NOVEL WEB Ch. 1
Late summer to early autumn evening, Spring City.
"Young Master, all my money is in this card now, secretly saved up by myself, about one million or so... please..."
Dong Ye Li sat in the corner of the café, looking anxiously at Xie Ci in front of her, placing a bank card on the table.
"I'm scared to stay alone in an internet café... and scared to stay alone in a hotel. I'm afraid they'll find me... please let me stay at your house."
The girl's sweet voice was filled with pitiable pleading, her slightly fox-like amber eyes shimmering with hopeful light.
Golden sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, casting rays onto the floor. The light brown wooden flooring took on a reddish tint.
In the spacious, clean hall lined with rows of simple white chairs, Dong Ye Li's slender, pale hands nervously clenched into small fists.
Xie Ci supported his forehead with his hand, looking helplessly at Dong Ye Li dressed in her maid outfit.
Collecting the embarrassed expression on his face, he took a deep breath, as if making some kind of resolution.
"Ah... the money, forget about the money. Helping a runaway girl, that... that's a gentleman's duty."
"Moreover, someone like you who... who for freedom, unwilling to follow your family's arrangements to continue in the entertainment industry, bravely breaking with your family, that... that's even more of an unshirkable duty."
After saying these words, Xie Ci felt his face burning red with heat. All the dignity he'd accumulated in his lifetime was completely gone.
He didn't dare look at Dong Ye Li's face, keeping his head down.
This table sure was table-like.
"Ah! Really?! I knew I could depend on you. Truly worthy of being the eldest young master of the Xie family, I feel so secure in your hands!"
The girl excitedly stood up, embracing one of Xie Ci's arms, joy spreading across her face as her entire being seemed to sparkle.
She pressed close, her snow-white cleavage barely visible beneath the maid outfit's coverage, her unique body fragrance flooding into Xie Ci's nostrils.
Xie Ci really couldn't take it anymore. He pulled away from those slender, pale hands, racking his brains to choose his next words carefully.
The server quietly placed cake on the table, glanced at the two performing their duet, and felt a twinge of doubt in their heart.
A handsome young man and... a tall, curvaceous girl in a maid outfit?
They were even putting on the classic performance of a runaway girl being taken in by a domineering young master.
What was this? Filming a movie? That male lead's acting was pretty terrible...
"Teacher Dong, I'd say that's about enough. The server is starting to find this hard to watch."
Xie Ci's face darkened. If there were a crack in the ground right now, he'd definitely dive into it without hesitation.
"Hmm? What is Young Master saying? Are you already abandoning me?"
Dong Ye Li pouted, her amber, watery eyes looking at Xie Ci with such pity it made one's heart ache.
Xie Ci frantically covered his face, but thinking of the large red envelope lying in his WeChat, he instantly calmed down.
"I... no, I won't abandon you... and I definitely won't let them drag you back. The Dong family, right? No matter how many come, I'll stand against them all. I won't let your life be controlled!"
After saying this, Xie Ci's carefully composed facial expression crumbled again.
Stay calm... stay calm about what?! Although accompanying this young, wealthy professor in some role-playing, eating a meal together could earn decent compensation, like doing some remarkable part-time job.
But the content was too embarrassing. Things like student and teacher, boss and employee were one thing.
But what was this young master and maid about? And this whole drama of breaking with the family.
In today's twenty-first century, would situations like this really still happen?
But there was no helping it. She pays too well.
And also...
Xie Ci glanced at Miss Ye Li's pale, pretty face and couldn't help but sigh in admiration.
Not worthy of being a rich woman who became a prestigious university professor at such a young age. Her acting was so superb too.
Whenever he spoke those incredibly embarrassing lines, her reactions were always so vivid and realistic.
As if... she had really experienced these things.
Dong Ye Li sighed. Seeing Xie Ci so reluctant, this beautiful and generous lady couldn't ask for much more.
"Let's eat cake first, Young Master."
"Mm."
Xie Ci expectantly picked up his knife and fork.
This kind of expensive pastry wasn't something a poor student like him normally had the chance to eat.
How did this feel like being kept by a rich woman.
Xie Ci smiled at Miss Ye Li, then picked up his knife and fork, preparing to feast.
Just then, in Xie Ci's field of vision, besides this beautiful girl, blue text suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
[Suitable target detected, activating system.]
