7: 7.
The Art of Playing Hard to Get 7: 7.
The Art of Playing Hard to Get After departing from the Leng Estate, Gu Yan relaxed into the plush leather seat of his luxury sedan as it glided toward home.
He was a man who prided himself on knowing exactly when to quit while he was ahead.
Even though a few chaotic variables had disrupted his perfect point-farming strategy today, he felt that, overall, the execution was highly acceptable.
If he had to visualize it, his favorability rating with Leng Qingqiu had likely spiked by a solid ten percent.
Yes, he possessed that exact brand of self-confidence.
Oh right, let’s audit today’s operational gains.
Gu Yan gleefully summoned the System interface.
In the corner of his vision, the translucent dashboard flickered to life, proudly displaying: [Pure Love Points: 60].
Hmm, sixty points.
In an academic sense, sixty was a bare minimum passing grade.
For a romance trajectory with a cold, traumatized heroine like Leng Qingqiu, hitting a passing score on day one was practically a miracle.
Perhaps this was destiny at work.
Gu Yan smiled with deep satisfaction, then shifted his focus to browse the virtual shelves of the System Mall.
The catalog was staggering, split into pristine tabs: [Pills & Elixirs], [Martial Techniques], [Divine Abilities], [Spiritual Pets], [Body Tempering], [Cold Weapons], [Firearms], [Celestial Artifacts]…
Gu Yan scrolled through the dazzling array of categories with immense interest.
Unfortunately, his meager bankroll of sixty points wasn’t nearly enough to unlock the divine arts and reality-bending techniques that boasted such grandiose names.
According to the original plot of this world, this setting was classified as a low-tier urban martial arts reality.
Hidden beneath the surface of polite society were acquired martial artists, innate experts, and legendary greatmasters.
Rumor had it that a great master could manifest their inner Qi into a physical barrier capable of deflecting high-caliber bullets.
Naturally, the average civilian had absolutely no inkling that this hidden superhuman society existed.
In the later stages of the original timeline, Leng Qingqiu herself would eventually undergo a brutal awakening and train until she became a peak grandmaster.
As for Gu Yan?
He was currently just an ordinary mortal.
But now that he was armed with a cheat system, he had zero intention of leaving his survival entirely in the hands of others.
He would absolutely use every resource available to initiate his own cultivation journey.
With that resolve, he tapped into the [Martial Techniques] tab, only to be greeted by a deeply bizarre sight.
Nearly every single technique block was locked down tight, glowing with aggressive, blood-red exclamation marks.
Only a solitary, isolated technique was unlocked and available for preview.
It was titled: [Cosmic Pure Love Art].
“What in the actual hell is this?” Gu Yan’s mouth twitched.
What kind of self-respecting martial arts cultivation name was Cosmic Pure Love Art?
The very next second, a hyperactive chime echoed directly in his brain.
[ Ding!
Hello, Host!
Because this mechanism is a strictly dedicated Pure Love System, attempting to practice any other martial technique is classified as the most abhorrent, degenerate NTR behavior imaginable!
The System finds it utterly, completely, totally scandalous!
Too shameless!
] [ Consequently, the Host is restricted exclusively to cultivating this System’s signature, proprietary technique: The Cosmic Pure Love Art!
] ‘?’ Hey!
You’re just a bunch of lines of code!
Why are you policing my lifestyle choices?!
Gu Yan buried his face in his hands, entirely powerless against the unhinged, puritanical logic of his own cheat system.
But since the system held a monopoly on his power-ups, he had no choice but to play by its rules.
Reluctantly, he tapped open the details for the Cosmic Pure Love Art.
The descriptive text consisted of a single, concise summary: [ Cosmic Pure Love Art: The practitioner simply needs to commit authentic acts of pure love to generate Pure Love Energy!
This energy will automatically flush the owner’s meridians, continuously refine the physical vessel to divine-tier status, and grant a passive 2x multiplier to the learning efficiency of all worldly skills.
] Alright, fair enough.
It actually sounds kind of broken, Gu Yan mused.
Stripping away the embarrassing flavor text, it essentially meant he could become an unstoppable powerhouse simply by performing pure love deeds.
The only catch?
The manual cost exactly 100 points.
It looked like he would have to aggressively grind more favorability out of his blind fiancee to afford it.
Anticipation gleaming in his eyes, Gu Yan dismissed the holographic screen.
Excellent.
Maintaining this exact momentum, let’s make Leng Qingqiu’s favorability skyrocket.
Up in the driver’s seat, Uncle Gao caught a glimpse of Gu Yan’s bright, genuine smile in the rearview mirror and felt a profound sense of relief.
He could clearly perceive that the young master had undergone a massive, fundamental shift.
In the past, because of his toxic obsession with Shen Wan’er, the young master’s demeanor had been perpetually volatile, irritable, and deeply depressed.
But now, ever since he had cleanly cut ties with her, his entire aura had become refreshed, sharp, and revitalized.
This was phenomenal news.
The Master and Mistress at home would be absolutely thrilled.
— Jinxia Commercial Street This sprawling district stood as the crown jewel of Jianghai City’s high-end commercial sector.
The avenues were lined with flagship luxury boutiques, serving as a premier hotspot where internet influencers, mainstream celebrities, and wealthy second-generation heirs gathered to shop, flaunt wealth, and pose for photos.
Inside a highly exclusive, minimalist restaurant.
“Wan’er, are you seriously telling me that bastard Gu Yan hasn’t sent you a single text in three whole days?” Xie Baiwei, the pampered heiress of the prominent Xie family, stared in absolute disbelief at the silent, brooding beauty sitting across from her.
“Yes,” Shen Wan’er murmured, nodding her head with a conflicted expression.
