Chapter 3: Surprise!

“Yun’er, is that wretched girl Song Huan dead or alive?”

Song Huan: Well, that’s just great. ‘Wretched girl,’ huh?

The enemy-ally dynamic became crystal clear in an instant.

A finger poked beneath Song Huan’s nose. She deliberately held her breath.

“Mother, she’s not breathing!”

“Really not breathing?”

As Madam Song spoke, another finger prodded her nose again. Song Huan stubbornly continued holding her breath.

In her previous life, Song Huan had lived for twenty years without any remarkable achievements—except she was an exceptional swimmer, especially skilled at holding her breath. By sixteen, she was supporting herself with this talent. Just before her accident, she’d gotten her lifeguard certification and passed an interview for a hotel pool lifeguard position. No more worries about tuition… A bright future was just ahead—

Sigh! If I’d known I was going to die, I wouldn’t have taken that cheap minibus outside the school gate to save money!

“She’s definitely not breathing,” Madam Song said. “But if she’s dead, why hasn’t Marquis Pei sent word to the Song Family? Why is he keeping this so tightly under wraps? Yun’er, could Marquis Pei be hiding some unspeakable motive?”

Before she could finish her thought, a thunderous crash shook the room as the door was kicked open—splintering apart in one violent blow.

A man stepped over the broken wood, hands clasped behind his back, expression dark as he crossed the screen.

“Who… is dead?”

Song Huan: …This sudden, overwhelming aura of violence.

Damn it! Who invited Pei Yan here?!

“Mar… Marquis Pei?” Madam Song’s face turned ashen. Her voice trembled—gone was the arrogant woman who had just stormed the rear courtyard, driving Jin Yue and Jin Le out like flies.

Song Yun, however, seemed unaware of the oppressive air around him. She merely glanced up, then quickly lowered her gaze again, shyly hiding behind Madam Song.

“……”

Madam Song belatedly remembered—this was her son-in-law. Even if he was a Marquis, shouldn’t he still call her “Mother-in-law”? Besides, Huanhuan had suffered misfortune in the Marquis Manor. She should be demanding answers—not being interrogated!

With that in mind, she puffed out her chest. “It’s our Huanhuan. Marquis Pei, you owe the Song Family an explanation. Before marrying into the Marquis Manor, Huanhuan was vibrant and beautiful. Today was supposed to be her third-day homecoming visit, but no one came. We had no choice but to visit—only to find her lifeless!”

The more she spoke, the more righteous she sounded, her emotions swelling.

If one didn’t look too closely, she could almost pass for a grieving mother demanding justice for her daughter.

Pei Yan was not the kind of man who tolerated loud women.

But just as Madam Song was warming up to her next outburst, a slender, pale hand rose from the bed… and waved weakly.

The woman was still alive.

Pei Yan’s brow furrowed deeper.

Song Huan struggled to sit up, propping herself against the pillows. The first thing she saw was Pei Yan’s extremely displeased face.

Just then, the System chimed in:

[ Dear, your Target ‘Pei Yan’s’ Affection Points toward you have changed.”
Affection Points -10]

Song Huan: Holy shit! Minus ten?! What the hell is this?! You’re clearly screwing me over!

System: [“Dear host, let me reiterate: this System operates with transparent pricing and fair dealings for all users.”]

Song Huan: …I’ll believe that when hell freezes over! I haven’t even done anything yet! How could it be -10?!

System: [“The Target’s initial Affection Points were set at 0. Your recent actions must have lowered them. Please review the Affection Points log for details.”]

Song Huan opened the Affection Points log. Sure enough, just half a minute ago, Pei Yan’s Affection was at 0.

Song Huan: All I did was sit up to show I’m still alive!

Wait—did Pei Yan actually think she was dead just now?

Startled, she touched her neck.

Pei Yan’s gaze grew colder at the sight, but his lips curled into a mocking smile. “Wife, you’re awake?”

Madam Song and Song Yun both turned to look.

Song Huan gave Pei Yan a dry smile.

No response.

But Madam Song and Song Yun screamed and hugged each other tightly, pale as ghosts.

Just now… she really hadn’t been breathing!

Seeing their frightened faces, Song Huan was struck with inspiration.

Her eyes widened. Then, with a straight face and stiff arms, she made a haunting gesture across her chest and mouthed silently:

“Surprised? Unexpected, huh?”

Madam Song: “Aaaah!”

