Shen Yingxin thought, what’s wrong with three days of takeout? It wasn’t so bad back then, right?
Weren’t they in high spirits when they were critiquing different takeout places together? And now she’s hung up on those one or two homemade meals?
But of course, she couldn’t say that out loud. After all, he had been quite generous these days—covering all expenses for food, fun, and shopping without limits.
It wouldn’t be right to act so unapologetic about her earlier lack of hospitality.
So she quickly added, “I only know how to fry eggs and steak—anyone with hands can do that. It doesn’t count as cooking.”
No sooner had she spoken than the TV chef asked her, “When did you first start cooking?”
On-screen, Shen Ying replied, “Around elementary school, pretty early.”
Lu Linwei’s face darkened another shade, while Gao Yingli, who had been about to leave, decided to stay put.
Shen Ying hurriedly corrected herself: “Starting early doesn’t mean I’m good at it. I’ve burned down kitchens before. My family used to own two houses, but now we’re renting. You can guess why.”
Just then, the TV chef asked, “Did you start with Western cuisine?”
Shen Ying on-screen answered, “No. I’ve only dabbled in other styles. The end goal of cooking is mastery across all cuisines. Honestly, I’m not great at Western—my specialty is Chinese.”
Lu Linwei arched an eyebrow at her, and Gao Yingli nearly laughed out loud.
Shen Ying wiped her face. “I’m just… painfully insecure about my skills. Even when you first saw me at my most disheveled, your aristocratic aura was undeniable. I was afraid my cooking wouldn’t measure up.”
Right on cue, the TV chef chimed in: “I’d love to try your Chinese dishes someday.”
On-screen Shen Ying replied confidently, “If the chance arises, I won’t disappoint.”
Lu Linwei scoffed. “Oh? So confident in front of a chef, but worried about *my* standards?”
Shen Ying batted her eyes. “How could it be the same? Strip away his title, and he’s just some stranger. Who cares if I disappoint him?”
“But with you, I’ve been striving to give nothing but the best from the start, terrified of ruining your impression of me. Is a woman’s nervousness really so hard to understand?”
Normally, Lu Linwei would’ve been pleased to hear this—even if half her words were dubious at best.
But now, he only said flatly, “You didn’t seem too concerned about my impression when you whipped out your payment QR code.”
Shen Ying blinked. “Does a woman asking for money ruin your opinion of her?”
“You—” Lu Linwei barely stopped himself from taking the bait again.
He stepped closer, his voice low and deliberate. “I can tolerate your greed. I can tolerate you playing me for a fool, over and over. I can even tolerate your constant provocations—”
The more he spoke, the more he realized how far his standards for her had fallen—and how many principles he’d broken for her.
His jaw tightened, his tone turning icy. “But what I *won’t* tolerate is you giving me not a shred of sincerity or genuine feeling.”
Silence stretched between them—until an obnoxious voice cut in:
“Lu, what’s the point? She’s just a woman. One who doesn’t love you, no less. Hearing you grovel like this is downright pathetic. Hahahaha—”
Lu Linwei took a deep breath, refusing to even glance at Gao Yingli’s smug face.
His gaze remained locked on Shen Ying. “You’ve humiliated me in public *again*. I told you I’d only forgive that once.”
Shen Ying seemed at a loss for words—until Gao Yingli’s laughter grated on her nerves.
She turned on him with a sneer. “‘Childhood friend’? What kind?”
“The sort where he calls you ‘son’ and you call him ‘bro’? Where age matters more than actual family ties?”
Gao Yingli’s laughter died instantly, his teeth gritted. Even now, she was still honoring their deal.
But Lu Linwei felt no satisfaction watching Gao Yingli squirm. With a cold glance, he turned and walked out of the restaurant.
---
The following days made it clear: Lu Linwei was giving her the cold shoulder. No shared meals, no leisure time—just work, as if she didn’t exist.
Thanks to his efficiency, their overseas matters wrapped up quickly. Without delay, Lu Linwei flew Shen Ying back home.
Once their car left the airport highway, Shen Ying noticed the route was wrong.
This wasn’t the way to Lu Linwei’s place.
Sure enough, they soon stopped in front of a familiar apartment building.
Shen Ying frowned. “Why are we here?”
Lu Linwei’s voice was detached. “Weren’t you always complaining about losing your freedom? Consider it granted. You’re free.”
Her confusion deepened. “What about my job—”
“Don’t worry about it,” he cut in. “Your belongings will be delivered tomorrow. Get out.”
Seeing his resolve, she didn’t argue. The moment her door closed, the car sped off without hesitation.
Through the rearview mirror, Lu Linwei watched her slight figure shrink in the night wind. He bit his tongue, fighting the urge to turn back.
He knew his obsessive need for control wasn’t healthy—but with his power, he could afford to indulge it.
When he’d decided to keep Shen Ying caged, he’d braced for long-term resistance. Instead, she’d settled into her gilded prison with unsettling ease.
Her complacency had once reassured him. Now, it wasn’t enough.
He wanted *more*.
Even if it meant temporary sacrifice. Even if her absence from his grasp felt unbearable.
Without loss, she’d never learn. She needed to understand: his patience wasn’t infinite.
If he kept indulging her, he’d end up on his knees, begging to be extorted.
