Never a Fierce Battlefield, Ying'er's Board Game

Two aunties and two older sisters entered the kitchen.

After standing dazed for a long while, the Xia sisters finally washed their hands and joined in to help.

They had arrived late to begin with.

Now, because of them and Aunt Ruxue, everyone had to wait even longer.

They ought to at least do what little they could to contribute.

In the living room, Maomao needed no help from Lin Yu.

With a guardian auntie who radiated charisma suddenly appearing, there was no shortage of people eager to chat with her.

Huang Feirong: "Maomao, your aunt seems to know so much about the Shen family and ours—does she also deal in antiques?"

Maomao: "Sorry, Rong. As far as I know, she’s never been involved in the antique trade."

Chi Qingchi: "Maomao, Aunt Ruxue has such an elegant presence. Did you really not know about her connection with Aunt Qimeng before?"

Maomao: "Nope, I had no idea. I found out at the same time as everyone else."

Chi Qingshui: "Haha, Maomao, you and Lin Yu wouldn’t happen to have an arranged marriage, would you?"

Maomao: "Umm… I don’t know anything about the adults’ affairs."

Chi Qingshui: "…"

Shen Buyao: "Arranged marriages are so outdated these days. Even we antique dealers aren’t that old-fashioned. Aunt Ruxue seems way too stylish for that, haha!"

Maomao: "Well… Aunt Ruxue is actually pretty traditional."

Shen Buyao: "…"

Ye Mengfu: "Ma… Maomao."

Maomao: "What’s up, Little Fufu?"

Ye Mengfu: "N-nothing."

Lin Yu, who had been keeping his distance, silently watched from afar.

The awkward laughter of his companions felt like heavy blows to his heart.

Aunt Ruxue’s move was ruthless!

They had just met, and she had already handed him such a "gift."

If he spent more time around her, wouldn’t the whole sect descend into chaos?!

This was starting to feel like some cheesy novel plot—

The sect’s holy maiden returns, only to find her beloved adopted daughter being forced into menial labor by the newly ascended holy son.

In her fury, she vows to make her enemies pay and reclaim everything that’s rightfully hers!

After all the effort Lin Yu had put in these past days…

Had he somehow become the villain?!

Not even his encounters with He Jing and Yi Haizhou had left him this unsettled.

Who would’ve thought?

In the midst of peaceful times, the biggest boss had only just appeared.

Before long—

Whoosh…

The sliding kitchen door opened.

Du Ruxue, wearing an apron, stepped out carrying a freshly prepared dish.

"The food is almost ready. Everyone, please take your seats."

"My apologies for making you all wait so long again."

"Xiao Yu, could you tell me the Wi-Fi password for the apartment?"

"My data plan’s almost used up. I’d like to connect to Wi-Fi to save some."

As she passed by Lin Yu, she wiped her hands on her apron and pulled out her phone from the pocket, looking at him expectantly.

Her demeanor was no different from that of any ordinary homemaker who frequented the kitchen.

Yet, it clashed starkly with the fiery red dress she wore.

Lin Yu: "!!!"

Elegant in the parlor, skilled in the kitchen, and…?

What kind of useless AI had Maomao invented?!

So far, it hadn’t been the slightest bit helpful.

What surprised Lin Yu even more was Du Ruxue asking him for the Wi-Fi password.

What kind of mind game was this?

Even someone with basic computer knowledge could easily retrieve a Wi-Fi password, let alone a cybersecurity expert like Du Ruxue.

The real issue was—

Connecting to a public network meant her phone’s data could potentially be exposed.

As someone who valued digital security, she should’ve been extra cautious, right?

Especially knowing that ZerO was in the apartment, along with that mysterious person who had once outsmarted her…

Lin Yu’s heart pounded: "!!!"

This was deliberate!

Du Ruxue was absolutely doing this on purpose!

Aunt Qimeng was right there in the kitchen—why not ask her instead?

There was only one explanation…

From the moment she stepped into the apartment, she had already suspected Lin Yu was the one who had doxxed her.

Asking for the password now was just a test.

Trying to lure him out, huh?

Fine.

Very well.

Bring it on.

She had already confronted him head-on earlier.

Hiding in the shadows any longer was pointless.

Lin Yu understood one thing clearly:

Once the seed of suspicion was planted, it could never be uprooted.

At this point, whether he was the mysterious person or not didn’t matter objectively.

If Du Ruxue believed he was, she’d keep pulling little stunts like this.

"Aunt Ruxue, the password’s a bit complicated. Let me help you connect."

Lin Yu reached out, ready to take her phone.

Du Ruxue glanced up at him but didn’t refuse.

As she handed it over, she casually remarked:

"Did you set up the apartment’s Wi-Fi too, Xiao Yu?"

"Weiwei mentioned you’re quite skilled—even bought a high-performance computer."

"Maomao likes tinkering with tech as well. You two must have a lot in common."

Lin Yu: "…"

Here we go again.

Fortunately, this time the voice was quiet, and no one around heard it.

Otherwise,

his relationship with Maomao would be impossible to explain, no matter how hard he tried.

And then there was Weiwei...

Seriously, was there nothing they couldn’t talk about?

Even mundane details like buying a computer—was that really necessary?

No wonder Du Ruxue had grown suspicious.

If he were in her shoes, he’d be suspicious too!

While typing in the password, Lin Yu said:

"Aunt Ruxue, connecting to Wi-Fi at home is pretty safe."

"But when you're outside, it's best not to connect to public free Wi-Fi."

"These days, there are a lot of scammers who steal personal information through Wi-Fi connections."

"Always be careful about protecting your personal data. Alright, you're connected now."

[Ding!]

[Masterful move—remaining calm under pressure and countering skillfully, earning the admiration of the Joyful Sect’s Holy Maiden toward the Holy Son!]

[Reward: 50 Spirit Stones.]

Lin Yu: "..."

As expected.

The system’s explanation confirmed his suspicions.

From the moment she entered, Du Ruxue’s actions had all been provocations.

If he kept pretending to be an innocent, harmless college boy, it would only encourage her behavior.

Rather than that,

he might as well counter her with actions of his own.

"Oh, I see. You really know your stuff when it comes to the internet, Xiao Yu."

"Thanks for the warning. I’ll be more careful next time."

Du Ruxue curled her lips seductively.

After taking back her phone, she didn’t even glance at it before slipping it into her apron pocket.

"Xiao Yu, after dinner, how about we all play a board game together?"

Ying'er’s cheerful interruption cut short Du Ruxue and Lin Yu’s conversation.

Lin Yu: "A board game? With so many people, wouldn’t it be a bit crowded?"

Ying'er tugged Ye Mengfu along as she trotted up to Lin Yu:

"It’s perfect! More people make it even more fun!"

"The board game I designed really shines when there’s a big group."

"Little Fufu can vouch for me—she drew all the character art, skill cards, and mission cards herself!"

"My game is called 'The Fractured Three Kingdoms: Genesis of a New Era'!"

Lin Yu: "???"

...

(First update of the day—and there’ll be more to come!)