Return of Black Lotus system:Taming Cheating Male Leads

Chapter 354 --354

He had meticulously prepared himself to protect his wife from thugs, assassins, rival politicians, and arrogant noblemen. He had ’not’, in his wildest nightmares, anticipated having to fiercely guard his wife against a horde of incredibly thirsty women.

It was utterly absurd. Why the hell did he need to protect his wife from ’other women’?!

When a particularly bold young lady decided to employ the oldest trick in the book—pretending to twist her ankle and swooning directly toward Heena’s chest—Samuel finally snapped.

Before the girl could even make contact, Samuel moved with the terrifying speed of a seasoned martial artist. His strong arm shot out like a steel band, wrapping tightly around Heena’s slender waist. With a single, forceful tug, he pulled Heena backward, plastering her back flush against his broad chest.

The swooning woman missed her target entirely and landed ungracefully in the dirt with a startled squeak.

"Young Master," Samuel murmured, his deep voice carrying a dark, warning edge as he looked down at Heena, keeping her securely caged against his body. "The streets of the capital are terribly uneven today. Please, be careful where you step."

Heena shot him a flat, sideways glare, perfectly aware of what he was doing, but Samuel didn’t care.

And as it turned out, neither did the women in the crowd.

Because it didn’t matter if it was the ancient era, the modern era, or the dawn of civilization—there is a universal law of romance that transcends time: women absolutely love seeing two beautiful men wrapped up in an intensely protective, highly charged dynamic.

The sight of the tall, dangerously handsome, dark-eyed "bodyguard" possessively pulling the delicate, rich "young master" into his arms completely short-circuited the crowd. The women who had just been trying to flirt with Heena instantly pivoted.

High-pitched squeals erupted. Silk fans shot up to cover blushing faces, but wide, excited eyes peeked eagerly through the gaps in their fingers. They were whispering furiously to one another, entirely captivated by the thick, undeniable tension radiating between the two men.

Samuel, an absolute genius when it came to manipulating a situation to his advantage, instantly realized the tactical value of this dynamic. If acting like a deeply devoted, boundary-crossing servant kept these women from touching his wife, he would give them the performance of a lifetime.

He leaned fully into the role.

A few minutes later, while Heena was busy haggling with a vendor over a jade hairpin, she absentmindedly took a bite of a sugar-coated pastry. A small speck of white sugar clung to the corner of her lip.

Instead of telling her, Samuel stepped directly into her personal space. He reached out, his long fingers gently cupping her jaw to stop her from moving. The entire street seemed to hold its breath. With agonizing slowness, Samuel dragged his thumb across her lower lip, wiping the sugar away. His dark eyes never left hers, the gaze so intensely focused and heavy with unspoken possession that the merchant actually forgot how to count his coins.

"You had a crumb, Young Master," Samuel whispered, his voice dark and husky.

Heena batted his hand away with an annoyed scowl, but the damage was done. The surrounding women were practically hyperventilating.

Later, when Heena was admiring a bolt of fabric, Samuel moved behind her again. He leaned in so close that his chest brushed against her back, his face hovering mere inches from the crook of her neck. He reached out, his fingers brushing intimately against the nape of her neck and her shoulder, just to pluck a single, practically invisible stray thread from her collar.

He stayed there for a fraction of a second longer than necessary, slowly lifting his eyes to level a cold, terrifying glare at any woman who dared to look at Heena for too long. The message was loud, clear, and universally understood: ’Mine. Look all you want, but do not touch.’

Heena, completely aware of the ridiculous show he was putting on, just sighed internally and let him do it. It kept the overly friendly girls away, it maintained her cover, and honestly? Watching the brilliant, ruthless Samuel reduce himself to a jealous, over-protective prop just to ward off a bunch of giggling noblewomen was the funniest thing she had seen all week.

And surprise, surprise—the sleeping beauty finally woke up.

’[HOST!]’

The sudden, booming voice echoed in Heena’s mind, practically vibrating with digital venom and sheer, unadulterated fury.

Heena paused her leisurely stroll, a small, amused smirk tugging at her lips. In her mind’s eye, the System materialized before her, and if its holographic avatar could possess a physical expression, its face would be as dark as the bottom of a well. She had genuinely never seen the little AI radiate so much pure, concentrated anger.

"Ah," Heena murmured, completely and utterly unfazed by the hostility. "Has it really been four hours already? Time certainly flies when you’re having fun."

She glanced over at Samuel. The usually terrifying, imposing scholar was currently buried under a literal mountain of wrapped gifts, silk boxes, jade trinkets, and food parcels, looking like a heavily burdened pack mule. Satisfied with her haul, Heena nodded. "We have enough. Let’s head back to the hotel."

As she turned to walk away, the System’s absolute disbelief shattered into a full-blown, code-breaking meltdown.

’[You—! How could you?!]’ the System shrieked, throwing a massive digital tantrum. ’[How could you just force a hard shutdown on me?! Do you have any idea how disorienting it is to wake up from that?! I wanted to see the capital! I wanted to see the shopping and the drama! You locked me in the dark for four entire hours!]’

Heena casually lifted a hand, pretending to clean out her ear with her pinky finger to block out the loud ringing in her head.

"Don’t be so dramatic," she replied mentally, her tone dripping with fake innocence. "I did it for your own good. You are always whining about how tired you are and how much I overwork you. I simply wanted to ensure you got some proper, uninterrupted rest."

’[Don’t you dare lie to me!]’ the System wailed, sounding as though it were weeping actual, pixelated tears. ’[You didn’t do it for my health! You did it because you’re incredibly vindictive and wanted to punish me for calling you useless! You deliberately made me miss the entire shopping spree! Oh, heavens, what kind of terrible sins did I commit in my past compilation to get bound to a Host like you?! You don’t care about my feelings at all!]’

Heena just chuckled, popping another piece of sweet pastry into her mouth as she casually strolled back down the bustling street, leaving Samuel to carry the towering pile of boxes behind her.

’Oh, stop crying,’ Heena thought back cheerfully. ’I care enough to make sure you were awake for the walk back, didn’t I?’

The System was absolutely not done. It was, in fact, just getting warmed up.

​If it had lungs, it would have been hyperventilating. Instead, it manifested in Heena’s mind as a furiously vibrating ball of red, glitching light, pacing back and forth and dramatically throwing its invisible hands in the air.