Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 22

Cheng Jinyang had heard many artistic versions of confessions before. For instance, the straightforward “Please take good care of me for the rest of my life,” the more subtle “I hope to eat the meals you cook in the future,” and the reference-based “The moonlight is beautiful tonight,” which you wouldn’t recognize unless you knew the allusion.

So, with his rich experience, he was certain that the line Ah Zhi had said was indeed a subtle confession of affection towards him.

However, it was a bit strange for engaged couples to play such games. But then again, Cheng Jinyang wasn’t bothered; after all, his Ah Zhi was just that pure-hearted girl.

Thus, he spent the whole afternoon in the underground hideout.

Cheng Jinyang:?

Why do I feel like I’m being kept here and taken care of?

“Um, Yuanzhi,” he cautiously asked, “what are we going to do next? Shouldn’t we head back?”

“Let’s stay a few more days,” Xing Yuanzhi said as she opened a vacuum-sealed bag of hollowed-out vegetables, squeezing the dehydrated greens into a bowl and adding hot water. She said gently, “Your body isn’t fully recovered yet, and going out like this is too risky. The greater demon might be out there looking for us.”

Cheng Jinyang was left speechless.

Although he wanted to question, “Is that greater demon really out there in Jiankang just waiting for me?” such a gentle Ah Zhi was rare, so he pondered for a moment before asking again, “Aren’t we going to inform the others?”

By “others,” he meant the other girls, whose genders were left out for now.

“I’ve already notified them,” Xing Yuanzhi replied, pulling over a high stool and rummaging through the cupboard for cans. “They all breathed a sigh of relief, saying, ‘Thank goodness, you’re safe.'”

“Did they ask where we are?” Cheng Jinyang asked once more.

“Nope,” Xing Yuanzhi smiled and answered.

“But from what I know, at least…”

“Really, they didn’t,” Xing Yuanzhi repeated with a smile.

Cheng Jinyang: ………..

Xing Yuanzhi busied herself making dinner, from instant rice to canned braised pork, finally preparing a decent meal: two dishes and a soup, steaming and presentable.

Then she came over, helped Cheng Jinyang to the dining table, and served him rice.

This feeling of being imprisoned and cared for was getting stronger and stronger.

Although Xing Yuanzhi was clearly downplaying things, Cheng Jinyang understood her intention.

Who would not choose to monopolize him a little longer rather than share him with the other girls once they went back? But just how long was this “a little longer”—he had to ask.

As he ate the rice, Xing Yuanzhi helped him with the greens and braised pork. Though they were dehydrated vegetables and canned food, they tasted surprisingly good once heated.

“It’s really delicious,” Cheng Jinyang remarked. “Ah Zhi’s cooking is truly excellent.”

“They’re just ready-made supplies; I just arranged them on the plate. What skill is there in that?” Xing Yuanzhi smiled slightly.

So you’re not blushing at my flirtatious remarks, Ah Zhi, you’ve really changed!

Cheng Jinyang thought to himself, feeling cautious. He then said, “By the way, I fought with the greater demon earlier, and I’m not sure if Princess Sister escaped safely…”

“Good people are protected by fate. It’ll be fine,” Xing Yuanzhi quickly cut him off. “Instead of worrying about someone with ten times your combat strength, why not focus on recovering your health? There are just as many people who care about you.”

Cheng Jinyang was momentarily speechless.

Ah Zhi’s last sentence instantly put her in the moral high ground, leaving him at a loss for words.

“This room is small, and it seems like there’s only one bed,” he said, pretending to lament. “Although I’m the patient, the floor is too dirty. It doesn’t seem suitable for anyone to sleep on the floor. How about I just make do on the floor tonight and we head back tomorrow?”

“It’s alright, we can sleep together,” Xing Yuanzhi said with a smile. “After all, we’re engaged, so it’s only a matter of time before we share a bed.”

Cheng Jinyang: ?

“But…” he asked incredulously, “Aren’t you worried about me being dirty?”

“Didn’t you say before?” Xing Yuanzhi widened her eyes, her expression growing even more innocent and charming. “After we had dinner last time and walked back to the clan, you promised that you would be with me for the rest of your life.”

“Since we’ve decided to be together, why should I be concerned about a little obsession with cleanliness? As long as I can stay by your side, I’d cross mountains of corpses and seas of blood for you. Let’s not dwell on minor issues like this.”

Cheng Jinyang fell silent, his heart equally speechless.

Damn, every word she said was reasonable; I can’t argue with her at all!

“That’s not what I meant,” Cheng Jinyang said after racking his brain for a while after dinner. “It’s just that this place is too boring, and honestly, I can’t stand it…”

“Even if you’re with me, you can’t stand it?” Xing Yuanzhi cleaned up the table, tossing the disposable tableware into the garbage disposal, and said with a smile, “Am I so unappealing to you?”

“That’s not it,” Cheng Jinyang quickly defended. “Although you’re as beautiful as a feast for the eyes, no one can eat all day long. We need some entertainment, don’t we?”

“Well then…” Xing Yuanzhi took out a game box from the cupboard. “How about a board game?”

Cheng Jinyang: ?

What kind of hideout is this that has everything!

Did Yang Wangshu design it?

Moving the table to the side of the bed, Xing Yuanzhi opened the game box, laid out the map, set up the pieces, and began reading the rulebook while introducing the game. “This game is called ‘The Perfect Match.’ Simply put, you aim to win in a romance-themed game.”

“Black pieces are for gentlemen, and white pieces are for ladies. Each player takes turns rolling the dice and moving their pieces according to the number rolled, landing on different spaces on the board and encountering random events.”

“Additionally, there are two values in the game: Affection and Corruption. These values increase or decrease based on the random events drawn by both players.”

“If one player’s Affection reaches 100, it means they cannot help but confess their feelings to the other, leading to their victory. Similarly, if a player’s Corruption reaches 100, it means they can’t stand the other’s flaws and kills them, resulting in a mutual defeat.”

Cheng Jinyang: …………

The game, well, it’s kind of strange. I don’t know what kind of brain circuits the designer has.

“So, the goal is to manage your own Affection while increasing the other’s Affection, but you need to keep both players’ Corruption levels in check, right?” he pondered seriously.

“Yes,” Xing Yuanzhi nodded with a smile. “But the rulebook says that choices that increase your Affection usually also increase the other’s Affection. Conversely, choices that lower your Affection are more likely to increase the other’s Corruption.”

“So it’s not just about choosing to suppress, but rather making decisions based on the specific situation.”

“I see,” Cheng Jinyang nodded.

The two then began playing the board game.

After playing for about three or four hours, sometimes Cheng Jinyang won, sometimes Xing Yuanzhi confessed first, but they both carefully managed their Corruption levels.

After several rounds, they never encountered the mutual defeat scenario.

“Let’s stop here for today,” Xing Yuanzhi said, stretching and standing up. “You go ahead and sleep first. I’ll change my clothes and come back.”

“Oh,” Cheng Jinyang said, lying down on the bed and getting under the covers.

Wait a minute, how did I end up playing a game with Ah Zhi all night?

What was I supposed to do?

Right, I was going to ask her how long she plans to stay here.

“Yuanzhi,” he said, half sitting up, just as Xing Yuanzhi walked out of the bathroom in her pajamas.

She still had a gentle smile on her face, but there was something indescribable in it—a smile that seemed to signal a firm decision, no longer wavering.