Su Qianqian's consciousness drifted in a boundless void of pure white.
There was no sound, no scent, no sensation.
Instinctively, she pressed a hand to her chest, where the memory of her illness's agonizing spasms still lingered.
Eighteen years—her entire life had been spent in hospital rooms reeking of antiseptic.
Sunlight and gentle breezes beyond the window were luxuries she could never afford.
Delicate, ethereal, untouched by the world's grime—yet she had never truly lived.
Death came on the third day after her eighteenth birthday.
She slipped away in her sleep, painless, swallowed by darkness and relief.
Then, a voice—childlike yet self-assured—echoed in her mind, calling itself a "system," and pulled her into this emptiness.
A virtual screen had just finished playing out a wager.
Now, it shifted to reveal the aftermath.
A scene of decadent allure.
On an oversized couch, several men exuding formidable auras lounged like kings, their attire speaking of wealth and power.
Young women, clad in revealing outfits and flawless makeup, fluttered around them like exquisite butterflies—flirtatious smiles, eyes glinting with calculated charm.
The air was thick with the mingling scents of indulgence, authority, and money.
At the center sat Gu Chengyu.
He reclined lazily as a stunning woman, her figure alluring, attempted to feed him a peeled grape. He accepted it with a smirk, his gaze dripping with condescending amusement.
Then, he pulled her close and kissed her—bold, possessive.
Nearby, Shen Que was even more unrestrained, yanking a beauty onto his lap, already unbuckling his belt...
The screen dissolved.
The system didn’t want its carefully chosen host to witness the debauchery that followed.
"How do you feel, Host?"
Su Qianqian's delicate brows furrowed slightly, unsettled by the clamor and depravity of that other world.
"It’s... so loud. So chaotic. Those people..."
Her thoughts lingered on the man at the center—the way he assessed women like finely crafted objects, his icy detachment sending a primal shiver down her spine.
"That is the world you’re about to enter, Host."
The system strained to suppress its youthful tone—it couldn’t afford to seem unreliable before binding with her. It spoke calmly, deliberately. "A parallel universe derived from a popular novel. And you will become part of it, granted a new life—a healthy one."
Healthy.
The word sent ripples across the stagnant lake of her heart.
To live like a normal person—it was a wish she’d whispered countless times from her sickbed.
"Target: Gu Chengyu."
The system projected a crisp image of him—a coldly aristocratic, arrogantly domineering heir.
"In this novel’s parallel world, he is the undisputed protagonist of fate."
"Born into the top-tier Gu financial dynasty, peerless in ability, ruthless in method."
"In the future, he will solidify his position as the head of the foremost conglomerate, elevating the family empire to unprecedented heights."
The scene shifted, showing Gu Chengyu surrounded by bevies of beauties—opulent galas, private yachts, dimly lit VIP rooms...
"Yet, he is also a libertine who revels in excess."
"A man drowning in admirers, treating love as a game."
"According to the original storyline, he will eventually marry a high-society heiress for appearances, but his philandering never ceases."
Su Qianqian watched, her doe eyes glistening with unease.
Every fiber of her recoiled from this man.
"Original female lead: Lin Shu."
The image changed to a breathtakingly glamorous woman.
"A superstar with both cunning and ambition."
"Once Gu Chengyu’s most favored 'golden canary,' she schemed to marry into the Gu family but lost to the barriers of pedigree."
"Still, she carved herself into his heart as an unattainable white moonlight."
"With his patronage, her career soared."
The system paused. "The novel’s canon insists the male lead remains arrogantly unrepentant till the end."
"But in reality, readers revolted against this ending."
"They’re tired of playboys who never reform, of tyrants who never kneel."
"What they crave is this: the rake, utterly tamed, offering his heart willingly; the arrogant king, brought to his knees by love."
The final image froze on Gu Chengyu’s face—wild, untamed, defiant.
