Chapter 22: You Understand Nothing—Her Seduction Was Part of My Plan

During an evening meeting, Bai Jingchuan suddenly froze in place. His colleagues exchanged puzzled glances, while he simply pressed his hand to his forehead and announced the meeting was over, leaning slowly against the wall.

A vision unfolded before him, blocking out the real world entirely. It was the training ground of Mowu City, where he appeared as Li Bode, the instructor. The young participants were tense, their survival depending on brutal elimination matches. Among them, one girl stood out.

It was Jiang Huan. She wore a black tank top and fitted long pants, with a short knife tucked into a holster on her arm. To secure her legs, she added leg loops, and her hair blazed like fire—a stark contrast to her tired and disheveled state in the real world. She was still a novice in the arena, dismissed by male competitors who planned to eliminate her in the first round. In the virtual jungle, Jiang Huan first used a lasso to leap onto a building, waiting for her chance. Before the male competitors could smirk about eliminating the female contender, she used her lasso to choke one opponent and hang him from a tree, swiftly moving on to her next target.

Li Bode, as both an Executor and the arena’s mentor, could identify talented victors. Naturally, he noted this agile and decisive girl. Each time, he disguised himself as a participant to infiltrate the arena, knowing that most contestants wouldn’t leave alive and his identity was unlikely to be exposed. After Jiang Huan sheathed her dagger, ready to take the fallen man’s coins, another competitor—a fat yet nimble figure—appeared behind her. Li Bode manipulated the air to strike the man, serving as a warning. Jiang Huan turned to meet his gaze, and he responded with a challenging smile—it wasn’t time for the mentor to reveal himself just yet.

Jiang Huan approached him. Li Bode deliberately collapsed backward, feigning injury—a skill he had mastered.

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?” Jiang Huan ran over, spending her last bit of money on a disinfection kit. She tore off her hair ribbon, wet it, and wrapped it around the wound on his arm. “I’m sorry—I only have this much money left, so I can only buy what I can afford. But you’ll definitely get better.”

She hadn’t noticed how she had snapped the man’s bones with her air manipulation, causing his immediate death.

The scene fast-forwarded, but Bai Jingchuan saw how the Executor, in order to gain Jiang Huan’s trust, pretended to be an ordinary participant and was protected by her for three days. They trained together and eliminated others. Li Bode, hiding his identity, accompanied Jiang Huan step by step, often displaying perplexing expressions as if surrendering. On the day of the finals, during the final review when the mentor was required to personally judge, with ten contestants remaining, he finally stood up. “Welcome, nine contestants, to the final stage. Only one will pass. Good luck.”

After observing for so long, this was the first time he had seen Jiang Huan’s dirty, exhausted face filled with shock, anger, and admiration. He couldn’t deny feeling a sense of satisfaction. While pretending to be weak, he had helped Jiang Huan set up tents and take turns keeping watch at night. Without any suspicion, she fell asleep clutching the corner of his shirt as dawn approached, feeling relatively safe. The Executor, who had evolved beyond sleep, enjoyed being cared for. Her soft palm tugged at his sleeve, and when he tried to pull away, she held onto his fingers.

“You’re the mentor—this is absurd,” Jiang Huan pointed at his bandages. “I even dressed your wounds!”

“It doesn’t matter. I won’t let personal feelings interfere. Besides, we haven’t truly interacted—I don’t know you.”

Disappointment flickered briefly in Jiang Huan’s eyes. “Then how do I pass?”

“First, touch me with the dagger in your hand. Anywhere—if you can reach me, I’ll declare you qualified.”

Of the ten contestants, only one would survive. The man with the scar who had once attacked Jiang Huan underestimated her, leaving her for last. Jiang Huan appeared frightened, waiting for him to charge. At the last moment, she counterattacked and killed him. This surprised Li Bode. In close combat, she knew every contestant’s weaknesses, her speed and strikes deadly, her ferocity overwhelming. Her gender was irrelevant; she was someone who transcended it, relying solely on ability and willpower. Her personality radiated charm, making her the perfect unripe fruit ripe for cultivation.

The second-to-last surviving contestant gave up attacking Jiang Huan and turned instead to boast, “What’s so great about an Executor? Killing the Executor is the ultimate victory!”

He might avoid fighting others, but he couldn’t tolerate stupidity. As the Executor, he despised having his carefully written rules rewritten or being treated as an opponent by those beneath him. When a fiery attack grazed his hair, Li Bode’s killing intent surged skyward. But just as he prepared to kill the obese finalist, the dagger’s blade grazed his chin. Jiang Huan trembled as she said, “I did it—you can’t underestimate me.”

