A Man’s Contest
A few minutes later.
Gu Cheng sipped on ice water, his face expressionless.
The ice water helped a little but not much. He could only wait for the spiciness to fade naturally.
Ning Yi squatted beside his wheelchair, innocently fiddling with her fingers.
Was it really that spicy?
Thankfully, she had only chewed two bites. O3O~
On the way home, Eldest Young Master Gu, unaccustomed to spicy food, carried a dark cloud of low pressure, his face brooding and stormy.
Does this woman really think he won’t do anything to her?
Ning Yi dug deep into her guilty conscience and gave it a shake. Although her husband could be a bit of a jerk, he *had* just endured her menstrual cramps for her (and would still need to endure them later). Knowing she was in the wrong, she decided to go on the offensive.
She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his arm. “Oh, hubby, I didn’t do it on purpose! Seeing your mouth hurt makes my heart ache too!”
Seeing that he didn’t respond, Ning Yi clung to his arm and began swaying. “Hubby, you’re definitely not mad at me, right? Hubby? Hu~~bby~~”
Like a little cat that had stolen a fish.
Scratches you, acts cute, and will absolutely do it again next time.
But Gu Cheng’s voice suddenly lowered. “You… stop eating random things.”
“Mm-hmm, hubby,” Ning Yi nodded obediently, leaning closer. “Does your mouth hurt a lot? If it really hurts, your sweetheart can kiss it better ^3^.”
She puckered her lips, fake as always.
Gu Cheng’s reddened eyes lingered on her for a few seconds before his hand suddenly moved—grabbing her pouty lips.
Ning Yi: “OxO”
Soft. Plush. Red.
How does this mouth manage to spew so much insincere nonsense every day?
Snapping back to himself, Gu Cheng calmly withdrew his hand, rubbing his thumb against his side as though erasing the sensation.
“Ning Yi, trying to make me kiss you?” His tone was indifferent. “We’re not that kind of relationship.”
Even if a kiss could control body swapping, he wouldn’t do it.
Ning Yi: “?”
What the heck, I was just joking. Why’d you take it seriously?!
—
Later, rumours began circulating within the Gu family’s estate—
The Young Master was perfectly fine below the waist. He and the Madam had worked hard all night, trying to conceive a child!
Although they hadn’t succeeded yet, it was only a matter of time!
The Madam and the Young Master were deeply in love! Their nights in the private wing were filled with passion!
There were even stories of role-playing, cosplay, and the Madam being a seductive spider spirit from a fairy-tale!
Everyone: They’re into cutting-edge stuff!
The gossip even reached Song Lan and Elder Gu.
Song Lan, hopeful yet hesitant, asked, “Have their feelings really reached that level?”
Gu Le chimed in, “It’s possible. My brother has never shed a tear for love.”
Pause.
“No, wait. Has my brother *ever* shed a tear?”
Song Lan nodded seriously. “True.”
Even someone as cold as Gu Cheng had been moved to tears by Xiao Yi.
Thus, the Gu family began to optimistically envision a bright future where the family line continued.
—
In the following days, the private wing grew unusually quiet. The servants eventually understood why.
The Madam was on her period. No clouds, no rain.
Everyone: Those who know, know.
Master, you spoil her too much!
—
Meanwhile, Ning Yi lay on her bed, her cramps having mostly subsided.
Her wonderful husband had endured three days of agony for her and was now back at the company, working overtime to handle a multi-billion-dollar project!
Ning Yi held her phone, staring at the notification of a new friend request.
It was Wander’s personal WeChat.
Considering she owned the entire CMore platform, contacting him was ridiculously easy.
Yet, as she opened the chat window, she unexpectedly felt a pang of emotion, akin to the bittersweet nostalgia of seeing an old friend after “making it big.”
Back in the day, life had been a complete mess, but now here they were, both doing well for themselves.
To show respect, Ning Yi sent a voice message:
“Captain Wan, when did you arrive here?”
In their apocalyptic survival days, team dynamics were everything. She handled coding and communications, while Wander was the main combat power, protecting their small squad alongside a few other teammates.
He had a sharp tongue but wasn’t a bad person. After all, Ning Yi had managed to survive those harsh conditions without starving, and that was partly thanks to Wander.
Wander replied almost instantly, clearly a long-time phone addict who practically lived in his device.
“Been here a while.”
“Looks like you’re doing well, 01.”
Ning Yi humbly responded, “Yeah, life’s good now. No more begging for scraps, living the high life. Everyone’s thriving…”
Wander cut in with a voice message, a faint chuckle laced in:
“…And married.”
