"I do."
That simple phrase left Jack utterly stunned.
He stared at FairyRong in disbelief and quickly tried to explain himself.
"I was just joking!"
But FairyRong met his gaze with a serious expression. "I'm not."
"No, no, I mean—you're like a little fairy. I really was just teasing!" Jack said with an awkward chuckle, realizing the joke had taken a wild turn.
"You can call me Rong if you'd like," she said shyly, her eyes sparkling.
"Rong… seriously, I was just playing around," Jack repeated, trying to clear up the misunderstanding.
But FairyRong's eyes didn't waver. "Jack, I mean it. I've liked you since the moment I saw you."
Jack froze.
He'd just been confessed to.
By the sweet, adorable girl next door.
He suddenly felt like some kind of older creep.
"Rong, I'm really not the guy for you," he said with a wry smile, doing his best to stay rational while staring at her lovely face.
The sparkle in her eyes dimmed slightly.
Seeing that, Jack sighed and added, "I'm not a good man. I've got... a lot of women around me. I don't want to hurt you."
FairyRong looked up again. "Do you like them? Will you abandon them?"
Jack wasn't sure where she was going with this, but he answered honestly.
"I do like them. As long as they don't leave me, I'll never leave them."
He meant every word. If a woman chose to stay with him, he'd make sure she was cared for for life.
FairyRong's heart fluttered. The more seriously Jack spoke, the deeper she fell for him.
"I still want to be with you," she said with unwavering determination.
Jack never imagined a simple joke would actually land him a girlfriend.
"Well… we can take it slow," he said, compromising. "If you ever feel I'm not the right person for you, you're free to walk away."
Maybe once she saw how chaotic his life was, she'd change her mind.
But hearing his agreement, FairyRong's whole face lit up with joy.
Jack couldn't help but feel a little helpless.
Was his charm aura really that strong?
Jack muttered to himself, "System, do I have some kind of charm aura? This is getting out of hand."
The system promptly replied, "Host, you're overthinking it. It's more of an accidental charm—one slip-up, and hearts are captured."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "So, I accidentally got a girl hooked?"
"More like, with your sharp tongue and good looks, you've delivered a fatal blow," the system responded calmly. "Might want to consider signing a disclaimer before making jokes next time."
"Are you sure you're not a stand-up comedian moonlighting as a system?"
"I'm technically an entertainment system with a cashback feature—your new motto is: 'Spend money, never alone, and flirting's a breeze.'"
"..."
Soon, their food arrived.
FairyRong played the perfect girlfriend, sweetly picking food for Jack while smiling like sunshine.
By the end of the meal, Jack had pretty much accepted her as his girlfriend.
After dinner, they walked along the street, hand in hand.
Looking at FairyRong beside him, Jack felt like he was back in his school days—everything so pure and innocent.
He stopped suddenly, cupped her soft cheeks, and gazed into her eyes. Slowly, he leaned forward and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.
He could feel the warmth of her lips and the trembling of her body.
So this... was what love felt like?
Sometimes, the journey really was more beautiful than the destination.
FairyRong's face turned crimson after the kiss, unsure if Jack would think she was being too forward.
Jack chuckled, looking at her red cheeks that resembled a ripe apple—adorable enough to bite.
They continued their evening walk.
"Jack, do you have a dream?" she suddenly asked.
Jack paused. No one had asked him that in a while. Honestly, he didn't really have one—just to live freely and enjoy life.
"I want to be a singer," FairyRong said earnestly. "That's why I started live streaming, to practice and improve."
"I can help you," Jack said seriously, holding both her hands.
"I know," she replied with a smile. She already suspected Jack had incredible resources and connections.
"For now, just focus on school and stream when you can. Let me know beforehand—I'll drop by and cheer you on."
"Okay," she nodded. "Can you take me back now?"
Jack checked the time—it was getting late—and nodded.
He dropped her off at the front gate of Riverton Arts College.
Stepping out of the car, he opened the door for her like a gentleman. FairyRong looked at him, reluctant to leave.
"Go on, it's cold. Don't catch a chill. And remember to call me," Jack said warmly.
"Mhm," she replied, then quickly kissed his cheek on tiptoes before running into campus.
Jack touched the spot she kissed and couldn't stop smiling.
He headed back to Skyview Villa No. 1.
As soon as he arrived, his phone rang.
It was Michael Dawson, the general manager of WhaleStream.
"Jack, this is Michael Dawson," the voice said.
"Yeah? What's up?" Jack asked bluntly—he had no patience for small talk with another man.
"The donation cap has been lifted. You can now tip up to a hundred million at a time. No upper limit," Michael said quickly, sensing Jack's impatience.
"Nice. That's fast. I'll check it out later. Good work," Jack replied with satisfaction.
Controlling the company really did pay off—he didn't have to worry about the system's spending limits anymore.
"Happy to help, sir," Michael said, clearly thrilled to be acknowledged.
"Anything else?"
"No, that's all. I won't bother you anymore."
"Good." Jack ended the call and walked inside.
It was already close to 10 p.m.
He headed upstairs and saw that Emily Carter was still fast asleep.
Just as he was about to head back down, Emily stirred and opened her eyes.
"Sorry, did I wake you?" Jack sat by the bed, his voice soft.
Emily stretched lazily and shook her head. "No."
Looking at her still-drowsy face, Jack gently brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.
"You haven't eaten, have you?"
Emily nodded slightly.
"Go freshen up. I'll cook you something," he said with a smile, his hand leaving her hair.