Chapter 50: Does It Matter?

Xu Nuo asked, "But can you really stop them?"

As the thugs surged from all directions, Lin Qisheng leapt to the forefront. With a few dashing snaps of his fingers, a blaze erupted around him, followed by invisible winds. Lethal blades of air, as elusive and unpredictable as their master, swept through the battlefield.

In an instant, the once-quiet base was plunged into chaos, smoke and fire raging everywhere.

"Stop! Please, stop!" The poor old butler strained his dry voice and trembling legs, desperately trying to intervene. "Please, young master, Miss Xu, all of you, calm down!"

The compact mobile base was far too small to contain three powered individuals fighting at full force. In no time, their battle spilled outside.

Xu Nuo did not join in the fight between the three men, nor did anyone dare touch her. She watched with relish, side by side with the audience in her livestream.

[Yes! Keep fighting!]
[Superpowered brawls are always so flashy and cool.]
[Three men vying for one queen—who will win Xu the Empress’s favor in the end?]
[Our Empress only likes obedient ones—Sheng Ming has no chance.]

The clash between the three powers was a feast for the eyes: lightning flashed, flames soared, and invisible, deadly blades of wind sliced through the battlefield, making for an exceptionally spectacular scene.

Unfortunately, the show didn't last long. The arrival of the military forced them to halt. Having vented their frustrations, reason gradually returned to them.

The army had come to notify Sheng Ming that it was time to depart.

Gu Xingze and Lin Qisheng withdrew from the fray.

Sheng Ming still stood amidst the lingering flames, his usually immaculate attire now disheveled. He stared at Xu Nuo, who was not far away, the searing heat distorting the air and blurring his vision.

"Young master..." The old butler carefully helped him down, feeling that this was the first time he had ever seen his young master so lost and shattered, as if his very soul had fled.

"Butler, does she really not like me?" Sheng Ming’s eyes brimmed with honest confusion and bewilderment. His lips trembled. "...Does she?"

"Young master," the butler struggled to find words of comfort, "let’s go home now."

"I just don’t understand," Sheng Ming murmured, looking up at the sky, "this is the first time I’ve ever felt happy because someone liked me."

.

Lin Qisheng skipped along, calling out dish names to Xu Nuo, planning the feast they’d have together once they returned. "I’ll cook, don’t worry! I’ve gotten really good at it now."

[Host.] 007 hesitated before speaking.

"Yes," Xu Nuo replied, already guessing what 007 meant. "It’s time to go, isn’t it?"

007: [Yes, now is perfect.] Whether for the progression of the in-game storyline or the timing it had found, both were ideal.

Gu Xingze watched as Xu Nuo’s buoyant steps gradually slowed. Lin Qisheng, oblivious, strode on ahead, walking backward as he chatted with her.

"Hey, do you still have any spicy strips? I’ve been craving them for ages, and now I finally have the chance."

"Yes, I’ll let you eat your fill in a bit." Xu Nuo looked up and exhaled deeply. "Gu, I..."

"Miss Xu!!" Suddenly, the old butler’s shout interrupted her train of thought.

The old man’s legs moved surprisingly fast, so much so that Xu Nuo worried for him. "What’s wrong?"

"Miss Xu, are you leaving now?" The butler looked at her with pleading eyes. "I’d like to say a few words to you before you go."

Lin Qisheng impatiently stepped in front of the butler. "What’s left to say? Go tell your young master our Miss Xu isn’t interested, so he’d better give up already."

"Miss Xu." The butler stood his ground with rare persistence, as firm and unmoving as an old tree rooted in place.

"All right," Xu Nuo agreed to his request.

"Why?" Gu Xingze, uncharacteristically, took the initiative to ask her thoughts.

Xu Nuo replied, "Well, perhaps because I want to be a little kinder."

007 muttered silently: Not true—my host is as merciless as they come, even more so than a heartbreaker.

The butler led Xu Nuo behind a heap of deserted ruins, clearly acting on his own.

"Miss Xu," the butler’s tone was gentle, imbued with the kindness of age, "your arrival has truly changed so much."

"Young Master Sheng really likes you."

Xu Nuo, noting the affection score had dropped to zero, said nothing.

"I don’t know what brought you here to find him, but I’ve lived long enough to see that you bear no ill will."

"And you are very special to the young master."

He spoke with conviction. "Miss Xu, you came here for him, didn’t you?"

"Yes," Xu Nuo admitted readily.

"I’d thought you two might truly end up together. The young master was ready..." The butler sighed with regret. "But feelings cannot be forced."

"So you came just to say goodbye?" Xu Nuo asked.

"Not only that. It’s just... hard to accept. It’s rare—he finally liked someone." The old butler was filled with emotion. "But... farewell, then."

Xu Nuo couldn’t help but ask, "He likes me? I never saw it."

"Of course," the butler replied, "the young master is very fond of you."

"But..." Xu Nuo hesitated.

The butler laughed heartily. "You’ll understand when you truly fall for someone. Love is never rational. It needs no reason."

Xu Nuo suspected she might never comprehend such a thing.

"Well, goodbye then."

"Not so fast."

"Hm?!" Her vision spun as she was hoisted onto a shoulder—there was no mistaking Sheng Ming by his attire.

"What are you doing? Let me go!"

"Tch, don’t squirm." The woman kicked and struggled with surprising strength. Having just finished a fight, Sheng Ming almost lost his grip.

"You think you can just leave after provoking me? Not that easy."

[Sheng Ming, Affection +5]
[...+6]
[...+10]

007: [???]

Both Xu Nuo and the system were stunned. How could the affection score skyrocket like a rocket?

Xu Nuo struggled free from his grasp, already forcibly dragged back into the base. "You know this is kidnapping, right?"

"I know," Sheng Ming replied, utterly calm and matter-of-fact, so unlike before that Xu Nuo felt a sudden panic. "Forced fruit is never sweet."

"Stay by my side. Don’t even think about leaving." Sheng Ming seized her wrist and pulled her away with domineering force. "You can only be mine."

"What is wrong with you? Sheng Ming, I’ve told you before—I don’t like you!"

"Does it matter?" Sheng Ming turned, responding with a cold, mocking smile.