Ever since Xiao Ji first met Song Liang at a private gathering when he was nineteen, the man had been pestering him.
At first, he hadn’t paid him any attention. Plenty of people pursued him; he didn’t need to spare them a glance. Least of all Song Liang, the illegitimate son of an ordinary wealthy family, someone the others treated as entertainment at private gatherings.
Then Song Liang sneaked into his hotel to steal his personal belongings, even attempted to crawl through the Xiao family’s dog entrance, and shamelessly spread claims about their relationship.
Indifference turned to disgust.
Later, he infiltrated Xiao Ji’s yacht birthday banquet and jumped into the sea in front of everyone, ruining his marriage alliance and indirectly causing him to lose the Emperor’s Tear.
Xiao Ji had hoped he was dead. Otherwise, he would kill him sooner or later.
Yet he had never imagined that he would find himself sitting opposite Song Liang in a private dining room, unable to kill him and forced to listen to him enthusiastically discuss their engagement plans.
“First, you need to buy me a Land Rover.”
That was how Song Liang opened the conversation.
Xiao Ji: “…”
He drew a deep breath and replied calmly, “The Song family has some standing in Linhai, but it doesn’t compare with the Qiao family. The Xiao family may not approve of the marriage alliance, so we can only get engaged first.”
“Fine.”
Song Liang hadn’t expected an immediate wedding anyway. He had demanded marriage merely to make Xiao Ji more willing to accept an engagement afterward.
Xiao Ji wasn’t surprised by his agreement.
Frankly, the Song family had some value, but Song Liang, an illegitimate son with no inheritance rights, had none.
His only asset was the Emperor’s Tear.
Once he handed it over, his usefulness would end. Xiao Ji could find ten thousand reasons to cancel the engagement, and Song Liang would have no choice but to comply.
“I’ll arrange a time for you to meet the Xiao family. We’ll hold the engagement banquet as soon as possible.”
“Like the yacht banquet at Yalong Bay?”
“That was prepared specifically for the Qiao heiress.”
“A young master of the Song family isn’t worthy of the same?”
“…”
Xiao Ji looked scornful.
“What do you think?”
“I think I’m perfectly worthy. Especially with the Emperor’s Tear in my hands.”
“…”
With no other recourse, Xiao Ji said coldly, “The yacht belongs to my uncle. If he agrees to meet you, consider yourself extremely fortunate. Don’t even think about anything else.”
“Then let’s act first and tell him afterward.”
Before Xiao Ji could respond, Song Liang continued leisurely, “The Xiao Group’s annual gala the night after tomorrow would be a good opportunity.”
Xiao Ji’s expression changed.
“No!”
The refusal came out almost instinctively.
The gala would be attended not only by people from the group’s headquarters and subsidiaries, but also by the Xiao family.
If he brought Song Liang, everyone would know about their relationship. He would be publicly bound to him, making it difficult to cancel the engagement even after retrieving the Emperor’s Tear.
Most importantly, presenting it as a done deal meant keeping his uncle in the dark.
He didn’t dare imagine how his uncle would react.
“Then when do you intend to introduce me to the Xiao family and Linhai’s upper social circles?”
Song Liang regarded him with an amused smile and said slowly, “Young Master Xiao, we’re talking about something worth billions, with your career at stake. Do you take me for a fool?”
Xiao Ji’s face darkened.
He certainly hadn’t taken the man seriously. From beginning to end, he had never intended to marry him.
The engagement was merely an excuse to buy time, let alone something he wanted to announce publicly.
“Yes, I’m an illegitimate son. But the Song family isn’t an ordinary family, and I should still get the occasion I’m entitled to. As for your uncle, do you really think he’ll agree if you simply bring me to meet him?”
“…”
Of course he wouldn’t.
Xiao Ji didn’t need to think about it. But it wasn’t because of the Song family’s status. A brief investigation would tell his uncle that he didn’t like Song Liang at all.
He didn’t want his uncle worrying about the Emperor’s Tear again.
Besides, he refused to believe he couldn’t control a vain idiot like Song Liang.
“Fine,” he said coldly. “But even after we go public, I won’t give the Song family any benefits, and I won’t allow them to use the Xiao name.”
Song Liang nodded.
“Fine.”
【Didn’t you say you’d lift the entire Song family into prosperity?】
Song Liang: 【Pretty words to fool the old man. You actually believed them?】
【…】
Xiao Ji had clearly come prepared. After a brief exchange, he took a document from his assistant and placed it in front of Song Liang.
“These are the terms I had drawn up. They cover the rules we’ll both follow for the duration of the engagement.”
