Chapter 42 Ginger Noodle Soup Nourishes the Stomach.
As soon as Shen Mi returned to his room, he heard the good news reported by the system in his mind.
[Congratulations, host! Jing Yuan's conquest points have increased by 10%! They have now reached 20%! Keep up the good work, host!]
Shen Mi raised an eyebrow and said proudly to the system.
"That's right, don't you even know who I am?"
The system understood immediately and rushed to flatter it.
[Host, you've worked hard! You must be exhausted after keeping watch all night. Take some time to rest, there are new tasks tomorrow!]
Upon hearing the last sentence, Shen Mi's happy expression instantly froze. No wonder he kept saying the things she wanted to hear; he was waiting for her to hear them.
"Speak, what's the mission?"
The system stammered and remained silent for a long time.
[In short... please have intimate contact with the target person—Jing Yuan—for more than 5 minutes within 18 hours.]
Chen Mi: "..."
She stood there, staring at the ceiling, not even daring to immediately confirm if she had misheard.
Are you going to go all out right from the start?
Also, why couldn't this task have been released earlier? Weren't there many opportunities to complete the task last night?
[Sorry, host. The mission must be completed while the target is conscious.]
Chen Mi sat on the edge of the bed in silence for a long time.
Five minutes of intimate contact—how could she possibly manage that? Normally, she wouldn't dare make any unnecessary movements when talking to Jing Yuan, for fear of arousing his suspicion. Moreover, after that accident, Jing Yuan would definitely be extra careful about the distance between them.
You said it's not impossible to accidentally touch a little hand and then quickly pull it back.
But you said you wanted close contact for more than five minutes?
Even a minute would be difficult, let alone five minutes. The more Shen Mi thought about it, the more she felt she could give up on this task.
What happens if it's not completed? What kind of punishment will be given?
Failure to complete the task on time may affect those who have already completed the game; the specific system involved is currently unknown.
So, that means punishment is like opening a blind box.
Shen Mi stared thoughtfully at the wooden box not far away.
After a moment's hesitation, she asked.
[Just five minutes of intimate contact, with no other conditions? What level of intimacy is required?]
Please, please, don't let it be the kind of mouth-to-mouth contact. She's seen this kind of coincidence countless times in idol dramas and web series. Whenever such an accident occurs in a drama, she will immediately shut down her commentary and end the discussion.
If she were to do this, then others would be criticizing her instead.
Moreover, Jing Yuan is meticulous. If she really did that, she would probably be kicked out before the mission was even completed.
Holding hands, hugging... as long as there is skin-to-skin contact for more than five minutes, the task is considered complete.
As if sensing Shen Mi's concerns, the system added another sentence.
[Please rest assured, host. The mission plan is the optimal solution generated after comprehensive analysis of the current progress of the strategy, the target character's psychological activity curve, and the host's behavior records.]
Doing this will absolutely bring you benefits and no harm.
Okay.
Shen Mi decided to believe what the system said; she already had a plan in mind.
Since the conditions for completing the task are harsh, applying medicated oil should be considered a form of contact, right? This way, you can not only complete the task in a short time but also easily meet the task's requirements.
It just so happens that Jingyuan had said he would help her apply it, but... the only thing that made her feel embarrassed was—
She had just rejected Jing Yuan's proposal and even jokingly called him "ill-intentioned," but now she was being slapped in the face too quickly, and she wasn't mentally prepared.
Never mind, I'll stop thinking about it for now.
Anyway, there was still some time before the mission countdown ended. Chen Mi glanced at the wall clock, which had already reached ten o'clock. It was time to make lunch.
What should we eat?
She suddenly remembered a bowl of ginger soup noodles she had by chance while traveling. What did the owner say to her at the time?
Ginger is pungent and warm in nature. It can not only dispel cold and warm the stomach to stop vomiting, but also has the effects of strengthening the stomach and relieving pain. It is suitable for people with poor stomachs.
According to the "Dietary Therapy Materia Medica", it "stops nausea, relieves irritability, and improves appetite".
The boss told her that in their area, ginger can not only prevent colds and keep you warm, but it can also be used to make stomach-nourishing dishes.
The method is not difficult. First, wash and peel the ginger, grind it into small pieces and squeeze out the ginger juice. Heat oil in a pot, add your favorite side dishes, salt and seasonings, stir-fry briefly, then pour in cold water and ginger juice. When the ginger soup boils, some of the spiciness will evaporate. The ginger soup noodles will retain the effects of ginger, but the taste will be greatly reduced.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Mi decided to have this for lunch.
Taking advantage of the early hour, Chen Mi quickly went to the supermarket and bought a large amount of ginger. Upon returning, she immediately went into the kitchen to begin using ginger in her diet.
