HP - Chapter 2

Sweetheart Simulation 2

Min Xingtu failed to die.

The sharpened key had slashed a bloody gash across his neck. Min Xingtu couldn’t tell if he was more stunned by Xiao Lian’s unexpected strength—or just dizzy from the blood loss. Either way, still dazed, he was tossed out by Zhong Xu like a piece of trash.

But Min Xingtu didn’t just disappear.

Take now, for example—he was standing about a hundred meters away, seemingly joking with classmates, but his eyes never once strayed from here. At the slightest sign of trouble, he’d be at her side in an instant.

“Like a fly that just won’t go away,” Zhong Xu remarked, sipping her drink.

“A fly? Where?” Xiao Lian’s deskmate Keke looked around. “I don’t see any flies... Xiao Lian, have you finished prepping for the school anniversary?”

“Nope.”

Keke’s eyes went wide. “Then why aren’t you working on it?”

“I’m just waiting to be punished,” Zhong Xu replied flatly.

Keke was floored by her calm demeanor and had nothing to say.

The school anniversary, after all, was exactly what had been giving Zhong Xu a headache lately.

With the school anniversary approaching, she was assigned—like any good student council member—the task of preparing event materials. But the location reeked of overwhelmingly gaudy pink special effects.

Obviously, if she went there, she’d immediately run into the second male lead.

Zhong Xu wasn’t buying into that nonsense—she was rebellious to the core.

Last time, her encounter with Min Xingtu had no set timing, so he turned the tables and initiated it himself.

But this time, the anniversary set a fixed timeline. She was curious—what would happen if she stubbornly refused to trigger the plot?

So, when the student council president came over on the day of the anniversary, demanding the materials, she stood her ground and said matter-of-factly:

“I didn’t prepare anything. Just wing it.”

The president was stunned and fumed, stammering out a long string of:

“You—you—you—” before storming off in a huff.

Keke looked at her with pity.

“You’re so dead…”

Zhong Xu grinned cheekily.

“Mission scrapped. Loving it.”

Reality, however, had a habit of telling her she celebrated too soon.

Half an hour later, the president came back all smiles.

He patted Zhong Xu on the shoulder with satisfaction.

“Well done, very nicely handled.”

A question mark slowly popped up over Zhong Xu’s head.

The president explained:

“Just now, the Lu Corporation’s CEO sent over completely new materials—way better than what we had planned! His assistant said the CEO overheard Xiao Lian’s earlier remarks, really admired her personality, and decided to step in and help...”

A second question mark slowly appeared above her.

No doubt about it—the CEO of Lu Corporation had to be the second male lead.

Are these male leads even human? With her luck, of course she’d bump into something paranormal.

Just as her head started to ache from all this, a cold voice rang out from above her.

“Kindly remove your hand from Xiao Lian’s shoulder.”

The president froze, staring blankly at Min Xingtu, who had suddenly appeared.

Min Xingtu continued,

“You have three seconds, or I’ll break your hand.”

President: “…”

Zhong Xu: “…”

With the second big boss showing up, how did she forget about the first one?

Zhong Xu chose to run.

Distance from lunatics = peace of mind restored.

A car stopped in front of her. Through the window was a strikingly handsome profile.

He slowly turned to look at Zhong Xu, his gaze frosty.

“Feisty girl, why are you running?”

If this were a livestream, Zhong Xu would’ve already been banned for violating the rules.

Was this her fault? If anyone was to blame, it was the game’s tiny map—one short detour and she’d bumped into the second big boss she’d been trying to avoid.

The second big shot ignored Zhong Xu’s blank expression and kept going:

“Cutting class isn’t something a good girl should do.”

“What kind of crap are you spouting?”

That line set Zhong Xu off like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

“You’re a CEO—shouldn’t you be in the office instead of wandering around? Do you even consider how your employees feel when you slack off? And by the way, this is a no-parking zone. Go pay your fine.”

“...”

After a few seconds of silence, the man asked,

“You really don’t recognize me?”

“Of course I do. You’re Big Brother Lu.”

“...”

“My name is Lu Hengze. You’re the first person who’s ever dared talk to me like that.”

Zhong Xu sneered.

“Scared now? Then scram.”

Lu Hengze nearly cracked his stoic mask trying to maintain his cold, aloof image.

Seeing that Zhong Xu was about to walk away, he quickly said,

“Since you’re in a bad mood, I’ll let this slide. Get in—I’ll take you somewhere.”

Zhong Xu raised an eyebrow.

“Where?”

“Wherever’ll cheer you up.”

“Somewhere I can spend someone else’s money.”

Lu Hengze nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

Zhong Xu glanced at him, thoughtful. These two big shots seemed hell-bent on getting close to her.

Could it be… they had their own romance missions too?

She’d been about to refuse, but stopped mid-step.

If she couldn’t hide or escape, she might as well see what he was planning.

And so began her experience of spending with reckless abandon. After all, it wasn’t her money—hell, it wasn’t even real money.

“This, this, and this. I’ll take it all.”

Wherever Zhong Xu went, she dropped cash like it was nothing.

Lu Hengze, loaded and laid-back, followed behind her, swiping his card—never even flinching.

"Big Brother Lu, you're really generous. I hope you're just as generous with your employees."

"You're quite thoughtful on behalf of others."

Because all wage slaves share a common struggle.

