The only real gain from that battle was the massive drop in Hana’s favorability toward the male lead, Su Ze. Liang Sheng sat by the window, propping her head up with one hand as she pondered the meaning of life.
Even if she hadn’t fully exposed herself this time, she had surely revealed more than half. In any case, the Heartthrob Value System must have pegged her as the top suspect.
“Hey, don’t hole up at home all the time,” Kazuko said helpfully. “Use this holiday to drop by the various young ladies’ homes and rack up some favorability.”
Liang Sheng let out a depressed sigh. This lick-dog existence—when would it finally end? She was so sick of it that even dog food looked tempting right now.
“Who should I visit?” she asked Kazuko.
Kazuko pondered for a moment before replying, “An Hua’s place.”
“Why her?” Liang Sheng pressed curiously.
“You love teasing her, don’t you? Doesn’t it scratch that sadistic itch of yours? You’ve been lick-dogging long enough—time to unwind a little, right?” Kazuko’s voice brimmed with amusement.
Liang Sheng paused. “…You’ve got a point!”
No time like the present. Liang Sheng got ready in a flash and headed straight for An Hua’s house.
“Wait!” Just as she stepped through the doorway, she froze, yanked her foot back, scratched her head timidly, and asked Kazuko in a small voice, “Kazuko, Hana stuck a tracker on me… and there’s a camera in my room too. What if she notices I’m gone, comes looking, and catches me in the middle of teasing Senior Sister An Hua? Then I’m totally screwed!”
Kazuko let out a “Pfft” of laughter. “Good thing you tanked Hana’s favorability toward Su Ze. Alright, I can help you out~”
“How?”
Kazuko flashed a wicked grin. “Go find Hana first.”
“Huh…?” Liang Sheng blinked in confusion, wondering what scheme Kazuko had up her sleeve.
“Ding-dong~” Reward unlocked: Law Three.
“Law Three: Kissing someone’s forehead for over half a minute will put them into a deep sleep for six hours.”
Woo-hoo~ Lift-off~ With this law, she could cop a feel from the girls and score benefits on top~ If Kazuko had a physical body right now, Liang Sheng would’ve tackled her for a smooch.
“Let’s roll!” Liang Sheng flicked her hair with flair, tugged on a black baseball cap, and declared, “Time to track down our adorable little yandere Hana~”
For the first time, Liang Sheng felt genuinely lighthearted about going to see Hana. Her spirits were soaring as high as the sun.
When she reached Hana’s doorstep, there was Hana herself, already peering out expectantly. Liang Sheng shivered—the tracker’s power was no joke! But this time, she came prepared~ Nothing to fear~ Feeling smug, she sauntered up with a sassy pigeon-toed strut.
“Sheng-chan~ Did you miss Hana?” Hana spotted her and barreled over like a gust of wind, wrapping her in a massive bear hug.
Liang Sheng pinched her cheek with fond indulgence. “You know it. I’ve got something to tell you. Let’s head inside—it’s freezing out here.”
Hana’s heart burst into a fireworks display at the intimate gesture. Little hearts practically danced in her eyes as she hopped along, hooking her arm through Liang Sheng’s and leading her into the house.
Now, how to score a forehead kiss without raising alarms? Liang Sheng’s eyes darted about as her brain churned through ideas.
“Sheng-chan~ It’s eight o’clock. Where’s my good morning kiss~?”
Jackpot! Liang Sheng’s face lit up—this was prime rib handed right to her! She’d been fretting over a believable excuse, and here Hana was serving it up.
To play it safe, Liang Sheng even put on a show of bashfulness. Normally, she’d act all shy and reluctant in moments like this; jumping at the chance today would scream suspicious.
Sure enough, Hana started wheedling.
Liang Sheng put on a show of helpless resignation, sighed dramatically, and said, “Alright, alright, alright. Just the forehead, okay?” With that, she leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on Hana’s forehead.
One second. Two seconds. Three… Twenty-four seconds. Twenty-five. Almost there—hold steady!
“Sheng-chan?” Hana piped up suddenly.
Liang Sheng flinched hard, her lips nearly breaking contact, but she held firm.
“So Sheng-chan really can’t bear to leave Ha—” The words cut off as Liang Sheng’s lips lifted free. With a soft “Thump,” Hana’s eyes fluttered shut, and she toppled onto her pink bed.
“Haha! Gotcha!” Liang Sheng clapped her hands in triumph.
“No more threats! Come on, Kazuko—onward to Senior Sister An Hua’s!” Liang Sheng spun around, buzzing with excitement as she headed for the door.
That was when it happened.
“Oh~ Sheng-chan, what was that you just said?”
Liang Sheng’s knees buckled with a resounding “Bang,” hitting the floor. Her head turned stiffly, only to find Hana still sprawled in the same pose on the bed.
“Ahahahaha!” Kazuko’s shrill laughter pierced the air. “Liang Sheng, you’re such an idiot! I was just yanking your chain!”
Liang Sheng: “…” Motherfucker…
If Kazuko had a body right now, it’d be pummeled into next week. That prank had nearly scared her soul right out of her.
“You just wait! The second you get a physical form, I’m blowing your head off!” Liang Sheng growled, clenching her fists.
Kazuko, sensing the genuine fury, backpedaled. “Ahem… I was just trying to lighten the mood…”
So your fun is built on my suffering? Liang Sheng seethed, her nose practically twisting in rage, but what could she do? She still depended on this infuriating system. Better to let it slide for now.
As she made her way to An Hua’s, Liang Sheng’s phone rang. It was Liang Jin.
“Big Sis Liang Sheng! I miss you!” The call connected to a burst of bubbly chatter.
“Hold it—do you miss me, or Su Ze?” Liang Sheng cut in without mercy.
“Er…” Liang Jin faltered. “Heehee, well, I do miss him a little. After all, Brother Su Ze’s the prince of my dreams.”
Liang Sheng nearly choked on her own spit. “Ha? Prince?”
“Yeah~ My white horse prince~” Liang Jin giggled into the phone, muffling it with her hand like a girl lost in lovesick fantasies.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Liang Sheng smacked her lips in disdain. “White horse prince? More like Seahorse Prince~ Swims into big bro’s pond, only to find he’s a total Sea King~” Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
“Big Sis Liang Sheng!” Liang Jin huffed indignantly. “How can you talk about Brother Su Ze like that? He’s going to be your brother-in-law someday!”
