Her voice trembled, thick with fear — like a lamb awaiting judgment.
She dreaded hearing those two fatal words again: "Too vulgar."
The grand hall fell into dead silence.
At last, Jiang Xun rose from his seat.
Step by step, he approached the canvas.
From above, he looked down — at the woman lying there, and at the so-called "masterpiece" she had become.
Mu Qingxue's heart hammered so hard she could barely breathe.
"This painting… isn't very good."
His voice was languid, smooth — like a cat's paw tracing along the edges of her heart.
Mu Qingxue's body shook violently. All color drained from her face.
It was over.
Still not good enough.
She had poured everything into this piece — and he was still dissatisfied?
Just as despair began to devour her, Jiang Xun crouched down.
He extended a finger and brushed it lightly across a streak of red "paint."
A rich, sweet scent of strawberries filled the air — with a faint undercurrent of chocolate.
He brought the finger to his lips.
And tasted it.
"Damn. Chocolate too. Impressive."
Then, with a half-smile — wicked and refined, the kind that corrodes reason — he murmured,
"But the paint's good. Strawberry-flavored. Quite sweet."
Mu Qingxue froze.
"You…"
"I said," Jiang Xun leaned closer, his breath warm and electric against her cheek, "I should inspect the goods properly."
"I'm not just here to evaluate dead assets."
"My interest," he added softly, "includes whether you are aesthetically pleasing."
He scooped her up suddenly — colors and all — one arm circling her waist.
Mu Qingxue gasped, clutching his neck in panic. It was the first time in her life she had ever been this close to a man. Her mind blanked. Her body, helpless.
"Sir… it's dirty…"
"It's fine," he said calmly. "I don't mind."
Still holding her, he strode toward the vast infinity pool.
A sharp splash echoed through the villa.
Water enveloped them — cool, lucid, shocking her back to awareness.
"Sir, I… I can wash by myself…" she stammered, face burning with humiliation.
"Wash?" His voice was low, magnetic, teasing. "Wouldn't that waste such good 'paint'?"
He bent closer — and the world dissolved into color, water, and scent.
Her thoughts scattered like ripples. Resistance slipped away.
"The blueberry one," he murmured, "has more depth than strawberry. A bit tart — layered."
She felt herself adrift, a fragile vessel in a storm, drawn toward the only harbor she could find — him.
She no longer resisted. She surrendered to the current.
The infinity pool shimmered beneath the soft evening light.
Time became fluid — the sun descended, the lamps around the pool flickered on, and the night deepened.
Paint bottles lay scattered across the tiles, their contents long spilled.
The great white canvas fluttered in the breeze — blurred by water, yet somehow more profound for it.
When Jiang Xun finally carried her out of the pool, Mu Qingxue was limp in his arms.
He laid her gently on the enormous bed, enough for seven or eight people, and drew the blanket over her shoulders.
The icy, imperious CEO was gone.
In her place lay a small, delicate woman — cheeks flushed, eyes dazed, her former sharpness melted into quiet warmth and exhaustion.
A faint electronic chime rang in his mind:
Ding! Detected deep emotional link established with heroine Mu Qingxue. Affection +20! Current affection: 80 (Intimate).Ding! Family reputation +1000!Ding! Congratulations, host! Due to rapid affection growth, new feature unlocked: Partner Status Overview!
He opened the system panel lazily:
Family Group:Member: Mu QingxueAffection: 80 (Intimate)Health: Excellent (Mild fatigue — suggest using Stamina Potion, Small)
Jiang Xun muttered, "This system's getting smarter."
"Sir…"
Her voice was barely a whisper, soft as a mosquito's hum.
"Mm?"
"From now on… may I call you by your name?" she asked, as though testing a rule she might break.
"Anything you want."
He was in too good a mood to pretend otherwise.
"…Jiang Xun," she murmured, and a small, foolish smile curved her lips.
Then, suddenly remembering something, she sat up.
"Oh right — the Male Care Association! This quarter's KPI is the 'Marital Harmony Report'! I need to submit one!"
Jiang Xun blinked.
"…What?"
She looked perfectly serious.
"I have to file a report on last night's 'inspection,'" she explained.
He stared at her, speechless.
"You mean— that was part of your performance review?"
Her expression was utterly earnest.
Jiang Xun groaned inwardly.So this world really did have KPIs for everything.