In the eastern forest of Ira Village, village chief Woodall was diligently searching for people, while Avril, who trailed behind him, was lost in uneasy thoughts.
Regretting her petty mood that caused her to miss the opportunity to join Banning, Avril ruminated:
(Truthfully… He and I don’t share any special bond… It’s normal for him not to inform me…)
(I am but an ordinary villager; even if he told me about the bandits, I couldn’t help…)
(Perhaps he didn’t tell me for my own good…?)
Perhaps owing to the mountain breeze, Avril gradually calmed down, only to grow angry with herself. Scolding herself, she thought of how Banning risked his life to save the village, yet she was ungrateful and petty:
(I am truly… So foolish… sobs…)
(If my sister were still here, she’d surely call me foolish too… Oh, if only she were here…)
Avril, angered to the point of tears but unwilling to let the village chief see, transformed her grief into determination and energetically called out the villagers’ names to gather them.
(Tomorrow… Tomorrow, I must muster the courage to apologize to Banning… Yes!)
·
Elsewhere in the forest, Tyler was leisurely searching for people on a whim.
Tyler wasn’t intentionally slacking off; his vision revealed his endurance nearly depleted, and his body felt utterly exhausted. Since sneaking into the forest to secretly observe the village chief’s hunt the night before, he hadn’t had a proper rest for over thirty hours.
(Tyler: Why did you stop scolding, Silly Nissen?)
As the foolish loli in his mind went silent, Tyler found it somewhat disconcerting.
(Silly Nissen: I’m not-o scolding anymore.)
(Tyler: Oh…?)
(Silly Nissen: …Um.)
(Tyler: Then, who’s the big fool?)
(Silly Nissen: I… I’m the big fool.)
(Tyler: Why is Priscilla Nissen the big fool?)
(Silly Nissen: Can you not-o correctly say my name at-o a time like this?)
(Tyler: No. Priscilla Nissen, tell me, why is Priscilla Nissen the big fool?)
(Silly Nissen: Darn it… Because I judged-o Avril’s inner thoughts without-o understanding her and forgot-o about the “Intermittent-o Reinforcement-o” theory I learned before…)
(Tyler: Fail.)
(Silly Nissen: Huh? Is that-o not the reason? Then what-o is?)
(Tyler: You’ve misunderstood something. My goal isn’t to make Avril willing to be with me but to have her confess to me voluntarily. Thus, your entire thought process is incorrect… Also, the theory applied this time isn’t “Intermittent Reinforcement” but “Matthew Effect.” Don’t you understand its application in love?) 𝗈𝒱𝗅xt.𝗰𝐎𝓂
(Silly Nissen: Ma… Matthew Effect, of course I understand!)
Within the stupid loli’s knowledge of the Earth World, the pronunciation “Matthew” seemed related to some New Matay travel, but it was evidently unrelated to what Tyler mentioned. Consequently, she immediately utilized today’s divine authority and requested knowledge from the “Omniscient Wisdom Repository” about the “Matthew Effect” in the Earth World.
Alas, after reading it, the foolish loli was even more confounded about what concoction Tyler was peddling this evening.
In truth, Tyler’s logic was not intricate; it was merely that the inexperienced loli lacked the finesse to adapt. Tyler, knowing full well what Avril was thinking, intentionally refrained from explaining, demonstrating affection, or even being cordial when they parted ways later that night. All these actions were the outcome of meticulous deliberation.
Tyler believed that in romantic relationships, pursuers are often the weaker party, while those pursued hold the upper hand. The principle behind the Matthew Effect, “the strong grow stronger, and the weak grow weaker,” is likewise applicable in matters of love.
In most cases, the more a pursuer invests in their object of desire, the less likely they are to be cherished. Ultimately, they often end up as obsequious lapdogs, exemplifying the adage, “the weak grow weaker.” Conversely, those pursued primarily devote resources (time, energy, and material wealth) to themselves, becoming increasingly popular – a perfect illustration of “the strong grow stronger.”
For instance, when Jack first brought Rose breakfast, she may have been touched. However, after three consecutive months of Jack delivering breakfast every day, Rose had grown accustomed to it. If Jack suddenly stopped, Rose would likely become irritated with him.
Some might argue that Jack’s actions fostered a sense of dependence, and that given time, affection would blossom from this reliance. Yet, Tyler disagreed. The so-called “dependence cultivation” should render Rose unable to survive without Jack, whereas breakfast was a trivial matter for her, entirely expendable. It was nothing more than Jack’s self-gratification.
Returning to the matter at hand, although Tyler was indeed pursuing Avril, he skillfully concealed his intentions from her. If he had followed the stupid loli’s advice to “push harder” under the circumstances, it would have utterly undermined his prior strategy. Once Avril realized Tyler was chasing her, the difficulty of getting her to confess her feelings would multiply exponentially.
Never “actively pursue a girl” – this was an absolute taboo in Tyler’s theory of romance.
Based on his own principles, Tyler adopted a “cold treatment” approach towards Avril, who was feeling a tad emotional that night. As a result, Avril would feel dejected, unwilling to accept this outcome, and yearn to ascertain whether Tyler truly harbored feelings for her (the previously circulated rumors of his secret infatuation continued to serve their purpose). In doing so, her concern for Tyler would deepen.
Concern marked the inception of affection.
The more one cared, the more they assumed the vulnerable position, and thus, the weak grew weaker.
·
The following morning, the villagers of Ira Village didn’t rise until the sun was high in the sky, one by one. The previous night’s events had left them thoroughly exhausted; some hadn’t even been found and only stealthily returned to the village after daybreak.
Once they were back to their safe routine, the villagers’ tongues began to wag. In this tiny village where even the most trivial matters were circulated countless times, Banning’s heroic feat of repelling the Crimson Cloud Bandits was akin to a nuclear-level topic of discussion.
Tyler wasn’t roused from sleep naturally; rather, it was the clamor outside his dwelling that woke him.
(Tyler: Silly Nissen, didn’t I tell you to wake me up immediately if there’s any unusual situation?)
(Silly Nissen: [Sourly] There’s nothing out-o of the ordinary, just the villagers gathered-o outside, waiting to express their gratitude to their great hero, that’s all.)
Tyler was unaware of the previous night’s skepticism from the villagers, but he held no interest in their gratitude.
Today marked his third day in this parallel world. Including today, he was determined to make Avril confess her feelings for him within the remaining four days.
As soon as Tyler stepped outside his door, the villagers immediately surrounded him. Tyler adeptly donned the mask of a “humble and amiable young man” to maintain his public image and engaged in gentle conversation with the villagers. At that moment, a charming and enchanting young woman pushed through the crowd and approached Tyler.
(Silly Nissen: Danger, Ty- Ty- Ty-Tyler! My bad-woman radar is going off!)
Tyler didn’t need the stupid loli’s warning to know that the newcomer bore ill intent. He deliberately avoided looking in the direction of the young woman, but she still brazenly hooked her arm around his shoulder.