Chapter 33 – System Punishment: The More You Deviate, The More He Hurts
The kiss still lingered in her mind. Even after returning to her apartment, Lin Chaoxi could feel the warmth of Shen Muyan's lips—soft, controlled, yet undeniably real.
But the warmth quickly vanished, replaced by a sudden coldness that pierced into her skull like a thousand needles.
[Ding! Warning. You have deviated from the designated storyline by 12.3%. Consequences initiated.]
She clutched her temples, her knees hitting the floor. The pain wasn't physical. It was deeper, like her entire existence was being torn apart.
[System Penalty: Emotional Deterrence activated. The male lead will suffer emotional instability due to your choices.]
Her eyes widened.
"No… wait," she gasped. "You're punishing him because I deviated?!"
[Correction: You are being punished. You feel pain through him. You chose to deviate, therefore you will witness the cost.]
At that very moment, in his penthouse suite across the city, Shen Muyan stood still in front of his mirror.
His breathing was uneven. His chest tightened. He didn't know why, but a heavy emotion began to rise, like drowning in invisible waves.
He looked at his own reflection, lips pursed, brows furrowed.
"What is this feeling…?" he muttered. "Why do I feel like I'm about to lose something I never had?"
Back in her apartment, Lin Chaoxi forced herself to stand. Her phone buzzed.
[SHEN MUYAN]: "Are you… avoiding me?"
[SHEN MUYAN]: "That kiss… it wasn't in the script, but I meant it."
Her hands trembled. The system's voice was colder now.
[If you continue down this path, he will break. You were warned.]
She wanted to scream. She wanted to smash the invisible cage this system had locked her in. But most of all, she wanted to reply to Shen Muyan.
Because what scared her wasn't the punishment—it was the fact that she might start to care.
She typed with shaky fingers.
[LIN CHAOXI]: "I'm sorry… Let's keep it professional from now on."
And then she turned off her phone.
As her tears slipped silently down her cheek, the system whispered once more.