“If you can discover my talent within such a short time and sneak up on me hidden in the air, I’ll grant you temporary reprieve. But next time, I won’t make it so easy. I look forward to the day you become a true rival and either defeat me or are defeated by me.”

「This content is related to you and closely tied to your identity. More details will unlock after reaching Lv 30.」

Was the arena also connected to Jiang Huan?

The vision dissolved, and Jiang Huan’s hand waved lightly before him. “Teacher Bai, we’ve arrived.”

The taxi stopped at the neighborhood entrance. The nighttime streets were quiet. Jiang Huan’s worried expression was entirely different from the fierce, mud-streaked fighter in the vision. She had insisted on driving him home. As the story ended, he reluctantly returned to reality:

“Sorry, maybe it was low blood sugar.”

His craving for sweets kicked in. Bai Jingchuan endured the urge as he walked into the elevator. Jiang Huan teased, “I never expected an invincible producer to pass out in the car. If you ignore me again, I’ll take you straight to the emergency room.”

“Have you ever written anything about arenas… or competitions?”

“No.” Jiang Huan shook her head. “The boss and producer decide what I write. The decision isn’t mine.”

“Why so insecure?”

Jiang Huan paused. “From childhood to now, I’ve always been knocked down and had to pick myself back up. Criticism comes quickly, but regaining confidence takes much longer. You ask why I’m not confident—I’ve never thought about it.”

The elevator doors opened, and both fell silent. Jiang Huan disliked reminiscing or playing the victim. She simply added with concern, “Are you really okay?”

“Don’t worry about me. As your superior, I’m more eager to see progress in your career.”

With a cold, distant smile, he entered his apartment, hurriedly washing his hands and gathering ingredients. Skillfully, he melted chocolate, whipped butter, and sifted flour… Each frame of the memory that had surfaced was unexpected and exhilarating. He was immersed, unable to break free. Jiang Huan was indeed bound to him, not randomly assigned by the system.

“Eros, if this scene is real—if the training ground and I exist in the same work, does it mean some things in Mowu City are connected to my story?”

“The Realm of Gods selects data to form part of Mowu City. Whether it’s the mirage-like Mowu City or Jiang Huan in the arena, everything is linked to your hidden identity.”

He felt a surge of excitement.

The earlier arena scene seemed to remind him: for Jiang Huan, appropriate help wasn’t about gentle comfort and encouragement but extending a hand in dire situations. Bai Jingchuan realized why Jiang Huan was so captivating. There seemed to be a void within her, through which the winds of life constantly passed. Every pore was open, and sorrow swept through her like cold air, giving her repeated emotional “colds.” He could read everyone’s hearts, but this gift failed uniquely with her. Yet, he could hear the sound of the wind rushing through her.

He didn’t admit to having a talent for love, but after experiencing sadness and failure, he couldn’t ignore the sound of the wind passing through her. In the arena, her tight-fitting tank top, pants, and boots exuded allure. She was clearly untapped potential, brimming with vitality and unreleased combat power. The butter melted slowly at room temperature, stirred gently with a spatula, then cut and blended again. Nothing excited him more than the smell of something unripe—immature yet bursting with energy, making him crave its growth and breakthroughs, anticipating fresh, stimulating surprises…

When he came back to his senses, the oven was… on fire. The baking paper had caught flame, burning fiercely inside. He instinctively reached in but recoiled instantly from the heat. How could he be so sensitive?

Grabbing gloves—Mowu City didn’t tolerate weakness—he pulled out the burning tray, flames licking toward his face. He leaned back slightly and manipulated the air, extinguishing the fire instantly. The Basque cheesecake sat on the table, its surface completely blackened. Strange—it had only been a few minutes. How had the crust burned so quickly? How had it caught fire? He had even forgotten how to manipulate air. This world performed a gentle castration on those with extraordinary abilities—how infuriating!

With so few ingredients left, he couldn’t bear to throw it away. Carefully scraping off the burnt parts left it uneven, but he frowned and ate anyway. The pain of being controlled by his persona hit again, but he was like an addict in withdrawal—he had to eat.

The taste of the cake… was all wrong. It didn’t feel like cake at all—it was more like… tofu. Bai Jingchuan sighed deeply. It was terrible, utterly terrible. A wave of existential despair washed over him. Was there no clause in his character about having a poor sense of taste?

________________________________________

Jiang Huan sat by the window, lost in thought. Wrapped in a blanket, leaning against the table, she stared at Ted Chiang’s science fiction stories, her mind drifting outside. She called Sandimon: “Don’t you think my boss is strange? Though it’s impossible for fictional characters to become real people, he insists on living next door to me. He’s so perfect—I felt sorry for him and gave him my barely-used silk quilt. Such a flawless person keeps lingering around me. Isn’t this a sci-fi story? Am I imagining things?”

