Sunshine Hospital, underground parking garage.
Inside the car, exactly midnight.
Jiang Qiudie hugged Mu An's neck affectionately. Her lashes trembled, her pretty face slightly flushed.
Her soft body practically clung to him entirely, lips parting—tender and enticing.
"Thank you… thank you, Young Master Mu, for saving my mom…"
As she spoke, her eyes couldn't help but turn wet, tears soaking her collar.
Her father had suffered a construction-site accident years ago—he fell from a height. His legs were paralyzed, and he hit his head; his intelligence regressed to that of an eight-year-old child.
Her mother had worked outside for years, doing the hardest, most exhausting jobs just to earn tuition money for her child—only to cough up blood one day, collapse, and be diagnosed with lung cancer.
Fortunately, she was a top student—excellent in both academics and character—and exceptionally talented in music and acting.
Hearing the entertainment industry made money fast, she charged in without hesitation.
But after stumbling through more than a year, as a rookie with no resources, no background, and no connections, it was only natural that she didn't achieve anything.
Not only did she fail to earn money—she witnessed plenty of this world's darkness.
Until recently, when her mother's condition entered late stage and money was urgently needed, that heart of hers—unwilling to sink into the mud with the vulgar world—began to waver.
Then her agent leaving, her role being stolen, the pressure of massive debt—everything, everything—finally became the last straw that crushed the camel.
Luckily, she had met a good person…
These were all things Mu An learned from Jiang Qiudie herself.
As for whether they were true or false… they were almost certainly true.
With Mu An's status, if he wanted to investigate, he could confirm it effortlessly.
And there was no need for her to 'sell misery' to gain sympathy on purpose.
[Jiang Qiudie feels fortunate to have met you. Perhaps all the suffering she endured before was so that one day she could meet you. Grateful emotional fluctuation +30. Congratulations, you have obtained [Lifespan +1 year]!]
(Don't ask why there's no double reward. If you ask, the answer is: the trial card time has already expired.)
'A good person… huh?'
The first time he heard himself described that way, forgive Mu An for laughing a little unkindly.
"Alright, it's not early anymore. Where do you live? I'll take you back."
The man gently pushed her away a bit, trying not to let her softness so brazenly deform against his chest.
But the next second, Jiang Qiudie leaned in even more actively, breathing like orchids, her eyes full of affection.
"Stinky little brother—trying to ditch big sis so soon?"
"Now's when nightlife really starts. How about we play a game adults like? (Mature-seductress voice)"
Hearing that mature, irresistibly alluring 'older-sister' tone, Mu An felt his spirit jolt.
His gaze instinctively fell on her captivating face.
Then she switched to an entirely different voice at that moment.
"Big brother, just play with me a little, pleeease~ I can tie twin-tails and let you use them like a steering wheel! (Loli voice)"
[Holy—this is the legendary 'can be dommy, can be cute' voice pack?]
Mu An was a little surprised. He hadn't expected her to have a skill like this.
"Young Master Mu… do you… like it?"
Jiang Qiudie looked at him nervously, afraid he'd hate her bold, self-directed 'offense' just now.
Mu An didn't care about that trivial question at all—he was simply curious about the ability.
"How many voice types can you do?"
Jiang Qiudie tilted her head, thought for a moment, then answered,
"I've never counted carefully. Maybe dozens?"
"I can imitate most popular anime characters' voices pretty closely."
"I've also taken some small voice-acting gigs on the side… earned a bit of extra money…"
Dozens of voices?
Hearing that, Mu An's interest immediately spiked.
He casually named a few popular anime characters.
The girl spoke instantly—line after line of iconic quotes came out as if the characters themselves were speaking, making it impossible to tell real from fake.
"Interesting."
Mu An laughed.
He already had a little maid at home, Su Zhirou, who loved cosplay.
And now he had a small celebrity who could imitate all kinds of anime character voices.
If those two teamed up… what kind of divine experience would that be?
"So… can you, Young Master Mu, come to my place today and sit for a while?"
"I'm not only good at that… I can do even… even sluttier things too…"
Jiang Qiudie bit her lower lip, forcing herself to say it through her embarrassment.
After all, that was one of her 'duties' now that she'd become his canary in a cage.
Before, she'd done this purely because he was willing to pay.
But after Mu An saved her mother's life, the last trace of hesitation and resistance in her heart completely vanished.
[From the girl: shy and grateful emotional fluctuation +25. Congratulations, you have obtained [Plot Fragment *1]!]
