**Scene 1: The CEO's Gambit**
Yanchen stared at the "Most Popular Profession" poll, his cursor hovering over *Mama's Girl*. The rules flashed mockingly: *CEOs: 500 votes*. A single click would publicly link his verified account to Sophia's absurd career—a digital declaration of war against his own mother's ambitions.
He clicked.
The poll exploded.
**Live Chat (Career Spotlight):**
[WAIT—LI YANCHEN JUST VOTED FOR MAMA'S GIRL???]
[CEO OF LI CORP SIMPING FOR SOPHIA?]
[IS THIS A MERGER OR A MARRIAGE?]
Mrs. Li's call came instantly. "*Explain.*"
Yanchen leaned back, watching Sophia's stream on his second screen—she was now teaching Alexander to dab. "Market research, Mother. The 'Mama's Girl' brand is… *disruptive*. Li Corp could learn from her engagement metrics."
Silence. Then: "Bring her to the gala. *Wear the neon.*"
---
**Scene 2: The Sterling War Room**
Eleanor Sterling's penthouse office buzzed with crisis energy. Sophia sprawled on a chaise, crunching gold-dusted popcorn. "Yanchen voted for me? *Pathetic.*"
Eleanor didn't glance up from her stock tickers. "Pathetic? He just inflated your career's valuation by 300%. We're leveraging this. You're attending the Li Charity Gala."
"In *what*? A neon straitjacket?"
"In *this*." Eleanor slid a garment bag across the table. Inside: a gown woven with fiber-optic threads, programmed to display real-time stock prices. "Wear it. Smile. Mention your 'synergy' with Li Corp."
Sophia gagged. "I'd rather marry a feral raccoon."
Alexander, practicing guitar riffs in the corner, sniffled. "But the *gifts*, sweetheart! Imagine the dowry! The *cake*!"
---
**Scene 3: Isabella's Nuclear Option**
Isabella Montgomery's penthouse reeked of burnt sage and desperation. Her publicist paced, clutching a tablet. "Sophia's poll lead is *obscene*. We need drama. A scandal. *Nudity.*"
Isabella scrolled through Yanchen's voting receipt—*500 votes for Mama's Girl*—and smirked. "Get me paparazzi at the Li Gala. And a dress slit to *Canada.*"
Lucian Vaughn, sipping a martini in the corner, raised a brow. "Darling, your Q3 likability metrics require *subtlety*."
"Subtlety?" Isabella hissed. "Sophia's father feeds her *truffles* on stream. This is war."
---
**Scene 4: The Gala (Or: How to Break the Internet)**
The Li Charity Gala was a sea of black-tie monotony—until Sophia arrived. Her fiber-optic dress screamed NASDAQ in emerald green, her hair a vertical ponytail now housing a live ferret (rented, for "organic engagement").
Yanchen met her at the door, his tuxedo tailored to within an inch of its life. "You look… *luminous.*"
"You look… *tax-deductible*," Sophia shot back, adjusting her ferret. "Let's get this over with."
As they posed for cameras, Isabella slithered into frame, her gown's slit defying physics. "*Yanchen!*" she purred. "Fancy seeing you here… *off-stream.*"
Sophia yawned. "Isabella. How's the slap count? Double digits yet?"
**Live Chat (Gala Livestream):**
[ISABELLA'S DRESS IS A CRIME.]
[SOPHIA'S FERRET HAS ITS OWN TWITTER.]
[YANCHEN'S FACE: 'HELP ME.']
---
**Scene 5: The "Accidental" Kiss**
Mid-gala, Isabella "tripped" into Yanchen, her lips grazing his cheek as paparazzi erupted. Sophia, mid-bite of a truffle canapé, rolled her eyes.
"*Oops*," Isabella simpered. "Clumsy me!"
Yanchen wiped his cheek with a monogrammed handkerchief. "No harm done. Though you might want to… *rehearse* your stunts."
Sophia snorted, then froze—Eleanor's text glowed on her phone:
*Kiss him. Now.*
"*Ugh.*" Sophia grabbed Yanchen's tie, yanking him into a ferret-separated, camera-ready kiss. "This better go viral."
**Live Chat:**
[HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT]
[SCREENSHOTTING FOR DIVORCE COURT.]
[THE FERRET'S REACTION 😱]
---
**Scene 6: The Aftermath**
In the Li Corp limo, Yanchen stared at Sophia, his lips still tingling. "That was…"
"A business transaction," Sophia finished, checking her phone. "We're trending. Mom's thrilled."
Yanchen's smile was razor-thin. "And if I'm *not*?"
Sophia tossed him a truffle. "Then sue me. But first—help me name the ferret."
---
**Live Chat Finale:**
[#FERETTEGATE]
[I SHIP IT AGAINST MY WILL.]
[SOPHIA STERLING: CEO OF CHAOS.]
Isabella, watching from her limo, hurled her phone into traffic. Sophia's kiss had 10M views in 10 minutes.
Alexander, at home, sobbed into his guitar. "My baby's first fake kiss! *So proud!*"
Eleanor transferred $1M to Sophia's account. Subject line: *Performance bonus.*
And Yanchen? He Googled "how to adopt a ferret."
---
**Next Chapter Teaser:**
The ferret becomes a meme. Isabella hires a wildlife trainer. Lucian invests in ferret crypto. And Alexander starts a boy band.