I agreed to be a kept man, but I'm still being punished by the system.

After get off work, the dark blue Cayenne drove smoothly on the way to Tianheng Garden.

Su Man leaned back in the passenger seat, her eyes closed, her face showing obvious exhaustion.

Back at Tianheng Garden, Aunt Chen had already prepared a table of steaming hot food.

After finishing his meal, Lin Yang's phone vibrated twice.

He picked it up and saw two messages.

A message from Chen Wanjun: 【Are you coming back to cook for me tonight?】

A message from my college roommate Zhang Wei: [Xiao Lin, tomorrow's Saturday, are you free? Come help me move.]

Lin Yang replied to Zhang Wei first.

What time is it? I'll drive there.

He put down his phone and looked up at Su Man.

She was sitting on the sofa, gazing at him with her beautiful eyes full of affection, her eyes overflowing with dependence and longing.

Looks like I'm not going anywhere tonight.

Lin Yang apologized to Chen Wanjun in his heart, then picked up his phone again.

【I can't go home tonight, I have to work overtime. Order takeout for yourself. Don't work so late, get some rest.】

Chen Wanjun replied to the message almost instantly.

【Um. 】

It was that same word, simple, yet it inexplicably made Lin Yang feel a tightness in his chest.

At 9:30 p.m., after Aunt Chen went back to her room to rest, only the two of them remained in the large living room.

"Are you tired? Let me give you a massage."

Lin Yang walked behind Su Man and placed his hands on her stiff shoulders.

Su Man obediently lay down on the bed and buried her face in the soft pillows.

Lin Yang placed his palm on her back, and the "Massage Mastery" skill granted by the system was instantly activated.

The warm palms penetrated the thin silk pajamas, precisely locating those taut acupoints and stiff muscle groups, kneading and pressing them with just the right amount of pressure.

Su Man's tense body gradually relaxed under his touch.

The fatigue and tension that had been suppressed all day seemed to slowly flow out with the warmth of his fingertips.

Her breathing gradually became long and even, and a comfortable whimper came from her throat.

The massage gradually changed its flavor.

The lights in the master bedroom were dimmed to their lowest setting, leaving only the mingled breaths and heartbeats in the air.

***

It was at this moment.

On the other side of the city, in the dark and damp Chengxi Bridge Village, there is a courtyard house disguised as an ordinary residence.

Smoke swirled around the room, and the air was filled with the clamor of voices.

At a simple card table, Zhou Heng's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at the cards in the dealer's hand, shouting hoarsely.

"Pick A! Pick A!"

***

On a weekend morning, there was no annoying alarm clock.

Lin Yang's biological clock was more precise than any machine; at exactly seven o'clock, he opened his eyes.

The woman beside him was still fast asleep, her breathing even and deep.

Su Man let down her guard, her sleeping face peaceful, the fine lines at the corners of her eyes smoothed out, revealing a lazy feeling after being nourished.

He picked up his phone from the bedside table. The screen lit up, and an unread WeChat message appeared at the top.

It was sent by Zhang Wei.

[Around 9 AM, I'll send you my location.]

Below the message is a shared map location link.

Lin Yang propped himself up on his arms and sat up, the blanket slipping off his well-defined waist and abdomen.

Fortunately, I didn't go all out last night.

He stretched his shoulders, feeling a warm current flowing through his body. He felt no fatigue, but rather full of energy.

The system's "1% improvement in overall physical fitness" may seem insignificant, but the actual effect far exceeds expectations.

He brought up the system panel and glanced at it; the 20000 soft rice points lay there quietly.

Should we convert all of it into funds to improve overall physical fitness?

The thought only flashed through my mind. Right now, a strong feeling of hunger rose from my stomach; that was the most real feeling.

He decided to fill his stomach first.

Aunt Chen doesn't make breakfast on weekends, so you have to fend for yourself.