[Rich Woman Salvation System loading, please wait...]
[Loading complete! Rich Woman Salvation System at your service!]
Xie Ci was completely bewildered.
I haven't even transmigrated yet and I've awakened a system?
[This system integrates love, kindness, and self-respect. Making one less loveless person in this world is the core operating principle of this system. Please seek out more love-starved rich women and fill their empty hearts!]
Xie Ci froze, his raised knife and fork suspended in midair.
Rich woman? Love-starved?
How were these two terms connected? Could rich women really be love-starved?
A blue information box appeared above the maid lady's head.
[Name: Dong Ye Li]
[Age: 22]
[Height: 175]
[Weight: 60kg]
Just as Xie Ci was stunned in amazement, a system popup suddenly jumped out.
[The flower language of black iris is desperate love, completing the most magnificent funeral in the most hidden flames. The petals like velvet symbolize her exterior magnificence, while the black depths hint at inner emptiness.]
[Beneath the elegant exterior lies despair on the verge of collapse!]
[But only you are special. If you can fill her empty heart with warmth, the petals will shed their melancholy. Otherwise, the most hidden withering awaits.]
[Mission triggered, Target: Dong Ye Li]
[Option 1, Observe: Do nothing, inherit ten times her family fortune in a few days]
[Option 2, Save: Change her thoughts of abandoning life, but the price is... it will bind your entire life]
Xie Ci had just brought cake to his mouth when his hand gripping the fork froze.
Abandon life? Suicide?
After the mission start notification, a blue countdown timer appeared in the upper right corner of his vision.
Only two hours left?!
Two hours from now, Teacher Ye Li would commit suicide?
She was still sitting here smiling brightly, eating cake with him!
Ten times her family fortune? Even one-tenth of Miss Ye Li's family fortune would probably be enough for an ordinary person to live a lifetime!
And what exactly was the price of option two... why was this broken system being so cryptic!
The information overload made Xie Ci's scalp tingle.
Teacher Ye Li, why would she commit suicide...
"What's wrong, little Ci?"
Seeing Xie Ci spacing out there, Dong Ye Li worriedly waved her hand in front of his eyes.
"Are you feeling unwell somewhere? Should we go to the hospital?"
"No..."
Xie Ci snapped back to reality, realizing his lapse in composure, and could only force out a smile.
His heart was in chaos, his scalp tingling!
"The cake... it's not sweet..." Xie Ci answered absentmindedly.
Seeing Xie Ci return to normal, the maid lady's anxious heart settled.
She propped her chin with her slender, pale hand, tilted her head, and said with a smile:
"It's indeed not very sweet, because Young Master ordered dark chocolate cake."
"Mm..."
Xie Ci's mood plummeted from peak to valley like a roller coaster.
What to do? How could he save her?
Ask directly? Miss Ye Li, why do you want to give up on life?
No, no, no, that would definitely make him look like an idiot.
Moreover, for someone who wanted to commit suicide, simply stopping them once wouldn't accomplish anything.
He had to find the root cause that made her want to kill herself!
But how to find it...
"Mmm..."
Coming back to his senses, Miss Ye Li suddenly inserted the fork she'd just used into Xie Ci's mouth.
She stood on her tiptoes, half her body leaning over the table, her full, tall figure completely revealed.
"How is it? The mango cake is much sweeter, right?"
A mischievous light flashed in her amber eyes. Miss Ye Li seemed unaware of how misleading her actions were.
The sweet, caring gesture of lovers—even though Miss Ye Li had repeated it countless times, it still caught people off guard.
"What's really wrong? Is there something troubling you?"
Miss Ye Li's face wore a charming smile, beautiful and confident. It was impossible to associate her with death.
Xie Ci swallowed the cake in his mouth, trying to squeeze out a smile to face this beautiful lady. But the strong contrast between the flashing countdown and the vivid person before him made his heart restless.
The troubling thing is because of you...
Xie Ci grimaced, his eyes evasive.
"Miss Ye Li, if you keep acting like this, I'll really misunderstand."
"Misunderstand what?"
Her gentle, sweet voice seemed to carry a hint of teasing. As if she didn't understand, but Xie Ci felt like she was waiting for him to say it herself.
"Mmm... what if I fall in love with you?"