted Yan Ning to Lu Fengfeng in the beginning was his tear mole, Shu Yue didn’t find it that strange after all.

Perhaps Yan Ning saw things differently from others, and this difference was exactly what Lu Fengfeng had noticed, which was why they ended up together.

“Yeah, at least that’s how it was for me. But that’s not important given the current situation.” Yan Ning said. What she wanted to solve now was the “True Love Test” in the Jealousy and Love dungeon.

Shu Yue now had endless tolerance and patience for Yan Ning. She nodded, “Mm, then tell me about your problem.”

Yan Ning thought for a moment and then simply said, “I’m not sure if I really like him. At first, I didn’t question it, but during the day, we had a ‘True Love Test,’ and we didn’t pass. That means we don’t really understand each other.”

“So, you think it’s your problem? You think you don’t love him enough?”

“Yeah, because I’ve never had a romantic relationship before, so I wonder if I misunderstood. Maybe I mistook other feelings for love. Because of this mistake, we were judged by the system as not having true feelings for each other.” Yan Ning’s voice carried confusion, almost palpable. She was genuinely troubled by this matter.

“Maybe you should look at it from another angle. What if it’s not your problem, but his?” Shu Yue’s tone suddenly became sharp and to the point.

“Huh?” Yan Ning had never considered that possibility.

Her words made Yan Ning think of the mermaid she had seen in the illusionary flower sea dream. If Lu Fengfeng’s true feelings had already been lost to the mermaid, then what they had between them was just a complete transaction.

And suddenly, Yan Ning remembered something: Lu Fengfeng had never said he liked her.

That night, he had said, “I demand that you fall in love with me, with a deadline by the end of this competition.”

Because he said that only couples who are genuinely in love can pass the system’s judgment, she had always assumed that Fengfeng felt the same way about her.

But in reality, maybe that wasn’t the case.

Fengfeng had never said he liked her. He was just very gentle with her, and she had mistaken that as his way of expressing affection.

In fact, he didn’t really understand her. How could he like her?

If he truly understood the real her, he surely wouldn’t be moved by her.

People from the M20 star system despised her so much. Even Zhao Mingcheng, who she had always thought had a good relationship with her, was so afraid of her and avoided her. She didn’t have anything about her that would make someone like her.

So, it was understandable that they failed the final test of jealousy and love.

As for this issue, Yan Ning subconsciously didn’t want to think too deeply about it, even though she had already thought about it quite a lot.

She looked at Shu Yue and sincerely thanked her, “Thank you for talking with me.”

Shu Yue waved her hand, “It’s nothing. I didn’t really help you, though. If you ever want to talk, I’m always here for you.”

“Mm-hmm, I’ll think about it some more myself. I’m almost rested. Let’s go out and talk later.” Yan Ning squatted down in front of Shu Yue.

“Ah, I can walk on my own. You don’t need to carry me anymore.” Shu Yue hadn’t expected Yan Ning to still want to carry her.

Yan Ning didn’t let her refuse, directly lifting her onto her back and walking off, “You walk too slowly. I want to get back and see Fengfeng quickly.”

“Uh… alright.”

“By the way, earlier today, Fengfeng also carried me for a while. It was my first time being carried, and although I wasn’t used to it, I unexpectedly felt very safe. How do you feel?”

“Mm, I also feel safe. Thank you.” Shu Yue whispered, lying on Yan Ning’s back.

Actually, there was a little tightness in her chest. Every word seemed to revolve around Lu Fengfeng. Did she really like him that much?

—

At the entrance to the instance, Qin Li, Zhao Mingcheng, and Lu Fengfeng had just come out, and they had successfully obtained the key.

Qin Li and Zhao Mingcheng were in a disheveled state, while Lu Fengfeng was in slightly better condition, with some blue blood stains on his clothes, but nothing else seemed wrong.

“Has Ningning not returned yet?” Lu Fengfeng looked toward the “Forbidden Love” entrance, his brows slightly furrowed.

Meng Qing also looked toward the entrance of “Forbidden Love” and shook his head. “They haven’t returned yet.”

“It seems someone’s coming back!” Qin Li, drinking water in large gulps, heard their conversation and turned to look at the entrance, faintly seeing a figure.

Everyone else also looked toward the “Forbidden Love” entrance. Meng Qing took two steps forward and saw that the person who came out was Yan Wan. He looked behind her and asked, “Where’s Ningning? Didn’t you come back together?”

Qin Li also glanced behind her, his tone disappointed. “Where’s Ningning? Why didn’t she come back?”

Yan Wan had already mentally prepared for her act. She didn’t realize that everything she was doing had been captured on camera.

She had thought it was just her and Yan Ning, and it was nighttime.

Although the flying cameras had been following them, they wouldn’t capture clear footage in the dark. So, as long as she placed herself in the role of a helpless victim, constantly crying and blaming herself, it would be fine.

But when both boys immediately asked about Yan Ning, Yan Wan’s heart was stung, though she didn’t show it.

She saw their expressions brighten, only to quickly turn to sadness. She walked toward Meng Qing, her feet unsteady, as though she were about to fall.

