Fatal to Pretend With a Cheat | Chapter 8 | A Misunderstood Kiss | Novela.app

The midday scenery was bright and beautiful. A bird's cry from outside the window pulled me back to my senses, only for me to realize the porcelain cup in my hand had already been crushed into fine powder. Ye Tan, draped in a single thin robe, leaned against the edge of the bed leafing through a book. He merely spared me a fleeting glance, having already grown accustomed to such sights. In the beginning, he would nervously check if I had been cut by the porcelain shards; truly, people’s hearts are no longer what they used to be. "…I can’t stay in this clinic anymore." I sighed, shaking the powder from my sleeves. "From the time we returned yesterday at noon until now, I’ve crushed thirty-seven of the clinic’s cups. Dr. Ren is really going to lose his temper." I had overdone it with the stat adjustments last time, and now I could hardly control this primordial power surging within my body. During this period, I had kept my nerves taut to regulate my strength, but the moment my mind wandered even slightly, whatever was under my hand became a ruin of broken debris. My willpower was reaching its limit; I was constantly on the verge of a breakdown. The most frustrating part was that I truly didn't know how I had accessed the modifier last time, and now I couldn't find a way to change it back. "Ah-Tan, do you remember yesterday… the moment right before I faked my death, what exactly did we do?" I couldn't figure out the key to it. Feeling a bit irritable, I lightly tapped the table. The entire rosewood desk immediately collapsed with a loud crack, shattering into pieces on the floor. *Damn it.* "…Master, perhaps you should try lying down while we speak," Ye Tan suggested cautiously. "But I’ve already collapsed two beds." I refused with heavy sorrow. Cups and tables were one thing, but beds were a finite resource—once one broke, there was one less to sleep on. "But I really need to think this through. I’ll go lie down in the courtyard instead." I pushed the door open with extreme care. Ye Tan put down his book and stood up. "Very well, this subordinate shall accompany you to soak up some sun." I nodded and focused my attention, summoning every ounce of my concentration. With fear and trepidation, as if treading on thin ice, I carried the lounge chair from the inner room to the courtyard. I placed it gently on the ground and cautiously stepped seven paces away before finally letting out a breath. "You can't stand for long. Lean back and rest for a while." "Master, I cannot. How could this subordinate be so lacking in propriety?" I knew his stubborn temperament was always hard to coax, but I truly had no energy left to soothe him. "Ah-Tan, I’m really tired. Have mercy on me." He pursed his lips and, surprisingly, complied immediately by sitting down. It was so easy that I was actually startled. So, when dealing with shadow guards, playing the pity card was far more effective than offering comfort. I made a firm mental note of this. I cleared away some weeds and lay down right in the middle of the courtyard. The pebbles and green bricks were uneven and quite uncomfortable against my back, but at last, I could finally relax for a moment. "Ah-Tan." "Hmm?" "Living… is truly hard." "..." What exactly were the conditions for activating the cheat? An object? An action? A ritual? A line of dialogue? I closed my eyes and carefully recalled the situation at the time. I had been sent flying by Ze Que, rolled a few times, and then was supported by Ye Tan. I didn't seem to have touched anything special, so the trigger probably wasn't an object. "Ah-Tan, what did you say back then? Can you say it again?" Having reached a dead end in my thoughts, I had to ask for outside help. Ye Tan remained silent. I prompted him again, and only then did he respond in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "This subordinate said… if I were at my peak, I would never have allowed Master to suffer such humiliation." "And the other sentence?" But Ye Tan refused to say it no matter what. I rolled over and sat up, saying earnestly, "Ah-Tan, can you still move? Could you force yourself a little and reenact the scene from that moment?" I knew this wasn't good for his recovery, but I couldn't care about much else. Without allowing any room for argument, I carried him to the ground, arranged him in the original pose, and leaned into his embrace. Ye Tan’s movements were stiff, and his expression was even more spectacular. I thought about my own lines and took the lead in entering the role. "My skills are inferior; I admit defeat. Alright, Ah-Tan, your turn." My gaze was expectant. Ye Tan looked as though the burden was too heavy to bear; he turned his head away and whispered, "…If only… the one I met at the very beginning had been you…" The birds sang melodiously, the warm wind brushed past my ears, and the world was peaceful—but nothing changed. For a moment, no one spoke. I only saw the tips of Ye Tan’s ears turning increasingly red and translucent under the sunlight. I was deeply disappointed. It seemed the startup program wasn't a line of dialogue. What was missing? An action? It seemed the same as before, no difference… Suddenly, I had a flash of inspiration. "Ye Tan! Did you kiss me back then?!" Ye Tan was startled and denied it flatly. "Absolutely not!!" "You did, right?! Although I lost consciousness afterward, I remember seeing your eyelashes being super close to me." I said joyfully, "Ah-Tan, hurry, kiss me again!!" Ye Tan almost looked terrified as he tried to push me away. Naturally, I wouldn't let go. I circled my arms around him and forced him toward me. Seeing his panicked expression, a sense of guilt—as if I were forcing myself upon a virtuous maiden—welled up within me. I hurriedly tried to soothe him. "Don't be afraid, I… *cough*, I have… a reason I can't explain." I put on a miserable, sorrowful expression, playing the pity card. Ye Tan finally calmed down slightly. Seizing the opportunity, I aimed and pecked him right on the lips. A hit! Yes!! He had been struggling desperately just a moment ago, but once I actually kissed him, he stopped moving entirely, likely shocked senseless. But though I had kissed him, the modifier still failed to launch. I wondered if the position was wrong, so I pressed against his lips and shifted through a few angles, but there was still no improvement. Deep disappointment x2. I had tried every method I could think of and was finally at my wit's end. Overwhelmed by grief, I slowly let go like a frost-bitten eggplant and moved away from Ye Tan’s lips. I hadn't even moved an inch away when I found I couldn't move anymore. At some unknown point, Ye Tan had raised his hand to support the back of my neck, his fingers sliding into my hair, stroking upward inch by inch. "…I’m sorry, Master. I… this subordinate did not mean to reject you." He apologized in a low voice, closed his eyes, and leaned in again. His thin lips were burning hot, his breath gentle. "Please… do not make such an expression anymore." …?????? Wait, no?? Brother, have you misunderstood something???? *** Glossary Table: Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation --- | --- | --- 任大夫 | Dr. Ren | The physician at the clinic where the MC and Ye Tan are staying. 修改器 | Modifier | The "cheat menu" or game-like interface the MC uses to change his stats. 花梨木 | Rosewood | A high-quality wood often used for traditional Chinese furniture. 影卫 | Shadow Guard | A secret, highly trained bodyguard/assassin; Ye Tan's role. 卖惨 | Playing the pity card | Literally "selling misery"; acting pathetic to gain sympathy. 洪荒之力 | Primordial power | A humorous/slang term for an overwhelming, ancient, or uncontrollable force.