The system woke me at 7:13 AM with a notification that was almost polite: [Good Morning, Host. Today is a "Self-Directed Day." No mandatory missions. Just a gentle reminder: Board meeting at 9 AM, Jiang's mother's birthday banquet at 7 PM, and you haven't picked an outfit. Shall I suggest?]
I groaned into Lily's couch cushion. The silver token lay on the coffee table, pulsing with a soft, reassuring light. I'd pressed it three times last night—once to disable the system's dominance, twice to confirm I was still in control, three times just to hear the comforting chime.
"You're glowing," Lily mumbled from her bed. "And I don't mean metaphorically. Did he finally kiss you back?"
I threw a pillow at her. "He kissed me first."
"Even better."
My phone buzzed. Jiang: "Board meeting agenda: Bai's replacement, Gu Holdings acquisition, and my mother's 'subtle' inquiry about your marital status. Dress code: Armored."
[System's Gentle Suggestion: The red dress from last night. Psychological effect: "Already Conquered This Territory."]
I texted back: "Armored how? Kevlar or couture?"
His reply was instant: "Yes."
---
At 8:47 AM, I walked into Starlight's executive floor wearing a power suit the system had "helped" me select—crimson blazer, black trousers, heels that could pierce a board member's ego. The new system interface hovered like a polite assistant, not a drill sergeant:
[Outfit Analysis: 92% Intimidation, 8% Approachable. Perfect for hostile board members and nosy matriarchs.]
Jiang waited by the conference room, looking like he'd been carved from obsidian and ambition. His eyes softened when he saw me—a 0.3-second crack in the CEO mask that the system dutifully recorded:
[Entity Jiang Huai'an: Heart Rate +7 bpm upon seeing Host. Devotion Level: Still ∞. Status: Adorable.]
"You're early," he said.
"You're nervous."
"我母亲是个恐怖的存在." He switched to Mandarin when emotional. "My mother makes Bai Lianhua look like a Girl Scout."
[New Antagonist Detected: Jiang Matriarch, 63, Net Worth: ???, Weapon: Passive Aggression, S-Rank.]
The boardroom was a shark tank with ergonomic chairs. Wang and Liu nodded at me—respect earned through Bai's defeat. Zhao, Jiang's uncle, stared like I was a stain on his legacy.
"Miss Song," Zhao began before I even sat. "While we appreciate your... initiative in the Bai matter, we must discuss the irregularity of your relationship with the Chairman."
Jiang's hand found mine under the table. The system offered a new feature: [Synchronized Heart Rate: Calm Each Other. Currently: His 82 bpm, Yours 78. Combined: Unstoppable.]
"Uncle," Jiang said, voice glacial. "My relationship is none of the board's concern."
"Everything the Chairman does is the board's concern." Zhao slid a folder across the table. "Especially when it involves acquiring Gu Holdings at a personal loss of ¥47 million to cover their illegal activities."
The folder contained documents I'd never seen—Jiang's private purchase of Gu's crumbling empire, done to "clean" the mess before it touched me.
[System Shock: Jiang's Devotion: Now Quantified in Cold Hard Cash. Gu's Company: Now Jiang's Property. Ex's Legacy: Erased.]
"You're protecting your girlfriend's ex?" Zhao sneered. "How romantic. How expensive."
"Miss Song is not my girlfriend," Jiang said, and my hand went cold in his. "She's my fiancée."
[System Freeze: Romance Value: ∞ (Now Legal and Binding). Host's Blood Pressure: Spiking. Recommendation: Breathe.]
The room erupted. I squeezed Jiang's hand so hard I felt bones shift.
"Since when?" Wang demanded.
"Since last night," Jiang lied flawlessly. "We'd prefer to keep it private, but since Uncle insists on making it a board matter..." He pulled out a velvet box. Not a ring. A token. The original token, silver and warm. "Anran, will you debug the rest of my life with me? In front of witnesses?"
[System's Transition: From "Co-Pilot" to "Wedding Planner"? WTF.]
[Host's Options: A) Faint (Not Recommended) B) Play Along (Recommended) C) Actually Say Yes (Permanent)]
I looked at Zhao's apoplectic face, at Wang's surprised smile, at Liu's calculator brain already running numbers on a merger-of-power-couples.
Then I looked at Jiang—the man who'd built a system to save his sister and found me instead.
"Yes," I said. "But the wedding's on my terms. System-planned, but Host-approved."
He smiled. "Deal."
Zhao slammed the table. "This is nepotism!"
"No," I corrected. "This is strategy. Marry the Chairman, stabilize the company, and make Starlight's stock price rise 15% by Monday." I pulled up a projection on my phone—the system had prepared it just in case. "I already ran the numbers."
[Market Analysis: Power Couple Announcement = +¥2B market cap. Host's Value: Now Financially Quantifiable. Zhao's Argument: Invalidated.]
The meeting ended with congratulations and Zhao's promise to "monitor the situation closely" (read: plot our assassination). Jiang walked me out, the engagement token now a weight in my pocket.
"That was insane," I whispered.
"That was necessary." He pressed a kiss to my temple. "My mother will be worse. She wanted me to marry a general's daughter."
[New Mission: The Matriarch's Birthday Banquet]
Objective: Survive Jiang Muqin. Impress her or terrify her. Both work.
Reward: [Family Acceptance: Unlikely], [Jiang's Eternal Gratitude: Guaranteed]
Warning: She has a gun collection and a disdain for weakness. Don't be weak.]
I looked at the token—now my engagement ring, my system key, and my entry pass into Jiang's world.
"Tell me about her," I said. "Your sister."
He did, all the way to the car. The system recorded every word, not as data, but as memory.
[Arc 2, Mission 1: "Meet the Family" - ACCEPTED.]
[Host Status: Now Playing in Hard Mode. But with a cheat code: Infinite Devotion.]
The car pulled away, and I stared at Shanghai's skyline reflected in the river—a city of glass and ghosts. I'd come here as a doormat, become a weapon, and was leaving as a fiancée.