Xiao Mei awoke feeling refreshed and energized, a stark contrast to the pitiful figure sleeping (or rather, not sleeping) beside her. She stretched luxuriously, noting the dark circles under Liang's eyes.
"Good morning, Hubby! Did you sleep well?" she asked brightly, giving him a huge, innocent smile.
Liang sat bolt upright, his eyes blazing red from lack of sleep. "Sleep? You call that sleep?! I spent the night defending myself from your wandering, murderous hands! You were dreaming about something, and I was the unfortunate victim! You owe me five hundred cups of coffee, Xiao Mei!"
Xiao Mei laughed awkwardly. "Oh, dear. My apologies, my love. It seems I am highly affectionate in my sleep."
[Cupid 5000: Warning! Conflict detected. Host must stabilize the subject's emotional state before proceeding.]
"You will not touch me tonight, do you understand?" Liang hissed, throwing the covers aside and storming toward the bathroom.
"Oh, but Hubby, we achieved Fifty Percent last night!" Xiao Mei chirped, ignoring his anger and looking at the system.
[Cupid 5000: Correct. Love Rating stabilized at 50%. New Quest Unlocked: Initiate Public Flirting Protocol. Goal: Raise Love Rating to 60%. Reward: $10 Billion. Penalty: Kitchen access for one year.]
Xiao Mei gasped, reading the penalty. "Kitchen access for one year?! That's a fate worse than divorce! I have to complete this!"
The task itself was simple, but terrifying: "Approach Liang at his workplace and publicly perform a gesture of extreme affection in front of his staff."
"Publicly? In front of his cold, judgmental employees? This is a social execution, Cupid."
[Cupid 5000: Execution is required for reward. Suggestion: Utilize the 'Forgotten Lunch' scenario. Delivery time: 10:00 AM.]
Xiao Mei quickly dressed in a stunning, bright red dress—the kind of outfit that demanded attention and screamed 'I am married to the CEO.' She grabbed a fashionable, yet completely empty, lunch box.
At 10:00 AM sharp, Xiao Mei strolled confidently into the ultra-modern lobby of the Liang Group Headquarters. The receptionist looked terrified.
"I am Mrs. Liang. I forgot my husband's lunch," Xiao Mei announced, handing over the empty, designer lunch box.
The receptionist, clearly intimidated by Xiao Mei's bold attire, rushed to call up to the 50th floor.
When she stepped out of the elevator on the executive floor, the silence was deafening. The secretaries and department heads froze. They had all heard rumors of the 'crazy wife' who had suddenly appeared, but now they saw her in the flesh.
Liang's chief secretary, a stern, impeccably dressed woman named Ms. Chen, approached Xiao Mei.
"Madam Xiao Mei, Mr. Liang is in a very important meeting. You cannot interrupt him," Ms. Chen stated, her voice tight with disapproval.
"Nonsense, I am his wife! My husband needs his nutrition!" Xiao Mei declared loudly. She ignored Ms. Chen and marched straight toward Liang's glass-walled office, where a high-level meeting was clearly in progress.
She burst through the door. The dozen executives around the mahogany table stared at her. Liang, who had been discussing a multi-million dollar merger, looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"Xiao Mei! Get out!" Liang hissed through gritted teeth.
"Oh, Hubby! I'm so sorry, I forgot your lunch!" Xiao Mei chirped, placing the empty box dramatically on his desk.
[Cupid 5000: Protocol Step 1: Execute extreme affectionate gesture.]
Xiao Mei knew she had to go big. She strode around the desk, grabbed Liang's face in both hands, and delivered a loud, smacking kiss right on his cheek—a kiss so loud it echoed in the silent room.
"My darling, eat well! I'll see you at home!" she announced, winking at the stunned executives.
Liang's face was utterly red—partly from the lipstick smudge on his cheek, and partly from sheer humiliation.
"Xiao Mei, I will kill you!" he whispered fiercely, standing up.
But before he could chase her, the Love Rating above his head flashed violently.
[Love Rating: 60%]
The entire office seemed to hold its breath, waiting for the CEO's reaction.
Xiao Mei gave the executives a final, triumphant wave and breezed out of the office, past a shell-shocked Ms. Chen.
She rushed back to the elevator, suppressing a triumphant laugh. "Cupid 5000! Success! 60%!"
[Cupid 5000: Quest Complete. Reward: $10 Billion credited. Warning: Subject's emotional state is currently 'Homicidal Fury'. Recommend maintaining a distance of 50 meters for the next 24 hours.]
Xiao Mei smiled happily. She had saved herself from one year without a kitchen and just earned $10 Billion.