Chapter 13: Reversal

“Warning! The host Su Yu’s favorability has plummeted sharply to -90, almost reaching -100!”

As the system alert sounded, Hua Susu was in the midst of an intellectual immersion. Hearing this, she froze and exclaimed, “Didn’t it just increase by five points? How did it suddenly drop so much?”

“It’s because the chip key the host provided is faulty.”

“Chip key?”

“How could that key be fake?”

“No, it’s even worse than fake. The host really needs to go in person!”

“The laboratory’s chip keys come in three tiers. The host gave Su Yu the lowest tier key, which prevented him from performing any experiments. He was even humiliated by Fan Tong and now believes you did it intentionally.”

“What? A laboratory key is divided into three levels?”

Hua Susu found this utterly baffling.

So, all her good intentions ended in a muddle.

“Host, advanced laboratories often equip different levels of keys to prevent overcrowding and protect delicate experimental instruments.”

She had only ever heard of banks and confidential agencies doing this. She never expected such complexity in a small laboratory.

Indeed, ignorance had led to this misfortune.

Having never studied much, she truly had no idea how convoluted laboratory protocols could be.

Thinking of Su Yu’s misunderstanding and the plummeting favorability, Hua Susu abruptly dashed out of the room. Stepping outside, she urgently instructed the butler to arrange a hovercar for her.

Having just arrived in the interstellar era and not yet learned to drive hovercars, she had to rely on a chauffeur.

Under normal circumstances, she would have slammed the accelerator herself to get to Su Yu’s lab.

Misunderstandings like this, if not explained promptly, become much harder to resolve later — people simply stop believing you.

Just yesterday, she had promised a few people she would turn over a new leaf, and now this happened so quickly.

Anxious, she snapped at the level-four driver coldly, “Drive faster!”

The driver had no choice but to push the vehicle to its limits.

A princess’s temper was not to be trifled with. Going slow would only earn him a scolding from heaven.

With a sharp turn of the wheel, the hovercar raced ahead relentlessly.

What normally took ten minutes was accomplished in five.

When the hovercar finally stopped, the driver was nearly exhausted but forced himself to remain composed, saying, “Princess, we’ve arrived at the laboratory.”

The roaring hovercar echoed across the interstellar campus. Once people recognized whose vehicle it was, a commotion erupted.

“I heard Hua Susu’s beast husband Su Yu went to the lab today.”

“Oh my, isn’t that the legitimate husband clashing with the other woman?”

“Everyone knows Hua Susu openly gave the lab key to Ruan Nan.”

“Don’t just talk, hurry over! There’s a good show to watch!”

Upon hearing this, the crowd hurried toward the lab to witness the drama.

Hua Susu had just stepped out of the hovercar when she saw an unusually large crowd gathered outside the lab.

She curled her lips in a smirk. So, everyone’s come for the spectacle?

This time, she would give them a show to remember.

She had long disliked this phoenix man. Now, even his lackeys dared to bully her beast husband. Clearly, she had been too generous all along.

She glanced at the onlookers, flicked her head back, and strode toward the lab.

But as she reached the door, she suddenly felt awkward.

Damn, she’d come in such a rush she forgot the key.

Now, she was locked out too.

Lowering her head, she pondered how to sneak in cleverly.

Suddenly, the door burst open with a “bang.”

Before she could react, a robotic voice announced, “Visitor recognized. Host, please enter.”

Oh, so it had facial recognition.

Hua Susu lifted her chin and walked inside.

Meanwhile, Su Yu was tidying up the aftermath on the floor, preparing to leave.

The same useless fool from before continued to sneer, “Su Yu, don’t waste your effort. How could you possibly develop the Netherworld Train?”

“I think you’re no different from your traitorous father.”

Traitorous father?

Netherworld Train?

Was this fool talking about Su Yu?

“Hahaha, didn’t expect this today, did you? Hua Susu has played a trick on you too. How do you expect to compete with Senior Ruan?”

“A man who can’t even control his own woman — what capability do you have to conduct experiments?”

Hua Susu was momentarily stunned upon hearing this. When she saw the fool pointing at Su Yu and insulting him, she could no longer hold back.

“What dog is barking here?”

Fan Tong’s expression instantly changed upon seeing Hua Susu approach. He quickly put on a sycophantic smile, “Princess is here? Senior Ruan will be here shortly. I’ve already explained things to him properly. If you say a few kind words, he’ll surely forgive you.”

“Forgive me?”

“Ridiculous. What have I done that needs forgiveness?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

“Princess, it’s normal for couples to have conflicts. Don’t speak like that. When Senior Ruan arrives, he’ll—”

Fan Tong kept babbling, but Hua Susu, growing impatient, grabbed an object nearby and threw it at him with an irritated frown.

“Are you deaf? Didn’t you hear me say no dogs barking here?”

Dogs?

Fan Tong’s face instantly darkened. “Princess, what did you say? What dog?”

“Senior Ruan doesn’t like to hear that.”

Because she was on good terms with Ruan Nan, Hua Susu had always been gentle with him, sometimes even giving him gifts, hoping he’d speak well of her and grow closer.

Yet now she’d called herself a dog.

Hua Susu didn’t care. Did she fear that a little harshness would drive Ruan Nan away?

“I don’t care what he likes to hear.”

“Princess, saying things like that will only make Senior Ruan dislike you more.”

Fan Tong tried to coax her gently, urging her to tone it down.

After all, men liked gentleness. Junior sister Leyao’s soft and tender nature made her well-liked.

But the princess just couldn’t learn this. No wonder Senior Ruan didn’t fancy her.

Hua Susu smiled, “Who needs his liking? Is he gold or money?”

Fan Tong was stunned by her bluntness. What was going on with Hua Susu today?

Why did she keep saying such harsh things?

When Senior Ruan arrived, if he heard this, she’d never win him over.

What was she thinking?

Could it be the princess’s temper flaring again?

That was possible.

Thinking so, Fan Tong patiently continued, “Princess, you went too far this time, giving the chicken eyes to Senior Ruan. It’s natural for him to be upset, but you should try to appease him. Beast men are soft-hearted; a little coaxing and they’ll forgive you.”

“Coaxing? Where did you get the confidence to keep barking like a dog here? I’m throwing a tantrum!”

“Next time, don’t bark like a dog. I don’t like soft rice men who respond to that.”

Soft… soft rice men?

What was going on with Hua Susu today?

First she called him a dog, now she called Senior Ruan a soft rice man.

If this got out, all ties between her and Senior Ruan would be severed completely.