Chapter 41: Chapter 41: You’re No Good at Fighting, and Even Worse at Pleasing Women

Returning to Ming Ye’s room, the sound of water was still coming from the bathroom.

He wasn’t finished yet, so Jiang Yunnuan didn’t disturb him. She placed the items on the bed and left.

Back upstairs, she washed up and then went to do her check-in task.

Today’s check-in brought her cumulative total to seven days, which meant the reward would include a small, mysterious surprise.

Jiang Yunnuan eagerly opened the prizes and received 150 Points, 11 Beauty Pill Fragments, 1 Farm Upgrade Card, 1 Random Task Times Card, and three minutes of access to a random Divine Artifact.

The Random Task Times Card was for generating random tasks. Once used, it would allow her to take on random tasks without needing to meet any specific trigger conditions.

As for the Divine Artifact access, once activated, she could use a random Divine Artifact from the system’s shop for three minutes. It was practically a life-saving trump card.

These two items were the mysterious little surprises for her cumulative check-in. They were surprisingly good, and Jiang Yunnuan was very satisfied.

「Afternoon.」

Jiang Yunnuan was carefully sifting through quests on the mission website when her Light Brain suddenly pinged with a message. She opened it. It was a private message from Ming Ye.

"Hungry!"

Jiang Yunnuan: "..."

She opened their chat window and scrolled up for a long time before realizing something. Other than past transaction records for the Star Coins she’d sent him, this was the very first message he had ever sent to her account. ’And of all things, it was to say he was hungry.’

’As if she didn’t know what he meant.’

’It was all because of last night’s deal: if he agreed to share a bed with her, she would cook for him. On top of that, she’d promised this morning to owe him three meals. So of course, the guy was here to collect his debt.’

"I know I owe you four meals, I haven’t forgotten! Stop rushing me!"

"Very hungry!"

He replied almost instantly, as if he couldn’t understand her words at all.

Jiang Yunnuan: "If you’re hungry, go get an Energy Liquid. Cooking takes a lot of time; it won’t be ready right away."

"I can help."

Jiang Yunnuan: "..."

’This is the first time I’ve ever been hounded so relentlessly over a debt. He really is too much.’

"Fine. Then come to the kitchen and help."

After sending the message, she turned off her Light Brain and headed downstairs.

Meanwhile, Ming Ye turned his head to look at the neatly arranged packages to the side.

When he came out of the shower, the woman was gone, just as he’d expected. But now, there were eleven sets of unopened pajamas on the bed.

He knew without thinking that she had brought them to fulfill her promise.

It was the first time he’d seen this woman be so true to her word, and an unfamiliar ripple stirred within him. He switched off his Light Brain and left the room.

But when he got to the kitchen, he found it empty.

’Hasn’t that woman arrived yet?’

He frowned and opened his Light Brain again to send Jiang Yunnuan a message.

"?"

He sent the message, but a long moment passed with no response.

At the same time, outside the villa, a few uninvited guests had arrived.

Si Xie was locked in a fierce battle with a white-haired, cat-eared man. But Si Xie was completely outmatched, getting unilaterally pummeled.

"You two, explain yourselves. What is going on here?"

Jiang Yunnuan clenched her fists. Her gaze shifted from Si Xie to Jun Yao and Fu Yuan, her expression turning grim.

She had only come downstairs to cook. She hadn’t expected to hear a fierce commotion from outside. When she came out to look, she was greeted by a sight that made her blood boil. She was about to explode with rage.

’This bunch of people... coming to my territory to beat up my guy. The absolute nerve!’

"I’m so sorry, Sis. Ah Luo has never gotten along with this Contractor of yours. I only came looking for you, but they started fighting the moment they saw each other. I couldn’t stop them."

A gentle, sweet voice rang out, interrupting the words that were on the tips of Jun Yao and Fu Yuan’s tongues.

