Chapter 52: Haste Makes Waste

【Li Shurui's Favorability towards you: -20】

Standing outside the bus, Jiang Chen was speechless, feeling like he wanted to cry but had no tears.

Doesn't everyone say that good deeds are rewarded with good results?

Why, in his case, was the outcome the exact opposite?

Looking at the shocking -100 favorability, Jiang Chen felt like arguing with Li Shurui, but in the end, he just let out a deep sigh.

Forget it.

There is no logic to be found when dealing with women.

She won't consider whether your intentions were good; she will only focus on the fact that you took advantage of her.

No wonder the world is becoming increasingly cold-hearted.

"Senior Jiang, what are you dazing for? Let's go."

Fan Feiyu urged him.

They had already entered the Tiantanzhai Scenic Area, and Mount Tiantang was right before their eyes.

Although they had essentially returned to square one, it wasn't as if they had gained nothing.

Jiang Chen followed the group, while simultaneously comforting himself silently in his heart.

At the very least, he had "tested" the lower limit of the favorability score.

If nothing unexpected happened, -100 should be the limit; otherwise, it wouldn't have only dropped by 20 this time.

In other words, even if you killed the entire family of your conquest target, the favorability would probably stop there.

Thinking of this, Jiang Chen looked up at the towering mountain range and couldn't help but let out another deep sigh.

Mount Tiantang wasn't exactly a famous historical site, but its highest peak exceeded 3,000 meters in altitude. Looking up from the foot of the mountain, a sense of majesty washed over him, appearing almost insurmountable. With its jagged rocks and lush forests, its rugged beauty was by no means inferior to those world-renowned mountain ranges.

The weather wasn't great today. Although the wind hadn't picked up yet, visibility was low and the humidity was high, making it feel stifling. The clouds and mist shrouding the higher elevations added a sense of mystery and solemnity to the mountain.

"See that over there? That is Qibing Peak, the highest peak of Mount Tiantang. That is our goal for today. Does everyone have confidence?"

In the direction Hu Heng pointed, a strange rock shaped like a sword flickered in and out of the mist. Under the tint of the morning light, it looked like a divine weapon fallen from the heavens.

"Yes!"

Even though the weather was poor, it didn't dampen everyone's enthusiasm.

"Good! Let's move!"

There are two routes to climb Mount Tiantang. The mountaineering club chose to start from the northern mountain path according to the established plan.

"Shurui, what's wrong with you?"

Zheng Jingjing noticed something unusual about Li Shurui; she had been wearing a sour expression since they got off the bus, as if someone owed her money.

"Did that guy Jiang Chen make you angry?"

She glanced back.

Jiang Chen and Fan Feiyu were not far behind.

"It's nothing."

Even among best friends, not everything could be shared. She absolutely could not reveal the incident regarding her chest being grabbed.

"Let's walk faster."

Li Shurui increased her pace, undoubtedly wanting to shake Jiang Chen off.

"Senior Jiang, they've walked ahead. Aren't you going to catch up?"

Fan Feiyu reminded him.

"No need."

Jiang Chen was in no rush. Li Shurui was likely still harboring resentment over the accident on the bus; getting too close would only have the opposite effect.

"When chasing a girl, you can't just blindly force it. You have to use strategy and maintain a sense of relaxation..."

As a professional "simp," Jiang Chen actually began imparting "dating experience" to someone else.

Crucially, Fan Feiyu was quite polite about it; instead of scoffing at him for misguiding the youth, he kept nodding, listening with great interest.

"Pfft..."

A soft giggle came from behind.

Jiang Chen turned around, saw who it was, and said reproachfully, "Senior, eavesdropping isn't a good habit."

"This isn't eavesdropping; I'm listening quite openly."

Xie Qian, walking behind the two, showed no embarrassment and teased, "I didn't realize you had quite a bit of insight when it comes to romance."

"Of course."

Jiang Chen was not ashamed at all. "This is all experience summarized after countless failures. Xie, chasing a girl is just like climbing a mountain. The mountain is just there; it's all about how you conquer it. If you exert all your strength at the beginning, thinking only of rushing to the top, you'll run out of steam halfway. You have to maintain your own rhythm. Haste makes waste..."

Jiang Chen spoke grandiosely and shamelessly.

"Fine, you make sense. You two enjoy your research. Excuse me, please let me through."

Xie Qian brushed past the two of them and climbed ahead.

"You're single right now, aren't you?"

Looking at Xie Qian's back, Jiang Chen suddenly asked Fan Feiyu.

"Yeah, why?"

"What do you think of this senior?"

Fan Feiyu froze, then gave a bitter smile. "Senior Jiang, stop joking. She's a graduate student; how could she ever look at me? Besides, she's older than me."

Some people always lack confidence.

While others are far too confident.

"So what if she's older? Haven't you heard the saying, 'A woman three years older is like holding a gold brick'? I talked to her a lot last night. This senior is quite good—she has solid values and recently went through a breakup. She's participating in this activity to heal. This is a rare opportunity."

Jiang Chen patted Fan Feiyu on the shoulder and quickened his pace.

Fan Feiyu didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

The physical fitness of modern college students was indeed not ideal. Combined with the steep mountain paths and the humid air, after an hour, most people were drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Hu Heng had no choice but to call for a rest on the spot.

With Jiang Chen's matchmaking, Fan Feiyu actually began to get acquainted with Xie Qian, and the two were sitting together, chatting and laughing.

A teachable child.

As Jiang Chen replenished his water, his gaze wandered and landed on Li Shurui.

Sensing something, Li Shurui looked back at him, her eyes cold and filled with warning.

Jiang Chen, who was about to step forward, sighed inwardly and suppressed his previous thought.

Could it really be this miserable?

To invest so much precious time here and not only fail to make progress but actually regress to the starting point?

Jiang Chen couldn't help but regret his initial impulse to choose Li Shurui as his experimental subject. Had he known she would be this difficult to handle, picking any random girl from KIMI would have probably been easier.

But it was too late for regrets now.

Before completing the current stage of the conquest mission, the target person could not be changed halfway.

"In about forty minutes, we will reach the Magpie Bridge. Everyone, put in some effort and pick up all your trash."

The Magpie Bridge was one of the important landmarks of Mount Tiantang—a suspension bridge hanging high in the air, with magpies carved on both sides, symbolizing romantic meaning.

Anyone who visited Mount Tiantang would go to the Magpie Bridge to take photos.

Hu Heng led by example, demonstrating the excellent character of a college student. Everyone picked up their own trash and packed it away.

"I heard that if couples walk across the Magpie Bridge together, they will grow old together."

"Then what about me, since I'm single?"

"If you walk across the bridge, you'll encounter beautiful love immediately."

"Is that true?"

"Just try it and you'll know."

The beautiful legends regarding the Magpie Bridge provided these girls with strong motivation, even making them forget their physical exhaustion.

Because of the girls' state, the speed of the entire group increased significantly for a time. In just half an hour, a suspension bridge approximately two hundred meters long appeared in everyone's sight.

(End of Chapter)