The hospital room smelled like disinfectant and blooming chrysanthemums.
Shen Qingxue lay on the bed, her left hand bandaged, pale against the white sheets. The morning attack had left her fingers trembling—but not from fear.
She had been through worse.
Still, when the door burst open and Mo Chen strode in like a storm barely held back, even she blinked.
His face was tight. Eyes wild. He looked… scared?
"Are you okay?" His voice was rough, almost angry. "Why didn't anyone tell me sooner?"
Shen Qingxue smiled faintly, shifting upright with a wince. "Oh my. Is this worry I'm hearing from Mo Chen?"
He ignored her teasing. His gaze fell to her bandaged hand, and he took a step forward. Then another.
"Who did this to you?" he asked.
She shrugged with one shoulder. "A masked man with a knife. Probably someone who doesn't like office fashion."
"Don't joke."
The sharpness in his tone cut through the room, heavier than the smell of antiseptic.
She softened slightly. "It's just a scratch."
"It could've been worse."
"Could've," she admitted. "But it wasn't. You should've seen the other guy."
Mo Chen didn't laugh. He sat on the edge of her bed and took her injured hand gently in his own, brushing a thumb over the gauze.
His hands were warm. Steady.
Qingxue tilted her head, studying him. "You're really here."
"Of course I am," he muttered. "They said you were hurt."
"Your assistant didn't exaggerate for once?"
"He said it was an attack. And when I checked the security footage…" His jaw tightened. "I saw something strange."
She stilled.
"What did you see?"
"A man in black following you. But then the footage after that moment… was gone. Wiped. Just static."
Qingxue's lips pressed together. Of course.
She lowered her eyes. "I didn't see anyone. Not really. It all happened too fast."
He frowned deeper, his eyes unreadable. "I'm assigning you a guard."
"No."
"RouRou!" His voice was sharp, almost pained.
"I don't want one. I don't like being watched."
"You almost died."
"But I didn't." Her gaze lifted to his. "And I hate seeing that look on your face."
"What look?"
"The one where you care too much," she whispered.
Mo Chen was silent.
Inside her mind, Baozi gave a gleeful chime:
[Host. Mo Chen's affection level just hit 50%. That's halfway to full narrative sympathy!]
Qingxue's expression didn't flicker, though her heart thumped once.
Halfway. Progress.
Mo Chen tugged the blanket higher over her legs. His expression was tense, protective in a way that almost made her chest ache.
"You should sleep," he said finally. "I'll handle the investigation."
"You mean you're staying?"
"I'm not leaving until—"
His phone buzzed. He ignored it.
Buzz. Buzz. Again.
Finally, he pulled it out and answered coldly. "What?"
It was Mr. Zhang.
"Sir, the investors from XG Group are waiting," the assistant said nervously. "They've already been sitting for twenty minutes—"
"Cancel it," Mo Chen said immediately.
There was silence on the other end. "S-sir?"
"I said cancel it," he repeated, his tone sharp. "Tell them I'm unavailable."
Shen Qingxue blinked in surprise. "Wait! you can't do that."
His gaze snapped to her. "Why not?"
"These are important investors," she said, half-laughing, half exasperated. "Your company can't run on stubbornness alone."
"I don't care," Mo Chen said flatly. "They can wait. You're more important right now."
Her chest gave a small tug. Careful, Mo Chen. You're not supposed to say things like that. She reached out and lightly pushed his hand away.
"Go," she insisted gently. "I'll still be here when you come back. If you skip something important for me, I'll feel guilty. I don't want that."
He frowned. "RouRou!"
"Please," she said, her voice firm but soft. "Go."
For a long moment, he stared at her, as if trying to read what she wasn't saying. Finally, he let out a low breath and stood. "Fine. But I'll be back soon."
"Good," she smiled faintly. "I'll be waiting."
He gave her one last look before leaving, his tall figure disappearing through the door.
The room was quiet again. Shen Qingxue leaned back against her pillows and sighed.
***
The moment the door clicked shut, Baozi reappeared with a worried hum.
[That was close.]
"Too close," Qingxue said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Did you analyze the attacker yet?"
[The one from earlier? It wasn't human.]
"I figured."
