Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 112

If it were a child version of Li Ting, she should be able to handle her, right…?

Favorability: 0

This icy number was like a poison-tipped icicle, whistling through the air with a sharp shriek before plunging deep into Si Xiaoxiao’s heart.

Her pupils constricted and her breath hitched in an instant. The entire world seemed to lose all sound and color, leaving only that cruel “0” magnifying infinitely before her eyes, mocking all her confidence and expectations.

Favorability is zero?

In other words… Li Ting doesn’t like her at all?

The impact of this realization was far more violent than any previous quarrel or any hurtful word. A quarrel, at the very least, implied caring—it meant emotions were still fluctuating because of the other person. But what did “0” represent? It represented indifference, apathy; it meant that in Li Ting’s heart, Si Xiaoxiao might not even be able to stir a single ripple.

How could this be?

How could it be like this…

A massive, tsunami-like wave of sadness swallowed her instantly, and a powerless chill spread through her limbs.

She could even feel her fingertips tingling with numbness—a sense of despair from being totally rejected choked her throat. Could it be that all the previous intimacy, all the hugs, all the tears… even that kiss on the Ferris wheel, were all fake?

Was it all just her wishful thinking, or perhaps a more sophisticated “performance” by Li Ting that she couldn’t comprehend?

However, this crushing sorrow lasted for only a fleeting moment.

Si Xiaoxiao shook her head violently, as if trying to shake off this absurd conclusion. A stronger conviction, born of pure instinct, sprouted from her heart and quickly dispelled the momentary chill.

No! It can’t be zero!

She could feel it! She could definitely feel it!

The strength in Li Ting’s arms when she hugged her, the slight tremor in her fingertips as they brushed against her skin, the vulnerability when she buried her face in Si Xiaoxiao’s neck to cry, and those eyes that were always filled with complex emotions but would inadvertently reveal tenderness and possessiveness when looking at her… were these details all just her delusions?

No! She believed in Li Ting.

It was quite interesting… human emotions are truly complex. When they were arguing, her heart was filled with uncertain hesitation, yet now, when someone actually told her that Li Ting didn’t like her at all, she was incomparably firm in the answer she had previously doubted.

She liked her.

Si Xiaoxiao was deeply convinced of this.

This belief was like a boulder, firmly rooted in her heart, not something a cold system number could shake.

“No, it can’t be zero,” Si Xiaoxiao answered the system decisively, her voice carrying an unquestionable firmness and even a hint of offended anger. “There’s something wrong with your machine.”

She firmly believed it… after all, Li Ting was… her lover!

[No, there is nothing wrong with my machine.]

The system’s electronic voice remained steady, yet it carried a sort of all-knowing, irritating certainty: [Because the one you need to win over… is the amnesiac Li Ting.]

The amnesiac… Li Ting??

Si Xiaoxiao’s brain went blank, as if a pause button had been pressed. All her thoughts came to a standstill; the surging emotions and firm rebuttals from a moment ago were stuck in mid-air.

She even wondered if she was hallucinating due to the shock.

Win over… an amnesiac Li Ting?

What kind of ridiculous development was this?!

[This is the ‘fairness’ provided by the system.]

The system’s voice seemed to take on a trace of malicious, human-like amusement: [Weren’t you brooding over what happened during your own period of amnesia, Host? Didn’t you feel like you lost out big time because you called her ‘Sister’ so many times for nothing? The system will grant you assistance, allowing you to experience the feeling of having ‘Li Ting’ know nothing about you, requiring you to ‘win her over’ from scratch… How about it? Isn’t that ‘thoughtful’?]

This system really is… full of wicked humor…

Si Xiaoxiao’s mouth twitched; for a moment, she didn’t even know how to react.

This “balance correction” from the system was truly unique and devious, taking her previous grievances and paying them back in an even more frustrating way!

She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. After being raised by Li Ting for a few days, she had learned a bit of the other woman’s grace.

Now was not the time to complain about the system. The priority was to figure out the current situation, especially…

“Then where is Li Ting now?” Si Xiaoxiao asked the most critical question.

Where was this “amnesiac Li Ting”? The system wouldn’t have replicated her previous experience of turning into a child and turned Li Ting into a child too, would it?

If it were a child version of Li Ting, she should be able to handle her…

[Which Li Ting are you asking about?]

The system’s counter-question came drifting in lightly, but it was like a heavy bomb exploding in Si Xiaoxiao’s mind once again.

Which? Li Ting?!

Were there multiple Li Tings?!

Si Xiaoxiao felt like she was about to be broken by this system. The pieces of information were coming one after another; it was simply overwhelming! Her head was going to explode!!

[There is one Li Ting in your pocket, and another Li Ting… in your room.] The system seemed to explain in a good-tempered manner, its tone as casual as if it were commenting on the weather.

