Arson

YAN XUEYUE was so angry she was one outburst away from becoming an arsonist.

Any more talk or smell of the kitchen and she would burn down a villa.

Within the system space, Xiao Yi was omnipotent. She knew all her little thoughts, caught all her micro-actions, and could control her every move.

Her consciousness could only sit back in frustration as the little fairy played her like a puppet.

She had to stick her hands in the cavities of fish and pull out all their guts. She had to toss with the wok for thousands of times to practice proper technique, and cut her fingers multiple times trying to cut meat, as well as grit her teeth through oil splatters as punishment for over or under-seasoning a dish.

Yan Xueyue's fingers scrunched into a fist.

The little fairy was truly a master puppeteer. She was played like a fiddle under her cute and innocent guise; she was simply the devil. She had never seen any teacher like this!

The thought of eating her early products resurfaced and ran shudders down her spine. Was poisoning herself worth it for that stupid man?

Yan Xueyue ran a hand over her hair. "Ah! I've never been treated like this before! It's so frustrating!"

Gentle rumbles of the elevator echoed, forcing Yan Xueyue to put on a stiff face.

Bai Yi poked his head out of the elevator doors. His brows immediately went meek, contorting into weird shapes.

"P-president Yan," he squeaked like a mouse. "I-I've done as you asked."

Yan Xueyue did not know that her stiff brows made her look even more ferocious than usual, but she did know she must have looked bad and out of place.

Her chair swivelled around and faced the giant glass panels of her office windows. The sight of burnt fabric, wet spots, and disheveled hair appeared in the reflection.

Helpless, Yan Xueyue could guess what was going on in Bai Yi's mind. He was gone for less than five minutes and returned only to find a tornado disaster victim.

The little fairy had long dematerialized into God knows where, hiding from her fury. In her heart, she knew she should keep the system a secret. She struggled to produce an explanation, so her expression could only grow more frosty: her colder glare giving the impression of wanting to slice off one's head with an icicle.

"A change of clothes."

Bai Yi stepped into the elevator before she could even finish, bowing 90 degrees. "I'll be right back, young miss ... d-don't worry, I will hypnotize myself later and forget what I saw ... p-please don't call the young master!"

Yan Xueyue slammed her laptop shut, knowing more trouble would ensue if she continued talking. She scribbled two more signatures before she dusted her suit and followed Bai Yi into the elevator. 

"Whatever. I'll get the clothes myself. Clear the cafeteria staff instead," she spat. "Give them a day off. I will make something."

Yan Xueyue caught Bai Yi stiffen and inhale shallow breaths. Her mind kicked into high gear instinctively for a reasonable explanation.

"Young miss, d-did you eat something funny or take the wrong medicine today? Y-you want to cook? Are you s-so generous?"

Her heavy gaze landed on him. "Qiao Weiqing just won the Starlight Award, correct? I'll congratulate him."

"Y-young miss..."

Yan Xueyue stepped into the elevator and crossed her arms. 

"You're talkative today," she dropped coldly.

Bai Yi shrank into the corner and obediently pressed the button to the second floor. "Yes, President Yan." 

Yan Xueyue stepped out of the elevator doors and stepped into the floor dedicated to storing costumes and sets. 

Reverie Entertainment could be considered a multi-national company. Yan Xueyue worked tirelessly to bring it to its height. She had received the small filmmaking studio her mother had started as a birthday present and turned it to a major film studio, talent agency, and record label. 

Though she has since stepped away from direct production and moved on to the more finance side of the industry in distribution and investments, that was only in name. Production always ran by her eyes and ears. Auditions, reshoots, samples, recordings were so frequent to her she decided to keep well-equipped studio facilities handy. 

When she returned to the elevator with a new suit and her hair done, Qiao Weiqing was inside. Yan Xueyue was a bit taken aback, but she did not let it show. A congratulatory meal was more of an underprepared excuse to explain the predicament with Bai Yi. She was not exactly ready to face cook for him so quickly, though Xiao Yi had ingrained and tortured her with the 'Advanced Cooking' skill. 

Yan Xueyue raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. She thought about the fact that he liked her so much, and like Xiao Yi said, cooking a meal for him would certainly make him smile, right? 

Although the experience was torture, she had to admit that Xiao Yi and the system was magical. People needed 10,000 hours to master their craft or their skills, whilst she did not need to take a microsecond. She could see a lot of practical uses with other skills — martial arts, hacking, law, to beat and discredit that woman. 

Make Qiao Weiqing smile and repay his love for their previous life and gain a new skill at it — she did not need to be a genius businesswoman to pick her odds and chances. She strode into the elevator confidently. "Did Bai Yi tell you yet? You did not eat breakfast and I never congratulated you on winning the Starlight Award, so I'lll make you a meal." 

Yan Xueyue rested her gaze on his stoic expression, trying to find his elated smile. The stupid man should be beaming with joy, right? 

Seconds past, then a whole minute. It never came. Qiao Weiqing's face remained as unfeeling as a block of ice. They reached all the way to the top floor of her office before he finally spoke. "No. I was looking for you." 

Yan Xueyue noted the distant and uncomfortable tone of his words. A strange, foreign sense of loss crept up in her chest that slowly tightened. Her lips pursued. Why wasn't he smiling when he was supposed to be? 

In the past, some films and albums were not released to critical acclaim and success as she had expected, but even then she had never felt such a distraught sense of loss. 

Why was she so let down?