Huo Jingran dove behind Guangli's desk as the Huo estate's office chandelier crashed to the floor, crystal shards exploding like a grenade in a bad FPS game. The fox construct—Xiwen's latest magical middle finger—roared, its claws shredding a tapestry older than Shanghai's skyline. The room shook, Huo family portraits rattling as Jingran's pendant blazed, runes flickering like a glitching HUD.
"Worst. Family. Reunion. Ever!" Jingran yelled, gripping her vase-turned-weapon. Her arm throbbed from the construct's earlier swipe, but adrenaline kept her sharp. Xiwen's voice still echoed from the beast—"Time's up, Huo"—and Jingran wasn't about to let that witch win.
Teng Haoran, cool as ever, slammed a chair into the fox's flank, buying her a second. "Move, Jingran!" he barked, dodging a tail that smashed a bookshelf to splinters.
"On it, Captain CEO!" she shot back, rolling toward the glowing safe—her only lead to whatever "artifact" the system was yapping about. Her pendant's voice cut through the chaos: Jade Whisper alert: Neutralize construct. Access Huo family artifact—jade seal. Reward: Jade Protocol data. Penalty: Estate lockdown.
Jingran snorted, ducking a claw. "Lockdown? This place is already a prison with better decor!"
Huo Guangli, her adoptive father, cowered behind a couch, his suit rumpled, face red with fury. "Jingran, you brought this thing here? You're a curse!"
Mei Qiongyu, his icy wife, clutched her qipao, hissing, "We should've left you on the streets!"
Jingran's grin was feral, masking the sting of their words. "Love you too, fam. Maybe help instead of whining?"
Huo Meilin, her perfect sister, screamed from the corner, less poised young miss and more banshee now. "You ruin everything, Jingran! Get out!"
"Working on it, princess!" Jingran snapped, focusing on the safe. Its glow pulsed in sync with her pendant, runes etching the air. The system urged: Channel runes to unlock. Success chance: 67%.
"Better odds than my last gacha pull," Jingran muttered, thrusting her pendant forward. Green light flared, and the safe's lock clicked, but the construct lunged, jaws snapping inches from her face.
Shao Lanyi, ever the MVP, hurled a paperweight—thunk—nailing the fox's eye. "Eat that, Fido!" she yelled, scrambling to Jingran's side.
Jingran laughed despite the terror. "Lanyi, you're hired for life."
Haoran tackled the construct, pinning it briefly with a toppled cabinet. "Safe—now!" he growled.
Jingran yanked the safe open, revealing a jade seal the size of her fist, carved with coiling dragons and pulsing with the same eerie light as her pendant. She grabbed it, and a memory—not hers—hit like a lag spike: Jingran's adoptive mother, years ago, whispering, This seal's our shame. Hide it. The vision cut off, leaving Jingran dizzy.
"Shame?" she muttered, shoving the seal in her clutch. "More like a plot coupon."
The construct broke free, shattering Haoran's makeshift cage. Guangli shouted, "Security!" but the estate's guards were nowhere—probably fleeing Xiwen's magic. Meilin sobbed, useless, while Qiongyu's glare burned hotter than the fox's eyes.
Jingran threw up a rune shield, pain spiking her skull—mana drain, her least favorite game mechanic. The system chimed: Construct weakening. Direct seal's power to banish. Success chance: 71%.
"Banish? Like, yeet it to Narnia?" Jingran asked, dodging a claw. She gripped the seal, its warmth buzzing like an overclocked GPU. Focusing, she pictured the fox gone—poof, like a bad mod. Runes swirled from the seal, slamming into the construct. It howled, dissolving into green sparks, leaving only scorched carpet and Xiwen's fading laugh: "You can't hide, Huo."
Jingran slumped, panting. "Zero stars, Xiwen. Lousy boss design."
Haoran pulled her up, his grip firm but not gentle. "You're reckless," he said, eyes scanning her for injuries. "Effective, but reckless."
"Aw, you noticed," Jingran said, flashing a grin. His scowl softened, just a hair, and her stomach did a stupid flip. Not now, hormones.
Lanyi dusted off her jacket, muttering, "This family's worse than my last startup's board."
Guangli stormed over, face purple. "Jingran, what was that monster? You've destroyed our home!"
Qiongyu pointed a trembling finger. "You're no daughter. You're a liability—worse than your failures at HuoTech!"
