"Chasing your wife through a crematorium"—is that something a normal system would say?
Xiao Qicai had thought her golden finger would let her follow the typical "broken engagement" script—rising up to slap faces and defeat that fiancé who looked down on her current status.
Never did she expect it to suggest some twisted "chasing wife through a crematorium" tragic romance plot.
You ignore me when I love you, regret it after endless torment, and then achieve a perfect happy ending?
She seriously suspected the creator of this love system was either a hopeless romantic or a cheesy romance novelist.
Still, since it had revealed some useful information, she suppressed the urge to curse and played along:
"Chasing wife through a crematorium—what do you mean?"
"Of course, making your fiancé regret his actions, have an epiphany, and turn into an obsessive doting husband, propelling you to the peak of life!" System 002 continued enthusiastically.
"Luo Meng isn’t just handsome—he’s wealthy, one of the Luo family heirs with limitless potential, scoring over 8 points in the system’s spouse evaluation. Besides, he and Bai Yushan—that is, you—were childhood sweethearts. There was affection between you. His insistence on breaking the engagement now is purely due to family pressure and the schemes of that calculating woman, He Xinmin, the Third Miss of the He family! She’s the one behind this entire mess—even those two men were hired by her!"
"You should firmly reject the breakup, keep your status as his fiancée, and create more entanglement between you. Meanwhile, make Luo Meng realize what a noble, unyielding woman you are—unswayed by wealth! Then, we’ll work on shedding your F-class citizen status, expose He Xinmin’s schemes, clear up the misunderstandings with Luo Meng… Follow my plan, and he’ll soon realize his love for you, come crawling back in remorse, and shower you with compensation!"
Xiao Qicai: "......"
What kind of idiotic nonsense was this? Just hearing this drivel had completely shattered any mystique she’d held for this so-called "system golden finger."
002 was still lost in its own melodramatic romance fantasy.
But Xiao Qicai had had enough. She’d already gotten the core information she wanted—He Xinmin.
So she took a deep breath and finally snapped:
"002, since I’m your master, can I order you to do something?"
"Of course! Serving you is my honor!" 002, thinking its advice had been well-received, replied excitedly.
Yet what came next was utterly unexpected.
Xiao Qicai coldly dropped one sentence:
"Then I order you to shut up."
002: "......?"
Not long after, the person truly qualified to negotiate with Xiao Qicai arrived.
Of course, neither the mastermind He Xinmin nor Luo Meng showed up.
Instead, it was a lawyer surnamed Qi, dressed in a formal suit with the Luo family crest pinned to his collar—clearly a Luo representative.
But since he was a lawyer, he wouldn’t dare use underhanded methods directly. Meaning, this Lawyer Qi was most likely—no, definitely—on He Xinmin’s side.
Negotiations would be tougher than she’d anticipated.
Still, Xiao Qicai showed no panic. She simply stated that she was willing to talk—even sign the annulment—but only after her injuries were treated and they moved to a different setting.
Attorney Qi readily agreed.
Not long after, Xiao Qicai's head had been treated by a private doctor. After all, this was the interstellar era—medical technology was quite advanced. Not only had her wounds stopped bleeding, but most of them had already healed. With proper rest, there wouldn’t even be any scars left.
The negotiation venue had also shifted from that obscure little dark room to a high-end private lounge.
"Miss Bai Yushan, you’re far calmer than I expected. Frankly, I already know what you want. I’ve applied for compensation from the Luo family—1 million star credits. As soon as you sign the annulment agreement, I’ll transfer the full amount to your personal account." Attorney Qi cut straight to the point.
"You should understand that with 1 million, you could live comfortably on Planet 4628 for quite some time—maybe even a lifetime. So I hope you’ll sign as soon as possible. Today is the final deadline. Don’t disappoint Young Master Luo Meng."
Though Attorney Qi appeared courteous, his tone was aggressive.
On his wrist, his silver personal terminal displayed a "C"—he was a high-ranking lawyer, a Class C citizen.
Indeed, for someone of his status to negotiate with Xiao Qicai, now a mere Class F citizen, was practically condescending.
But contrary to his expectations, Xiao Qicai didn’t react with starry-eyed excitement at the mention of compensation.
Despite her disheveled appearance, her expression remained composed, neither submissive nor arrogant.
"Attorney Qi, don’t you think 1 million is a bit too little?"
"Too little? On a Class D planet like this, 1 million is already a massive fortune—enough to secure your livelihood for life!" Attorney Qi frowned, scrutinizing her. "Don’t get greedy and covet what isn’t yours. Think carefully about your current status. Even keeping 1 million might be a challenge for you. If you demand more, do you even have the means to hold onto it?"
"Whether I can hold onto it is my business. But for the esteemed second young master of the Luo family to offer only 1 million as compensation for breaking off an engagement? That’s downright laughable. And tell me—did the Luo family send you, or was it someone else? Does Young Master Luo Meng even know you’re trying to brush off his former fiancée with a paltry 1 million? Does he know you resorted to underhanded methods to silence me, to make my death seem like an accident?" Xiao Qicai sneered.
Attorney Qi’s expression darkened instantly—he hadn’t expected her to be so blunt.
Xiao Qicai pressed on:
"1 million is far too little. It’s not even worth the birthday gift I once gave Luo Meng. Don’t insult me with this beggar’s handout! I want 100 million. Give me 100 million, and I’ll sign the agreement myself, confirm it with my iris scan, and guarantee that I’ll never have any emotional ties with Luo Meng again."
"100 million? Miss Bai Yu, you’re being utterly unreasonable!" Attorney Qi’s face twisted in displeasure, his earlier composure crumbling.
