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As Christmas approached, the melody of “All I Want for Christmas Is You” echoed through the streets. Red and green lights intertwined with golden orbs, casting a romantic winter glow over Shanghai, accompanied by drizzling rain. Umbrellas dotted the intersections, their neon reflections shimmering on the wet pavement, creating an illusion of a hidden, decorated world beneath their feet. When the green light flashed, Jiang Huan walked toward Bai Jingchuan, who stood out in the crowd. His face was stoic as he talked on the phone, but the moment he saw her, his icy demeanor melted instantly.
“I’m really happy you agreed to come out with me.”
“You could’ve invited me along anytime—after all, you live right next door.”
A dice popped out, chiming in: “No, he couldn’t have. Before you left, he’d already completed two and a half hours of physical training tasks.”
「Congratulations on completing the Agility Training. Current Level: Lv27. Reward: Regret Potion.」
Jiang Huan didn’t waste time with small talk. She led him straight into a high-quality custom suit shop. The store’s antique decor eschewed ostentation, favoring weathered tones and intricate details. Antique lace frames displayed oil paintings created by the owner, while pearls and vintage pocket watches adorned golden trays—clearly personal collections. Two mannequins showcased impeccably tailored suits; the black fabric bore subtle dark blue patterns, exuding sophistication. This was no ordinary tailor’s shop. Bai Jingchuan felt a flicker of nervousness, as if their ten-minute meeting might end abruptly. “Are you going to make me buy something and leave?”
Before he could finish, Jiang Huan turned around and bumped into him. Her teasing tone seemed almost confrontational. “Of course not. Not giving you any wait time is already generous. This is the shop I’ve always imagined bringing a male lead into whenever I passed by. It’s been my dream to step inside—it’s where they measure your body before recommending anything.”
The dating story emailed to her indeed referenced real stores, so this wasn’t entirely fictional. To Bai Jingchuan’s surprise, he found himself genuinely pleased. “So this is the outfit you’ve chosen for me?”
“Mm-hmm.”
For a moment, Bai Jingchuan felt touched. He had spent a considerable amount of gold coins synthesizing dates, leaving him financially strapped during this resource-scarce period. Luxury boutiques were out of reach for him now. Gone were the days when Executives had surplus gold to donate to orphanages. Jiang Huan’s thoughtfulness struck him deeply.
Jiang Huan sighed. “Were you expecting some idol drama scenario? Me taking you to a lavish VIP luxury store, where you try on outfits like a miraculous transformation, and then I pay the bill?” She pointed to a distant Shanghai landmark luxury mall. “Sorry, I don’t have money.”
“No matter what, I’m at your disposal today. Consider me your hostage.”
「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +50.」
“Help!” The dice couldn’t bear it anymore and floated out from his shoulder. “Li Bode, you’re so cheesy…”
Jiang Huan didn’t elaborate further—Bai Jingchuan’s narrow head, broad shoulders, slim waist, and long legs fit the model’s proportions perfectly. His clean jawline was camera-ready, making him ideal for understated yet sophisticated styles. Having someone like him in the office, dressed well, was a blessing for everyone. To keep things low-key, Jiang Huan walked ahead, speaking as little as possible to avoid triggering any workplace romance flags. Bai Jingchuan didn’t catch up, seemingly lost in his own thoughts—did he still have that habit?
The dice hovered beside Bai Jingchuan, drooling over a matcha puff pastry. “It smells so good—I want to eat it!”
“Dating is a private affair. You don’t need to monitor us.”
“My mission is to accompany you. Can’t you treat me like a friend?”
“Be honest.”
“I just need to check how your date progresses. You’re Li Bode, 4.90-rated Li Bode! At this slow upgrade pace, I’m losing face in the Realm of Gods. Shouldn’t you hold hands by now? Maybe even kiss? Eros loves those shoujo manga kissing scenes!”
“Do you see her walking so far ahead? Does it look like there’s progress?” Bai Jingchuan gazed at Jiang Huan’s back. “Isn’t there a script for this date?”
“The Realm of Gods only provides fragments to create dating opportunities. The content is up to you and her. From here on, it’s your responsibility to build atmosphere and increase favorability. Higher favorability grants extra rewards.”
Bai Jingchuan spoke calmly. “If I have to actively create favorability, I’ll probably never succeed. If I truly lack any appeal, I’ll remain forever a fawning man unworthy of her notice.”
