The Platinum Bait

Due to Serena’s frenzied behavior and declarations, I deliberately slowed my ablutions in the washroom. I spent nearly fifteen minutes, waiting until I surmised Serena had finally cooled her fervor. Only then did I take a cautious step, slipping out noiselessly.

I halted at the bend between the corridor and the living room. Serena, perched on the sofa, was propping her chin, lost in a quiet murmur to herself, entirely unaware of my prying gaze.

Thus, whether to gather intelligence on the enemy or to safeguard my own physical and mental well-being, it was imperative for me to eavesdrop on Serena’s soliloquy.

I thought this as I pressed myself against the wall. Then, I cautiously took another step forward, pricking up my ears to listen intently.

“Ugh, what am I going to do now? It seems Lin Yan truly got angry…”

Serena’s voice, as she slumped her head, was laced with sorrow. Yet I knew her distress stemmed solely from her game rank, leaving my own heart utterly unmoved.

“Oh, what am I going to do? If Lin Yan keeps ignoring me, I might just plummet back to Silver.”

“I finally clawed my way to Gold, and I refuse to give up now! I yearn to experience the sights of Platinum rank!”

Ah, just as I suspected. Serena wasn’t worried about *me* at all; it was her game rank that truly concerned her.

Yearning to experience Platinum rank? Dream on, you fool! I’ll gradually exploit you to achieve my escape, and you won’t glimpse that ‘scenery’ for at least ten days, maybe even half a month!

“What if I tried a little trick?” Serena, still on the sofa, suddenly furrowed her brow. “Like, tonight I could sneak into Lin Yan’s room, snap some compromising photos of her, and then threaten her into helping me climb ranks?”

‘Hold on, hold on. Is that what you call a ‘little trick’? That’s a full-blown criminal act, you know!’

A jolt of alarm shot through me, and I instinctively wiped a bead of cold sweat from my forehead. Thankfully, I’d been clinging to the wall, eavesdropping for a few minutes; otherwise, I never would have guessed that Serena, this seemingly guileless girl, could harbor such malicious intent!

“Cough, cough, cough, Serena, what exactly are you doing?”

To prevent Serena from turning her outrageous words into deeds, I cleared my throat, then promptly stepped out from the corridor’s bend, revealing myself.

“Eh? Who—who’s there?!”

With a guilty conscience, Serena’s body stiffened when she heard a sound behind her. After she spun around and realized it was me, she merely twitched her lips, forcing a strained, bitter smile onto her face.

“Haha~ Oh… so it was you, Lin Yan-chan. Honestly, I thought it was someone else entirely; you gave me quite a fright!” Serena waved her hand dismissively, then shot me an utterly seductive wink.

“I wasn’t doing anything at all! Didn’t I just make you angry? I was simply pondering how best to apologize to you later!”

‘Lie to ghosts, you faker! I heard your every word and action perfectly clear from the corridor!’

‘And besides, I’m currently in a little girl’s body; I won’t be swayed by your devilish winks!’

“Oh, is that so?” I calmly tilted my head, then feigned a casual wag of my finger. “Actually, getting me to forgive you is quite simple. It’s just…”

“What—what is it?!” Serena, beside me, sprang up from the sofa in excitement.

Heh heh. Observing her reaction, I couldn’t help but crack a devious smile inwardly.

Just as expected, Serena, with her utter obsession for games, would undoubtedly bite the bait I had so meticulously prepared.

Yes, the plan was thus.

Using this morning’s incident as the catalyst, and leveraging Serena’s almost negligible sense of guilt, coupled with her intense desire to climb ranks (the crucial factor), I could seize this opportunity to demand a much higher price from her.

“Actually, it’s nothing much,” I stated. “I simply want to go out and wander around. Being cooped up inside all day is practically suffocating me. So, Serena, do you agree?”

Regardless of her agreement, these words had to be uttered. I’d already spent a week helping Serena play League of Legends, and my sole advancement was the daily privilege of using my recovered phone for a brief period. Even then, Serena kept a constant, watchful eye on me; forget calling for help, even sending an emoji in a mobile game would arouse her suspicion!

I had to admit, when it came to vigilance, Serena, that sycophant, was remarkably similar to her contractor, Chen Si Yi.

“Eh? You want to go out and wander around?” Hearing my request, Serena’s expression involuntarily grew solemn. “No, that won’t do. Si Yi explicitly instructed me never to let you…”

“Platinum.”

“Aiya, aiya! On second thought, Si Yi’s words aren’t necessarily mandatory to follow, are they? Couldn’t I just make sure she doesn’t find out, like we did before?”

‘Good heavens! Serena, you truly are a master of Sichuan opera’s face-changing technique. You turn hostile faster than flipping a book!’

As I watched Serena nod slightly beside me, I was momentarily speechless. Nevertheless, I extended my hand, clasping hers firmly.

“Alright, it’s a deal!”