The message from his mother arrived mid-morning, curt and inconvenient, as always:
"Come to the main house. Today."
No reason. No context. But Shen Rui already knew what it was about. He sighed, shutting the tablet and leaning back in his chair.
When he arrived, the estate looked the same as always—manicured gardens too perfect to be real, guards stationed at discreet intervals, marble steps that echoed every step like a warning. The whole place reeked of old money and quiet control.
His mother was waiting for him in the sunroom, her tea already steeped, her gaze already judging.
"You're late," she said.
"I came," he replied.
She gave a hum of acknowledgment—neither pleased nor displeased. "You look thinner."
"I eat enough."
"You work too much."
"I run an empire."
"Like a monk," she said sharply, eyes flicking up to him. "No scandals. No late nights. No one to warm your bed. That may be admirable in a monk, but it's unnerving in a son."
He didn't respond.
She sipped her tea.
"We're holding a banquet this weekend. Some of the old families are attending. Girls, too."
Ah. There it was.
"You need someone," she went on, voice calm but pointed. "You're twenty-five. You've never entertained anyone seriously. Rumors are starting."
He raised an eyebrow. "Let them talk."
"I won't let them," she said, sharp now. "This family needs a future. I tolerated your ascetic lifestyle through your twenties. But it's time you grew out of your walls."
He glanced at his watch. "Are we done?"
"No. You'll attend the banquet. I've shortlisted six candidates—"
"No," he said.
She went still.
Then smiled tightly. "You don't even know who I picked."
"I'm not interested."
"You're never interested. Which is exactly why I'm making the effort."
He stood.
But then paused.
An idea slithered in.
A small, strange one.
His lips curved—barely.
"What if I already have someone?" he said.
That got her attention.
Her brows rose. "You don't."
"Are you sure?" he said, voice calm.
She narrowed her eyes. "You've never brought anyone here."
"Maybe I was being considerate."
Her silence was instant. Calculating. "Who is she?"
"She's… unconventional."
"Unacceptable," his mother said automatically.
He smiled, tight and cold. "You said you didn't want a scandal. It would be embarrassing if I introduced someone at the banquet, wouldn't it? Publicly."
She stiffened, considering the optics.
Shen Rui adjusted his cuff. "Don't worry. I'll bring her."
Then he walked out, the idea solidifying with each step.
It would keep his mother off his back. Stall the arranged nonsense. Solve a problem, if only temporarily.
All he had to do now… was convince Lin Xie.
And that might be more complicated than dealing with six heiresses.
---
Shen Rui found her exactly where he expected—on the rooftop of his building, crouched beside a small maintenance drone like she was preparing to dissect it just for fun.
The drone buzzed weakly, its left sensor blinking red.
"You're going to short-circuit it," he said.
Lin Xie didn't look up. "It insulted me first."
"It doesn't talk."
"It blinked in Morse code. Rude things."
He let out a tired breath and stepped closer. "I need to talk to you."
"Oh?" she said, finally glancing up, face blank. "Are we about to emotionally bond over a tragic childhood or something? I've been practicing not blinking."
He didn't respond to the jab.
"There's a banquet."
She stood, brushing dust off her knees, eyes scanning his face with cool disinterest. "You throw those often?"
"No. My mother is throwing it."
"Ah. Classic maternal pressure. Let me guess—powerful, dramatic, probably wears perfume with citrus notes and disapproval?"
"She wants me to choose a fiancée."
"Yikes." Lin Xie made a mild face. "Biological pairing customs are always so theatrical."
"I told her I already have someone."
She blinked. Once. Slowly. "You lied?"
"I made a strategic delay."
"And now you're here to offer a deal," she said, tilting her head. "Let me guess. Pretend to be your emotional counterpart so your mother backs off and no heiress tries to feed you mooncakes laced with ambition?"
He blinked.
She looked vaguely satisfied. "I'm good at patterns."
"You'll be compensated," he said. "Housing. Security. Limited access to my resources. You'll be free to roam as long as you don't create unnecessary problems."
She stepped closer, gaze level and flat. "Is one of the benefits staying close to you?"
He paused.
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "…Yes."
She tilted her head the other way. "Statistically, it is easier to monitor threats when you're within ten feet of them."
"That's not what I meant."
"Still accurate," she said blandly.
"You'll act the part at the banquet and whenever you're around my family. Appearances matter."
"Appearances," she repeated, voice cool. "False indicators meant to manipulate perception. I've seen them. The pretend affection. Fabricated smiles. Hand placements. Eye contact. So much eye contact. It's like watching two AIs glitch through a romance sim."
"…You've studied this?"
"I observe. That's what I do," she said plainly. "I catalog behaviors. Categorize patterns. This girlfriend thing sounds like a messy roleplay built on dishonesty."
"It is," he said. "But you'll do it."
She didn't answer right away. Instead, she stared up at the sky like the concept of 'girlfriend' was a corrupted file she had to unpack.
Then she mumbled, "Do I have to use pet names? Or cook things? Or let you hold my hand in public? What if your mother wants us to take couple photos with matching outfits—ugh, does she expect touching? I read that couples feed each other food sometimes, which seems highly unsanitary. And I might have to memorize romantic dialogue. Or—oh, wait—am I supposed to giggle? I don't giggle. I don't even know how to modulate a giggle. Does it come with an audio file?"
"Enough," Shen Rui said tightly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Just—stop."
She did.
Instantly.
He sighed.
"So? Will you do it?"
She looked at him, face unreadable. "I already agreed. Mentally. I just hadn't verbalized it yet."
He frowned. "Why?"
She shrugged, still expressionless. "You're the only part of this era that hasn't bored me to death yet."
Then, without another word, she turned and walked past him, the drone sparking slightly in her wake.
Shen Rui stood there a moment longer.
And for the first time in a long time, he wasn't sure who was using who.