Chapter 34: The Full Favor Plan
After seeing Lin Ying leave, glancing back repeatedly as she closed the door, Le An finally spoke up and addressed Shao Leyan.
“Congratulations, Leyan. I thought you’d need my help to successfully win him over, but it seems I didn’t do anything and yet Fu Xingchen’s favor toward you has already reached 95.”
Shao Leyan’s eyes widened in surprise. “95? That high?”
Seeing her reaction, Le An lowered her voice slightly and said, “I didn’t expect you’d win him over in such a short time. But thinking about it carefully, you’re the only one who can tolerate his ability leaks. That uniqueness makes you irreplaceable. It’s only natural that he would fall for you.”
Shao Leyan was momentarily speechless.
Does Fu Xingchen really love her?
Even Le An believed he did. After all, the data was right there—no one could deny it.
But…
Shao Leyan lowered her eyes, fidgeting with her fingers, and a bitter feeling rose in her chest.
Seeing her downcast mood, Le An shifted the topic. “Still, 95 isn’t completely stable. If you do something that annoys him, his favor could drop.”
Le An’s eyes carried a hint of curiosity as she looked at Shao Leyan, her gaze turning teasing. Her eyes darted left and right, as if wrestling with herself before continuing.
“Although we don’t know exactly what you did in the lab, Fu Xingyan’s favor toward you is already at 90. He likes you too. If Fu Xingchen discovers that you’re playing both sides, his favor could instantly drop into negative numbers.”
“What?”
Shao Leyan jolted, standing up sharply and clutching her waist. “That’s impossible!”
Le An, startled, instinctively leaned back and banged her back on the edge of the table, still stunned. “Wh…what’s wrong? The data doesn’t lie. Why impossible?”
Shao Leyan recalled Fu Xingyan’s words and actions, and her face burned with embarrassment. Her lips moved, but no words came out.
Things had suddenly become complicated.
She thought she had gotten along well with her younger brother-in-law, only to find out he actually had feelings for her—as his sister-in-law!
Fu Xingyan could like anyone, but her liking him? Absolutely not!
After all, she had already chosen Fu Xingchen. There was no chance with Fu Xingyan.
Le An quietly watched Shao Leyan flustered and helpless, then burst out laughing, grabbing her arm to make her sit down.
“Oh, what’s there to be so tangled up about! You need to believe in your charm. After all, you’ve been the heroine in stories before; isn’t it normal for someone to like you?”
“But…”
Le An raised a finger to stop her. “No buts. Everything with us is going smoothly. But just in case, you need to find a way to get Fu Xingchen’s favor up to 100.
Then, even if ten Fu Xingyans liked you, Fu Xingchen would never leave you.”
Shao Leyan gave a wry smile. “Getting it to 100 sounds easier said than done. Even the original heroines in stories don’t get 100 favor points from the male leads, right?”
Le An frowned slightly. “Don’t compare yourself to them. They have the heroine’s aura—without doing anything, important characters would like them. Your goal is just one: Fu Xingchen. Before, we thought you’d need some opportunities to make him fall in love with you. But even without me, your charm has already made him fall for you. 95 isn’t far from 100. Now that you’re recognized as the Lord’s wife, maxing out his favor shouldn’t be difficult. Keep thinking, you’ll get there.”
Shao Leyan sighed in resignation and nodded. “Alright, I understand.”
Le An continued to instruct, “Remember, before you fully win over Fu Xingchen, don’t let him discover anything between you and Fu Xingyan. Otherwise, all your efforts will be wasted.”
Shao Leyan lowered her head in embarrassment. She and Fu Xingyan hadn’t done anything, so why did she feel so ashamed?
After some thought, she lifted her head again, standing tall and meeting Le An’s gaze with confidence.
“Isn’t it more feasible to just let Fu Xingyan’s favor drop?”
Le An froze, momentarily speechless.
“Fu Xingyan is one of the male leads—and he’s the scheming type. Are you sure you want to offend him?”
“I…” Shao Leyan pursed her lips, killing the last trace of hope in her mind. “I understand. I’ll handle them both carefully.”
Shao Leyan did exactly that.
In the following days, whenever she was with both brothers, she carried herself like a proper Lord’s wife—graceful, elegant, and dignified.
The coquettish, playful side she showed to Fu Xingchen appeared only when they were alone. To avoid arousing his suspicion, she never displayed affection publicly, even when he tried to hold her hand multiple times—she allowed it but never responded proactively.
After a few days, it was Fu Xingchen who couldn’t hold back first.
At lunch, despite being the Lord, he rarely indulged in privileges. Today, he was having a rare treat, yet he didn’t gorge himself. Instead, he picked up a piece of tender chicken and brought it to Shao Leyan’s lips.
“Yanyan, open your mouth, ah~”
For a moment, Shao Leyan felt like she wasn’t in the dining hall but on the smart bed in the lab. Fu Xingyan would say the exact same thing when trying to feed her experimental subjects.
Even the tone and the rising, playful inflection were identical.
The aroma of the chicken wafted toward her, but she didn’t feel relaxed; instead, her heart raced. She glanced at Fu Xingyan sitting across from her, and when their eyes met, a layer of sweat broke out on her back.
Fu Xingchen still held the chicken, his features soft and comforting, like a fluffy cloud, safe and embracing, making one feel like they could fall asleep instantly. Seeing her hesitate, he encouraged, “Go ahead, Yanyan. It’s really good.”
Shao Leyan reluctantly opened her mouth and took a bite. Though the taste wasn’t as good as in her own world, in this post-apocalyptic setting, being able to eat cooked food was already a treat.
Thinking of this, she smiled brightly, her tone sincere.
“It’s really delicious.”
Fu Xingchen’s eyes blazed like fire. He kept picking food into her bowl, like a mother ensuring her growing teenage daughter eats properly and doesn’t be picky.
“Then eat more. You’ve lost weight recently, and I feel so worried.”
Shao Leyan touched her face and gently pinched it.
“No, I’ve always been like this.”
Fu Xingchen smiled lightly, noticing her innocence, and affectionately rubbed the back of her head.
“It’s my fault you’ve become so thin. That’s why I added an extra day to your monthly treat, so you’d have more chances to eat well.”