"Then let Luo Meng come and negotiate with me himself. Since this is an annulment agreement—a contract—shouldn’t the involved parties discuss it directly? Even if he can’t come in person, a holographic call would suffice. It’s just a matter of a communicator, isn’t it?"
"That’s impossible! Young Master Luo doesn’t have time for this!"
"Whether you have time or not isn't up to you, nor is it my concern. But if he wants to break off the engagement, he either gives me a hundred million or talks to me personally!"
"You're pushing your luck, Miss Bai Yu. Please reconsider your current status—you're just a Class F citizen now!"
Lawyer Qi hadn't expected to be arguing with a young girl, but at this point, he couldn't hold back, even bringing up citizenship levels.
"I understand I have nothing left to lose. So guess what? I'm not afraid. And let me tell you, ever since those two men came to see me, I've had my hidden recorder running. Even if you force me to my death now, I'll release everything they did to me and our entire conversation to the StarNet, sending it privately to all major media outlets. No matter how fast you delete it, you won't be able to contain it. Let me think—how much would the Luo Group's valuation drop when news spreads about how they heartlessly drove their second young master's former fiancée to her death? Then we won't be talking about just a hundred million anymore! And let me ask you one more thing—are you really representing the Luo family in these negotiations?"
As Xiao Qicai's words grew increasingly aggressive with each sentence, Lawyer Qi's expression darkened, especially at her final question, which made his face change dramatically.
He immediately stood up, glaring intently at Xiao Qicai.
He realized he'd underestimated this supposed "trophy" young miss. What he'd thought would be a simple task—resolving an issue for the Luo family and earning that 20 million bonus—now threatened his position as a top lawyer in the Luo Group's legal team if mishandled.
But as an elite lawyer, he quickly composed himself despite the turmoil inside.
"I understand. I'll consult the Second Young Master to see if he's willing to speak with you directly."
With that, he exited once more.
Xiao Qicai finally exhaled in relief after he left, quietly wiping the cold sweat from her palms.
It seemed her gamble had paid off.
Earlier, Xiao Qicai had told System 002 to stay quiet, leaving it depressed for a while. But witnessing her brilliant confrontation with Lawyer Qi, it suddenly became excited again.
"A hundred million! You actually dared to ask for that! If Luo Meng finds out you demanded such an exorbitant sum, he'll definitely think you're a gold-digger. There'd be no chance of you two ever being together."
Xiao Qicai sneered: "Wouldn't that be better? What's so great about a man who not only fails to help his fiancée in distress but rushes to break off the engagement? Even if pressured by his family or manipulated by others, that's no excuse. It just proves he's either not very bright or utterly selfish. That such a man scores 8 points makes me question your system's evaluation criteria. I suggest you scrap this so-called dating system altogether."
System: "..." Sniffles Why is this host's verbal attacks so brutal?
——
In another private room, Lawyer Qi activated a holographic projection—revealing that his connection wasn't to Luo Meng, but to another exquisitely dressed young woman.
The young woman frowned upon seeing him. "Is the matter settled? Why haven't you returned yet? Every day Luo Meng remains engaged to this woman makes me sick. How could you fail to handle even a worthless person?"
Lawyer Qi shook his head. "Miss He, it's no use. She refuses to sign, and we can't force her."
He Xinmin's face twisted with rage.
"She won't sign? I knew it! Bai Yushan is still delusional, thinking Luo Meng will take her back and restore her as the young mistress! If necessary, use extreme measures. Once she's dead there, the engagement won't matter anymore!"
Lawyer Qi frowned slightly. This Miss He was beautiful, but her heart was truly vicious.
He shook his head again. "No, that won't work. I didn't expect her to have a hidden recorder. She's already documented everything those two men and I said. With evidence in hand, trouble will follow. I can't risk losing my job just to do you a favor."
He then repeated Xiao Qicai's words.
"So the main issue isn't that she still clings to hopes about Luo Meng, but that she thinks 1 million is too little—she wants 100 million."
"100 million. If we can't meet that amount, she insists Luo Meng personally come to break off the engagement. She's given us two conditions to choose from—otherwise, she says she'd rather die than sign."
"What?! 100 million? How dare she! Does she still think she's the young mistress?" He Xinmin was incredulous.
Even for her, 100 million wasn't a small sum. How could she demand such a thing?
Lawyer Qi shook his head. "Time is running out. Any further delays, and the Luo family will grow suspicious. Should I report this to Luo Meng and have him negotiate with her personally, or should we agree to her terms...?"
"Absolutely not! Luo Meng must not see her!" He Xinmin immediately refused.
"But the 100 million... The main Luo family has set my limit at 10 million. They certainly won't pay 100 million," Lawyer Qi continued.
"I know!" He Xinmin fumed. "Let me think about it."
As time ticked by, she finally gritted her teeth. "Fine. I need the engagement termination document as soon as possible so I can proceed with my marriage alliance to the Luo family. I'll cover the remaining 90 million myself! But mark my words—she'll have the money but no life to spend it! A backwater planet like that... Let's see how long she lasts. Does she really think 100 million can defy fate? Doesn't she understand? Once you're trash, you stay trash. There's no going back!"
——
Meanwhile, 002 was still arguing with Xiao Qicai, insisting the Luo family would never agree to 100 million. Demanding such an outrageous sum would only make Luo Meng see her as a gold-digger, severing any remaining ties between them. She advised Xiao Qicai to follow her plan instead.
Otherwise, taking the money would make future explanations impossible.
But the next moment, Lawyer Qi pushed the door open.
"They've agreed. I'll transfer you 100 million. Sign the termination document now."
002: Stunned!
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