Huh? Wha—?!

Si Xiaoxiao instantly bristled and scanned her surroundings. She looked around but found no trace of anyone else in this vast, palace-like, magnificent room. The entire room was empty; although it was grand, it felt very cold and lonely.

So, Si Xiaoxiao decided to check her pockets first. After a thorough search, she pulled out a cell phone…

Wait, a phone?

Si Xiaoxiao looked around again, carefully taking in the decorations of this palace. It didn’t look modern at all! How could a phone exist in a place like this?

Furthermore, this phone looked familiar… it was the one she had taken from Li Ting right before their fight!

She pressed the power button, and the startup icon appeared. When it finished loading, however, it didn’t show a standard home screen. Instead, Li Ting’s anxious and concerned face popped up. Her brow was furrowed, and her eyes were filled with obvious worry.

“Xiaoxiao? Where are you? Is everything okay over there? Are you hurt?” Li Ting’s voice came through the speaker, urgent and clear.

Looking at Li Ting’s face on the screen and remembering that heart-wrenching argument before entering the instance—and the sight of Li Ting’s fragile, weeping form at the end—a complex mix of emotions swept through Xiaoxiao. She felt awkward and a bit restless.

But now was clearly not the time for emotional baggage. The priority was figuring out the rules of this bizarre script and finding a way to clear it.

“I seem to be in a magnificent room that looks like a palace,” she answered honestly. “Where are you?”

“I seem to be locked in a pure white space by the system. There’s only one screen here, and it shows your perspective.” Li Ting looked around; she was holding her composure well, giving a simple description of her current state.

A white space and a screen?

Xiaoxiao’s mind raced. The system really doesn’t know how to change its routine, does it! This was just like the Tentacle Instance, except this time, the “useless wife” was Li Ting.

“Can you see everything I do from there?” Xiaoxiao asked tentatively.

On the screen, Li Ting shook her head and replied honestly, “The screen was playing something else before. Your video call just suddenly popped up.”

It seemed the system had a bit of creativity this time—it wasn’t a constant broadcast. It appeared Li Ting could only see her when the phone was powered on. However, Li Ting might also be lying because she felt like she was intruding on her privacy.

Testing her, Xiaoxiao asked, “What were you watching before my video came through?”

Li Ting fell silent for a moment before whispering three words: “Cartoons.”

“Huh??” Xiaoxiao couldn’t hold it back anymore; she laughed incredibly hard. She purposefully dragged out her tone and asked mischievously, “What was the target age for these cartoons?”

“Three years old,” Li Ting replied helplessly. It was clear she was truly at her wit’s end.

This was practically a prison sentence! Xiaoxiao burst into laughter just imagining Li Ting’s wooden face being forced to watch “Baby Bus” to pass the time.

Despite being mocked, a very faint arc tugged at the corner of Li Ting’s lips, likely influenced by Xiaoxiao’s energy. She let Xiaoxiao laugh for a while before reminding her, “I suspect there’s a time limit on this call. If you have something to discuss, do it quickly.”

Hearing this, Xiaoxiao immediately checked the battery. It was almost dead! Panicking, she dumped all the information she had gathered from the system about this world onto Li Ting. After all, Li Ting was her “external brain”; having her analyze things was always the right move.

“Two of me? And the favorability needs to reach 100?” Li Ting frowned slightly upon hearing this. She pondered for a moment, a flash of realization crossing her eyes. She then looked through the screen directly at Xiaoxiao, her voice calm with an understanding of the rules: “Following the system’s pattern, if you’re looking for the other ‘me,’ I suggest you look… on the bed.”

On the bed!!!

As expected of Li Ting; that was indeed the most likely place!! Xiaoxiao reacted instantly. She dashed toward the large, carved wooden bed hidden behind heavy layers of gauze curtains.

She reached out and whipped them aside—the ethereal, dreamlike curtains were flung open—

What met her eyes first was a patch of skin as white as frost and smooth as silk—the curve of a back—followed by a long, straight, jade-like leg…

“Close your eyes! Don’t look!” Li Ting’s voice, a mix of shame and annoyance, suddenly erupted from the phone in a commanding tone that brooked no argument.

Xiaoxiao reflexively shut her eyes. But then, she quickly realized—why did she have to close her eyes? What was there to fear from a “useless wife” trapped inside a phone!

She snapped her eyes open. And in that very instant, everything changed!

On the bed, the figure that had been facing away from her suddenly sprang up like a leopard! A cold silver light flashed out like a bolt of lightning cutting through the dark of night. Accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, it shot straight toward her face!

It was a short blade, thin as a cicada’s wing, its edge gleaming with a murderous chill!

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