The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 4

Shi Nuocen wiped her face and asked, word by word, “What do you mean by ‘Falling in Love with Ru Xi Cheng’?”

At first, she thought her best friend might know something, but then she reconsidered; impossible. Aside from the Shi family, almost no one knew about the marriage.

Sure enough, the next moment, her best friend cheerfully explained, “It’s the name of the game! This is a super popular dating sim right now, but instead of original characters, you get to romance real-life celebrities from the entertainment industry. I heard the stars themselves provided the exclusive data, which is top-secret even the game developers don’t know it. The available celebrities include the leader of a popular girl group, a handsome period drama actor, a queen of love songs, and more.”

Her best friend went on and on, finally covering her cheeks and sighing, “Among them, the top actress Ru Xi Cheng is the hardest to win over, and the reward for completing her route is the highest! Since the game launched three months ago, it’s almost been 100 days. Other celebrities have been successfully romanced by players one after another, and online guides are everywhere. But Ru Xi Cheng? Everyone’s failed. To boost motivation, the game developers kept raising the reward for her route. It started at 20,000 yuan.”

But Shi Nuocen caught a key phrase: “100 days?”

“Yep,” her best friend Xiao Linrui nodded, then slapped her forehead. “Oh, I forgot to mention you have to complete it within 100 days to get the reward! Let me check how many days are left; there’s a countdown in the game!”

As she opened the game screen, Ru Xi Cheng, with her stunning beauty, appeared in a strapless mermaid dress, speaking in a lazy, husky voice, “True love is rare, a soulmate hard to find. Will you be the one for me?”

In the lower right corner of the screen, the text clearly read: [Countdown: 0 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 20 seconds]

“Only a little over an hour left!” Xiao Linrui exclaimed in shock.

“To be precise, it’s now 1 hour, 3 minutes, and 14 seconds!” Shi Nuocen felt a vein throbbing at her temple. She gritted her teeth and asked, “How long does it take to complete this game at the fastest?”

“If you have incredible luck and succeed in every round on the first try, it takes about half an hour.”

“So, at most, there are only two chances left!” Shi Nuocen quickly analyzed in her head.

Just then, a notification suddenly popped up on the game screen!

[Great news! Final hour! Reward increased! 1,000,000!!!]

There was more text, but Shi Nuocen felt it was wasting her time to earn the reward, so she quickly closed it!

Xiao Linrui blinked, wanting to read more, but not wanting to disturb her best friend’s gameplay, she logged into Weibo instead. Someone was bound to have reposted it.

But as she was about to search for keywords, the trending topics on the hot search list startled her!

The top three spots were all dominated by Ru Xi Cheng and her dating sim game!

#Ru Xi Cheng Live#, #Ru Xi Cheng Personally Guides Strategy#, #Falling in Love with Ru Xi Cheng Reward 1,000,000#

In the topic section, one post emerged within two minutes, swiftly claiming the top three spots before charging unstoppably to number one!

[Final hour! Who will get to know and fall in love with Ru Xi Cheng in the game? Stay tuned! Watch this space!]

This clearly demonstrates the game’s immense popularity! As well as Ru Xi Cheng’s nationwide influence! Even many foreigners are actively responding!

Xiao Linrui thought to herself: Actress Ru is going to livestream and personally guide players. Maybe she’ll reveal some of the classified data recorded back then. I definitely have to listen in on that. But since the game developers have raised the prize money to 1 million, they definitely won’t make it easy for players to win. So, what Actress Ru reveals might not be that important? Still, I should watch the livestream regardless. Even if it’s just to admire her stunning beauty!

Shi Nuocen officially started the game. After a pleasant piano melody, Ru Xi Cheng on the screen changed into a warm-colored long dress, glancing back at you with a gentle smile. A soft breeze brushed through her fine hair, evoking nostalgic thoughts of a first love deep within. The system promptly popped up a message.

[Dear player, please choose your role identity and enter your nickname and gender.]

[A. Secret Admirer, B. Die-hard Fan, C. Kind-hearted Bystander, D. Someone with a Grudge, E. Rival, F. Custom Input]

Without hesitation, Shi Nuocen selected F and entered “Ex-wife” as the identity, “Cen” as the nickname, and “Female Alpha” as the gender.

While the game played through the background storyline, she took a moment to glance at her best friend and raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing? Why did you bring another laptop?”

“Nothing much, just thought I might be able to help you out,” Xiao Linrui replied with a smile.

Shi Nuocen’s gaming laptop was placed on the dining table, so Xiao Linrui had to set up her other laptop on the bar counter. When she turned on the camera, it perfectly captured Shi Nuocen’s computer screen.

The background storyline continued to unfold, all revolving around Ru Xi Cheng’s return to the Ru family after becoming famous through a single drama. There was no mention of her past experiences, and the scenes couldn’t be skipped. Shi Nuocen watched bored until her eyes caught the game’s title, and she immediately complained, “Who came up with this game title? ‘Falling in Love with Ru Xi Cheng’ doesn’t make any sense. It should be called ‘Wooing Ru Xi Cheng’ or ‘Being Loved by Ru Xi Cheng,’ right?”

Xiao Linrui overheard and called out, “People online have already discussed this! Some netizens analyzed that, on one hand, it might be because the game showcases a different side of Actress Ru, and through the game, everyone will understand and love her even more! On the other hand, since it’s a romance game, naming it ‘Wooing xxx’ might be too straightforward? Ah, I forgot the exact reasoning, but that’s the general idea!”

