"Shen! Nan! Chu!"
"Yeah?"
Jiang Shuyi glared at Shen Nanchu through gritted teeth.
Unfortunately, she was kneeling on the ground while Shen Nanchu towered over her.
Jiang Shuyi stood up, her furious eyes locked onto Shen Nanchu.
"Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—just you wait."
A smirk curled at Shen Nanchu’s lips, her eyes brimming with mockery.
She stepped closer, her 1.7-meter height absolutely dwarfing Jiang Shuyi’s 1.6-meter frame.
"Wait? For you to save up enough for your coffin?"
[Dislike Points +100]
Oh, the satisfaction of throwing shade right in her face.
More dislike points, more, more!
Shen Nanchu waited eagerly for Jiang Shuyi’s retaliation, ready to gift her an even bigger "firework."
But to her surprise—what do you know?—Jiang Shuyi just shot her a venomous glare and walked away.
If not for the sight of Jiang Shuyi’s tightly clenched fists hidden under her sleeves, Shen Nanchu might’ve thought she’d turned over a new leaf.
Seems like being locked up in the police station had done the female lead some good—she’d grown a brain.
Amusement flickered in Shen Nanchu’s eyes.
The question was, how much of a brain?
The more, the better. A little challenge in farming dislike points would keep things interesting.
……
In the days that followed in Wang Family Village, Shen Nanchu carried hope in her heart.
Hope for the female lead.
Not long after dawn, Shen Nanchu lazed in bed for just an hour before heading out to work.
Slacking off on the job? That’d be a problem for her dislike points.
Knowing Jiang Shuyi hated seeing her look flawless, Shen Nanchu made sure to doll herself up extra.
A red blouse paired with black straight-leg pants, the hem tucked neatly into the waistband. A red ribbon tied into her hair, woven into a single braid draped over her shoulder.
Standing next to the female lead in this outfit? She’d outshine her into the dirt.
Umbrella in hand, Shen Nanchu strolled leisurely through the fields like she owned the place.
Even before she got close, the villagers were already buzzing.
"Wow, Educated Youth Shen’s outfit is stunning!"
"That bright red—only she could pull it off!"
"How did she do her hair? I wanna try it too!"
Jiang Shuyi’s hands paused mid-motion before she forced herself to keep working.
The constant stream of praise for Shen Nanchu grated on her nerves, but she didn’t dare let it show.
After two humiliating defeats at Shen Nanchu’s hands, Jiang Shuyi wasn’t about to act recklessly again.
Her family had already voiced their displeasure over bailing her out twice.
A third time…?
A shudder ran through her. She didn’t even want to think about it. Her hoe swung harder against the dirt.
Shen Nanchu’s brow arched.
"System, no dislike points from the female lead today?"
"Host, nope. Today’s female lead is stingy—not a single point," the system replied, equally puzzled.
This calm Jiang Shuyi?
Since when?
A quiet dog is either plotting mischief or already causing trouble.
If Jiang Shuyi was holding back this hard, she must be brewing something big.
Shen Nanchu couldn’t help but feel a little excited.
As she passed the fields, Wang Jianguo and Wang Jianshe were deep in discussion. They stopped when they noticed her.
"Village Chief, Party Secretary, good morning!"
"Educated Youth Shen, you’re heading up the mountain already?"
"Found anything significant lately?"
Significant?
Shen Nanchu’s gaze swept casually over Wang Jianshe.
Was he testing her? Or fishing for information?
If she didn’t already know his true colors, she might’ve mistaken him for a model revolutionary cadre, ever concerned for his comrades’ work.
What a shame.
Time for an acting showdown—let’s see who’s better.
"Ugh, don’t even ask."
Shen Nanchu sighed dramatically, her face scrunching up like a bitter melon.
"My luck’s been awful lately."
"Every time I find something, someone else gets there first."
Wang Jianshe stiffened, his expression shifting almost imperceptibly.
"That can’t be. Who in the village has nothing better to do than dig up bones on the mountain?" Wang Jianguo took a drag from his cigarette.
Who else?
The guy standing right next to you, obviously.
Shen Nanchu feigned confusion, shaking her head.
"No idea."
"But I marked a few new spots yesterday. Fingers crossed."
"That’s why I wore red today—for good luck."
Wang Jianshe stubbed out his cigarette.
"Village Chief, I need to head back to the village."
"Go ahead," Wang Jianguo said, none the wiser.
With a nod at Shen Nanchu, Wang Jianshe hurried off.
No audience? Time to wrap up the show.
After a quick farewell to Wang Jianguo, Shen Nanchu made her way up the mountain.
She’d only been here a few times, always the same peak. Today, she’d explore the neighboring slopes and check on the tea-oil trees.
Rolling hills stretched endlessly, lush tea-oil trees clustered together, thriving wildly.
Wang Family Village was practically a natural greenhouse for them.
Standing atop the mountain, Shen Nanchu gazed at the sea of green, already picturing stacks of cash.
"Host, Wang Jianshe is watching you through binoculars," the system chimed in.
Ugh.
Of course that old weasel was up to no good.
Good thing she’d worn this eye-catching red. No way he’d miss her now.
Rolling up her sleeves, Shen Nanchu stretched.
"Host, what’re you doing?"
"Digging for treasure, obviously."
"But won’t that just hand it to that old scoundrel?"
"You think I’d let him profit off me that easily?"
"……Only a nine-lived cat demon would dare try."
For now, Shen Nanchu hadn’t figured out Wang Jianshe’s endgame. Taking him down outright wasn’t the move—she needed to reel in the bigger fish.
But that didn’t mean she couldn’t mess with him.
A cornered dog will jump over the wall.
Picking up a stick, Shen Nanchu began marking spots—one, two, three, four, five.
Not too many, but enough to keep Wang Jianshe busy.
If he had the stamina to dig them all, she’d eat her hat.
(•̀ω•́)✧
The system quietly scanned the marked locations.
Maybe it should record tonight’s events for the host.
Such a smart, thoughtful system definitely deserved praise.
Wag wag~~~
……
Through his binoculars, Wang Jianshe memorized every spot Shen Nanchu had marked.
After all, she’d already led him to one complete skeleton—he wasn’t about to doubt her skills now.
Late that night, under the cover of darkness, Wang Jianshe sneaked up the mountain.
Sweat dripped as his military shovel hacked into the earth.
The system’s camera focused squarely on Wang Jianshe and the deepening pit.
One second, two, three…
After exactly 2,256 seconds—
Wang Jianshe’s face twisted in horror as he scrambled back.
Hiss. Hiss. Hiss.
Two snakes, mid-mating, rose menacingly, their eyes locked onto him.
……