Lin Yang quietly got out of bed, went into the kitchen, and decided to make himself a bowl of noodles.

***

Meanwhile, in Chengxi Bridge Village.

A dirty figure staggered out of the small iron gate of the courtyard house.

Zhou Heng clutched his messy, bird's-nest-like hair, his bloodshot eyes unfocused and lacking pupils.

The cold morning wind blew into his thin collar, making him shiver.

The air was filled with the sour stench of overnight garbage and the greasy aroma of nearby breakfast stalls, which wafted into his nostrils and made him gag.

Last night, he borrowed 200,000 yuan.

He started the game with divine help and won a million in less than an hour.

Overwhelmed with elation, he almost paid back the money and left on the spot.

"Old Zhou, you're on a winning streak tonight, you're sure to win even more, let's go again!"

Old Zhong's excited face and his devilish whisper pressed him back down onto the card table.

The result was that the phrase "again" led him to gamble all night.

When he came out, all he had left was that worthless hotel room key.

Not only did he fail to pay back the money, he also lost all the one million he had just won. At the same time, he pressed his red fingerprint on a new two million IOU, and lost that one too.

Behind him, inside the courtyard gate.

Brother Long, with a cigarette dangling from his lips, looked at Ah Fei.

"Get two of you to keep an eye on Lao Zhou, don't let him escape."

Ah Fei's face was expressionless.

"You can't escape."

Zhou Heng walked aimlessly through the alley, his phone slipping out of his pocket.

He picked it up with trembling hands; on the screen, Su Man's name seemed like a lifeline.

He steeled himself and dialed the number.

A cold, electronic female voice came from the phone's receiver.

The number you dialed is currently switched off.

He refused to believe it and dialed three more times.

Every time, it's the same response.

Shut down.

A chill of despair shot from the soles of his feet to the top of his head, and his mind went blank.

Lin Yang.

He suddenly remembered Su Man's young assistant.

His fingers trembled as he retrieved the number from his call log and dialed it.

Tianheng Garden, at the dining table.

Lin Yang was slurping his noodles when his phone screen lit up.

Caller ID: Zhou Heng.

He pressed the answer button, turned on speakerphone, tossed the phone onto the table, and continued picking up a mouthful of noodles.

"Hey, ex-husband, what's wrong?"

His voice was muffled, carried by the heat of the food.

"Was your stay at the hotel comfortable?"

Zhou Heng's breath hitched on the other end of the phone, followed by an urgent voice.

"Assistant Lin, we can't get through to Xiaoman on the phone. What's going on?"

"I don't know."

Lin Yang slurped up another mouthful of noodles, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

"Maybe your phone is dead. What's up, do you need to speak with President Su?"

Zhou Heng was speechless. What could he have to say? That he owed more than two million again?

"No, I was just asking."

His voice was dry.

"oh."

Lin Yang's response consisted of only one word, which was utterly perfunctory.

"That's alright, I'm having breakfast right now. Have you eaten yet?"

To Zhou Heng, this casual greeting sounded like blatant mockery.

He could almost see Lin Yang sitting at the dining table in his old house, leisurely enjoying a steaming breakfast, while he himself was like a stray dog, shivering in the cold street.

"Oh, then I won't bother you any longer."

Zhou Heng's voice carried a humility that he himself was unaware of.

"I haven't eaten yet."

"I'll hang up now."

Lin Yang hung up the call without hesitation.

He picked up his phone, found Zhou Heng's number, clicked on it, and dragged it into the blacklist.

The entire movement was completed in one smooth motion.

Su Man has blocked him, so I have to follow suit.

Zhou Heng dialed Su Man's number again, but the same despairing message came through the receiver.

He slumped down, his hand hanging limply, the light from his phone screen illuminating his ashen face.

He touched his pocket, his fingertips brushing against a cold plastic card.

Hotel room key.

Let's go back to the hotel and take a shower first.

Only one thought remained in his mind: run.