Return of Black Lotus system:Taming Cheating Male Leads

Chapter 341 --341

Heena sat in her imaginary armchair, processing everything she’d just witnessed.

Then she let out a long, slow whistle.

’Well,’ she thought, a dangerous, calculating smile forming in the darkness of her unconscious mind. ’THAT explains why this mission was classified as high-difficulty despite the apparently simple objective.’

’This isn’t just about defeating a villainess and her corrupt lover.’

’Looks like I’m going to have to pay a visit to my dear "mother,"’ Heena thought with a wide, predatory smile spreading across her mental form.

And honestly? This realization made her feel genuinely EXCITED for the first time since arriving in this world.

She had been so frustrated and bored while dealing with Maya and the others.

They were such clueless, amateur schemers. Child’s play, really.

If Heena wanted to, she could have killed them all in ONE day. Finished them off completely, made their lives absolute hell with minimal effort.

So it had been incredibly boring coming to this world and having to go through all this tedious nonsense, pretending these people were actual threats worth her time.

But NOW—now she had discovered what this mission was REALLY about.

NOW she had a challenge actually worthy of her skills.

A corrupt Marquis household. A conspiracy involving multiple nobles. A mother who murdered her own daughter. Stolen inheritance. Political intrigue.

’THIS’ is what a proper high-difficulty mission should look like.

As Heena’s consciousness prepared to return to the waking world, she yawned mentally and began the process of opening her eyes—

But then she paused.

Because she heard a voice.

A familiar, small voice that was... crying?

---

’’[The System’s Vigil]’’

The System was sitting beside Heena’s unconscious body, tears streaming down his little lion face.

"Host, please wake up," he sniffled quietly. "Please, please, PLEASE."

His tiny paws were clasped together almost like he was praying.

"I know you’re the most malicious, most underhanded, most bad-tempered, and most unhinged person I’ve ever worked with," he said through his tears. "And yes, you’re also a little greedy and violent and completely unreasonable most of the time—"

He wiped his eyes with his paw.

"But you’re still MY Host. And I want you to wake up. I NEED you to wake up."

He thought desperately for something that might motivate her.

"If you wake up," he offered, "I’ll let you have my special imported coffee! For a whole day!"

Inside her mind, Heena—who had been about to open her eyes—immediately reconsidered.

’Wait. This damn bastard wants to give me his COFFEE? The coffee HE’S already been drinking from? That’s disgusting! I don’t want his saliva-contaminated coffee!’

The System continued, unaware of her internal commentary: "No, wait, Host—if you wake up, I’ll give you my SALARY!"

He paused, reconsidering.

"No, no, no. I can’t give you my whole salary. You’ve already taken most of it through our bets! Um... I’ll give you some MONEY? Just a little bit?"

Another pause.

"But you’re such a greedy person that if I give you even a little bit, you’ll probably scheme to steal ALL of it somehow..."

He wrung his paws anxiously.

"What should I do? What would motivate you to wake up?"

He started talking to himself, completely lost in his own rambling: "Well, if we’re being honest, YOU’RE actually the most greedy person I’ve ever seen! What type of Host tortures such a beautiful, cute, innocent little lion like me?!"

He touched his own face dramatically. "Look at this adorable face! How can you be so cruel to—"

He was completely lost in his self-pitying monologue when suddenly—

Heena’s eyes snapped open.

She sat up smoothly and immediately grabbed the System by the scruff of his neck, yanking him toward her.

"AIEEEE!" the System screamed in surprise.

Heena smiled at him—a smile that didn’t reach her eyes—and said sweetly, "Oh my, you were MISSING me, huh?"

Then her expression shifted to pure annoyance.

"You fucking moron."

’SMACK!’

Her hand came down hard on the System’s fluffy bottom.

The System yelped and started rubbing his now-reddened backside with both paws, tears forming in his eyes again—but this time from the physical pain rather than emotional distress.

"What type of violent person are you?!" he complained. "Always hitting my butt! That’s abuse! That’s System harassment!"

Heena looked at him and raised her hand threateningly. "Do you want to be hit AGAIN?"

The System immediately shut his mouth, clamping both paws over it.

’Well, it’s not entirely Heena’s fault,’ an objective observer might note. ’The System’s bottom really IS remarkably soft. Heena has to admit this is the primary reason she allows him to maintain this lion form instead of something else. His bottom is so perfectly soft and fluffy that when she hits it, it literally JIGGLES in the most satisfying way.’

But back to the important matters.

---

’’[Catching Up on Current Events]’’

The System, still rubbing his sore backside, gave Heena a brief summary of everything that had happened during her three-day coma:

Samuel had used her poisoning as the perfect excuse to completely destroy Maya’s position in the household.

He’d told his father EVERYTHING—the affair, the schemes, the poison.

The old Master had another massive heart attack upon hearing the news.

And then—conveniently, while delirious and weak—he’d been persuaded to write a will leaving everything to Samuel.

The old Master had "ascended to hell" (because Heena absolutely refused to say "heaven"—that perverted old bastard did NOT deserve any heavenly destination) approximately twelve hours ago.

Today was actually his death ceremony, with the funeral arrangements being finalized.

Maya was now under house arrest as the primary suspect in the old Master’s death, with multiple witnesses testifying to her suspicious behavior and the anonymous evidence that had been circulating.

Chen Yifan had been recalled to the capital for "performance review" by his superiors—essentially exiled from the region before he could interfere further.

Everything was proceeding according to plan. Actually, better than Heena’s original plan, because Samuel had been ruthlessly efficient.

Heena had to say she was genuinely impressed.

She’d known Samuel was capable, but she hadn’t expected him to be THIS ruthlessly thorough.

’He didn’t even need me awake to finish destroying Maya,’ she thought with satisfaction. ’My plan to gradually sow discord was completely bypassed in favor of direct, brutal exposure.’

’Well, the end result is the same. And this way I didn’t have to dirty my hands personally.’

She was contemplating her next moves—specifically how to approach the Marquis situation—when suddenly the door to the room burst open.

---

’’[Samuel’s Return]’’

Samuel walked inside, his expression carefully composed into something appropriately grief-stricken and exhausted for someone whose father had just died.

Then he saw Heena sitting up in bed, clearly awake and conscious.

His eyes literally GLOWED with relief and joy.

And Heena had to admit—this man normally looked absolutely gorgeous, like some fairy tale prince who had descended to earth.

But right now? He looked TERRIBLE.

His beard had grown out completely unshaven, giving him a rough, unkempt appearance like some hermit who’d been living in the mountains.

Dark circles under his eyes suggested he hadn’t slept properly in days.

His clothes, while clean, were rumpled and carelessly worn.

His hair was disheveled.

’God knows what this man has been doing to himself while I was unconscious,’ Heena thought.