After completing his physical training, though his level had risen to 26, he felt much better control over his body. The only oddity was that his rank hadn’t changed since the last E-tier update—a crucial factor affecting his character setup. Boosting favorability and leveling up became imperative. But knowing Jiang Huan’s personality, buying gifts or initiating physical contact now would seem inappropriate, oily, and overly deliberate.
He excelled at drawing conclusions.
Jiang Huan stared blankly at the suits, realizing she needed to shift his attention to herself to boost favorability.
The entire store featured low-saturation shirts and suits, with design intricacies hidden in the details—fine herringbone patterns, mother-of-pearl buttons, and cuts tailored for lean, athletic builds. Jiang Huan sat on the sofa, replying to emails over the weekend—a self-imposed sacrifice of rest time. But with such a handsome man lingering nearby, she couldn’t help blushing, especially under the overly cold air conditioning. Her rising body heat startled her.
The last time she felt this flush was during a previous project. Now, without work stress, was she finally starting to swoon over a real person? How foolish.
Bai Jingchuan slowly browsed the racks. Every piece looked similar to him—he knew he had a model’s figure, so nothing would look bad on him. In Mowu City, countless outfits matched his profile automatically. To blend into crowds as a hunter, flashy colors disrupted his camouflage. If not for boosting favorability, he wouldn’t linger here so long. The dice spun dizzyingly. “Li Bode, enough already! You’re not actually buying clothes, are you? Shouldn’t you let Jiang Huan stand up and help you choose? Better yet, go into the fitting room together for some intimate chemistry!”
The shop assistant enthusiastically praised them, saying they hadn’t seen such a perfect match for their brand in ages. They asked curiously where this rare gentleman came from, marveling at his understated elegance. Bai Jingchuan feigned distress, eventually picking out the most perplexing combinations in the store. “This might look great. Let me try it on.”
“Are you sure, sir?”
Jiang Huan eyed the macaron-green sweater and charcoal cigarette pants in Bai Jingchuan’s hands, then glanced at his confident expression. She inhaled sharply, said nothing, and pushed open the fitting room door. When he emerged, both the shop assistant and Jiang Huan fell silent. Adding the mule shoes from the fitting room, the intellectual allure had transformed into blatant gay vibes.
Sitting on the couch, Jiang Huan sighed, biting her tongue to stay quiet. As the shop assistant tried to hide a pair of multicolored socks, Bai Jingchuan noticed and complimented them. “Those aren’t bad either.”
“Stop.” Jiang Huan stood up, grabbing a black trench coat and light gray turtleneck. “Change into these.”
“So this suits me better?” Bai Jingchuan smiled contentedly. “I always trust your taste more than mine.”
「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +50.」
Jiang Huan felt duped, as if Bai Jingchuan had baited her with ugly clothes. How else could she have picked such items amid rows of black, white, gray, and khaki? Her heart skipped a beat when he stepped out of the fitting room. Indeed, Bai Jingchuan looked handsome and refreshing. Most importantly, instead of checking himself in the mirror, he walked straight toward her. “Is this what you like?”
Her response was to take a step back. “You’re the one wearing it—you don’t need to ask me.”
“But I think you chose this outfit, so I should ask your opinion first.”
“…I have no opinion.”
How could she dare voice one? She was utterly captivated—Bai Jingchuan’s stoic face was law, but his physique was every woman’s paradise. Just thinking about it shocked her. Did she harbor such wolfish desires?
Shaking off the thought, she pretended to be calm, reaching for the stiff price tag stuck behind his collar. He didn’t notice. Before she could react, Bai Jingchuan reflexively grabbed her wrist, startling even the shop assistant. His entrance score had been a hundred, but his eccentric taste and sudden defensiveness likely dropped him below passing.
“Li Bode, are you insane? That’s a move you use in the arena against Jiang Huan?”
In Mowu City’s arena, Li Bode had once been attacked from behind by a fast, aggressive youth. A few seconds slower, and he’d have been fatally impaled. He counterattacked just in time, but the modified mechanical arm of his opponent short-circuited moments before losing consciousness, reminding him how close he’d come to death. Even now, he remained wary of attacks from behind. Stunned, he stood frozen as Jiang Huan stared at him, waiting for an explanation.
