[Sunday Morning - 9:00 AM - Mandarin Oriental Hotel]
Chen Wei woke to find Xiao Yue still sleeping peacefully beside him, her face soft and trusting. Last night's reaffirmation of their commitment had brought them closer than ever.
But as Chen Wei lay there in the morning light, watching her sleep, he felt that familiar darkness stirring inside him again—the part of him that whispered: Why limit yourself to one woman when you could have so many?
[System Alert: Internal Conflict Detected]
[Your true nature is struggling against your chosen path]
[Warning: Suppressing desires creates pressure that will eventually explode]
Chen Wei carefully extracted himself from bed and stepped onto the balcony, his mind churning. His phone showed several messages that had come in overnight:
Jiang Lan: "Thinking about my offer? Here's additional incentive—I have information about system mechanics your grandfather doesn't know. Information that could help you have everything without the sacrifices. Meet me for coffee this morning? Just coffee, nothing more. -JL"
Lin Yue: "Good morning! I miss talking to you. When you're back in Jianghai, can we have dinner? Just the two of us, like old friends catching up? I promise to behave. 😊 -LY"
Tang Xin: "Chen Wei! My date with Li Wei didn't work out. He's nice but... there's no spark. Not like what I feel when I'm with you. I know you're with Xiao Yue, but I can't help how I feel. Can we talk when you're back?"
Sophia Chen: "Last chance, Chen Wei. I'm flying back to LA tonight. If you want to see what you're missing, room 2408, 10 AM. After that, this offer expires forever. Don't be stupid. -S"
[Multiple Women Still Pursuing You]
[Each represents a different temptation]
[Your darker impulses are responding despite your commitment]
Chen Wei stared at the messages, his heart rate increasing. Part of him—the part he'd been suppressing—wanted to respond to all of them. Wanted to see what Sophia was offering. Wanted to meet Jiang Lan for "coffee." Wanted to have that intimate dinner with Lin Yue. Wanted to comfort Tang Xin in ways that would definitely cross lines.
I could manage it, the dark voice whispered. I'm smart enough. Rich enough. Powerful enough. Why shouldn't I have everything?
[Critical Internal Moment]
[Your suppressed playboy nature is pushing for release]
[This is who you truly are—ambitious, desiring, wanting to possess multiple women]
His grandfather's genes. His family's "moral flexibility." The system's corruption. All of it was pushing him toward polyamory, toward deception, toward becoming someone who collected women like trophies.
And the terrifying truth? Part of him wanted it.
"Chen Wei?"
He turned to find Bai Yue standing in the doorway, fully dressed despite the early hour. Her expression was serious, almost knowing.
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked, stepping onto the balcony beside him.
"Too much on my mind," Chen Wei admitted.
Bai Yue glanced at his phone, still displaying the messages. She didn't need to read them to understand.
"They're still pursuing you," she said. It wasn't a question.
"Yes."
"And you're tempted," Bai Yue said bluntly. "Don't lie to me, Chen Wei. I can see it in your eyes. The same look I had when I was building my empire and men threw themselves at me. That hunger for more."
[Bai Yue: Sees through your facade]
[She understands because she's been there]
Chen Wei wanted to deny it, but he'd promised transparency. "Yes. I'm tempted. God help me, I'm constantly tempted. And it's getting harder to resist."
"Because you're fighting your nature," Bai Yue said. "Chen Wei, can I tell you something I've never told anyone?"
"Of course."
"When I was building Tianlong Group, I had lovers," Bai Yue admitted quietly. "Multiple men, sometimes simultaneously. I didn't love any of them—couldn't, because the system had taken that capacity. But I enjoyed the power, the variety, the feeling of being desired by many. It was addictive."
[Bai Yue Confession: Her Hidden Past]
Chen Wei looked at her in surprise. "I thought you'd been alone for years?"
"I have been—romantically," Bai Yue clarified. "But sexually? No. I kept casual arrangements until three years ago when I finally realized how empty it all was. Multiple bodies warming my bed but no one warming my heart. That's when I stopped, when I chose isolation over hollow pleasure."
