This time, when Mu Yue left H City, she took all her character cards with her. As for the makeup cabinet she liked, along with the jewelry inside it, she rented a portable storage-space item and put everything inside.
She rented the storage space for a month. The version she rented was one she couldn’t afford to buy—it cost tens of thousands of points. The discounted monthly rental price was thirty points. It was about the size of a ten-square-meter bedroom. Besides the cabinet, she also stored her summer clothes, shoes, bags, and some skincare products inside.
She had to admit, this thing was incredibly convenient to use. Once she had the money, she would definitely buy one.
Something that happened while she was boarding the plane made Mu Yue even more grateful that she had rented the item. Today’s random sign-in blind box had given her a gun—and not just any gun, but a shotgun.
The equipment’s price was unexpectedly low, with a guaranteed minimum of only fifty thousand points. However, its description read, “Beneath me, all living beings are equal.” The sheer arrogance of that line made its power easy to imagine.
Mu Yue certainly couldn’t take it out casually. Besides, it was fairly large, making it difficult to hide under normal circumstances.
This was also a warning. She had been letting her guard down lately. From now on, she needed to find a private and secure place whenever she checked in. If she received another item of considerable size without having any storage space, she would be in serious trouble.
The thought of buying a storage space became even stronger. Mu Yue simply browsed the marketplace on the plane, comparing the cost-effectiveness of the different portable storage spaces.
The prices mainly depended on size and functions, followed by their restrictions, such as time flow, whether they could store living or dead things, the number of daily uses, and special effects—for example, an abundance of spiritual energy.
The one Mu Yue had rented operated at a normal time flow, had no special effects, could only store dead objects, and had unlimited daily access. Its price was fifty thousand points. Any space with even a few special effects cost at least one hundred thousand points.
Storage spaces without special functions, or with restrictions and smaller capacities, were naturally much cheaper. The least expensive option was a storage space of only one cubic meter that could be accessed three times a day. It cost just one thousand points, and points could be spent to upgrade it.
Mu Yue bookmarked it. Once her rental expired, she would buy it. She needed to earn as many points as possible during that month. The more points she had, the more choices she would have, instead of being limited to buying the cheapest option.
After settling on her target, Mu Yue began pondering how she could squeeze even more benefits out of the male lead.
She opened the original novel and located the corresponding point in the timeline, skipping over a large amount of explicit content. After reading carefully, she finally found the male lead’s next source of resources.
This time, it was no longer about accidentally meeting a beautiful woman. Instead, he was going to recruit a follower.
The follower was a very classic character: a foolish, rich, chubby young man—the Little Fatty. He had originally come here to select a fine piece of raw stone as a birthday gift for the elderly lady in his family. While he was there, he happened to come across a number of local videos about budget travel. The young master had never experienced anything like that before, so on a sudden whim, he announced that he wanted to give it a try.
The budget-travel group was made up entirely of strangers, and none of them knew the terrain well enough. Before long, the whole group got lost in the mountains. To make matters worse, the bodyguard protecting the young master was allergic to some kind of pollen, leaving him useless for the entire trip. The Little Fatty had to support him as they walked. The two of them also lost their equipment, got cheated, and suffered through all kinds of hardships.
In the end, the male lead happened to find them and rescued the Little Fatty and his bodyguard. After waking up, the Little Fatty immediately said he wanted to thank the male lead. The male lead, however, said he was busy and had to go inspect some materials. The moment the Little Fatty heard that, he asked the male lead to take him along.
What happened next was a familiar sequence: the male lead chose the largest piece, the one most likely to lose money on—everyone mocked and questioned him—the Little Fatty gritted his teeth and invested in and backed the male lead—the male lead proved everyone wrong—and finally won the Little Fatty's praise and admiration.
But that still wasn't the end. The Little Fatty brought the male lead home. His family was run by his older sister, who treasured him like her own eyes. But his sister wasn't grateful to the male lead at all. She believed that the entire thing might have been planned by him from the beginning.
She was extremely wary of the male lead. Even though her brother praised him to the heavens, she still refused to believe him. Later, when their family business ran into trouble, it was the male lead who stepped in and resolved the crisis. Yet his sister still wouldn't let go of her prejudice. She believed that even without the male lead, she could have solved the problem herself. It might have been a little more troublesome, but it certainly wouldn't have been impossible.
Until the male lead once again performed his heroic rescue act.
The first time, the sister disdainfully tried to throw money at him. The second time, she began to waver. By the third time, she had completely fallen for him.
