Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Shen Ju, though seated beside Pei Yan, was so engrossed in 996’s words that he failed to notice.

Guan Mulin didn’t notice either.

He parted his lips, barely maintaining his composure.

Seduce?

Seduce whom?

Pei Haochuan, too, remained oblivious.

He was still lost in thought, head bowed…

Han Chengfeng and Ke Cheng, however, caught on. They watched Pei Yan place the broken, empty wine glass back on the coffee table. Instinctively, they wanted to inquire, but a glance at Pei Yan’s expression silenced them.

What on earth happened?

Why is the atmosphere so peculiar?!

They’d been here the entire time—what crucial plot point had they missed?!

996 continued its incessant chatter: "The seduction is genuine, but you need to target someone unyielding. Someone who won’t genuinely trouble the main characters, yet can still influence them enough to make them wary."

"But ultimately, host, you’ll undoubtedly ‘reap what you sow’ and ‘get burned.’"

"So, this candidate—"

The dark storm brewing in Pei Yan’s eyes was on the verge of breaking free.

For some inexplicable reason, Shen Ju also fell silent.

He instinctively echoed 996’s query: "So, this candidate…"

Guan Mulin, too, pondered: Who could it be?

"I’ve already chosen the perfect person for you!"

996 declared triumphantly, raising its voice: "Look at the person beside you!"

Beside me?

Shen Ju dazedly glanced over—

Then his eyes widened abruptly: "Guan… Guan Mulin?"

"But he’s my second brother!"

996: "…Why are you looking at Guan Mulin now?! He’s the main character’s love interest! How could you possibly ‘covet’ him?! What are you thinking, my dear host?!"

"Then it’s…"

Pei Yan had already poured himself another drink.

The tension in his brows and eyes suddenly dissipated.

He picked up a fresh glass and poured some whiskey.

Shen Ju finally registered what was happening, his voice stammering: "Pei… Pei… Brother Pei?!"

Pei Yan took a sip of his drink, raising an eyebrow.

As if savoring the taste.

On the other side, Pei Haochuan suddenly heard Guan Mulin gasp.

He pushed aside his own muddled thoughts and immediately turned to him: "What’s wrong?"

Guan Mulin opened his mouth.

He looked at Shen Ju, then at Pei Yan.

Then back at Shen Ju, then back at Pei Yan.

Wait—why does their family’s kid have to seduce Pei Haochuan’s uncle?!

Is that even right??!

But Guan Mulin was speechless, unsure how to articulate his thoughts.

Just then, Pei Haochuan repeated his question.

Guan Mulin turned back to Pei Haochuan.

Pei Haochuan looked utterly "innocent." What had he done? And why was Guan Mulin asking him what was wrong?!

Furious, Guan Mulin clenched his fist and punched Pei Haochuan in the thigh!

This whole family!

They’re all scoundrels!

Pei Haochuan: "............"

What did he do?!

Why the sudden assault?!

Xu Sisi isn’t even here!

She’s busy admiring male models, alright!

As for the "tussle" between the other two, Shen Ju remained oblivious. He barely registered 996’s sudden announcement that the mission energy bar had increased again.

He was still trying to process 996’s words.

It wanted him to seduce… seduce Pei Yan?

"Oh, right!"

996 noticed that immediately after offering this suggestion, the mission energy bar had inexplicably surged. What did that signify? It meant this suggestion was an auspicious omen! One that would bring good fortune!

Hehe, it seems knocking on the wooden fish in private actually works.

So this suggestion must be implemented!

"Host, consider this: is there anyone more suitable around you than Brother Pei?"

996 twirled its tiny ponytail as it enumerated: "Look, Pei Yan is not only Pei Haochuan’s uncle but also holds a higher seniority than Guan Mulin. Most importantly, you’ve already established a friendly rapport with Pei Yan. So, if you wish to alter the nature of your relationship, wouldn’t that be a plausible reason? Don’t you humans have sayings like ‘The one nearest the water gets the moon first’ and ‘A rabbit eats the grass near its own hole’? So, choosing Pei Yan is absolutely the perfect choice! Right?!"

