Shipping a Couple

All the spotlights instantly swung toward the entrance to the stage.

There, a woman in a white bodysuit stood with an expression that said, "I want to kill everyone."

Jessica Jones.

She was about to lose her mind.

"Fuck... fuck... fuck..." Standing onstage, she cursed Wu Yanzu's ancestors for eighteen generations in her head.

She was wearing the dumbest outfit she had ever seen in her life.

That pearlescent white bodysuit was so tight she could barely breathe.

Those damned memory fibers outlined every curve of her body with perfect clarity, making her feel as if she had been stripped naked.

"Fuck..." Faced with the thousands of eyes below the stage, her legs went a little weak.

"Go on, Queen," Ashley encouraged her softly from behind. "Smile! Remember your training! Show eight teeth!"

"Fuck off."

Jessica cursed, but she still forced herself to walk out.

The moment she stepped into the spotlight, the entire theater erupted once more.

What did they see?

A woman unlike any they had ever seen before.

She was tall, at least five foot seven, and that white battle suit made her look like an ancient Greek goddess of war.

Unlike those frail red-carpet starlets, she radiated strength.

Most deadly of all was her face—pale, exquisite, yet carrying an icy aloofness that warned strangers to stay away.

That sense of fragility, paired with her sacred-looking battle suit, created a fatally adorable contrast!

"Wow..." a top Hollywood director muttered from below the stage. "That face... that presence..."

Bang!

A reporter was the first to react and hit the shutter!

Then another storm of camera flashes swallowed everything!

"Who is she?!"

"Queen Jones?! That name is so cool!"

"Oh my God... she... she's so hot!"

Jessica Jones had never been watched by so many people at once in her entire life.

Ever since childhood, people had looked at her with fear, disgust, as if she were some kind of freak.

But here...

She heard cheers, screams, and praise.

Her heart, numbed by alcohol, suddenly... beat a little faster.

This feeling... She instinctively straightened her back. Fuck... this actually... isn't half bad?

Wu Yanzu walked over with a smile. Under the eyes of the entire world, he naturally reached out and wrapped an arm around Jessica's waist.

Jessica's body instantly went rigid!

"Take your..." She was just about to curse him out.

But Wu Yanzu whispered in her ear, quiet enough that only the two of them could hear. "Smile, darling. You're the face of The Seven now. If you dare screw this up... tomorrow, I'll make you hand out flyers in Times Square wearing that outfit."

"...You blond bastard!"

Jessica gritted her teeth, but she still forced out a smile uglier than crying.

Yet through the cameras, it became "the Queen's shyness"!

That photo of "Homelander holding the mysterious Queen" spread across social media within a second!

Just then, a heavenly sound rang out in Wu Yanzu's mind!

**Ding—!**

"Congratulations, Host! You have successfully created the Popularity Group 'The Seven' (Members: 2/7)!"

"New function unlocked: Popularity Group Module!"

"Module description: As the team leader, you will become deeply linked to the Popularity Points of all group members."

"Rules:

Popularity Sharing (Upward): Positive Popularity Points earned by other official members of the group will automatically be converted into the Host's Popularity Points at a rate of 50%.

Risk Sharing (Downward): If group members generate negative Popularity Points, 30% of that amount will be deducted from the Host's Popularity Points."

Wu Yanzu's breathing stopped for half a second.

The rewards outweigh the risks. The advantage is mine!

That meant he no longer needed to do everything himself. He just needed to create idols and let them harvest Popularity Points for him!

"Popularity Group Module activated... 50% conversion in progress..."

"Ding! Host has gained Popularity Points +15,250! (From Queen Jones)"

"Ding! Host has gained Popularity Points +17,501! (From Queen Jones)"

"..."

"Great! It works!" Wu Yanzu looked at the skyrocketing numbers on the panel and tightened his arm around Jessica.

"All right! I know everyone has plenty of questions!" Ashley stepped forward at just the right moment, pushing the atmosphere to its peak. "Now, it's time for media questions!"

A female reporter from E! News was the first to grab the microphone, and even her voice trembled.

"Oh my God! Homelander! Queen Jones! This is incredible!"

"May I ask... you two... you..." She took a deep breath and asked the most explosive question. "Are you... dating?! Are you a super couple?!"

Pfft—!

Tony Stark, who had just taken a sip of champagne, nearly sprayed it out.

"What?!" Jessica Jones, a woman who could flip a truck with her bare hands, turned red as a cooked shrimp the instant she heard that question!

"I... I... we..."

"This... this..."

She had never dated in her life! Her life had only ever been whiskey, fighting, and motherfucking! The word "dating" was more unfamiliar to her than the Chitauri!

She panicked, babbling incoherently, with a girlish look of helpless alarm in her eyes.

Every camera in the venue focused on her blazing-red face!

"Oh my God! She's blushing!!"

"So cute! The Queen is shy!"

"Ding! Popularity Points gained +1,123! (From Queen Jones)"

"Ding! Popularity Points gained +2,588! (From Queen Jones)"

"..."

Wu Yanzu was already laughing his head off inside. Keep it up, baby! Keep blushing! Don't stop!

He knew it was time for this Best Actor to take the stage.

He turned around and looked at the flustered Jessica beside him with a gentle, indulgent gaze.

He did not answer the question.

He simply raised a hand and gently used his fingers to tidy Jessica's carefully styled curls.

Then, holding the microphone, he smiled softly at Jessica.

"See? I told you."

"They all think we're a perfect match."

Click!!!!!!!!!!

At that moment, the entire theater seemed to have been hit by a flashbang!

Screams!

Whistles!

Cheering!

This was even deadlier than admitting they were in a relationship!

Ambiguity! Tension! That was what made for top-tier hype!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

"I ship it! I ship it!!"

"Is this an official announcement?! Is it?!!"

Jessica's brain had already crashed. She could only let Wu Yanzu's fingers brush through her hair, while her cheeks burned hot enough to fry an egg.

"You... you..." She wanted to curse him, but her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.