「You’ve used the item ‘Starry Night Bracelet.’」
Something sparkled at Bai Jingchuan’s cuff. Jiang Huan pulled out… a string of shiny star-shaped bracelets. The shop assistant gasped, “Oh my, sir, how romantic!”
Nothing romantic about it—it was merely damage control for his unnecessary defensiveness. Bai Jingchuan was quite satisfied with this moment. Jiang Huan’s expression hardened, clearly confused by the bracelet. “Where did you learn such tacky romance?”
“I didn’t learn it. Worried you wouldn’t like it, I waited for the right moment to give it to you.”
“Is this the right moment?”
“I think so. At least from earlier until now, you’ve been watching me.”
Jiang Huan grew more perplexed. “Tell me the truth—are you acting?”
“After you came out of the fitting room, you’ve been staring at me nonstop. Are you sure you don’t like it?”
Damn it, utterly defeated by cheesy tactics.
Too gentle to get angry…
Decision-making handed over inexplicably…
Roundabout maneuvers leaving no room for refusal, no logic to argue against…
「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +50.」
Bai Jingchuan followed Jiang Huan through boutique after boutique on Wutong Street, purchasing nearly every low-key yet charming tailored piece that aligned with her tastes. Each shop assistant praised them, calling them sweethearts who bantered adorably. Such eye-catching and interesting couples hadn’t been seen in ages.
The man carrying shopping bags grinned, accepting the compliments graciously. Jiang Huan loudly announced, “Teacher Bai, we’re done shopping. Can I go home now?”
“Teacher Bai” turned around. “Don’t you want to browse clothes you like? As a thank-you, I’d like to pick something for you.”
「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +50.」
The shop assistants squealed with delight.
Jiang Huan shrank her neck, taking a few steps left. Bai Jingchuan, still holding the shopping bags, approached cheerfully. She moved right, and he leisurely followed. Finally, she ducked into a lingerie store—if he dared, let him come in.
After two minutes, Jiang Huan peeked through a lacy bra at the doorway. Bai Jingchuan was gone. She waited anxiously, scanning the area but finding no trace of him. Just as she hesitated whether to call, a gentle voice came from above. Holding two cups of coffee, Bai Jingchuan smiled. “Seasonal Velvet Chocolate Mocha. Found anything you like?”
What kind of boss has no sense of boundaries!
Everyone around them assumed they were a sweet couple. Exhausted, she stopped resisting. One thought consumed her: how had such a flirtatious man never had a girlfriend? Wasn’t he better at push-and-pull than K-drama male leads?
The connecting corridors of the two malls were adorned with Christmas lights. Golden decorations stretched for dozens of meters, creating an ethereal bridge that seemed to float in a dream. Crowds laughed and moved joyfully, their happiness fueled by the festive atmosphere. The aroma of coffee lingered sweetly and richly in the air, evoking the cozy essence of winter. Walking beside her, Bai Jingchuan casually remarked, as if chatting about everyday matters, “Do you like wearing casual hoodies often?”
“Do you expect me to dress up and wear a skirt when meeting you?”
“I just hope you’ll come—whatever you wear will only enhance your beauty.” Bai Jingchuan wasn’t upset at all. He pointed to a nearby women’s clothing store. “That dress suits you perfectly.”
「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +30.」
Following his finger, she initially dismissed it but couldn’t tear her gaze away. It was a well-tailored winter dress with a flowing silhouette, its neckline resting just below the collarbone to reveal the neck. The skirt fluttered gracefully, exuding femininity while remaining practical for daily wear. Its orange-pink hue wasn’t too bold, especially paired with a cream coat adorned with fluffy pom-poms—it was the kind of dress that made one want to dress up for romance. Jiang Huan reached out to touch it; it felt soft. But when she glanced at the price tag, her facial features nearly jumped off her face. Suddenly, the fabric felt coarse, the color garish, and touching it further seemed like it would bite her hand. She shoved her hands into her pockets and stepped back. “This isn’t worthy of my beauty, and it’s impractical—the skirt would get in the way of riding shared bikes.”
“Just answer one question: do you like it?”
His question was direct, yet devoid of malice. No one had ever asked her like this before.
“Not really suitable for me,” she replied, making a dismissive gesture—cutting off desires for things she couldn’t afford. Calmly, she countered, “At this price, I’d need to hire a new freelance copywriter. Paying them fairly means I can’t keep calculating word counts or risk being stabbed in the back again.”
