CHAPTER 2: Persona Collapse: 2%

◎ She must be heartbroken, right? ◎

Ji Jingxiu returned home early.

There had been an issue with one of the LK Group’s projects, one that would take at least seven or eight hours to resolve.

Before heading out, Ji Jingxiu was already prepared to stay overnight at the company.

But during the meeting, he couldn’t shake off a strange unease.

The image of Qin Yangyang’s sorrowful expression as he left the villa kept replaying in his mind.

Even though he didn’t care who his wife was—and had zero emotional attachment to Qin Yangyang—still, on the first night of their marriage, who would want to be left alone in a cold, empty house?

Right now, Qin Yangyang was probably hiding somewhere, crying quietly from heartbreak.

So when the project issue was halfway resolved, Ji Jingxiu changed his plans and decided to swing home for a bit.

It was already midnight. The lights in the Ji residence were still on.

Ji Jingxiu walked briskly inside and ran into the butler waiting at the door.

“Where’s Qin Yangyang?”

The butler’s expression turned a little odd as he replied, “Madam hasn’t gone to bed yet.”

Hearing that, Ji Jingxiu recalled her downcast look that afternoon.

“She must be really upset, huh?”

He had investigated her background.

Qin Yangyang—a distant relative of the Cui family.

Her mother, Cui Yan, had passed away ten years ago.

Her father, Qin Heping, ran a large supermarket chain. The family was well-off, but compared to the Cui and Ji families, it didn’t amount to much.

Qin Yangyang had always harbored feelings for him. And now, on the first day of their marriage, she had been left alone in a cold house… she must be devastated.

The butler looked awkward.

“Not exactly…”

Not only was she not sad—she was thrilled.

Ji Jingxiu paid no mind to his response.

The butler had helped raise him since childhood. Of course he’d try to say comforting things.

“What’s she doing now?”

At that, the butler’s expression grew incredibly complicated. He had no idea how to answer in a way that wouldn’t emotionally damage Ji Jingxiu on the spot.

Ji Jingxiu noticed his silence and, sensing something, strode directly into the house.

“Forget it, I’ll find her myself.”

“Mm…”

The butler nodded quietly.

This poor child he had raised since young… still had no idea what he was about to walk into.

So pitiful.

Ji Jingxiu pushed open the front door, expecting—as always—to return to a cold, silent home. But the next second, the pounding beat and blinding lights nearly threw out his back.

The grand living room was buzzing with life. A spinning disco ball cast dazzling rainbow lights across the space. The thundering music shook the walls.

Balloons. Streamers. Flowers…

Qin Yangyang was surrounded by twenty muscular men like an emperor picking concubines. The whole scene was wildly out of control.

ZZZK—

The confident curve at the corner of Ji Jingxiu’s lips cracked on the spot.

He could not.

He just—could not.

On the way home, he had imagined a hundred different scenarios waiting for him.

But this?

This was not one of them.

Too wild.

No wonder Qin Yangyang said before leaving, “I’ll take good care of myself.”

She wasn’t lying.

Just as Ji Jingxiu stepped through the door, Qin Yangyang received a system notification:

【Detected Ji Jingxiu persona collapse. Index: 20. Reward: 2 million yuan successfully deposited into designated account!】

He arrived, and the money rolled in!

Qin Yangyang immediately pulled out her phone and checked the bank account she’d linked to the system. Sure enough, an extra two million had landed in her balance. She jumped to her feet in excitement.

She knew her little performance today would rattle Ji Jingxiu and earn her a reward from the system.

But she hadn’t expected this much!

In her previous life, she’d lived in poverty her whole life and died without ever seeing seven digits in her bank account.

And now she had it—just for watching a bunch of beefcakes dance?

Qin Yangyang shoved her way through the sea of muscular men and stopped in front of Ji Jingxiu, eyes practically sparkling as she looked at him.

“Welcome home!”

Ji Jingxiu frowned slightly at the bright smile on her face.

On their wedding night, she’d done something so outrageous and even got caught red-handed—yet she showed no shame, no attempt to hide.

Who exactly was this woman?

Not only did Qin Yangyang show no remorse, she looked downright pleased. She even turned to introduce him to the twenty dancers behind her:

“Everyone, this is my husband. We just got married this afternoon.”

Everyone froze, visibly shocked.

But out of respect for all preferences and orientations, they hesitated for a moment, then asked enthusiastically:

“Sir, would you like to join us?”

“Are you dancing too, or just watching?”

