The Ex-Wife of the Scumbag A Who Abandoned the Female Lead - Chapter 5

[Narrator: Please face the microphone and begin your song!]

Shi Nuocen cleared her throat, doing her best to mentally prepare herself. It was just singing a song, right? For a million, she’d go all out!

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star…”

She forced herself to endure the awkwardness as she sang, her fingers tapping rhythmically against her thigh to keep from going off-key. Honestly, she would’ve preferred clapping and stomping her feet, but she was an adult after all she couldn’t act like a kindergarten kid.

After she managed to finish the song, the cabinet in the game’s cutscene actually opened on its own. A thin, frail little girl timidly poked out her fluffy head and asked in a soft, gentle voice, “Big sister, do you like this song too?”

[System: Little Girl’s Favorability +5, Ru Xi Cheng’s Favorability +10!]

Huh? Favorability increased! That was an unexpected delight! Though it felt a bit inexplicable, it was still a good thing!

[Narrator: After you finish singing, you seem to hear a faint sound. Turning around, you notice that the door to the room wasn’t closed when you entered, and Ru Xi Cheng is standing at the doorway, smiling at you. You will—]

[A. Talk about the past, B. Discuss the child, C. Just smile without speaking, D. Coldly ignore]

Shi Nuocen stared at the four options, momentarily lost in indecision.

Xiao Linrui gave her a puzzled look, thinking, why is she singing? In the thirty rounds I’ve played, was there ever a singing option? Probably not. So, Nuocen must have triggered some hidden storyline!

Just as she was about to lean in for a closer look, Ru Xi Cheng’s livestream began!

The moment that naturally enchanting face appeared on screen, Xiao Linrui forgot everything. Her mind was instantly filled with: Wow! The goddess is so beautiful! The goddess loves me! Cuddle with the goddess! Mwah, mwah, mwah~

The host at the livestream chuckled and said, “Xi Cheng, have you seen today’s hot searches? The game is really tough. Any tips you can share?”

The comments section was flooded with: [Great job, host! Straight to the point! Quick and decisive! Love it!]

Ru Xi Cheng smiled gently, her eyelashes fluttering slightly, the delicate curve seeming to tug at everyone’s heartstrings. She replied softly, “Actually, it’s not that hard. After all, there is a trick to clear it quickly.”

“Oh?” the host asked eagerly, “What is it?”

At that moment, every viewer perked up their ears. Even the comments section fell silent for a full three seconds.

But the ever-graceful Actress Ru pressed a delicate, pale finger to her pink lips, winked playfully, and said, “I can’t reveal that. At the game developer’s request, I can only give hints based on the current progress of three viewers. You understand, right?”

As soon as she finished, the screen was instantly flooded with countless variations of the word “Understand!”

“Three viewers? You mean three lucky viewers, right?” the host quickly caught on.

“That’s right.”

Almost immediately, the comments section exploded with countless “Me, me, me!” and “111!”

The host laughed and said, “Both Xi Cheng and I can feel your enthusiasm! But since there are only three lucky viewers, to keep it fair, everyone who has commented will have a chance to be randomly selected! Are you ready?!”

“Hurry up! Countdown in three seconds!”

“3—!”

“2—!”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Linrui quickly struck a pose, unleashing the hand speed she had honed over 22 years of singlehood as she frantically copied and pasted comments in a seamless frenzy!

“Please! I have to be chosen!”

She chanted silently in her heart, praying to deities from the Eastern Jade Emperor all the way to the Western Buddha!

“1—!”

“The list is out! Who will be the lucky ones?”

Xiao Linrui widened her eyes and scanned the names rapidly, muttering under her breath: “Not ‘Little Chubby,’ ‘Lalala Cutie,’ or ‘Xiaoxiao Evening Rain’! Ah! I got picked! The last one is me!!!”

The host exclaimed with infectious enthusiasm, “Congratulations! Now, please have the three lucky viewers simultaneously connect their game screens to our livestream so everyone can see. Xi Cheng will personally guide you through the strategies!”