She met his eyes directly. "I'm telling you this because I see you heading down that same path. You think you can have multiple women and manage it perfectly. Keep Xiao Yue as your 'official' girlfriend while secretly enjoying others. You're smart enough to pull it off, and the system is encouraging it."
"I would never hurt Xiao Yue like that," Chen Wei protested.
"Are you sure?" Bai Yue challenged. "Because I saw how you looked at Jiang Lan last night. How you appreciated her body despite rejecting her. How you saved those messages from other women instead of deleting them immediately. You're keeping options open, Chen Wei. Consciously or not, you're building a harem."
[Brutal Truth: Your Behavior Reveals Your Intentions]
[You've been preparing for multiple relationships without admitting it]
Chen Wei felt like she'd punched him in the gut because she was right. He hadn't deleted the messages. He had appreciated Jiang Lan's appearance. He was keeping doors slightly ajar while telling himself he'd never walk through them.
"What should I do?" Chen Wei asked.
"That depends on what you truly want," Bai Yue said. "If you genuinely want only Xiao Yue, then you need to close those doors completely. Delete the messages. Block the numbers. Remove temptation entirely. But if part of you actually wants multiple women, then you need to be honest about that—with yourself and eventually with Xiao Yue."
"She'd never accept that," Chen Wei said.
"Are you sure?" Bai Yue asked. "Some women can. Some cultures accept it. Some arrangements work. But only with complete honesty, never with deception. If you want a harem, you build it openly or not at all. Otherwise, you're just a cheater."
[Two Paths Clearly Defined]
[Committed Monogamy OR Openly Negotiated Polyamory]
[Deception and Cheating is NOT an option that ends well]
Chen Wei's head spun. "I need time to think."
"You don't have much time," Bai Yue said. "Sophia leaves at 10 AM. If you don't go to her room, that door closes forever. Jiang Lan's coffee invitation expires at noon. Tang Xin needs an answer. You're at a crossroads, Chen Wei. Choose your path today, or circumstances will choose for you."
She headed back inside, then paused. "For what it's worth, I think Xiao Yue is extraordinary and you'd be a fool to risk losing her. But I also think you need to be honest about who you really are. Pretending to be monogamous when you're not will destroy you both eventually."
After Bai Yue left, Chen Wei stood alone, staring at his phone.
[Critical Character-Defining Moment]
[What you do in the next hour will determine your entire future]
[System Analysis: You have three realistic options]
[Option 1: Commit Fully to Monogamy]
Delete all messages from other women
Set firm boundaries
Focus entirely on Xiao Yue
Fight your nature constantly
Risk eventual resentment or slip-up
[Option 2: Embrace Your Playboy Nature]
Meet Sophia one last time
Start building secret relationships
Keep Xiao Yue as primary but have others
Live in constant deception
Risk complete destruction when discovered
[Option 3: Honest Conversation with Xiao Yue]
Admit your struggles and desires
Discuss possibility of non-traditional arrangement
Risk losing her but maintain integrity
Potentially find a solution that works for both
Most difficult but most honest path
Chen Wei's hands shook as he held his phone. What was he going to do?
The darkness inside him whispered: Go to Sophia. Just once. Just to see. Xiao Yue never has to know.
But another voice—smaller, but his true conscience—said: If you do that, you've already lost everything that matters.
He was about to make his decision when his phone rang. His mother.
"Chen Wei!" his mom's cheerful voice came through. "Your father told me he talked to you yesterday. I wanted to call and tell you how proud we are of you, son. Building such success at your age!"
"Thanks, Mom," Chen Wei said, his voice strained.
"Are you okay? You sound stressed."
"Just... dealing with some decisions," Chen Wei admitted.
"About that girlfriend of yours? Xiao Yue?" his mother asked. "Your father mentioned her. She sounds lovely."
"She is," Chen Wei said.
"Then here's my advice, since you didn't ask for it," his mother said with warm humor. "Don't be stupid, son. When you find a good woman who loves you genuinely, you hold onto her with both hands. All the money in the world isn't worth losing real love. Your father and I could have been wealthy if he'd taken his family inheritance. But we chose love and simplicity. And we've never regretted it. Not once in twenty-five years."
