episode_0019

“I refuse.” Lin Yi had no interest in wasting words.

“Professor Lin Yi, you can’t just dismiss this without trying and assume the market won’t welcome it, can you?”

Shen Xixi remained smiling, her lips curled in a confident smirk, as if Lin Yi’s reaction was exactly what she had anticipated.

Yun Ling pulled out a stack of documents from her handbag—all the research she had compiled on Lin Yi’s works.

“The editorial department has discussed a bold idea. If a male-oriented work features multiple female characters revolving around the protagonist, it might elevate the popularity of the story. That’s the main reason I invited you both here today.”

Within the editorial department, Lin Yi’s work was a rare example of male-oriented fiction—the first of its kind she had ever handled.

In a market where 99% of male-oriented works followed a one-on-one dynamic, introducing multiple romantic interests could make Lin Yi’s novel the first truly groundbreaking male-oriented work under their label, potentially reshaping the entire market.

“See? Professor Yun Ling agrees too.”

Shen Xixi straightened her posture, crossing her long, shapely legs.

Yun Ling turned her gaze to Lin Yi, gripping his hand tightly as she spoke with anticipation,

“Professor Lin Yi, your work is the first male-oriented project I’ve been assigned. I really want to take it to new heights and bring fresh change to the entire male-oriented market. If we succeed, you could become a milestone in this genre—a pioneer! Surely, you wouldn’t pass up this opportunity, would you?”

Huh?

Lin Yi stared blankly at his editor and then at Shen Xixi, who sat beside him with an amused smirk.

In this world, where men were subordinate to women, was he supposed to become the first revolutionary author to disrupt the male-oriented light novel market?

The first to take a bite of the peach?

“Professor Yun Ling, shouldn’t we reconsider this? Many must have tried before us, yet the market hasn’t changed at all. Doesn’t that prove this approach doesn’t work…”

Yun Ling shook her head, cutting him off.

“Professor Lin Yi, with Professor Shen Xixi’s influence, any work she’s involved in is guaranteed to rank within the top 15 of its genre for that month. The quality of your writing is what will determine whether this wave of attention leads to a real breakthrough.”

Lin Yi’s mouth fell open in shock, his hand aching slightly from Yun Ling’s tight grip.

[Main Quest: In this world where women dominate men, I’ll use the power in my hands to change everything! Prove to the world that men can write great novels too—that they can lead trends and are in no way inferior to women! Men shall not yield to women!]

[Quest Requirement: Write an entirely innovative and wildly successful male-oriented light novel, transforming the market.]

[Reward: Panel Information (allows viewing of detailed object info), Attribute Points ×10 (freely distributable on the panel)]

His system’s main quest had just appeared!

Lin Yi took a deep breath. In this female-dominated world, it wasn’t like his past life where women were physically disadvantaged—here, men faced genuine species-based discrimination.

If he stayed home and took care of the kids, no one would say a word.

But the moment he stepped into the workforce, countless scornful glares would pierce through him. Whispers and rumors would follow, questioning why a man dared to work—what right did he have?

A man should just stay home and mind the children!

Stop embarrassing yourself in public!

Even his wife, Zhuang Yayun, would face ridicule, berated for letting her husband work outside.

But now… if he could truly seize this opportunity and change everything—

A sharp, mocking, and desire-filled gaze shattered Lin Yi’s hesitation, drilling straight into his mind.

Tch!

Lin Yi jerked his head up, locking eyes with Shen Xixi.

[Side Quest: A good wife is the key to a good man’s growth. Go pursue Shen Xixi!]

[Quest Requirement: Proactively invite Shen Xixi to a meal. During dinner, gently caress her thigh, massage her, and soothe her fatigue. This will deepen your bond and make it easier to become a couple.]

[Reward: Stamina +2]

[Failure Penalty: Stamina, Skill, and Luck -3 each.]

[If Stamina drops to 1, the body becomes extremely fragile—common illnesses like colds could easily prove fatal. If Skill drops to 1, most basic life skills will be lost, even the ability to feed oneself. If Luck drops to 1, walking outside may result in being struck by a falling flowerpot.]

Lin Yi was speechless.

What kind of bullshit quest was this?!

Wasn’t Zhuang Yayun already his wife?!

Why was there a task to make Shen Xixi his girlfriend?

Had the system arrived over a year late… and brought outdated quests with it?!

Was this a mission from a year ago?!