"To your place?"
Mu An lifted her smooth chin, smiling.
He wasn't just horny—he simply had a healthy curiosity for unknown knowledge.
For example, investigating why she could produce so many different voice tones.
Or how to plan her future path and cultivate her into a true superstar, and so on.
"Let's go to a hotel…"
The moment Jiang Qiudie thought of her dark, cramped rental room of only a few square meters, she chose somewhere else without hesitation.
For survival, she could be down-and-out.
But she didn't want him to see that, and she didn't want to give her first time in that wretched place.
...
Morning.
A five-star hotel, presidential suite.
Last night's sudden storm of wind and rain had already stopped.
But because the window had been left open by mistake, rainwater had drifted in—there was a lot of water pooled on the balcony and near the window.
The air also carried a faint chill for no reason.
Mu An woke up, glanced at his phone, and saw it was already past seven.
Beside him, Jiang Qiudie was curled up under the blanket. On her exquisite, alluring face, there were still faint tear marks that made her look pitiful.
'As expected… po—knowledge is priceless. If you want to learn it, you have to put in quite a bit of effort.'
Mu An sighed internally.
Of course, he'd gained plenty too.
While 'studying' how different voice lines changed, Jiang Qiudie had provided him with emotion rewards all night long!
He'd absolutely profited like crazy!
What caught Mu An's attention even more was that among the rewards, there was also a brand-new heroine emotion reward message.
[From Kamiki Ayane: depressed and angry emotional fluctuation +25. Congratulations, you have obtained [Fortune +25]!]
'Who is this Kamiki Ayane?]'
'That name sounds kind of like it's from Sakura Country…'
Mu An pondered, sure he hadn't interacted with her recently.
If he couldn't figure it out now, he'd just shelve it for the time being.
He casually used the newly obtained [Plot Fragment].
[You used [Plot Fragment *1]! This is about True Young Master Wang Zhe's recent movements!]
[Recently, after breaking his leg, Wang Zhe received the first task from the Entertainment King System: write a web novel of one million words.]
[After opening the newbie gift pack, Wang Zhe obtained an outline and detailed outline of a certain beginner web novel from a parallel world.]
[He decided to write a novel based on it, and began a frenzied life of churning out words.]
[By the way, the system's main function is drawing prizes through a certain amount of popularity value; the prize pool is almost entirely concentrated in the entertainment-and-arts domain.]
[Wang Zhe is brimming with confidence, updating at a rate of 30,000 words per day!]
[At the same time, he's already fantasizing about getting rich, reaching the peak of life, and slapping the Wang family in the face.]
——————
Web novels? Making money?
Mu An thought it over.
He couldn't help recalling a conclusion countless 'puddle authors' had reached after bravely charging into the web-novel world in his past life:
Writing novels is a dead end!
Of course, Mu An wasn't a puddle author—he was a shameless cheater with hacks.
So, there was no such thing as "flopping."
'If I remember right, didn't I obtain quite a few 'otherworld web-novel god' novels before?'
Since this "true vs. fake young master" plot involved the entertainment industry, he decided to lay down a bit of groundwork.
For example, first spend big and buy the country's largest web-novel platform?
The more Mu An thought about it, the more viable it sounded.
Isn't it just throwing money?
He had more than enough.
The only trouble was that he lacked a professional in that field—someone to run errands and handle the actual operations.
But there was no rush.
Writing a novel wasn't something you finished overnight.
For Wang Zhe to write a million words, even at 30,000 per day, it would still take at least a month.
And a month was more than enough time for Mu An to make targeted moves.
"Mu-brother…"
At that moment, Mu An felt a curvy body wrap around him from behind, a head resting lightly against his back.
"What is it?"
The man turned around, patted her head, his tone unconsciously gentler.
"Nothing… I just want to hug you."
Jiang Qiudie blinked her bright eyes, as if she were seriously engraving the man before her into her heart.
Maybe someday he would 'get tired' and abandon her.
But at least right now, he belonged to her.
He was her man—and a man she would never forget for the rest of her life.
The reason a first time is unforgettable is because it's an irreplaceable first.
And for a relatively conservative, traditional girl like Jiang Qiudie, the impact was even more devastating.
'Maybe only when I die will I truly forget him…'
Jiang Qiudie thought silently.
[From the girl: sentimental and admiring emotional fluctuation +30. Congratulations, you have obtained [Fortune +30]!]
"Don't overthink."
"I already ordered breakfast for you. Staff will deliver it later."
