Chapter 77: Quite the Capability Part 2

Even though Shen Ruoshuang and Ji Yan could have confronted each other directly, they chose to use Xu Yinian as their medium for their silent battle. Consequently, Xu Yinian became the one who had to endure the full weight of their possessiveness.

“Do you like listening to live broadcasts? This much isn’t nearly enough,” Ji Yan said. “Why don’t we tell Ruoshuang what we’re doing right now? Let’s satisfy her curiosity.”

Shen Ruoshuang stared at the final puzzle point at the nurse’s station. Someone was already there. She stopped in her tracks.

The words coming from Xu Yinian’s side were clearly not meant for others to hear.

Xu Yinian, of course, couldn’t bring herself to speak. She didn’t want the Shen Ruoshuang on the other side to hear a single reaction from her. In that moment, she could almost hallucinate the sound of Shen Ruoshuang’s breathing growing progressively heavier through the device.

Seeing Xu Yinian press her lips thin, refusing to utter a word, Ji Yan noted how the girl looked like a picture of “loyal unto death” despite her cowardice and instinct to flee.

Force Xu Yinian to tell Shen Ruoshuang these things? How could she possibly say them out loud?

Ji Yan’s typical cruelty and aggression were always restrained when it came to Xu Yinian. This time was no different; she was merely teasing her.

Finally, Ji Yan spoke up herself, her voice full of feigned lament. “Fine, I’ll tell her.”

“The moment we met, she proactively lunged into my arms. When I covered her mouth, she was so panicked she licked my palm—it’s still wet even now. When my fingers slid through her hair, she trembled, but she didn’t instinctively pull away. What’s wrong? Is it because it feels that good?”

Ji Yan’s aristocratic, low voice droned on in Yinian’s ear. Though the words were meant for Shen Ruoshuang and Lu Zhou, her narrow, bewitching eyes were fixed solely on Xu Yinian. It was as if she were helping the girl recall every detail she had tried to ignore, savoring them in the space between her words.

Just hearing it was enough to make Xu Yinian’s legs feel like jelly. She didn’t even have the capacity to worry about the “third and fourth parties” nearby. A numbing, electric sensation surged from her fingertips to the crown of her head.

She was a mess of soft sensations, supported only by Ji Yan’s hand continuing to caress her fine hair. Her face was so red it looked ready to drip blood; she couldn’t take any more of this.

“Do you like this game that much?” The sophisticated scoundrel continued her suggestive remarks in a slow, deliberate pace. “Why are you shaking your head? Your whole body is shivering, Student Xu.”

Xu Yinian knew she couldn’t open her mouth to refuse. She was terrified that if she made a sound, her voice—full of flaws and the marks of what was happening—would reach Shen Ruoshuang’s ears. Even if Ji Yan told the truth, it was different from Xu Yinian confirming it herself.

“Have you said enough?”

Shen Ruoshuang’s voice sounded from the speaker, as aloof as ever, like a layer of ancient, unmelting ice. “Then why don’t you take a guess… who was the reason I refused to let her hang up in the first place?”

Shen Ruoshuang’s tone was light and calm. Away from Xu Yinian, she didn’t bother wasting a shred of emotion.

Upon hearing this, Xu Yinian’s body tensed reflexively. Ji Yan didn’t miss the reaction, which only served to confirm the implication.

“What do you mean by that?” Ji Yan’s eyes narrowed.

Xu Yinian had been with Lu Zhou first, and the walkie-talkie had been on before Ji Yan arrived. …Could it be that Shen Ruoshuang had heard something happen between Xu Yinian and Lu Zhou?

A bizarre silence fell over the hallway. Irritation flashed in Ji Yan’s eyes as she shifted her gaze behind her.

Lu Zhou was standing alone in the shadows, having been silent for quite a while. Although she only craved Xu Yinian’s body, watching these two mess around in front of her—seeing the girl she had just set her sights on being toyed with by her friend—it was impossible to feel nothing. She could only swallow her displeasure, which was why she had been quiet.

For the first time, she genuinely wished Shen Ruoshuang would hurry up and arrive. She wanted to see them tear into each other even more. But Shen Ruoshuang had endured it for so long on the other end, which disappointed Lu Zhou.

Seriously? She can even tolerate this?

But just as the thought crossed her mind, she heard Shen Ruoshuang effortlessly turn the spear of suspicion toward her. In an instant, she realized Shen Ruoshuang had been calculating all along—she was deviously black-bellied.

This was a “two birds with one stone” revenge. Everyone wanted to be the fisherman who benefited while the snipe and the clam fought.

“Wait, why are you looking at me?” Lu Zhou was forced to look up, meeting Ji Yan’s gaze with a speechless expression.

“Did she touch you?” Ji Yan asked, but she was only looking at the girl in her arms.

Xu Yinian denied it immediately. “N-no.”

But she had clearly forgotten that her current mission was to “infect” other players through contact. The evidence of their touching had long since been recorded by the special powder.

Ji Yan remained bothered by Xu Yinian’s instinctive, stiff reaction. Finally, she let her go. “Wait for me like a good girl. Don’t be so stupid that you let someone eat you up without even realizing it.”

Xu Yinian watched as Ji Yan walked over to Lu Zhou to say something. Just as she was thinking of how to distance herself, a voice finally came from the walkie-talkie again.

“Xu Yinian, are you only one person away from completing your mission? Me?”

“If you ditch them now, I’ll treat everything that just happened as a necessary part of the task. Or… would you prefer to deal with all three of us at once in the dark?”

…

“You didn’t act like this back when Qin Jiashu and I were together,” Lu Zhou said to Ji Yan. “You even wished us a long life together. What kind of madness is this? Do you like her that much?”

Ji Yan sneered. “You have the nerve to bring up your past record? How could I not be on guard?”

“I’ll say this one last time. I don’t care who else you try to steal, but Xu Yinian is off-limits.”

Lu Zhou was stunned. She had never seen the arrogant Ji Yan act like this. “Then… what if Xu Yinian ends up with Shen Ruoshuang? Or even Qin Jiashu…”

Before she could finish, Ji Yan’s cold, dark eyes swept over her. “Is this your first day knowing me? I’ll just snatch her back by force.”

“Like… right now?” Lu Zhou pointed behind Ji Yan, her expression turning quite colorful.

Ji Yan guessed what had happened. She whipped her head around. The spot where Xu Yinian had been standing was now empty. There wasn’t a soul in sight.

…Xu Yinian had already snuck away.

She was indeed quite capable.