Jiang Yue sat cross-legged on the couch in her apartment, her laptop glowing in front of her. The screen was filled with fan posts, her latest poem, Entitlement Wears Lipstick already trending under the tag #Poetry. Notifications scrolled endlessly: likes, reposts, comments.
The system's chipper voice popped up in her head like a roommate who had too much coffee.
> [Ding! Wow, girl, you're famous! Look at that engagement! Even I'd like to comment… though mine would probably be flagged as spam.]
Jiang Yue rolled her eyes. "You nagged me through writing it, now don't start nagging me through reading it."
> [Excuse me? Someone has to keep you alive and socially relevant. I'm like your PR manager with sass.]
She ignored it and scrolled down further. At first, the comments were the usual, praise for her wit, some dissecting her metaphor, some laughing at how she roasted the rival CEO's daughter. But then she saw them, the quieter ones, tucked between all the noise.
"Her words saved me."
"When I read this, I felt seen for the first time."
"Thank you for existing."
Her breath hitched. She pressed a hand against her chest as if to steady her heart.
> [Alert: Emotional overload detected. Don't cry, or your mascara will smudge.]
She ignored the system again, blinking rapidly. "I… I didn't think…" Her voice trembled. "I didn't think anyone would read my words and feel that."
Behind her, she hadn't even realized Zhenkai was watching. He had come over quietly after Fang Zixuan messaged him that the stalker trail had a lead. For once, he didn't announce his presence. He simply leaned against the doorway, arms folded, watching her shoulders quake as she scrolled.
When she finally turned, startled by the sudden weight of silence, his gaze softened in a way that made her knees want to betray her.
"This," he said, stepping forward, "is your real power."
Her lips parted, but no words came. He gently closed the laptop and set it aside.
"Your words," he continued, sitting beside her, "reach places even I can't touch with all my power, wealth, and control. They heal."
She swallowed hard, her eyes stinging. "I never… I never thought of it that way. I just write because I can't not write. Because it's the only way I know how to survive."
"And in doing so," he murmured, "you help others survive too."
The system sniffled loudly in her head.
> [Oh no. Why am I crying? I don't even have tear ducts. This is so unfair.]
Jiang Yue almost laughed through her tears. Almost. But then Zhenkai reached out, brushing his thumb along the edge of her cheek, catching the wetness there. The motion was so tender it silenced even the system for a moment.
"Zhenkai…" she whispered.
But before the words could spiral into the dangerous territory of confessions, his phone buzzed. He glanced at it, jaw tightening.
"Zixuan found something."
The mood shifted instantly. Jiang Yue straightened, wiping her face. "The stalker?"
He nodded. His eyes darkened, the gentleness of moments ago replaced by steel. "My men traced unusual login patterns to one of your fan sites. Someone isn't just reading your posts, they're hacking your phone GPS and cross-referencing it with your movements. They know where you go."
Jiang Yue's blood ran cold.
> [Warning. Danger. Potential creeper alert. If this were a drama, the background music would be getting sinister right now.]
Her throat tightened. "So they've been… watching me?"
Zhenkai's expression was calm, but his voice was lethal. "No one touches you without going through me."
The words hit harder than she expected, reverberating in her chest. He wasn't just making a claim of protection; he was drawing a line in the sand.
Her hands shook, and she clenched them into fists. "What if "
"There's no what if," he cut in firmly. "I'll make sure they regret even trying."
For once, the system didn't make a sarcastic remark. It was as if even it understood the weight of his vow.
Zhenkai leaned back slightly, taking out his phone. "Zixuan says he'll have more details by tomorrow. But for tonight, " His gaze shifted back to her, softer again, but edged with unyielding determination. "You're not staying here alone."
She blinked. "What?"
"You'll stay at my place."
The system immediately burst into excited chatter.
> [Ding ding ding! Development alert! Female lead moves into male lead's house! Cue romantic tension, toothbrush-sharing, and morning-after awkwardness!]
"Shut. Up." Jiang Yue hissed under her breath.
Zhenkai raised an eyebrow. "What?"
"Nothing," she mumbled quickly, heat rushing to her cheeks.
He didn't push it, but there was the faintest twitch at the corner of his lips, as though he knew she was hiding something.
She bit her lower lip, torn between protest and acceptance. But in the end, when she looked at him, the unwavering steadiness in his eyes, the assurance in his voice, she realized she didn't want to argue.
"…Fine." Her voice was soft. "Just for tonight."
His smirk was brief but victorious.
The system groaned dramatically.
> [Just for tonight, she says. We all know how that goes in CEO romance novels.]
Jiang Yue pinched the bridge of her nose. "One day, I will uninstall you."
> [Blasphemy. You can't survive without me.]
Zhenkai stood, extending a hand to her. "Come on. I'll drive."
She hesitated, then slipped her hand into his. His grip was warm, steady, grounding. The kind of touch that made the chaos of stalkers, fame, and meddling systems feel,for a fleeting moment manageable.
As they left the apartment together, Jiang Yue glanced back once at her laptop still glowing on the couch, the comments frozen on-screen.
Her words saved me.
She whispered to herself, almost inaudibly, "Maybe… maybe they'll save me too."
And with that thought, she let Zhenkai lead her out .