Jingran's chest tightened, Jingran's memories flooding in: years of their cold shoulders, Meilin's taunts, public disownments. She straightened, voice steady. "Liability? I just saved your asses from Xiwen's pet. A 'thanks' would be nice."
Meilin scoffed, mascara streaked. "Thanks? You brought this curse! You're jealous—of me, of Xiwen—because you're nothing."
Jingran's laugh was sharp. "Jealous? Of your knockoff drama queen act? Pass."
Haoran stepped forward, voice low. "Enough. Miss Huo's got evidence—HuoTech's sabotage wasn't her fault. You'd know, Guangli, if you'd looked past your pride."
Guangli sputtered, but Qiongyu's eyes narrowed, calculating. Meilin's glare darted to the seal in Jingran's clutch, like she recognized it. Interesting, Jingran thought, filing that away.
The system pinged: Task complete. Jade Protocol data unlocked—Huo family tied to Bei sorcery. New task: Analyze seal at secure location. Warning—Huo Meilin's hostility rising.
"Rising?" Jingran muttered. "What's she gonna do, throw her tiara at me?"
Lanyi nudged her, whispering, "Boss, let's bounce. This place gives me hives."
Jingran nodded, but Guangli blocked her path, his bulk intimidating. "You're not leaving with that," he said, eyeing the seal. "It's Huo property."
Jingran clutched it tighter, grinning. "Funny, you didn't care when it was collecting dust. Step off, or I'll call another fox for round two."
Qiongyu gasped, but Guangli hesitated, pride warring with fear. Haoran's presence—calm, commanding—tipped the scales. "We're done here," he said, guiding Jingran toward the door. Lanyi followed, laptop under arm, throwing Meilin a mock salute.
The foyer was a wreck—shattered vases, claw marks on marble. Jingran's pendant hummed, sensing… eyes again. Not constructs, but someone. She glanced back, catching Meilin whispering to a maid, her smirk too knowing for Jingran's liking.
Outside, rain had stopped, Jiading's quiet streets gleaming under streetlights. Haoran's car waited, but Jingran paused, the seal heavy in her hand. "This thing's trouble," she said, more to herself.
Haoran's gaze was unreadable. "Trouble's your specialty, Miss Huo."
"Flatterer," she said, sliding into the backseat with Lanyi. As Haoran drove, the system chimed: Seal analysis requires HuoTech lab access. Risk—Huo family pursuit. Opportunity—Haoran's resources.
Jingran leaned forward. "Hey, Haoran, got a secret lab in that CEO arsenal? I need to crack this seal without my family breathing down my neck."
He didn't look back, but his voice held a smirk. "You assume I trust you enough for my labs."
"Ouch," Jingran said, clutching her heart. "I'm wounded. Also, you're stuck with me, so deal."
Lanyi laughed, but her phone buzzed, screen lighting up with an X post: Huo Jingran's Latest Stunt—Terror at Family Estate? A blurry photo showed the fox construct, captioned, Shanghai's Trash Heiress Strikes Again.
Jingran groaned. "Xiwen's got paparazzi on speed dial. Classy."
Haoran's eyes flicked to the rearview. "You're a magnet for chaos."
"Says the guy driving me through it," she shot back, but her grin faded as the seal pulsed, warm and heavy. Another memory hit—Jingran, a teen, overhearing Guangli: The seal's dangerous. If Jingran knew, she'd ruin us.
"Ruin?" she whispered, confused. The Huo family wasn't just cruel—they were hiding something big, tied to Xiwen's sorcery.
The system warned: New threat detected—Huo Meilin contacting unknown ally. Immediate action advised.
Jingran's gut twisted. "Lanyi, check Meilin's X—anything weird?"
Lanyi scrolled, frowning. "She just posted—cryptic stuff about 'family secrets.' Tagged someone… no profile. Shady."
Jingran's pendant flared, and the car's radio crackled, Xiwen's voice hissing through static: "You took my seal, Huo. I'll take everything."
Haoran swerved, cursing, as the road ahead shimmered—a fox construct, massive, materialized, blocking their path. Its eyes glowed amber, and Jingran's seal burned in response, runes sparking wildly.
"Oh, come on!" Jingran yelled, gripping the seal. "This family reunion needs less claws, more cake!"
The system blared: New task: Survive ambush. Protect seal at all costs.
Jingran met Haoran's eyes, his grip tight on the wheel. "Floor it?" she asked.
He smirked. "Hold on."