The internet exploded overnight!
Even on random street corners, at bus stops, or in internet cafes, people were whispering and discussing the matter.
"Gu Zhaoye actually had a fiancée all along? Then what was all that about him pursuing Ruan Nian before?"
"He had a fiancée and was still involved in a years-long romantic rumor with Ruan Nian?? Was this situation always this absurd from the very beginning?"
Many people still didn't know about Gu Zhaoye's prior engagement, as it hadn't been publicly announced with great fanfare.
In the past, Gu Zhaoye's "doting" on Ruan Nian was seen by onlookers as a perfect match, a domineering CEO with his delicate wife. People envied Ruan Nian, saying it's better to marry well than to strive well, and they extensively compared the current status of the other young actresses who were once Ruan Nian's peers and competitors. The conclusion was always that no one was as lucky as Ruan Nian to have met such a good man.
It was once something countless people envied immensely.
But recently, this illusory, sweet facade was peeled back layer by layer, revealing the rotten truth beneath—
The so-called devotion and loyalty were all an act.
When Ruan Nian had a tiff with him, Gu Zhaoye immediately turned around and hooked up with Liang Zhiwei.
The so-called "selfless devotion to the one he loves" was contradicted by his stinginess towards Liang Zhiwei, who appeared before Ruan Nian—he didn't deliver on any promised resources for her.
He was clearly a mean, cold-hearted, malicious, hypocritical man with zero sense of responsibility and no real capability. He wasn't even "all gloss and no substance"; he was pure rubbish inside, only bullying the weak. When faced with someone truly formidable, like his sister, he immediately turned cowardly.
The envy directed at Ruan Nian gradually transformed into ridicule and disdain for Gu Zhaoye.
"I've finally seen through this shameless man. When his family's business was thriving, he left Fang Yining out in the cold, made a huge spectacle with Ruan Nian, and even took time to mess with Liang Zhiwei in between. Now that this huge scandal has broken, he knows to run back to his fiancée's family. Could he possibly still be hoping his future father-in-law and fiancée will help him make a comeback?"
"What a gold-digger husband script. And his fiancée's family is actually willing to agree???"
"His fiancée can't possibly be that stupid, right? Wait, I think I saw reports saying his fiancée is Sister Gu's good friend? How could Sister Gu's friend possibly side with Gu Zhaoye? How could Sister Gu even be friends with such a love-struck fool who favors Gu Zhaoye?"
"This doesn't make sense..."
"Regardless of whether that fiancée is love-struck or not, isn't the real fault with Gu Zhaoye for trying to use her to stage a comeback, exploiting emotional weakness? Isn't Gu Zhaoye even more disgusting? Using someone's emotional vulnerability to climb up, a typical social climber."
"I really want to see what this fiancée is like, how she could possibly agree to this..."
"Doesn't Sister Gu try to stop it?"
"Stop what? You can't stop the rain from falling or a girl from marrying. Could she physically block them from going to the civil registry? You don't even need a household register to get a marriage certificate now; if they want to register, they can just go and do it immediately!"
"..."
Opinions varied wildly, total chaos!
Countless people developed an intense, burning curiosity about this engagement ceremony. Everyone wanted to see what was really going on, to see if Gu Zhaoye even had the face to appear in public again!
Amidst all this chaos, the fiancée at the center of the storm, Fang Yining, had not made a single appearance.
Nor had she uttered a single word.
Someone stopped Gu Zhaoping for an interview, but she offered no opinion, even stating succinctly: "I have no right to interfere in someone else's marriage. We'll talk when the time comes."
On the TV screen, Gu Zhaoping's expression was placid. Facing the incessant burst of camera flashes, her eyes didn't move, seemingly not making eye contact with any particular lens.
Yet these cameras frantically captured her, desperate to get some eye-catching news.
Sitting in front of the television, Ruan Nian's tears had already started to fall.
In a certain moment, she seemed to hear a sigh coming from the system behind her.
This voice that had accompanied her for years, this system that had always cheated for her, was showing disappointment in her for the very first time.
Ruan Nian shuddered, then called out to it as if grasping her last lifeline: "My mission hasn't failed yet, right? I still have a chance, don't I? They aren't married yet, this is just his expedient measure. As long as the ending is twisted back, Gu Zhaoye will remember me again, right?"
The empty room only contained her own shadow; the other voice had no physical form, making the scene even more eerie and terrifying.
At this moment, the system's voice toward her became chillingly indifferent, an attitude she was unwilling to accept: "I'm sorry, but the mission is about to fail."
"Gu Zhaoye's favorability towards you is about to drop below the final threshold. Once it crosses that bottom line, your mission will completely fail."
