The September wind, carrying the last trace of summer's heat, passed through the ornate wrought-iron gates of St. Cherry Blossom Academy and swept across the main path, which was covered with a velvet red carpet.
Yu Jiuyuan sat in the back seat of the extended Lincoln, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the thin frost that had condensed on the car window, her gaze fixed on the lawn outside the window, which was trimmed as smooth as jade.
Saint Sakura Academy, a prestigious institution that gathers the heirs of the world's top wealthy families, is nothing more than another gilded cage for Yu Jiuyuan.
As the sole heir of the Yu Group, her life trajectory was planned from birth: to be elegant, proper, and to marry a suitable family heir at the right age to continue the glory of the Yu family.
"Miss, we've arrived." The driver's respectful voice interrupted her thoughts.
Yu Jiuyuan pushed open the car door, her white school uniform shirt and pleated skirt making her skin look as white as snow.
Her long, wavy hair, like seaweed, was casually draped over her shoulders. Her delicate features were like God's most perfect masterpiece, but deep within her beautiful peach blossom eyes, there was always a hint of indifference that was incongruous with her age.
A low gasp immediately rose from the surroundings, and both students and teachers involuntarily turned their gazes to her.
At Saint Sakura Academy, Yu Jiuyuan's name signifies top-tier beauty, wealth, and... an unapproachable sense of distance.
She walked straight toward the teaching building, her high heels clicking crisply and rhythmically on the marble floor, as if keeping time for the drama called "life".
Just then, a completely emotionless, mechanical voice suddenly rang in her mind:
[Ding! Suitable host detected. Strategy System 007 is binding...]
[Binding successful! Host: Yu Jiuyuan.]
Yu Jiuyuan paused, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. A hallucination? Lately, due to family pressure and endless social activities, her mental state seemed to be deteriorating.
[Host, do not panic. I am a strategy system from an advanced civilization, number 007.]
The mechanical voice sounded again, this time with a subtle, almost human-like explanation: "[You were chosen because your soul compatibility reached 99%, making you the best candidate to complete this mission.]"
Yu Jiuyuan took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked around; no one noticed her unusual behavior, and the voice definitely came from her mind.
"A strategy mission?" she asked herself silently, her tone wary.
"Yes." 007's voice remained calm. "Your current mission objective is Xie Zhecheng. You need to raise his favorability towards you to 100% before graduation. If the mission succeeds, you will receive one wish—any wish can be granted. If the mission fails, you will be eliminated."
"Xie Zhecheng?" Yu Jiuyuan frowned even more deeply.
She was familiar with the name. The Xie family, like the Yu family, was a top-tier wealthy family, and Xie Zhecheng was the eldest son of the Xie family, known for his genius and aloof, taciturn personality. She had met him a few times at business events, but they had never spoken.
Asking her to win over that icy man? And with a 100% affection level? That's simply a pipe dream.
“I refuse,” Yu Jiuyuan answered without hesitation.
Although her life was arranged, it hadn't reached the point where she needed to rely on this inexplicable system to change it, especially since the punishment for failure was "annihilation," which sounded like some kind of cruel joke.
[The host has no right to refuse.] 007's voice carried an undeniable force. [The mission has been initiated. There is one year remaining until the mission's end. Please begin tackling the mission as soon as possible.]
[Target Xie Zhecheng is 30 meters ahead. Please seize the opportunity.]
Yu Jiuyuan looked in the direction indicated by the system and sure enough, she saw that familiar figure.
Xie Zhecheng wore the dark school uniform of Saint Sakura Academy, his posture was as upright as a pine tree, his short black hair was meticulously styled, and the lines of his profile were cold and smooth, like a carefully sculpted sculpture.
He was standing in front of the bulletin board, looking down at something. The sunlight shone on him, but it seemed to be blocked by the coldness around him, leaving only a cold shadow.
Many girls around him secretly watched him, their eyes filled with admiration and shyness, but no one dared to approach him. This was Xie Zhecheng, exuding an aura that kept strangers at bay.
Yu Jiuyuan looked at him, a sense of absurdity rising within her. Was she supposed to seduce someone like this? She'd be better off participating in those tedious business negotiations.
[Host, your affinity towards the mission target has been detected to be 0. Please take action as soon as possible.] 007 reminded you in a timely manner.
Yu Jiuyuan ignored the system and turned to leave. She wanted to see if this so-called "annihilation" was real.
However, just as she turned around, a gust of wind blew her student ID card out of her pocket, which landed right at Xie Zhecheng's feet.
Yu Jiuyuan: "..."
[Ding! Luck value activated! Triggered plot: An unexpected encounter.] 007's voice carried a hint of "excitement."
Xie Zhecheng seemed to sense something and looked down at the student ID card at his feet. On the card, Yu Jiuyuan's photo showed her smiling brightly, a stark contrast to her current cold expression.
He bent down and picked up the student card.
Yu Jiuyuan had no choice but to stop and watch him walk towards her step by step, holding his student ID card.
His steps were steady, each one seemingly treading on people's hearts.
As the distance closed, Yu Jiuyuan could see his eyes more clearly. They were deep, cold pools, devoid of any emotion, as if they could suck one's soul into them.
He stopped in front of her, handed her the student card, and said in a low voice, like the lowest note of a cello, but without any warmth: "Yours."
Yu Jiuyuan watched as his well-defined fingers held her student ID card, the fingertips seemingly still slightly cool. She instinctively reached out to take it, her fingertips accidentally brushing against his skin, causing her to recoil as if electrocuted.
"Thank you," she said softly, her voice a few decibels lower than usual.
Xie Zhecheng didn't respond, only glancing at her indifferently. His gaze lingered on her face for less than a second before shifting away, as if she were just an insignificant stranger. Then, he turned and left.
His expression remained unchanged throughout.
Yu Jiuyuan stared blankly at his departing figure. Was this her target? He seemed even more unapproachable than the legends suggested.
[Ding! Target Xie Zhecheng's favorability towards the host: 0.] 007's voice sounded again, [Please keep up the good work, host.]
Yu Jiuyuan: "..."
She looked down at her student card in her hand, then looked up at the direction where Xie Zhecheng had disappeared, and for the first time, she began to doubt the word "life".
Perhaps, this so-called strategy system will really bring about earth-shattering changes to her life trajectory.
And this seemingly impossible mission has only just begun.
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