Untouchable Lovers

Chapter 105: Chapter 98 The Result of Bargaining

Chu Yu had no idea that another person was also privy to her conversation with Tian Rujing. Seeing Tian Rujing hesitate to speak, his handsome face struggling to suppress a look of reluctance, Chu Yu couldn’t help but feel a burst of pleasure.

Seeing Tian Rujing in this state gave Chu Yu an inward thrill, but more importantly, she had obtained some very valuable information. With it as a basis, she could make informed decisions and judgments.

After learning the principle behind the Light Shield, which was the activation of the Defensive force field, Chu Yu dismissed the idea of breaking through with external force. Besides its rapid activation, the force field adhered to several other criteria, such as the defense system being able to only identify objects that would harm Tian Rujing, automatically repelling any lifeforms or people from the protective shield.

Another piece of information was that the bracelet’s operation was controlled by brainwaves, the specific details of which were unclear. However, seeing Tian Rujing press his finger on the gemstone, Chu Yu guessed that factors such as fingerprints might also be involved.

Such a cutting-edge item would certainly have some protective measures; otherwise, it would be truly bizarre if it didn’t.

In other words, even if she somehow managed to snatch it, without Tian Rujing’s finger, she might not be able to operate the bracelet.

Cutting off Tian Rujing’s finger was such a bloody deed that she naturally couldn’t do it, and without the proper technology to preserve the finger intact, it would be akin to killing the goose that laid the golden eggs.

Gazing at the bracelet shimmering with beautiful silver light, Chu Yu pursed her lips unwillingly and reminded Tian Rujing, “Okay, I’ve explained everything to you, remember what you promised to show me earlier?”

Tian Rujing nodded. With a thought, the screen slowly moved upward, revealing the part that Chu Yu had not seen before.

Screen

Hour, Position, Prisoner, Medical, Attack, Record.

There were six options, three on each side, but these had more straightforward and clear keywords.

Hour and Position likely referred to time and location, “Prisoner” was unclear, “Medical” probably meant medical, “Attack” was attack, and “Record” was unknown.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated on ƝονǤο.сօ

Quickly forming a judgment in her mind, Chu Yu looked at Tian Rujing with a smile, “Well, let’s start negotiating then. I’ll teach you that writing, and in return, you have to let me know the specific contents of those six items.”

Tian Rujing shook his head resolutely, “No, your demands are too much. At most, I can only agree to one item.” Asking for six was outrageous.

Suddenly, Chu Yu stood up, her hands bracing on the edge of the table as she leaned forward and stared at Tian Rujing, raising her voice, “Too much?! Do you have any idea that this is an entirely different language system? Don’t assume it’s easy just because it has only twenty-six letters. There’s a lot you need to memorize. It might take you three months to learn it all!”

Whether it was because he felt pressured by Chu Yu’s aura or because she was too close, Tian Rujing leaned back a bit more, his back against the hard chair. “You’re asking for too much,” he said, his cheeks slightly flushed, not quite adept at speaking up.

From the time he could remember, he had been protected and grown up high above the common fray, hardly tasting the toils of the human world. Apart from his master, others always compromised with him. He had never had the chance to negotiate on an equal footing like this, let alone engage in such intense bargaining.

What followed was a tug-of-war, with Chu Yu trying to gain as much advantage as possible while Tian Rujing tried to avoid being taken advantage of. They haggled over every little thing, occasionally pretending to walk away in the hope that the other would call them back and give in…

Most of these tactics were employed by Chu Yu, who had observed and learned how to bargain in her past life. Tian Rujing, inexperienced in this area, faced Chu Yu’s clear-mindedness but had never realized that bargaining could be handled this way. To witness such blatant, unashamed demands for benefits, to show how unfairly one is being treated and thereby demand more, was to him an entirely new world.

After finalizing the exchange for teaching English based on a few items, they slowly debated which items to choose. After a full hour, the inexperienced Tian Rujing was steadily retreating under Chu Yu’s onslaught, eventually signing an unequal treaty that ceded far too many rights, agreeing to let Chu Yu see three items and even to transcribe one of them by hand.

This outcome actually exceeded Chu Yu’s expectations. Although she carelessly claimed she wanted to see all six items at the start – which was just an opening gambit to facilitate bargaining – the secret to successful haggling she learned in her previous life was to start at one-third of the asking price and negotiate from there. She initially estimated she might manage to get viewing rights for two items, but she ended up with much more than she expected.