Pei Yan lowered his gaze and took another sip of wine, concealing the faint glimmer in his eyes.

Shen Ju stammered: "But… Brother Pei…"

Pei Yan’s movements paused.

He looked down, his thumb tracing the rim of the glass.

"Will Brother Pei end up hating me?"

"Host, isn’t this something you already knew?"

"Yeah…"

Shen Ju let out a strained laugh but couldn’t help adding: "But Brother Pei, Brother Pei…"

"I don’t know how to se… seduce…"

"Hey! I do!"

996 puffed out its non-existent chest, brimming with confidence: "What’s so difficult about that? Just follow my lead, host!"

"See all this alcohol on the table? Pretend to drink a lot, then act drunk and fall into his arms to gauge Brother Pei’s reaction! Remember to feign drunkenness, or it’ll be difficult to complete the task! Oh, and remember to adopt an annoying demeanor when seducing—you mustn’t actually succeed! Also, ensure Guan Mulin and Pei Haochuan witness it so they both become disgusted—"

"Ultimately, because you fail to seduce Pei Yan and constantly humiliate yourself, find the opportune moment to lash out in anger in front of Pei Yan and expose Guan Mulin and Pei Haochuan’s relationship!"

Shen Ju uttered an "Ah."

"Anyway, just give it a try first!"

996 mused, based on its recent studies, that wealthy families are quite convoluted. Pei Yan and Pei Haochuan share the same father but different mothers, with a significant age gap between them. And since Pei Haochuan, as the male lead, is destined to inherit the family business, it’s highly probable that Pei Haochuan’s father and Pei Yan are adversaries. Causing trouble for the protagonist couple and giving Pei Yan this "leverage" would be a major "assist"!

It secretly glanced at Pei Yan again.

Hmm, so aloof when he’s quiet.

Probably not easily seduced!

996 offered Shen Ju a final pep talk: "Look at this aloof beauty beside you!"

"Host! You must pretend to be drunk and seduce this aloof beauty, making him disdain you!"

"Go for it, I have faith in you!"

Shen Ju: "............"

Pei Yan: "............"

Guan Mulin gritted his teeth, thinking this system truly knows how to stir up trouble.

Shen Ju was torn, but seeing the mission energy gauge already at 39%, he knew he had to see this role-playing mission through, come what may. There was no turning back—he couldn’t regret it now and had long been mentally prepared. But for some reason, his feelings were incredibly complex, so much so that even Shen Ju couldn’t quite decipher his current thoughts.

Heeding the system’s advice, he picked up the glass in front of him and began to drink.

He needed to get drunk first to test Brother Pei’s reaction.

That way, even if Brother Pei was disgusted, he could attribute it to being "drunk."

But he had to feign drunkenness.

Shen Ju thought this as he gulped it down.

Huh? This tastes rather good?

Shen Ju picked up the glass and examined it, wondering—is this truly alcohol?

Only then did he notice it was pink.

He couldn’t resist taking a few more sips, then a few more…

Guan Mulin watched with his mouth agape, thinking fruit wine shouldn’t get him drunk, right?

At least he wouldn’t let Pei Yan take advantage of the situation!

Their table had ordered a variety of drinks—whiskey, cocktails, fruit wine, and more. When the drinks were served, the fruit wine was intentionally placed in front of Shen Ju. That row of colorful drinks were all fruit wines with a very low alcohol content.

But no matter how low, it’s still enough to affect someone who’s never had alcohol before…

And Shen Ju had accidentally consumed a lot.

In the end, he even grabbed a large bottle and began drinking it like juice, continuing to chug.

Pei Yan didn’t even have time to stop him.

He was drinking far too quickly.

He knew Shen Ju wouldn’t feel good about this.

—Powerless.

These four words, he understood all too well.