Meng Qing supported her with a concerned look. “What happened? Rest for a moment and drink some water.”

Yan Wan took the water bottle Meng Qing handed her, drinking in small sips for more than a minute before raising her head, her expression anxious as she looked at the others. “Ningning… Ningning and Shu Yue accidentally fell into a cave. I couldn’t do anything… You have to save them quickly.”

Zhao Mingcheng stepped forward, surprised and somewhat skeptical. “You’re saying Yan Ning fell into a cave?”

Qin Li also leaned in. “What exactly happened?”

Yan Wan furrowed her brows, her expression sorrowful. “First, Shu Yue fell into the cave. The cave is very deep, and I couldn’t save her. So I planned to go back and get help, but on the way, I ran into Ningning.”

“I told her we should go back and get you all, so more people would make the rescue safer, but Ningning wouldn’t let me. She said she could handle it alone and insisted I take her to save Shu Yue. When we got there, I kept warning her to be careful, but Ningning didn’t really listen. She said she was sure she could pull Shu Yue up.”

“It’s really my fault. I had warned her to be careful. When she didn’t listen, I should have gone up and stopped her. It’s all my fault. Why am I so useless?”

Yan Wan spoke while wiping away her tears, her voice trembling with guilt and sorrow.

The four boys present looked at her with different expressions, but none of them spoke.

Yan Wan cried pitifully for a while, then continued on her own: “Ningning circled around the entrance of the cave several times but didn’t think of a way to save Shu Yue. I said we should go back and get you all, but Ningning wouldn’t let me. She insisted she could save Shu Yue. She didn’t realize the edge of the cave was slippery and wet, and in the end, she lost her balance and fell in. I should never have said that. If I hadn’t suggested going back for help, Ningning wouldn’t have gotten so angry. She wouldn’t have fallen…”

“Did Yan Ning really fall in on her own?” One of the others, seemingly in unison with the others’ silence, asked Zhao Mingcheng, who couldn’t hold back any longer.

Yan Wan looked up at him, her emotions suddenly flaring. She asked in disbelief, “What do you mean by that? Are you… questioning me?”

“No, I just feel that Yan Ning’s character doesn’t seem like someone who would be so reckless.” Zhao Mingcheng’s thoughts were clear, as he knew Yan Ning well. The Yan Ning that Yan Wan described was very different from the one he knew.

Yan Wan covered her face with both hands, crying loudly and intermittently saying, “It’s all my fault, it’s all my fault…”

“Alright, enough with this, let’s just go and rescue Ningning. Even if she’s independent, she’s still a girl. We don’t know how scared she must be right now.” Qin Li suddenly interrupted Yan Wan’s act, “Yan Wan, stop crying. Let’s go save her first. Lead the way.”

Yan Wan hadn’t faced such a major failure in a long time. Usually, with just a slight furrow of her brow, her tears wouldn’t even need to fall, and most things she wanted would be handed to her. Why was everything going so wrong today?

“By the way, where’s Lu Fengfeng?” Qin Li turned to look for Lu Fengfeng. Everyone was so anxious, but he hadn’t said a word.

His gaze swept around, but he couldn’t find anyone. When he turned around, he realized the person had already walked towards the “Forbidden Love” entrance, but suddenly stopped.

Qin Li ran over. “What’s wrong?”

Lu Fengfeng’s eyes were fixed on the entrance of “Forbidden Love,” his lips curving slightly. “They’re back.”

“Huh? Where? Where? I didn’t see anyone,” Qin Li squinted hard, but still only saw darkness.

Zhao Mingcheng and Meng Qing quickly ran over after hearing, leaving Yan Wan standing alone off to the side.

In the darkness, a figure gradually approached. At first, only a faint outline was visible, but as it came closer, the figure became clearer.

Lu Fengfeng walked forward to greet Yan Ning. “You’re back.”

Yan Ning stood still, allowing him to push her stray hair behind her ear.

“Ningning, you’re back!” Qin Li moved closer and directly pushed Lu Fengfeng aside.

Meng Qing and Zhao Mingcheng stood by without saying anything, but their gazes were fixed on Yan Ning.

Shu Yue slid down from Yan Ning’s back and landed on the ground. The four people crowded around Yan Ning, completely ignoring her as the injured one. She didn’t even feel disappointed.

Yan Ning spoke briefly and then grabbed Shu Yue, who was about to move ahead on her own. “Shu Yue sprained her ankle. It needs to be treated.”

At this point, Yan Wan also came over, her eyes filled with tears, her lips curled into a smile, showing an expression of extreme joy. “Ningning, you’re back!”

Yan Ning glanced at her indifferently, her voice cold. “We’ll talk about our matters later.”

With that, she lifted Shu Yue and sat her down beside the fire. She called to Lu Fengfeng, “Fengfeng, can I borrow the first aid kit?”

Yan Ning and Shu Yue returned safely, and naturally, the group gathered around the fire. Yan Ning squatted by Shu Yue’s side, tending to her injury.

Lu Fengfeng took out a pot, seemingly preparing to cook something.

