Plot deviation

The sharp click of my heels echoed against the marble steps as I ascended into the grand banquet hall, my tailored black suit hugging me like a second skin. The fabric gleamed faintly under the soft golden chandeliers, whispering wealth and power with every precise movement.

Power I'd bled for.

But tonight wasn't about business empires or boardroom deals.

Tonight was about her.

> "Imagine my shock when I got the call," a voice beside me drawled, laced with mock amusement.

I didn't have to look to know it was Wei Lan, my new partner-in-crime—or rather, my strategic ally.

The favorite, spoiled last-born son of an influential government official. Not just any official though, someone very,very high up.

His easy grin didn't fool me. Beneath that boyish charm was a man who thrived in political games and dangerous liaisons.

It was thanks to him—and a few other names better left unspoken—that Han Corp had risen from nothing to become the behemoth it was today.

Connections. Money. Leverage.

I had played every card, and now I was the dealer.

> "It's not that surprising," I replied with a laugh, adjusting the silver cufflink on my wrist.

Wei Lan chuckled, dark eyes scanning the crowd like a predator searching for his next meal.

> "So… who's the unfortunate lady you've set your sights on tonight?"

Unfortunate?I smirked, glancing sideways at him.

> "Unfortunate? Please. I'm quite the catch."

Wei Lan snorted, rolling his eyes with theatrical exaggeration.

> "Right. Let's retrace your trail of broken hearts, shall we?"

I laughed again, not bothering to argue. He wasn't wrong but it's not my fault they catch these emotions I always make it clear I'm only here for a good time.

> "Not my fault. I always say I'm just here for a good time."

His groan of mock frustration made me grin.

But as soon as he made eye contact with someone important—a senator's daughter, from the looks of it—his expression shifted into something sharp and polished.

The chameleon effect.

He turned back briefly, shooting me a glare that screamed, "You owe me for this."

I stuck out my tongue at him like the mature adult I was, then shifted my focus.

My eyes swept over the glittering crowd.

Elite socialites dressed in silk and arrogance, men with egos bigger than their bank accounts, women wrapped in jewels and hidden agendas.

But I wasn't looking for just anyone.

I was looking for her.

Jiang Yuxi.

The once-untouchable film empress reduced to whispers and backhanded compliments.

But not to me.

To me, she was still ice-cold perfection wrapped in human skin.

***

The banquet hall buzzed with laughter, clinking glasses, and the faint strains of classical music drifting from a string quartet in the corner.

Jiang Yuxi stood near the edge of the room, half-hidden behind a towering floral arrangement, my fingers clenched tightly around the fragile stem of my wine glass.

Once, I would've thrived in a place like this.

I would've stood in the center, bathed in attention, dazzling under the weight of every gaze.

My gowns were statements.

My smile was currency.

I was untouchable.

But tonight…

The beautiful gray evening gown felt like armor that didn't fit anymore—too heavy, too suffocating.

I hated the way the fabric clung to my skin, hated the weight of judgmental stares that clung to me even tighter.

I'd tried to avoid this event.

Tried to excuse myself, plead exhaustion, anything.

But family obligations were chains disguised as expectations.

And last night's dinner at the Jiang family home had been a fresh reminder of that.

I'd been treated like furniture. Invisible. Then again when was I ever not invisible there?

Told to apologize to people who didn't deserve it, all while pretending their words didn't cut deeper than knives.

Humiliating.

I swallowed the last of my drink, ignoring the bitter taste.

I needed another.I reached for the nearest glass offered by a passing waitress, not bothering to check what it was.

Just down it.

Let the burn distract me.

But as the liquid slid down my throat, warmth bloomed too quickly, too intensely.

My vision blurred at the edges.

The lights became too bright, the sounds too sharp, like glass shattering in my ears.

A voice slithered into my dazed thoughts.

> "Jiang Yuxi."

I knew that voice.

I didn't even need to turn.

It belonged to one of those men—the kind who used to keep their distance, too afraid to approach me.

But now?

Now they thought they could.

I closed my eyes, exhaustion washing over me like a wave.

I didn't respond.

I had no patience for this.

He wouldn't have dared speak to me a year ago.

> "Now, now, don't be like that."

His breath was too close, his presence pressing in like a shadow I couldn't escape.

I tried to step away, but the room tilted.

My legs felt weak, my balance slipping through my fingers like water.

Strong hands caught my arms, steadying me.

But his touch felt wrong.

Sticky. Suffocating. Slimy.

I recoiled, taking a shaky step back, but my vision swam and I stumbled again.

Panic clawed at my chest.

I was falling like I couldn't fall any lower I guess I can guess the articles tomorrow—

When strong arms caught me.

Different this time.

Firm. Secure.

I blinked through the haze, my heart racing, and looked up.

Han Li.

She held me like she'd done it a hundred times before, her grip solid, her expression unreadable.

> "Excuse me," Han Li's voice was calm, sharp as glass, "I was going to escort Miss Jiang. Do you mind?"

Her words were directed at the man still standing there—the one whose hands had just been on me.

His face twisted slightly with annoyance, but he plastered on a polite smile, the kind of smile men like him wore when they thought they still had control.

> "Ah, Miss Han, I was just about to escort her myself. She's clearly not feeling well."

I instinctively pressed myself closer into Han Li's chest, burying my face against the warmth radiating from her.

Her hand slid around me, protective and possessive all at once.

> "Yeah, I think not," Han Li replied, her voice dropping to something colder, sharper.

Her tone wasn't loud.

But it commanded attention.

She didn't wait for permission.

She didn't explain.

She just pulled me tighter and began to lead me away.

I felt the man's glare burning into my back, but I didn't care.

Han Li was here.

And for some reason, that was enough.

The last thing I remembered was her lifting me effortlessly into her arms, the steady rhythm of her heartbeat against my cheek, and then—

Darkness

---

Meanwhile, in the System Core…

> SYSTEM 404: [ERROR. ERROR. ERROR.]

SYSTEM 404: [CRITICAL DEVIATION DETECTED.]

SYSTEM 404: [THE HOST HAS INTERFERED WITH A PIVOTAL PLOT POINT.]

SYSTEM404: [Jiang Yuxi WAS SUPPOSED TO—]

SYSTEM 404: [—MARRY JIANG WEI.]

SYSTEM 404: [HOST IS NOT RESPONDING TO SYSTEM COMMANDS.]

SYSTEM 404: [PLOT COLLAPSE IN PROGRESS.]*

SYSTEM 404 HAS BEEN TEMPORARILY DISCONNECTED.