TMLSG -Chapter 3 Choose What You Like

In the photo, two hands—one larger, one smaller—touched lightly at the fingertips, hovering in that “almost but not quite” space, as if a slight push would make them separate immediately.

And indeed, that was exactly what happened.

After taking the photo, Tang Zhen withdrew her hand.

【Xiao Zhen, you’re so perfunctory~~~】

Tang Zhen was a little perfunctory, yes. Everything she did was purely to complete the mission. Just thinking that everything she was doing now was paving the way for the female lead made interacting with Ren Yanjing feel strangely frustrating.

After snapping the photo, she glanced at the mission log. Yet, it still showed 2/3.

What? They’d held hands—or at least touched hands—and even taken a photo. Didn’t that count as an intimate interaction?

000 hesitated before explaining: 【Xiao Zhen, you and the male lead only touched fingertips. The contact area was tiny. Only a full ten-finger clasp counts.】

Ten-finger clasp?

Tang Zhen muttered to herself as she looked at Ren Yanjing. When she withdrew her hand, he also withdrew his. His arm rested casually on the table, the hand that had just touched hers naturally dangling off the edge—a relaxed, effortless posture.

His trench coat was still on her side, so he was now wearing only a white shirt. The cuffs were unbuttoned and rolled up twice, revealing his wristwatch.

He looked perfect wearing a watch. Tang Zhen didn’t know much about its price or brand, but just by looking, it was clearly valuable—the overhead lights glinted off it beautifully.

But that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the mission wasn’t complete.

What now?

How could they interact further?

Completing the mission meant extending her life. Both this body and her original body had been short-lived. That was why, even if her heart resisted, she still diligently and seriously completed every mission.

She scratched her face, and her fair cheek took on a faint pink hue.

“Mosquito?”

Distracted, Tang Zhen murmured, “No, I don’t think so.”

“Finished eating?”

Tang Zhen nearly jumped. The mission required intimate interactions during the meal, and if the dinner ended without completing it, the mission would fail immediately. “No!”

Ren Yanjing scooped a piece of chicken gizzard onto her plate, saying casually, “Then why aren’t you eating? Not to your taste?”

He… voluntarily… served her food!

The male lead was helping her!

But still—the mission hadn’t advanced!

“No, it’s delicious.”

After answering him, Tang Zhen asked 000, “000, what’s going on? Why isn’t the mission complete?”

【Because previously, he was fed by you.】

“But that was me taking the initiative! This time, he’s the one being proactive!”

【It’s the same. Taking the initiative to serve you isn’t more intimate than being fed by you.】

Tang Zhen: …Fine. That actually kind of makes sense.

She continued eating chicken gizzard while thinking.

Tang Zhen realized she might have fallen into a misconception. Intimate interactions didn’t necessarily require physical contact—they could also be spiritual, emotional interactions.

Doesn’t emotional interaction count as interaction?

It does!

Isn’t that what people mean by physiological vs. psychological affection? Both are equal. Neither is superior.

Tang Zhen put down her chopsticks and a new idea struck her. She posted on her social media, uploading the photo of their fingertips touching—no text.

What if the male lead ended up with the true female lead later? What if she cared? The simpler the post, the better. Even if deleted later, few would notice.

Flirtatious captions? Absolutely not.

The original owner of the account had many friends, and Tang Zhen hadn’t posted in a long time. Once this photo went up, it immediately caught the attention of countless classmates and friends scrolling through their feeds.

【Dating? So flirty!】

【Ahhh goddess, let him touch you! Let him touch you!】

【Who is the man across from you? Confess truthfully!】

【Which lucky guy gets this fate?】

【So teasing, so flirtatious! Never realized that just fingertips touching can be more thrilling than holding hands tightly. Seeing this makes me want to date too!】

Tang Zhen: ???

Fingertips touching more thrilling than holding hands? Who said that? Even the system didn’t think so! Otherwise, the mission would have already been complete.

The last comment was from Tang Zhen’s roommate. She ignored her frenzied friend and instead held up her phone to signal Ren Yanjing.

“I posted it.”

“Mm.”

Seeing that the male lead was still slowly sipping his soup, Tang Zhen couldn’t help herself. “Hey.”

“Hm?”

“My boyfriend, aren’t you going to like it?”

Ren Yanjing paused slightly, then a faint, soft smile appeared in his eyes.

In fact, he didn’t like doing anything else while eating. He’d always been like this: eating was for eating, work was for work, leisure was for leisure.

Unless something urgent happened, he never touched his phone during meals.

But somehow, this time, he put down his chopsticks, picked up his phone, and opened his social media feed. Sure enough, the post she just uploaded appeared.

The photo had warm tones, the background blurred into a soft haze, with only their fingertips in sharp focus.

At first glance, Ren Yanjing thought: her hands were too plain. Not unattractive, but lacking adornments.

He tapped “Like.”

Just a simple like—no comment. No awareness of “boyfriend duties” whatsoever. No wonder she needed to help as a beautiful supporting ex-girlfriend.

Tang Zhen had thought the mission still wouldn’t count—but suddenly, it did.

“What? 000, just one like counts as an intimate interaction?”

【Yes. The male lead almost never gives likes. He rarely scrolls his feed, at most glancing occasionally. So this like is very special.】

If he commented… she’d basically be on cloud nine.

Well, slow and steady.

If he can like, a comment can’t be far behind.

Mission 2: During the meal, have three intimate interactions with the male lead (Completed)

Reward: Life +1

After dinner, around six in the evening, the sky was darkening but not yet fully night. Tang Zhen left the private restaurant still wearing Ren Yanjing’s coat.

The coat carried the faint scent of men’s cologne—the same subtle, pleasant fragrance as in the car.

“Where are we going next?”

Ren Yanjing didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he said, “First, get in the car.” Perhaps mindful of the women in his life, he was very considerate this time—helping her close the car door after she got in.

The black sports car sped through the night-shrouded streets of City B. Tang Zhen, almost 20 years old, was only riding in a sports car for the second time—the first being just over an hour ago.

A few minutes later, the car stopped in front of a jewelry store. Ren Yanjing unfastened his seatbelt. “Get out.”

Tang Zhen didn’t know what he had in mind but followed him out.

Ren Yanjing walked confidently into the store, stopping at a sparkling display counter. He turned to Tang Zhen:

“Pick whatever you like.”

Tang Zhen: ???

System 000: !!!