Location: Qinghai Highlands – NovaVerse Training Facility
Snow dusted the steel rooftops of the NovaVerse off-grid facility hidden in the remote Chinese highlands. Sharp winds screamed across the cliffs. This was no resort—it was a battlefield for the mind.
And today, it belonged to Lin Yuwei.
Bai Chen stood by the observation glass, arms folded as he watched her take on the Shenhao Solo Simulation Challenge—a brutal, unforgiving gauntlet designed to test a partner's physical strength, emotional control, and loyalty alignment.
She hadn't spoken to him since Rome. Her eyes were colder. Her laughter was gone. And yet… she still chose to stay.
System Prompt: Loyalty Arc Initiated – Lin Yuwei
💠 Trial Title: "The Blade's Heart"
Objective: Restore emotional balance and deepen relationship with Lin Yuwei
Challenge:
– Survive 5 Shenhao Simulations alone
– Resist rogue affection protocol (simulated betrayal by Bai Chen)
Success Reward:
💘 Affection +20%
🔓 Trait Unlock: "Combat Synchrony"
Failure Consequence:
❌ Emotional Detachment – Yuwei exits romantic path
Simulation 1: Betrayal Memory Loop
The simulation chamber dimmed as a projection of Bai Chen appeared before Yuwei.
Only this version… was cruel.
"Did you really think I'd choose you?" Fake Bai Chen mocked. "You're the pretty toy I pull out when I'm bored. Nothing more."
Yuwei's face stayed still. Pale. Focused.
"None of it was real," the illusion said. "You were a side mission. Qingyue was the plan."
Her hands trembled slightly.
But she didn't cry.
Instead, she whispered, "That's not him."
And she shattered the illusion with a single palm strike.
✅ Test 1 Passed – Emotional Control Stable
Simulation 2: Mission Failure Flashback
Yuwei was dropped into a nightmare: NovaBank towers on fire. Citizens screaming. Bai Chen buried under rubble, his hand reaching out.
"You failed," an AI voice whispered. "Because you hesitated."
Smoke burned her lungs.
"I… I didn't…" she gasped.
The system replayed the scene again. And again. Each time, Bai Chen's face grew fainter.
She fell to her knees.
Then, with a scream, she grabbed the burning debris and hauled it off him.
Even in a simulation, she chose to bleed for him.
✅ Test 2 Passed – Devotion Level Confirmed
Scene: Observation Room
Bai Chen exhaled slowly.
"She's hurting," he muttered. "But she won't break."
Qingyue sat beside him. "That's what makes her dangerous."
He turned toward her.
"She still loves you," she added quietly.
"And I love her," Bai Chen said.
Qingyue nodded once. "Then don't waste that. Even steel bends, Chen. She needs you to be soft—just once."
Simulation 3: Heart Duel
The final test.
Yuwei faced a holographic version of herself—smiling, confident, playful.
"Do you even know who you are anymore?" the clone asked. "You changed for him."
"I got stronger."
"No," the illusion said. "You got lost."
They clashed—mirror versus mirror. Blade against blade.
Steel rang out.
The real Yuwei bled. But she didn't fall.
"I was never just his shadow," she hissed, dodging one final strike. "I was the sword that cleared his path."
She sliced the clone in half.
The room dissolved.
System Update
✅ Lin Yuwei Loyalty Trial: PASSED
💘 Affection: 72% → 92%
🔓 Trait Unlocked: "Combat Synchrony" – When paired with Bai Chen, attack precision +30%, dual-skill fusion available
🌸 Harem Stability Restored
Post-Trial Scene – Training Deck
Bai Chen waited as Yuwei exited the sim chamber, sweat-soaked and bruised.
She saw him—and for a moment, her tough mask cracked.
"I saw things," she said. "Things I didn't want to admit I felt."
"You didn't have to go through that alone," he said.
"Yes, I did."
She stepped closer. "But now, I need one truth from you. Just one."
He nodded.
She placed a hand over his chest. "Do you still see me as your equal—or just another beautiful liability in your empire?"
He met her eyes.
"You're not just equal," he said.
"You're my blade."
She blinked, stunned.
Then—smiled for the first time in days.
And pulled him into a fierce kiss.
System Update: Route Progression
💘 Lin Yuwei – Bond Confirmed
💞 Intimacy Unlocked
💎 Route Status: "Heart of the Battlefield"
💠 Trait Fusion Path Available with Bai Chen
Unlocks in future harem synchronization mission
Final Scene – Secret Communication Intercepted
Back in the NovaVerse command center, an encrypted message flashed red:
Source: UNKNOWN
Target: Black Nine Global Core
Message: "Phase Two is ready. Shenhao's heart is still human. Break the heart, break the empire."