Chapter 79: Had Enough Sampling Already
Yi Ning clasped her hands behind her back, smiling sweetly at Lu Zheng.
Though the corners of her mouth curled upward, there wasn’t a shred of warmth in that smile—only a bone-chilling cold and an abyss of resentment.
As the object of her gaze, Lu Zheng naturally became the recipient of that oppressive aura.
Unfortunately for her, Lu Zheng—being a hero of staunch materialist principles—was unaffected by spooky nonsense. Not even a curse as petty as “eating instant noodles without the flavor packet” would work on him.
Wrapped in the warmth of the hot spring, even the slight chill from Yi Ning’s glare was soothed by the water.
Bliss.
Lu Zheng stretched out in the hot spring.
Completely forgetting that the spring he was soaking in was the very prison that had confined him.
And its warden clearly had no intention of letting him go.
“Enjoying the soak?”
Watching Lu Zheng looking so comfortable, Yi Ning couldn’t resist snapping at him.
Why did this guy get to be so happy?
Yi Ning felt seriously annoyed.
Lu Zheng leaned back against the edge of the hot spring, placing both hands on the side. He turned his head, trying to glance back at Yi Ning.
But because of his helmet with the pixel screen, his head movement was limited. He couldn’t turn far enough to see her.
So he turned his whole body around instead, finally facing Yi Ning, who stood not far away, arms akimbo, clearly dissatisfied.
“It’s okay,” he said.
And he wasn’t lying.
He had no particular standards for hot springs. As long as the water wasn’t too hot or too cold, it was fine.
Besides, because his swimsuit had been dissolved, he had stayed on high alert the entire time. Under that tension, he hadn’t been able to enjoy the hot spring at all.
But now—
Having dealt with Yi Ning’s evil plan so many times, Lu Zheng instinctively assumed it was over.
He let his guard down, allowing himself to enjoy the hot spring for real.
Clearly, he had fallen into the trap of experience-based error.
He hadn’t even left the hot spring yet.
“Heh heh…”
Seeing Lu Zheng so relaxed, Yi Ning let out a cold chuckle.
Normally, seeing Lu Zheng so vulnerable would delight her.
This kind of state was perfect for manipulation.
But now?
Seeing Lu Zheng like this only deepened her irritation.
Why should this guy feel so good after ruining her day?
Unacceptable!
She had to shatter his illusion—drag him back into the pit of despair!
That was her duty as a proper evil villain!
“Heh heh~”
So she laughed again.
“You don’t actually think everything’s over, do you?”
A question mark appeared on Lu Zheng’s pixel screen.
“Isn’t it?”
“You think you can smash my plan and walk away scot-free? That’s way too naïve.”
Yi Ning’s expression began to darken ominously.
Seeing that look, Lu Zheng finally refocused himself.
There was still another trap?
Just to be sure, he asked:
“So… I can’t?”
Yi Ning didn’t respond. She simply smiled, standing there silently.
But to Lu Zheng, that expression was a thousand—no, ten thousand—times scarier than any direct confirmation.
“Really can’t?”
Though he already knew the answer, he still tried one last desperate plea.
Yi Ning’s smile grew brighter.
GG.
Lu Zheng stared blankly at her.
An awkward silence fell between them again.
As the one at a disadvantage, Lu Zheng was the first to admit defeat.
His pixel screen showed a pleading emoticon.
He’d had enough traps for one day—please, just call it.
But how could Yi Ning let him off so easily?
She grinned smugly.
“You didn’t actually think I’d let you go, did you?”
Her eyes narrowed as she flashed a radiant smile at Lu Zheng.
But this time, the smile held no warmth—it chilled him to the bone.
A sense of dread crept up on him.
“Heh heh~”
As expected.
Yi Ning’s bright smile morphed instantly into a mocking sneer.
Lu Zheng’s pixel screen froze in horror.
“Following all the steps properly earns you rewards. But skipping phases… comes with punishment.”
“Savor the joy of soaking in the hot spring—because you won’t be feeling it much longer.”
Yi Ning gave Lu Zheng a thumbs up… then flipped it downward.
“You’ll live out the rest of your life, soaked into mush, trapped in this pathetic hot spring under the watchful eyes of our viewers!”
She sounded so confident—like victory was already hers.
Unfortunately, reality didn’t go as she imagined.
A question mark appeared on Lu Zheng’s pixel screen.
“This is the so-called punishment?”
He instantly relaxed.
He had thought Yi Ning was about to whip out some bizarre evil invention to do something unspeakable to him.
With his lower half fully exposed, if she randomly gave him some outlandish ability, the world might see his legendary sword he could barely hold with both hands.
But this?
He casually pointed his thumb at Yi Ning, his pixel screen laughing its face off.
She didn’t really think the same trick would work on him twice, did she?
After all, Yi Ning’s method of confinement relied solely on a few live-streaming cameras. Destroy those, and the trap would naturally fall apart.
Surely, she didn’t think he couldn’t attack from range?
Seeing Lu Zheng’s smug, relaxed expression, Yi Ning felt a hint of unease.
“What are you laughing at?”
She asked.
Lu Zheng said nothing.
He just reached behind his helmet, fumbled around a bit, and pulled out a die between two fingers.
Seeing the die, Yi Ning’s expression finally changed.
“Where did you pull that from?”
She was in disbelief.
She had carefully checked his helmet in the changing room to make sure there were no hidden dice before letting him in.
And yet… Lu Zheng still pulled one out from somewhere unknown.
Her face dimmed, and even her voice grew deflated.
“So… you were excited because you thought I didn’t bring any dice?”
Only now did Lu Zheng seem to realize her assumption.
He shook his head and tossed the die into the air.
“It’s my lifeline. Of course I keep a few spares hidden.”
He caught the die.
His pixel screen’s emoticon turned oddly amused.
“What the hell’s this thing gonna give me?”