I Married My Love Rival (GL) - Chapter 12

The first thing Ji Ran did when she got home was collapse onto the sofa, staying there until the delivery call rang.

After signing for the goods, the installation team helped assemble the desk and other items. Once everything was done, the cleaning lady arrived to thoroughly clean the house.

Ji Ran enjoyed the leisure the whole time.

She had to admit, this feeling of not having to do anything was wonderful.

Luo Simo returned early in the afternoon. The moment she stepped inside, she noticed a few small changes: a new rug, a new vase…

And Ji Ran, playing a game in the living room, with August lounging lazily beside her.

Being with Ji Ran, August had become as laid-back as she was.

August was the first to notice Luo Simo and rushed up to greet her excitedly. Ji Ran noticed August’s movement, turned her head, and pulled one side of her over-ear headphones away.

“You’re back!”

Ji Ran smiled at Luo Simo but didn’t stand up, as she was at a critical point in her game.

“What are you playing?”

Putting down her bag and changing her shoes, Luo Simo walked over and sat cross-legged on the rug.

“Isn’t this your game? Don’t you know? I saw your completion record.”

Luo Simo knew, of course. She was just looking for something to talk about with Ji Ran.

“I played this back in college.”

Ji Ran’s gaming skills were mediocre, so to clear the level, she had to concentrate fully on fighting the boss. She didn’t pay much attention to what Luo Simo said, only giving a few absent-minded “mm-hmms” to humor her.

The boss’s health bar was nearly depleted, but the health of Ji Ran’s character was also low. She could only dodge, find a spot to consume a health potion, and then use a few attack and defense-boosting elixirs.

Having done all that, she leaped out to fight, only to be instantly killed by a single blow from the low-health, enraged boss.

“This is insane! With this setting, one hit in the enraged state takes away half my health!”

Ji Ran angrily threw down the controller.

Luo Simo couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

Getting angry when she couldn’t win, so cute.

“I’ll teach you how to beat it.”

Picking up the controller, Luo Simo pressed “start over.”

Starting from the most recent save point, after eliminating the few small enemies at the entrance, the character entered the main hall. After a segment of dialogue, the fight began.

“You can only find three health packs in this level, so we only have two and a half health bars total. The boss’s attack accuracy in its rage state is very high, and the probability of dodging is low, so we need to save all the health potions for the later rage state.”

“I know that principle, but the problem is that it’s hard to dodge in the early stage! Close up, it has physical attacks, hacking at you with a sword, and from a distance, it has magic attacks, throwing enchanted weapons. Plus, if you dodge, you can’t attack it.”

Ji Ran didn’t want to admit that her poor skill was the reason she couldn’t dodge.

No sooner had she spoken than Luo Simo dodged an incoming arrow on the screen, her hand movements looking effortless.

At the same time, Luo Simo continued to explain to her.

“Be good at spotting patterns and grasping the timing for a successful dodge.”

“Ultimately, it’s just a programmed sequence. Did you notice that it either attacks three times physically before one magic attack, or five times? And at that moment, it has a shouting animation wind-up. Take that opportunity to land one hit, then quickly evade the magic attack. Don’t be greedy and try to land multiple hits.”

“Also, during consecutive magic attacks, just jump to dodge, like this. See? Don’t panic. The magic attacks have a pattern too…”

Luo Simo explained while demonstrating the moves for Ji Ran.

Ji Ran looked at the screen, then at the controller, and finally sighed. The controls are smooth, and there are so many details.

“You can pass the early stage without taking damage. In the later stage, you let it hit you once, immediately unleash your ultimate attack, then dodge and drink a potion while the ultimate recharges. Repeat this two more times, and you’ll pass.”

“You make it sound so easy! The ultimate attack is easily interrupted at that point, okay? I tried several times and couldn’t—” succeed.

Following Ji Ran’s doubts, the ultimate attack of flying swords was released spectacularly on the screen.

“Why?!”

Ji Ran couldn’t believe it. She had just tried that maneuver, and it simply didn’t work.

“Because I accurately timed a block, the character wasn’t knocked back after taking damage, so the ultimate wasn’t interrupted.”

“You can use a block? Why didn’t you tell me just now? You just watched me get killed?”

Ji Ran excitedly turned around, leaning toward Luo Simo, practically wanting to grab her collar.

If she had known just now, she could have at least barely survived and passed the level.

Luo Simo didn’t reply, smiling as she delivered the final attack.

Ji Ran watched the boss slowly fall on the screen and angrily huffed twice.

“Why don’t you do it again?”

“No, I’m moving on to the next level.”

I played well just now. Rounding up, it counts as me passing the level.

She saved the game and started the next level.

The main scene of the next level was underwater. Ji Ran controlled the character moving below the surface. Luo Simo watched, suddenly remembered something, and frowned.

“It’s hard to recognize the path underwater. Is this the right way?”

“Don’t go that way,” Luo Simo kindly advised.

“Why?”

Ji Ran asked why while intentionally steering the character in that suicidal direction.

“I want to go that way. It’s not a dead end.”

The character dove deeper and deeper underwater. A blurry figure floated ahead, restrained by chains on the ground.

“What is that thing?”

As soon as she spoke, the camera suddenly became uncontrollable, rapidly zooming toward the figure. The monster’s face was fully revealed on the screen, accompanied by frantic, terrifying sound effects and the monster’s roar in the headphones.

