Li Cheng woke up to the sound of someone whispering urgently above his face.
"Li Cheng… wake up… wake up before she comes…"
He opened one eye.
Lin Jue was kneeling beside his futon, looking like a man trying to disarm a bomb with his teeth.
Li Cheng croaked, "What did you do?"
Lin Jue shook him harder.
"It's not what I did! It's what's coming!"
Li Cheng blinked groggily, then sat up—
—and immediately froze.
Standing directly behind Lin Jue…
…was Auntie Mei.
With a ladle.
A metal ladle.
She tapped it against her palm.
"Good morning, boys."
Lin Jue sprang up, saluting. "Ma'am! I wasn't doing anything!"
"You were breathing too loudly."
Li Cheng choked on nothing.
Auntie Mei "didn't smile."
"Cheng'er. Today is the day. Get up."
Li Cheng rose with the same dignity as a defeated shrimp.
His big launch event—
The biggest day of his life—
The day that would decide his company's future—
And the day he would walk in with four women and a traumatized CEO rival—
had finally arrived.
Before he could even stretch, a familiar mechanical chime echoed in his mind.
---
[Ding! Daily Sign-In Successful!]
[Sign-In Reward: "Heaven-Defying Sovereign Presence Aura (Temporary) — 8 hours]
Effect: "Causes all hostile actors to lose confidence, miscalculate, and accidentally embarrass themselves."
Side effect: "May attract unwanted admiration."
Li Cheng stared at nothing.
"…Huh."
He blinked again.
"…Wait… this is perfect."
Then:
"…OR VERY BAD."
The system spoke again.
[Host may toggle aura on or off. Default: ON.]
Li Cheng immediately slapped the OFF option.
"No. Absolutely not. I refuse to glow with an irresistible CEO aura today. Someone will faint."
The system beeped stubbornly.
[Host will still emanate 10% of the aura passively. Congratulations!]
"THAT IS NOT A CONGRATULATIONS!"
Auntie Mei glanced at him.
"Cheng'er, are you talking to yourself again?"
"NO."
(Yes.)
---
The Morning Explosion
The rest of the "household" woke up one by one.
Chen Yuxi
Had a laptop in her lap before her eyes fully opened.
"Li Cheng, I updated your press speech. Also, Channel 8 wants a backstage interview. And… you need hair gel."
"Why?" Li Cheng asked nervously.
"Because you're representing a rising tech company, not a depressed university student."
He sighed.
"Okay, fair."
---
Mengyu
Tiptoed out of the hallway like a cartoon thief.
"G-Good morning…"
She glanced at him—
"Turned bright red—"
And immediately hid behind the door frame.
"…Mengyu?" Li Cheng asked.
"You… w-were sleeping… right outside my room…"
"That was YOUR fault!"
She squeaked and retreated like a scared rabbit.
---
Feng Shuxian
Opened her eyes gracefully, as if waking from a thousand-year meditation.
Lin Jue shivered.
Shuxian looked at Li Cheng.
"Today, I will observe your performance with utmost scrutiny."
Li Cheng groaned.
"Can you observe from a distance?"
"No."
Her tone was absolute.
---
Lin Jue
Put on his suit backward.
Twice.
---
Auntie Mei
Cooked breakfast.
Balanced three pans.
Tamed a boiling pot.
Scolded Lin Jue.
Fixed Mengyu's collar.
Straightened Chen Yuxi's posture.
And handed Shuxian a toothpick.
All at the same time.
Li Cheng stood in awe.
"Are you secretly a cultivator?"
Auntie Mei flicked his forehead.
"I cultivated patience raising you."
Fair.
---
The Red Carpet Begins
By 10:30 AM, the car arrived.
Not one.
Not two.
But four luxury black sedans were arranged in a diamond formation.
Li Cheng stared, horrified.
"This looks like a presidential escort!"
Chen Yuxi adjusted her blazer.
"It is your launch event."
"My company is SMALL!"
Shuxian sipped her morning tea elegantly.
"That is not the impression we are giving."
Lin Jue stared in awe.
"…I want this treatment."
Mengyu tugged Li Cheng's sleeve.
"I don't like attention… but I'll walk with you… s-since I have to…"
Auntie Mei grabbed Li Cheng by the ear.
"No more whining. Get in."
---
Entrance Explosion
The moment Li Cheng stepped out onto the red carpet—
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
Cameras blitzed him like machine-gun fire.
Reporters surged forward.
"Is that Li Cheng?!"
"Why are there so many women with him?!"
"Who's the mysterious beauty in white?!"
"Is that his assistant?!"
"No—his manager!"
"One of them is a university girl!"
"WHO IS THE LADY WITH THE IRON AURA?!"
Auntie Mei nodded approvingly.
"They are observant."
Lin Jue whispered, "Is this how it feels to be hated? …I don't like it."
Li Cheng whispered back, "Welcome to my suffering."
---
Aura Accident (10%)
A journalist approached them.
But the moment he made eye contact with Li Cheng—
He tripped.
Over nothing.
His camera flew five feet into the air.
Another reporter tried to catch it.
She missed and hit herself in the face.
Li Cheng froze.
"…No way."
The system chirped.
[Aura is functioning as intended!]
