At the same time.
Originally, when no one was around, Cao Han got more and more into it the longer he danced—his movements becoming extremely loose, bold, and stretched out.
He was just about to finish the task, when the door across from him suddenly opened, and the one who came out was that same stranger from earlier—the one who'd made him lose face completely.
'It's over! My life hasn't even started yet and it's already over!'
'Why did this guy suddenly come out?'
'Shouldn't he be inside the room making out with his girlfriend right now?!'
Cao Han nearly blacked out on the spot.
For him, whether to keep dancing or stop was a painful choice either way.
If he kept dancing, wouldn't it feel like publicly using the toilet on the side of the road—pure humiliation?
If he stopped, then wouldn't all the effort he'd put in earlier be completely wasted?
In the end, he decided to keep dancing.
It was just cringey dancing—illegal it wasn't—and the reward after completing the task mattered more!
On the other side.
Mu An didn't say a word, only giving him a smile that was hard to read.
Because… right now, silence spoke louder than words!
'It's fine, this is just my hobby. Don't mind other people's gaze...'
Cao Han kept comforting himself inside his head.
There was really nothing else he could do.
After all, he couldn't stop moving, and he couldn't chase the other person away.
So, he could only close his eyes, cover his ears like a thief ringing a bell, and keep pretending there was 'no one' on scene.
'That dance is an eyesore. Way worse than the Dragon King's!'
Mu An shook his head inwardly and gave a little critique.
He could tell the guy was trying to complete the system mission for "Option Two," so he immediately used [Arbitrary Option Modification Chance *1].
[Arbitrary Option Modification Chance]: You can modify the task content of any option, but for the reward you can only adjust it by a positive or negative value based on the original.
——————
Mu An thought for a moment.
This time, there was no need to change the task content, but he could do a little 'work' on the reward.
[Modify: Charisma +1 → Charisma -1]
Unfortunately, he could only adjust by plus or minus, not change the magnitude.
Otherwise, he'd love to see if he could just gift the guy a "Charisma -99" reward.
To prevent any accidents, before leaving, Mu An also secretly left behind a shadow guard at Grandmaster level to protect Shen Pan'er.
And when Cao Han heard the sound of the other person going downstairs and leaving, he finally let out a breath.
Then, right at that moment, the completion notification finally rang in his ears—so moving he almost wanted to cry.
Because that reward really hadn't come easy!
"Ding-dong—"
[Detected that the host has completed Option Two. Congratulations, you have obtained the reward [Charisma -1]!]
Cao Han stood with hands on hips and burst into laughter, rushing back into his apartment without delay and standing in front of the mirror to admire his newly improved looks.
But… maybe it was just his imagination—why did he feel like he'd gotten noticeably uglier?
"Wait, wasn't the reward Charisma +1? How did it suddenly become Charisma -1?"
Only then did Cao Han realize something was wrong.
He stared at the reward he'd just received and completely froze.
"System! Come out here!"
"Why did I complete Option Two but the reward became Charisma -1? Wasn't it supposed to be Charisma +1?!"
And as always, the system's voice was ice-cold.
"What changed? It's been this reward for years. Don't talk nonsense with your eyes wide open—we system tools have it hard too."
"Sometimes you should look for the problem in yourself. Were your movements standard when completing the task? Did you put your whole heart into it?"
"If the task completion rating is low, a fluctuation in the reward is perfectly normal."
"If the host truly can't accept it, the system will automatically explode in ten seconds and erase the host along with it!"
Cao Han clenched his fist in rage.
But very quickly, he loosened it again.
Right now, the system was the boss—if he wanted to reach the peak of life, he couldn't do without it.
Most crucially, the system had his life in its hands. He couldn't be careless.
"Accept? Of course I accept! Great System Daddy, please calm down—I was just venting a little, that's all!"
Even though he was incredibly frustrated inside, Cao Han still piled a fawning smile on his face.
...
By the roadside.
Under the dim yellow streetlight.
Although it was already early spring, the nighttime temperature still wasn't high.
When the wind blew, if you were dressed lightly, you'd still feel waves of chill.
Jiang Qiudie stood not far from a car, rubbing her hands together, breathing on them, then stomping her feet, trying to squeeze out a little warmth.
