Bai Luoluo took a deep breath.
Facing the jewel-inlaid European full-length mirror, she gave her appearance one final check.
The person in the mirror was so beautiful it almost felt unreal.
She wore a pale lavender silk dress, the waist drawn in exquisitely tight, the layered skirt blooming like a violet in full flower.
On her feet were kid-leather high heels custom-made by a top craftsman abroad—even the soles were soft, like stepping on clouds.
Her skin was fair to the point of glowing, like the finest mutton-fat jade, carrying the delicate air of someone raised from childhood in luxury and indulgence.
“System, activate the charm aura.”
Bai Luoluo murmured inwardly.
If she was going to take down this Child of Fortune, she absolutely could not lose on first impressions.
【Ding! Charm Aura activated. Current host attractiveness increased by 20%.】
Satisfied, Bai Luoluo curved her lips into a smile, lifted her skirt, and turned to leave the fragrant boudoir.
Downstairs in the living room, the atmosphere was stiff and frozen.
Bai Luoluo’s father sat on the genuine leather sofa, his forehead slick with cold sweat. Even the teacup in his hand was trembling slightly.
Across from him sat a man.
Or rather—a beast teetering on the edge of violent rage.
Lei Li did not sit on the sofa.
He found that soft, cushy thing far too effeminate and instead sprawled boldly on a solid hardwood chair.
The man was tall.
Even seated, the oppressive presence he exuded made the air in the entire living room feel thin.
He wore a training uniform, one that had clearly been worn for a long time.
It was smeared with dark red mud, with several obvious tears, as though he had just forced his way out of a thorny thicket.
His sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, revealing arms knotted with muscle, lines brimming with explosive power. Beads of sweat clung to his bronzed skin.
Worst of all was the smell.
A heavy stench of sweat mixed with the raw odor of earth—and even a faint hint of gunpowder.
Inside this refined Western-style mansion filled with jasmine fragrance, the smell was practically a biological weapon.
Lei Li did it on purpose.
When he received the order, he had been drilling raw recruits in the mud pit.
The order from above was absolute—he had to come to this blind date.
If he dared to disobey, that old commander would break his legs with a cane.
Fine. He’d come.
But no one said he had to come clean and presentable.
He intended to use this appearance to scare that pampered capitalist young lady—make her cry, make her run.
Ideally, she’d take one look, vomit, then cry and beg her family to cancel the engagement.
“C-Commander Lei… have some tea, please. Tea…”
Bai Luoluo’s father shakily pushed the teacup forward.
Lei Li glanced at the delicate bone-china cup that looked like a piece of art and snorted.
“Not thirsty.”
His voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper scraping across a tabletop, carrying an impatient, dangerous edge.
Just then, faint footsteps sounded from the staircase.
Light, rhythmic.
The muffled sound of high heels stepping on thick carpet.
Lei Li subconsciously lifted his head.
And with that single glance, his breathing abruptly stalled.
On the spiral staircase, a woman was slowly walking down.
The light from the crystal chandelier poured over her, as if cloaking her in a soft glow.
She was too fair.
In an era when everyone else was tanned dark and dressed in gray-blue cloth, Bai Luoluo’s existence was downright alien.
Those eyes were like a spring veiled in mist—wet and luminous, capable of stealing a man’s soul with a single look.
The pale lavender hem of her dress swayed gently with each step, revealing a slender calf.
Lei Li felt his heart skip a beat.
This woman…
Was damn good-looking.
But the next second, reason snapped back into place, and the flash of admiration in his eyes instantly turned into deeper disgust.
So what if she was pretty?
At a glance, she was the type who couldn’t lift a shoulder or carry a hand—useless.
A woman like this wouldn’t survive three seconds on a battlefield.
Marry her?
That would be like enshrining an ancestor at home.
And that faint, lingering perfume on her—drifting straight into his nose even from this distance—
Sweet and cloying.
It reminded him of those decadent foreign aristocrats who lived only for pleasure.
Lei Li frowned, his gaze sharpening as he released his full aura without restraint.
He had killed on the battlefield. He had seen blood.
The murderous presence of someone who had crawled out of piles of corpses was something ordinary people simply couldn’t withstand.
Bai Luoluo had just reached the middle of the staircase.
Suddenly, the system in her mind let out a shrill alarm.
【Warning! Warning! Child of Fortune releasing intense killing aura!】
【Host’s current physique: “Delicate Young Lady.” Unable to withstand this level of mental pressure!】
【Negative status triggered: Dizziness. Weak legs.】
Bai Luoluo cursed inwardly: Damn this system!
The next second, her vision went black.
It felt like a ferocious tiger had roared right in her face.
Her heart clenched violently, and her legs instantly lost all strength.
“Ah—”
She let out a short cry.
Her once-elegant steps fell into chaos.