Jiang Yunnuan turned to look. The woman before her had delicate features and waist-long hair. She wore a gorgeous, light purple dress that accentuated a tiny waist, and she exuded a gentle, lovely aura. She seemed to glow, making her look utterly captivating.

Next to her stood an aloof, proud man with black hair and black eyes, so handsome it was hard to look away.

It was none other than the original owner’s stepsister and the female lead of this world, Jiang Wanwan, along with her man, Wen Yanchen.

The white-haired man fighting Si Xie was another one of her men, a male lead of this world—the cat Beastman, Bai Luo.

"Was I talking to you? I’m speaking to them. What gives you the right to butt in? Besides, you can’t even control your own Contractor. How dare you even speak?"

Jiang Yunnuan sneered at her, her entire presence radiating undisguised malice.

As a "villainous supporting character," she hadn’t wanted to provoke the male and female leads. That was why she had been holed up at home, keeping a low profile, ever since she’d been transported here.

But now, the female lead had come looking for trouble, even letting her man beat up Si Xie. In that case, Jiang Wanwan shouldn’t blame her for being nasty.

Hearing this, Jiang Wanwan froze. A moment later, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in her beautiful, limpid eyes. She looked as though she had suffered some terrible injustice.

"I’m sorry, Sis... I shouldn’t have spoken to you when I know you hate me. It’s my fault I couldn’t stop Ah Luo, too..."

Jiang Yunnuan: "..."

’Oh, so the female lead is a green tea bitch!’

"You didn’t do anything wrong, why are you apologizing to her?"

Wen Yanchen looked at Jiang Wanwan with a pained expression. After murmuring something comforting to her, he looked up at Jiang Yunnuan. The gentle, doting look in his eyes vanished, replaced by a grim, oppressive stare.

"Jiang Yunnuan, apologize to Wanwan!"

’Another self-righteous man.’ Jiang Yunnuan couldn’t be bothered with him. Pretending she hadn’t heard a thing, she turned to Fu Yuan and Jun Yao and angrily kicked each of them in the shin.

"What’s wrong with you two? Can’t you see Si Xie is getting his ass kicked? What are you just standing here for? Go! Both of you, go help him!"

’Can’t they tell who’s on our side and who’s an outsider?’

’How could these two just stand by and watch? They’re going to be the death of me!’

Fu Yuan looked troubled. "Three against one... that’s not really fair, is it?"

"What’s not fair about it? Who cares? As long as we win, it’s fine! Now go help, or I’ll force a Contract Termination on you!"

’All that nonsense about martial honor and Beastman dignity was bullshit in Jiang Yunnuan’s eyes. She couldn’t care less. All that mattered was that her people couldn’t be bullied.’

’That guy Si Xie might have a foul mouth and be asking for a beating, but he hadn’t undergone Contract Termination yet, which meant he was still one of hers.’

"No need for him. I’m enough on my own."

Jun Yao stated coolly, then joined the fray.

He caught Bai Luo’s fist, pushing the battered Si Xie aside.

The sudden development stunned both Si Xie and Bai Luo for a second. The white-haired, cat-eared youth with defiant eyes smirked and spoke with a reckless air.

"Tsk, you want to make this a two-on-one?"

"So what if it is?"

Jun Yao narrowed his eyes, staring coldly at the delicately featured youth before him. Bai Luo burst out laughing, his gaze skipping past Jun Yao to land on the miserably wounded Si Xie.

"Si Xie, still won’t admit you’re useless? You suck at fighting, and you’re even worse at pleasing women. Even an ugly monster wouldn’t want you. Look, that ugly freak of a Contract Master of yours was with Ling Ze just the other day, and... wait a second..."

As he said this, he suddenly recalled something important. His face filled with shock as he stared at Jun Yao.

"Wasn’t your inner core gouged out?"

The moment he said this, everyone’s eyes turned to Jun Yao. A flicker of astonishment flashed across Jiang Wanwan and Wen Yanchen’s faces.

’That’s right. Didn’t Ling Ze say Jun Yao’s inner core had been gouged out?’