While Xiao Linrui was adjusting her screen to display her best friend’s game interface, the comment section buzzed with lively discussions about what Ru Xi Cheng’s shortcut to quickly clear the game might be.

[If it’s about clearing the game fast, could it be the very first checkpoint after the game starts?]

[No way, the first checkpoint is choosing a room. You can’t pick Ru’s bedroom, I’ve tried. You can’t even choose the adjacent rooms because a little girl lives there. She only appears a few times in the game and doesn’t have much storyline.]

[Since no one can choose it, it probably isn’t that. Maybe it’s the second checkpoint?]

Amid the chatter, the livestream split into three frames, displaying the game progress of the lucky viewers except for Xiao Linrui.

The host quickly reminded her, “Xiaoxiao Evening Rain? Please share your game screen!”

Still fiddling with her camera, Xiao Linrui hurriedly turned on her microphone, her face flushing as she explained, “Actually, it’s not me. It’s my best friend!”

“Oh, I see. Please hurry, then.” After responding, the host turned back to the main camera. “Due to time constraints, let’s have Xi Cheng guide the two viewers who already have their game interfaces ready!”

The livestream promptly enlarged the first frame. The host took one look and gasped in amazement, “The first viewer’s progress. Wow, this is really impressive! They’ve already reached 56%! Wait, your chin. Are you Shangguan Chenxuan?!”

The comment section exploded instantly!

[Oh my gosh, Shangguan Chenxuan? The top heartthrob in historical dramas? A big celebrity actually plays this game?!]

[Hehe, I bet the host is a fan of Chenxuan. She recognized him just from his chin!]

[Am I the only one curious about why Chenxuan has that username?]

Seeing that he had been recognized, Shangguan Chenxuan confidently revealed his face and explained the origin of his username: “I’m using a friend’s account. This account has great luck. It’s cleared quite a few games before, so I wanted to see if I could succeed this time too.”

He then turned to Ru Xi Cheng, greeted her with a smile, and winked flirtatiously. “Xi Cheng, long time no see. Since we’ve acted together, how about giving me a little hint?”

Ru Xi Cheng smiled back outwardly, but inwardly she understood the underlying meaning in his words. He had confessed his feelings for her privately during their last collaboration. Calmly, she shook her head and replied, “I can’t give hints; we have to follow the game rules, no cheating. For the part where you’re stuck, you should think about the question of preferences. ”

After that, she spoke a few more words, her tone calm and composed, yet carrying a hint of implication. Essentially reiterating her refusal.

Shangguan Chenxuan, however, clearly wasn’t ready to give up. But since they were live on air, he couldn’t show too much resistance and could only respond with vague murmurs, his attitude somewhat perfunctory.

When it was the second audience member’s turn, this time it wasn’t a celebrity but a fan of Ru Xi Cheng. After Ru Xi Cheng offered some guidance, the host checked the fan’s game progress: “50%—that’s pretty good! According to the game company’s backend data, only 3% of players have reached 50% progress, and the highest progress so far is only 57%… Wait! Hold on! There’s one player whose data is skyrocketing, they’re already at 96%! Oh my god! Who is this incredible person?!”

【Wow! Out of nowhere! Will they break the record?!】

【To be precise, the record has already been shattered! And by a huge margin! The previous highest was 57%! Now we just have to see if they can clear the game!】

【So jealous I’m turning into a lemon!】

Everyone was stunned by the “96%” progress, so no one noticed the momentary daze on Ru Xi Cheng’s face. She sat in the live broadcast room, frozen like a silent statue.

Fortunately, the host quickly snapped out of the shock: “Even though something unexpected happened, we can’t forget our third lucky audience member, Xiaoxiao Muyu. Are you ready?”

“Ready! Ready!” Xiao Linrui answered brightly.

And so, through her camera and Ru Xi Cheng’s live stream, Shi Nuocen’s game screen was displayed for everyone to see. In the upper left corner of the screen, the game progress was clearly marked 96%!!!