Their faces were filled with sincere curiosity.

Hey, for all they knew, this might just be some rich couple’s favorite playstyle.

Ji Jingxiu’s expression darkened even more. He turned toward Qin Yangyang, his voice cold as ice:

“What do you think you’re doing?”

He genuinely couldn’t understand.

Wasn’t she supposed to be crying under the covers right now?

Instead, her tears were practically dripping out of the corners of her smiling mouth!

But Qin Yangyang put on a sorrowful face and said:

“Spending my wedding night alone, I was so heartbroken I had to hire twenty male dancers to lift my spirits. Do you think I want to watch them dance?”

At her words, Ji Jingxiu’s expression eased a little.

“So you don’t like it?”

Qin Yangyang: “I do like it.”

Ji Jingxiu: “……”

The fist behind his back clenched tightly.

He stared at his new bride.

“Do you even realize what you look like right now—how happy you’re smiling?”

Qin Yangyang: “My face is smiling, but my heart is crying.”

Ji Jingxiu studied her radiant, beaming expression.

Didn’t look like it.

He began to doubt whether the background investigation he’d ordered had been accurate. Why was reality so different from the report?

“Even if that’s the case, you shouldn’t have invited so many people or set up a whole stage in the living room.”

“But I wasn’t the only one watching. The butler watched too.”

Qin Yangyang dragged someone else down with her, just like that.

Ji Jingxiu: ?

The butler—who had indeed sat through two hours of hot male dancing: ??

No wonder Qin Yangyang had been so eager earlier, insisting he stay and watch—she’d been plotting this from the start.

The butler quietly lowered his head and said nothing.

Then Qin Yangyang smiled and said:

“Honey, you’ve had a long day. You must be tired. Go rest. I booked them for five hours, and there’s still half an hour left. I’ll head to bed after I finish watching.”

This session was expensive—not a single minute should go to waste.

Ji Jingxiu stared at her silently for a few seconds.

“…Do whatever you want.”

With that, he turned and went upstairs.

The moment he left, music blared through the living room once again.

Qin Yangyang clapped her hands, picked up her wine glass, and returned to the couch.

“Resume!”

But Ji Jingxiu’s sudden appearance had unsettled everyone. The atmosphere felt awkward, and the performance wrapped up quickly.

As the time ran out, the dancers began packing up their things to leave.

Qin Yangyang, meanwhile, was seated to the side, brainstorming new money-making ideas—until she overheard their conversation.

“Do you guys have time this Saturday? There’s a part-time gig at the amusement park. Gotta wear mascot suits. You in?”

Most of the dancers at Bailong Club were part-timers. Because they didn’t cross any lines, their dance pay wasn’t great, and they often had to pick up extra jobs elsewhere.

But tonight, thanks to Qin Yangyang’s generous five-hour booking, they’d all made a solid income.

Compared to that, the amusement park job sounded exhausting and miserably hot. No one was interested.

The model named Xiaobai asked several times, but no one responded.

Qin Yangyang, who’d been eavesdropping, turned her head curiously and asked:

“How much does that gig pay per day?”

“Two hundred thirty. No meals included.”

“Which amusement park?”

“Dreamland Park under the LK Group.”

Wait—that was Ji Jingxiu’s company, wasn’t it?

Qin Yangyang thought for a moment, then asked, “What do you think of me?”

Xiaobai looked at his generous client in surprise.

She was sitting sideways on a luxurious black leather couch, resting her cheek against her hand. Her delicate features held a faint smile. The long gown trailed elegantly around her—stunning and glamorous.

“The wife of a major CEO wants a part-time job?”

Qin Yangyang nodded without hesitation.

“I’ve been broke for too long.”

She took out her phone and quickly exchanged contact info with Xiaobai.

“Send me the time and place. I’ll head over tomorrow.”

Xiaobai nodded, but still felt the need to warn her: “The job’s tough, especially in summer. Wearing those mascot suits is brutal.”

He was worried she’d just gotten the urge on a whim and wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Qin Yangyang: “I’ve got experience, don’t worry.”

In her last life, she’d been so poor she clinked when she walked. Mascot jobs at amusement parks? She’d done plenty.

Xiao Bai hesitated, unsure whether to speak.

She found Qin Yangyang’s words a bit suspicious.

What kind of experience could a rich housewife possibly have?

She just hoped this lady wouldn’t run off last minute tomorrow.

Once the part-time schedule was finalized, Xiao Bai left with the others. The streamers and lights in the living room were taken down, and the grand villa returned to silence once more.