From time to time, she looked up at the brightly lit luxury apartment buildings, her beautiful eyes dimming slightly.
'Is my brain kicked by a donkey?'
'Why did I see Mu An drive off and then follow him on a hot-headed impulse?!'
'Now look—he's probably already in a warm bed with that big-star celebrity, sweet-talking and cuddling.'
'And I'm stuck out here in the cold wind, waiting like an idiot!'
The girl kept blaming herself in her heart.
But she also knew that even if time rewound, she'd probably still make the same choice.
The entertainment industry's waters ran deep—this wasn't a game a newcomer with no backing could control.
Use talent to defeat capital?
That only happens in fairy tales!
Reality is cruel—often chewing people up and spitting out nothing.
These past few years, she'd seen through it, and she was exhausted, so she wanted to find a backer.
And the backer she chose was the crown prince of the Tianmu Group… Mu An!
First, because Mu An and his family truly had money and power, and the resources in their hands couldn't possibly be few.
Even the old established bosses in the entertainment world wouldn't dare refuse him face.
Second, because he was young—and handsome.
Most importantly, he had rejected the confession of the 'pure jade' superstar Shen Pan'er.
Jiang Qiudie had entered the industry earlier as a senior, yet she lost to Shen Pan'er at every turn.
Shen Pan'er had already become a top-tier superstar and a blazing hot leading lady, while she was still struggling outside the eighteenth tier just to survive.
If she got the man that her rival couldn't have, could that count as winning a round back?
Jiang Qiudie knew that kind of comparison was ridiculous.
But please forgive the last scraps of her pride!
Bzz bzz bzz—
The phone in her pocket vibrated.
Seeing it was her manager calling, she picked up without thinking.
"Hello, Sister Hong—what's up?"
On the other end came a hesitant female voice.
"Um… Qiudie, I have a few things to tell you next, but you absolutely can't get angry..."
…..
Ten minutes later.
Jiang Qiudie stared blankly at her phone after the call ended, the words she'd just heard still echoing in her mind.
"Qiudie, I'm sorry… I probably can't keep being your manager. Someone upstairs made a move…"
"Do you remember? It's President Qian from the Dingsheng Group—the one who specifically named you last time and demanded you go drink with him."
"Your refusal made him lose face, and recently he found people to threaten my family…"
"I really have no choice… I'm sorry! I'm truly sorry!"
"And that script role I spent a lot of effort securing for you—the female third—also fell through."
"I heard some actress climbed into President Qian's bed and snatched that role directly…"
"Qiudie, be careful lately. I got some inside news—President Qian used some methods and became the creditor for those debts of yours…"
Her manager leaving… a role she'd nearly secured being stolen so easily… a million in debt compounding with interest…
Each problem was like a mountain pressing down hard on Jiang Qiudie's heart.
It also seemed to deny all of her past effort in one stroke!
'Ordinary people really can't win against capital in the end...'
Jiang Qiudie's lips pulled into a bitter curve.
Bzz bzz bzz—
Her phone vibrated again.
She picked it up and saw it was a mobile carrier bill notification.
That bright red "29" of overdue fees was like the final straw that broke the camel's back, and Jiang Qiudie's useless tears finally spilled out.
She couldn't help squatting down and sobbing quietly.
And an adult's collapse often happens in an instant.
In that moment, Jiang Qiudie felt like a failure.
Even though she'd always tried hard to change something, in the end she still realized she couldn't change anything at all.
She didn't even have a single person she could truly lean on...
Tap, tap, tap—
A faint set of footsteps approached from far to near.
"Want a tissue? I won't charge you!"
A man's teasing voice sounded.
Wiping her tears, the girl lifted her head on instinct, and immediately saw a man bending slightly at the waist, reaching out, and offering her a tissue.
Even under the dim yellow light, he felt like the blazing sun in that moment—radiant enough to warm a person's heart.
"M-Mu… Young Master Mu?"
Jiang Qiudie was surprised by his appearance. She wiped at the tears on her face in a mess and forced out a strained smile.
"Were you waiting here for me?"
Mu An asked knowingly, pushing the tissue a little closer.
The girl hesitated, accepted it, then nodded.
"Mm!"
"It's cold outside. Get in the car first—we'll talk there."
