“Ding, Xu Shi’an’s Affection points +8. Current total Affection points: 63.”
Although the man refused to admit it verbally, the Affection points wouldn’t lie.
Wen Ran secretly snickered to herself. This man was truly peculiar – so emotionally twisted. Could he even stand himself?
………
Compared to the relatively harmonious atmosphere on Wen Ran’s side, Si Yan’s situation was miserable.
He and Ruan Tang had bad luck – they were caught by the previous team and had to flee together. Being chased repeatedly while navigating difficult mountain paths made Ruan Tang, who normally hardly exercised, completely lose interest in the game. She cried, “Can I quit the game? I want to go down the mountain.”
She couldn’t run anymore; she was exhausted.
Si Yan was someone with strong competitive drive. When playing these kinds of games before, he often ranked first in his team. Watching Ruan Tang crying beside him, he felt an unprecedented disgust rising in his heart.
Si Yan recalled how Wen Ran, a genuine wealthy heiress, had been able to follow him running all over the mountain in high heels back then, falling so many times yet never once complaining about being tired.
He used to find Ruan Tang’s crying in bed quite captivating, making him feel aroused. But now, hearing her cries only irritated him.
“Stop crying,” Si Yan said. “If you want to quit, go down the mountain by yourself. An off-road vehicle will come pick you up.”
Ruan Tang was stunned. She had thought that if she cried, Si Yan would accompany her down the mountain, but he actually intended to abandon her alone in this wilderness?
She muttered, “I should have gone with them earlier.”
Si Yan frowned and said, “If you’re so eager to find Xu Shi’an, go ahead! It’s not like I’m keeping you here!”
“What do you mean by that?” Ruan Tang was already somewhat dissatisfied. Hearing this, she retorted, “No wonder Wen Ran didn’t want you and went after Xu Shi’an instead. Your temper is really terrible.”
Why hadn’t she noticed before how unpleasant Si Yan’s words could be?
“If my temper is bad, go find someone else! It seems like you’ve been flirting with plenty of worthless men anyway,” Si Yan said. Having been pampered since childhood, he couldn’t tolerate even the slightest criticism.
“Do you really think Xu Shi’an likes you?” he continued. “Others are just playing with you, yet you take it seriously. Only someone like me with water in my brain would have considered divorcing Wen Ran to marry you.”
Si Yan was increasingly realizing that aside from being compatible in bed, his interactions with Ruan Tang at other times were truly hard to describe.
“Shi’an is different from an unfaithful man like you! He’s not that kind of person!” Ruan Tang firmly believed she wouldn’t make the wrong choice twice.
“Ruan Tang, do you think you’re some great catch yourself?” Si Yan’s words struck right at her heart. “You jumped into another man’s arms immediately without even formally breaking up with me!”
“You’re no good yourself, so what kind of good person would like you?” Not only did he belittle her, but he included himself in the criticism too.
“You!” Ruan Tang was furious. She shouted, “Then you’ve been with me too, so you’re no good either!”
“Yeah, I’m indeed not a good person,” Si Yan admitted frankly. He knew exactly what kind of person he was. He might pretend in front of others, but facing Ruan Tang now…
Since they were both the same kind, Si Yan felt no need to pretend. “I committed adultery during marriage, you were the other woman – we’re both rotten together.””But even at my worst, someone still loves me. Do you think Xu Shi’an could ever like you the way Wen Ran loves me?”
Wow, if Wen Ran saw this scene, she’d probably laugh herself sick. Si Yan actually had the nerve to feel proud about this.
Ruan Tang was left speechless. She truly had no confidence in this matter – after all, she’d only grown close to Xu Shi’an in recent days, and they hadn’t even defined their relationship yet.
She didn’t know if Xu Shi’an could accept her history with Si Yan, but Ruan Tang simply felt that Xu Shi’an was better than Si Yan.
After being fired from Si Corporation, Ruan Tang had taken all the luxury items Si Yan gave her to be resold for cash, but the prices she got were much lower than the original purchase prices – less than half of the boutique prices.
It was Xu Shi’an who helped cover her remaining debt, settled her accounts, gave her a job, and helped her through many embarrassing situations.
Without Xu Shi’an, Ruan Tang might not have been able to repay the gift money even if she borrowed from others. She glared at Si Yan and shouted, “You disgusting scumbag!”
But unexpectedly, Si Yan had remarkably thick skin. The man retorted directly: “If I’m a scumbag, then you’re a cheap woman!”
Si Yan still remembered their first time together had been an accident – he’d gotten drunk at a banquet and vomited all over himself.
Ruan Tang, who had just joined the company as an intern Secretary, helped him remove his soiled clothes, and then they somehow ended up having sex in the car.
She knew perfectly well her superior had a wife, yet she hadn’t refused. Si Yan still remembered Ruan Tang’s coy expression at the time – it was clearly feigned resistance.
Since they were both immoral degenerates, neither was nobler than the other!
Ruan Tang was so angry she didn’t know how to respond. How dare he call her cheap?
Furious, she pushed Si Yan hard. Caught completely off guard by her action, and standing near the edge of a slope, Si Yan tumbled directly down the hillside.
“Si Yan!” Ruan Tang was terrified. She only meant to vent her anger, never expecting him to fall like that.
“Ah!” Even though Si Yan reacted quickly and protected his head, his leg still struck a rock, the pain making him scream.
Ruan Tang wanted to go down and rescue him, but looking at the steep slope and all the branches, she simply didn’t have the capability.
She called Si Yan’s name several times, panicking uncontrollably. All her communication devices were in the man’s bag, which had disappeared during his fall – probably with the communication equipment inside damaged beyond use.
“Damn!” Truly isolated and helpless, Si Yan had to comfort Ruan Tang despite his injured leg, telling her to run and find help – anyone she encountered would do, as long as they had communication equipment to call for rescue.
Ruan Tang immediately followed his instructions and ran to seek help, but as time passed, no one came even after night fell.
Si Yan grew increasingly anxious the longer he waited. His leg injury prevented him from making any significant movements.
………
“Are we just going to keep hiding like this?” Wen Ran and Xu Shi’an had found a safe spot and stayed there until dark.
“Si Yan thinks he’s so capable – let him go fight with other teams,” Xu Shi’an said. After arguing with Si Yan earlier, he’d lost all interest in playing, feeling perfectly content just staying with Wen Ran like this.
“Since he thinks we’re noobs, as long as we preserve our lives and don’t give other teams extra points, we’re already helping him.”Wen Ran nodded in agreement on the surface, but inwardly thought that with Ruan Tang around, Si Yan probably wouldn’t have an easy time. The main thing was that she hadn’t contacted Si Yan all day, yet his Affection points kept rising sharply.
It had already reached 83 points now, making Si Yan the man with the highest Affection points among the three—a situation even Wen Ran hadn’t anticipated.