The Villainess Actress signed a marriage contract with the CEO

Chapter 6: The Real Wife vs. The White Moonlight

The afterparty was being held in the luxurious crystal ballroom of the Grand Imperial Hotel. Celebrities, investors, and media personnel gathered beneath chandeliers like stars frozen in mid-air, sipping champagne and trading whispers about the real highlight of the night:

Lin Chaoxi's comeback—and the unexpected appearance of Mo Yiran.

Chaoxi stood beside Shen Muyan at the center of the ballroom. Her spine was straight, chin slightly raised, lips curved in her signature confident smile. Every movement of hers was graceful, controlled, perfect for the cameras.

But inside, she was on fire.

Mo Yiran stood only a few meters away, dressed in pure white, like an angel descended from the heavens. She was surrounded by a swarm of executives, including Shen Group's marketing director and the VP of DreamLight Entertainment.

Chaoxi's fingers gripped her champagne flute a little tighter.

"She's quite popular," she murmured, eyes still fixed on Mo Yiran.

Shen Muyan didn't answer.

Chaoxi turned to him with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Don't you want to say hi?"

He finally looked at her. "Do you want me to?"

"That depends," she replied lightly. "Are you still in love with her?"

A beat of silence stretched between them.

And then, he said, "I've never loved anyone."

It was a cold answer. But somehow, it didn't hurt less.

The system dinged.

[Warning: Emotional instability detected. Host is advised to reduce interaction with the target to avoid mission deviation.]

[Reminder: Falling in love will result in complete mission failure.]

"Noted," Chaoxi muttered under her breath.

"Did you say something?" Shen Muyan asked.

She smiled sweetly. "Just wondering how long I have to play the good wife tonight."

Before he could reply, a familiar voice called out from behind them.

"Chaoxi?"

She turned, and Mo Yiran was smiling gently, walking toward them with a champagne flute in hand.

"It's been a while," Mo Yiran said. Her tone was soft, but there was a sharp edge hidden beneath.

"Has it?" Chaoxi replied with an even brighter smile. "I thought we saw each other last month—wasn't it at the charity gala, when you told the director I wasn't 'emotionally stable' for the female lead role?

Mo Yiran blinked innocently. "Oh, was that me? I don't recall."

Shen Muyan's eyes flicked between the two women, saying nothing. But the tension was thick enough to cut.

"I didn't know you were married to Muyan," Mo Yiran said with a tilt of her head. "It was such a surprise."

"Even to us," Chaoxi said, linking arms with her husband. "One day, he just showed up with a contract and a ring. It was terribly romantic."

Shen Muyan didn't flinch. Instead, he simply raised his glass, played along, and murmured, "I don't like wasting time."

"Of course," Mo Yiran said, but her knuckles whitened slightly on her glass.

The three of them stood in a fragile triangle of polite smiles and deadly undertones.

Then, suddenly, someone called out, "President Shen, Miss Lin! Can we get a photo of the happy couple?"

Without missing a beat, Chaoxi slid closer into Shen Muyan's side, smiling at the cameras as flashes exploded in their faces.

But when the cameras turned away, Shen Muyan leaned down and whispered in her ear.

"Next time you provoke someone, don't forget who's standing beside you."

Chaoxi tilted her head up at him, eyes sparkling with challenge.

"Then remind me—who's the one standing beside me? My husband? Or her old lover?"

He stared at her for a long second.

Then he said coldly, "Don't play with fire, Lin Chaoxi."

She stepped away from him with a smile.

"Too late."

Back in her apartment that night, Chaoxi stood by the window, staring at the city lights. Her heels were off, her hair pinned loosely, but her thoughts were storming.

The system beeped.

[Host's emotional deviation has reached 23%. Recommend immediate corrective action: engage in negative interaction with target to regain Villainess alignment.]

[New Mission Unlocked: Publicly humiliate Mo Yiran at tomorrow's talk show appearance. Reward: +1 plot deviation pass, +8% mission progress.]

Chaoxi read the mission, fingers slowly curling into fists.

Humiliate Mo Yiran? That would be easy.

But part of her hesitated. Was this really who she wanted to be?

Or was the system turning her into the villain it wanted her to play?

Before she could answer, a knock came from the door.

She opened it—and froze.

Shen Muyan stood there, shirt sleeves rolled up, eyes unreadable.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, voice wary.

He stepped inside without asking permission.

"You said something tonight."

"I said a lot of things."

"You asked if I still loved her."

She stared at him. "And?"

"I don't," he said. "But maybe… that's not the right question."

She narrowed her eyes. "What is the right question, then?"

He took a step closer. "Maybe the question is: who do I see when I look at you?"

Her heart skipped.

"I don't need your confusion, Shen Muyan," she said quietly. "We're in a contract. Let's keep it that way."

He nodded slowly. "Fine. Then let me be clear."

And then, he leaned down and kissed her.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't sweet. It was possessive, demanding, like he was claiming something he didn't fully understand.

When he pulled away, she was breathless. And furious.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded.

"Because I'm tired of pretending I don't want to," he said simply.

The system went crazy in her mind.

[Warning! Host has entered high-risk emotional state. Progress toward mission failure: 31%]

[Emergency option available: Request system reset within next 24 hours to erase current attachment. Warning: This will wipe all progress and memories related to the target.]

She stared at the glowing red text in her mind—and then at Shen Muyan, who was already turning to leave.

As he reached the door, he paused.

"If you want out of this marriage," he said without looking at her, "you'll have to be the one to walk away."

Then he was gone.

And Chaoxi, alone under the cold white light of her apartment, did the one thing she promised herself she never would again.

She cried.