Chen Mi had never done it before, but she remembered what her boss told her. It shouldn't be too difficult. As long as she followed the steps, there shouldn't be any major problems.
Coincidentally, she also has a great interest in food. Unlike Jingyuan, when she eats food she likes, she will try to recreate it herself if she has time. She doesn't deliberately pursue the original flavor; she cares more about the process of learning new things.
But now, she has to be extra careful and try her best to make this bowl of ginger soup noodles delicious.
Shen Mi took out the fresh vegetables she had bought from the refrigerator, washed them, peeled them, and chopped them evenly. She did each action carefully and meticulously, just like a well-trained professional chef.
She was so engrossed in her work that she didn't notice someone standing quietly behind her for a long time, even humming an unknown tune with great interest.
Jing Yuan walked slowly forward, placed his hands on the edge of the island counter, and asked with a smile, "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Shen Mi was startled by his sudden voice, his hand trembled, and the sharp blade almost cut his fingers.
Jing Yuan immediately stepped forward, grabbed her hand, and carefully examined it from all angles. After confirming that she was not injured, he breathed a sigh of relief and gently let go.
When Jing Yuan grabbed her hand, Shen Mi froze completely.
His palms were cool and strong, his fingertips gently caressing her joints. He lowered his head to examine her carefully, as if afraid of missing even the smallest scratch. His breath brushed against her skin, and Chen Mi trembled slightly.
The two were clearly too close at this moment. Although it was only a few seconds of examination, Shen Mi felt that time was stretched out, so long that her throat felt tight.
She wanted to pull her hand away, but was afraid of appearing ungrateful, so she could only stiffen her body and let him move her up and down and left and right.
When Jingyuan finally confirmed that everything was alright and let go of her hand, Shen Mi breathed a sigh of relief as if she had finally been released.
"Thankfully, you're alright."
"It's my fault, I didn't mean to come out and scare you."
Shen Mi quickly withdrew his hand, his fingertips unconsciously touching the spot he had touched. There seemed to be a faint trace of coolness left there, a reminder that he was still sick.
She looked up, smiled generously, and said in a light tone, "No, I was just too focused."
As she spoke, Shen Mi quickly glanced at the vegetables that were almost finished being chopped on the cutting board, and added, "I'm almost done. You can go and rest in the living room first. I'll call you over to eat when it's done."
Jing Yuan stared at her hand movements for two seconds, but in the end he just nodded slightly and obediently turned around and walked towards the living room.
Once he was out of sight, Chen Mi quietly breathed a sigh of relief and lowered her head to continue her work. But her fingertips still trembled slightly, and her heart felt as if it had been gently plucked, unable to calm down.
As she chopped the vegetables, she couldn't help but mutter to herself:
Good heavens! The way he grabbed my hand just now was so natural!
She silently grumbled to herself, but didn't say it aloud; her actions unconsciously slowed down by half a beat.
Is this a good thing?
[System, system, could you check the current success rate of the target mission?]
[Yes. The target character, Jing Yuan, has a success rate of 10%.]
There has been no change.
Shen Mi could hardly believe it.
But thinking about it, it makes sense. Jingyuan has always been gentle; if he considers you a friend, he'll naturally care about you.
The action just now... was probably just out of concern between friends.
It seems I still have to follow the system's tasks step by step and figure it out little by little.
Shen Mi silently reminded himself, forcing his attention back to the dishes in front of him.
But the force in his hand unconsciously lessened, and the knife fell on the cutting board with only a soft, rustling sound, losing its original crispness.
In the living room, Jing Yuan sat quietly with his back to her. It was impossible to see what he was doing, but Shen Mi always felt that there was a gaze on her, seemingly imperceptibly.
She gritted her teeth, paused in her work, and then sped up, as if trying to suppress the useless thoughts in her mind with busyness.
Jing Yuan sat on the sofa and quietly turned his head to look at Shen Mi's busy back as he looked down.
He noticed her slight stiffness just now.
Jing Yuan lowered his eyes, his hands unconsciously clasped together, his palms sweating and tight, yet a sense of suppressed irritation rose within him.
Like steam rising from boiling water, it gurgles against the lid, neither violently nor dissipating, but slowly churning in my chest.
He recalled what he had seen in the restroom—
Perhaps her reaction to him wasn't shyness or nervousness, but rather a deliberate attempt to keep her distance.
Thinking of this, Jing Yuan felt even more depressed, and he even lowered his breathing.
He was annoyed by his impulsiveness, and even more annoyed by his carelessness.
Just because of a stomachache, you completely forgot that there's someone else in the family?
That shouldn't be the case.
...
[Ding—Strategy points increased by 5%.]
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Author's Note: Tonight's episode is a bit short, hehe [Let me see][Let me see][Let me see]
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