Ning Yi waved dismissively, despite the fact he couldn’t see her. “It’s alright, I’m just getting by.”
We’re all just characters in this book!
She’d been graced by the plot’s favour! A mere cannon fodder wife notorious for tormenting her husband!
Wander chuckled on his end, taking a moment to reflect.
He’d done some research on her husband. The man was basically the most extraordinary character in the entire story.
Wander’s thoughts were interrupted by a new notification:
[Captain Wan, want to team up? I’m bringing someone along.]
It was Jiang Linyi. After they’d met, Jiang Linyi often asked Wander to carry him in games.
The zombie survival game Wander streamed had skyrocketed in popularity thanks to his broadcasts. But its immersive design made it challenging for most players. Being carried by Wander was a dream for many.
[Give me a sec.] Wander replied, then exited the chat to reopen Ning Yi’s conversation.
“I’m about to stream and carry some players. Want to join?”
Ning Yi hesitated but replied playfully, “I’m a married woman now—what time?”
Wander laughed.
It seemed everyone’s moral standards had improved after returning to normal society. Even he felt that duo-queuing with someone’s wife seemed a bit inappropriate. But Wander’s sense of morality was still, well, thin.
For example, he didn’t believe marriage was necessarily stable.
Especially since 01 had transmigrated into the role of a wife and had likely spent less time with her impressive husband than she had surviving alongside him in the apocalypse.
“It’s fine. Two guys, two girls,” Wander said.
Ning Yi nodded. “Alright, let’s play.”
Streaming on CMore meant money in her pocket anyway. Besides, after watching a couple of game streams, she was already familiar with the mechanics. This game wasn’t exactly difficult for her.
As Wander set up the game and microphone, he casually mentioned, “High-profile teammates tonight—big stars.”
Ning Yi, launching her game, asked, “Who?”
“Jiang something Yi.”
Ning Yi: “?”
And the other woman? Probably Ding Ziyue.
As the game loaded, Ning Yi recalled the plot and couldn’t help but laugh. Wasn’t Wander’s character supposed to be one of the lovestruck male side characters pining for the heroine?
How hilarious. Two trash-tier characters from a brainless romance novel teaming up.
Ning Yi decided not to turn on her mic. She’d just follow Wander and play.
Wander started his stream, and thousands of fans who had been eagerly waiting flooded in immediately. They were quick to notice he wasn’t playing solo tonight.
Wander lazily asked the other two players, “Streaming. You don’t mind, right?”
Jiang Linyi laughed. “Getting to play with Captain Wan? Why would I mind?”
The instantly recognizable voice sent the chat into a frenzy:
[OMG, that’s Jiang Linyi, isn’t it?!]
[OMG OMG OMG, worlds are colliding! Captain Wan knows the top movie star. Legendary.]
[Wait, who’s the girl Jiang Linyi brought?]
At this moment, Ding Ziyue’s soft voice came through: “Captain Wan, hi~ I’m not very good at this game, so please take care of me…”
[OMG! It really is Ding Ziyue?!]
[Ahhh, Jiang Linyi even brings her along to play games? He’s spoiling her too much!]
[So jealous. Who wouldn’t want to be Ding Ziyue…]
Ding Ziyue watched the barrage of comments flooding the screen and suppressed the delight blooming in her chest.
Yes, this was exactly what she wanted! Brother Linyi not only brought her to play games with Wander, but he was also taking her to S City to watch the celebrity match and buy a luxury apartment!
Try not to die of jealousy, ordinary people.
And Ning Yi? She better choke on envy!
Wander casually responded, “Don’t worry. Just play however you like.”
Then he sent a private message to Ning Yi: [You ready?]
Ning Yi replied: [Ok.]
She figured this was a great opportunity to observe whether Wander had any potential to become Ding Ziyue’s lovestruck side character. Hilarious.
The game began.
Ding Ziyue didn’t pay attention to who Wander was bringing along. In her world, she was the sole protagonist, the centre of everything. Once the game started, she focused all her attention on Jiang Linyi, treating the match like a date.
“Ah~ Brother Linyi, save me, save me~!”
“Wahhh, this is so scary!”
Jiang Linyi’s voice was gentle. “Don’t be scared, Yue Yue, I’m coming!”
[Jiang Linyi is such a doting boyfriend. Fans are losing it; bystanders are envious.]
[It’s sweet, but honestly, I’m getting tired of it. Maybe I’m just bitter.]
[Hahaha, am I the only one watching the other side?]
[Captain Wan’s teammate is a girl too? She’s amazing, what the heck!]
Meanwhile, Ning Yi was taking down zombies left and right with flawless precision.
One shot, one kill.
Headshots every time.
