Xiao Mei returned home, humming happily, her $10 Billion reward safely credited to her system account. She found Liang sitting in the living room, surrounded by maids who were clearly trying to stay invisible. His face was thunderous.
"So, you've returned, Mrs. Liang," he said, his voice dangerously low.
"Oh, Hubby! Did you miss me already?" she cooed, leaning in.
Liang didn't flinch. Instead, he held up her small, battered laptop—her programmer's lifeblood. "I found your backup drive. I see you've been working on a new coding project. Let me guess, Project Cupid 5000? If you ever embarrass me in front of my employees again, I will personally delete every single line of code you have ever written. Do you understand?"
Xiao Mei's face turned white. That old backup contained years of original programming work. "You wouldn't dare! That's intellectual property!"
"Try me," Liang challenged, his finger hovering menacingly over the 'Delete' button.
[Cupid 5000: Warning! Host's core assets are under threat. Immediate resolution required. New Quest Alert.]
[New Quest: Ideal Wife Protocol. Goal: Raise Love Rating to 70%. Task: Publicly attend a high-stakes business dinner and feed the subject with your own hands. Reward: Subject will never touch your intellectual property. Penalty: 10 days of rigorous house cleaning on subject's orders.]
Xiao Mei quickly switched tactics. "Oh, Hubby! Don't be silly! I was just showing my love! Speaking of love, I heard you have a big dinner tonight with the Vice President of the Chen Group? I must come! An ideal wife always supports her husband's business interests."
Liang scoffed. "You? At a formal business dinner? No. Your 'support' is a liability."
"But Darling, I promise I'll be quiet and respectable! I'll even wear that awful beige dress you seem to like!" she pleaded. The thought of losing her code was far more terrifying than any public humiliation.
Liang narrowed his eyes. He saw the genuine panic. Perhaps having her nearby would keep her quiet at home. "Fine. But one word out of line, one flirtatious look, and you're cleaning the entire house for a month."
"Understood, Hubby!"
That evening, Xiao Mei showed up in the beige dress, looking like a demure, obedient wife. The private dining room was opulent, and the guests—the Vice President of Chen Group, Mr. Wu, and his wife—were severely formal.
Liang introduced Xiao Mei with forced calmness. "This is my wife, Xiao Mei. She... rarely leaves the house."
Xiao Mei gave the Wu couple a polite, but somewhat robotic smile. "It is an honor to meet you. I hope my presence does not disrupt your business negotiations. My goal is to maximize the efficiency of the dining experience."
Mr. Wu, amused by her seriousness, chuckled. "Mrs. Liang is certainly focused. A rare quality these days."
The dinner began. Xiao Mei ate silently for five minutes, calculating the optimal moment to strike.
[Cupid 5000: Protocol Step 1: Execute 'Feeding Gesture'. Timing is critical. Initiate now.]
Xiao Mei cleared her throat. "Hubby, you've been working so hard today. You need nourishment."
Liang's eyes widened, recognizing the danger in her voice. "Xiao Mei, I can feed myself."
She ignored him. Taking the serving spoon, she attempted to meticulously cut a piece of steak on her plate. But her movements were jerky; the knife slipped, and the steak flipped right off the plate, landing perfectly in Mr. Wu's lap.
A moment of horror. Mr. Wu froze, a spot of red wine sauce blooming on his expensive trousers.
"My deepest apologies! System error! Input malfunction!" Xiao Mei cried out.
Liang slammed his hand onto the table. "Xiao Mei!"
She recovered instantly. "Oh, my dear Mr. Wu, it seems my husband needs my full attention! I apologize for the interruption. Hubby, open up!"
She quickly scooped up a piece of the perfectly cooked salmon from her own plate and, leaning across the table, thrust the fork towards Liang's mouth. The gesture was meant to be tender, but her programmer's lack of social grace made it look like a clumsy attack.
Liang clamped his mouth shut, his face a mask of cold fury. "I said I can feed myself!"
"Nonsense, Darling! The System—I mean, I want you to try this! It's for your health!" she insisted, tapping the fork impatiently against his lips.
Mr. Wu and his wife watched the bizarre domestic struggle unfold with wide eyes.
Liang, realizing that resisting in front of a major client would be a far greater embarrassment than submission, slowly opened his mouth. Xiao Mei shoved the fork in. He chewed slowly, his gaze burning holes into her.
[Cupid 5000: Protocol Step 2: Reinforce the gesture. Perform 'Wipe Lip' action.]
As Liang chewed, Xiao Mei reached out, not with a napkin, but with her thumb, and wiped a non-existent piece of sauce from the corner of his mouth. Her touch was possessive and incredibly awkward.
Liang looked absolutely murderous.
However, the Love Rating above his head finally flashed.
[Love Rating: 70%]
The jump was slow, earned entirely by his humiliation.
Xiao Mei pulled her hand back, triumphant. "There! You ate like a good husband! Mr. Wu, I hope our evening was productive!"
Liang stood up abruptly. "We're leaving." He grabbed Xiao Mei's arm and dragged her out of the restaurant without another word.
[Cupid 5000: Quest Complete. Love Rating at 70%. Subject is currently in a state of 'Extreme Aggression'. Recommend running.]