I woke up to chaos.
Not the fireball-exploding, beast-roaring kind of chaos I was starting to get used to in this world, but the quieter, more insidious kind. Like real human chaos.
Voices drifted through the courtyard like sharp little daggers wrapped in silk.
"Did you hear? Senior Brother Yan carried him!"
"Carried him? You mean like—bridal style?"
"They said their hands were still clasped even after fainting! So romantic!"
I blinked at the ceiling, frozen.
For a long second, I seriously debated pretending to be unconscious again. Maybe forever.
The moment I tried to sit up, pain flared through my ribs and someone immediately pressed me back down.
"Don't move," came that calm, steady voice I was now way too aware of.
Yan Yezhen sat beside the bed, posture straight as always, bandages on his arms faintly glowing with healing energy. His robes were still slightly torn from the forest trial, but somehow he managed to look like a snow lotus that had decided dirt was beneath it.
I croaked, "...Did you just tell me not to move, or are you trying to hide the fact that the entire sect now thinks we're engaged?"
A pause.
Then, without looking at me, he said, "They exaggerate."
"Oh, yes. Because 'holding hands while bleeding together' is definitely a normal way to bond between cultivators."
For a brief moment, I swear the corner of his mouth twitched.
Then the system chimed in.
[System Notification: Sect-wide gossip spreading rapidly. Rumor Index: 87%.]
[System Suggestion: Exploit social visibility to maximize affection growth. Recommend: "Fluster the protagonist in public."]
"Excuse me?!" I hissed internally. "He's right here!"
[Flustering is a proven bonding strategy.]
"You're not a dating app!"
Yan Yezhen gave me a strange look. "...Who are you talking to?"
Crap.
"Uh, myself," I said quickly. "I tend to… You know argue with my inner demons."
He nodded slowly, as if that explained everything.
And honestly, it kind of did.
Later that morning, I hobbled out of the infirmary, determined to find food that wasn't herbal porridge. Every step reminded me of how much I had bled in the forest and how close I had been to dying. Again.
Yan followed at a measured pace, arms folded behind his back. I tried to shake him off, but apparently the hero's sense of responsibility was glued tighter than my sanity.
"You should rest," he said.
"I should eat," I replied. "Resting doesn't work when you're starving."
We reached the dining hall just as a group of outer sect disciples spotted us.
Their reaction was... dramatic.
A few gasped. One dropped his spoon. Another whispered so loudly that it defeated the purpose of whispering.
"Look! They're together again!"
"Senior Yan's protecting him!"
"Oh no... the cold beauty and the troublemaker. It's real!"
I froze mid-step, every hair on my neck standing.
Yan's brows furrowed. "What are they—"
Before he could finish, I leaned toward him, lowering my voice. "Don't react. They feed on weakness."
He looked at me blankly. "Who does?"
"The gossipers. Once they smell emotional blood, they never stop."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. "You're... very strange."
"Thank you," I said, as if that were a compliment. "Now sit, and let's act normal."
We sat.
Which was, in hindsight, the least normal thing we could've done, because the entire hall went dead silent.
Hundreds of disciples stared as if they'd just seen the Sect Master personally elope with a mortal.
I wanted to die again.
Yan, however, remained completely composed, elegantly pouring tea like he hadn't just become the subject of a thousand scandalous imaginations.
I leaned closer. "You're not helping."
"You told me to act normal."
"Not that normal!"
[Affection +5 | Current Total: 85]
[System Comment: Shared public tension detected. Emotional proximity increasing.]
I choked on my rice. "System, for the love of all that's holy, stop narrating my humiliation!"
[Feedback ignored.]
Yan glanced at me again, frowning. "You're pale."
"Yeah, I just... remembered I left the stove on."
"In the infirmary?"
"Metaphorically."
He looked unconvinced.
-
By noon, the rumor wildfire had spread to the next mountain.
Everywhere I went, disciples pretended to train while clearly watching us. One bold junior sister even approached me with sparkly eyes.
"Senior Brother Lin," she whispered conspiratorially. "Is it true you risked your life for Senior Yan in the forest?"
"Um, define 'risked.'"
"Everyone says you threw yourself in front of a demonic beast!"
I blinked. "That part's technically true, but it was more like... I tripped aggressively."
