There were no classes the next day, so Wen Yao stayed up gaming until the middle of the night and slept straight through until noon.
Cannon fodder Wen Yao was an art student. Her senior year had few classes, but she still worked hard—she genuinely loved painting and practiced every day without fail. That was why the Fu family home had a studio set up for her.
Curious, Wen Yao walked in and immediately felt her scalp crawl at the half-wall covered in paintings of her elder brother-in-law.
Painting, drinking water, attending an art exhibition… every scene imaginable was there. It was easy to tell the artist was a complete voyeur.
The original owner had been way too bold—she didn’t even bother to pretend. Sure, she didn’t let anyone else in on normal days, but what if something happened? Just leaving them out in the open like this?
No wonder she died. She really had it coming. The sister left in a hurry, leaving Wen Yao to clean up the mess.
Wen Yao shed a tear and transformed into an agile monkey, taking down the paintings one by one, ready to destroy the evidence.
[Ding, mission triggered: Wen Yao deeply loves the genius painter Fu Lizhi, regards him as the light in her heart, and has painted countless works for him.]
[Please continue painting for Fu Lizhi until the fate-defying mission is complete—at least one piece per month, carefully preserved.]
Wen Yao’s expression soured. She slammed the painting onto the ground. “What kind of mission is this? I thought you were the Fate-Defying System? Why is the mission working in reverse?”
If you spend enough time by the river, you’re bound to get your shoes wet.
If it ever came out that she had designs on her elder brother-in-law, would she have any good days ahead? Wasn’t this just making trouble for her?!
[I’m sorry, Host. I can’t fight the World Consciousness right now. I have to follow its arrangements.]
[But I did fight for a perk for you. If you clock in and complete your mission every month, I can give you a performance bonus of ten thousand yuan.]
Wen Yao was damned if she wasn’t tempted. Before her car accident, she’d only been an editor at a small company—interviews, research, writing, and layout were all her job, and she’d bust her ass for a mere seven thousand yuan a month.
Now she could earn ten thousand yuan a month just by painting one picture, even if it meant risking being caught in the act.
But then again, she couldn’t refuse the mission anyway, so she might as well do it.
“I’m telling you, it’s not that I want the money—I just genuinely love painting. I’ll forgive you this time.”
“Keep these life-threatening missions to a minimum from now on, okay?”
[That’s difficult. But every step you take toward defying fate gives me more autonomy, and I can fight for better missions.]
[Keep going, Host!]
Wen Yao lowered her head to organize the paintings. She’d already figured it out—8848 was a useless system. There was no point in making things hard for it.
But the mission required her to carefully preserve the paintings after finishing them. How could she complete the mission while also keeping herself safe?
Maybe she should buy a safe specifically for the paintings?
…
Wen Yao thought it over for a long time and decided to paint one now while she had free time, to hit that small goal of ten thousand yuan.
But the moment she picked up the brush, she froze like a wooden chicken and couldn’t help cursing:
“Damn it, 8848.”
“I don’t know how to paint at all!”
The original owner had always lamented her mediocre talent for painting, but even mediocre skill was still the original owner’s skill.
Wen Yao couldn’t paint a single stroke. She’d majored in Chinese Language and Literature.
8848 made a desperate last attempt: [Why don’t you try painting something?]
Wen Yao stayed silent, put down the oil brush, and picked up a pencil that might suit her better.
She laid out the paper, set down the pencil, and focused completely.
Gradually, vivid—stick figures—appeared on the paper.
“…”
[…]
Wen Yao and 8848 fell silent together, staring at each other, with nothing but disappointment between them.
[Let me do it.] 8848’s mechanical voice was no longer cold, but heavy with helplessness.
“Hehe, Brother 8, you know art too?” Wen Yao said with a sycophantic grin, fully capable of bending over backward when needed.
[I don’t, but I can replicate the scene. It’s basically like printing.]
In other words, every painting would be as precise as a photograph—accurate but utterly devoid of soul.
But Wen Yao didn’t need soul.
“Love you, Brother 8. You’re truly the perfect companion for a working stiff.”
[12 minutes and 31 seconds ago, you were cursing me out in your head for being useless.] 8848 wasn’t buying Wen Yao’s sweet talk.
“I just have a sharp tongue, but you’re in my heart~” Wen Yao traced a giant heart in the air toward the void.