No one would feel good being forced to complete a task with the sole purpose of making others dislike and reject them.

Moreover, Shen Ju had no idea that they could all hear his conversations with the system.

He also didn’t know that no matter how exaggerated his acting was, they would understand it wasn’t real and wouldn’t genuinely come to dislike or reject him.

But should he tell Shen Ju about this?

No, not yet.

This was his and the Guan family’s "advantage." There was no guarantee what would happen if it was revealed and they showed their hand.

The ability might even disappear.

And if Shen Ju had to continue completing tasks, he and the Guan family would no longer be able to monitor the situation in real-time.

Of course, the primary reason was that they still couldn’t trust that system called 996.

Pei Yan couldn’t determine which side the system would take when it came down to it.

Shen Ju’s side?

Or the side of the mission that must be completed?

Or would this system accept the current way the Guans were helping Shen Ju complete his tasks?

None of these were risks worth taking.

But…

Pei Yan didn't want Shen Ju to get hurt or upset.

Even though they all knew Shen Ju was merely acting out a persona, and even though Shen Ju's role-playing wouldn't genuinely disgust them, Shen Ju didn't know that—it was unfair to him.

Moreover, Pei Yan also detested the system’s constant pronouncements.

That tone of instigation and ill-advised suggestions—

*Click.*

Shen Ju set down his glass.

In a short span, his cheeks had flushed, and his eyes had become hazy, looking somewhat dazed.

996 hesitantly asked, "Host… you’re not actually drunk, are you?"

"No, no, how is that possible!"

996: "!!!"

He’s stuttering and repeating words! And in such a peculiar way!

But before 996 could say anything else—

Shen Ju turned to face Pei Yan.

He still remembered what 996 had said earlier—

He had to leap into Pei Yan's arms.

Leap into, or tackle?

Oh right, tackle.

His train of thought took a detour. Even though it would be easier to stay seated, at that moment, Shen Ju suddenly shot to his feet!

All eyes at the table were on Shen Ju.

Han Chengfeng blinked: "Shen Ju Ju, what’s wrong? Do you need to use the restroom?"

What’s with "Shen Ju Ju"!

It’s Shen Jiujiu!

Jiujiu!

Shen Ju frowned but disliked it when Han Chengfeng called him that.

Then who did he want calling him that?

Shen Ju looked at Pei Yan.

Oh right, he still had to tackle Pei Yan!

So the next second, Shen Ju staggered and launched himself toward Pei Yan—

But he overestimated his ability to control his body at that moment. Originally intending to tackle him, he ended up ramming his head straight into Pei Yan's chest!

You could practically hear the thud!

Ke Cheng and the others were stunned. What fresh madness was this?

Han Chengfeng even exchanged a glance with Ke Cheng. Had they lost their minds tonight? Had they not traveled through time?!

Why were things always so unpredictable?!

Pei Haochuan almost sloshed his drink on his lap, gawking at the spectacle.

Guan Mulin struggled to maintain a straight face, wondering if he should intervene or do something…

But the show wasn't over.

Shen Ju clutched his forehead and looked up, his head spinning but still remembering his task.

He blinked, staring at the button on Pei Yan's collar, and slurring, tried to turn on the charm: "Brother Pei… you can use my nickname, you know."

Oh right, he’d never told Brother Pei his nickname before.

It was what people close to him called him.

This was seductive, wasn't it?

Pei Yan didn't look at the others.

That collision had knocked all his previous thoughts clean out of his head.

Although this "throwing himself into his arms" was a little unorthodox, how could it not count as throwing himself into his arms?

Pei Yan's Adam's apple bobbed. He lowered his head, reached out, lifted Shen Ju's chin, and made him look directly into his eyes.

He asked in a low voice, "What's your nickname?"

Shen Ju pouted at him:

"Jiu… Jiujiu ah."

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Author's note: Darlings, Aunt Flo is visiting, so these past couple of days have been a bit short [sobbing].

Should be back to normal tomorrow! [prays]