Location: NovaVerse Tower – Singapore, One Week Later
The victory in Rome should have been a celebration.
Bai Chen had destroyed Black Nine's European command, secured the stolen NovaBank code, and unlocked a devastating new fusion trait with Ye Qingyue.
But peace was never the true enemy.
It was silence.
It was distance.
It was the fracture between hearts too full of emotion to speak.
System Alert: Emotional Instability Detected
⚠️ Core Harem Bonds Imbalanced
💘 Lin Yuwei: 79% → 72%
💘 Su Yiran: 67% → 61%
💘 Tang Xinyi: 68% → 65%
💘 Ye Qingyue: 100% (Bonded – Immune to affection drop)
Suggested Action: Trigger Emotional Resolution Arc
💡 Mission Available: "One Truth, Three Hearts"
Scene: Garden Balcony – Dusk
Bai Chen stood on the marble balcony overlooking the zen waterfall gardens. Below, the world kept spinning—markets rose, NovaBank dominated headlines, new power flowed into his system wallet like a tidal wave.
But inside? He felt stuck in time.
Behind him, footsteps.
Lin Yuwei.
She wore a pale green silk blouse and black heels, her long legs crossed as she leaned against the rail. But her eyes were guarded—no longer teasing, no longer soft.
"You kissed her," she said.
He sighed. "It wasn't planned."
She laughed bitterly. "Neither was falling for you. But I did anyway."
Her voice trembled. "I fought beside you. Bled beside you. And now I'm just another side piece while you forge 'fate bonds' with someone else?"
"Yuwei…"
"Tell me one thing," she said. "If I was in Qingyue's place… would you have chosen me?"
The question hung like a blade.
Bai Chen didn't answer.
Yuwei's lips quivered. "That's what I thought."
She turned away, walking toward the elevator.
System Prompt
⚠️ Affection Warning – Lin Yuwei
Status: Bond Wavering
Chance of Emotional Disengagement: 31%
💘 Suggestion: Trigger personal redemption arc or initiate a heart-to-heart episode
Scene: Medical Wing – Night
Tang Xinyi lay on the medbed, fingers brushing across the pages of an old diary. She looked up as Bai Chen entered.
"You're here," she said, voice light but unreadable.
He sat beside her. "Of course I am."
She smiled weakly. "I read all our college messages again. All those words you left behind when I was just… a nobody in your shadow."
"You were never in my shadow."
She closed the book. "Then why do I feel like one now?"
Silence.
"I thought," she continued, "that when you saved me, it meant something more. But then I saw the way you looked at Qingyue…"
Her voice cracked.
"And I realized—I can't compete in your world anymore."
Bai Chen reached out, taking her hand. "You're not meant to compete. You're meant to stand beside me."
Xinyi looked away, tears falling. "Then choose me. Don't just save me and walk away."
System Update
💘 Tang Xinyi Affection: 65% → 70%
🌸 Emotional Choice Pending:
– Confess feelings
– Ask her to step back
– Say nothing and delay
Scene: Su Yiran's Penthouse Suite
Bai Chen arrived last at Su Yiran's suite. The door was open, the lights dim.
She stood near the window, barefoot in a black robe, holding a glass of red wine.
"You didn't come here for business," she said quietly.
"No."
She turned to him. "Then say it."
He took a deep breath.
"I messed up."
A long pause.
"I made you all part of this war, gave you my system, my power—but not my truth. And now I've hurt you."
She looked him dead in the eye. "Do you love her?"
He paused.
"I care about her," he admitted. "But love? I don't know what that even means anymore. All I know is—you matter. Not because of loyalty. Not because of the legal shields you provide. But because when this empire was nothing but dust, you stood beside me."
She stepped closer.
"So what now, Emperor?"
"I don't want to lose you."
Yiran reached up and touched his cheek.
"Then fight for me. Like I fought for you."
System Prompt
💘 Su Yiran Affection: 61% → 70%
💎 Route Stabilized: "The Shield of Sovereignty"
Perk Gained: +10% legal protection in all NovaVerse-related system missions
💞 Romance Intimacy: Unlocked – Scene available
Final Scene: Shenhao's Private Suite
Back in his private chamber, Bai Chen sat alone at the edge of the bed.
So much power.
So much love.
So much damage.
Then a system prompt glowed softly in front of him:
☯️ Multi-Route Resolution Path Unlocked
Title: "One King, Four Queens"
Description: Your fate does not have to be divided. You are not a man of halves. You are the Shenhao, master of your own law.
🌹 Objective: Earn the full trust and love of all four women through equal devotion, individualized bonding arcs, and loyalty missions
✅ Perk: When completed, unlock the "Hearts of the Empire" trait – your empire becomes invincible to emotional sabotage
❌ Risk: Failing even one path collapses the entire harem arc
Will you accept?
Bai Chen looked up at the moon through his glass ceiling.
"I'll earn them," he said.
"Every. One."