A deep layer of goosebumps covered Ruan Nian's whole body. She hugged her arms, having never thought about what would happen if the mission failed.
This was supposed to be such a simple mission—a world where everyone was an NPC, a system that helped her unconditionally, requiring only a small price to make herself perfect and receive endless love from others.
With such a starting hand, how could she possibly fail?
She had never even considered what she would do if she failed.
Chilled to the bone, Ruan Nian asked it: "Then if the mission fails, what will happen to me?"
"Nian Nian, I told you when we first bound together." The system's voice was so merciless, finally taking on the quality of a cold electronic tone.
Even though it still affectionately called her "Nian Nian," to Ruan Nian, the voice sounded like the scythe of the grim reaper. All color instantly drained from her face.
She seemed to remember what the system said when they first bound together.
If she couldn't complete the mission, perhaps the world's framework would collapse.
And after it collapses, what would she face? Could she survive? Could she return to her original world?
Would she be... erased?
Ruan Nian no longer sought to command the wind and rain in this world. She just wanted to return to her original world, to live quietly as an ordinary person, without so much favor and attention, without being so stunningly beautiful.
As long as she could survive, anything would be better than now!
But she trembled all over, unable to utter a word, her throat as if blocked.
The system sighed more and more as it spoke, seemingly very dissatisfied with her outcome, even unconsciously muttering its complaints aloud.
"I am a fair and impartial system. You exchanged charm points with me to improve yourself and win Gu Zhaoye's love, all to stabilize this world's worldview. To make everyone believe that Gu Zhaoye is madly in love with you, to make them believe that as long as they obtain someone's love through exchange like you did, they can live well, and to make them believe that Gu Zhaoye is the true protagonist of this world. But you have performed your task too poorly."
Ruan Nian froze amidst her tears, her pupils gradually contracting, her hands gripping her thighs tightly.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing, even straining her mind to comprehend the system's words.
But the more she listened, the less she understood. This was different from her previous interactions with the system.
What was going on? What did it mean that Gu Zhaoye was the true protagonist of this world? Wasn't she the protagonist?
She was the one who came to conquer Gu Zhaoye in this world, so Gu Zhaoye was the male lead. Why was this...
"—You have completely failed to maintain the balance of this world's values. No one believes anymore that acting like you will lead to a good ending, and no one believes that Gu Zhaoye can truly dote on you."
The system sighed, actually blaming her for exposing Gu Zhaoye's true nature.
Ruan Nian stared incredulously at the virtual shadow in the air, yet it felt like she must have misheard—
But in the next instant, the system's tone returned to its usual gentleness, saying, "However, it's alright. At times like this, we generally offer a final ace-in-the-hole service. Do you want to choose it?"
Ruan Nian shuddered.
If this had happened before, hearing that the system still had a trump card, she would have undoubtedly agreed to the exchange without hesitation.
But now, right after hearing the system's inadvertent, genuine outburst, she felt an inexplicable chill towards this system she had trusted so completely.
She didn't understand what the system was saying. The system had become unfamiliar to her; that moment of exposed coldness seemed like an illusion.
The system clearly had no human form, yet Ruan Nian sensed its impatience, as if it was frowning at her, asking, "Nian Nian, haven't you made a decision yet?"
"Or do you not want to complete this task anymore?"
There was simply no room for retreat. Ruan Nian trembled all over, feeling utterly incapable of offering any resistance.
"What... what else can I do?"
"Our system is very generous. In emergencies or during major crises, we provide the host with a trump card free of charge. It instantly raises the target's favorability to its peak, but the duration is limited. What you can achieve, what changes you can make, how you can turn the situation around within that time—that's something the host must figure out on their own."
Ruan Nian's eyes widened slightly. There was such a method? The system had never mentioned it before.
But remembering the physical weakness and breathless pain she felt after the last emergency boost to Gu Zhaoye's favorability, a wave of fear welled up in her heart. She couldn't help but ask, "Then... then what's the price?"
"Of course, it's provided free of charge," the system said gently, then added, "Ah, but yes, I am a very fair system. After providing you with this ability for free, I will also fairly withdraw some other numerical values. That's normal, right? We've been transacting for so many years, Nian Nian, you should understand the process."
Fair exchange?
Ruan Nian shivered at the term.
What did she even have left to exchange?
It was ridiculous. If values were to be withdrawn later, how could this be called free provision?
The price she paid was clearly enormous, even greater than what she gained from making Gu Zhaoye's favorability instantly peak!
Suddenly, in an instant, Ruan Nian was struck by a horrifying realization—
Then, her previous exchanges to increase Gu Zhaoye's favorability... were those just extended versions of this same transaction?
