Returning to the first-floor living room, Yang Haoran was still shaken and embarrassed. What a disaster. He had no idea what Auntie Shen must think of him now.
But as he remembered that he had returned empty-handed, his spirits instantly deflated. All that excitement for nothing—he had failed.
He let out a sigh and was just about to head back to Shiwen’s room when suddenly, a sharp alarm ringtone pierced the air.
Following the sound, his eyes landed on the living room coffee table, where a red iPhone immediately caught his attention. He froze on the spot.
“???”
If it were possible, three giant question marks would have popped up over Yang Haoran’s head right then.
That eye-catching red iPhone was all too familiar to him—it was Auntie Shen’s phone. In this household, she was the only one who used the red model.
Yang Haoran glanced toward the second floor, his heart pounding wildly against his ribs. It seemed… he could… Was this a heaven-sent opportunity?
His face instantly lit up with excitement. Struggling to contain his exhilaration, he rushed to the coffee table in a few quick strides, picked up the phone, turned off the alarm, and found himself staring directly at the home screen.
No lock screen?
Overwhelmed with excitement, Yang Haoran could hardly believe his luck. Lady Luck was truly smiling on him—after tirelessly searching everywhere, he had stumbled upon exactly what he needed without the slightest effort.
He had assumed he would have to guess the passcode—and he already had a few likely codes in mind—but he didn’t even need to go that far. Lost in his overwhelming joy, he hadn’t yet paused to consider whether any of this was too good to be true.
Breathing heavily, his hands trembling slightly with excitement, he scrolled through the chat history and contact names, confirming his earlier suspicions—it was undoubtedly Auntie Shen.
Yang Haoran pulled out his own phone from his pocket, opened the camera app, and began photographing the evidence…
Meanwhile, in the master bedroom on the second floor.
Ding. Player Shen Qing, Team Mission 02 has been completed. Reward: 20 points.
Shen Qing leaned against the wall beside the door, a faint smile curling her lips as she received the system’s notification.
She had confirmed her suspicion—the system’s missions were judged from the player’s perspective. For example, Team Mission 02 required the player to deliberately reveal their identity to the Controller. From the way Xiao Ranran had sneaked into her bedroom like a thief to rummage through her things, it was clear he had already known it was her. Yet, the system mission had not registered as complete.
It wasn’t until she actively exposed herself that the mission was marked complete. The key point here was that the player’s actions served as the criteria for the system’s judgment. In other words, the outcome of the mission didn’t matter—the process itself was, for the player, a form of training.
“What a wicked game… but I like it,” Shen Qing murmured to herself, a sly smile gracing her beautiful face. Then, she opened the door and made her way toward the staircase.
She was going to catch him red-handed—to tease her future master.
She was no obedient bitch; she was more like an untamed wild horse. Only someone she acknowledged could ride her, but even then, before being tamed, it was only natural for the wild horse to test and toy with her would-be master.
A horse—or a bitch—that was too easily obtained would never be cherished by her master.
“Xiao Ranran, there seems to be a thief in my house. Have you seen anything?”
Yang Haoran, who had been busy taking pictures to preserve evidence, froze at the sound of Auntie Shen’s voice behind him. His hands stilled mid-action. He turned around and saw her leaning gracefully against the railing of the curved staircase not far away, her chin propped on her wrist, watching him with an amused smirk.
Caught in the act—for the second time now. Even someone as thick-skinned as Yang Haoran felt his face grow warm with embarrassment. This was beyond mortifying.
He held the phone he’d been using to take pictures, unsure whether to put it down or keep holding it, his expression utterly flustered.
Shen Qing descended the staircase with a light chuckle, gliding over to the sofa beside him and sitting down. Her beautiful eyes fixed on him, she feigned confusion and asked, “Xiao Ranran, why are you taking pictures of my phone with yours? If you like it that much, I can buy you one just like it tomorrow. How does that sound?”
“N-no… it’s fine… really, don’t bother,” Yang Haoran stammered, finally setting the phone down. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at Auntie Shen sitting beside him. He felt like a thief caught red-handed by the owner, and his confidence instantly crumbled.
Seeing the handsome young man’s face filled with such awkward embarrassment, Shen Qing felt even more motivated to tease him. Unable to resist, she continued provocatively, “Then why were you taking pictures of my phone? Unless…” She paused here, pointing her slender, jade-white finger at her own brightly lit phone on the coffee table, and said with a mischievous smile, “Were you trying to sneak a peek at my private photos?”
Yang Haoran: “…”
Auntie Shen’s enchanting face was full of playful laughter as she watched Yang Haoran, too embarrassed to speak, and continued, “Trying to sneak a look at my private photos, Xiao Ranran—that’s not very ethical, you know.”
Adopting the tone of a concerned elder, she began lecturing him with feigned seriousness, “Xiao Ranran, you’re at that age where I know you’re curious about the opposite sex. But you really shouldn’t be setting your sights on me. You have to remember—I’m your aunt, your mother’s best friend, and Shiwen’s mother. If Shiwen found out that his best friend was making moves on his mom, what would he think of you?”