[Mother's Wisdom: Choose Love]
"What if..." Chen Wei started, then stopped.
"What if what, dear?"
"What if you want more than one person?" Chen Wei asked carefully. "What if being with just one person feels... limiting?"
His mother was quiet for a moment. "Chen Wei, are you asking about having multiple relationships?"
"Maybe," he admitted.
"Then let me be blunt," his mother said, her voice becoming serious. "Some cultures accept polygamy. Some arrangements work for some people. But it only works with honesty, never with lies. If you're thinking about cheating on Xiao Yue, then you're not the son I raised. If you're thinking about an honest conversation about non-traditional relationships, that's between you two adults. But whatever you do, don't deceive her. Deception is poison. It kills love slowly and painfully."
[Same Message as Bai Yue: Honesty Is Essential]
"Thanks, Mom," Chen Wei said quietly.
"We love you, son. And we're proud of you. But make sure you're proud of yourself too. Money and success mean nothing if you lose your integrity."
After hanging up, Chen Wei looked at the clock: 9:45 AM. Fifteen minutes until Sophia's deadline.
He looked at the messages from the other women.
Then he looked at the suite door, behind which Xiao Yue slept peacefully, trusting him completely.
He made his decision.
[9:55 AM - Critical Choice Made]
Chen Wei walked back into the suite quietly. Xiao Yue was stirring, just beginning to wake. He sat on the edge of the bed, watching her eyes flutter open.
"Morning," she murmured, smiling at him with such genuine love it made his chest ache.
"Xiao Yue, we need to talk," Chen Wei said seriously. "About something important. Something I've been struggling with."
Xiao Yue sat up, immediately alert, fear flickering in her eyes. "What's wrong?"
Chen Wei took her hands. "I need to be completely honest with you about something. About the way the system is affecting me. About temptations I've been facing. About who I really am versus who I've been pretending to be."
[Honesty: The Hardest But Right Choice]
"Okay," Xiao Yue said, her voice small. "Tell me."
Chen Wei took a deep breath and told her everything. About the constant attraction to other women. About how the system seemed to be pushing him toward polyamory. About the messages from Sophia, Jiang Lan, Lin Yue, and Tang Xin. About how part of him wanted to accept their offers. About his family's genetic "moral flexibility." About Bai Yue's observation that he was unconsciously building a harem. About his fear that he was becoming someone who wanted to possess multiple women.
Xiao Yue listened in silence, tears forming in her eyes but not falling.
When he finished, she was quiet for a long moment.
"Are you going to cheat on me?" she asked finally.
"No," Chen Wei said firmly. "But I needed you to know that I'm tempted. Constantly. And that fighting it is getting harder. I refuse to deceive you, Xiao Yue. If I'm struggling, you deserve to know."
"So what do you want?" Xiao Yue asked, her voice shaking. "Do you want to break up? Do you want an open relationship? Do you want me to accept you having other women?"
[Xiao Yue's Question: What Do You Actually Want?]
Chen Wei looked into her eyes. "What I want is for this to be easier. I want to not be attracted to other women. I want to be naturally monogamous like my father. But I'm not. And I'm trying to figure out how to handle that honestly."
Xiao Yue pulled her hands away, standing and walking to the window. Her shoulders shook—she was crying silently.
"Xiao Yue—" Chen Wei started.
"Let me think," she said, holding up a hand. "Just... give me a minute to process."
[Critical Moment: Xiao Yue Processing Major Information]
[Your honesty has hurt her but also shown respect for her agency]
After what felt like an eternity, Xiao Yue turned back to face him.
"I love you," she said. "And I appreciate your honesty even though it hurts. Most men would just cheat and lie. You're telling me the truth. That takes courage."
"But?" Chen Wei prompted.
"But I can't share you," Xiao Yue said firmly. "I'm not wired that way. If you need multiple women to be happy, then I'm not enough for you. And if I'm not enough, then maybe we should end this now before it gets worse."
[Xiao Yue's Boundary: Monogamy or Nothing]
[She's giving you a clear choice]
Chen Wei felt panic rise in his chest. Losing Xiao Yue? The thought was unbearable.
