The Goddess Spends 1 Yuan on Me, and the System Returns 10,000 Times - Chapter 1:

Chapter 1: The Soft-Rice Tycoon System.

Huaxia, Donghai City.

July 6th, Saturday, clear skies.

Inside a Japanese restaurant in Yida Plaza, the atmosphere was calm, filled with the faint aroma of fresh seafood.

Li Ting held up her phone in front of Chen Qi and said, “Baby, look, my bestie’s boyfriend bought her an iPhone 15 Pro.”

Chen Qi only gave it a casual glance, his attention clearly elsewhere. “Pretty rich… that must be over 10,000 yuan, right?”

Right now, forget 10,000—even 100 yuan was something he couldn’t take out confidently.

His gaze drifted back to the credit card bill on his phone. Next month, he had to repay more than 5,000 yuan. This meal alone would probably cost over 600 yuan. A faint pressure tightened in his chest—he might not even be able to afford it.

Li Ting shook her head and said, “No, just over 8,000. My birthday’s next month. Baby, you can buy me one, right?”

Over 8,000… Chen Qi felt a bitter laugh rise in his throat. Sell a kidney? Sell himself? He couldn’t even handle this meal bill.

He forced a smile and said, “Baby… can we maybe choose something a bit cheaper?”

Li Ting froze for a moment, then frowned. “What are you talking about? This is the first time I’ve asked you for a gift, and you’re refusing?”

“I’ve been tight on money lately. I might not even be able to repay my credit card next month.”

“That’s your problem.”

Chen Qi’s fingers tightened slightly around the table edge. “But I really don’t have money anymore. And… relationships should be mutual, right? You should try to understand me too.”

Li Ting stared at him, her tone sharpening. “Then where did your money go?”

“We go out every week—eat, watch movies, shop at the supermarket. It easily goes over 1,000 yuan each time, and it’s gone just like that.”

Her expression turned cold in an instant. “Oh? So what you’re saying is… I’ve been spending your money?”

Chen Qi hesitated, but before he could speak, she continued, her voice edged with disdain, “My friends’ boyfriends give gifts worth several thousand, even tens of thousands. I’ve never asked you for that. And you still have the nerve to complain about meals and movies?”

“They go out every day. We only go out once a week. Have I ever complained?”

She wasn’t lying—she truly hadn’t asked for extravagant gifts.

But Chen Qi had reached his limit.

His parents had died in a car accident when he was in his first year of high school. He had relied on a small compensation payout to finish university. Now, at 26, he had been working for three years. While he wasn’t earning tens of thousands a month like people in big cities or online comments, an 8,000 yuan monthly salary in a third-tier city like Donghai was considered decent.

But rent alone cost him 1,200 yuan a month.

After dating Li Ting for over half a year, his monthly spending on meals and shopping had exceeded 5,000 yuan. Not once had she paid.

During holidays, he had to spend another 2,000 to 3,000 yuan on gifts. Just as she said, she hadn’t demanded expensive presents—but even this was already his absolute limit.

In those months with holidays, he couldn’t even afford instant noodles. He survived on plain noodles instead.

Where did people find those understanding girlfriends everyone talked about?

He hadn’t been foolish enough to take out online loans for a relationship—but this constant imbalance, this life where income never matched expenses, was suffocating him.

Sometimes, he felt like he was being manipulated… yet society seemed to normalize it. But why should it be like this?

Li Ting even felt she had already been “saving money” for him. She watched him silently, waiting for him to give in.

Chen Qi lowered his gaze. A strange calm settled over him.

“Maybe… we should just end it.”

Li Ting’s eyes snapped toward him. “What did you say?”

“I said… let’s break up.”

She let out a cold laugh. “Over a phone? You want to break up over a phone?”

“It’s not about the phone. It’s our values. Like before, when I suggested eating somewhere cheaper—200 or 300 yuan—you got angry immediately.”

“My income simply can’t support your lifestyle.”

“Fine, then break up,” she said sharply. “I’ve seen through you.”

She stood up abruptly, her voice filled with contempt. “I’ll pay for this meal. And don’t ever come looking for me again. Pathetic man.”

Chen Qi sat there, speechless.

He didn’t know what he had done wrong.

Maybe… being poor was the original sin.

Li Ting walked toward the cashier. He didn’t chase after her. Instead, he watched her back as she left, and for the first time in a long while, he felt a sense of relief.

At that moment…

[Ding!]

Chen Qi’s body jolted. “What was that sound?”

[Soft-Rice System has been activated!]

[When a goddess with charm value above 90 and no more than 3 past relationships spends money for you, you will receive a 10,000x cashback.]

His mind went blank.

A system… he had awakened a system?

But that name… Soft-Rice System? When had he ever lived off someone else? Li Ting hadn’t spent a single yuan on him.

