Chapter Nine: An Appointment with the Goddess

Ma Wu, once discovered, didn't bother to hide anymore and replied, "I've liked Lin Erke for a long time. How could I possibly refuse her request?"
No matter what Li Mida did, Ma Wu was determined to have Lin Erke. He couldn't recall exactly when, but Lin Erke had become a forbidden fruit in his mind.
"Oh," Li Mida answered softly, suddenly feeling upset inside.
So Ma Wu meant that she wasn't as good as Lin Erke?
Her man was never an ordinary catch. Li Mida had already prepared herself for the possibility that Ma Wu might have other women.
But the way he said it rubbed her the wrong way.
Lin Erke, was it? Just wait and see.
Ma Wu seemed oblivious to Li Mida's displeasure, pulling her into his arms and saying,
"Baby, I missed you."
"What do you want with me?" Li Mida looked at Ma Wu with a face full of resentment. "Why don't you go find your Lin Erke?"
"Hey now," Ma Wu didn't hesitate, scooping Li Mida up into a princess carry.
"Ah!" The suddenness made Li Mida cry out before she could react.
Her delicate fists landed repeatedly on Ma Wu, but nothing could halt his advances.
"I'll show you right now just how much I like you," Ma Wu whispered low in Li Mida's ear. Her pretty face flushed red, and she stopped resisting, letting him do as he pleased.
Looking down at Li Mida beneath him, Ma Wu's eyes grew darker.
Indeed, Li Mida was his first woman, and that meant a lot to any man.
But none of it compared to Lin Erke, the woman he'd secretly loved for so many years.
Jealousy was a trivial matter; he only hoped Li Mida wouldn't do anything outrageous.
Otherwise...
Li Mida, lost in the moment, had no idea about the little schemes brewing in her man's heart.
Standing at the entrance of the restaurant, Lin Erke felt anxious. What sort of person was Ma Wu?
Could he be one of those greasy middle-aged men?
Just imagining it made Lin Erke nauseous, but she steadied herself and stepped into the western restaurant.
"Miss Erke, you finally made it." Ma Wu made no effort to hide his admiring gaze.
Lin Erke was even more stunning than she appeared in her live streams, full of vibrant energy.
"You... are you Mr. Ma Wu?" Lin Erke asked hesitantly.
He looked... rather handsome!
Ma Wu's face wasn't particularly refined, but his mischievous smirk and the glint in his eyes gave him a roguish charm.
Definitely better than those uncle types.
"Yes, that's me." Ma Wu pretended to be proper, inviting Lin Erke to sit, his gaze growing increasingly predatory.
Lin Erke sat, a bit embarrassed, feeling his eyes practically burning with intensity.
What a reckless man! Lin Erke blushed, silently grumbling to herself.
"Does Miss Erke remember what I once said in the live stream?" Ma Wu asked meaningfully, staring at her as if with hidden intentions.
Lin Erke stared blankly at Ma Wu and instinctively replied, "Huh? What did you say?"

The thing Lin Erke remembered most about Ma Wu was his frequent declarations of "I love you" in the live stream.
But surely no one would take that seriously... right?
As if to test her theory, Ma Wu pulled a small box from his pocket.
"Miss Erke, it's just as you imagined." Ma Wu paused, then continued, "I really like you. Would you accept my confession?"
With a click, the box opened, revealing a diamond necklace.
Her expression dimmed suddenly—she'd thought it would be a wedding ring inside!
Wait, what was she thinking!
"Mr. Ma, don't you think this is a bit too fast..." Lin Erke fumbled for words to reject Ma Wu.
Ma Wu's emotions flared instantly. "Do you know how long I've liked you? How could you turn me down so easily?"
His gaze became somewhat frightening, and Lin Erke was startled.
In a flash, Ma Wu leapt forward and gripped Lin Erke's chin, about to kiss her.
There was no time to dodge—Ma Wu stole her first kiss.
"You...!"
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Lin Erke felt both ashamed and furious.
She had always been scrupulously self-disciplined, never even holding hands with a man, let alone kissing one.
And Ma Wu seemed in no mood to stop, plunging Lin Erke into panic.
Was he about to...
"Let's eat,"
Unexpectedly, Ma Wu pulled back with a suave air.
Lin Erke felt a bit disappointed—this man...
Why didn't he follow the script?
"Who's eating with you?" a man's voice interrupted, forcefully inserting itself between Ma Wu and Lin Erke.
"Xiao Liu, why are you here?" Lin Erke looked at the newcomer in surprise.
This was Lin Erke's agent, named Liu Mang, an upperclassman from her school who liked her but never dared to confess.
"I knew this guy was up to no good!" Liu Mang stomped angrily, shouting, "He's nothing but a scoundrel. Let's go!"
Lin Erke was embarrassed and hesitated. Ma Wu had already stopped on his own; it felt wrong to accuse him now.
Besides, Ma Wu was her sponsor—no matter what, she couldn't say that outright.
"Xiao Liu, can we talk about this back home?" Lin Erke coaxed gently.
After all, Liu Mang was just looking out for her.
"What, I'm not allowed to speak?" Liu Mang still wouldn't let it go.
Lin Erke frowned, growing annoyed with Liu Mang.
Why couldn't he read the room?
"Fine, since I'm not welcome," Ma Wu stood up with magnanimity. "Then I'll just leave."
"This necklace, Miss Erke, please accept it."

"Get lost, we don't want your stuff!" Liu Mang instinctively retorted.
Ma Wu said nothing, walking straight out of the restaurant.
Lin Erke's gaze was complicated as she watched Ma Wu's departing figure, unsure what to say.
Just as Ma Wu passed by her, he shoved the necklace into her hand and whispered in her ear,
"My investment in you will continue~"
Maybe he wasn't so bad after all...
Once outside, Ma Wu's face darkened instantly.
Damn it, just when he was about to get close to his goddess, some meddler jumped in—what was that supposed to mean?
It seemed Lin Erke and Liu Mang had a pretty good relationship.
Ding! Congratulations, host, for triggering a side quest:
Win over and seduce streamer Lin Erke, and castrate Liu Mang.
Reward: 200 success points, a random conquest strategy.
Oh~ Who knew Liu Mang would trigger a new quest? Not a wasted trip after all.
Ma Wu's mood brightened immediately.
"System, what's this conquest all about?" Ma Wu noticed this task seemed different from the one with Li Mida.
Ding. Replying to host: Conquest means making the target fall for you completely, body and soul.
Ma Wu nodded thoughtfully. It seemed Li Mida was of a different sort.
Not everything could be solved simply by sleeping together.
Meanwhile, Lin Erke and Liu Mang fell into endless bickering.
"What do you think you're doing?" Lin Erke's words were full of reproach. "How could you talk to our sponsor like that!"
"Even now, you still see him as your sponsor?" Liu Mang looked at Lin Erke in disbelief.
"He's a pervert!"
Lin Erke reluctantly replied, "I don't see it that way."
"You!" Liu Mang was so angry he spoke without thinking. "Is it all about money for you?"
"A rich guy comes along, he's decent looking, and you just throw yourself at him?"
Now Lin Erke was truly angry. She was gentle, but that didn't mean she let herself be bullied.
"We've known each other for years! Don't you know me at all?"
"Then why don't you realize I like you!" Liu Mang almost shouted the words without thinking.
He was furious. Ever since graduation, Liu Mang had stayed by Lin Erke's side.
He'd already considered her his own, and now Ma Wu had barged in and stolen her first kiss.
How could Liu Mang accept that?
"You're out of your mind!" Lin Erke threw the words at him and fled as fast as she could.