The older sister was willing to hand half the authority in her enormous jewelry group over to the male lead, and she became his officially recognized first wife. After all, if they didn't get married, the male lead couldn't obtain the shares.
In short, the Little Fatty was an enormous opportunity for the male lead. Without him, the male lead would never have come into contact with his first wife. This woman was, arguably, the most difficult one for the male lead to win over, and the one who held out the longest against his irresistible aura.
Later, after learning that the male lead had so many other women around him, she even went so far as to demand a divorce. But of course, they didn't actually get divorced. Just as they were about to finalize it, she became pregnant. Her grandmother and her younger brother both tried to persuade her: “A man as outstanding as him is bound to have a few women. Besides, you're still the only one with an official title. For the sake of the child, just endure it for now.”
After that, some enemies came knocking. The sister was pregnant and unable to move around easily, so the fourth and fifth women protected her. From then on, she finally let go of her prejudice and got along harmoniously with the other women.
Mu Yue: “…”
Every time she read this kind of story about a stallion protagonist, she felt like forcing the author to eat shit. Had the author really run out of ideas? What part of the human body had produced this insane plot? How badly had the sister's character been destroyed?
The fourth and fifth women rescuing the first wife, and the first wife forgiving them afterward… Was this even written in Chinese? Was it supposed to be set in the modern world?
And the Little Fatty was completely incomprehensible too. Yes, the male lead had saved him, but wasn't his sister a member of his own family? Repaying the favor himself was one thing, but did he really have to offer his sister to the male lead as part of the repayment? He had even tried to persuade the female lead not to get divorced. Honestly, I just…
Wait a minute.
Mu Yue pulled up the places where the Little Fatty had gone backpacking on a shoestring. After memorizing the route, she had the systems check the map for her—particularly what kinds of small animals could be found in those areas.
So they liked adventure, did they? They were looking for thrills, were they?
Then she would give them a little help.
As soon as she left the airport, Mu Yue headed straight for the nearest bed-and-breakfast to the sanatorium where the male lead was staying. The B&B was a villa decorated with considerable artistic flair. A vast stretch of ginkgo trees stood in front of the courtyard, and there was a lake to the side. The scenery must have been beautiful in autumn or winter, but in summer, it was hardly an ideal place to escape the heat. There were few tourists, and plenty of rooms were still available.
Naturally, Mu Yue chose the largest and most comfortable one. She spent the night resting at the B&B and got up early the next morning. After all, when people were busy doing something bad, they never felt tired or sleepy.
She was now full of energy. After renting a car from the owner, she had her bodyguard drive her straight to the sanatorium.
Once they arrived, Mu Yue activated her aura of complete invisibility while still in the car. Heidi went inside to register. This sanatorium catered exclusively to wealthy clients, so visitors had to register before entering. They had to clearly state whether they were there to tour the facility or visit a patient.
Heidi wrote “bodyguard” as her reason for entry and listed Wang Jian as the person she was visiting. The staff took one look at Wang Jian’s name and waved her straight through without asking any questions. There was no need to ask—anyone could tell at a glance that a muscular female bodyguard like her had been hired by Mr. Wang.
Still, when they chatted with their colleagues, they could not help gossiping. What kind of trauma had Mr. Wang suffered, exactly? Why did he insist on hiring a female bodyguard?
As for Mu Yue, once she activated her aura, no one noticed her at all. She simply walked in without anyone stopping her.
At this point in the timeline, the Little Fatty had not yet arrived in City D. He would get there in two days, while the expedition would take place five days from now. Mu Yue thought the timing was perfect. She would give the male lead one dose today, let him recover for two or three days, and then give him another dose.
She refused to believe he could still rush off to rescue his lackeys while he was running to the bathroom nonstop.
With tracking activated, Mu Yue did not even need to ask for directions. Before long, she reached the vicinity of the male lead’s hospital room. Five points bought a laxative mini-item. It had no physical form, and she could select any target within a hundred-meter radius to use it on. It was affordable, safe, convenient, and came with no unpleasant aftereffects.
Mu Yue immediately gave it a five-star review after purchasing it. She absolutely loved such a conscientious product.
Almost the moment the item was successfully used, Mu Yue received 210 points: 200 for injuring the male lead, and 10 as an experience reward toward leveling up her Poison Master title.
“Tsk. That’s a little low.” Mu Yue had expected at least 300 points.