“What the heck.”

The sudden jolt scared Ji Ran so much that she swore and quickly threw off the controller and yanked off the headphones.

As the monster opened its eyes, the screen displayed “DEATH” and automatically exited to the save menu.

Ji Ran hadn’t recovered yet, her limbs trembling.

When she calmed down and patted her chest, she realized she had somehow moved to press right against Luo Simo. Any closer, and she would have been in Luo Simo’s lap.

“There, there, don’t be scared,” Luo Simo said, smiling and stroking Ji Ran’s head to comfort her.

Looking at Luo Simo’s smile, Ji Ran remembered something.

“Did you know about this thing all along?”

She deliberately watched her get scared and even stroked her head. It was clearly revenge for Ji Ran stroking her head yesterday!

“I already warned you.”

Luo Simo continued to smile. It’s your own fault for not taking advice and insisting on going that way.

“Ugh!”

That’s outrageous!

Ji Ran fumed, but Luo Simo had a valid point.

“What a terrible game! I’m not playing anymore!”

Ji Ran angrily moved away and started scrolling through her phone, trying to look up a game guide to see what that thing was.

“Alright. I’ll go cook then. What would you like to eat?”

Hearing “food,” Ji Ran paused her thoughts, finally looked up, and quietly tested the waters: “I want fish.”

“We can do that. Come to the kitchen and help. I can teach you a few other dishes at the same time.”

Considering the need to foster their relationship, Ji Ran put down her phone and followed Luo Simo into the kitchen.

Luo Simo had bought the aprons yesterday, also under the pretext of being a “couple’s item.” In reality, they were just the same style in different colors: one pink, one light blue.

“I want the blue one. Pink is yours!”

Ji Ran immediately snatched the blue one. She didn’t want the soft, pink color, which didn’t match her dominant personality at all.

“The size is wrong. The blue is my size. It will be too big on you.”

Luo Simo had been mindful of the sizes when she bought them, but she hadn’t anticipated she would be unable to resist Ji Ran’s willful insistence on keeping the blue one.

“For clothes like this, the size doesn’t matter. They both fit. It’s decided.”

Ji Ran handed the pink apron to Luo Simo. Luo Simo looked at her but didn’t reach out. The two maintained a silent stalemate.

“Oh, come on. You’re so beautiful; you should wear pink. Here, I’ll help you put it on.”

Whether she was susceptible to flattery and believed Ji Ran’s compliment about her beauty, or simply couldn’t refuse Ji Ran’s gesture of putting on her apron, Luo Simo ultimately compromised.

Cooperating with Ji Ran, Luo Simo crouched slightly, and the pink apron was slipped over her neck.

Next, Ji Ran went behind Luo Simo to tie the waist straps. With the completion of a pink bow, the task was done.

It was Ji Ran’s turn to wear the blue apron she had forcibly claimed. She had already slipped the apron over her neck, just in case Luo Simo tried to take it back.

As she reached behind her to tie the strings herself, Luo Simo spoke.

“I’ll help you.”

Ji Ran subconsciously wanted to refuse, as it was a small task she could do herself, but then she remembered they needed to nurture their marriage and increase their affection, so she nodded.

“Okay.”

But she hadn’t expected Luo Simo’s way of tying the apron to be…

She was prepared to turn her back to Luo Simo, but Luo Simo suddenly pressed down on her shoulders. Then, she slowly moved closer, wrapping her arms around Ji Ran’s waist.

In an instant, the distance between them closed rapidly. They weren’t quite pressed against each other, but there was little space between them.

And right in front of her was Luo Simo’s…

A faint floral scent drifted to her nose, and she could faintly hear a heartbeat, though she wasn’t sure whose it was.

Ji Ran held her breath immediately, slightly turning her head to maintain easy breathing.

Ji Ran, who had been alone most of her life and had never experienced such a situation, felt her cheeks flush.

Suddenly, her heart was racing, and she felt utterly flustered.

She wanted to retreat and pull away, but she couldn’t move.

Was this really the right way to tie an apron?

“Is it too tight?”

Luo Simo’s low voice came from above her head. Ji Ran’s mind was still mush.

“Mm, not tight.”

No sooner had she spoken than Ji Ran felt a sudden squeeze around her waist.

The abrupt force caused her to stumble forward slightly, but she managed to catch herself, her cheek only grazing Luo Simo’s shoulder.

“Sorry, I think I tied it too tightly.”

Luo Simo apologized gently and loosened the tie for Ji Ran.

“How about this?”

“This is fine.”

Ji Ran quickly straightened up again.

Why is this person tying it so slowly?!

Luo Simo seemed to hear her thoughts and deliberately didn’t speed up.

“Should I tie a bow?”

Ji Ran, who was anxiously hoping she’d hurry up, choked when she heard the question and became a little frantic.

“If not a bow, should you tie a Chinese knot?”

“A Chinese knot is fine, too, if you ask for it.”

Luo Simo’s voice was slow and deliberate, carrying a hint of a smile. She seemed to be enjoying Ji Ran’s… embarrassment in front of her.

“A bow is fine!”

“Alright.”

Luo Simo finally finished tying the apron. She let go and took a step back, while Ji Ran quickly retreated three or four steps, simultaneously turning her body, not wanting Luo Simo to see her current state.

To blush just from a little bit of teasing is too embarrassing!