"You are enough," Chen Wei said desperately. "You're more than enough. It's not about you not being enough—it's about me being broken somehow. The system, my genetics, something is making me want more than I should."
"Then fix it," Xiao Yue said. "Get therapy. Talk to your grandfather. Do whatever you need to do. But Chen Wei, I won't be the primary girlfriend while you secretly have others. And I won't be part of some 'arrangement' where you have multiple women openly. I want monogamy or nothing."
She walked over to him, touching his face gently. "I love you enough to walk away if that's what's best for both of us. If you genuinely can't be monogamous, then you owe it to yourself to find women who accept that. But I'm not one of them."
[Xiao Yue: Showing Strength and Self-Respect]
[She loves you but won't compromise her values]
"Give me ten minutes," Chen Wei said suddenly. "Ten minutes and I'll show you my choice."
He grabbed his phone and, right in front of Xiao Yue, began deleting and blocking:
Sophia's messages - DELETED. Number - BLOCKED.
Jiang Lan's personal number - DELETED. Kept only business contact.
Lin Yue - sent message: "Lin Yue, I value our friendship, but I can't have private dinners just the two of us. It's not fair to you or Xiao Yue. Professional relationship only from now on."
Tang Xin - sent message: "Tang Xin, I'm honored by your feelings, but I'm committed to Xiao Yue. Focus on finding someone who can love you properly. I'm not available, not now, not ever."
[Decisive Action: Closing All Doors Except Xiao Yue]
[This is your choice: Monogamy, completely and finally]
Then he called Sophia's room. She answered on the second ring.
"Chen Wei! I knew you'd—"
"Sophia, I'm calling to make something absolutely clear," Chen Wei interrupted. "I'm not coming to your room. I'm never going to be interested in you. I'm deleting your number after this call. Stop pursuing me. It's never going to happen. Goodbye."
He hung up and blocked the number immediately.
[Sophia: Permanently Rejected]
[Door Slammed Shut]
Xiao Yue watched all of this with wide eyes, tears now streaming down her face—but different tears, not sad ones.
"I choose you," Chen Wei said firmly. "Not because you're making me choose. But because you're right. I was keeping doors open, keeping options available. That's not commitment. That's hedging bets. So I'm closing every door except yours. Completely. No ambiguity."
He pulled her into his arms. "I don't know if the temptation will ever fully go away. My genetics, the system, whatever—it might always be there. But I'm choosing to fight it. Every single day. Because losing you is unthinkable."
[Choice Made: Complete Monogamy Despite Difficult Nature]
[You've chosen the harder path but the right one]
Xiao Yue sobbed into his chest. "Thank you. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for being honest. Thank you for not being like other men who would just lie and cheat."
They held each other for a long time, the morning sun streaming through the windows.
[Relationship Status: Crisis Overcome]
[Xiao Yue Favorability: 95/100 → 100/100]
[Trust: Fully Restored Through Radical Honesty]
[Your bond is now stronger than ever because you chose transparency over deception]
A knock at the door interrupted them. Bai Yue entered, took one look at their tear-stained faces and embracing bodies, and smiled.
"You chose right," she said simply. "I'm proud of you, Chen Wei."
"It was the hardest thing I've ever done," Chen Wei admitted. "Closing those doors, admitting my struggles, risking losing her."
"That's why it was the right choice," Bai Yue said. "Easy choices don't build character. Hard choices do."
[11:00 AM - Aftermath]
Chen Wei's phone buzzed with responses to his messages:
Lin Yue: "I understand. You're right. I've been holding onto feelings I shouldn't have. Professional relationship only from now on. Thank you for the honesty. -LY"
Tang Xin: "You're right. I've been clinging to something impossible. Li Wei actually asked me out again, and I think I'll give him a real chance this time. Thank you for setting me free to find real love. -TX"
Jiang Lan: "I see you made your choice. Pity. But I respect it. Business alliance offer still stands—purely professional. The invitation to destroy you has been withdrawn. You've proven interesting, Chen Wei. -JL"
[Consequences of Your Choice:]
Sophia: Enemy, but leaving Hong Kong (minimal threat)
Lin Yue: Accepting boundary, remaining professional ally
Tang Xin: Moving on healthily with Li Wei
Jiang Lan: Respects your choice, willing to cooperate professionally
His grandfather called moments later.