The systems offered their analysis. “The male lead’s halo probably took effect. Although he was seriously injured, he recovers quickly, so…”
Mu Yue nodded. That made sense. July was nearly over, and the male lead had been recuperating for almost twenty days. He still had money on hand and even knew to seek out a sanatorium like this. He had certainly taken meticulous care of himself.
By comparison, Fang Suyi was much rougher around the edges. He barely stayed in the hospital at all, afraid his good-for-nothing friends would make fun of him. He hid at home all day and even refused to let his parents hire a caregiver, gritting his teeth and toughing it out on his own. He was so determined to save face that he was making himself suffer.
Still, there was no rush. There was plenty of time before she had to report to A University, and Mu Yue had time to spare. She even found herself thinking of grinding monsters in a game.
She could grind one wave of monsters, collect the experience points, wait for them to respawn, then grind them again and keep collecting points before waiting for the next respawn... It was a perfect cycle! Besides, she wasn't the one getting hurt. She was merely an innocent little girl who happened to love farming points.
The villain was stunned. Could she be a genius?
The top student was horrified. The host is such a demon!
Mu Yue left with her hands behind her back, leisurely carrying the freshly acquired 210 points. She had barely taken a few steps when she heard a commotion coming from the male lead's room, occasionally accompanied by two retching sounds of “yue.”
Mu Yue fanned the air in front of her nose with her hand. Even though she couldn't smell anything, she still made a disgusted “Eugh.”
Wang Jian no longer merely wanted to kill someone. He was practically ready to destroy the entire world. Aaaaaah! Who could possibly understand how much agony he was in right now?!
The doctor was still scolding him nonstop. He had been told to watch his diet, but he had stubbornly refused. And now look what had happened! His wound, which had finally started to heal, had split open again. Even the antidiarrheal medication wasn't doing much, and if this continued, the wound could easily become infected!
Wang Jian had no way to argue, because he really had been sneaking little bits of spicy food over the past two days. But it had barely been spicy, and he'd been fine after eating it yesterday. So what was going on today?
He naturally preferred strongly seasoned food. After so many days, his mouth had practically gone bland from lack of flavor. If he couldn't have the pretty girls, surely he could at least have decent food, right? How was he supposed to know the effects would be this explosive?
Wang Jian had never been the type to beat himself up. He wouldn't blame himself for being greedy; he would only blame those two for making it impossible for him to eat the dishes he liked and forcing him to endure such torture on top of that. Damn it, he couldn't wait another second!
Wang Jian pulled up his pants, left the bathroom, and summoned his men. He ordered them to find a way to force a bottle of chili sauce down Fang Suyi's throat. There was no need to do anything to the other one, since the chili set had already taken effect.
If Wang Jian was going to suffer, then no one else was getting off easy either!
When Mu Yue returned to the guesthouse, she discovered that she had gained another 50 points. She assumed the male lead had finally developed some resentment toward her, but she hadn't expected him to redirect his anger onto Fang Suyi instead. These points were her reward for making an innocent person take the blame and suffer in his place.
Wonderful! The male lead was so good at sharing both joy and hardship! Fang Suyi was truly blessed to have encountered such a thoughtful one-night stand.
What a pity. Mu Yue couldn't hear them thanking her.
Mu Yue spent two comfortable days at the guesthouse. It had been ages since she'd stayed in and done nothing, so she played games on her phone, caught up on variety shows, and enjoyed herself immensely.
The item's effects lasted until the following evening. It was almost midnight before they finally began to weaken, and Wang Jian was at last able to escape from hell. His entire body was nearly limp with exhaustion, and his face was as pale as a ghost.
Mu Yue went to bed early that night. It was not until she got up the next morning that she glanced at the surveillance footage. The male lead looked as though he had just gone through another three-way battle. He was even using crutches, and both legs wobbled whenever he tried to walk. His posture made him look like a giant frog, and he could spend most of his time doing nothing but lie in bed.
She actually felt a little sorry for him. The way he looked, he probably could not even make it out of the sanatorium’s front gate. Mu Yue decided to go out and have some fun herself.
Aside from this guesthouse, there were several farm stays nearby. After checking the online reviews, Mu Yue found that a number of them had particularly impressive dishes, and she decided to sample a few. There was also an ancient town in the area, rich with local culture and traditions, which Chu Xiaoshi had recommended.
While Mu Yue was leisurely sightseeing in the ancient town, the Little Fatty, Shi Le, had already arrived in City D. The old lady’s birthday celebration would not take place until winter, but the stone still needed to be selected and carved, which would take time. Choosing it early would ensure they did not miss the deadline.
