The smell of coffee drifted through Jiang Yue's apartment as she sat cross-legged on her couch, laptop perched on her knees. She wasn't really working, at least not in the way her "day job" required. Instead, she was tinkering with a small hacking project, trying to bypass a firewall that had been taunting her for two days.
Of course, she wasn't alone.
[System]: Seriously? You're trying again?
[System]: At this rate, I'll start calling you "Jiang Yue the Stubborn" instead of "Host."
She sighed. "You're supposed to be my system, not my nosy aunt."
[System]: Correction: I'm a premium edition system. Comes with sass, occasional flirting, and nagging bundled free of charge.
She rolled her eyes, muttering, "Great. Just what I needed, an AI with a crush."
[System]: Hey, don't flatter yourself. I flirt with everyone. Even firewalls.
The system made a ding sound in her head, like it was sending a kiss emoji, and she couldn't help but laugh. She typed faster, whispering, "If I can just get this code to reroute—"
Her phone buzzed.
Message from: Li Zhenkai
Dinner tonight. Business partners. Be ready by 7. I'll pick you up.
Her breath hitched. A dinner? With him? And his business partners? She groaned and let her forehead fall against the laptop. "Why do I feel like this is going to be a trap?"
[System]: Ohhh, dinner with the CEO? Dress hot. Let's make him regret breathing.
"Stop!" Jiang Yue hissed, cheeks warming. "It's just business."
[System]: Uh-huh. Business with candlelight and wine.
By 7:00 p.m., she found herself seated in the back of Li Zhenkai sleek black car, the leather smelling faintly of cedarwood and him. He glanced at her outfit, a simple black dress with clean lines, paired with pearl earrings and nodded approvingly.
"You look… professional," he said, but his voice held an undertone that made her stomach flip.
"Not trying to impress anyone," she muttered, staring out the window.
His lips curved. "You already do."
Her system squealed in her head like a teenager at a concert. She smacked her clutch shut just to have something to do with her hands.
The dinner was held at an upscale restaurant, all glass walls and golden chandeliers. Long tables were set with wine glasses that looked like they cost more than her monthly rent. Li Shen guided her inside with a hand at the small of her back.
"Partners from overseas are here," he murmured. "Just stay calm, be yourself."
Easy for him to say. She was about to sit in a room full of billionaires while her system kept whispering in her brain.
[System]: Okay, remember: shoulders back, chin up, and if anyone throws shade, clap back. You're Jiang Yue, poet queen, destroyer of fragile egos.
She nearly snorted out loud.
The dinner began politely enough, with introductions and small talk about markets and mergers she only half-understood. But, of course, peace didn't last.
"Li Zhenkai," a honey-dipped voice purred across the table. "You didn't tell us you'd be bringing… company."
Jiang Yue looked up to see a woman glide toward them, silky red dress, diamond necklace, and a smile sharp enough to cut glass. This was Miss Chen Yuelin, daughter of one of the rival CEOs.
The air shifted instantly. Jiang Yue felt every gaze flick toward her, measuring and calculating.
Yuelin leaned down, eyes sweeping Jiang Yue like she was a curious stain. "I suppose everyone is bringing guests these days. Some of us just… choose better company."
Ouch.
Jiang Yue felt the sting, but the system roared in her head like a hype-man.
[System]: Oh no she didn't. Are we gonna let her diss you like you're some knock-off handbag?
Her lips twitched. She reached calmly for the napkin by her wine glass, dabbed her lips, and smiled sweetly at Yuelin.
"I wasn't aware the dinner required pedigrees at the door," Jiang Yue said lightly. "But thank you for enlightening me."
Yuelin blinked. "Excuse me?"
Jiang Yue's pulse steadied. She could feel the room waiting, holding its collective breath. Slowly, she set her glass down and began, her voice clear as crystal:
> **'Entitlement wears lipstick,
Glossed in shades of crimson pride.
It smiles with borrowed diamonds,
But its eyes are always wide.
It feeds on whispered rumors,
On power that isn't earned.
Yet when the mirror shatters,
It's the mask that gets burned.'**
A silence fell, heavy and absolute. The waiters froze. A few guests shifted uncomfortably, others smirked behind their hands.
Yuelin's face turned the same shade as her dress. "You "
But Li Zhenkai hand brushed Jiang Yue's under the table, grounding her. His voice, cool and commanding, cut through the tension.
"That's enough," he said, tone carrying the finality of a gavel. "This is a business dinner, not a stage for petty theatrics., and please don't make her cry here, it'll be more noisy"
He looked at Jiang Yue with something unreadable in his eyes, pride, amusement, maybe even admiration. And his thumb, brushing lightly over her knuckles, sent a shock straight through her.
The system squealed.
[System]: Did you see that? Hand-holding under the table! You're basically married now!
She bit back a laugh, heart racing.
The rest of the dinner carried on, but the mood had shifted. No one dared test Jiang Yue again, not after that poem. When it ended, Li Shen helped her into his car once more, the city lights glittering outside like a thousand secrets.
"You didn't have to do that," he said quietly as the car rolled forward.
"Yes, I did," she replied, voice softer than she meant. "I won't let anyone treat me like I don't belong."
His hand flexed on the wheel. "Good. Because you do."
And for a moment, the silence between them was louder than any words.