"I felt something shift in you this morning," Chen Jian said. "You made a major choice, didn't you?"
"I chose monogamy," Chen Wei said. "Completely. Finally. No more hedging, no more keeping options open."
"That's the hardest choice I never had the courage to make," his grandfather said, emotion thick in his voice. "I tried to have everything—wealth, power, multiple relationships. It destroyed me, Chen Wei. But you... you might actually succeed where I failed. Because you chose love first, wealth second. That's the key I never understood."
[Grandfather's Approval]
[You've succeeded where he failed]
"It's going to be hard," Chen Wei admitted. "The temptation won't disappear just because I made a choice."
"No, but now you have Xiao Yue as your partner in fighting it," his grandfather said. "Honesty makes everything easier. Deception makes everything impossible. Remember that."
[1:00 PM - Returning to Jianghai]
The private jet took off from Hong Kong, carrying Chen Wei, Xiao Yue, Bai Yue, Liu Han, and Zhang Mei back home.
As Hong Kong disappeared behind them, Chen Wei reflected on what had happened. He'd come to Hong Kong as someone struggling with temptation and deception. He was leaving as someone who'd faced his darkness and chosen light.
It hadn't been easy. His playboy impulses, his family genetics, the system's pressure—all of it had pushed him toward multiple relationships, toward deception, toward becoming someone who collected women.
But he'd chosen differently. Chosen honesty over deception. Chosen commitment over conquest. Chosen one genuine relationship over multiple hollow ones.
[Character Development: Major Growth]
[You've defined who you choose to be despite natural inclinations]
Xiao Yue sat beside him, holding his hand, occasionally squeezing it as if reminding herself he was real and had chosen her.
Bai Yue sat across from them, working on her tablet, but Chen Wei noticed her glancing at them occasionally with something like longing—not for Chen Wei specifically, but for what they had. Real connection. Genuine love. The things her choices had cost her.
Chen Wei's phone buzzed one final time. A message from his mother:
Mom: "Your father told me you made the right choice today. We're proud of you, son. Choosing to be faithful when you could have had many is the mark of a real man. Come visit us soon? We'd love to meet Xiao Yue properly. Love you. -Mom"
Chen Wei smiled and showed the message to Xiao Yue.
"Your parents want to meet me?" she asked, nervous excitement in her voice.
"They want to meet the woman their son chose over everything else," Chen Wei corrected. "And yes, they're going to love you."
[Future Event: Meeting the Parents]
[New relationship milestone approaching]
As the jet cruised toward Jianghai, Chen Wei realized something profound: he was still tempted. Still attracted to other women. Still felt those playboy impulses lurking inside him.
But now he had something stronger: commitment backed by honesty. Xiao Yue knew his struggles. He didn't have to pretend to be naturally monogamous. He could be honest about temptation while still choosing fidelity.
That transparency made everything easier.
[System Update: Character Path Solidified]
[You are a naturally polygamous person choosing monogamy]
[This is harder than natural monogamy but also more meaningful]
[Your choice to fight your nature makes your commitment more valuable, not less]
[Xiao Yue understands this and loves you more for the struggle]
[Lesson Learned: Honesty about temptation is better than pretending it doesn't exist]
The system had one final message:
[System Analysis: You've made choices that reduce your ultimate power potential]
[But you've increased your humanity, happiness, and relationship quality]
[This is acceptable tradeoff]
[Recommendation: Continue this path]
[You can be wealthy, successful, AND genuinely happy]
[You just can't have infinite power]
[That's the price of maintaining your soul]
Chen Wei closed his eyes, Xiao Yue's head resting on his shoulder, and felt genuine peace for the first time in weeks.
He'd faced his darkness and chosen light.
He'd acknowledged his playboy nature and chosen fidelity anyway.
He'd been honest when lies would have been easier.
And because of those choices, he'd kept the woman who mattered most.