Mu An pressed his key fob to unlock the doors.
Not long after.
The two of them sat in the car.
Mu An in the driver's seat, Jiang Qiudie in the passenger seat.
With the heater on, she quickly felt the chill fading from her body, and her hands—red from the cold—slowly regained feeling.
"Um… Young Master Mu, I'm sorry!"
"Earlier backstage at the welcome party, I accidentally bumped into you, but I kept forgetting to apologize!"
Jiang Qiudie spoke first.
Mu An waved it off generously.
"It's fine. You didn't do it on purpose."
For a 'big gold mine' that could drop coins for him, he was always very forgiving.
After that, the air between them seemed to fall quiet again.
"Young Master Mu, I have a presumptuous request…"
Jiang Qiudie bit her lip.
She'd prepared herself long ago, but when it came time to say it out loud, she still couldn't help getting nervous.
Maybe she was nervous he'd reject her, or nervous he'd look at her differently.
Under the man's direct gaze, Jiang Qiudie forced herself through the embarrassment and continued.
"I-I was wondering if you could… keep… keep me?"
"I don't need much—five hundred thousand a month—n-no, two hundred thousand is enough!"
[From the girl: nervous emotional fluctuation +25. Congratulations, you have obtained [Money +10 million]!]
[Because you used a special item, rewards doubled. Congratulations, you have obtained [Money +20 million]!]
Mu An narrowed his eyes, keeping his expression calm on the surface.
But inside, he was already thrilled.
For him, anything that could be solved with money wasn't a problem at all!
Of course, he couldn't agree too easily, or it would look too casual.
And if he 'pressed' her a little more, maybe he could squeeze out even more emotion rewards!
"Give me a reason. I'm not lacking in beautiful women. Or rather—what do you think your advantage is?"
"I…"
Seeing he didn't reject her outright, Jiang Qiudie immediately took off her baseball cap, revealing a breathtakingly delicate face.
Long, narrow phoenix eyes that hooked at the soul, and a tear mole at the corner adding a unique charm.
Her waterfall of black hair spilled down, falling over her chest—lazy and mature…
Everything about her made her look like a beauty walking out of a poem or painting.
Then, she said something shocking.
"First, I'm confident my looks don't lose to anyone."
"Second, I can be more… slutty… than any of them."
By the time she said that last word, even the tips of her ears were red.
After the series of blows she'd just taken, she understood one truth even more clearly:
If the entertainment world was a place that ate people, then instead of being ruined by those greasy pig-faced men in the end, she might as well choose someone suitable herself.
At least this was a choice she made on her own…
[From the girl: shy emotional fluctuation +25. Congratulations, you have obtained [Money +10 million]!]
[Because you used a special item, rewards doubled. Congratulations, you have obtained [Money +20 million]!]
"Interesting."
Mu An chuckled.
He hadn't expected recruiting a new 'big gold mine' to go this smoothly.
He pulled out a bank card and placed it on the center console.
"There's ten million in here."
Hearing that, Jiang Qiudie felt dazed for a moment.
Ten million… just appeared right in front of her?
So, all her struggling and effort for so long couldn't even compare to a rich man casually tossing out a card!
"I can agree to your request—but can I first… inspect the goods?"
Mu An lifted Jiang Qiudie's pale chin with his fingers and laughed softly.
Jiang Qiudie instinctively wanted to dodge, but she forced her body still.
"Y-You can..."
But even as she said yes, when the man's fingertip brushed across her flat stomach with not an ounce of excess flesh, her body still trembled uncontrollably.
Inside there was shame, anxiety, confusion, and unease…
That wave of emotions made Mu An profit like crazy.
Just as the man was about to untie the white bowstring at her waistband and go further, Jiang Qiudie still couldn't help grabbing his hand.
"Looks like you're not completely ready yet."
Mu An chuckled and didn't force her—only reaching to take back the card with the ten million.
"I…"
Seeing that, Jiang Qiudie took a deep breath, then closed her eyes as if resigned, silent tears streaming down her cheeks.
At the same time, she let go of his hand.
As a traditional girl who'd wanted to save her first time for the day, she married the one she loved, if she hadn't truly run into troubles she couldn't solve… how could she trade her purity for money like this?