╔════ Author's note ═════╗
◦ This empty bullet symbol means that it's a flashback that happened in the past.
Edited by Psycho S
Proofreaded by P.D Webb.
╚═══════════════════╝
◦ Start of Flashback...
◦ "Do you think I have Stockholm Syndrome?" Inside a luxurious office, Bing Shi tilted her head to peek beside the monitor. Her eyes were sparkling in anticipation as she asked Mr Jelly.
◦There was a moment of silence...
◦ "Why do you ask that?" Mr Jelly questioned with a grave tone in his voice.
◦ She peeked her head more to the side of the monitor to see his face previously hidden by the computer. She caught the slight smile at the corner of his mouth that betrayed the otherwise-serious atmosphere he portrayed.
◦ "Well, just look at me! I'm all locked up in this place with no access to the outside world," she grinned good-naturedly while recalling the ruckus he made when she tried to contact her parents, "How did I stop minding your controlling possessiveness?"
◦ "It's because I have power, money, and not to mention my... expertise in bed," he stood up leisurely from his office chair as the dim light in the room cast large shadows, hiding the upper part of his face.
◦ "Seriously? You're such a narcissist! No, those aren't the reasons!" She shook her head. In the middle of her head-shake fest, she suddenly stopped to reconsider what he said and then nodded. While the list of his qualities was true, they were not why she did not mind his possessiveness.
◦ "Narcissist? Me?" Walking around his desk deliberately, he seized the handles of her chair, caging her in with his body. He pulled her in his direction with force, not minding the creaking swivel of the wheels attached to the chair legs.
◦ Casually, he leaned down; his towering build blocked her view of anything that wasn't him. His hushed voice caressed the shell of her ear, "Did I say I was handsome?"
◦ He did not.
◦ She covered the ear he whispered into in an attempt to protect herself from his alluring voice. Taking advantage of the wheels on the chair, she pushed her foot against the floor to create some distance between him. She waved her hand at him, expressing that he should carry on answering from that distance.
◦ Helplessly, he could only sigh, "Because there is no one who will pamper you as much as me," with that, he gave a meaningful smile as he opened his arms in an invitation extended to her, "Now, will you give me a hug?"
◦ "Ahhhh, my heart... that isn't fair!" She cried out as she abandoned her swivel chair to run to him. With a leap, she wrapped herself around him like a baby koala; her arms locked around his neck and her legs around his waist. She placed a hand behind his neck and leaned closer to his face, shortening the distance between their lips.
◦ She noticed the anticipation in his eyes before she stopped. She didn't close the space between them completely. She smiled as she stroked the dark circles beneath his disappointed eyes, "Handsome, what more do you want from me?"
° He snorted at her blatantly fake act of innocence which seemed to hint that she knew exactly what he wanted. She carried on, her lips nearly grazing his. But just as their breaths mingled, he drew his head back.
◦ "Oh Sweetie, you're going too far," he murmured as he carried her towards the chair she previously occupied with a sly arch in his mouth. After seating her —who was frozen in surprise—, he walked behind his desk and settled down in his own chair with an almost smug exhale, "I only asked for a hug."
◦ "..." Blown away by his words, Bing Shi directly fainted on the chair while covering her unstable heartbeat.
◦ "Maybe there's something wrong with the both of us," he mused aloud as he went back to his work, not acknowledging the way her eyes cracked open just a little to watch him from her sprawled position.
◦ End of flashback...
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
Bing Shi looked at the big mirror while touching her big lips and smiled at her reflection. A young lady stared back at her with chestnut brown eyes. She had dark, shoulder-length hair that prettily framed an oval face. Despite the two-year age gap, Olivia's facial features were similar to Grace's.
'Olivia is so cuuuuuuute!'
There was almost no information about Olivia in the story. She was a quiet girl, admired by her peers due to her elite background. Olivia was pressured by her parents to inherit the family's fortune because she was the oldest child of the family. Meanwhile, Grace's life revolved around Xavier.
She, Olivia, was 17 and had one month of summer holidays before school started again. Her family was about to go on a luxurious vacation with Xavier and Mark's family.
Bing Shi thought about pretending to be sick like the previous Olivia but she decided not to. She would be forced to go partake in the vacation either way.
[Side mission: Break the engagement between Grace Bacchus and Xavier Dalton. +1000p]
'Ah, there is so much to do.'
["System, what is Grace doing?"]
[She just woke up. She is on her way to your father's office.]
'Woah, she's acting pretty fast. But if she ends her engagement now, it will be the start of the male lead being 'interested' in her.'
'What should I do? Persuade Grace to wait?'
'Should I persuade Grace to act like her previous life?'
'I'm not sure if she really wants to avoid Xavier. Grace might be acting like the previous heroine to gain his affection... At least, that's what it looks like from my perspective.'
["I need more time. We have to stop the father from ending the engagement. Don't allow him to call anyone from Xavier's family."]
[Yes.]
Grabbing some bathroom supplies, she would brush her teeth as she pondered to herself. She found it strange. If the HQ had such powerful systems, why was she a host?
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
[What is your next step, Host?]
Bing Shi closed the doors to the bathroom and walked into her walk-in closet, thinking about her next step. The plans she came up with were flawed yet the system nagged at her to reveal whatever strategy she came up with.
She thought about the badass female leads in her favorite stories. They were so cool! She wanted to be like them too!
'Ah, what do I do? What. Do. I do!?!'
'I don't want to look stupid in front of my system.'
'I have to stop Xavier from being interested in Grace.'
["System, should I bring Alisa along on the vacation? Actually, why don't we financially ruin Xavier's family? If Xavier's family becomes bankrupt, he'd be at the lowest point of his life! Then we could let him meet Alisa!"]
'But would they become attracted to each other? I shouldn't stray from the original story too much. The male and female lead fell in love only when certain conditions were met. Look at Grace's case as an example. When she tried to get them to fall in love, her plans backlashed.'
[I don't know.]
'Then let's not bankrupt Xavier's family... The consequences would be unimaginable since they basically own half the world.'
Bing Shi picked up the outfit of her choice. Instead of Olivia's usual flowery skirt and blouse, she decided to wear a black A-line dress. Taking a black crossbody handbag that had just about everything she needed, keys and wallet included, she was just about to go out before she stopped abruptly. Something was missing.
["System, could you give me a pepper spray?"]
[Yes, host.]
In her palm, a handy pepper spray appeared.
["Thank you,"] Smiling, Bing Shi looked at the snake on her shoulders, ["At times like this, you should respond with a 'You're welcome."]
[You are welcome.]
["Aw, you're such a fast learner."]
[Thank You.]
'I am getting used to these magical things too fast...'
· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·
Meanwhile...
*Slam* Grace bursted through the door, storming into her father's office.
"Grace!? Where are your manners?! You have to knock first!!" Mr. Bacchus reprimanded his daughter.
"Father, I'm sorry, but this is urgent!" Grace said with a layer of misty tears gathering at the corner of her eyes. "I don't want to get married to Xavier! I know it will be hard for your company but still... don't we have enough money already?"
Grace's request surprised him. He exclaimed loudly, anger evident in his eyes. "How? I thought you loved Xavier. Did he do something to you?!"
"No! He didn't do anything! It's just... I realized that he doesn't love me. We shouldn't force him to marry someone he doesn't love," Grace sat in front of her father delicately, feigning frailty and quickly, she successfully gained his pity.
After a lot of talking and a lengthy amount of persuasion, Father Bacchus finally dialed his friends, Xavier's parents. Unfortunately, the phone call didn't go through.