The landlady was momentarily taken aback, looking up and down at the seemingly honest tall young man, then let out a derisive snort.
"Ha, young man, I'm almost a 40-year-old old woman. How can I be associated with the word 'young'? You really have the nerve to say that."
Regardless of gender, anyone would feel a bit happy when complimented. However, Xia Shuyi was as mature as they come, and with several buildings in her possession, she had seen all kinds of men over the years. Even if she felt pleased by the compliment, she wouldn't show it. She wasn't some naive girl from a remote mountain village who could be easily swayed by such shallow flattery.
"What should I do..."
Sensing the obvious displeasure in the beautiful woman's tone, Shen Lang, who already struggled to speak coherently with the opposite sex, began to sweat profusely. Indeed, women really did care about their age!
Just when things were at a critical juncture, three virtual text options suddenly appeared before Shen Lang's eyes.
1: "You're almost 40? That's impressive. If it were me, I'd be dead by now!"
2: "You're not old at all. You're still young compared to me!"
3: "Really, sister? Time has no effect on beauty. You're aging in years, but your beauty remains."
Moreover, the blurry heart icon from earlier above the cashier girl's head reappeared. This time, however, the heart wasn't pink but transparent, with a number 1 beside it, and a faint red glow within.
Shen Lang rubbed his eyes in disbelief and looked again at the elegant figure of the landlady. The text options and the transparent heart were still there, not disappearing.
As a web novelist, Shen Lang immediately recognized what this was: a cheat code to help the protagonist reach the pinnacle of life!
"Please make the correct choice quickly; correct choices will be rewarded," said an electronic metallic voice in Shen Lang's ear, making him finally believe he had indeed been chosen by this sci-fi phenomenon!
Considering the three response options, any normal person wouldn't choose incorrectly.
"Really, sister? Time has no effect on beauty. You're aging in years, but your beauty remains."
With the help of an omnipotent system, Shen Lang felt a great deal more confident. He wasn't as nervous and shy as before when saying this. However, he still felt awkward saying something so intimate to a woman he had just met, nervously watching Xia Shuyi's reaction.
Xia Shuyi glanced sideways at Shen Lang with a blank expression, then shook her head slightly, acting indifferent: "You look quite honest with those glasses, but you're surprisingly smooth-talking. Do all young people these days speak like this, complimenting everyone they meet?"
Under Xia Shuyi's intense scrutiny, Shen Lang felt a bit flustered. Had he chosen wrong? Why did she seem unhappy?
Scanning the previous two options again, Shen Lang was sure he hadn't chosen incorrectly. If he had chosen the other two responses, he wouldn't be able to rent this place and might not even be able to leave the room.
[Ding! Xia Shuyi's favorability towards the host has increased by 2 points, currently at 3 points. Please keep up the good work!]
According to the system prompt, Shen Lang noticed that the heart icon above Xia Shuyi's head had changed from 1 to 3. The transparent heart now had a hint of red light within, just like in dating simulation games.
Since his favorability had increased by 2 points, it meant his response was correct. But why did she not seem pleased? Could it be that her words didn't match her feelings?
More importantly, what should he say next?
At that moment, the system options reappeared!
1: "Haha, you saw right through me. But I only speak like this to you, not to everyone."
2: "I really think you're young. You look about the same age as my mom."
3: "Sister, I really think you look young. You're at the best age for a woman, full of charm, like a blossoming flower. You look just as vibrant as young girls, in the prime of your life."
Facing these options, Shen Lang, who had a low understanding of conversational tactics, felt unsure. After careful thought, the first option seemed like a confession, which might be misunderstood. The second option was definitely out; who compliments a woman by comparing her to their mother? The third option seemed to follow naturally from his previous statement.
After a moment of consideration, Shen Lang smiled sincerely: "Sister, I really think you look young. You're at the best age for a woman, full of charm, like a blossoming flower. You look just as vibrant as young girls, in the prime of your life."
Xia Shuyi was visibly taken aback by Shen Lang's ambiguous yet polite compliment. Seeing Shen Lang's sincere and honest smile, her face flushed slightly, and she pretended to be annoyed as she glared at him: "Alright, alright, you're saying all these sweet things. Are you trying to get a discount on the rent?"
1: "You caught me, sister. I'm having financial troubles recently. Can you lower the rent a bit?"
2: "I'm just telling the truth, sister. You really look young. If we go out together, people will think we're siblings."
3: "Shouldn't it be lower? Charging a thousand yuan for this place is ridiculous!"
"No, no, the rent should be what it is."
Shen Lang replied sincerely, "I'm just telling the truth, sister. You really look young. If we go out together, people will think we're siblings."
[Ding! Xia Shuyi's favorability towards the host has increased by 3 points, currently at 6 points. Please keep up the good work!]
Xia Shuyi's face was flushed as she waved her hand, her tone and demeanor noticeably softer: "You really don't get embarrassed, do you? Do you often use these lines to trick young girls?"
"No, sister, I'm still single. And I really think you look young. If..."
"Alright, alright."
Xia Shuyi, unable to handle Shen Lang's straightforward flattery, shyly interrupted: "Are you here for a blind date or to rent a place? Are we signing the contract or not?"
"Signing, signing."
Shen Lang quickly agreed, following Xia Shuyi inside to sign the contract. As she turned away, Shen Lang noticed her lips curl into a slight smile.