“But ‘Falling in Love with xxx’ isn’t much better either,” Shi Nuocen muttered under her breath.

The starting point of the game’s plot was set in the Ru family’s massive villa, which covered an area of 3,000 square meters!

[Narration: Dear Cen, as an ordinary person, you were invited by the ‘Up Close with Celebrities’ program crew. In the lottery draw, you were fortunate enough to pick Ru Xi Cheng. Now, you are about to move into the home of a top-tier actress. Please choose the room you will stay in.]

Shi Nuocen raised an eyebrow and immediately clicked on Ru Xi Cheng’s room.

[System: Sorry, this room is the master bedroom and cannot be selected.]

As expected, it wasn’t an option. Thinking “the early bird catches the worm,” Shi Nuocen chose the room right next door.

Immediately after, another background animation played, the perspective shifting into the selected room, where, surprisingly, there was an exquisite child’s bed adorned with colorful stars. Before Shi Nuocen could express her astonishment, the scene transitioned to a wardrobe, its door slightly ajar.

[Narration: After briefly scanning the bedroom, you notice a half-open wardrobe, from which faint rustling sounds can be heard. You decide to—]

[A. Ignore it, as it’s none of your concern. B. Feel curious and open it to take a look. C. Go find Ru Xi Cheng. D. Suspect it’s a mouse and search for a mousetrap.]

If aiming for a strategic approach, choosing C would be more appropriate, but Shi Nuocen, following her own instincts, directly clicked on B.

Thus, the story animation displayed the outcome for option B.

When the wardrobe was pushed open, inside was a small, huddled girl with her head buried in her knees. She appeared thin and frail, with a sharp chin, looking excessively pale and somewhat malnourished. The girl seemed particularly timid; upon hearing the noise, she lifted her head and glanced timidly before shrinking back like a frightened rabbit, quickly retreating deeper into the darkness of the wardrobe.

[Narration: Though only for a moment, you clearly saw the fear and apprehension in the child’s large eyes. You decide to—]

[A. Attempt to talk to the little girl. B. Continue with your own business. C. Forcefully pull her out of the wardrobe. D. Feel uncomfortable and ask Ru Xi Cheng to change rooms.]

Truthfully, Shi Nuocen wasn’t particularly fond of children, but this one couldn’t help but stir a sense of pity in her. Moreover, she had already deduced the girl’s identity: living in the Ru family and adjacent to Ru Xi Cheng’s room, she must be Ru Xi Cheng’s three-year-old niece.

But a new question arose: given the Ru family’s status and wealth, the child shouldn’t be so frail and seemingly autistic, should she?

Could it be due to a lack of parental pheromones? The Ru family was in business, frequently traveling worldwide, and the couple spent little time together, making it entirely possible that they had neglected the child’s well-being.

Speaking of which, in this ABO Yuri novel she had transmigrated into, aside from the primary male and female genders, everyone further differentiated into secondary characteristics—Alpha, Beta, or Omega—between the ages of 9 and 15. Alphas were exceptionally strong in all aspects, comprising only 5% of the global population. Omegas were typically delicate, beautiful, and highly fertile, making up about 10% of the population. The remaining 85% were Betas, with relatively average attributes.

All three types possessed glands and pheromones, though Alphas and Omegas had externally visible glands and powerful pheromones, making them more mutually attractive. After adulthood, they experienced a few days of heat each month, requiring suppression or marking. Betas had no heat periods, and when their pheromones fluctuated intensely, it was akin to a faint body scent, causing no agitation.

Regardless of their secondary characteristics, when two individuals had a child, the child required pheromones from both parents during early childhood to grow healthily.

So, the little girl on the screen might indeed be suffering from a deficiency of parental pheromones.

Shi Nuocen’s thoughts returned to the options. If the girl also had autistic tendencies, then A was likely not feasible. After just one encounter, the child was already terrified. Choosing D would probably cause Ru Xi Cheng’s favorability to plummet drastically. Between B and C, was there even any need to hesitate?

Without hesitation, she chose B!

[Narrator: After some thought, you decide to attend to your own matters first—]

[A. The child’s bed is too small to sleep in, find a blanket and spread it on the floor / B. Thinking that you’re only separated from Ru Xi Cheng by a single wall, you feel compelled to sing a song driven by your emotions / C. Stand by the windowsill and gaze at the beautiful garden view / D. Leave the room and go outside to have some fun]

Shi Nuocen felt that all four options were acceptable, so she decided to go with the longest one among the three short and one long choices, and once again selected B!

[Narrator: Your thoughts are racing as you slowly recall your marriage, and for a moment, your emotions are too complex to define. Unable to hold back, you start humming a tune. Which song will you sing? (Note: The player must actually sing here—no going off-key!)]

[A. “Carefree Journey” / B. “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” / C. “Love Transfer” / D. “Qi Li Xiang”]

Shi Nuocen: “…”

Heh heh heh, she felt like this game was totally messing with her. She could handle anything except for being tone-deaf!

If she were to choose based solely on the song titles, she’d prefer A, but unfortunately, she couldn’t sing it. The only song among the four that she could sing without going off-key was B!

So, B! B! B!