Qin Li, Zhao Mingcheng, and Meng Qing had nothing to do and were squatting by the fire, feeling a bit hungry, eyeing Lu Fengfeng expectantly.

Yan Wan sat alone in a corner, staring blankly at her hands, ignored by everyone for now.

But everyone could feel that the calmness was just the calm before a storm, the stillness only making things feel more ominous.

“All done.” Yan Ning finished applying medicine to Shu Yue’s injury, patted her knee, and lowered her head to pack away the first aid kit.

Shu Yue pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with warmth. “Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.” Yan Ning put the kit away and walked over to Lu Fengfeng. “Fengfeng, what are you cooking?”

“I’m making some sweet fermented rice dumplings. It’ll be ready soon.” Lu Fengfeng took a jar of sweet fermented rice out of his bag, unscrewed the lid, and spooned some into the pot. The sweet, fragrant smell of rice wine filled the air.

Yan Ning leaned beside him, her eyes fixed on the dumplings as they cooked, her lips that had been slightly downturned now curving into a smile.

Lu Fengfeng put the jar back in his bag and put his arm around her. “What’s wrong? Are you tired? Do you want to rest first?”

Yan Ning shook her head. “I want to eat sweet fermented rice dumplings.”

Seeing how affectionate they were, even more so than when they’d separated earlier that day, Qin Li couldn’t help but interrupt. “Ningning, Yan Wan said you and Shu Yue accidentally fell into the cave, and we were getting ready to go rescue you. How did you two get out?”

Yan Ning glanced at Yan Wan, her expression calm. “Is that what she told you? But the situation here seems a bit different. Yan Wan, I think you didn’t push me down accidentally, right?”

As soon as Yan Ning finished speaking, the group, who had been feeling a bit tired and relaxed, suddenly snapped to attention. Their gazes turned to Yan Ning and Yan Wan in unison.

When Yan Ning returned earlier, they had sensed something was off between the two of them but didn’t know exactly what had happened.

At this moment, Qin Li just wanted to find a place to hide. It was his fault for mentioning something that was best left alone. Now, he probably wouldn’t get any sweet fermented rice dumplings.

His gaze lingered on the chubby little dumplings rolling around in the sweet broth, and regretful tears involuntarily spilled from the corners of his eyes.

But what Yan Ning had said still left him a little shocked.

He and Yan Wan were classmates and she was also the school’s belle. Although they had never interacted deeply before, his annoying desk mate and Yan Wan were good friends and often talked about her in front of him.

After hearing about her glorious deeds countless times, hearing this now still left him feeling a bit disillusioned.

However, after spending a few days on the island, he could tell that Yan Wan’s character and personality were not as flawless as the rumors made her out to be, so he wasn’t as shocked as he had imagined.

Yan Wan seemed extremely surprised that Yan Ning would say something like that. Her eyes widened in astonishment, clearly shocked.

Then, she quickly furrowed her brows, tears filling her eyes in an instant. She raised her hand to cover her mouth, looking both surprised and wronged as she said, “Ningning, why would you say that? I know we’ve had some unpleasant moments between us, but you can’t just say… something like that because of those things. It’s pure slander. How could you lie like this?”

Her tone was weak and helpless, with tears flowing freely down her face, her expression fragile and pitiful, making her seem all the more lovable.

—

Since the entire scene was being filmed, the audience watching from the main viewing areas on the first floor of the Shengyi Golden Tower couldn’t help but be amazed by Yan Wan’s acting skills. They had never seen such a convincing, unpretentious ^[1]“black-hearted white lotus” (黑心白莲) refers to someone who appears innocent, pure, or kind on the outside but is actually malicious, manipulative, or scheming on the inside. It … Continue reading”black-hearted white lotus” before.

Rose couldn’t help but kick the seat in front of her. “Ugh—this is driving me crazy! This little girl looks so young, but her thoughts are so venomous. Ningning is so pure, how could she ever defeat someone like her?”

Sitting next to her, Brother Hammer said, “Not necessarily. Number one can crush Number four with pure force. In fact, for Number four, this battle is already lost.”

Rose didn’t understand. “What do you mean?”

Chang Ye, who was sitting beside them, explained on behalf of Brother Chui: “Number one is straightforward and efficient, without any selfish motives. Without even trying, she naturally draws attention from those around her, even making her rivals change their stance. For Number four to strike against Number one under these circumstances is basically impossible.”

—

Yan Ning was no stranger to seeing Yan Wan perform, and though she felt somewhat weary, her tone remained calm: “Yan Wan, you act this way at home, and you’re the same outside. I’ve never understood what you really want. If you want the position of the eldest daughter of the Yan family, your parents’ affection, or the love of others, you’ve already received all of that. What more do you still want?”

As Yan Ning’s calm and weary voice expressed the question that had been lingering in her heart for so long, those unaware of the situation were left confused, not knowing what Number one was suddenly talking about.

Tang Chengtian, who had been closely monitoring everything in the underground maintenance room, suddenly had a flash of insight. He finally realized why Yan Ning looked so familiar to him.