“Only when you start liking him does this observation hold weight.”

“He recently told me… that I’m his hostage in this world. What kind of nonsense is that!”

“He’s interesting, and his words are quite charming. But—” Sandimon exhaled deeply, as though finishing a long plotline. “Whatever he does, it’s because you’re good enough to attract him.”

After hanging up, Jiang Huan was left alone, deep in thought. She hadn’t mentioned Bai Jingchuan’s arrogance—seemingly humble but full of small quirks that vividly made her heart flutter. Hostage… she had never heard such a phrase before. It was cheesy enough to shock her, cringe-worthy enough to make her pupils dilate. Lying on the couch, she found a small box in her pocket—the hair tie. The note inside was polite: “A small token of gratitude—from your hostage.”

She buried herself under the blanket—just to keep him hooked on Romance Continent. He couldn’t have actually fallen for her tactics, right?

A few seconds later, she poked her head out from under the blanket, frowning and sniffing—what was that burnt smell?

The acrid stench filled the entire hallway. Someone must have started a fire, as signs about fire safety and electrical precautions were plastered everywhere. While heading downstairs, Jiang Huan overheard the property manager chatting with residents. An older woman clapped her hands. “I swear I saw it—someone across the street was swallowing swords and breathing fire at home!”

Jiang Huan was baffled. Who would perform such stunts at home? Unless… a K-pop star’s fan lived nearby and was livestreaming a promotional event? Out of neighborly courtesy, she sent Bai Jingchuan a message: “Did you hear someone in our building started a fire with an open flame?”

He didn’t reply.

As she passed his door, she glanced inside. Given his dislike for sweets and apparent lack of domesticity, it definitely wasn’t him. Not replying to her message—how rude. When she got home, she didn’t hesitate to knock on his door.

Bai Jingchuan, alerted by his acute hearing, teleported back from work and pretended to have been home for a while, holding a book. The dice floated happily beside him. “Li Bode, you didn’t have to come back. So what if she knocks? No one answers—it’s fine. Aren’t you glad to be neighbors? Her coming in is the perfect start for holding hands, kissing, and intimate contact.”

The smell of burnt food lingered in the room. Jiang Huan got straight to the point: “Your place caught fire, didn’t it?”

“Of course not.”

Jiang Huan smiled sweetly, saying nothing. Bai Jingchuan felt a twinge of guilt. “I don’t cook, nor do I think anything qualifies as ‘delicious.’ Food is merely sustenance—not something with soul.”

“Hah, so you’ve never tasted anything good.”

“…No, I’ve tasted everything.”

“People who’ve never had food that touches their soul think eating is just about filling their stomachs. People who’ve never been loved think they don’t need love. Everyone has moments when they’ve tasted something soul-stirring in a special setting. Don’t act like you don’t know how obsessed you are with sweets. Why are you so dismissive about meals? Wait for me—I’ll be back in twenty minutes.”

Bai Jingchuan held his fork and knife, skeptical that omelet rice and steak strips could taste extraordinary. He elegantly attempted to cut and savor it slowly, but Jiang Huan couldn’t bear to watch. She sliced open the omelet rice with her knife, the egg wrapping around the rice and spilling half-cooked yolk—far more appetizing than anything in Mowu City. Before he could admire it, Jiang Huan’s spoon smashed the rice, mixing it with the steak. “Open up.”

“What?”

“Give me your mouth. Chew big, then taste how good this bite is.”

The spoonful was forcibly shoved into his mouth, like feeding an unsuspecting child. Bai Jingchuan had to admit—the seemingly ordinary ingredients, when mixed and eaten in large bites, released flavors that spread slowly in his mouth, unlike anything he’d tasted before. The sensation sliding down his throat into his stomach left him dizzy. Jiang Huan shoveled a huge spoonful into her own mouth, her unladylike eating making him laugh. It definitely wasn’t elegant.

But pretending to be busy, he asked, “Is it the aroma of the meat?”

“Not just that—it’s called wok hei. Though my life seems simple, this pan cost me a thousand yuan. Like those street stalls, it builds flavor. It’s a ritual of life—you wouldn’t understand.”

“Is it worth spending so much time on food?”

“You’re so strange.” Jiang Huan used her spoon like a pen, pointing at his chin. “Eyes glowing for sweets, but eating meals is like a death sentence for you. Are you saying this omelet rice isn’t worth sitting down to savor? It’s simple, quick, and won’t make you fat. Doesn’t this plate look nice? I even added two asparagus spears for decoration. Don’t ruin the mood. Plus, I made it especially for you. If you don’t eat it, I’ll throw it away—I usually enjoy omelet rice anyway, and steak is expensive. If you don’t eat it, refund me.”