"Looks like you’re about to hit the top of the trending topics tonight," Lu Hengze remarked, glancing at the paparazzi in the distance holding a camera.

"This is my first ever scandal."

"The hot search isn’t even out yet. How do you know it’s a scandal?"

"A man and a woman out together—what else would it be?"

Zhong Xu:

"‘Lu Hengze Shows Filial Piety—Buys Bags, Cars, and Houses for His Mom.’"

"‘Shocking! Mysterious Beauty Turns Out to Be Lu Hengze’s Secret Backer!’"

Lu Hengze: "..."

[Game Notification: Date with Lu Hengze Completed]

[Game Notification: Lu Hengze's Affection Level: 30%]

Zhong Xu guessed—maybe her beautiful words had struck a nerve?

No wonder his affection level hadn’t changed at all from the moment they met to the end of the date.

"My dear big... brother, I had a blast spending your money today, so I’ll be heading out now."

As night fell, Zhong Xu, refreshed from her experience with the rich life, made her way home.

Lu Hengze raised an eyebrow.

"You forgot to take your stuff."

"Keep it. You trailed behind me swiping your card the whole time—your hand must be sore. Thanks for your service."

"Things I, Lu Hengze, give away never get taken back," he said.

"I’ll drive you home—and take the stuff with us."

Zhong Xu’s internal alarm blared. Was this guy some kind of creep or stalker? There was no way she’d let a stranger follow her home.

"How about this—we compromise," she said.

"You give me your luxury car, and I’ll drive myself home."

"..."

A brilliant compromise.

And to Zhong Xu’s complete shock, Lu Hengze stared at her for a while—then actually agreed.

As the saying goes: never accept things from strangers.

Driving down the quiet night streets, Zhong Xu pondered where to ditch the car.

Even if she really did drive it away, the point was to shake off Lu Hengze. There was no way she could park it outside her building—he’d just trace the GPS and show up at her door.

Just then, Zhong Xu’s phone rang.

“It’s me, Lu Hengze.”

Her brow twitched. A bad feeling crept up on her.

“Why are you calling? Don’t you know it’s dangerous to take calls while driving?”

But Lu Hengze ignored her concern and continued,

“How about we get married? I really like you. I want your heart.”

Zhong Xu was speechless.

If his affection level hadn’t still been stuck firmly at 30%, she might’ve actually believed his nonsense.

“Right now, I just want to focus on studying. I’m not interested in marriage.”

“So you’re rejecting me?” His voice darkened.

“Xiao Lian, people who reject me never end well. But I like you, so I’ll take good care of you… for the rest of your life.”

“Why does that sound like a threat?”

The unease in her chest grew stronger by the second. Zhong Xu steered the car toward the side of the road, intending to pull over.

She hit the brake—

Thump! Thump! Thump! Her heart pounded wildly.

The car kept speeding forward.

The brakes weren’t responding.

So the saying was true.

When rage reaches its peak, all that’s left is laughter.

“Lu Hengze, if this is your way of threatening me, you’ve badly miscalculated. What I fear the least… is death.”

The night deepened. The streets emptied. Zhong Xu raced through the city in the luxury car.

The wind howled past her ears, sharp and cold.

“That’s good,” Lu Hengze said, almost as if smiling.

“In that case, we don’t have to get married.”

Zhong Xu was still trying to figure out what he meant when—

A blinding light flared ahead. She swerved.

An oncoming car rammed straight into her—

Boom!

The airbag deployed. Her head throbbed, heavy and dazed.

In the haze, she felt hands lifting her, dragging her to the roadside. Through blurred vision, she saw Lu Hengze walking toward her.

“Don’t let her die. We need her alive.”

If Zhong Xu had any strength left, she would’ve cursed out this game’s developers.

What kind of unhinged person writes a love interest who threatens the heroine into marriage?

“Xiao Lian, when I said I liked you in the car… that was a lie,” Lu Hengze said.

“But now I truly like you… I like your fearlessness.”

He gave a soft laugh.

“That way, even if your heart is carved out, you won’t feel fear. That way… the power won’t be tainted.”

…What the hell was he saying?

Zhong Xu’s brain suddenly snapped into clarity, as if she’d been jolted awake at the edge of death. Her vision sharpened.

She saw Lu Hengze walk to the car’s trunk.

He pulled out a luxury-brand case, set it on the ground, and opened it.

Inside—neatly arranged—were knives, axes, and other tools.

“Xiao Lian, I want your heart.”

What the hell?!

You meant a literal heart?!

[Game Notification: Lu Hengze’s Affection Level: 70%]

1. 回光返照 (huíguāng fǎnzhào) – Literally "last glow before sunset," metaphorically describing a dying person’s sudden lucidity before death.

2. 作案工具 (zuò’àn gōngjù) – Tools for committing crimes, often used in legal/forensic contexts, here darkly humorous for murder implements.

3. 真·心 (zhēn·xīn) – Internet slang (with middle dot) emphasizing the literal meaning of "heart" (not emotional), mocking romantic tropes.

4. 亲密度 (qīnmìdù) – Affection level, a common game mechanic tracking romantic progress

5. 靠 (kào) – A mild expletive like "damn”

Sevyn here ~~~

The arc  Sweetheart Simulation is really short, 5 chapters, so things are going really fast. It's more of an intro to the type of novel this is. 

Anyways, Enjoy!