【Oh my god! Am I seeing this right?! 96%?! Speak of the devil, and they appear! What a coincidence!】

【What a legend! Bowing in admiration! Screenshot for keepsake!】

After quickly expressing their amazement in the comments section, everyone widened their eyes and focused intently on Shi Nuocen’s game screen!

Shi Nuocen was propping her chin, watching the new round of storyline animations with boredom. In the game, she had already spent six days and six nights at the Ru residence. She had chatted with Ru Xi Cheng on the sofa, stood on the balcony outside the bedroom gazing at the starry sky, taken a dip together in the cool swimming pool, and strolled through shopping malls and bustling streets hand in hand.

【Narration: Dear Cen, your journey on the “Up Close with the Stars” program is coming to an end. You’ve had a wonderful time these past few days. As the moment of parting approaches, what gift will you choose to give Ru Xi Cheng?】

【A. A necklace, B. A kiss, C. A ring, D. A pair of high heels】

Without even glancing at the options, Shi Nuocen yawned and selected B!

In the game, under a sky painted with sunset hues, “Cen” stretched out her arms and embraced Ru Xi Cheng, who was dressed in a purple gown. Her slender, pale arms wrapped tightly around Ru Xi Cheng’s delicate waist, while Ru Xi Cheng’s fair, faintly pink fingertips clung tightly to “Cen’s” clothes, reluctant to let go. The two held each other close. One lowering her gaze, the other leaning in and sealed their deep affection with a passionate kiss.

A gentle breeze swept past, rustling their intertwined dresses, but it couldn’t dispel the tender, heartfelt emotions they shared.

A glistening tear trailed from the corner of Ru Xi Cheng’s eye. As “Cen” picked up her suitcase and waved goodbye, Ru Xi Cheng offered a gentle smile and whispered softly:

“I’ll wait for you.”

“I’ll always be here, waiting for you.”

…

Then the game screen slowly faded until it turned completely blank. Three seconds later, a massive “He” wobbled and bounced out, gradually enlarging until it filled the entire screen!

The live stream’s comment section had fallen into dead silence, and only then did someone speak up in disbelief: [Did she just clear the game?!]

[I think so! After all, none of us have ever made it this far! The ending is so beautiful, it feels like a dream! Too surreal!]

[I can’t believe I’m actually tearing up! All I can say is: Cen, you’re a legend! Ru Xi Cheng, you’re amazing!]

[Hurry up! Let Cen say a few words. I’m dying to know how she cleared it!]

[What was Cen’s in-game identity? Does anyone know? It’s not showing on the screen!]

[One million! One million! I’m so jealous I can’t even see straight. Can’t we share the prize a little?!]

Beside her, Xiao Linrui was completely stunned. When she finally snapped out of it, she rushed over, grabbed her best friend’s hand, and started jumping up and down excitedly.

“Ahhh! Nuo Cen, you’re just too incredible! So cool! Today, you’re 2.8 meters tall in my heart!!!”

Meanwhile, Shi Nuocen, the sole player to clear the game, wiped her face and drifted off into thought, grumbling inwardly: Pfft! What a total lack of gaming experience!

When the host, responding to the audience’s enthusiastic demands, connected with Shi Nuocen via voice chat, she quickly asked the question everyone was burning to know: “Could you tell us how you managed to clear the game so quickly? The game data shows you only took 19 minutes! That’s truly unexpected and shocking!”

Shi Nuocen leaned against the bar counter, and as her stunning, lotus-emerging-from-water face appeared on the screen, it first dazzled the audience’s eyes. Then, they heard her ethereal, melodious voice lazily reply, “Oh, that? It’s simple, just keep choosing B!”

The host: “…” Seriously? I suspect you’re just showing off, but I have no proof!

The audience: “…” Are you kidding us with that beauty and sass?!

Seeing the awkward silence, Shi Nuocen casually brushed aside the hair at her neck, flashed a mischievous grin at the camera, and said, “Well, believe it or not.”