The sunlight of the next morning filtered softly through Jiang Yue's curtains, painting streaks of gold across the polished wood of her apartment floor. After the whirlwind of plagiarism scandals, fires, kidnappings, and Tessa's feral livestream vengeance, she wanted nothing more than a quiet morning with tea and peace.
Her peace, unfortunately, lasted only for the full of fifteen minutes.
Because there, perched on the edge of her sofa like a shadow refusing to vanish, was Li Zhenkai. Suit immaculate, posture controlled, eyes dark with the kind of intensity that made her teacup tremble just from his presence.
"Good morning," she said warily, wrapping her robe tighter around herself. "Do CEOs always break into women's apartments before breakfast, or is this your way of saying you missed me?"
His jaw tightened, but his ears, aah, his ears betrayed him,his ears were faintly flushed pink.
But his voice was as composed as ever "I was waiting to discuss your new contract terms," he said curtly, holding out a folder. "And I don't 'miss' people."
"Oh, of course," Jiang Yue muttered, accepting the folder. "Because you're definitely not the type of man who leaves flowers on desks or, " Her eyes flickered to the corner of the room. A leather-bound sketchpad lay half-tucked beneath his briefcase. She tilted her head. "What's that?"
Zhenkai stiffened. "Nothing."
"Nothing?" Her brow arched. "If it were nothing, you wouldn't sound like a twelve year old boy who got caught hiding contraband under his mattress."
Before he could react, Jiang Yue darted forward and snatched the sketchpad. The system immediately cackled in her head.
> [System Alert: Jackpot. Host has obtained forbidden material!]
[Estimated embarrassment level of ML if opened: 93%. please Proceed?]
She smothered a laugh and flipped it open before Zhenkai could stop her.
Her breath caught.
The first page was her.
Not just her face, but the tilt of her smile when she was amused, the arch of her brow when she was defiant, the softness of her gaze when she thought no one was looking. His pencil strokes had captured her with every startling detail, it was raw and almost reverent.
"Oh…" she whispered.
She turned another page. Her sitting at a desk, head bent over her notebook. Another page, her laughing, head thrown back. Another page of her asleep, strands of hair scattered across her cheek.
Jiang Yue blinked, her throat tight. Slowly, she looked up at him. "You drew me."
Zhenkai's ears went red. He stood abruptly, yanking the sketchpad from her hands and slamming it shut. "Coincidence."
"Coincidence?" She tilted her head, eyes glimmering with amusement. "So you just happened to coincidentally sketch my face fifty times from every possible angle?"
He glared, but his composure cracked when she burst into laughter.
"So the cold CEO who terrifies boardrooms and bankrupts enemies…" She wiped a tear from her eye. "Also secretly moonlights as my personal fan artist? Should I be charging you royalties for using my likeness?"
His scowl deepened. "It's practice."
"Practice for what? Drawing cursed potatoes?"
That got him. His eyes widened just a fraction before narrowing into sharp slits. But the corners of her lips curved mischievously, and she leaned closer. "Admit it. You think I'm sketch-worthy."
The silence stretched, thick with tension. His gaze locked with hers, dark and unreadable.
Finally, he muttered, almost too low to hear: "You're more than that."
Her breath stuttered. The system, naturally, squealed like a fangirl catching a cp couple keeping it original.
> [System Alert: Ding ding ding! ML has voluntarily exited 'ice block mode' for 3.2 seconds.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Cracked Wall.]
She bit her lip, warmth flooding her chest. But before she could speak, his phone buzzed. His entire demeanor shifted to businesslike, sharp and cold.
"Report." His voice was still as he answered.
She caught only fragments: "subsidiary negotiations," "plagiarism fallout," "security detail expansion."
Business Zhenkai, was Ruthless, controlled and terrifying. Like he would never allow himself any stress
When he hung up, Jiang Yue tilted her head. "You juggle skyscrapers, multimillion-dollar contracts, and stalker threats… and yet you still find time to sketch me."
"Focus on your writing," he snapped, but his ears betrayed him again, still pink.
She grinned. "You're unbelievable."
---
Later That Afternoon
The day unfolded in a blur. Zhenkai drove her to a quiet café where they reviewed her trilogy contract. True to his style, he'd bullied the publishing house into revising every clause until she got royalties fit for an international star.
When she skimmed the final numbers, her jaw dropped. "This… this is insane. I can't accept—"
"You will." His voice brooked no argument. "If anyone dares undercut you again, I'll destroy their entire board."
Her system whistled in appreciation.
> [System Note: Reminder: You're dating a dragon disguised as a CEO. Handle with caution.]
"I'm not dating him!" she hissed internally.
> [System Snicker: Oh sure, Host. You're just casually sharing late-night flowers, shoulder naps, sketchbooks full of your face… Definitely platonic. Absolutely professional.]
Jiang Yue buried her face in her hands.
Zhenkai frowned. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." She peeked at him between her fingers. "Just my very professional CEO trying to ruin my sanity with over-generosity."
---
That Evening
When he dropped her off, she lingered at her doorway. The city hummed around them, neon lights flickering, traffic buzzing faintly below.
"Thank you," she said softly.
He paused. "For what?"
"For sketching me," she teased, then grew serious. "For the contract. For… not letting me drown."
Something flickered in his gaze. For a moment, he looked like he might say something. Instead, he only reached forward and brushed a strand of hair from her face.
"Stay alive," he murmured.
Her heart pounded, and the system sighed dreamily.
> [System Alert: ML's Wall Integrity compromised. Emotional flood imminent.]
[Recommendation: Hug him. Immediately. Hugging increases survival probability by 7%.]
She swallowed, nerves tangling with warmth. But before she could move, he stepped back, his mask of control slipping back into place.
"Good night, Jiang Yue."
The door clicked shut behind her, leaving her clutching her chest, her pulse racing like thunder.
---
Alone in Her Apartment
Jiang Yue collapsed onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. She had faced fire, stalkers, contracts, and collapsing stages but nothing unsettled her like the quiet sketchbook of pencil drawings.
It wasn't money. It wasn't power.
It was him, seeing her.
And the thought terrified her more than anything else.
The system's voice was unusually soft this time.
> [System Note: Host, survival isn't just about dodging disasters. Sometimes… it's about letting yourself live.]
Her eyes closed, tears prickling. Maybe ?