Bai Jingchuan pretended not to understand. Jiang Huan thought, Of course leaders pretend to be oblivious when money is involved. Tilting her head, she added, “You’re not planning to give it to me as a gift, are you? I wouldn’t accept it—I’d sell it on a second-hand market and use the money to hire someone else.”
Impervious to her jabs, Bai Jingchuan overheard the shop assistant’s inner monologue: “Why bother saying so much if you can’t afford it? People who ride shared bikes don’t deserve this dress. Look at her hair—not even dyed properly, half yellow and half black. How could her boyfriend even like her?”
Without speaking, Bai Jingchuan observed Jiang Huan from a distance—close enough to feel intimate but not intrusive. Occasionally, he glanced back at the shop assistant. He didn’t know why he was doing this—he should’ve maintained boundaries—but when it came to Jiang Huan, he couldn’t help himself.
Still, Bai Jingchuan’s curiosity got the better of him. “Was this suit shop specifically chosen for me?”
“Not necessarily. I just liked it myself. If I knew someone who could pull off such quality, I’d definitely bring them here.”
Though brief, Bai Jingchuan felt a flicker of happiness. His handsome appearance and humble demeanor, mere illusions, had been “guessed” by Jiang Huan. It seemed they truly shared a mental connection.
The dice couldn’t take it anymore. “Li Bode! Stop being so extra!”
A hair tie in the accessories section caught Jiang Huan’s eye—a purple elastic band with a mischievous smiling clown charm, its grin sly and enchanting, as if meticulously painted stroke by stroke. Flipping it over, she saw the price tag—
Jiang Huan placed the hair tie back, unable to resist snapping a quick photo to search for a similar one online. Despite its intricate craftsmanship and niche brand, her search yielded soulless, uninspired replicas. Shrugging it off—adults have plenty of toys—she turned and decided to forget about it.
Warm breath brushed against her ear. “What are you looking at so intently?”
“Nothing.” Jiang Huan took a sharp step to the right—what was he doing blowing into her ear!
「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +30.」
Her ears flushed red as she scurried away, wrapping her scarf tightly around her neck. The dice buzzed excitedly beside him. “Li Bode, did you notice? Her favorability toward you hasn’t dropped!”
He noticed, of course he noticed—which was why he had suddenly approached her.
“It’s time to go home.”
“I’ll walk you back.”
“You’ll obviously walk me back—you live right next door!” Jiang Huan teased, unable to resist a jab.
As they walked, fashion store screens displayed interviews. The elegant PR representative Wen Li had just rejected a young actor’s advances with nonchalant grace, even offering to handle a year’s worth of resources for his studio. Jiang Huan tilted her head and exclaimed, “I’ve never seen such a beautiful older sister before.”
Bai Jingchuan looked at the woman on the screen—her exquisite features seemed almost modeled, her golden hair and slender frame exuding sophistication and detachment. He didn’t judge her emotions but knew, even through the screen, what she was thinking. This relationship hadn’t been passionate, but it wasn’t a loss either. In exchange for minimal effort, she gained attention and trended multiple times on social media. To ordinary girls, she appeared ambitious and carefree, seemingly uninterested in men. If a male actor cheated, it would make sense—they hoped she’d focus on her career instead.
“Would you be afraid of someone unfamiliar suddenly appearing in your life?”
“Not at all. In fact, I’d rather meet someone who doesn’t exist in this world.” Jiang Huan hinted cryptically. “Inspiration struck—I need to work overtime. I can’t go home with you now. Goodbye.”
“No need to push yourself. You can grow slowly…”
“Absolutely not! This inspiration came after I worked hard to unlock it. Bai Jingchuan, I have big dreams—I want to surpass you and become a top female producer!”
She ran ahead, turning back with her hair scattering light like stardust. Curiosity and competitiveness danced across her face, vivid and radiant, drawing stares from everyone around her. Time seemed to slow tenfold, each frame shimmering brightly. Bai Jingchuan had never seen anything like it. In Mowu City, every day was turbulent, yet his heart remained calm. Here, in this peaceful city, he often found his heartbeat racing uncontrollably. Even now, though Jiang Huan had vanished around the corner, he still felt the breeze she left behind brushing against his face.
________________________________________
PS: Xiao Zhang is here! The plot is unfolding slowly—climbing step by step. Welcome to add this story to your bookshelf and vote for recommendations. I’ll be waiting for everyone in the comments today!
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