Ji Jingxiu hadn’t slept at all.

He couldn’t.

The image of twenty muscular men dancing around Qin Yangyang was far too intense. Every time he closed his eyes, it replayed in his head.

The villa’s soundproofing was excellent, yet he swore he could still hear the thumping music—like a cursed melody stuck in his ears.

A whole hour passed. Only after confirming everyone had left did Ji Jingxiu finally get up, determined to have a serious talk with Qin Yangyang—to teach her about rules, decorum, and boundaries.

He planned to establish some house rules: separate bedrooms, keep a proper distance.

As soon as he headed downstairs, he saw the butler and several others cleaning up the living room.

“President Ji, is something the matter?” the butler asked, approaching him.

Ji Jingxiu didn’t answer. He looked around, didn’t see Qin Yangyang, and asked:

“Where is she?”

“Madam said she was too tired and already went to bed.”

“I didn’t see her go upstairs.”

The butler replied, “She’s sleeping in the guest room.”

“…”

Ji Jingxiu frowned.

He hadn’t even started talking yet, and she’d already run off?

A breath caught in his chest, stuck halfway, neither rising nor falling. He felt strangely uncomfortable.

Without another word, he turned and headed straight for the guest room the butler mentioned.

The room was dark and quiet.

Ji Jingxiu stood at the door, thinking of his earlier insomnia.

How could someone sleep in such a cold, lonely bed?

….

But why not?

In her previous life, the last two years of Qin Yangyang’s life were spent in a half-basement apartment. It leaked cold air in winter and rain in summer. Even if she managed to fall asleep, she’d be woken up by the constant squeaking of rats in the middle of the night.

Now, she was curled up in a 1.8-meter-wide bed, under a comforter that cost six figures. No matter how cold the bed was, it would still feel like spring.

Warm, soft, and so comfortable that she drifted off the moment she closed her eyes.

She slept soundly through the night—without a single dream.

….

The next morning, Qin Yangyang woke up naturally.

Her part-time job at the amusement park didn’t start until 10 a.m., so the first thing she did was check her phone to confirm her bank balance.

The 1 million yuan was still sitting there, untouched.

Satisfied, she stretched and got up.

After taking her time getting ready, she headed downstairs. Ji Jingxiu had already left for work.

“President Ji eats breakfast at seven sharp every day, and leaves for the company at seven-thirty,” the butler explained.

“Oh,” Qin Yangyang said as she munched on steamed dumplings, thinking—

Looks like I’ll have to start waking up earlier to take on more side gigs.

The butler, seeing her eating with such gusto, thought of the instructions Ji Jingxiu had left before leaving. He hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“President Ji said that since you stayed in the guest room last night, you’ll continue staying there from now on.”

What kind of man throws his wife into the guest room the day after the wedding?

But to the butler’s surprise, Qin Yangyang’s eyes lit up.

“Really?! That’s amazing!”

She loved that bed last night!

Warm, soft, comfortable—if Ji Jingxiu hadn’t said anything, she would’ve asked to move in herself.

After all, according to the plot, the male lead was currently saving himself for the original heroine’s eventual return. Moving to the guest room was a win for everyone.

The butler was moved by her cheerful reaction. He softened his tone and asked gently:

“Do you have any plans today, Madam?”

“I’m heading out in a bit, should be back around evening.”

“I’ll arrange a driver for you.”

“No need, I can go by myself.”

Qin Yangyang quickly stood up, found a food container in the kitchen, and packed the leftover dumplings and buns.

The amusement park didn’t provide meals, so these would be perfect for lunch.

She changed into a comfy tracksuit, tied her hair into a high ponytail, waved at the butler, and said,

“See you tonight!”

With that, she slung her bag over her shoulder and left the Ji residence.

The butler stood at the door, watching until her figure disappeared around the corner. Then he turned and dialed Ji Jingxiu’s number.

“I’ve relayed your message to Madam.”

“What was her reaction? Was she upset?”

“No.”

“She said she loves that room and asked me to thank you on her behalf.”

“…”

Moments later, on her way to the amusement park, Qin Yangyang received a system notification:

【Ji Jingxiu’s persona has collapsed. Index: 1. Reward: ¥100,000. Successfully deposited into the designated account.】

Qin Yangyang: Huh?

Did… money just fall from the sky?

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Author’s Note:

PS: I lowered the system reward amount from the original synopsis because… there was just too much money, and even I couldn’t keep up 😭