That was what Shi Le told his older sister. Otherwise, she would never have let him travel all the way to City D on his own.
Shi Le had brought two bodyguards with him. That was his sister’s minimum requirement, and there was nothing he could do about it. If he wanted his freedom, then two bodyguards it was. At least that was better than not being allowed to come at all.
On his first day there, Shi Le immediately went out to have fun. His main destination was one bar after another. No one could control him here, so he could let loose as much as he wanted.
It was great!
After two days of partying, Shi Le was starting to run out of steam. The main problem was that it was exhausting and took too much energy. While scrolling through his phone in the hotel, he came across a beautiful woman inviting people nearby to join her in conquering the mountains.
The beauty had posted a detailed plan. There would be no admission fees and no accommodation costs, yet participants would still get to enjoy all the area’s magnificent scenery.
Shi Le did not really listen to any of the travel details. All he heard were the words “young people who want to come,” “the great outdoors,” and “freedom.”
His heart began pounding with excitement.
The great outdoors? How thrilling! People here really knew how to have fun!
Without a second thought, he signed up and successfully exchanged contact information with the woman. She sent him the time and meeting place, and Shi Le immediately sent his bodyguards out to purchase the necessary equipment.
However, remembering the excuse he had used to come here, Shi Le did not let both bodyguards accompany him. He planned to leave one behind to look for suitable stone. If they found a good piece, they could notify him, sparing him the trouble of returning empty-handed.
Once everything was ready, the appointed time arrived. Shi Le set off with one of his bodyguards, humming a tune as they went.
Meanwhile, Mu Yue had nearly finished sightseeing and began paying attention to what was happening on the Little Fatty’s side.
In the original story, the three-no tour group the Little Fatty had joined was extremely unreliable. Although he was lucky enough not to encounter human traffickers or anyone similar, this trip was destined to be a disaster simply because everyone was a complete stranger to one another.
When someone could not keep going, nobody wanted to help. When someone accidentally got hurt, the others only found it troublesome, and no one wanted to take responsibility for looking after them. If anything happened, even fewer people would be willing to accept responsibility.
There was only one local person in the entire group, and even the route that person had chosen was extremely difficult to navigate. The farther they went, the more remote and isolated the path became.
There were already plenty of mountains in this area, and once people started panicking, it became even easier to lose their sense of direction. As expected, all sorts of accidents followed. Since they were strangers to one another to begin with, there was no way to resolve conflicts once they arose, and the situation grew increasingly chaotic.
In the end, this budget adventure team of fifteen people met with a variety of fates: three of them decided it was too unreliable and turned back shortly after setting out; eight were hospitalized; one fell while climbing and died from excessive blood loss because no one was able to treat him in time; and two others were forced into a real-life wilderness survival ordeal, returning home emaciated.
If this had happened in the real world, it would definitely have made the social news. These people were incredibly bold. Did they really think exploring the wilderness was that easy?
Acting in accordance with the core socialist values, Mu Yue had thought it over when the group first announced their departure. In the end, she left a comment under their recruitment post, advising them to think carefully about what mattered more: safety or saving money.
Perhaps because she had started the discussion, several more comments soon appeared, urging them to reconsider. Some people took the advice and gave up, while others insisted on exercising their freedom.
Mu Yue read the replies and had no intention of repeating herself. If they wanted to risk their lives, that was their business. She had already warned them, and she had no interest in playing the saint. All she needed to do was respect other people’s choices.
When the time was about right, Mu Yue went to a spot near the tour group’s meeting place. As soon as she arrived, she spotted the male lead’s underling. The bodyguard behind him was carrying bags of all sizes and still finding time to hand him things. Combined with the underling’s build, he was impossible to miss.
There were only eight people left out of the original fifteen. They were giving brief introductions, each of them wearing an expression of confidence. Mu Yue vaguely heard them saying something about “slapping the online commenters in the face.” Apparently, they had interpreted the people advising them not to go as issuing provocations and mocking them.
Mu Yue could only say that people who were sick in the head should seek treatment.
Once she confirmed that they had set off, Mu Yue stopped paying attention to them. There was no need to rush. It was only the first day, after all. There was still plenty of time.
The male lead had been resting for two days. It was time to get him worked up again.
Mu Yue went about it as skillfully as ever. She spent five points on a prop, arrived near the male lead, and activated it. Then she listened to the male lead’s suffering and the sound of points being credited to her account.
