After the minor character transforms into a beauty, she steals the heart of a tycoon's son.

Pei Heng glanced at Ruan Tang behind him.

She hadn't said a word since she came in, just stood quietly, but Si Lin kept her in his heart.

Si Lin was afraid that those explicit games would offend his secretary's eyes.

That's incredibly biased.

Pei Heng crossed his legs and turned to look at Lin Xiaokui and Su Nian standing in the corner. "Since we're going to have a competition, we can't take advantage of you not knowing the rules."

"Hey, what games do you guys play?"

Lin Xiaokui was shocked and stared intently at the S-level nameplate on Ruan Tang's chest, feeling a surge of irritation.

My mind felt like it was blocked by something, and I couldn't say a word for a long time.

Su Nian tugged at her sleeve and lowered her voice, "Xiao Kui, what games have you played?"

Lin Xiaokui opened her mouth, then silently shook her head.

These specially admitted students, who came through the exam-oriented education system, spend their days in Sheng Lan either attending classes or doing exercises. How could they possibly know anything about games?

Su Nian's palms began to sweat.

She was more clear-headed than Lin Xiaokui, knowing that the crisis facing them was not yet over.

She was faced with two options: dropping out of school or being disfigured. One would cut off her and her grandmother's livelihood, while the other would destroy all her future in Shenglan.

I can't accept either of them.

We must win, no matter what method we use.

Su Nian clenched her fists. What game is the fairest?

She had a sudden inspiration and quickly whispered something in Lin Xiaokui's ear.

Lin Xiaokui's eyes lit up, and she looked up at Pei Heng. "All we do is play cat and mouse."

Upon hearing this, someone below couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Pei Heng couldn't help but laugh out loud. "Cat and mouse? The Saint Lan Carnival is playing cat and mouse?"

Are you elementary school students?

Taking advantage of everyone's attention being on the game, Su Nian quietly moved a few steps and walked to Ruan Tang's side.

She gently tugged at Ruan Tang's sleeve, looked up, her eyes red, and pleaded pitifully, "Tangtang, please come with us?"

Pei Heng saw it and a smile crept onto his lips. So that's what they were waiting for.

Su Nian is not stupid; she knows who the real key is in today's situation.

Wherever Ruan Tang stands, Si Lin will protect her.

Of all the nobles present, who would dare to be so disrespectful as to arrest the head steward who personally pinned the S nameplate on him?

Si Lin saw it too and frowned.

He reached out and pulled Ruan Tang back to his side, then looked up at Su Nian.

Su Nian took a half step back, feeling his gaze on her, and loosened her grip on Ruan Tang's sleeve.

"Ruan Tang is the referee," Si Lin said in a cold tone.

"All those specially admitted students will be assigned to your group; the number should be about the same as that of the aristocratic group."

Su Nian lowered her head and responded, then turned around and walked back to Lin Xiao Kui's side with some reluctance.

Without Ruan Tang as a teammate, their chances of winning are still extremely slim.

-

Pei Heng patted the sofa armrest. "Let's play like this. The rules are simple: if the cat catches the mouse, the cat wins; if the mouse hides until time runs out, the mouse wins."

"The elite group will be the cats, and the specially recruited group will be the mice. Time limit: one hour."

No sooner had he finished speaking than some of the nobles laughed.

A male student in the B-level cohort leaned back in a booth, speaking casually, "Is this even a game? In an hour, we could search the entire building. Where could the special admissions students hide?"

Su Nian's palms were sweaty as she listened to the laughter.

She wasn't familiar with the banquet hall, but nobles held banquets and parties there year-round, and they knew perfectly well which corner had a hidden door and where people could hide.

Most of the specially admitted students, like her, have probably never even walked through the main entrance of this building, let alone know its internal structure.

Su Nian then turned to look at Ruan Tang.

She stood in the center, her black hair cascading over her shoulders, simple yet sophisticated.

It was completely out of place with the extravagance of the entire banquet hall.

Yet it is also like a delicate flower carefully nurtured under this luxurious embrace.

Su Nian walked up to Ruan Tang again.

This time, she didn't beat around the bush; she grabbed her wrist directly and said urgently, "Tangtang, please."

"The nobles know this building very well, while we don't even know where the second floor is."

"If that's the rule, we're bound to lose."

"Could you please plead for us again?"

Ruan Tang looked at her.

Su Nian's eyes reddened. "If Xiao Kui and I lose, we'll either drop out of school or be disfigured."

"You know, I have a grandmother at home, so I can't drop out of school."

"Those nobles won't show any mercy; they just want to see us driven to desperation, and only you can help us."

Ruan Tang glanced at Si Lin, somewhat hesitant.

Su Nian caught that moment of hesitation and quickly gave Lin Xiao Kui a wink.

Standing a few steps away, Lin Xiaokui received Su Nian's gaze, her mind cleared, and she realized who she should grasp at for her lifeline.

She walked over and stood in front of Ruan Tang, her voice a little hoarse, "Ruan Tang, regardless of all the rights and wrongs of the past, the bond we formed growing up together is still there."

"Please, just this once, okay?"

Ruan Tang lowered her eyes, feigning difficulty, "I can't promise anything, I can only say I'll try my best."

Su Nian nodded quickly, "Please, Tangtang."

After the rules of the game were announced, everyone began to prepare.

Ruan Tang walked to the sofa, squatted down, and reached out her hand, her fingers softly tugging at Si Lin's sleeve.

Si Lin was talking to Pei Heng when she felt her cuff being gently tugged twice.

He looked down and saw Ruan Tang squatting beside him, her small, snow-white face upturned, her eyelashes fluttering.

Si Lin turned slightly to the side, following the force of her pull, and brought his ear close to hers.

The little girl spoke up, "I want the game to be fair."

"Fair?" Si Lin raised an eyebrow and looked down at the little thing squatting at his feet.

"Do you think these specially admitted students are qualified to talk about fairness with the nobility?"

"But this is a game." Ruan Tang's voice softened even more, almost as if she were whispering.

"And if word gets out, outsiders will say that the deacon group is abusing their power and bullying a few specially recruited girls."

"It doesn't look good on our deacon team either, does it?"

Si Lin's lips curved into a slight smile. "Our deacon team?"

Ruan Tang nodded vigorously, her eyes shining, "Yes, our deacon team."

"Little liar." Si Lin raised his hand and lightly flicked her forehead with his finger.

"You'd better really be on the same side as the deacons."

He withdrew his hand, leaned back on the sofa, and spoke in his usual casual tone, but his gaze did not leave her face. "Tell me, how do you want to set the rules?"

Ruan Tang's eyes lit up. "The Cat Team can't be deployed all at once; only five people can go at a time."

"Once you've caught someone, send them back to the hall for registration. You can't keep making arrests."

"And they can't exchange information; the person in the back can't ask the person in front which places have been searched."

After listening, Si Lin looked down at her, a hint of amusement in his dark eyes. "Limiting the number of people each time and prohibiting the exchange of information, is that fair?"

"Ruan Tang, aren't you showing favoritism towards them?"

Ruan Tang felt that he had seen through her thoughts, so she lowered her eyes and blinked her eyelashes twice.

She didn't argue, but instead moved her face closer to his palm, tilting her head back so that her entire delicate face was almost pressed against his hand. "Please."