The next morning, Tang Zhen was woken up bright and early by Ren Yanjing’s call. She glanced at her phone—it was only six o’clock. By the time she got up, washed, and headed downstairs, it was around 6:20.
Today, Ren Yanjing had driven a black Bentley. Subtle in color, not so subtle in the license plate. Tang Zhen really wanted to ask how many cars he even had in his garage—every time he came to pick her up, it was always a different one.
She tilted her head, observing him closely as he drove.
At a red light, he asked, “What’s on your mind?”
Tang Zhen voiced her curiosity, “Are you someone who gets attached easily?”
Ren Yanjing frowned slightly. “Why do you ask that?”
Tang Zhen hesitated for a moment, then said, “Because you drive a different car every time.” She’d only seen each car once, and now he’d switched again. Wasn’t that a bit… fickle?
Ren Yanjing relaxed a little. “I only have two cars registered in my name. This time, we’re going to Lin City—it’ll take a while—so I borrowed this one from my cousin. You’ll be more comfortable.”
The last part made Tang Zhen’s heart flutter—was the male lead naturally charming, or just incredibly thoughtful?
Curious, she asked, “Your cousin?”
“Cousin on my dad’s side.”
“Oh.” Tang Zhen lost interest.
Ren Yanjing said nothing. To borrow this car, his cousin had grilled him with gossip for half an hour. Just to borrow a car—how could there be so many questions? He’d considered giving up several times but stuck it out in the end.
As he steered, he asked, “What about you?”
Tang Zhen had been looking at her phone, replying to her roommate’s early morning messages. She finally looked up. “What?”
Ren Yanjing asked casually, “Are you the kind of person who gets attached easily—or not?”
Tang Zhen froze. The boomerang of his question had hit her squarely.
In the past, she’d had a new crush every month—each month a different “husband.”
Reality? Not so simple.
After a moment of hesitation, she answered, “I’m… kind of both, long- and short-term.”
Ren Yanjing raised an eyebrow. “How so?”
Tang Zhen wracked her brain, then replied as simply as she could, “Depends on who I meet.”
So… potentially long-term or short-term, depending on the situation.
The right person? She could be very committed.
Not the right person? Then short-lived.
After that, they didn’t speak much.
By the time they arrived at the competition venue, it was just after nine. Ren Yanjing’s teammates had already arrived by school bus.
When they met up with the team, the boys’ eyes immediately lit up at Tang Zhen. Friendly, curious, and full of appraisal.
“So this is the sister-in-law, huh?”
“Hello, sister-in-law! Are you a fairy? How can you be so beautiful?”
“Was the one who twisted his ankle last time you? No wonder he didn’t return to the lab immediately!”
It was Tang Zhen’s first time being warmly surrounded by a group of young men. She greeted them politely and answered their questions carefully.
They laughed good-naturedly.
“Sister-in-law, you’re so serious.”
“Really a fairy!”
“Sis-in-law, my brother just made a new robot—called Zhen-Guai. Your name has ‘Zhen,’ right?”
Tang Zhen’s eyes widened in slight shock, a trace of surprise lingering in her gaze. “You… used the ‘Zhen’ from my name?”
Ren Yanjing cleared his throat, saying nothing.
The boys laughed even harder. “Come on, bro, say something!”
“Bro, why so quiet all of a sudden?”
Ren Yanjing’s lips curved slightly, a soft smile in his eyes. “Alright, you two, that’s enough.”
“Alright, bro!”
The atmosphere was perfect—big guys joking, laughing, teasing. Tang Zhen’s own eyes curved into a charming crescent as she laughed along. Passersby couldn’t help but glance at them.
One timid boy tried to approach, asking for her contact info, only to be told she already had a boyfriend. Flustered, he blurted, “I’ll come back after you break up.”
Ren Yanjing’s calm smile vanished instantly. A flash of temper appeared in his eyes, and several teammates stiffened.
“Do you even know how to speak? Listen to what you just said!”
“Break up? Go away, scram!”
The boy, realizing his mistake, ran off silently.
000, ever the sarcastic observer, commented: 【Zhen, even if you break up with the male lead, someone like that won’t get near you.】
Tang Zhen got her first taste of the system’s sharp tongue.
“Do you think he’s terrible?”
【Terrible! He said the wrong thing, couldn’t even apologize, just ran away. Cowardly! If you’re choosing a partner, choose someone responsible. This guy? Instant pass!】
Tang Zhen was about to respond when the system suddenly shrieked:
【Female lead! The female lead has appeared!】
What?
The female lead was here?
Where?
Tang Zhen looked around, eager to catch a glimpse. Unfortunately, there were too many students—everyone had come to watch the university robotics competition.
Scanning the crowd, she couldn’t pick the female lead out.
She was curious. “How tall is she? What does she look like?”
System: 【163 cm, elegant and refined.】
But plenty of girls around that height were attractive. College girls had grown up, had time to dress well—it was hard to tell.
【Zhen, don’t worry if you can’t find her. She’s not prettier than you. You’re the prettiest in the world!】
Tang Zhen sighed.
Pretty… what use was that?
Still a disposable second female lead, right? At least she only needed to follow her own story, then she could live her new life. One day, she’d be the protagonist of her own life!
Tang Zhen withdrew her gaze, no longer searching for the female lead. They’d meet eventually.
As she followed Ren Yanjing and his teammates into the venue, a new task popped up:
【Ding!
Task Six: Hold the male lead’s hand for three minutes without letting go!】
Tang Zhen: ???
She glanced cautiously around, eyes widening.
“Sanquan, do you know how many people are nearby?”
【Yes.】
“He’s here to compete!” Not to date!
With judges and company reps nearly in place, wasn’t this a bit inappropriate?!
000, as usual, reassured her: 【Perfect timing! This is exactly the right place for this task. As a second female lead, you need to cling to him! Zhen, your character is a shallow, foolish girl!】
Thanks, but she really just wanted to shake off “shallow and foolish.”
But yes, the second female lead was like that: just wanting a sweet romance with the male lead, indifferent to his work or future, never imagining a shared life together.
“But… three minutes? Isn’t that too long?”
Couldn’t it be thirty seconds?
000: 【Three minutes isn’t long at all—it’ll fly by!】
For Tang Zhen, three minutes felt like forever.
Because this wasn’t just holding hands—what if he pulled away? Awkward!
But one task = half a year of life!
Determined to earn her reward, Tang Zhen pressed her lips together, lowered her lashes, and, like a cautious little kitten, carefully reached out to tentatively take Ren Yanjing’s right hand.