Shen Wuxiao slept soundly that night. The sofa was wide and comfortable, almost like a bed. Meanwhile, Jiang Huaiyue had a far more complicated night. When she woke up, she was completely stunned.
She had… that kind of dream.
Jiang Huaiyue sat up, dazed, her thoughts spinning in confusion. She couldn’t believe it. She rubbed her temples, then covered her face with both hands, trying to calm herself.
Maybe it was the lingering scent of Shen Wuxiao on the bedding that triggered the dream. In it, she and Shen Wuxiao were lying in the same bed, passionately kissing, and even doing things she didn’t dare to think about while awake.
Even if it was just a dream, it was still too outrageous. She had only known Shen Wuxiao for two or three days. How did it come to this?
She shook her head hard, forcing herself out of the messy thoughts, and went straight to the bathroom to wash up. Then, still a little flustered, she stepped out of her room.
The first thing she saw was Shen Wuxiao, still fast asleep on the sofa.
Her face flushed again. The images from her dream resurfaced against her will.
Jiang Huaiyue took a deep breath and hurried into the kitchen.
She prepared a quick and simple breakfast. When she brought it to the table, Shen Wuxiao was still snoring. She sighed, shook her head, and walked over to wake him.Her eyes unintentionally fell on his sleeping face.
Even asleep, he looked infuriatingly handsome.
She quickly shook the thought away and gently patted his arm.
“The sun is almost up. Are you planning to sleep all day? Go wash up and eat.”
As soon as she said that, Jiang Huaiyue froze.
Her words… sounded like something a wife would say to her husband. She was cooking breakfast while her “husband” was still sleeping on the sofa. Now she was waking him up to eat.
Even Shen Wuxiao was momentarily stunned.
For just a second, he felt like they had been living together for a long time, like an old married couple.
He quickly sat up and smiled, “Alright, I’m up.”
He yawned, stretched, and shuffled toward the bathroom.
After breakfast, Shen Wuxiao suggested they go out under the pretense of gathering information. But in reality, he just wanted an excuse to go out with Jiang Huaiyue—to enjoy a proper date.
While Lin Fan was still hiding in some rundown building, Shen Wuxiao planned to take this chance to get even closer to Jiang Huaiyue.
Because once Lin Fan finished his confrontation with the Haisha Society, he would definitely sneak back. At that point, the drama would hit its peak.
Open the door, cue the background song—“For all the love and pain tied to you…”
If not for the fact that he wanted a long-term plan, Shen Wuxiao would’ve already made his move. But he wasn’t in this just for a one-night victory.
He didn’t just want her body—he wanted her heart.
Jiang Huaiyue was an exceptional woman. With her talent and beauty, how could he possibly leave her to Lin Fan?
Shen Wuxiao understood one thing clearly—protagonists didn’t care about virginity. If Lin Fan found out that Jiang Huaiyue had been “taken” by Shen Wuxiao, he would simply focus all his hatred on him, not her.
But Shen Wuxiao didn’t want to lose her. He wanted it all—both the woman and her affection.
…
The day flew by in a flash.
Shen Wuxiao had planned everything perfectly. Under the guise of intelligence gathering, they visited many places.
In the beginning, Jiang Huaiyue was actually serious about asking around. But soon, she was led astray. They went to an arcade, an aquarium, a combat hall, and even a martial arts club.
They also had lunch together, and later, a candlelight dinner.
That dinner turned out to be a trap—disguised in plain sight. The restaurant was named “Heart to Heart,” which sounded innocent, but it turned out to be a themed venue for couples.
The moment they entered, a chorus of cheers greeted them. Strangers praised them for being a perfect pair—handsome man, beautiful woman, such a loving couple!
To top it off, they were randomly assigned the “Lucky Couple” table. The restaurant even gave them matching couple rings.
They were forced to put the rings on each other in front of the crowd.
Neither of them wanted to cause a scene, so they went along with it. Jiang Huaiyue figured she would remove the ring after they left.
But oddly enough, she never did.
When they returned to the villa, it was already nine in the evening.
They had bags of snacks, souvenirs, and small gifts. The coffee table was cluttered with their haul.
Jiang Huaiyue looked at the mess and laughed. “We went out to collect intel, huh?”
Shen Wuxiao collapsed on the sofa with a lazy grin.
Jiang Huaiyue rubbed her sore neck. “I’m going to take a shower first.”
She said it naturally, not realizing she was reporting her plans to him—as if it were a habit.
Shen Wuxiao waited until she disappeared into her room, then asked the system, “Tongzi, what’s Jiang Huaiyue’s current strategy value?”
[Ding! You may view her favorability, but not her strategy value. Jiang Huaiyue’s current favorability: 70%.]
“Seventy percent already?” Shen Wuxiao was delighted.
[Keep going. Once you capture her and destroy the relationship with the protagonist, the reward points will be significant. This is a key heroine.]
“Perfect. I’ll need those points to redeem a decent weapon.”
With that, Shen Wuxiao messaged Uncle Wu.
“Uncle Wu, I want to change locations tonight. Call Aunt Wu—we’re doing this again!”
Uncle Wu replied instantly: [Understood!]
Afterward, Shen Wuxiao went to his bathroom to shower and changed into a bathrobe.
At the same time, Jiang Huaiyue had just finished hers. Her black hair cascaded wet down her shoulders. Her fair skin glowed under the warm light. Water droplets lingered on her back, highlighting her perfect figure.
She put on her robe, dried her hair, and finally returned to her room.
She hesitated at the door.
In the end, she decided not to go out again and lay down to rest.
But after about ten minutes, a sense of danger jolted her awake.
Her eyes snapped open.
“Something’s wrong!”
She leapt out of bed, grabbed her soft sword from the bedside, and tucked a few hidden throwing knives into her robe.
Without delay, she opened the door.
What she saw confirmed her fear.
Shen Wuxiao lay asleep on the sofa again—and standing in the living room were two familiar figures.
Uncle Wu and Aunt Wu!
Jiang Huaiyue’s eyes narrowed.
“What do you want this time?” she asked coldly, her guard fully up.
Her grip on the sword tightened. These two could freeze time with their domain ability—any misstep and she would be powerless.
Aunt Wu chuckled coldly. “Little girl, you’re going to pay the price for deceiving us.”
Jiang Huaiyue’s gaze sharpened. “What deception are you talking about?”
“Don’t act clueless,” Aunt Wu snapped. “Last time we left, we planted a tiny surveillance bug in the villa. We know the truth.”
“You two aren’t even a real couple! And if you’re not a couple, then how the hell did a relationship happen?”
“We were supposed to bring back a huge achievement, but you tricked us. Tonight, I’m taking you back to present to Master Shen personally!”