266: Chapter 266, Part 1/3 - 2

Jiang Ye's heart stirred; it felt like Comrade Little Ye had finally gotten his point!

He put down the shredded tissue in his hand, turned around silently, and drifted to the dining table like a ghost. He took a deep breath, worked up his emotions, and then—

"Sigh—!!!"

This sigh was heavier and longer than any before, filled with deep sorrow and absolute agony.

"..."

Ye Cheng's hand tightened around her chopsticks, a cross-shaped vein throbbing at her temple.

But she endured it and kept her head down, eating her rice and pretending she hadn't heard a thing.

Seeing that his first attempt failed, Jiang Ye leaned in closer. Facing the back of Ye Cheng's head, he focused his energy and sighed again: "Sigh!!!"

Ye Cheng: "..."

Su Ning and Lin Wanxing were completely bewildered and couldn't help but whisper:

"Big Brother, what's wrong with you? You keep sighing; it's making me feel all uneasy..."

"Yeah, if something's bothering you, just say it. Maybe we can help you find a solution?"

Jiang Ye looked at their gazes—a mix of curiosity, concern, and the thought that "this guy is definitely sick"—and felt that his acting was indeed a bit too over-the-top and awkward.

But... he was truly out of options.

Earlier that afternoon, he had used his old trick and posted a WeChat Moment visible only to Ye Cheng:

[Suddenly missing the warmth of the past, longing for certain silky textures, craving a unique scent...]

He had hoped Ye Cheng would understand and proactively offer some "warmth." However, as soon as he posted it, the system warning in his mind began to blare:

[Warning! The host has been detected actively guiding the target to gift task items! Items obtained through such behavior will not count toward task completion!]

Jiang Ye was stunned—this had never happened back when he was doing cashback tasks.

He thought about it for a long time before finally understanding the difference.

For system cashback, he couldn't directly ask the other party to spend money on him, but he could hint to make them want to "do something for him," as there was a layer of "sincerity" involved.

But for these collection tasks, any clear hint would be judged by the system as "direct guidance," resulting in task failure.

Simply put, it was the difference between being on the "third floor" and the "fifth floor."

Left with no choice, Jiang Ye had to resort to the clumsiest method, which was also the one least likely to be flagged by the system—

Playing the part of an "addict" and expressing an abstract need for "something to soothe his suffering."

He scratched his head and forced himself to stand behind Ye Cheng with his hands behind his back. Not daring to give any more hints, he just persistently let out a heavy sigh every ten seconds or so:

"Sigh!!!"

"Sigh!!!"

"Sigh!!!"

"..."

Ye Cheng took a deep breath and glanced at Jiang Ye, whose face practically said, "If you don't give it to me, I'll die right here." She rolled her eyes speechlessly:

"Alright, alright! Your addiction is acting up, isn't it? Just wait! Can't you wait until after dinner?"

Jiang Ye's eyes lit up for a moment, but he immediately forced his face back into a look of misery and continued to sigh: "Sigh!"

His meaning was clear: No! I can't wait! Right now! In front of them!

This damn task was too hard. He had to make sure Su Ning and Lin Wanxing clearly knew he had "this hobby" so it would be easier to target them later.

Lin Wanxing watched their cryptic interaction, her frown deepening:

"Addiction? What addiction? Jiang Ye doesn't smoke or drink, so what could he possibly..."

"Fine, fine! I give up! Just wait!"

Before she could finish, Ye Cheng stood up abruptly, rolled her eyes at Jiang Ye, and ran back to her room.

At the table, Su Ning and Lin Wanxing looked at each other, completely baffled.

In less than two minutes, Ye Cheng's door opened again.

She had changed out of her professional suit and into loungewear.

And in her hand, she was holding a pair of light gray Bare Leg Artifacts.

Under the stunned gazes of Su Ning and Lin Wanxing, Ye Cheng walked up to Jiang Ye with a straight face and shoved the bundle of soft silk under his nose with a look of disgust:

"Here, take it! I'm really done with you!"

[Ding! Received a proactive gift from Ye Cheng: one Bare Leg Artifact. System valuation: 146 yuan. Triggered 10% cashback, obtaining 1,460 yuan.]

The look of deep misery on Jiang Ye's face instantly vanished. He looked as if he had been fully recharged, suddenly becoming refreshed and beaming with joy.

"Oh, Cheng Cheng, look at you... this is so embarrassing..."

He glanced at the task progress, which was now 1/3, and with a grin, he placed the item on the table. He then turned around and went to get a bowl of rice as if nothing had happened.

He sat back down and started eating heartily, as if the "melancholic prince" from a moment ago had been a mere illusion:

"Mmm! Wanxing, your cooking is great! These ribs are incredible!"

"..."

Su Ning was completely shell-shocked, her mouth hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

She looked at Jiang Ye, who was eating nonchalantly, and then at the glaring object next to him. A storm of thoughts erupted in her mind.

My... oh my god!

Didn't Big Brother swear this afternoon that he was a "man of integrity" and "unshakable," and that he'd rather die than take a sniff?

This...

Could it be that the incident this afternoon triggered some strange "addiction," but since the item was taken away, he was suffering so much?

Lin Wanxing's expression changed even more drastically. It was as if a bolt of lightning had struck her mind, connecting all the confusing details from before!

It makes sense! It all makes sense now!

She had wondered why he always seemed so strange during their workouts, like he was constantly sniffing something!

So... so that's what it was!

Her gaze slowly moved to the dishes on the table, and an even more terrifying thought occurred to her:

"When Little Su and Little Ye go home for the New Year, will I not even need to cook? Just steaming some rice will do?"

"As long as I put one of those things next to him..."

"He can finish off three bowls of rice just from the scent?!"

Seeing the indescribably complex expressions on their faces, even Ye Cheng, with her hardened psychological resilience, couldn't help but curl her toes in her slippers.

But she remained as steady as ever on the surface. She picked up her chopsticks and naturally steered the conversation back:

"Ahem... anyway, where were we? Oh right, they're all legitimate companies."

Su Ning, Lin Wanxing: "..."

The two of them turned to look at Ye Cheng in unison, completely speechless.

Eldest Miss!

Isn't your mental state a bit too strong?!

A scene so explosive, practically like a perverted transaction, just took place, and you can just continue the conversation so calmly and casually?!

Are you really not embarrassed at all?!

"..."

Under their piercing gazes, Ye Cheng braced herself, picked up a rib, and stuffed it into her mouth, muttering, "Yeah... they're really quite legitimate..."