Mu An pinched her tender, dewy cheek.
Honestly, as expected of a heroine—she was stunning even bare-faced, far beyond those "beauties" from his past life who relied on maxed-out filters.
They weren't even on the same level.
Like fireflies versus a bright moon.
"And you?"
Jiang Qiudie asked instinctively.
But she immediately realized the phrasing didn't fit her current 'status.'
It was sad, really—she wasn't his girlfriend, only a canary he kept.
"Sorry… I mean, you're not eating?"
She looked at him a little nervously.
Mu An understood her dependence and didn't get angry.
Or rather, he didn't have that extreme macho mentality—generally, he respected every heroine.
Like respecting every gold mine around him?
"I won't eat. I have something to handle later, so I'll be leaving."
"Rest well these days. I extended this suite for you for a month, so you don't need to worry about where you're staying for now."
"And if you fancy a place and want to move, just tell me."
"There's ten million in here. Buy whatever you want."
"Auntie just recovered from a serious illness—if she needs supplements, buy them. Don't worry about money."
"My women won't be short on money…"
He gave instruction after instruction, meticulous to the end.
Hearing those words, Jiang Qiudie nodded, and her heart filled with a warmth and sweetness she couldn't explain.
'So, this is what it feels like… to be held in someone's hands and cared for? It's really nice…'
[From the girl: dependent and fond emotional fluctuation +30. Congratulations, you have obtained [Money +20,000,000]!]
...
Mu An left.
Because he hadn't returned home last night, he'd already messaged Ning'er in advance.
Ding-dong—a message popped up. He tapped it open.
[Love-Eats-Mangmang's Dream]: Morning, Brother An!
(A super energetic sticker, jpg.)
Mu An smiled slightly.
He scrolled a bit and saw that last night, Chu Youmeng had also sent him a 'good night' message.
But at the time, he was handling Jiang Qiudie and her mother's situation at the hospital, so he didn't reply.
When he saw it again, it was already very late, and to avoid disturbing her sleep, he simply didn't respond.
Actually, it wasn't only yesterday.
Ever since they 'confirmed the relationship,' she sent him messages almost every day—after waking or before sleeping.
If something interesting happened—like finishing a drawing she was especially proud of, or going out with Youbai—she'd happily take photos and share them with Mu An.
Maybe there wasn't much 'love you to death' drama between them.
But that was life—plain and simple was the real thing, and happiness always hid in these little bits and pieces.
[Sunny]: Morning, Youmeng!
(A hugging sticker, jpg.)
[Sunny]: Sorry—yesterday was too busy. When I saw your message, it was already too late, and I was afraid I'd disturb your sleep, so I didn't reply!
Even though she hadn't asked, Mu An still chose to explain proactively.
If there was anyone among all the heroines who deserved his sincerity, Chu Youmeng—the silly treasure of a girl—was absolutely one of them.
[Love-Eats-Mangmang's Dream]: It's okay. Brother An is someone who does big things—being busy is understandable. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself.
[Love-Eats-Mangmang's Dream]: But even if Brother An is busy, remember to take care of your health and eat three meals on time.
If you get sick, you have to tell me. I'll come take care of you.
I've been learning some related stuff too—lots of people say drinking more hot water helps when you're sick?
[From Chu Youmeng: happy and earnest emotional fluctuation +25. Congratulations, you have obtained [Lifespan +2 years]!]
Mu An couldn't help laughing softly.
'This silly girl…'
He found that chatting with her made him feel relaxed and genuinely happy.
Like some invisible shackles temporarily fell away.
He could simply stay comfortably beside this treasure girl who had only him in her eyes, without worrying about too much else.
While chatting, Mu An soon returned to the Mu family estate.
...
"Welcome home, Young Master!"
As usual, Ning'er opened the door with a sweet smile and a slight bow.
[From the girl: happy emotional fluctuation +15. Congratulations, you have obtained [Proficiency +2000]!]
"Did you miss me yesterday?"
Mu An unceremoniously pinched her egg-smooth cheek.
"Yes!"
"How much?"
"Uh… a lot, a lot?"
"I don't believe it. I'll test it later, see just how much you missed me."
The two teased and bickered as they walked inside.
But Mu An unexpectedly noticed that today, someone rather rare was sitting at the breakfast table.
"Back?"
Mu Wanrou, dressed in professional attire, took a sip of hot soy milk and glanced at Mu An who had just entered.
"Mm. Sister Wanrou, heading out early today?"
