113: Oh no! It's a setup! (Bonus chapter)

Lin Wanxing glanced at him, seeing right through his little schemes, and said speechlessly,

"Mr. Jiang, please wake up. I said we'd return to the residential area together, then go to our. Own. Respective. Homes!"

"Huh? Don't be like that! Actually, I've run into a lot of difficulties lately and really wanted someone to talk to. Wouldn't it be nice if we huddled together for warmth..."

"..."

"...Fine. Sigh, TikTok said this trick works pretty well. Why aren't you falling for it?"

"..."

Looking at Jiang Ye's face full of "eagerness to learn," as if he truly wanted to discuss "how to optimize PUA tactics" with her, Lin Wanxing only felt a deep sense of helplessness welling up in her heart.

This man... how could he make being a "scumbag" feel so righteous and full of academic inquiry?

She hesitated for a moment, and thinking of Ye Cheng's frank and easy-going smile, she couldn't help but give him a nudge:

"Mr. Jiang, isn't your relationship with your girlfriend very good? I can tell she cares about you a lot. Since you have such a good girlfriend, just... just don't mess around outside... um, don't keep yourself busy elsewhere, and treat her well."

Jiang Ye was sinking most of his attention into his mind, preparing to accept another mission, and casually brushed her off:

"Mm-hmm, I know. I'll treat you all well."

"You all?"

A small cross-shaped vein instantly popped on Lin Wanxing's forehead. "Mr. Jiang, does this 'all' mean what I think it means?"

"...?"

Jiang Ye's eyelid twitched. He suddenly stopped in his tracks and looked at Lin Wanxing with a face full of surprise, his gaze somewhat peculiar.

Could it be that this woman... really has an innate "Mission Saint Body"?

How is it that as soon as one is solved, the next one seems tailor-made for her?

In his mind, the system interface shimmered with light. The last mission for this month that had just refreshed was impressively:

【December 2025 Monthly Mission: 'Ex' Shadow Purifier】

Mission Content: Help a woman with a Charm Value > 80 completely break free from the harassment of her ex. The method is unrestricted but must be legal and compliant, and the final result must make the woman feel true peace of mind and liberation.

Mission Difficulty: ★★★★☆ (Tests wisdom, strategy, grasp of legal boundaries, and coordination with others.)

Mission Description: A true gentleman is a guardian, not an instigator. Helping a lady escape past nightmares and regain inner peace is a gift more precious than any other.

Mission Rewards:

A. 「Deterrence Aura」 (Passive Skill): Can produce a slight deterrent effect on harassers with malicious intent, reducing the probability of them taking extreme actions.

B. 150,000 RMB cash reward.

Deterrence Aura... doesn't this sound like a low-tier version of Conqueror's Haki? Shanks? The Face-Face Fruit?

The most crucial thing is, this is actually a damn passive skill! Permanently active!

Seeing Jiang Ye suddenly stop with a strange expression, Lin Wanxing couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

Jiang Ye rubbed his chin, suppressing his inner excitement, and said with feigned calmness, "Nothing, just thought of something else. Let's go."

He felt a little conflicted in his heart.

This mission looked very difficult at a glance. The requirement was to "completely break free" and make the target "feel at peace," which wasn't something that could be completed by simply driving someone away once.

Searching for another suitable target like a needle in a haystack wasn't realistic. Right now, the most suitable one was obviously Lin Wanxing and her clingy ex-boyfriend, Zhang Wenhai.

But after today's incident, it was hard to say if Zhang Wenhai would still have the guts to come back and harass her.

But... a passive skill!

This was the first time he'd seen one after so many missions! It would be a pity to just refresh it away.

Forget it, I'll keep it for now.

If there's no movement from Zhang Wenhai's side by next month and it really can't be completed, it won't be too late to refresh it then.

"Hey, I'm asking you!"

Seeing his drifting gaze, Lin Wanxing pressed him further, "What exactly did you mean by 'you all' just now? Mr. Jiang, let me make it clear to you, I..."

"I just said it casually. Why are you taking it so seriously? Coach Lin, that's not a good sign."

Jiang Ye smiled and waved his hand to interrupt her. "If you truly didn't care, you'd just laugh it off and ignore it. The more forcefully you refuse and repeatedly emphasize it, the more it means something unusual might have stirred in your heart. While trying to convince yourself, you're also trying to draw a line—and this behavior itself often exposes inner turmoil."

He paused, his tone carrying the desolation of someone who had seen through the world:

"Alas, who can really explain matters of the heart? Many times, we don't even understand our own hearts. Don't worry about it too much; let time slowly ferment and verify things. Whether it eventually blooms and bears fruit or ends without a trace, we can only accept it calmly. This is the wonder of fate."

Lin Wanxing: "..."

She listened, dumbfounded, feeling a lump of air stuck in her chest. Her whole body felt numb.

Is this... is he freaking PUA-ing me? He must be, right?!!

Has this guy finally started reaching his claws toward me, performing systematic brainwashing on me?!

How did it become a situation where I'm the one overthinking, I'm the one being too serious, and I'm the one who needs to adjust my mindset in just a few sentences?!

She took a deep breath, then another, desperately telling herself not to care about this guy's words. But her mind unconsciously echoed his set of crooked logic, and she even... vaguely felt like he had struck a chord somewhere?

Oh no!

It's a trap!

She shook her head vigorously to cast aside those messy thoughts and put on a stern face, deciding to completely ignore this logical genius and master of verbal traps.

Yes, ignoring him is the best counterattack!

"By the way, Coach Lin."

Jiang Ye almost laughed seeing the expressions changing on Lin Wanxing's face. "If Zhang Wenhai comes to harass you again next time, remember to tell me immediately."

Lin Wanxing gave him a sidelong glance and said warily, "Why? Why should I tell you?"

Jiang Ye shrugged. "I have a way to help you get rid of him completely. If he comes again, don't hesitate, just send me a WeChat message."

"..."

Lin Wanxing's first reaction was that this scumbag was planning some trashy routine like "pretending to be my boyfriend" or "kissing and showing off affection in front of him" to take advantage of her.

She wanted to refuse directly, but thinking of his "the more you resist, the more you care" theory from just now, she swallowed her words. She just gave a lukewarm "oh," then quickened her pace, walking toward the residential area with her head down, wanting to end this annoying walk quickly.

Jiang Ye found her sudden acceleration a bit strange but quickly followed.

The two of them returned to Jindi Shangfeng Residential Area in a subtle atmosphere, one behind the other.

When they reached the entrance of Building 2, Lin Wanxing was already mentally prepared, thinking Jiang Ye would be thick-skinned enough to linger, saying things like "want to come up and sit for a bit" or "I'll show you something precious."

She was ready to sternly refuse again.

To her surprise, Jiang Ye very casually waved his hand at her and said, "I'm off then, remember to send a WeChat," then entered the building without looking back, looking incredibly cool.

This instead left Lin Wanxing stunned. She turned her head to look at the already closed unit door, not reacting for a moment.

He... just left like that?

Not even a polite "I'll walk you to your door"? How could this person's behavior pattern be so completely unpredictable?

She shook her head speechlessly. She couldn't tell if she was relieved or a bit annoyed at being blindsided, and she turned toward Building 7.

However, as she stepped into the elevator, she unconsciously replayed Jiang Ye's last philosophical words in her mind, as well as the method he mentioned to get rid of Zhang Wenhai.

"What... kind of method could he have?"

As the elevator rose, Lin Wanxing looked at the jumping numbers and muttered in a low voice.

————

"All involuntary sinking begins with an uncontrollable curiosity. — Milan Kundera"