Having signed the humiliating treaty, in accordance with their agreement, Tian Rujing first fulfilled part of the pact, showing one of the items to Chu Yu: Attack.

Now that Chu Yu knew the bracelet’s defense mechanisms, but had yet to see Tian Rujing launch an attack on anyone, she felt she must understand the bracelet’s offensive capabilities for safety. If the worst-case scenario occurred and they turned against each other, she wanted to be able to react accordingly.

Tian Rujing’s finger remained on the Ruby, but after waiting for a while with no response, Chu Yu spoke up to remind him, “Hey, attack, wait, don’t aim at me – point it in another direction.”

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Tian Rujing said emotionlessly, “I’ve already activated it, but there’s no attack; that part cannot be used.”

Chu Yu glanced at Tian Rujing with contempt, “So your Divine Artifact can break too? Poor quality indeed.”

Tian Rujing couldn’t help but slap the table. He had just gone through a tough negotiation and his emotions were still fluctuating, unable to calm down. He flared up once Chu Yu provoked him, “You can insult me, but do not insult my sect’s Divine Artifact! Friends aside, I’ll sue you for slander if you speak nonsense!”

Chu Yu chuckled, “Where did you learn that line from?”

Tian Rujing glanced at his bracelet subconsciously.

“How nice,” Chu Yu said with a smile, nodding, “Very good.” There seemed to be entertainment content stored within the bracelet as well. She was becoming increasingly eager to have it, but it was a pity she couldn’t obtain it in the short term; she could only look at it to satisfy her craving.

Her smile hardened as she returned to the previous topic, “Your Divine Artifact can’t launch an attack?”

Tian Rujing shook his head, “It can’t.” His gaze was clear, and his expression utterly sincere. Even if Chu Yu asked him a million times, his answer would remain the same.

Chu Yu sneered, “No wonder you gave in so quickly on that issue just now. It turns out it was because there was no need for secrecy at all.” When negotiating with Tian Rujing earlier about what specific functions to show Chu Yu, the moment they discussed the “attack” feature, Tian Rujing did not argue much before conceding, leading her to falsely believe she had gained a significant advantage. Little did she know, he had outmaneuvered her.

It could be that Tian Rujing was operating it incorrectly, or there might be an issue with the programming that prevented the bracelet’s attack function from being executed. Since it was useless, Tian Rujing had no intention to attack, and thus he didn’t mind letting her know.

“I underestimated you,” Chu Yu said discontentedly. She had assumed he was weak because of Yue Jiefei’s protective attitude, and she had underestimated his cunning because Tian Rujing seemed naïve. Only now did Chu Yu realize that even someone who appeared as innocent as Tian Rujing could resort to small tricks when necessary.

Tian Rujing nodded slightly, having regained his composure, “That’s high praise.”

Chu Yu made a gesture for him to leave, “I need time to determine if you’ve been lying. Starting tomorrow, you will come to my residence every afternoon, and I will teach you that script.”

Although Tian Rujing appeared calm, his mind was still somewhat chaotic. Leaving at this moment was exactly what he wanted. Without saying much, he nodded and turned to leave.

Chu Yu sat in the flower hall for a while longer before she slowly stood and made her way to the living quarters. Rong Zhi wasn’t in the outer room. Finding this curious, she walked further in, all the way to the bedroom, only to see a white figure lying diagonally across her bed, his body rising and falling with his breathing.

After pondering for a moment, Chu Yu approached to wake him, “Rong Zhi, wake up, I have something to ask you.” Rong Zhi had been sleeping facing the inside; when she tapped him, he rolled over and slowly opened his eyes, murmuring a soft noise of acknowledgment.

His silky, smooth collar was casually open, revealing a large expanse of flat, snowy-white skin on his chest. The skin had a warm, moist luster, even finer and smoother than the silk on his body. Chu Yu’s heartbeat suddenly quickened, and she hastily stepped out, leaving behind a command, “Get dressed and come out; I have serious matters to ask you about.”

After Chu Yu left the bedroom, the half-closed eyes of Rong Zhi immediately snapped open, clear and alert, his drowsiness completely gone, revealing nothing but a calm clarity. He slowly sat up, deep in thought, as darkness swirled within his black pupils.

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Description:

She is a monarch, a doomed monarch.

Besieged by powerful enemies and grappling with internal strife as well as external aggression, she leaves her nation, holding the chess piece of strategy and cunning, ready to turn the tables!

In the clash of kings, the game of intelligence and beauty, who can catch both love and the world?

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