Next, Wen Yao spent a few hours putting on airs in the studio, looking diligent on the surface while the System actually did all the work to complete an oil painting.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t a portrait of her brother-in-law—just an ordinary still life. The System could only print scenes it had seen before.
Wen Yao rubbed her chin. Looks like she’d need to find a way to meet Fu Lizhi and stock up on “painting” material.
Conveniently, Fu Jinzhi had asked her to attend a dinner party tonight. Maybe she’d get a chance to see her brother-in-law there.
That evening, Fu Jinzhi casually sent a junior assistant to pick up Wen Yao.
Well, that made sense—they weren’t close enough yet for Fu Jinzhi to lower himself to such a task. They were only married on the surface, after all.
Following the assistant into the sprawling estate, the easily impressed Wen Yao couldn’t help but look around left and right.
On both sides of the marble pathway stood fountains that parted like the Red Sea, their light strips casting fiery droplets as water sprayed outward—grand and breathtaking.
To maintain her persona as a wealthy young lady, Wen Yao had just gotten a few tidbits of trivia from the System and relayed them to the assistant beside her.
“This estate is lovely. The fountain is a masterpiece by Master Famoer, isn’t it? The design really carries his essence. I wonder what other surprises await inside.”
But the assistant only looked at her with a strange expression.
Wen Yao’s heart prickled at the gaze, and she quickly communicated with the System: “8848, did you look up the wrong information?”
The fountain couldn’t possibly have nothing to do with some Master Famoer, right? That would be so embarrassing.
8848 was even more worked up than Wen Yao. It shrieked:
[Did you not see the plaque outside the estate? Wen Family Manor—this is YOUR home!]
[And you’re wondering what surprises await inside? You really know how to gild the lily.]
Wen Yao was so mortified her toes were curling into a Barbie dream mansion. How was she supposed to know that “Wen” family was her own Wen?!
Still, for such a wealthy family to let their own daughter starve to death on the streets—clearly, the rich had no heart.
Afraid Wen Yao might make another fool of herself, the System quickly transmitted the relevant information about the Wen family to her.
The data was pitifully sparse—just the layout of the estate and the faces of the few family members.
“This is way too vague. It doesn’t even say what kind of personalities the parents and brother have,” Wen Yao complained.
[It’s already generous for a Cannon Fodder to get a basic setting. Did you expect a detailed character biography?]
8848’s temper seemed to be getting worse by the day. Wen Yao silently thought that maybe Systems went through menopause too.
Sensing her thoughts, 8848 frantically bombarded her with middle-finger emojis via brainwaves, leaving Wen Yao dizzy and lightheaded. She had no choice but to swallow her pride and apologize.
The junior assistant took Wen Yao to the entrance of the main hall and took his leave, leaving her to navigate on her own.
She peeked into the hall—perfumed guests in elegant attire, goblets clinking in toast. Wen Yao, wearing a gorgeous evening gown she’d never had before, felt deeply out of place in her “own home.”
“8848, I’m actually a shy, sensitive little girl…”
[Ugh~]
Wen Yao’s emotions hadn’t even had time to build up before the System interrupted, and she was so furious that her fists clenched tightly.
Just as she was about to punch herself in the head to get back at the System, she caught sight of a familiar figure approaching from afar.
Tall and slender, with handsome, refined features—he bore a five-part resemblance to Wen Yao’s convenient husband.
Oh my god, it was Fu Lizhi!
Wen Yao skulked behind a pillar to hide, not wanting to stir up trouble, but heaven did not grant her wish.
[Ding, quest triggered [Longing for the Male God]: Wen Yao’s admiration for Fu Lizhi has reached the point of obsession. Every time they meet, she tries every means to touch the male god.]
[Please, before the banquet ends, engage in at least one instance of intimate physical contact (beyond social norms) with Fu Lizhi. Completing the quest will grant a random skill.]
[Ah, Host, the World Consciousness is trying to eliminate us again, and I couldn’t defeat it.]
8848’s mechanical voice was filled with frustration.
Wen Yao’s face turned ashen, tears welling in her eyes. She both wanted to punch the useless 8848 to vent her anger, and punch herself to simply end her life.
In the end, she just accepted the quest.
Fine then, seducing my brother-in-law is my fate. I understand.