Bai Jingchuan hadn’t expected a simple meal to be so entertaining. Executors didn’t use spoons to shovel large bites into their mouths—it damaged their image, and no food was worth breaking their composure. But this omelet rice was undeniably tastier, a flavor he’d never experienced. His hand sped up scooping rice… faster and faster. The two competed to eat, as if the other’s bowl held better food. Magical forces urged him to devour greedily. As he ate, he felt like he was losing his mind. When the last piece of steak slipped off the spoon and fell to the floor, Bai Jingchuan gracefully bent down to toss it into the trash, though his heart was shattering.

“I’ll go change clothes.”

As soon as he entered the bedroom, the dice floated out. “They say to capture a man’s heart, you must first capture his stomach. Well done—you’ve got him hooked fast. Maybe at Level 100, you won’t even need to change personas. Leave behind a romantic legend.”

“Shut up.” Bai Jingchuan was flustered and annoyed.

“Before, you thought food was terrible. Seeing how much you ate just now, I realize you’re easily tamed.”

“No. I’m just observing her.” Bai Jingchuan spoke seriously. “Knowing your enemy is essential. Consider it me using myself as bait to understand her. Being seduced by her is part of my plan.”

“Playing hard to get, huh? If your favorability meter were visible, you’d have gained at least 2000 points today.”

Ignoring the dice, Bai Jingchuan muttered to himself, “She said she made this meal especially for me. Did she really?”

“That pan might handle cooking so many eggs, but shaping two omelets stacked on rice requires doing it twice. So… yes. Reign in your pride. If you had a tail, it’d be wagging off!”

Bai Jingchuan emerged from the bedroom, looking even sexier in dark green pajamas. Sitting before Jiang Huan, he noticed her swallow nervously. Pretending not to see, he asked, “A new screenwriter proposed an idea opposite to your storyline logic. Perhaps this is her challenge to you. Whether through overtime or increased efficiency, I expect both of you to submit character proposals for a male protagonist within a week. Whoever moves me more will become the official male lead, and I’ll consider year-end evaluations and raises.”

Jiang Huan scratched her head. “There’s something you might not believe. I’ve created many characters, but they were all rejected during meetings. When you asked me to write another, it felt like falling into that loop again—characters’ coherent traits shuffled around like puzzle pieces, becoming unrecognizable before being rejected and erased from my mind. I don’t know if I’m confused or suffering amnesia.”

“Then write something for me this time, using the setting of Romance Continent. Don’t you like Tide of Emotions ? Stop admiring me. Become my rival, see me as competition, and surpass me.”

「Jiang Huan’s Favorability +200.」

“Jiang Huan, if you like Bai Jingchuan, why not try dating? Teacher Bai is very charming, and the chemistry between you two is undeniable. Even business departments are asking if you two are a thing.”

“Who dates their boss? In any game I play, I absolutely avoid romantic plots involving my superior. Who would feel attracted to the person who dictates your work and controls your salary?”

“Is that so?” Akira smirked mischievously. “From what I’ve seen, Teacher Bai seems quite appreciative of you, especially when you challenge him. He even seems to enjoy it a bit—he’s the type who loves a worthy rival. You might have sparked something in him.”

Thinking about Bai Jingchuan’s slightly dimwitted expression while eating earlier, Jiang Huan shook her head vigorously. “Never. He’s hard to read—seemingly clever, but also somewhat gullible. Yesterday, when we ate together, I tricked him into believing my pan cost a thousand yuan and had some mystical ‘wok hei.’ In reality, I bought it for seventy yuan on Pinduoduo—it’s cheap, practical, and disposable once the coating wears off. And yet, he completely fell for it, eating like an oblivious fool. I suspect he had an unhappy childhood or doesn’t take good care of himself. Otherwise, how could he eat omelet rice with such enthusiasm?”

“Eating dinner together… Jiang Huan, have you two reached this stage already?”

“Absolutely not. Don’t even think about it. My goal is to become a producer. If he can help me along this path, we can achieve mutual success and become steadfast comrades-in-arms. As for romance? No way. My boyfriend can be made of PVC, tin, or acrylic—anything but carbon-based.”

“Why not?” Bai Jingchuan suddenly pushed the door open. “Do you really distrust my character that much?”

Startled, Jiang Huan dropped her pen and dove under the table. Did he hear about the seventy-yuan pan?

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PS: Xiao Zhang is here! Welcome everyone to add this story to your bookshelf and vote for recommendations. I’ll be waiting for you all in the comments today!