Chapter 3: The Fish Has Taken the Bait

“Mm-hmm, I’ve remembered.”

Lin Xiao nodded obediently, looking serious though she didn’t quite understand.

Her looks were only modestly pretty, but she had a baby face that made her appear especially cute and well-behaved. It was because of this face that her parents later sold her at a good price, marrying her off to a man more than ten years older in exchange for a large bride price. After marriage, Lin Xiao suffered countless hardships.

Not far away stood Xing Yuan. He couldn’t make sense of all that talk about Cinderella and Snow White; the only thing he heard clearly was Ning Ning saying she didn’t like him anymore.

Heh. Impossible. Playing hard to get—that’s what this was. She had even fantasized about bearing him several sons. He had never seen such a delusional woman, clinging so shamelessly to his mother.

He liked reserved, modest girls, not a brazen and thick-skinned one like Ning Ning. Xing Yuan gave a cold laugh and gradually walked away.

At home, Aunt Chunyu waited and waited but saw no sign of Ning Ning. She thought the girl must still be unconscious, so she came over to check. To her shock, she saw Ning Ning strolling back casually from outside. Rage instantly flared, and she immediately put on the airs of a mother-in-law.

“Ning Ning, what’s wrong with you? You woke up and didn’t come find me? I’ve been waiting half the day. Do you have no conscience at all? Don’t you know I was worried about you?

And your Brother Xing Yuan just got back, and you go and faint right in front of him. Aren’t you embarrassed? Such bad luck. I thought you were so sensible, but clearly you’re not…”

She scolded on and on. Ning Ning simply raised her finger, curved her lips into a faint smile, and pressed it against her mouth with a lazy yet commanding shh. Aunt Chunyu immediately fell silent, staring at her.

“First, Auntie, if you were worried about me, you should have come to my house to check, not wait for someone who fainted to come bow to you. Who do you think you are? Even Empress Dowager Cixi never enjoyed such treatment—why should you?”

“Second, I fainted precisely because I’m too sensible. That way I don’t have to listen to your infuriating nonsense.

Oh, and by the way, I actually have no desire at all to see your son. Brother Xing Yuan, Brother Xing Whoever—I don’t like him one bit. I was just teasing you. Surprised? You didn’t notice, did you?”

“Auntie, not to be rude, but if your house doesn’t have a mirror, you could’ve just said so. We’re neighbors—I’d let you borrow mine. Better yet, I’ll give you one, so you can check your face morning and night.

Hahaha! Auntie, look at your face—it’s as big as two flatbreads, isn’t it?”

Ning Ning leaned closer with a gentle yet mischievous tone, her smile warm but sharp, leaving no trace of anger. For a moment, Aunt Chunyu couldn’t tell if she was joking or dead serious.

“You—what nonsense are you spouting, Ning Ning? Did fainting make you hit your head and damage your brain?”

“No, if anything, it probably knocked my brain back into place. Auntie, you should eat more walnuts—good for the brain, you know.”

Ning Ning winked playfully and walked home with steady steps to eat, leaving Aunt Chunyu fuming in disbelief. She truly couldn’t understand how Ning Ning’s attitude had changed so drastically.

“Fine, I’ll eat walnuts! Ning Ning, you little brat, just wait. If you ever come begging me for anything, unless I agree, you’ll never set foot in our house again!”

She cursed at Ning Ning’s retreating back nonstop. The supposed mother-in-law and daughter-in-law bond was officially broken, their relationship further deteriorating and laying the groundwork for future clashes between Ning Ning and Xing Yuan.

“Well, I’ll be forever grateful for that.”

Ning Ning shrugged, wagging her finger arrogantly behind her—cocky and stylish.

“Task Four Progress +2. Task Four Progress +10. Task Four Progress +25.”

The cold mechanical voice suddenly rang out again. Ning Ning froze in confusion. She hadn’t even done anything yet—why had Task Four advanced so much? She instinctively glanced around and suddenly found herself caught in a pair of deep, striking eyes.

There stood a refined young man, tall and elegant, handsome as jade. He held a book in hand, dressed in a white shirt, standing quietly. If not for his sharp, mesmerizing gaze, one could easily mistake him for a frail bookish scholar.

This was Yue Chi—the male lead’s neighbor, and hers as well. He was five years older, and though they grew up nearby, the original Ning Ning had always been a poor student, completely incompatible with his top-student aura, so they rarely interacted.

But he had plenty of interaction with Xing Yuan. He was practically a walking cheat code: tutoring when knowledge was needed, lending money when funds ran short, providing opportunities when doors were closed, even risking his life when it came to danger.

Once, when Xing Yuan was kidnapped, Yue Chi managed to save him but ended up disabled. Unable to bear it, he eventually committed suicide.

Ning Ning had every reason to suspect that if Xing Yuan lacked a wife, Yue Chi would probably offer himself too. The author, playing the doting parent, was utterly unreasonable. The male lead’s “Mary Sue” halo was simply outrageous—why did he always have a benefactor at his side?

Fortunately, Task Four was precisely to change Yue Chi’s fate. With her here, she would never allow him to be Xing Yuan’s golden cheat card.

“Brother Yue Chi, long time no see. Why are you back? Weren’t you supposed to graduate and start working already? I heard university students get assigned jobs. Why didn’t you stay in the capital?”

Ning Ning blinked innocently, greeting him openly while boldly probing into his private affairs.

“There were some complications with my job placement. I’ll have to wait a while before things are settled, so I decided to come home for a bit.”

Yue Chi nodded, smiling faintly at her. In a plain white shirt and black trousers, he embodied the image of the gentle, clean, and approachable older brother next door. Yet Ning Ning’s instincts, sharp from her doctoral training, told her he was sly beneath the surface—not nearly as innocent as he looked.

“Ohhh~~~”

Ning Ning played along politely, though her mind was already spinning. So, was he the reason her task progress jumped?

“Brother Yue Chi, what book are you reading? Can I borrow it? I’ve been wanting to study hard and prepare for university. Do you still have your old textbooks and review materials at home? Could you lend them all to me?”

She decided to act first, making sure Xing Yuan wouldn’t even get his hands on a single tutoring guide, cutting off their connection from the start.

“Sure. I’ll go get them for you later. This one’s a Russian textbook though—you might not understand it.”

Yue Chi lifted the book to show her the cover, filled with strange characters. But wasn’t this a coincidence—she just so happened to be fluent in Russian. Ning Ning tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and casually read aloud the title in Russian.

“Self-Study Russian Textbook? This one’s great—solid grammar training. Once you master it, reading Russian academic papers won’t be a problem.”

Yue Chi’s eyes darkened slightly as he glanced at her with subtle curiosity.

The fish had taken the bait.