No fear of zombies at all. Her hands, trained from years of coding, were as steady as a rock.
[OMG, so impressive!]
[She’s keeping up with Wander’s moves perfectly.]
[And they’re so in sync?? Is this the friend Wander mentioned last time?]
[I’m shipping this already!]
Wander and Ning Yi didn’t need to communicate verbally like Ding Ziyue and Jiang Linyi. They could predict each other’s movements effortlessly, as if they’d been teammates for years.
Ning Yi was thoroughly enjoying herself: Charge, charge, charge!
Kill all the zombies!
When Gu Cheng found Ning Yi in her study, the first thing he heard was the thunderous sound of gunfire.
Then he saw her clutching her laptop, muttering to herself.
“Kill!!!”
“Charge, charge, charge!”
“Quick, quick, quick, left side, left side!”
Gu Cheng stood beside her, watching for a moment. Her skills were actually pretty impressive.
Wasn’t she terrible at games before?
Narrowing his eyes, Gu Cheng’s thoughts wandered. He had asked his assistant to investigate her bank accounts, but nothing suspicious had been found. The only notable transaction recently was a WeChat transfer from Gu Zhisong to Ning Yi.
Still, Gu Cheng’s instincts told him there was more to this. Ning Yi was definitely hiding something.
Just then, the game ended. Ning Yi had almost carried the entire match, trailing just behind Wander in the rankings.
The livestream chat was filled with excitement.
[Ahhhh, someone please beg Wander’s friend to create an account too!]
[Their skills are insane!!!]
Meanwhile, Ding Ziyue had contributed next to nothing the entire match. The flawless teamwork on the other side made her and Jiang Linyi look clumsy in comparison.
Many viewers abandoned their “sweet couple” interactions to focus on Wander and his teammate.
Feeling annoyed, Ding Ziyue forced a smile and said into her mic, “Wow, the guy on the other team is amazing. As expected of Captain Wan’s friend!”
Ning Yi remained silent.
But Wander chuckled lightly and corrected her: “It’s a girl.”
Ding Ziyue: *What!?*
[OMG!!]
[It’s a girl!]
[This has to be the friend Wander mentioned earlier, right?!]
[Who is she?! Tell us, ahhh!]
Ding Ziyue’s expression stiffened immediately. The other team was a man and a woman—it felt like they were intentionally setting her up for comparison!
She didn’t want to play anymore. She didn’t care to find out who the skilled female player on the other side was. All she wanted was for her marketing team to quickly push her interactions with Jiang Linyi onto the trending searches.
Pulling Jiang Linyi along, Ding Ziyue exited the game.
But the moment they left, the team mic turned into an open mic.
From Ning Yi’s side, faint rustling noises came through her headset. Just as the viewers leaned in to listen more carefully—
A cold, magnetic male voice suddenly cut through the noise.
——“Ning Yi, are you done yet?”
Wander sat up straight instantly.
And the livestream chat? It exploded.
[?!?!?!?!?]
[WTF?!]
[The insanely skilled girl is… Ning Yi?!?!!?!]
While everyone struggled to process this revelation, they suddenly recalled her impressive feats from the previous apocalyptic survival event.
[OMG, of course it’s her!]
[The woman who outplayed zombies and taught them how to “walk”! Legendary.]
[Ahhh, my queen! Ning Yi, how many more surprises are you hiding from us?!]
But the excitement didn’t stop there. Some fans quickly noticed another key detail.
[Wait, is that voice… Eldest Young Master Gu?!]
[OMG, it’s him, isn’t it?! Is he jealous?!]
[Wander, RIP. Good luck, hahaha!]
[This ship is sailing, and I’m on board!]
Ning Yi only then realized her voice had been broadcast to the entire stream. Quickly, she exited the call, relieved she hadn’t said anything embarrassing.
“Done, hubby~ hehe~”
Gu Cheng, his face calm and indifferent, asked, “Did you have fun, Ah Yi?”
Ning Yi, playing coy, replied, “It was okay. Just had a friendly match with some online friends.”
Gu Cheng’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Online friends?
Feigning nonchalance, he asked, “Were they men or women?”
Ning Yi answered honestly, “Both. Some of them you even know. ^3^”
Gu Cheng responded with a simple “Hmm.”
Online friends? Not a concern.
After all, it wasn’t as if they were people she’d meet in real life.
“Be mindful of your eyes.”
“Got it, hubby~” Ning Yi replied sweetly.
Neither of them paid much attention to what was happening online. Meanwhile, the internet had already turned this interaction into the talk of the town.