She sighed dreamily. "So heroic."
I didn't know whether to correct her or just accept my new fake reputation.
Yan, who'd been standing nearby, spoke quietly. "You should rest your voice."
The junior sister squeaked, blushed to her ears, and fled.
I turned to him, exasperated. "You see what's happening? You're corrupting the youth!"
He gave me a long look. "You talk too much."
"Someone has to fill the silence! You'd let entire cities fall before saying a word."
He didn't deny it.
That evening, as the sun dipped behind the peaks, we were called to the Sect Master's hall.
I immediately panicked. "Wait, are we in trouble? Is this about the forest? The rumors? The hand-holding? because, listen, that was a medical necessity!"
Yan gave me a sidelong glance. "You speak before thinking."
"That's what makes me charming."
"Debatable."
The Sect Master sat at the head of the hall, expression unreadable. His gaze flicked between the two of us before landing squarely on me.
"Disciple Lin Shen," he said gravely. "It seems you've caused quite the stir."
My soul left my body.
Yan stepped forward slightly, bowing. "The fault lies with me, Sect Master. Lin Shen was injured because of my decision."
The room fell silent.
I blinked. Then stared at him.
Did the righteous hero just take the blame for me?
[System Notification: Major plot deviation detected. Affection +10 | Current Total: 95]
Ninety-five?! That was dangerously close to the goal.
I quickly bowed, stammering, "N-no, Sect Master, please! If anyone's at fault, it's the demonic beast. And possibly my bad luck."
The Sect Master sighed. "Both of you did well to survive. Rest and recover. The next trial will begin soon."
We were dismissed. I exhaled like I'd just dodged a lightning strike.
As we stepped out into the quiet courtyard, I couldn't help but glance sideways at Yan. His eyes were fixed on the night sky, unreadable as ever.
"You didn't have to do that," I said softly. "Taking the blame, I mean."
He shrugged. "You were injured. It was my duty."
There it was again. That calm, unshakeable tone. The kind that should've been infuriating, but instead made something in my chest ache.
The system chimed quietly.
[System Warning: Emotional resonance at critical threshold.]
[Completion of first mission imminent.]
I froze. "Wait, what happens when it reaches 100 again?"
[Mission success triggers progression to next arc.]
"Define 'progression.'"
[Information classified.]
Great. Because mystery missions have never gone wrong before.
---
That night, I couldn't sleep.
The gossip had finally quieted down, but my mind wouldn't stop spinning. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look on Yan's face when he said, You were injured. It was my duty.
It wasn't affection, not yet.
But it was something deeper than cold indifference. Something human, fragile, and terrifyingly real.
I sat up, glaring at the moon. "This is so unfair."
[Clarify: What is unfair?]
"You. The system. This entire mission! You drop me into a world with a pretty, emotionally constipated hero and tell me to make him fall for me like I have any idea how to do that!"
[Correction: You appear to be succeeding.]
"That's the problem!"
Silence.
Then, faintly:
[Emotional dissonance detected.]
[Possible signs of mutual resonance.]
I groaned and threw a pillow at the invisible interface. "Go analyze someone else's feelings, you nosy piece of code!"
From outside, a faint rustle.
Then Yan's voice, quiet but firm. "...Are you all right?"
I froze. "Uh…yes! Just arguing with destiny!"
A pause.
Then: "You're strange," he said again, but there was a trace of amusement in his voice this time.
As his footsteps faded, I lay back, heart pounding for no reason that made sense.
Maybe this was working too well.
Maybe I was in too deep.
Or maybe — and this was worse — I was starting to like the way he looked when he almost smiled.
[Affection +5 | Current Total: 100]
[Mission Complete. System Progression Unlocked.]
A bright chime rang in my mind.
I barely had time to curse before the world around me flickered. The lanterns dimmed, the air thickened, and a new golden window opened in my vision.
[Congratulations, Host. Main Mission 1: "Seduce the Ice Protagonist" — COMPLETE.]
[Next Mission Unlocked: "Protect the Hero from Betrayal."]
My stomach dropped. "Betrayal?! From who?!"
[Information Locked. Prepare for next arc.]
And just like that, the night went quiet again.
I stared up at the ceiling, brain buzzing.
Well...
At least I wasn't bored anymore.