"TURN IT DOWN!!"
[Cannot turn down.]
Chen Yuxi exhaled.
"Li Cheng, please stop standing there like a cursed statue. Smile for the cameras."
He forced a smile.
The reporter closest to him suddenly blushed.
Then fainted.
Shuxian looked mildly amused.
"Aura: effective."
Mengyu looked terrified.
"W-What if the whole school becomes like this?!"
Auntie Mei shrugged.
"A little fear is healthy."
---
Face-Slap #1 — The Playboy Appears
Just when the entrance chaos started to calm, a loud voice boomed:
"Well, well, well. Isn't this the legendary Li Cheng?"
A tall, handsome guy stepped forward, sunglasses on even though it wasn't sunny.
Gong Weiwei.
Famous for:
– Being rich
– Being arrogant
– Being useless
– And flirting with every girl who breathed
He smirked at Li Cheng.
"I heard you're the star today. But bringing a group of women to your own event? How desperate."
Chen Yuxi's eyebrow twitched.
Mengyu hid behind Li Cheng.
Shuxian "radiated icy disdain."
Auntie Mei contemplated the quickest way to remove this boy from existence.
Li Cheng sighed.
"Gong Weiwei. Please go annoy someone else today."
Weiwei laughed loudly.
"I'll leave—after I invite your assistant for a drink."
He looked straight at Chen Yuxi.
"You. What's your name, sweetheart?"
Chen Yuxi closed her laptop.
Slowly.
Lin Jue whispered, "He's dead."
Li Cheng stepped forward.
"Gong Weiwei. You're blocking the photographers."
Weiwei smirked.
"Photographers? They're here for ME."
Li Cheng pointed behind him.
The entire group of reporters had their cameras aimed at Li Cheng…
…and not a single one even noticed Gong Weiwei existed.
They didn't even glance.
Some walked around him as if he were a trash can.
Weiwei froze.
"…Wait… what…?"
Li Cheng gently patted his shoulder.
"My friend… congratulations."
Weiwei blinked.
"For what…?"
"Today," Li Cheng said with a calm, pitying smile,
"You have achieved… complete invisibility."
Weiwei's ego shattered into powder.
He screamed.
"NOOOOOO—!!"
Lin Jue whispered,
"I've never seen psychological murder before. Beautiful."
---
Inside the Venue — Calm Before the Real Storm
The event hall was massive and packed.
Investors.
Reporters.
Industry big names.
Students from the school.
Even teachers.
As Li Cheng entered, whispers followed like wildfire.
"Is that him?"
"He's so young!"
"Who are the women?!"
"That's his COO—no, that's his assistant—wait, is that one his teacher?"
"WHY IS THE GIRL FROM CLASS 2-B HERE?!"
Li Cheng resisted the urge to run.
---
Backstage Rehearsal (Again)
Chen Yuxi immediately pushed him onto a chair.
"Hair gel."
"No."
"Yes."
"No!"
Auntie Mei held him down.
"Yes."
Gel.
Instant.
Transformation.
He looked…
Dangerously handsome.
Even Mengyu covered her eyes.
Shuxian nodded.
"This is acceptable."
Lin Jue muttered, "I hate this man…"
---
The Key Moment Arrives
Minutes before he was to step onto the stage—
The system chimed again.
[Host, your aura will increase to 20% when speech begins.]
"WHY?!"
[Because it will look cool.]
"That is not a reason!"
[It is for dramatic effect.]
"I HATE THIS SYSTEM."
The lights dimmed.
The announcer's voice echoed:
"Now welcoming—
The founder and CEO of NovaTech Innovations—
Li Cheng!"
The audience roared.
Li Cheng stepped onto the stage.
Spotlight on him.
Flashlights everywhere.
Chen Yuxi whispered from backstage, "Don't faint."
Mengyu: "You can do it!"
Shuxian: "Impress me."
Auntie Mei: "Make me proud."
Lin Jue: "If you embarrass yourself, pretend we're not friends."
Li Cheng took a deep breath—
And the aura flicked on.
---
And Then… as the house lights dimmed and anticipation rose, an unexpected interruption changed everything.
Someone in the front row suddenly stood up.
A woman.
Tall.
Elegant.
Dressed in a pure-white formal gown.
The crowd gasped.
Reporters raised their cameras.
Chen Yuxi "stiffened."
Mengyu's "mouth fell open."
Shuxian "narrowed her eyes."
Auntie Mei froze.
Lin Jue whispered, "Oh no… more problems…"
The woman smiled at him warmly.
"President Li," she said softly, her voice carrying through the hall.
"We finally meet."
Li Cheng blinked.
"…Sorry, but… who…?"
She bowed gracefully.
"My name is Yue Yiran. I'm the heiress of Aurora Global."
The entire hall erupted.
Aurora Global—
One of the top ten corporations in the country.
Yue Yiran looked directly into Li Cheng's eyes.
"I have something extremely important to discuss with you."
The crowd held its breath.
Li Cheng swallowed.
"…What is it?"
She smiled.
Badly.
Dangerously.
Mysteriously.
"Your future."
---
And that was how—
Before Li Cheng even started his speech—
A new woman walked into his life…
in front of thousands of people…
with four other women watching…
And one system is dying of excitement.