Girl, There's Something Wrong With You - Chapter 11

Leaving the shop, Miss Wang changed back into her usual attire: a shirt, trousers, and canvas shoes, leaving Cheng Jinyang utterly disheartened.

“Wanrou,” he murmured weakly, “when will I ever see you again, my dear Wanrou…”

“Shut up! Stop spouting nonsense all day!” Wang Wanrou snapped irritably.

She knew very well that Cheng Jinyang adored her previous outfit, which was why he deliberately called her “Wang Wanrou.” Now that she’d changed back, he looked as miserable as if he’d lost a loved one.

However, Wang Wanrou had always lived by her own principles—she had never dressed to please others. Just because he liked it didn’t mean she had to wear it. What kind of logic was that? If he wanted to see her in that look again, he could dream on.

As these thoughts ran through her mind, she suddenly barked out, “Hand it over!”

Cheng Jinyang hurriedly tucked the item in his hands out of sight, grinning as he said,
“What? Wanrou, are you talking about…?”

“Your phone!” Wang Wanrou said coldly. “You took pictures of me earlier, didn’t you?”

“Huh?” Realizing he’d been found out, and seeing no way to deny it, Cheng Jinyang laughed sheepishly. “I was taking pictures of my Wanrou. What’s it to you, Miss Wang?”

“Childish.” Wang Wanrou stepped forward to grab his phone, but Cheng Jinyang raised it high above his head.

She tried to reach it but couldn’t, so she stopped wasting her energy and just glared at him coldly.

If she really wanted to snatch it, she’d have to throw herself onto him and stretch up as far as she could. She didn’t mind giving him a little benefit in theory, but being treated like a child by his teasing demeanor? That was absolutely unacceptable.

“Sigh, fine.” Seeing that she wasn’t falling for his trick, Cheng Jinyang reluctantly handed over the phone. “Here, look, I’ve deleted them.”

Right in front of Wang Wanrou, he deleted the photos. She responded with a cold laugh.
“You’ve backed them up, haven’t you?”

“Wanrou, don’t accuse me without evidence!” Cheng Jinyang exclaimed in mock indignation.

“If you didn’t back them up, how could you delete them so decisively?” Wang Wanrou narrowed her eyes. “Was it because the photos weren’t good enough to make you hesitate?”

“Not at all,” Cheng Jinyang quickly flattered. “With you here in person, I can take as many photos as I want in the future. What’s there to regret deleting a few? You’re a thousand times more beautiful in real life than in any photo!”

Wang Wanrou was briefly at a loss for words. After a moment, she managed to say, “What you said… actually makes some sense. How could the crude optics of a mere camera capture even a tenth of my beauty?”

“Of course, it couldn’t,” Cheng Jinyang agreed, seizing the opportunity.

“Hmm, you have a point.” Wang Wanrou decided to let it slide.

The two reached the upper levels of the residential zone and began searching for Old Lady Luo’s address amidst the makeshift buildings.

This area had once been used for storing excavated soil during the underground expansion project. For unknown reasons, the project was abandoned, and it had turned into a natural slum. Everywhere they looked were haphazardly built structures, evoking a sense of chaos that reminded Cheng Jinyang of his days in Jingkou.

But Jingkou, with its low population density, had at least some semblance of order in its early stages, despite the lack of professional urban planning. Here in the underground, however, every inch of space was utilized to the extreme. Many of the narrow alleyways twisted and overlapped, some barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through sideways.

Miss Wang, of course, refused to tread such paths. Cheng Jinyang had no choice but to pick her up, manipulating gravity to let them hover through the air as they searched.

Down below, the impoverished residents—some hurrying about, others idly sitting outside—noticed the pair flying overhead and began gathering to watch the spectacle.

“Scram!” Wang Wanrou said blandly.

The onlookers quickly scattered.

“How strange. What kind of trick was that?” Cheng Jinyang marveled. “Wanrou, what new algorithms did you learn after reaching Fifth Grade? I don’t think you’ve told me before. I thought Mind Imprint only works if the target verbally agrees to it?”

“Just a minor trick,” Wang Wanrou said casually. Her mood was fairly good at the moment, so she decided to explain. “At lower levels, the target must verbally agree for it to work. But at higher levels, as long as the target has the thought in their mind, I can amplify and magnify it using my ability. It’s no longer constrained to verbal consent.”

“That powerful?” Cheng Jinyang asked, only half-understanding but clearly impressed. “So even if I don’t say a word, I can’t block the effects of your Mind Imprint?”

“The human brain is constantly filled with countless thoughts,” Wang Wanrou explained patiently, knowing he hadn’t fully grasped it. “For example, if I ask you if you want to eat, and you agree, the thought of ‘going to eat’ is strong enough for my ability to take effect.”

“Even if you don’t answer, your brain will still be thinking, ‘Should I go eat?’ or ‘Should I not eat?’ Then your brain will evaluate, like, ‘I’m not hungry right now,’ or ‘I don’t like this food.’ These mental activities reinforce corresponding thoughts and ultimately lead to a decision.”

“The Mind Imprint ability can directly amplify the thought of ‘wanting to eat.’ Of course, you’ll still think about it yourself, and the result of your deliberation might contradict the Imprint’s effect. In essence, it’s a contest between your willpower and my computational ability. The winner determines your final decision—though most people don’t have enough willpower to resist the Mind Imprint.”

“I see,” Cheng Jinyang mused. “I’ve heard a theory before that says human thought is largely determined by their DNA.”

“DNA?” Wang Wanrou hadn’t heard the term before but deduced its meaning. “You’re talking about hereditary material, right? It’s true that instinct influences the outcome of thought. Human thinking is like a balance, with instinct on one side and reason on the other. For the foolish, their reason barely weighs anything, but for the intelligent, their reason can outweigh their instincts.”

“And Mind Imprint is basically like cheating by pressing down on the scale with your hand,” Cheng Jinyang said, suddenly enlightened.

Even without Wang Wanrou’s explanation, he had long suspected that at higher levels, the Mind Imprint didn’t care whether someone verbally agreed or not. Take Wang Chuzhong, for example, when he used the “Psychic Amplifier” to control the Longxiang Army. He certainly hadn’t required each soldier to swear allegiance to him.

“So why aren’t you scared of me anymore?” Wang Wanrou asked, giving him a sidelong glance. “I recall a certain someone being terrified back then, so much so that they spoke to me with extreme caution, afraid of falling into my verbal traps and being manipulated by my Imprint.”

“Wanrou, my reason tells me I should fear your unparalleled intellect, but my instincts tell me you’re a girl worth trusting without reservation,” Cheng Jinyang said with feigned sincerity.

“Before you say that, move your hand,” Wang Wanrou said coldly as she grabbed the hand he had placed on her rear and flung it away with force.

“Oh, come on! After all these years, what’s there to be reserved about?” Cheng Jinyang said, quickly changing the topic as he looked down below. “Wanrou, this address for Old Lady Luo doesn’t have any house numbers or signs. Searching like this is like finding a needle in a haystack. How about I grab someone and ask them?”