[Villain Points +200]
Wonderful!
While the male lead was once again sinking into hell and his underling was struggling to survive in the wilderness, Mu Yue was counting her points in her room.
Adding her existing balance to what she had earned over the past few days, she had quite a sum. Once the male lead completely missed his chance to rescue his underling, there should be another major windfall.
Mu Yue had also found herself a new hobby: fishing.
D City had plenty of mountains, and there were many streams and lakes hidden among them. Some places were open for wild fishing, while others were specially set up for anglers.
Mu Yue first went to a paid fishing spot where it was easier to catch fish. After going twice, she began looking for places to fish in the wild. Although she wasn’t a local, she had money. All she had to do was hire an experienced angler to take her there.
Besides, she had brought along her chef card, so she could fish in the wilderness and cook the catch right there on the spot. The experience was both fun and delicious, and Mu Yue quickly fell completely in love with it.
Even freshwater fish were no longer enough to satisfy her. After coming across videos of beachcombing, sea fishing, and spearfishing, she was once again utterly captivated—especially by beachcombing and catching fish herself.
Scuba diving meant diving with an air tank. She’d have to take lessons and earn a certification, but so what? She could simply learn.
Back when she was busy with work, Mu Yue could only wait for her vacation whenever she wanted to do something. Short breaks weren’t enough to take her very far; she needed a long holiday before she had any chance of seeing different scenery.
But things were different now. Mu Yue had finally gotten a taste of what it meant to do whatever she pleased. If she wanted to leave, she left. If she wanted to go somewhere, she went. If she wanted to learn something, she learned it. She didn’t have to wait, and she didn’t need anyone’s permission. All that mattered was her mood.
Having money really was wonderful.
Mu Yue was enjoying herself, while several other parties were suffering at the same time.
The womanizing male lead and his lackeys weren’t worth mentioning. The Fang family, however, was putting on quite a show.
After finally working up the courage to leave the house, Fang Suyi was ambushed that very day. The thugs shoved an entire bottle of extra-spicy chili sauce down his throat, and he ended up in the hospital. Apparently, he had suffered a severe rectal prolapse.
Fang Suyi’s parents were scared witless. Shocked, furious, and enraged, they vowed to make the culprits pay.
But at that very moment, the information Fang Suyi’s parents had guarded so carefully somehow leaked out— the Yu family learned that Fang Surou and Fang Suxuan had slept together.
The Yu family stormed straight into the hospital and caused a huge scene in Fang Suyi’s hospital room. With explosive phrases like “the brother cheated with his sister” and “incest” flying back and forth, they attracted patients and family members from the other rooms, who all gathered around to watch.
One look was all it took.
Good heavens! This drama came with a buy-one-get-one-free deal! Not only had the Fang family’s eldest son slept with his sister, but their second son—the one who had been involved with a man—seemed to have taken things too far and landed himself in the hospital! Apparently, he had even ended up with a rectal prolapse!
Goodness gracious!
The other patients instantly forgot about whatever had been hurting them. Everyone suddenly felt full of energy. Even patients with both arms in casts hurriedly called for nurses to help them get out their phones. They had to record a voice message and share this gossip.
In an ordinary public hospital, people might not know one another. They could gather around to watch, but the news probably wouldn’t spread too quickly. This private hospital was different. Anyone with a bit of money who didn’t want to wait in line came here.
And once they took a closer look, they realized that nearly everyone involved was an acquaintance.
It could be said that by the end of that day, the Fang family’s reputation had been thoroughly ruined within their social circle.
Their eldest son, second son, and the girl they had raised for eighteen years despite her not being their biological daughter—not one of them was any good. Meanwhile, their biological daughter, who had grown up elsewhere and had only been brought back after reaching high school, was the complete opposite: honest and well-behaved. She had even reportedly been accepted into A University.
Those who didn’t think too deeply about it simply enjoyed the gossip for what it was. But anyone who gave it even a little thought could see that there was something seriously wrong with the Fang family’s parenting. And when it came to doing business with people like that, of course everyone would have to think twice.
But the matter was far from over.
Sure enough, only a couple of days later, the Fang family scandal was reposted online by gossip accounts. The name of the Fang family’s company was written out in full. Anyone with sense could tell that someone with a grudge against the Fang family had made the move.
Now their reputation wasn’t merely ruined within their social circle—they had been publicly humiliated in front of the entire internet.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. The Fang family was truly having an awful time this round.
