The ballroom shimmered under cascading chandeliers, its polished marble floors reflecting the glow of countless crystal lights. Elegance was everywhere, designer gowns, tailored tuxedos, and the subtle hum of high society gossip.
Jiang Yue adjusted the strap of her evening gown nervously, clutching her champagne flute like a lifeline.
"Okay," she whispered to herself, "all I have to do is survive this charity gala without tripping, spilling anything, or setting something on fire. That's it. Simple."
[System: Luck Probability… 58%. Proceed with caution.]
She groaned under her breath.
Beside her, Tessa her best friend, personal cheerleader, and occasional bodyguard, grinned and looped her arm through Jiang Yue's. "Relax. You look like a goddess tonight. Nobody's going to push you down any stairs. Not on my watch."
Jiang Yue side-eyed her. "You had to add the 'stairs' part, didn't you?"
Tessa smirked. "Just covering all bases."
Meanwhile, across the ballroom, Li Zhenkai was the picture of power and precision. Surrounded by his three closest friends, Xu Jianyu, Fang Zixuan, and Qin Yunze, he exuded quiet dominance in a perfectly tailored black suit. His cold expression was unreadable, but Jiang Yue's gaze kept drifting to him against her will.
[Emotional Impact on ML: 9%.]
Her heart fluttered. Operation: Make the Iceberg Melt was working.
---
Until trouble Arrived in Heels
Unfortunately, peace never lasted long around Jiang Yue.
Two women approached, their heels clicking on the marble floor like a warning bell. They were the kind of socialites who could weaponize a smile, draped in designer couture and arrogance.
"Oh," one of them said, looking Jiang Yue up and down. "If it isn't Jiang Yue. I almost didn't recognize you without a scandal headline."
The other one giggled, swirling her champagne. "Or without clinging to CEO Li like a lost puppy. Tell me, does he keep you around out of pity or just for entertainment?"
Jiang Yue froze, her lips parting in shock.
"Oh, no," Tessa muttered, eyes narrowing dangerously.
The socialites smirked, clearly pleased with themselves, until Tessa stepped forward, chin high and smile sharp enough to cut diamonds.
"Well, well," Tessa said sweetly. "If it isn't the bargain bin Kardashians."
The ballroom went quiet.
The socialites blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me," Tessa said, tilting her head like a queen addressing peasants. "Although, I suppose comparing you to the Kardashians is an insult… to them."
Jiang Yue choked on her champagne. "Tessa!"
One of the women's faces flushed crimson. "How dare you"
"Oh, I dare," Tessa interrupted, her voice smooth as silk. "And if you want me to, I can do it louder."
A few nearby guests stifled their laughter. Jiang Yue wanted to melt into the floor.
Across the room, Li Zhenkai's sharp gaze followed the commotion.
Fang Zixuan smirked into his drink. "Oh, this is good. Your girl's about to start a catfight."
Li Zhenkai didn't look at him. "She's not mine."
Xu Jianyu raised an eyebrow. "You've been watching her for the last five minutes."
"I'm monitoring a liability," Li Zhenkai said smoothly.
But when one of the socialites sneered and tried to step closer to Jiang Yue, his jaw tightened almost imperceptibly.
Qin Yunze noticed. "Interesting," he murmured.
Then Tessa delivered the killing blow:
"And by the way, sweetheart," she said sweetly, gesturing at their dresses, "if you're going to insult someone, maybe don't do it in last season's couture. It's embarrassing."
The socialites gasped. One actually stumbled back. And just like that, they retreated, humiliated, their heels clicking furiously against the floor as they fled.
Li Zhenkai's lips… twitched.
Just slightly.
It wasn't a smile, not fully, but it was close.
Fang nearly dropped his drink. "Holy hell. Did he just—?"
Qin Yunze smirked. "Historic moment. Someone write it down."
Even Xu Jianyu's lips curved the faintest bit.
---
Jiang Yue grabbed Tessa's arm. "Tessa, you can't just call them bargain-bin Kardashians in public!"
"Yes, I can," Tessa said smugly. "And you're welcome. They deserved it."
Jiang Yue groaned. "One day, your mouth is going to get us both killed."
Tessa grinned. "And I'll look fabulous doing it."
Before Jiang Yue could argue further, her system pinged:
[Emotional Impact on ML: 12%.]
Her head whipped toward Li Zhenkai instinctively.
He was watching her. His expression was unreadable, but his gaze lingered on her for a fraction of a second longer than necessary before he turned back to his friends.
Jiang Yue's stomach did a stupid little flip.
"Oh no," she muttered under her breath.
[System: Emotional Impact Progress – Significant.]
If Li Zhenkai really had almost smiled… then she was in deep, deep trouble.
Meanwhile, Tessa nudged her. "Why's CEO Iceberg staring at you like you're a quarterly report that exceeded expectations?"
"I—I don't know!" Jiang Yue stammered.
But in the corner of the room, Fang Zixuan grinned like he was watching his favorite drama unfold in real time. "This is gonna be fun."
Xu Jianyu sighed. "Or catastrophic."
Qin Yunze's smirk deepened. "Both."
And for the first time, Jiang Yue realized something terrifying…
Operation: Make the Iceberg Melt might actually be working.
And Li Zhenkai? He didn't look like he minded.