The next morning, the System screamed hysterically inside my head:

I lay in bed, staring in dead silence at the mountain of asset-transfer documents Chu Nghiêm had piled high on the nightstand. Last night, I had cried myself into hiccups, asking him, “You hate me so much, don’t you… Are you going to bankrupt my family next and force me to beg on the streets?”

He hadn’t answered then. But this morning, he had quietly legally transferred every single cent of his entire net worth into my name.

Facing this astronomical pile of cash, I… was genuinely shaken. I calmly informed the System:

“Listen here, you outdated piece of garbage, go get yourself an upgrade. And remember to come pick me up in ten years.”

The System: […]

It went dead quiet, then vanished without a trace.

The second the System left, I gleefully scooped up my new fortune, ready to run. But before I could get very far, Chu Nghiêm—his face pale and deadly serious—dragged me right back. I tried to negotiate terms with him, but somehow, the “negotiation” landed us right back in bed.

“I don’t just want money… I want other things too,” I began, my voice trembling slightly.

Chu Nghiêm was so furious his own voice shook. “Other things? You mean running off to play sweethearts with that kid?”

I tried taking a softer approach. “Chu Nghiêm, you’re actually a good man, I…”

Before I could finish, he sealed my lips with his. “I know what you’re doing. Tricking me into letting my guard down so you can run, right? In your dreams.”

Dazed and utterly exhausted, I heard myself say something I would normally never admit out loud: “Chu Nghiêm… I finished my mission, but I didn’t leave… because I actually like you…”

His hand, which had been softly caressing my cheek, froze. A slight tremor ran through his fingers. Then, he leaned down and kissed me with agonizing care, as if terrified I might break into pieces.

“Can I… still trust you? Don’t lie to me this time. I really can’t take it anymore…”

Through a blur of tears, I thought to myself: I must have caught a brain rot virus from that damn System. The reality was, even without any blue pills, Chu Nghiêm’s “handwork” alone was potent enough to make me cry a river.

The peace didn’t last long. One afternoon, Giang Dữ — my almost-lover — came storming straight into the villa.

“Sis! Why did you block me?!” He was practically in tears. “You said you’d stay with me! Why did you disappear right after taking what you wanted? You didn’t even take your pen!”

Watching the handsome boy weep like a bruised blossom, my heart softened. I took a step forward, intending to wipe away his tears, when a powerful arm yanked me backward into a firm chest.

Chu Nghiêm’s deep, icy voice echoed from right behind me. “Look at you. Your lover showed up right at our doorstep. What do you plan to do now?”

While I stood there frozen with a fake smile plastered on my face, Chu Nghiêm remained terrifyingly composed. He pulled out a black card, offering it to Giang Dữ with a polite smile, as if discussing a routine business deal: “My apologies. My wife likes to play games. Don’t take it to heart. Consider this compensation… for keeping her company.”

Smack! Giang Dữ swiped the card out of his hand, sending it flying.

His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me. “Sis… you’re married? You said you’d like me forever! Why did you lie to me?!”

Seeing him cry like a wet puppy caught in the rain, just like he had seven years ago. I panicked and blurted out the first thing that came to mind: “I do like you! How could I not?!”

The light in Chu Nghiêm’s eyes darkened for a split second. He laced his fingers through mine, stroking the center of my palm in a deeply suggestive manner. “Baby… there’s no need to keep acting now, is there?”

Devastated by my silence, Giang Dữ lost all hope, turned on his heel, and sprinted out into the rain. I couldn’t even make a move to chase after him, considering the “lawful husband” was standing right beside me, monitoring my every breath.

The moment Giang Dữ left, I deflated completely like a wilted leaf. I shot a suspicious glare at the man next to me.

“Hardly anyone knows I live here. How could a broke college student track me all the way down here… Chu Nghiêm, did you set this up?”

He instantly dropped his “generous husband” facade, so green with jealousy that he pinned me against the sofa, kissing me senseless until my breathing fell completely out of rhythm. “I changed your phone number, yet he still won’t let go. What if he tries to seduce you again? Or what… were you planning to keep us both?”

I replied weakly, “Please, spare me… my stomach isn’t strong enough for two.”

Honestly, dealing with him alone was exhausting enough; adding another would definitely choke me to death. Sorry, Giang Dữ. Consider that night my way of settling the debt for all those years I sponsored you.

A few months passed, and the tension between Chu Nghiêm and me gradually thawed. He went back to his old habits, cooking breakfast, driving me to work, and living out those quiet, sweet days of an old married couple. On the surface, it seemed as though the whole divorce drama had never happened, but I knew better. The proof was the shredded divorce agreement, which he had meticulously collected and sealed inside a glass jar like a prized trophy.

Today, I walked into his study looking for a key, but accidentally opened the wrong cabinet… and froze dead in my tracks.

Inside the cabinet sat a neat row of glass jars, housing every single piece of my past: a candy wrapper from high school, a used Band-Aid, a paper airplane, handwritten notes… There was even a piece of paper bearing a peach-flavored lipstick print, the very one he had once used to coldly block my kiss years ago.

Chu Nghiêm stood at the doorway, his face drain of color. He dropped the keys onto the floor—a scene straight out of a horror movie. “You… saw everything.”

I picked up a piece of lingerie that had mysteriously vanished a while back, giving him a slow, deliberate smile. “Cold, ruthless CEO on the outside, turned out to be running a undercover love museum on the inside. Care to defend yourself?”

Chu Nghiêm stayed silent for a few seconds before choosing the shortest path out: a total confession.

He lowered his eyes, his deep voice thick with anxiety. “Do you… hate me for it? I just wanted to keep everything that belonged to you.”

I let out a soft sigh. So what if he’s a little unhinged? Having a partner who’s both insanely hot and fiercely loyal is more than enough. Who told me to fall for him in the first place?

As for his infamous “lack of interest,” it turned out to be the result of extreme self-restraint. He had seen the System, and to prevent me from completing the mission and vanishing, he had deliberately held back from taking that final step, even going so far as to lie about being frigid.

Unfortunately, playing a role too well backfired. Six months ago, he discovered that… he actually had a real problem down there.

The doctor’s diagnosis was simple: “Long-term psychological suppression. Requires gradual treatment.”

Chu Nghiêm had completely spiraled. Returning home, he had held onto me like a lifeline: “I’m useless… Whenever you need it, I can take the meds. Just please don’t look down on me, okay? I’m still better than that kid.”

Seeing him purse his lips in such wounded desperation made my heart melt into mush. I reached over, confiscated the pill bottle, and leaned in close to whisper in his ear, “Forget these. Taking too many isn’t good for you. Honestly… I prefer a different approach anyway.”

Chu Nghiêm’s eyes lit up instantly, bright as high beams. “Really?”

“Really.”