[Target detected.]

[Name: Li Ting]

[Age: 25]

[Height: 163 cm]

[Charm Value: 90]

[Occupation: Accountant]

[Relationship Count: 3]

[Favorability: -10]

[Bind?]

They had just broken up. Logically, they should go their separate ways.

But curiosity surged within him. Without hesitation, he silently chose to bind.

[Received 617 Soft-Rice Coins. Cashback returned in Huaxia currency.]

Almost immediately, his phone vibrated with a message. He glanced at it—and his scalp tingled.

[Your Daxia Bank account has received 6,170,000 yuan.]

Chen Qi nearly fell off his chair.

617… that was exactly the price of this meal.

“Holy shit… that’s 10,000 times directly credited?”

He swallowed hard. “Soft-Rice System… can I use this money freely? Are there any restrictions?”

[You may use it freely. No restrictions.]

“That’s insane… But why are you the opposite of other systems? They all give cashback when you spend money on goddesses.”

“And you’re doing the reverse.”

[Nonsense. Look at my name.]

Chen Qi couldn’t help but think—someone like Li Ting, with her mindset, spending money on him was harder than reaching the heavens.

But if it were another goddess… someone more obedient, easier to persuade… if she willingly spent money on him…

Wouldn’t that mean endless profit?

[Do not even think about it. You are forbidden from asking or hinting for money. The goddess must spend voluntarily.]

Chen Qi coughed awkwardly. “System… just tell me all the rules at once. I don’t want to celebrate too early.”

[You may not directly transfer cash to the goddess.]

[You can hear the thoughts of goddesses with charm value above 90.]

[When favorability reaches 100, the goddess will be devoted to you until death. Wealth gained from her will double, and you will receive 10 attribute points.]

[Host: Chen Qi]

[Age: 26]

[Goddesses: 1]

[Skills: None]

[Intelligence: 10 (affects comprehension, learning ability, mental strength)]

[Stamina: 10 (determines endurance)]

[Strength: 10 (enough to crush with one punch)]

[Agility: 10 (fast enough to evade bullets)]

[Immunity: 10 (thick-skinned, resistant to all poisons)]

[Average human stats are 10. Attribute points can be used to enhance.]

At the cashier, Li Ting turned back and glanced at him, then crumpled the receipt into a ball and tossed it toward him.

[How did he awaken it…? We’ve already broken up… I don’t even know if I can find someone as handsome as him again. Hmph, with how pretty I am, of course I can.]

She didn’t speak a word.

But Chen Qi heard everything.

His family background and income might be lacking, but he was undeniably good-looking. Otherwise, a beauty like Li Ting wouldn’t have dated him in the first place.

He blinked, stunned. “Damn… System, did you choose me because I’m handsome?”

[No. I chose you because you have the potential to live off others.]

“…Fair enough.”

He scratched his head, then muttered, “But isn’t your cashback a bit low? Other systems give tens of billions directly.”

“You only give 10,000x… isn’t that a bit underwhelming?”

[Complaining while living off others? Should I leave?]

“Wait, wait! Don’t go, system, I was just joking.”

There was no way he would let this go. Having a system at all was already a blessing—many people would never get one.

Without hesitation, Chen Qi ordered another dish—geoduck sashimi for 1,000 yuan—and a serving of bluefin tuna otoro for 888 yuan.

The rich, buttery texture of the tuna melted in his mouth, far beyond anything cheap salmon could compare to.

For the first time, he sat alone and enjoyed his meal peacefully, without worrying about who should take the first bite.

After eating to his heart’s content, he headed straight to the Apple store upstairs in the mall.

The moment he entered, he said, “Hello, I’d like an iPhone 15 Pro Max, 1 TB.”

“Of course, sir. Which color would you like?”

“Black.”

“Would you like to trade in your current device?”

Chen Qi glanced at the iPhone 7 Plus in his hand. He had saved up for it himself during university through part-time jobs.

Even though it lagged badly now, he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away.

“No need.”

Soon, the staff brought out the device.

Price: 9,999 yuan.

Chen Qi didn’t hesitate at all. He scanned the code and paid.

Moments later, a message from Daxia Bank arrived, showing the deduction.

If Li Ting knew that right after leaving him, he had bought himself a 15 Pro Max, she would probably explode with anger.

He checked his balance—over 6.1 million yuan remaining.

If he was going to live as a “soft-rice man,” he needed to package himself properly.

It was only 8 PM. In the summer evening, the mall was crowded with people.

Chen Qi followed the flow of the crowd up the escalator to the third floor, where luxury clothing brands lined the corridor.

Hermès, LV, Gucci, Armani…

All the luxury stores stood side by side, dazzling under the lights.