Song Yun: “Aaaaaah!”

The two fled the room in a panic.

Song Huan: Tsk. Cowards. I hadn’t even stuck out my tongue, tilted my head, or rolled my eyes yet.

Pei Yan stared at her, eyes dark. “My wife seems to be in high spirits.”

“Huh?” Song Huan tried to respond, but the tearing pain in her neck choked the sound.

She reached up to touch the gauze, only to find Pei Yan suddenly sitting beside her.

His face—stunningly handsome, almost unreal—was so close she could see every detail. Her heart pounded.

Song Huan: Why is this man still snow-pale after ten years on the battlefield? And why do I tan the moment I step outside?!

“Hmm? What were you about to say?” Pei Yan leaned in with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

For a fleeting moment, she almost felt a touch of fondness.

But—Affection Points: -10.

Song Huan: Fondness, my ass! He’s clearly trying to mess with me!

Song Huan… was terrified.
Not being able to speak was terrifying. What if she couldn’t even beg for mercy?

Song Huan:System! System! Got any painkillers or voice fixes for sale? I want to speak!

System: [“……”]

Song Huan: Disconnected again?

System: [“……”]

Song Huan: Honestly, just a suggestion… maybe get some funding and upgrade your programming?

System: [“……”]

She glanced up at Pei Yan and suddenly beamed, her smile bright and sincere.

Pei Yan stiffened, a flicker of murderous intent flashing in his eyes.

That smile—too radiant, too out of place near him.

Taking advantage of his pause, Song Huan threw her arms around him in a tight bear hug.

Pei Yan: “……”

Internally, she started the countdown from the System’s mission panel:
Hug Target Pei Yan – 10, 9, 8…

“What are you doing?!” Pei Yan barked. A wave of revulsion rose in his chest as he grabbed the back of her neck, ready to fling her off.

But Song Huan only held tighter.

Song Huan: You want to act all couple-y? Fine! I’ll take the free Life Value.

[3, 2, 1—Ding! Mission complete.
Congratulations! You have gained one month of Life Value.]

She quickly let go, closed her eyes, and flopped back.

Only she didn’t land on her pillow.

An arm held her up.

Pei Yan whispered coldly in her ear, “Playing dead? I’ll count to three. If your eyes stay shut, they’ll stay shut forever.”

“Three.”

Her eyes shot open. She blinked up at him innocently.

Song Huan: Great Lord! I can be cute! Please don’t kill me!

Her pale, fragile face and teary eyes made even Pei Yan pause. He narrowed his eyes, then scoffed and let her drop onto the bed before turning to leave.

She quickly propped herself up to avoid straining her neck again.

As Pei Yan walked away, the Affection Points above him ticked upward: -10 → -6

Song Huan: Heh… you say no, but your body says yes.

In that moment, the entire plot of the novel returned to her.

Yes—Pei Yan hated women approaching him. But he didn’t kill every woman who tried. A female general from an enemy nation had once snuck into his camp to assassinate him. Pei Yan had spared her life and let her go.

That gave Song Huan hope. Right now, he hadn’t fallen for the heroine yet. As his legal wife, what harm could a hug do?

To her relief, it had worked.

She happily opened the mission page.

For a 10-second hug, she got one month of Life Value.

Later, Pei Yan hugged her again—bonus: +6 hours.

The “Hug Target Pei Yan” mission was now marked as Daily Mission – Completed.

It seemed “Kiss, Hug, and Chat All Day” were now her bread and butter—small rewards, but steady income.

Song Huan: That damned System is such a cunning dog. Always finding excuses to force me into physical contact!

She scrolled to the next mission:[ Get Pei Yan to say 10 sentences.]

[Progress: 3/10]

Below it, red text read:

[This mission expires at midnight tonight. Failure will reset the mission tomorrow.]

Song Huan: Just talking? If I could speak, I’d knock this out in minutes.

Her eyes dropped lower: Hug, Kiss, Consummate…

[A kiss = 3 months of Life Value.]
[Consummation = 1 year.]

Song Huan: So tempting…

She tapped the red “Mission Hint” under Kiss:

[ Only attempt when Affection Points reach 50%. Failure will result in death.]

She tapped the one under Consummate:

[“Extreme danger! Only attempt when Affection Points reach 99%. Failure will result in death!”]
(Bolded. Red. With an exclamation mark.)

Song Huan: …… Goodbye!