The moment that confirmation left her lips, Wu Lili—another wealthy heiress from their inner circle—slammed her fork down.
Her face twisted into a mask of pure indignation as she sneered, “What a scumbag!” “Just because our Wan’er wants to focus on her corporate career and politely declined to be his girlfriend right away, he decides to give her the silent treatment?
What a petty, fragile little man!” Reaching across the table, Wu Lili grabbed Shen Wan’er’s hand and squeezed it with intense, dramatic earnestness.
“Wan’er, trust me, it is a massive blessing that you didn’t give in and agree to be that parasite’s girlfriend.
Divine knows how toxic and controlling he would’ve been if he actually caught you!” Shen Wan’er bit her lower lip, keeping her eyes fixed on her placid reflection in her glass.
Based on her historical understanding of Gu Yan’s borderline-worshipful behavior, she couldn’t comprehend how he could suddenly treat her like air.
“Should I…
maybe send him a brief text?
Just to ask what’s wrong?” she asked hesitantly.
Shen Wan’er secretly wondered if her blunt rejection three days ago had shattered his fragile ego.
Perhaps she should throw him a bone and comfort him a little, just like she used to do whenever he got discouraged.
In the past, whenever Gu Yan tried to back away, all it took was a single, low-effort text from her to make him come crawling back the next morning, desperate to curry her favor.
Hearing this, Xie Baiwei instantly reached over and physically pinned Shen Wan’er’s hand down before she could unlock her phone.
“Wan’er, this is exactly where you’re being naive,” Xie Baiwei lectured, her voice dripping with pseudo-intellectual authority.
“Have you seriously not realized the pathetic psychological game this scumbag is playing right now?” Shen Wan’er blinked, thoroughly bewildered.
“A game?” She stared blankly at her friend.
“Weiwei, what do you mean?” “Oh, please!
It’s the oldest trick in the textbook for manipulative, low-value men,” Xie Baiwei sneered with immense disdain, waving her manicured hand dismissively.
“He’s deliberately ignoring you.
He’s intentionally cutting off communication to induce anxiety and manufacture an artificial sense of panic in your heart.” “That toxic loser is playing hard to get with you!” “His ultimate goal is to manipulate you into taking the initiative to apologize, crawl back, and stroke his ego!
Wan’er, as your best friend, I am begging you not to fall for his cheap trap!” Xie Baiwei crossed her arms proudly.
“Men are inherently deceptive creatures.
High-value, elite women like us must remain sharp enough to dismantle their emotional manipulation!” Right on cue, Wu Lili nodded aggressively in total alignment.
“Weiwei hits the nail on the head!
Wan’er, you absolutely cannot surrender to this kind of toxic gaslighting!” Wu Lili violently patted her own chest, confidently guaranteeing, “We’ve seen it all in the dating market.
We understand the psychology of these desperate men better than anyone!” Listening to the unified, passionate assertions of her two best friends, Shen Wan’er’s internal certainty began to fracture.
A sudden wave of revelation washed over her mind.
So…
that’s what it was.
No wonder in the past, whenever Gu Yan stopped orbiting her and she finally threw him a pity text, he would act so overwhelmingly ecstatic.
It wasn’t because he genuinely missed her—it was because his calculated ploy of playing hard to get had successfully paid off!
“Exactly, Wan’er!
Every single time you fell for it in the past, that man was probably laughing hysterically behind your back!” Xie Baiwei sighed deeply and shook her head, putting on a performance of pure, heartbreaking pity for her friend.
“He was mocking how easily he could pull your strings with his low-level mind games!” The more Shen Wan’er absorbed their words, the more logical and undeniable her friends’ twisted analysis became.
Recalling how she used to actually worry about his feelings, actively messaging him to check up on his well-being whenever he went quiet…
a cold, bitter realization settled in her chest.
Who knew how many times Gu Yan had secretly gloated over her perceived desperation?
Damn it…
I completely misjudged your character, Gu Yan.
Shen Wan’er’s perfect brows knit together tightly.
A sense of resentment bubbled up inside her; she felt as though all her past kindness, patience, and grace toward Gu Yan had been completely weaponized against her.
Before she could fully process her anger, her two friends continued their relentless, chirping assault.
“Wan’er, think about it logically.
We women must maintain dominance and frame-control in every dynamic.” “The very second you lower your standards and chase after Gu Yan, you lose all your leverage!
You were simply too gentle, too soft-hearted with that scumbag in the past!” “That’s precisely why he felt empowered to manipulate you over and over again!” “If you want my professional opinion, you shouldn’t send him a single character this time!
Just freeze him out.
Let’s see how long he can endure the isolation.
The moment he realizes his little tantrum isn’t working, he’ll come crawling back on his knees to beg for your forgiveness!” Shen Wan’er found herself completely swayed by the echo chamber.
It made total sense.
She had undeniably been far too easygoing, giving him the impression that she could be easily managed.
With a cold sneer, she locked her phone and dropped it back into her purse.
She would ignore him entirely and let him amuse himself with his pathetic little games!
Seeing their work was done, Xie Baiwei and Wu Lili exchanged a subtle, triumphant glance.
Xie Baiwei let out a light, polite cough.
“Well, now that that’s settled, shall we order, Wan’er?
This specific establishment is currently ranked number one on the elite review apps for niche luxury dining!” Feeling thoroughly vindicated and eager to wash away the bitter taste of Gu Yan’s perceived deception, Shen Wan’er nodded gracefully.
After all, her friends possessed impeccable taste in high society venues.
She fully trusted that the cuisine would be flawless, and decided to use an expensive meal to completely purge the lingering irritation from her heart.
Gu Yan!
I truly misjudged you!
Just you wait!