Chapter 9 Mission Upgrade, System, What Are You Doing?

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.

After hesitating for two seconds, he pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket, tore it open, pulled out a few sheets, and walked over with his long legs.

As he leaned down, he deliberately softened his voice, his deep tone carrying just the right amount of concern:

"Are you alright? Here, have some tissues. Do you need any help?"

Hearing the voice, the woman's body visibly stiffened for a moment before she slowly raised her head.

The soft light fell on her face, and Lin Chen finally saw her clearly.

Her willow-leaf brows were furrowed, and her almond eyes were red from crying, with bloodshot streaks at the corners.

Her long eyelashes were clumped together by tears, glistening like crystal beads.

Her carefully applied light makeup was ruined, with smudged eyeliner forming two faint black streaks under her eyes.

Yet, this didn't diminish her beauty at all; instead, it added a fragile, pitiable quality that would make anyone's heart ache for her.

She was a rare beauty, especially her figure—curvy in all the right places. The slender, well-proportioned calves visible beneath her skirt exuded a mature, seductive charm.

Li Sisi stared blankly for a full two seconds. Her misty eyes gazed at the tissues being offered to her, and her fingertips trembled slightly as she finally took them.

As the tissue wiped her cheek, it took away her tears along with some of the ruined foundation.

She sniffled, wanting to say thank you, but as the words reached her lips, the grievances and anger she had bottled up all night suddenly burst.

In the next second, before Lin Chen could react, a soft, fragrant body crashed directly into his arms.

"Wuu..."

Her suppressed sobs instantly grew louder as Li Sisi tightly hugged his waist.

Her face was buried in his shirt, her hot tears soaking through the fabric. A faint scent of perfume lingered around Lin Chen's nose.

Lin Chen's body stiffened. He looked down at the woman trembling in his arms, his mind racing with questions.

"What's going on?"

"She's crying and throwing herself into my arms?"

He glanced down at the woman's exquisite curves, specifically the softness pressed against his chest, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

His initial curiosity vanished, replaced by a playful smirk.

Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, don't blame me, Lin Chen, for being a scumbag.

He let out a soft chuckle and raised his hand, gently patting the woman's back with a familiarity that suggested he had comforted people countless times before.

"It's better to let it out. Tell me whatever's on your mind; bottling it up only makes it harder."

Having lived a whole life already and watched nearly a hundred melodramas, comforting a woman didn't seem all that difficult.

Li Sisi cried for about a minute before her sobs gradually subsided.

However, she didn't let go of his waist; instead, she held on even tighter, as if grasping a lifeline.

The two of them were pressed very close. Her fragrance, mixed with a hint of alcohol, wafted into his nose.

Feeling the soft touch through his thin shirt, Lin Chen felt a surge of heat in his lower abdomen, and a certain part of him instantly responded.

He cursed inwardly. Just as he was about to pull away slightly, the person in his arms spoke first, her voice incredibly hoarse and thick with a nasal tone:

"He lied to me..."

"He didn't just play with my feelings; he also took all my savings..."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow but didn't speak, waiting for her to continue.

"We agreed to see a movie together today. He said he would take me to meet his parents afterward..."

Li Sisi's voice began to choke up again, her nails almost sinking into Lin Chen's skin.

"But once the movie started, he sent me a message saying we should never see each other again..."

"I called him, but I was blocked. He even deleted me on WeChat..."

She sniffled, her tone full of self-mockery.

"I'm really so stupid..."

"Even though I knew he was smooth-talking and unreliable, I still believed his lies."

"I even foolishly did my makeup and wore his favorite dress, waiting here for him for an hour..."

Lin Chen clicked his tongue inwardly. That scumbag was ruthless.

However, listening to the woman's lament, he felt like half of those words were directed at him too.

He cleared his throat, looked down at the beauty in his arms, and asked softly:

"Then, how do you want me to help you?"

"I..."

Li Sisi paused, her cheek pressed against his warm chest. Feeling his powerful heartbeat, her tense nerves gradually relaxed.

"I'm tired from crying. Let me hold you for a little longer..."

"I was squatting for so long that my legs are numb and I can't stand steadily. It's so uncomfortable."

Lin Chen's heart gave a jolt.

He needed to speed things up.

He knew Xia Wanqing's temper all too well. If he waited any longer, she would surely start with her sarcastic remarks about him flirting around.

He was about to say something when the person in his arms suddenly looked up. Those tear-reddened almond eyes stared straight at him, filled with a trace of confusion, resentment, and an indescribable emotion.

"Do you think... I'm beautiful?"

Lin Chen's gaze fell on her face.

Her makeup was ruined and there were tear stains at the corners of her eyes, but her exquisite features were not affected in the slightest.

Especially those eyes—misty and wet, as endearing as a young deer's.

Without the mask of makeup, her face revealed a mature charm that younger girls lacked.

It was the kind of beauty that could make a man's heart itch.

This kind of allure was something Su Qingran's coldness and the Xia Wanqing sisters' cuteness couldn't match.

His Adam's apple moved slightly, and his voice was deep and magnetic:

"Beautiful!"

"If you were my girlfriend, I definitely wouldn't leave you."

"That's the truth."

Upon hearing this, Li Sisi's lips curled into a bitter smile, one filled with deep self-mockery.

"Since I'm beautiful... then why did he lie to me? Why did he abandon me?"

Lin Chen was left speechless by her question.

What 'why' could there be in a scumbag's mind?

It was nothing more than chasing money or sex, then dumping them when bored.

But looking at the woman's tearful appearance, he really couldn't bring himself to say such hurtful words.

Seeing him silent, the anger of betrayal in Li Sisi's heart suddenly twisted into an impulse for revenge.

She stared at Lin Chen's handsome face and the gentleness in his eyes.

On a sudden whim, driven by a mix of caprice and a gambler's desperation, she spoke:

"You say I'm beautiful, then do you dare to kiss me?"

Lin Chen was stunned.

Before he could react, Li Sisi leaned in closer.

Her nose was almost touching his chin, her voice trembling slightly but exceptionally firm:

"If you dare, it means you're telling the truth."

"If you don't... then you're just like him, lying to me."

The air instantly went still.

The surrounding noise seemed to be blocked out. Lin Chen could clearly hear his own heartbeat,

as well as the woman's increasingly rapid breathing in his arms.

He looked at the red lips right in front of him. Because she had been crying,

they appeared particularly red and full, like a ripe cherry waiting to be picked.

His Adam's apple bobbed hard, and he involuntarily swallowed his saliva.

To be honest, he really wanted to kiss her.

This was a lucky break delivered right to him; it would be a waste not to take it.

Besides, a kiss might soothe this woman, allowing him to quickly get away and meet Xia Wanqing.

Just as he was gleefully calculating and preparing to lean down for the kiss to complete this unsolicited "task,"

the system's cold notification sound suddenly rang in his mind.

[Ding! Mutual attraction between Host and target detected. Temporary mission upgraded!]

[Current Target: Li Sisi]

[Upgraded Mission Content: Use love to comfort the wounded heart of the Mature Beauty Li Sisi]

[Mission Requirement: Establish a deep emotional connection with the target and help her completely move on from her heartbreak]

[Mission Reward: 500,000 RMB, charm value +5]

[Failure Penalty: Revoke Host's Basic Combat Skill; Constitution, Stamina, and Endurance will be simultaneously reduced by 50%]

[Target Preference: Gentle and considerate 'warm men', sunny and reliable younger guys]

Lin Chen's face instantly darkened.

Damn it!

System, are you screwing with me?"