The line stretched all the way outside the bookstore.
Jiang Yue stood behind the signing table, staring at the sea of faces—fans clutching copies of To Love, To Lose, To Heal, some worn from rereads, some brand new, all held like something precious.
Her heart tightened.
"I didn't think this many people would come…" she murmured.
Beside her, Tessa snorted. "Are you kidding? Your book saved half the internet from emotional collapse. This is what happens when you write like you've personally suffered in seven lifetimes."
[System Alert: Correction, Host has suffered in multiple lifetimes.]
[System Note: Emotional authenticity level: dangerously attractive.]
"Not helping," Jiang Yue muttered under her breath.
Across the room, Li Zhenkai stood near the back, dressed in a simple black suit that still screamed power. He wasn't interfering, wasn't hovering, but his presence was unmistakable. Protective. Watching.
Always watching her.
Her chest warmed.
"Stop staring at him," Tessa whispered, elbowing her. "You're supposed to be signing books, not writing a romance novel in your head."
"I am writing a romance novel," Jiang Yue shot back. "Unfortunately, I'm the main character."
Tessa grinned. "Then give the audience what they want."
The Signing Begins
The first fan stepped forward, eyes already glistening.
"Your book…" she said, voice trembling, "it made me feel seen. Like my heartbreak wasn't just mine anymore."
Jiang Yue blinked, caught off guard.
"That means everything," she said softly, signing her name carefully. "Thank you for reading it."
The girl clutched the book like treasure and walked away, wiping her tears.
The next fan hugged her.
The next one cried.
The next one couldn't even speak, just handed her the book with shaking hands.
By the tenth person, Jiang Yue's own eyes were burning.
"This is the saddest book signing I've ever attended," she whispered.
[System Alert: Congratulations! Host has achieved "Emotional Damage Level: Mass Impact."]
[System Suggestion: Cry artistically. It increases relatability by 23%.]
"I'm not crying for performance!" she hissed internally.
But her voice cracked anyway as she greeted the next reader.
The Reading
After an hour, the host stepped up to the mic.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming! We'll now have Jiang Yue read a passage from her bestselling book."
Applause filled the room.
Jiang Yue stood slowly, holding her book like it weighed more than paper. She stepped toward the microphone, her pulse steady but heavy.
She flipped to a familiar page. One she had written on a night she thought she wouldn't survive.
Her voice was soft when she began:
"'To love is to lose pieces of yourself…'"
Crackle.
The microphone sparked violently.
A loud pop echoed through the speakers before they went dead.
Silence.
Jiang Yue stared at it. Then sighed.
"…Figures."
The crowd laughed, some clapping in sympathy.
[System Alert: Classic Host moment. Probability of equipment malfunction near you: 87%.]
[System Suggestion: Turn it into a dramatic moment. You thrive in chaos.]
She exhaled slowly, then closed the book.
"Okay," she said, raising her voice slightly without the mic. "Guess we're doing this the old-fashioned way."
She stepped forward, no longer hiding behind anything.
And then she spoke.
The Moment That Stilled the Room
"'To love is to lose pieces of yourself,'" she repeated, louder now.
The room quieted.
"'But sometimes… losing those pieces is the only way to find who you truly are.'"
Her voice trembled, but didn't break.
"'I thought losing him would destroy me. I thought loving him was my greatest mistake. But I was wrong.'"
Her gaze drifted, unintentionally, helplessly, toward the back of the room.
Towards him.
Zhenkai didn't move. But his eyes were locked on her, unwavering.
"'Because even in loss, there was love. And even in pain… there was healing.'"
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Then someone started crying.
Then another.
The applause was loud, overwhelming, raw.
Jiang Yue swallowed hard, blinking rapidly as emotion surged through her.
[System Alert: Emotional Impact Critical Hit!]
[System Bonus: Audience affection +40%. ML emotional response… calculating… ERROR: too high to measure.]
Her heart pounded. Too high to measure?
She didn't dare look at him again.
The Chaos Continues
Of course, the moment couldn't stay perfect.
As she returned to her seat, the table leg suddenly wobbled.
And collapsed.
Books scattered everywhere. Pens rolled across the floor.
Gasps filled the room.
Jiang Yue stared at the disaster, then buried her face in her hands.
"…World's saddest book signing," she mumbled.
Tessa burst out laughing. "No, world's most iconic book signing."
Before Jiang Yue could even move, someone crouched beside her.
He picked up the fallen books calmly, stacking them neatly as if this were just another business deal to fix.
"Continue," he said quietly. "They're here for you, not the furniture."
She blinked at him.
Her chest tightened again.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Their fingers brushed briefly as he handed her a pen.
[System Alert: Physical contact detected.]
[System Suggestion: Hold his hand for 10 seconds. Quick bonus round!]
She ignored it. Barely.
After the Event
By the time the last fan left, Jiang Yue was emotionally drained, physically exhausted, and somehow… lighter.
The bookstore was quiet now. Just her, Tessa, and him.
Tessa stretched. "I'm going to get drinks. Try not to destroy anything while I'm gone."
"I don't destroy things," Jiang Yue protested weakly.
Tessa raised a brow. "…You literally broke a table today."
"IT WASN'T MY FAULT!"
Tessa laughed and disappeared.
Silence fell.
Zhenkai stepped closer.
"You did well," he said.
She looked down at her hands. "I almost electrocuted the audience and crushed my own books."
"And still moved them," he replied simply.
Her throat tightened.
"…You were watching."
"I always am."
The words hit harder than they should have.
[System Alert: HIGH ROMANCE TENSION DETECTED.]
[System Mission: Confession proximity achieved. Recommend leaning in 3 cm.]
Jiang Yue's brain short-circuited.
"Zhenkai…" she started softly.
He stepped closer. Too close.
Her breath caught.
This was it. Again.
The confession moment.
And then !!!!
CRASH.
A shelf behind them tilted, books tumbling down like a dramatic finale.
They both froze.
Jiang Yue slowly turned her head, staring at the mess.
"…I hate my life."
Zhenkai closed his eyes briefly, exhaling.
Then, unexpectedly, he laughed.
Not a small smile. Not controlled.
A real laugh.
She stared at him, stunned.
"You're laughing?"
He opened his eyes, still smiling. "You're unbelievable."
Her heart skipped.
"…You smiled again."
He tilted his head slightly. "You noticed?"
"Of course I noticed!" she said, then paused. "Wait… that means…"
[System Alert: Bonus mission completed! ML smiled twice again.]
[System Reward: +10% survival rate. Also +100% emotional confusion.]
"…Great," she muttered.
But she was smiling too.
For real this time.
As they stepped out into the night, the city lights flickering softly around them, Jiang Yue realized something strange.
Despite the chaos.
Despite the curse.
Despite everything trying to go wrong,
She was happy.
And maybe…
That was the most dangerous thing of all.