2: Chapter 2 The Past

"Can you just get lost? You're really annoying, you know that?"

Lin Yaner's smile instantly froze on her face.

"You stupid idiot, do you really think I like you? I just wanted to play around with you!"

Xiao Ran's words struck another heavy blow!

A suffocating despair surged into her heart!

No!

It's not like that!

Lin Yaner, taking advantage of his distraction, grabbed his collar and pressed her cherry lips against his.

"Get away! I hate that brand of lipstick!"

"I... I'm not wearing lipstick!"

Lin Yaner was pushed away, her head buzzing, momentarily forgetting to cry.

Where was her Xiao Ran Gege?

This wasn't him!

"You don't even look at yourself! You look like a car crash, do you really think I could bring myself to kiss you?"

"Gege... please don't mess around, okay? Let's go get bubble tea. I got paid today, I'll treat you, a super large cup... okay?"

"Lin Yaner! The sky has cleared! The dream is shattered! It's time for us to wake up!"

The coldness in Xiao Ran's eyes became the final straw that broke her psychological defenses.

"Heh heh! Heh heh!"

She retreated a few steps with a tragic smile, the tear stains on her tender face like cracked blue and white porcelain, ready to shatter at a touch!

"Liar..."

"Big liar..."

"I hate you!"

Xiao Ran watched her panicked retreating figure and slowly let out a sigh of relief.

"It's finally over! That was so damn hard! Is it easy for me to survive?"

"Lin Yaner's attitude is a bit unpredictable, she probably won't let go! I need to be extremely careful when confessing to her best friend tomorrow, lest she turn into a yandere."

Xiao Ran, carrying the thermos Lin Yaner had left behind, went to a secluded corner.

After confirming that no one was around,

He took off his wig and spat out two small balls used for facial sculpting.

Shirt worn backward, makeup removed, hair styled... In a short while,

A handsome young man, completely different from his previous appearance, appeared!

Xiao Ran pulled out a mirror, looked at himself, and then nodded in satisfaction.

"I'm really afraid I'll die from my own handsomeness one day!"

After a moment of narcissism,

He tossed all the useless items into the trash can and then fled the 'crime scene'.

"System! Settle lifespan!"

"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for gaining three months of lifespan and Painting Mastery!"

"Current remaining lifespan: 120 days, 5 hours, 35 minutes, 55 seconds."

"Currently unlocked achievements:

... Lin Yaner [Image] (Click to view details)"

Lin Yaner. Plant one picture, grow a hundred pictures! Hand over your treasured collections!

"Three months! Not bad! Yaner is also a top-tier girl!"

Xiao Ran murmured,

But the cold numbers on the system panel kept flickering!

Every minute, every second, constantly reminding him,

You're going to die!!!

You're going to die!!!

You're going to die!!!

Life is like a play, and a play is like life!

He was an optimistic person; a stone-hearted person; a person who enjoyed playing with emotions... Having played so many roles, he was almost unable to recognize which one was his true self!

"Hoo~"

Xiao Ran exhaled deeply, carrying the thermos to the bus stop.

Watching the rushing traffic, his eyes drifted, and his thoughts returned to his high school days!

Xiao Ran was an orphan.

In his second year of high school, a tumor afflicted him.

The doctor's advice was to enjoy life while he could.

The sudden change made him lose his passion for life!

Until the day he had only a little over a month left to live.

He was playing *Genshin Impact* in the King's Hometown.

The system suddenly arrived!

And like rogue software, it bound itself as soon as he moved his phone slightly!

"Ding! Suitable Host detected! System binding successful!"

"For every girlfriend you date and maintain a relationship for one month, you will receive various rewards upon breaking up, including but not limited to lifespan."

Having frequented Tomato for many years, he naturally knew what a system was.

To put it bluntly, wasn't this a scumbag system?

But to survive?

Did he have a choice?

Besides doing it, there was only doing it!

Girlfriend - Breakup = Lifespan + Other Rewards.

Simple and clear.

Just solve problems using this formula!

But scumbag he may be,

He still had his limits!

Without crossing the line, he would give them a month of the best possible dating experience.

And then he would dump them.

This operation made the girls both love and hate him.

Unfortunately,

Xiao Ran's lifespan always hovered around a few months.

He came to a conclusion:

These girls hadn't fully developed their figures or looks, and their families weren't wealthy, which was why the rewards were so low!

With experience,

He began to target those young and beautiful rich women... Ahem... If it weren't for his strong will, and the occasional antidote items rewarded by the system, his children would probably be old enough to buy soy sauce by now!

But sometimes,

He had dated a few 'super treasures', which were his most sinful and hardest-to-look-back-on experiences... He fell in love, he lost, she also lost... Who really won in the end?

... "Beep beep~~~"

A sudden horn interrupted Xiao Ran's thoughts.

"Damn, what am I thinking about! The bus is here!"

He patted his head.

"Beep!"

"Student card!"

He then went to the back door, trying to squeeze onto the bus.

"Oh, driver, wait! I haven't gotten off yet!"

A girl's voice sounded, and Xiao Ran was startled.

A few seconds later,

From the crowd at the back door, a sweet girl squeezed out, full of spirit yet a bit clumsy.

"Damn it! Lu Yiyi!"

Xiao Ran's heart jumped, and he instinctively turned his head away.

This girl had a bit of a husky personality, silly and naive, making her one of the easiest to trick.

The girl didn't notice him and rushed into the school gate, clearly heard muttering:

"I'm doomed! I'm doomed! I have to turn in homework this afternoon! I haven't even touched a single word!"

"Beep beep!"

The driver reminded him.

Xiao Ran withdrew his 'looking at an idiot' gaze and quickly squeezed onto the bus.

"I almost forgot! I'm Xiao Ran, not 'Xiao Ran', she doesn't know me... I'm scaring myself."

After all, he was used to having a guilty conscience.