Huo Jingran's world tilted as Teng Haoran's car screeched around a Shanghai corner, tires squealing like a banshee with a grudge. The neon jungle of Pudong blurred past—holographic billboards flashing K-pop idols and crypto scams—but her eyes were glued to the rearview mirror. Those fox eyes from the alley glinted in the distance, trailing them like a laggy NPC with a vendetta.
"Yo, Mr. CEO," Jingran said, gripping the USB of HuoTech logs in her clutch, "any chance your fancy car's got a 'lose the creepy stalker' button?"
Teng Haoran's smirk was infuriatingly calm, his hands steady on the wheel. "Relax, Miss Huo. My driver's handled worse than… whatever that is."
Shao Lanyi, crammed beside Jingran in the backseat, snorted. "Worse than glowing-eyed monsters? Doubt it."
Jingran shot her a grin, liking Lanyi's guts more every minute. "Point for you. But seriously, Haoran, what's with the knight routine? You moonlighting as my bodyguard now?"
His dark eyes flicked to her in the mirror, sharp as a server crash alert. "Don't flatter yourself. I'm protecting my interests. You're a loose end, and I don't like those."
"Charming," Jingran muttered, her jade pendant pulsing hot against her chest. The system's voice chimed: Jade Whisper alert: Task update—Infiltrate Bei clan estate to locate spell anchor. Reward: Advanced sorcery access. Penalty: Loss of HuoTech evidence.
Jingran groaned under her breath. "Infiltrate? What am I, a rogue in a D&D campaign? Gimme a stealth stat first."
Focus, Host. Teng Haoran's motives unclear. Ally probability 65%, betrayal risk 35%.
"Super helpful," she whispered, earning a side-eye from Lanyi. The pendant's latest memory—Xiwen chanting in a misty temple—looped in her mind, paired with that text: Next time, you burn. Xiwen wasn't just playing mean girl; she was full-on sorceress boss mode, and Jingran was her favorite target dummy.
The car swerved into a private garage beneath a sleek tower—Teng Enterprises' HQ, if the chrome logo was any hint. Haoran killed the engine, turning to face her. "Out. We talk inside."
Jingran raised a brow. "Inside? What, you got a dungeon for loose ends?"
His lips twitched, almost a smile. "Tempting. Move."
Lanyi muttered, "This guy's ego needs its own zip code," but followed Jingran out. The garage was all polished concrete and soft LEDs, screaming billionaire vibes. Jingran's bare flats slapped the floor, her gala dress still speckled with mousse. "Real subtle hideout," she said. "Bet you've got a shark tank upstairs."
Haoran ignored her, leading them to a private elevator. It shot up so fast Jingran's stomach lurched, opening to a penthouse office that looked like a sci-fi villain's lair—glass walls, black marble desk, and a view of Shanghai's skyline that screamed I own this city. A single jade fox statue sat on a shelf, its eyes too much like the ones chasing her.
Jingran's pendant burned, and the system hissed: Warning: Residual sorcery detected. Source—unknown.
"Great," she muttered. "Fox decor's haunted. Shocking."
Haoran leaned against his desk, arms crossed. "Start talking, Miss Huo. Why's Xiwen hunting you, and what's on that USB?"
Jingran exchanged a glance with Lanyi, who shrugged like, Your funeral. The system urged: Partial disclosure advised. Gain trust, secure resources.
She sighed, flopping into a leather chair. "Fine. Xiwen framed me for HuoTech's crash—logs prove it. She's got some… weird influence going on. Call it corporate sabotage with extra spice."
Haoran's eyes narrowed. "Spice?"
"You know," Jingran said, waving a hand, "shady stuff. Probably bribes. Definitely not magic foxes, haha, that'd be nuts."
Lanyi coughed, hiding a laugh. Haoran didn't blink. "You're a terrible liar."
"Says the guy who probably has a secret lair under this desk," Jingran shot back, grinning. His stare softened, just a fraction, and she pressed her luck. "Look, help me dig into Xiwen, and I'll owe you. Deal?"
He studied her, silent long enough to make her sweat. "I don't make deals with liabilities."
"Wow, harsh," Jingran said, clutching her chest. "I'm a charming liability, thank you."
Lanyi snorted again, but Haoran's phone buzzed, cutting the banter. He glanced at it, his face tightening. "Stay here," he said, striding to a side door. "Don't touch anything."
The door clicked shut, and Jingran whispered, "Ten bucks says he's got a villain monologue planned."
Lanyi smirked, already pulling out her laptop. "Focus, boss. Let's crack those logs while he's gone."
Jingran joined her, the USB's data sprawling across the screen—IP traces, encrypted files, and one name popping up: Bei Innovations. But buried deeper was a weird log: "Jade Protocol," tied to HuoTech's servers and… her pendant.