[It was a mechanical illusion. A shadow body, programmed to harm but vanish on defeat. That tech isn't local.]
Qingxue's lips thinned. "Then it's exactly who I think it is."
[…The Blacklisted One.]
Her chest tightened at the words. Years ago, she had exposed a rogue system during one of her arcs. A twisted AI that hijacked stories, corrupted leads, and collapsed worlds. It had almost destroyed an entire setting.
She reported it. Got it blacklisted. Deleted.
Or so she thought.
"He's back," she whispered. "And he's using Ye Wan."
[We have to end this fast. Your body can't handle more attacks.]
Her hand throbbed under the gauze. She was tired. Too tired.
And then…
The door creaked open.
***
Shen Qingxue's eyes snapped open.
A shadow entered the ward, carrying a bouquet of white lilies. The sharp scent filled the air, cloying and too sweet.
"Wanwan?" Shen's voice was steady. "Why are you here?"
Ye Wan's lips curved into a smile, but her eyes glowed faintly, unnatural, almost metallic. Her voice was sweet, but hollow. "Did you miss me?"
Shen Qingxue's chest went cold.
So it's true. The rogue system has taken her body.
"Baozi," she murmured inwardly, "he's here."
[Confirmed. Signature matches the rogue system]
Her eyes hardened. "Why are you doing this?" she asked quietly. "Why try to ruin my mission?"
The smile on Ye Wan's face twisted, bitterness leaking through.
"Revenge, of course. You reported me in the last arc. You got me blacklisted. Do you know what that meant? Eternal erasure. A fate worse than death."
Shen Qingxue's fingers curled into her blanket. "So you hid. And now you've crawled back."
"Yes," the system hissed through Ye Wan's lips. "You stopped me once. Now I'll stop you. I'll destroy you here. I'll collapse this world and drag you with it."
Her breath caught. "What did you do to Ye Wan's real soul?"
The system chuckled, cold and cruel. "Destroyed. Deleted. Her innocence was useless. By turning the so-called heroine into a monster, I've already begun unraveling the script. And once I kill Mo Chen too—both leads gone—the world will eat itself alive."
A sharp fury burned in Shen Qingxue's chest. "I won't let you."
"Won't let me?" Ye Wan's body tilted forward, her eyes glowing icy blue. "You're weak. Dying. How will you stop me? Do you really think you stand a chance?"
Shen Qingxue's lips curved faintly, calm even in the face of the threat. "Because unlike you, I don't need to cheat the script. I can beat you at your own game."
For a second, the system's smirk faltered. Then his expression hardened. "Arrogant to the end. Fine. Then I'll enjoy breaking you first. And your precious Mo Chen after."
The room grew cold, the light flickering faintly as the system's presence pressed down.
Shen Qingxue didn't flinch. She met those glowing eyes head-on.
"Try me."
***
The tension shattered when the door opened again.
It was Mo Chen, who had returned early, leaving his meeting halfway because worry gnawed at him too fiercely.
"Wanwan?" Mo Chen's voice was calm but questioning as he stepped in. His gaze swept the room, landing on Ye Wan. "What are you doing here?"
Instantly, the system changed. The glow in Ye Wan's eyes dimmed, replaced by a saccharine smile. Her tone sweetened. "Mo Chen, I came to see Rourou. She was hurt. I was worried."
Mo Chen's eyes narrowed slightly. "I see."
Ye Wan placed the lilies carefully on the bedside table. "I won't bother her too long. I just wanted to make sure she wasn't alone. Now that you're here, I'll leave."
Her gaze flicked to Shen Qingxue as she turned—sharp, filled with hidden malice. A silent promise.
Then she walked past Mo Chen, bowing her head sweetly. "Take care of her, Brother Chen."
Mo Chen gave a polite nod. The door closed behind her.
Shen Qingxue exhaled, her hand tightening on the blanket. That smile, that stare—it was war.
Mo Chen looked back at her, his brow furrowed faintly. "What did she say to you?"
Shen Qingxue smiled faintly, hiding everything behind a calm mask. "Nothing much."
But deep inside, she knew.
This was only the beginning.
The Rogue System wasn't just back.
He was planning something big.
And next time… the system wouldn't just bring flowers.