---
Meanwhile, Shen Ying watched the taillights vanish and finally clicked her tongue.
“He actually left?”
Instead of heading upstairs, she hailed a cab to a luxury hotel downtown.
Her cheap parents were home, and she still had no interest in dealing with them.
Before their trip abroad, Lu Linwei had relocated them to factory jobs—the only work they knew—but with better pay, benefits, and shorter hours. Now they had all the time in the world to hound Shen Yao about his studies.
After checking in, she texted Assistant Fang: *Deliver my things to this hotel tomorrow, not my parents’ place.*
Her system piped up: **[Host, I knew you were ‘lax’ about work, but I didn’t expect you to refuse even *one* meal for the male lead.]**
**[Now you’ve been discarded—something that never happened in the original story. How do you plan to complete the mission?]**
Shen Ying said nonchalantly, "So his favorability points dropped?"
The system replied: *[...No.]*
Shen Ying: "Then why are you panicking?"
The system: *[Just because it hasn’t dropped yet doesn’t mean you’re safe. Since they’re the male and female leads, their emotional line is inherently more stable than other characters due to plot inertia. But no relationship can withstand repeated disappointment and neglect.]*
*[There have been cases where favorability plummeted from ninety to zero overnight. Host, if you don’t exchange sincerity for sincerity, completing the mission will be very difficult.]*
A strange smile suddenly tugged at Shen Ying’s lips: "I get the logic, but System, have you noticed something even more important?"
The system: *[What?]*
Shen Ying: "The plot was avoided."
"The events that were supposed to happen in the U.S. ended without incident."
The system froze, reflexively retorting: *[Impossible, clearly—]*
But as if checking something, it abruptly cut itself off.
At that moment, the system heard Shen Ying’s voice—chilling to its nonexistent ears—
"So that’s how it is. The plot *can* be avoided, but that power isn’t in the hands of the host, right?"
The system broke out in a cold sweat, only for Shen Ying to deliver the words it dreaded most:
"The ones who can change the plot are the male lead… and other romanceable characters, correct?"
The system didn’t dare answer. In the original plot, during this U.S. trip, Lu Linwei—overwhelmed by work—would lose track of the female lead due to a subordinate’s mistake.
Well, not exactly *lost*—she was deliberately lured away by Gao Yingli.
After tricking her, Gao Yingli severed her contact with the outside world, toying with her ambiguously while periodically sending misleading photos to Lu Linwei.
Step by step, Gao Yingli used the female lead to lure Lu Linwei into a trap—a drug deal in progress. Caught in the crossfire, Lu Linwei nearly had his head blown off by ruthless cartel members.
After a chaotic struggle, it was the female lead, guilt-ridden for inadvertently leading him into danger, who took a bullet for him at the critical moment, allowing them to narrowly escape.
Gao Yingli wasn’t called the main antagonist for nothing—his schemes weren’t just petty provocations. Every move was calculated to end Lu Linwei’s life.
Yet here stood Shen Ying, unharmed, without a single hole in her body.
Sure, one could argue this was a *temporary* avoidance—that the plot might resurface due to inertia. But the system’s reaction made it clear: this opportunity was gone for good.
Lu Linwei’s early return had erased the plot entirely.
Shen Ying continued, "Over all this time, it’s impossible that no one has tried using the male lead or romanceable characters to avoid plot points—yet they all failed. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have confidently claimed that *key plot events are unavoidable.*"
"Which means there must be a major precondition: for the male lead’s actions to bypass the plot, they *cannot* be prompted, guided, or even hinted at by the player."
She smiled. "Ah, knowing this hidden rule really puts my mind at ease."
The system, however, was in meltdown: *[Why? How did you figure this out?!]*
*[Did you orchestrate Lu Linwei’s early return? No, impossible! Any hint of your influence altering a naturally occurring event would invalidate it—that counts as guidance!]*
*[And I’ve been monitoring you the whole time. There’s no way you could’ve engineered such a coincidence!]*
A steakhouse hosting a filming event. A prideful chef rising to a challenge. A culinary legend randomly selecting Shen Ying. The exact timing of their visit aligning with the broadcast.
None of these were within Shen Ying’s control. If even *one* link had faltered, Lu Linwei wouldn’t have changed his plans.
The system frantically ran calculations, sparks flying in its digital void—but came up empty.
Then Shen Ying said, "Just a coincidence~ My luck’s always been decent. Didn’t feel like eating lead today, so I dodged it. Who knew I’d stumble upon a hidden rule?"
The system: *[...]*
(Maybe check your abysmal win rate in mobile mahjong before boasting about *luck*?)
But with no logical explanation, the system had no choice but to accept it as chance.
After two days at the hotel, Shen Ying grew restless.
She complained to the system, "The room service here is passable, but Lu Manor was *way* more comfortable."
"System, how long does Lu Linwei plan to leave me hanging? Am I not pitiful or remorseful *enough*? Why hasn’t he taken me back yet?"
The system glanced at the table laden with gourmet food and fine wine and chose silence.
Shen Ying sighed. "As my *assistant*, your utter lack of effort is really undermining the mission."
Just as the system contemplated screaming, it noticed Shen Ying typing away on her phone.
*[What are you doing?]* it asked.
Shen Ying replied, "Since you’re useless, I’ll just have to convince the male lead to *pay me* to return to my cushy workplace."