Zhao Mo Chu: *Ahhhh, did I miss some premium sugar again?!*
As CMore’s self-proclaimed gossip queen, she quickly caught up on the developments. Her sharp instincts detected something unusual—
Why was Ning Yi playing a game with Wander? And why were they so in sync?
It wasn’t just sugar—it was tea!
Sweet sugar with a hint of jealousy—deadly.
—
That same day, Ding Ziyue waited eagerly for her trending search to dominate the forums. She had even prepared the posts to share on CMore!
But when she saw the top trending topic instead, she froze.
The female player with Wander was… Ning Yi?!
Ding Ziyue was fuming—
Why is Ning Yi everywhere?! Was she deliberately trying to steal her spotlight again?!
Ding Ziyue thought angrily: So what if she’s good at gaming?
All that proved was that Ning Yi had no substance, wasting her time on trivial things instead of doing something meaningful. Did she know anything about the internet industry? About the future of tech innovation?
Hah, we’ll see in S City!
When the time came, Ding Ziyue would make sure Ning Yi embarrassed herself thoroughly.
—
Soon enough, the much-anticipated Internet Innovation Summit was held amidst a buzz of online chatter.
Ning Yi boarded the first-class cabin of the plane with Gu Cheng.
Despite netizens clamouring for her to create a public account to share her daily life, Ning Yi had no plans to. After all, she already had one—her 01 account.
It was her most precious alias.
This time, her participation in the summit in S City would involve switching between multiple identities—
Much like how she switched bodies with her husband. ^_^
Lying comfortably in her first-class seat, Ning Yi waited for the flight attendants to bring the upgraded in-flight meals.
Because passengers like Eldest Young Master Gu were on board, the airline had meticulously elevated the quality of the meals, striving to provide a Michelin-level experience for this rare occasion.
Of course, Gu Cheng, being ascetic and indifferent to food, passed most of it to Ning Yi.
The accompanying cheese was rich and creamy, the ham perfectly seasoned. The fruits were tropical delicacies airlifted in, and the main course featured caviar with scallion buns, creamy meat sauce pasta, and Japanese sashimi with wasabi, paired with various hand-rolled sushi. To top it off, the flight attendants stood by with warm smiles, pouring champagne.
Ning Yi: *This is the life of the wealthy. It’s amazing.*
She devoured the food with gusto, even taking Gu Cheng’s share.
By the end of the meal, her belly was round and content, a picture of prosperity.
Then she slumped back into her seat—
And swapped bodies with Gu Cheng, who was reading a financial report beside her.
“…” Gu Cheng looked down at himself with a blank expression. “Ah Yi, are you… pregnant now?”
He had long been curious about the bottomless appetite she seemed to have, as if she had endured famine in her past life.
Ning Yi lay back with satisfaction. “Don’t worry, hubby. The child isn’t yours—now let me sleep for a bit. zzZZ”
Gu Cheng: “?”
With an impassive face, Gu Cheng said, “You’d better get up and rephrase that.”
Ning Yi, reclining leisurely, replied, “Of course it’s yours! It can only be yours! In this life and the next, I love only you. I don’t even look at those other flowers and grasses outside. You’re my one and only. Without you, I couldn’t survive! Who could possibly compare to you…?”
“…” Gu Cheng had already gotten up and walked off.
He was going to get Ning Yi a sanitary pad.
It was the final days of her period—there was no bleeding anymore, but a pad was still needed.
By now, Eldest Young Master Gu was an expert at this.
Using Ning Yi’s body, he walked toward the restroom, only to find it occupied by a crew member.
Stepping back to wait, he bumped into a man.
The man didn’t step aside, his gaze landing directly on him.
Gu Cheng frowned, returning the look.
Their eyes met, and the man raised an eyebrow slightly—What’s this? Ning Yi doesn’t recognize him anymore?
They had just played a game together two days ago. He might look a lot better now than he did in the apocalypse, but not to the extent of being unrecognizable.
Gu Cheng quickly assessed: This was likely some passer-by with an interest in Ning Yi.
Height: 186 cm. Two centimeters shorter than himself. Not a threat.
Gu Cheng sneered, ready to turn and leave.
But the man suddenly leaned in closer.
“It’s me, 01,” he said.
Spoken quickly, “01” sounded almost identical to “Ning Yi.”
Gu Cheng’s eyes narrowed dangerously. He knows Ning Yi? Did they have some kind of agreement?
The man took another step closer, lowering his voice in a tone that sounded like he was sneaking around for an affair.
——“Where’s your husband?”
——“?”
Gu Cheng’s face remained expressionless.
Her husband… is standing right in front of you.
**Nomad: I don’t usually like misunderstandings but this… I am looking forward to**
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