James, in truth, was quite fond of Tailsa.
The things he'd said earlier that afternoon were mostly sincere.
Tailsa was beautiful and passionate, like a rose in full bloom.
Although she had her moments of moodiness, it was precisely that thorny nature that made her even more captivating.
Most of the girls James met after becoming wealthy were overly compliant and sweet-talked him constantly.
It was rare to find someone like Tailsa, who showed genuine jealousy.
Sometimes, James found it rather enjoyable to pacify this straightforward and adorable girl.
Moreover, she had given him an extremely precious "coming-of-age" gift...
He was, of course, referring to Super Physique.
Compared to material possessions like cars and houses, a strong and healthy body was a treasure that countless people longed for.
Just having obtained it and to already be on the verge of losing it because he'd upset her made him feel like a total jerk.
Standing on the third-floor balcony, James watched Tailsa walk away from the villa's ground floor.
He felt an irresistible urge to stop her.
He called out to her retreating figure,
"Hey, can you please not go?"
The woman didn't turn back, nor did she slow her pace. She looked utterly resolute.
James clicked his tongue in annoyance.
He felt a surge of frustration that his attempt at reconciliation had failed.
It was as if he had offered a beggar a dollar, and the beggar had refused to thank him.
I'm the one in power here. What's with her attitude?
With a newfound sense of determination, James called out,
"If you walk out that door, I won't come looking for you ever again."
Hearing this, Tailsa froze mid-step.
The scene fell silent, save for the rustling of leaves in the evening breeze.
In that moment, Tailsa's anger dissipated.
It was just a breakup.
No big deal.
Maybe it was the whiplash of being proposed to in the afternoon and then breaking up in the eveningâit was just too much to process all at once.
So he played her for a few days.
He offered her money, at least, but she was naive enough to believe in love.
She believed in the kind of love that dogs would scoff at.
How could she be so stupid to fall for that?
She deserved it.
Sigh.
Well, whatever.
What else could she do?
Tailsa let out a self-deprecating chuckle.
She took a deep breath and slowly turned around.
Her once-sparkling eyes were now dull and lifeless.
"Don't bother looking. You won't find me anyway," she said, her voice hoarse, as if suppressing some deep-seated pain.
Her vacant eyes seemed to have lost all hope for the future, leaving only a lingering sadness.
James didn't see any tears, only the desolate smile on her face.
His heart ached fiercely. He felt a sharp pang of guilt.
"Take care, big brother. I'm leaving now," she said in her white gown, before turning her back to him.
A faint glimmer seemed to flash in the corner of her eye, but it was hidden by her dark hair, making it hard to tell for sure.
All that remained was her solitary figure, radiant in the moonlight.
Like a princess about to take her final bow.
Once the dark curtain fell, she would be gone forever.
Panic seized James. He shouted urgently,
"Wait!"
The girl didn't stop. Her silver high heels carried her swiftly away.
She wasn't some helpless, unloved girl.
Sure, her family wasn't wealthy, but her father had saved up a million RMB for her dowry.
Her open-minded mother never pressured her to marry.
If Tailsa wanted, she could live a carefree life with her parents forever.
She had the right to walk away.
She didn't need a man who toyed with her feelings.
She liked money, but if it came from him...
She'd rather have nothing.
The girl was about to disappear, just steps away from the gate.
James was frantic. He desperately wanted to rush down and stop her.
But a voice inside his head kept whispering,
"Let her go. What's the big deal? You've already got what you wanted. No need to chase after her."
"Besides, you'll have plenty of other women. She's not the only one. Breaking up is a necessary step for every warrior."
"You have to let go of something to gain something else. If she doesn't leave, how will you find someone new?"
"If you feel guilty, find a way to send her money anonymously. Make sure she's well taken care of. That should be enough."
For a split second, James almost gave in.
But the system kept flashing notifications about Tailsa's affection dropping by one point each time. That alarmed him.
James thought about how Tailsa hadn't eaten much all day, only taking sips of drinks while accompanying him.