Her high heel twisted, and her whole body—like a kite with its string cut—plunged straight down the staircase.
“Luoluo!”
Bai Luoluo’s father was scared out of his wits, but he was too far away—there was no time.
Lei Li’s pupils contracted sharply.
This was pure instinct.
As a top-tier special forces king, his body reacted faster than his brain.
At the very instant Bai Luoluo was about to smash face-first into the floor—
A black shadow shot forward like a leopard.
So fast no one could clearly see the movement.
Bai Luoluo squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the pain.
Yet the pain she expected never came.
She fell into a hard, scorching embrace.
Hard.
That was Bai Luoluo’s first sensation.
The man’s chest was as hard as an iron plate, her nose ache.
Hot.
That was the second.
Through the thin layer of silk, she could clearly feel the astonishing heat radiating from his body.
And that rich, aggressive male scent—instantly enveloped her.
It wasn’t unpleasant.
On the contrary, it carried a reassuring sense of strength.
Lei Li had caught her.
A thick, powerful arm wrapped across her waist, effortlessly scooping her entire body up.
Too light.
Lei Li frowned even deeper.
The woman in his arms was light as a feather—so fragile it felt like he could crush her with the slightest force.
And too soft.
His palm rested against her waist, and that delicate, warm softness transmitted clearly to his hand even through the fabric.
Like touching a piece of fine warm jade.
Or freshly made silken tofu.
Lei Li’s fingers trembled violently, as if burned.
A strange electric current he had never felt before shot from his fingertips through his entire body, straight to the top of his head.
The sensation was unfamiliar—and dangerous.
It made every hair on his body stand on end.
【Beep! Detected physical contact with the Child of Fortune. Minor fortune value absorbed. Dizziness status removed.】
The system’s notification sounded.
Bai Luoluo slowly opened her eyes.
What met her gaze was a sharply contoured, ice-cold face.
Sword-like brows, a high nose bridge, thin lips.
Those deep eyes were locked tightly onto her, emotions roiling within them that she couldn’t understand.
“Th-thank you…”
Bai Luoluo’s voice was soft and sweet, trembling slightly from the fright.
Even sweeter than her perfume.
It made Lei Li inexplicably irritable.
He snapped back to his senses, released her as if he had touched something filthy, and quickly withdrew his hand.
He even took a large step back.
The movement was rough and utterly merciless.
Bai Luoluo had just managed to steady herself when, with his sudden release, her body swayed again.
“Oof!”
She fell awkwardly onto the thick carpet.
Her once-perfect skirt spread messily, and one expensive high heel slipped off, revealing a small foot clad in white stockings.
She looked pitiful to the extreme.
Lei Li looked down at her from above. The trace of amazement in his eyes was completely gone, replaced by thick mockery.
He brushed the hand that had touched Bai Luoluo earlier, as if it were contaminated with some virus.
“Can’t even walk properly?”
Lei Li sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Miss Bai is so delicate—why don’t you go back and drink some milk instead?”
“My Lei family is a military family. We don’t need a vase that only knows how to fall over.”
With that, he didn’t spare Bai Luoluo on the floor even a glance, turned around, and strode toward the door.
“Mr. Bai, let’s end today’s meeting here.”
“This marriage—I don’t agree.”
“I’ll submit a report to the higher-ups when I get back. I, Lei Li, will bear all the consequences myself.”
His strides were long and resolute.
Bai Luoluo’s father was so anxious he nearly fainted. “Commander Lei! Commander Lei, please don’t go! This is an order from above—”
Bai Luoluo sat on the carpet, rubbing her sore backside.
Tears pooled in her eyes.
Half from the pain, half from anger.
That damn straight-laced soldier!
How dare he humiliate her like that!
Telling her to go back and drink milk?!
She, Bai Luoluo, had never suffered such humiliation in her life!
At that moment, the system’s cold mechanical voice sounded again, completely cutting off her retreat.
【Warning! Child of Fortune has generated extreme disgust!】
【 task difficulty increased!】
【Task countdown shortened by half!】
【If host fails to successfully stay overnight at the Lei residence tonight, host will suffer Level-One electric shock punishment!】
【Note: Level-One electric shock equals 220V for three seconds. Possible consequences include loss of bladder/bowel control and facial damage.】
Bai Luoluo’s pupils dilated instantly.
Loss of bladder and bowel control?
Facial damage?
That was worse than killing her!
The tears that had been welling up were instantly forced back.
No!
She absolutely could not let him leave!
For the sake of her face—for the sake of her life—forget pride. She could throw dignity away too!
Bai Luoluo clenched her teeth, staring at Lei Li’s back as he was about to step out the door.
She didn’t bother putting her shoes back on, scrambling up barefoot from the carpet.
“Stop!”
The cry was soft, but it carried a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve.