Yan Family.
Second floor, inside the study.
[Hold hands with your true love partner, points +1]
[Continue holding hands with your love interest, points +2]
[Continuously hold hands with your true love partner, points +3]
The system's crisp prompts echoed in Gu Yan's mind, the rapidly climbing numbers making his mood soar. The corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.
Not bad, not bad. If I hold Qingqiu's hand for twenty-four hours straight, I could rack up thousands—no, tens of thousands—of points! If I do this every day, I might just empty the entire system store someday!
Gu Yan had always believed: one must have dreams, because what if they actually come true?
On Yan Qingqiu's side
Although she had her own plans brewing, for now…
"I'm going to start reading. Gu Yan, could you please… let go of my hand?"
Yan Qingqiu smiled politely, though her tone carried restraint. She had agreed to be with Gu Yan—on the surface. In truth, it was purely for her own purposes: to make use of him, or more accurately, the Gu family standing behind him.
In her eyes, Gu Yan was a pure love fool—easy to manipulate, easily led. Those words he had spoken earlier? She didn't think much of them. Coincidence, nothing more.
Physical contact, however, was something she wanted to avoid as much as possible.
And yet, after confirming their relationship, this shameless man refused to leave. Not only that—he insisted on following her to see what she usually did.
Yan Qingqiu prided herself on her ability to control situations. To kick him out right after agreeing to his proposal would seem heartless, so she had reluctantly let him into her study, intending to use the gesture as a show of sincerity.
During that time, however, Gu Yan's hands had been far from well-behaved.
His excuse? "I'm taking care of you—your injuries haven't healed yet."
Hah! Do I need you to tell me whether my injuries have healed or not?!
Gu Yan, meanwhile, had no intention of letting go so soon—his points weren't nearly enough yet! But the last thing he wanted was to annoy her to the point she ignored him entirely. That would be disastrous.
So he quickly released her hand, saying, "Oh, oh."
Feeling the absence of his grip, Yan Qingqiu finally relaxed a little. She returned to her seat, a desk piled high with books in front of her.
This was her sanctuary—her private world. The place she used to understand the outside, to improve herself. A place where no one entered without her permission.
Her expression hardened as her mind whirred with future plans.
First, she would leverage Gu Yan's affection to gain influence over the Gu family, step by step.
"Qing~~"
Then, she would quietly gather her own power…
"Qingqing~~"
and hunt down the culprit behind her tragedy.
"Qiuqiu~~"
Her thoughts shattered under the assault of that voice.
Yan Qingqiu turned toward the source, only to find that face far too close for comfort.
Gu Yan's eyes lit up the moment she looked at him.
Perfect. That book he once read—"Why Did the Overbearing CEO Fall in Love with an Ordinary Girl Like Me? Turns out it's Because I'm Such an Annoying Person"
According to its "wisdom," constant, relentless pestering would draw the attention of the president.
And since this really was a novel world, there was no reason it wouldn't work here too!
"Qingqiu," Gu Yan asked, blinking innocently, "which do you prefer I call you—YanYan, Qingqing, or Qiuqiu?"
While the system had brought him here, he had to admit… Yan Qingqiu's temperament and beauty truly moved him. He couldn't help but want something real with her.
"..."
The silence from Yan Qingqiu was deafening. What kind of ridiculous nicknames are these?! I don't like any of them! Just leave already!
"Why aren't you answering?" Gu Yan tilted his head, puzzled by her lack of response. Then, a sudden thought struck him—ah, she must not like those names.
"Well then…" A mischievous smile tugged at his lips. "How about I call you 'wifey' or 'baby'?"
?!
Yan Qingqiu's heart skipped a beat. She snapped her head away instantly, hiding the slight tremor in her expression.
This shameless man! Who says such disgusting things with a straight face?
In all her years, it was the first time she'd heard anything so cloyingly cheesy.
"I… I don't like any of them. Just call me Qingqiu."
His gaze burned into her, and she finally caved, blurting out the words just to get it over with.
Relief washed over Gu Yan. Judging by her earlier reaction, he'd thought she might be truly angry—but clearly, it wasn't that bad.
"Well then, Qingqiu, what are you doing right now? How about we go out for a walk?" Gu Yan suggested hopefully. Truth be told, it was difficult to "earn points" with her holed up in the study all day.
The proposal made her pause. Go out?
Since her accident, she had hardly stepped beyond the Yan estate. Most of her days were spent here, in this small study.
It had been a long time since she'd seen the outside world. But… leisure was a waste of time. And for her, time was the most precious resource of all.
"No. I'm busy right now," she replied flatly. "I'm going to read. Please be quiet."
She turned back to her desk, her fingers tracing the pages of the book before her.
Gu Yan didn't mind. The woman before him is injured, disfigured, and destined to become a villain in the future. Expecting her to trust or like him sincerely at this stage is unrealistic.
There was still a long road ahead—plenty of time to change her mind.
"Alright," he said, settling into the seat beside her. "I'll just watch over you, Qingqiu. You know, whenever I see you, my heart—"
Before he could finish, she shot him a withering glare.
Gu Yan immediately shut his mouth.
This damn man! Yan Qingqiu's head throbbed. How could anyone be so relentlessly irritating?
The clock ticked on.
Gu Yan leafed through a few books himself, genuinely interested in the knowledge they contained. Every so often, his gaze drifted to Yan Qingqiu, quietly feeling the pages with her fingertips.
Had she been living like this all these years? Absorbing knowledge, growing stronger, preparing herself to one day rise as the ultimate villain?
…Truly admirable. Worthy of being the object of his "pure love."