The next morning, Julia arranged everything at her family's small shop.
After discussing it thoroughly with her parents, she decided to entrust the shop's management to the few families who had genuinely helped them during their darkest moment. When there family collapsed under debts and hospital bills, these families—despite being poor themselves—still scraped together a few thousand dollars for them. That small amount had clearly been their entire savings.
Julia trusted them far more than she could ever trust outsiders.
Since Frank and Linda were still bedridden and recovering, and she needed to return to college, this arrangement was the most practical. Of course, Julia would still manage the finances herself to ensure the business remained under her control.
While sorting through recent orders, Julia discovered something surprising:Most of the large orders came from one place, a massive residential complex whose renovation contract.
It was obvious this was Jason Carter's doing—another quiet layer of protection for her family.
Julia's lips curved into a soft, warm smile again. Just the thought of seeing Jason made her steps feel lighter as she headed toward the hospital.
When she arrived, several high school classmates had come to visit, clearly having heard about her family's ordeal. One girl had even come once already and tried to give Julia $2000. For a student, that was a staggering amount. Because the Caleb family had already paid the medical bills, Julia didn't accept the money.
The girl's name was Grace Monroe, a classmate who had attended elementary, middle, and high school with her. Grace was now a journalism major at a local university.
The moment Grace saw her, she rushed over excitedly."Julia! I heard all those horrible people finally got thrown in jail! It's so satisfying! Where's that Jason Carter? I want to meet him so badly. I've hated those freeloaders for years. All I could ever do was write articles about them, but he—he actually sent them to prison! He's so cool, literally my idol!"
Julia couldn't help laughing at the way Grace spoke."He's at a hotel nearby. He's probably not awake yet."
Grace grabbed her arm dramatically. "What? Then can I still meet him before I leave? I heard he's not only insanely capable, but also super handsome."
Julia nodded honestly. "Mm. Very handsome."
Grace's eyes widened like saucers."Oh my god! In all the years I've known you, you've never called a guy handsome! If he meets your standards, he must be… ridiculously good-looking. Handsome, rich, and insanely competent—why can't I meet a guy like that?!"
She leaned in and whispered excitedly, "And get this, Julia—I know why the mayor came to visit your mom. I tapped into some journalism contacts to investigate, and your Jason Carter is terrifyingly impressive!"
Julia blinked. "What do you mean?"
Grace counted on her fingers, "He invested in the low-altitude aviation sector, traditional medicine research, new materials manufacturing, environmental tech—four major industries. The total investment is… three billion dollars! Do you realize how insane that is?"
"These aren't quick-profit industries, either. They require years to yield results. Honestly, it feels like he invested not for business, but… for you. If that's true, then—he's beyond handsome. He's nuclear-level attractive!"
Julia stood frozen, stunned.
She had known that Jason had been protecting her quietly… but she had never imagined he had invested that much.
Her heart gave a fierce, uncontrollable thump.She didn't say anything, but her eyes softened, growing warmer and warmer.
Still wearing a gentle smile, she walked into the hospital room—and was stunned.
Her parents looked much better than yesterday. Their faces were rosy, their energy noticeably improved.
The doctor examining them wore an expression of genuine surprise.
"In all my twenty-plus years of practice, I've never seen such rapid recovery. Not even healthy young adults heal this quickly. At this rate, you might be discharged in a few days. It really feels like Heaven is rewarding good people."
Julia stood there for a long moment, her expression softening.
Inside her heart, one thought repeated itself:
Jason… what exactly did you do?
Linda also looked shocked."Yesterday I was weak all over and could barely stay awake… but after sleeping through the night, I feel so much better."
Frank nodded."Same here. Honestly, the moment I drank that porridge Jason brought, my whole body warmed up. I slept like a log, and now I feel more energized than I have in years."
Julia felt overjoyed… and confused.
Her gaze drifted to the two thermos jars from yesterday.Jason had said they were tonics… but what kind of tonic could do this?
Something so potent had to be some kind of priceless treasure. Wealthy people would spend fortunes for something this effective—yet Jason had given it to her parents without hesitation, without bragging, without even explaining.
Julia's heart thumped hard, a sweet flutter blooming in her chest.
Even though she had seen him every day recently, she still… wanted to see him again. Desperately. But today, noon came and went, her classmates left, and still no sign of Jason.
Finally, she couldn't hold back anymore and sent him a message:
Julia:Jason, are you still not awake?
He responded quickly:
Jason:I'm awake. But I won't be coming to the hospital today. Tomorrow's New Year's Day, so I'm preparing to go home.
Julia froze, her heart sinking—an empty, lost feeling spreading quietly inside her.
Julia:Are you leaving now? I'll come see you off.
Jason:No need. You've worked hard these past days taking care of your parents. Get some rest. I'll see you at school.
But the idea of not seeing him for several days made her chest tighten.
Julia:I'm not tired. I want to see you off.
Jason:But I'm already on my way to the airport. Plane's about to take off.
Julia didn't even think—she bolted downstairs, hailed a taxi, and rushed toward the airport. As soon as the cab stopped, she sprinted inside.
After scanning the crowds anxiously, she finally spotted him—Jason, waving at her not far ahead.
Relief flooded her entire body.The moment she saw him, that floating, unsettled feeling vanished completely. She walked toward him quickly, her heart steadying with every step.
She realized she had become… entirely dependent on this man.She knew this kind of attachment could make a person lose themselves—but she couldn't stop it.
And more importantly—She didn't want to stop it.
She wanted to follow her heart.She wanted him to stay in it.
Julia: Favorability +1
A familiar system chime sounded in Jason's mind.
"Julia's favorability has reached 100. Status bar updated. Please check promptly."
Status | Julia Carter
Name: Julia
Age: 20
Appearance: 9.1
Height: 166 cm
Weight: 52 kg
Favorability: 95 → 100
Ex-boyfriends: None
STDs: None
Opportunity:Can detect upcoming opportunities around Julia, ensuring none are missed. Trigger alerts immediately. Helps ensure her life stays on the perfect track.
Symbiosis:Reaching 100 favorability means she is willing to live for you and die for you.You are now a shared life community—your harm and your growth can be shared equally.Use this feature to take her pain and give her your growth, helping her achieve a perfect life.
Jason's eyes widened, his expression shifting rapidly—shock, disbelief, amusement, awe.
Favorability hitting 100 meant Mission Five was complete. That alone was huge.
But this new Symbiosis function was…The absolute peak of the system's over-the-top devotion mechanics.
Typical simp system behavior.
Still—after reading the details again—his expression changed.
The system said he should help her by taking her harm and sharing his growth…
But there was an on/off toggle.
Meaning, the opposite was possible.She could absorb some of his harm while he received her growth.
In that case?This feature was actually insanely valuable.
Of course, Jason wasn't heartless—he couldn't hurt a girl on purpose.But in the future, if he got treasures usable only by women…He could give them to Julia, and after she used them—he would receive half of the benefits.
A win-win, really.
He glanced at Julia again.
She stood before him, breathless from running, eyes shining, cheeks flushed, smiling like he was the only person in the world.
Jason felt something soften silently in his chest.
There are 150 chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
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