Mu An didn't feel constrained at all and sat down beside her naturally.
"Young Master, actually… Miss has only just gotten off work and come back."
At the side, Ning'er reminded him softly.
'Just got off… work…?'
Mu An, chewing on a fried dough stick, paused slightly.
His gaze instinctively moved to Mu Wanrou.
She didn't show much emotion.
Her makeup was as exquisite as ever—arched brows, full soft lips; even without powder, she was already a peerless beauty.
Her suit jacket was casually draped over the chair behind her.
Because of her generous 'capital,' her white shirt was stretched taut; several buttons had been undone, easing that heavy pressure a bit.
Even sitting down, her back remained slightly straight.
Shoulders like carved jade, waist like a slender ribbon—so narrow it seemed one hand could fully hold it.
Every movement fit the elegant temperament of an ancient noble lady.
Of course, setting aside those external advantages—Mu An could still faintly see a bit of exhaustion in her brows.
'Probably the aftermath of pulling an all-nighter.'
Mu An thought silently.
"Sister Wanrou, later I'll give you a massage."
"Facts prove I'm not trying to take advantage of you—I just want to help ease your fatigue a bit."
Mu An smiled as he explained.
And as Young Master's strongest wingman—and the most caring little padded jacket—Ning'er quietly added, "Miss, Young Master's massage skills are really good. Easing fatigue isn't just talk."
"Second Miss and I… um, lots of girls at home have tried it."
"If you have time later, you can try too. I guarantee the effect will satisfy you!"
Hearing the two of them 'sing in harmony,' Mu Wanrou glanced at them lightly.
Then she nodded—agreeing.
Seeing that she'd successfully set it up, Ning'er smugly blinked at Mu An as if to say: 'Young Master, you have to seize this rare chance!'
[From Ning'er: expectant and cheering emotional fluctuation +18. Congratulations, you have obtained [Book · I hope Young Master understands my good intentions and takes this chance to take down Miss fiercely—best if something delightful happens between them!]!]
Mu An laughed under his breath.
'What on earth is this girl thinking about all day?'
Of course, if Ning'er heard that question, she would answer without hesitation:
What am I thinking about?
Thinking about you, Young Master, of course!
...
Mu Wanrou's bedroom.
To be honest, Mu An didn't come in here very often.
He didn't pry too deeply into her privacy—he only casually flipped through some books and materials on her desk.
A lot of the content on them was related to the business plans and 'black tech' materials he'd mentioned to her earlier.
Naturally, nothing core was recorded—likely a sign of her solid security awareness.
He flipped through a few more books and found plenty of reading notes in the margins.
Mu Wanrou's handwriting was neat and graceful, genuinely pleasing to the eye.
Click—a soft sound of a door opening.
Mu Wanrou stepped out of the bathroom.
Her hair, wrapped in a white towel, had been twisted up on her head.
And to a certain extent… so had the rest of her.
Perhaps because she'd just taken a hot shower, her skin was fair with a rosy glow—moist and alluring, almost as if it would break with a breath.
Beneath the towel's wrap, her curvy figure was even more… impossible not to imagine.
She seemed to not notice Mu An—or perhaps she simply didn't care if he saw.
She walked straight to the hair dryer, looking ready to dry her hair.
"Sister Wanrou, let me do it."
Mu An took the 'task' proactively.
What was an opportunity to farm emotion rewards?
This was an opportunity delivered right to his hands.
And he also wanted to talk with her a bit about recent matters.
Hummmm—hot air poured from the dryer, noisy, carrying away the moisture.
Mu Wanrou's smooth, waterfall-like hair slid through Mu An's fingers again and again.
That faint clean fragrance lingered at his nose, and Mu An couldn't help smiling, his movements becoming even more practiced and gentle.
"What are you smiling at?"
Mu Wanrou was holding a book as she read.
Don't assume she was just pretending—she really was reading seriously.
Managing a group, especially a giant like Tianmu, required an effort far beyond what ordinary people could imagine.
And thankfully Mu An's cultivation was high and his hearing terrifying—otherwise he wouldn't have been able to hear her clearly over the dryer.
"I just suddenly feel pretty lucky—and pretty happy."
"Food and clothes are no worry, healthy and safe, family's still here… and you all are here too."
Mu An sighed sincerely.
Of course, it would be even better if this world didn't have those absurd 'protagonists,' but—well.
Mu Wanrou fell silent for a moment.
Just when Mu An thought she hadn't heard, he heard her say softly, "Me too…"