He felt a pang of guilt and shouted,
"At least stay for dinner! Even if we're breaking up, you still need to eat."
His plea, however, did nothing to slow her down.
As he watched her disappear into the darkness, a part of his heart felt empty.
A suffocating wave of guilt washed over him.
He was so overcome with the urge to chase after her that he almost jumped.
He was convinced that his new Super Physique could handle a seven or eight-meter drop with no problem.
To put an end to his inner turmoil, James decided to act. He steeled himself.
With a firm grip on the railing, he confidently and gracefully leaped off the balcony.
And just then...
[System Notification: Tailsa's affection -1] [Current affection level: 99] [Reward deactivated. Please improve the Goddess's affection level as soon as possible.] [System Notification: Tailsa's affection -1]
What? Deactivated?
What's deactivated?!
Still in mid-air, James didn't have time to process what was happening before he felt his body instantly weaken.
His eyes widened in shock as he stared at the system notifications.
His body plummeted.
He didn't even have time to curse before he slammed into the lawn with a sickening thud.
"Crack."
He felt a sharp, agonizing pain as his ankle twisted on impact.
"F*ck!!!" James screamed in agony.
It was back.
It was all f*cking back.
His frail, weak body had returned.
James couldn't believe this damn system was such a simp.
If he didn't maintain the girls' affections, the rewards would be taken back.
Who could stand for this?
He had only enjoyed the benefits for a few hours before they were gone.
Can't you let a guy enjoy the game?
James cursed furiously in his mind.
If this was how the game was played, the thought of maintaining the affection levels of a whole harem of women felt overwhelming.
He was utterly miserable.
Tailsa, who had just walked out of the villa, heard the commotion behind her but didn't turn back.
She was heartbroken and just wanted to go home and cry in her mother's arms.
Even a scolding from her mom would feel better than this.
She quickened her pace, but the next shout made her stop in her tracks.
"Tailsa, come help me up. I think I broke my leg."
She hesitated for a second.
Then another shout followed,
"Honey, I was a little drunk earlier, and I wasn't thinking straight. Hear me out."
The unfamiliar term of endearment made Tailsa pause, momentarily stunned.
Then she snapped back to reality. Furious, she stormed back toward the villa entrance.
She found James sprawled on the ground and glared at him. "Are you still playing games?"
"I'm not playing. I really do care about you," James insisted, his face contorted in pain.
"So what? What do you want me to do?"
"Come help me up," James said with a forced smile, trying to win back his Super Physique.
The good news was that Tailsa's affection had stopped dropping at 95.
Maybe there was still hope.
Tailsa saw James's pained expression, the blood from the scrapes on his arms.
It looked like he was genuinely hurt.
For some reason, her anger subsided, replaced by a flicker of concern.
He was still the man she loved, after all. Even if she hated him, she couldn't bear to see him in pain.
Tailsa walked over and looked down at him coldly.
"Right now, I just want to kick you to death," she said.
"You wouldn't be able to. Come on, give me a hug," James said, wincing in pain as he reached out a hand.
"What are you trying to pull now?" Tailsa asked, frowning.
"Nothing, really. I just didn't land properly when I jumped down."
That statement made Tailsa freeze.
She looked up at the third-floor balcony and realized he had jumped down from a height of seven or eight meters.
She was stunned.
"Why did you jump?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.
"I wanted to stop you from leaving," James replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
His words struck a chord within her.
She hadn't expected him to do something so drastic for her. The last of her anger evaporated in an instant.
A tiny seed of hope began to sprout in her heart.
Maybe she had misjudged him. Maybe he really did care about her.
Why else would he jump off the balcony to chase after her?
Tailsa noticed James's ankle, which was now swollen, and she scolded him gently,
"You could have taken the stairs. Why would you jump? Do you think you're Superman or something?"
"I was in a hurry. You said you were going to hide from me. I was afraid I'd never see you again, so I acted without thinking," James said with a sheepish grin.
His words were sincere, and his pitiful state tugged at Tailsa's heartstrings.
She crouched down and gently touched his swollen ankle, murmuring softly,
"Idiot."