What was Zhao Hongmei looking for a gold mine for?
Shen Nanchu hesitated for a moment, then quickly dismissed her doubts.
After all, this wasn’t her concern.
If Pei Zhengnian could follow Zhao Hongmei’s trail and uncover the bigger fish behind it, that would be a great achievement.
This matter could be left to the male lead!
As for Shen Nanchu, her mind was currently fixated on the gold mine.
A gold mine?
What she had discovered deep in the cave didn’t even qualify as a gold mine—just a few small nuggets at best.
Could the gold mine Zhao Hongmei was searching for be something else entirely?
Based on Shen Nanchu’s findings from the previous day, there might indeed be another gold mine in Wang Family Village.
But its exact location still needed to be pinpointed.
Honestly, this village was quite fascinating—first, someone had buried gold, then she stumbled upon gold dust, and now a gold mine had surfaced. Had they struck a goldmine jackpot?
Wait a minute…
Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through Shen Nanchu’s mind. Could the large gold bars Wang Jianshe had tried to smuggle out have come from that very gold mine?
The more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
If her suspicions were correct, things were about to get very interesting.
The pyrite had already been handed over, but the remaining gold mine? First come, first served.
A glint of excitement flickered in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
The system was conflicted. Should it tell its host about the conversation between the male lead and his superior?
Well, might as well spill it.
After all, couples fight at night but make up by morning.
"Host, the male lead has volunteered to track down the gold mine."
Shen Nanchu fell silent.
The system prodded, "Host, are you going to compete with him?"
Shen Nanchu smirked, "Want to place a bet on who’ll win?"
The system: "..."
So Pei Zhengnian wanted to snatch the gold mine from her too?
Amusement danced in Shen Nanchu’s eyes as a slow smile curved her lips.
Well then, let’s see who outplays whom.
...
Achoo!
Pei Zhengnian sneezed.
Rubbing his nose in the middle of summer, he picked up his enamel cup and went to the hall to pour himself some hot water.
...
"Um, host, if I bet on you to win… would that be okay?"
In the end, the system couldn’t resist its craving for dislike points.
"Sure!" Shen Nanchu agreed without hesitation.
"And if I win…?" The system’s voice grew eager.
"1:1 payout," Shen Nanchu replied generously.
After all, the bigger the bait, the bigger the catch, right?
"Great! Then I’ll bet 100 dislike points!" The system made its decision swiftly.
"Deal." A hint of disappointment flickered in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
Such a small wager.
The system wasn’t as reckless as it used to be.
So stingy now.
She missed the days when it would throw around thousands without a second thought.
...
For the entire afternoon and evening, aside from meals and bathroom breaks, Pei Zhengnian stayed in Pei Yunzhou’s room, poring over Zhao Hongmei’s notes.
To avoid tipping anyone off, he hadn’t taken the notes with him—only memorized the crucial details.
Inside Pei Yunzhou’s room,
Several sheets of draft paper lay scattered on the table, filled with Pei Zhengnian’s recollections of Zhao Hongmei’s notes.
He had even added annotations in some places.
While Pei Zhengnian was hard at work, Shen Nanchu was living the good life.
She lounged on the balcony’s rocking chair, one slender leg crossed over the other, her fair feet swaying lazily in the air.
Her hands were tucked behind her head as she stared at the ceiling.
Her IMAX laser screen was already playing.
With the immersive visuals and booming sound effects, Shen Nanchu was thoroughly entertained.
Between sips of juice and bites of chips, life couldn’t get any better.
The system was torn.
On one side, the male lead was diligently piecing together clues. On the other, its host was leisurely enjoying herself.
And the male lead had the protagonist halo after all… Could it still switch sides and bet on him?
But…
Would the host get mad?
After agonizing for what felt like forever, the system finally came up with a brilliant solution.
"Host, I’ll add another 1,000 dislike points—betting on the male lead to win."
Without even looking away from her movie, Shen Nanchu nodded.
"Fine."
1,000 dislike points were still meager, but compared to 100, it was a step up.
Every little bit counted.
Relieved that Shen Nanchu wasn’t upset, the system silently patted itself on the back.
What a genius it was.
O(∩_∩)O
The next morning,
Shen Nanchu woke up to an empty bed.
Had Pei Zhengnian forgotten to eat and sleep?
Too bad—some things required a professional’s touch.
After breakfast, just as Shen Nanchu was about to head into the mountains, Pei Zhengnian rushed out of Pei Yunzhou’s room.
"Stay at the foot of the mountain today."
"I have something urgent to take care of."
"Don’t do anything reckless. Wait for me to get back."
Only after Shen Nanchu nodded in agreement did Pei Zhengnian dash out the door.
Had the male lead found something?
Shen Nanchu’s brow arched.
Well, let’s see who’d be faster—him or her.
Shen Nanchu was nothing if not obedient.
Since Pei Zhengnian told her not to go up the mountain, she didn’t. She simply wandered around the base.
The system was baffled by its host’s sudden compliance.
Then, in the next second, the defiance returned.
Shen Nanchu stopped at a hillside.
The vegetation on the sunny slope showed an odd pattern—where lush ferns should have thrived, they abruptly gave way to a patch of low-growing wood sorrel.
Such a sudden shift often indicated an underground geological change.
The fault line was here.
A gleam flashed in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
Gold mines were often linked to fault zones.
She followed the slope, making several discoveries along the way.
Having memorized the local flora, Shen Nanchu knew that fault lines disrupted plant growth.
She wandered, pausing here and there, taking countless turns…
Yet, no breakthrough.
Shen Nanchu remained calm, but the system was growing frantic.
"Host, are you sure there’s a gold mine here?"
"Not at all," Shen Nanchu admitted.
"Then why are you exploring this area?" the system pressed.
Shen Nanchu: "Don’t you think these plants look adorable?"
The system: "No."
They looked like any other weeds.
"Host, aren’t you going to make a move?" the system urged. "The male lead has already made progress—he’s ahead of you now."
"So what if he is?"
Shen Nanchu shrugged, utterly indifferent.
"Congratulations in advance on your win."
The system immediately regretted its decision.
The host’s tone made it sound like she was letting the male lead win.
Had she developed deep feelings for him recently?
Was she planning to pave his way with this gold mine?
The more the system thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
"Um, host… can I increase my bet?"
The fish had taken the bait.