Jingran's breath caught. "Lanyi, this says my pendant's linked to the breach. Like it was hacked."
Lanyi frowned. "Hacked jewelry? That's new."
The system chimed: Jade Protocol: Ancient sorcery interface. Bei clan attempted override. Host's survival tied to control.
Jingran gripped the pendant, its glow flaring. "Control? So Xiwen's after my bling, not just my rep?"
Before Lanyi could answer, the office lights dimmed. A low hum—like the server room's growl—vibrated the glass walls. Jingran's pendant blazed, projecting runes that spun like a loading screen. The system blared: Intrusion detected. Spirit construct forming.
The jade fox statue's eyes lit up, amber and alive. It moved, leaping off the shelf with a snarl, its form splitting into three spectral foxes—claws sharp, tails flickering like static.
Jingran yelped, grabbing a paperweight. "Oh, come on! Haunted decor's supposed to be metaphorical!"
Lanyi dove behind the desk, yanking Jingran down. "What is it with you and monsters?"
"Bad luck and worse plot twists!" Jingran said, peeking over the edge. The foxes prowled, their eyes locked on her pendant. Xiwen's voice echoed from them, layered and venomous: "Give it up, Huo. You're no match."
Jingran's heart raced, but her gamer brain kicked in. "Lanyi, distract them—I've got an idea."
Lanyi grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the bar, hurling it at a fox. It shattered, dousing one in booze. The construct hissed, momentarily confused. "Go!" Lanyi yelled.
Jingran focused on the pendant, channeling that shield trick from the server room. The runes flared, forming a wobbly barrier. The foxes lunged, claws scraping it, and pain shot through her skull—mana drain, real and brutal.
"Ow!" she gasped. "This is why I stick to keyboard combat!"
The system urged: Counterattack viable. Direct runes at source—statue.
Jingran gritted her teeth, redirecting the runes like coding a hotfix. They shot toward the statue, which pulsed amber. One fox flickered out, but the other two pounced, shattering her shield. Jingran dove, rolling under the desk as claws grazed her arm, drawing blood.
Lanyi threw a stapler—thunk—hitting a fox's snout. "Take that, Fido!"
Jingran laughed despite the sting, scrambling up. The pendant burned hotter, and a new rune formed—sharp, like a blade. She flung it at the statue, screaming, "Eat pixels, you knockoff kitsune!"
The rune hit, and the statue cracked, exploding in a burst of green light. The foxes vanished, leaving only scorched air and a faint laugh—Xiwen's.
Jingran slumped, panting. "Okay, that was… intense."
Lanyi crawled out, hair a mess. "You're explaining this to HR, not me."
The office door burst open. Haoran stormed in, eyes scanning the wreckage—broken glass, singed carpet, and Jingran's bloody arm. "What the hell happened?"
Jingran grinned weakly. "Your decor tried to eat us. Bad taste, by the way."
His jaw tightened, but he grabbed a first-aid kit from a drawer, tossing it to Lanyi. "Patch her up. Then talk."
As Lanyi bandaged her arm, Jingran's pendant cooled, the system whispering: Task progress: 65%. Bei estate infiltration critical. Warning—Teng Haoran's office compromised.
"Compromised?" Jingran muttered. "Ya think?"
Haoran caught it, his stare piercing. "Enough games, Miss Huo. That pendant—what is it?"
Jingran hesitated, the system urging: Reveal minimum. He's key to estate access.
She sighed. "It's… tied to HuoTech's tech. Xiwen wants it, probably to cover her tracks. Help me get into her estate, and I'll spill more."
He crossed his arms, skeptical. "Why should I trust you?"
"Because I'm bleeding on your rug," she said, smirking. "That's gotta count for something."
Lanyi choked back a laugh. Haoran's eyes softened, just a hair. "You're impossible."
"Guilty," Jingran said, but her phone buzzed, killing the mood. A new text, no sender: You broke my toy, Huo. Try my estate, and you'll meet the real me.
Attached was a live feed: Jingran's apartment, trashed, with fox claw marks on the walls.
Jingran's blood ran cold. "She's in my house?"
Haoran glanced at her phone, his face unreadable. "You're staying at my safehouse tonight."
She blinked. "Safehouse? What, you're Batman now?"
He didn't smile. "Move, or I leave you to Xiwen's 'real me.'"
The system pinged: New task: Secure Haoran's safehouse. Hidden threat detected—Lu Mingxu approaching.
Jingran's mind snagged on the name—Lu Mingxu, the reclusive hacker from Jingran's memories, tied to her pendant's origins. As Haoran led them to the elevator, her pendant pulsed, and a vision hit: Xiwen in that temple, but now Lu Mingxu stood beside her, his eyes glowing amber.
Jingran gripped Lanyi's arm, whispering, "We're in deeper than I thought."
Lanyi nodded, grim. "Welcome to Shanghai, boss."