Song Liang weighed the document in his hand. It was twenty or thirty pages thick.
The man really was afraid of being taken advantage of.
He flipped through a few pages, then tossed it aside.
“Those are up to you. I have only one condition: I’m moving into your home.”
That struck another nerve.
Xiao Ji already despised him. Going public with their relationship made him sick enough. Living together might actually make him throw up.
But he knew it was perfectly normal for an engaged couple to live together. With no grounds to refuse, he could only agree with a dark expression.
Song Liang nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s more like it. If we’re engaged but don’t live together, people will question our feelings.”
Xiao Ji sneered.
“Do we have feelings for each other?”
Song Liang gave him a reproachful look.
“I pursued you for all those years. Of course there are feelings.”
“Oh, really? Didn’t you say it was for my money?”
He still remembered what Song Liang had said in front of everyone on the yacht.
“Loving your money and loving you aren’t mutually exclusive.”
Song Liang shrugged.
“The Xiao family isn’t the only wealthy family in Linhai, and you’re not the only man in the Xiao family. I could choose someone else.”
Xiao Ji scoffed.
“You?”
Song Liang nodded.
“Me.”
Xiao Ji gave a cold laugh and abandoned the pointless subject, glancing at the document on the table.
He had spent time compiling those terms specifically to prevent Song Liang from profiting from their relationship. They included not only restrictions, but corresponding benefits as well.
Yet the man had barely looked before setting it aside, as though he didn’t care what he stood to gain.
A convincing act.
Xiao Ji sneered inwardly, then said, “You may move into my residence, but you’re not to do anything unnecessary. Otherwise, I’ll end the engagement early, and it won’t count as a breach of our agreement.”
“Define ‘unnecessary,’” Song Liang said.
Given his assigned simp persona—and the system’s habits—it might well issue tasks requiring him to maintain that characterization. He needed clarification first.
Sure enough, 3085 remarked meaningfully.
【You’re rather clever.】
Song Liang: 【How so?】
【Once the engagement plot is completed, the main storyline officially begins. To preserve the original owner’s characterization and follow this world’s internal logic, the system will periodically issue time-limited tasks. If you fail to complete them, there really will be penalties.】
Song Liang wasn’t surprised.
From the system’s repeated emphasis on staying in character at the beginning to its desperate attempts to stop him from kicking Xiao Ji at Songlan Mansion, he had anticipated this development.
Characterization was vague, after all. With a plausible explanation, almost any action could fit.
The system therefore had to have its own evaluation criteria, such as performing certain specified actions or achieving particular results.
Xiao Ji glanced at the document Song Liang had tossed aside.
“It’s all written in there. Read it yourself.”
“Oh.”
Then Song Liang remembered something and looked up.
“A proud man like you wouldn’t want anyone besides the two of us to know I forced you into this engagement, would you?”
Xiao Ji: “…”
“No.”
He practically ground the word out through his teeth.
He wasn’t willing to sacrifice that much dignity.
A young master of the Xiao family, its future heir, forced into marriage by an idiot—and a man at that.
He would rather people laugh at his terrible taste than his incompetence.
Song Liang smiled.
“Good.”
3085 was puzzled.
【Why are you so determined to live in his home?】
Song Liang: 【That way, even if Xiao Yi learns the truth and wants me assassinated, it won’t be so easy for him to act directly.】
3085 sounded surprised.
【I didn’t realize you were that afraid of the main villain.】
Song Liang: 【It’s not fear. It’s respect for an opponent.】
【Until I’m strong enough to stand against him, I choose to avoid a direct confrontation.】
【Isn’t that still fear?】
Song Liang: 【You’re talking too much.】
3085 rolled its eyes.
Once the discussion ended, Xiao Ji left immediately with his assistant, leaving behind a table of fine food and wine—and a solitary Song Liang.
“Now this is the life I deserve.”
Listening to the violinist’s lovely music, Song Liang held his glass of red wine and admired the view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
【…】
The restaurant he had chosen was among Linhai’s finest, with a six-figure bill per person, well beyond what an ordinary customer could afford.
Its private rooms were reserved for VIPs, offering excellent privacy and sweeping views of the city’s central business district at night—particularly the Xiao Group tower.
Song Liang took out his phone, photographed the view, and posted it on Moments.
People soon guessed his location from the angle of the photo, prompting a flurry of excited questions.
Others were still fixated on the rumor that he had jumped into the sea for love and kept asking whether he was actually dead.
Song Liang selected a comment asking whether he had struck it rich and replied:
“Landed a rich patron.”
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