What on earth had she been exchanging all this time?
Ruan Nian finally began to break down.
Tears burst through the barrier of her eyelids and poured down. Her mind was a chaotic mess, unable to form a single coherent thought.
As if possessed, she frantically scrambled up, wanting to run outside, but her body was weak and sore. She hadn't taken two steps before collapsing exhaustedly.
She didn't want to exchange anymore. Why should she exchange? What could she gain?!
Why should she trade her life, health, and other values for merely Gu Zhaoye's favorability?
Why did she even start this transaction? Who led her into this gamble?
This simply wasn't fair. It wasn't fair!
Seeing Ruan Nian curl her fingers tightly, the system finally spoke to her again, "Nian Nian?"
"What are you thinking about?"
At the same time, a thousand miles away, Fang Yining, dressed in a beautiful off-shoulder gown with an exquisite hairstyle, looked up and asked, "Nian Nian?"
Hearing her words, the stylist fastening her necklace behind her trembled, almost dropping the nearly million-dollar jewelry onto the floor.
Gu Zhaoye, sitting across from Fang Yining, also froze. His eyes gradually refocused from a dazed state, and he repeated somewhat bewilderedly, "What, Yining?"
His attitude was unprecedentedly gentle. Fang Yining's inner sneer was almost visible on her face, but she calmly asked, "Weren't you just calling out? Nian Nian?"
"Even at a time like this, you're still thinking about Ruan Nian?"
Gu Zhaoye was stunned, his pupils contracting—Why would he be thinking about Ruan Nian at a time like this? He wasn't insane; this was his engagement ceremony with Fang Yining, and he still needed the Fang family's support!
But after this urgent internal monologue, Gu Zhaoye suddenly halted—He really had spaced out for a moment just now. For some reason, in that instant, he felt controlled by something, and he had indeed, as if guided by a ghost, uttered Ruan Nian's name.
Was he crazy?
Gu Zhaoye's face was full of disbelief, and he had no idea how to explain. As he was racking his brains for a solution, Fang Yining said, "Are you feeling very wronged by being engaged to me?"
The makeup artist behind her trembled with fear. He wished he could vanish immediately, not having to listen further to this conversation.
Holy crap, this was truly explosive gossip!
Before coming here, he had known nothing. He thought this Miss Fang was truly lovestruck, smitten with Gu Zhaoye, and that even under such circumstances, she was determined to marry him to help clear his name!
But when he arrived at the scene and saw the two of them like this, he suddenly realized it wasn't anything like being lovesick at all! Miss Fang had absolutely no feelings for Gu Zhaoye!
His sharp intuition and observational skills told him that although Miss Fang's tone was gentle, even smiling, when she spoke to Gu Zhaoye, there was not a trace of love to be seen, not even goodwill.
As soon as Gu Zhaoye turned his head away, he could faintly sense a thread of murderous intent emanating from Fang Yining's eyes.
This family is too bizarre, the makeup artist trembled.
Gu Zhaoye's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly denied it: "That's impossible, how could I be that kind of person? Yining, have you been overthinking things lately because you're too tired?"
"Since the last incident, I've seen Ruan Nian's true colors clearly and will absolutely not have any further contact with her. I've long since turned over a new leaf and realized how good you've been, waiting for me all these years. I will never betray you again, I swear on the Gu family's name!"
The makeup artist couldn't help but be inwardly shocked. How can this guy's words be so cliché? Swearing on the Gu family's name, did you even ask if everyone in the Gu family, young and old, is willing to be used for your oaths? Why not swear on your own shamelessness, or on your own worthless life? Or do you already know you're not worth anything yourself?
He couldn't help but make a few snarky comments in his heart.
Fang Yining just smiled and said nothing.
But Gu Zhaoye began to feel something was off—everything had been fine these past days discussing the engagement ceremony, so why did Fang Yining suddenly bring this up today? Did someone say something to her?
Thinking this, he suddenly remembered Ruan Nian's existence.
Since the last incident, he had completely ignored Ruan Nian. He was being denounced by the entire internet, where would he find the time to deal with Ruan Nian?
Ruan Nian had faced no less criticism these days. Without any backing, and with something like this happening, her company wouldn't protect her either.
But Gu Zhaoye felt no guilt or remorse. Instead, he thought, with disaster looming, was he supposed to worry about how to help Ruan Nian escape her misery? If he helped Ruan Nian, what would happen to his engagement? Would Fang Yining and the Fang family still trust him?
All those years of feelings, the affection he once felt infatuated with her, had vanished without a trace so quickly, leaving only the desire for self-preservation.
Gu Zhaoye's brow twitched. Could Fang Yining's sudden reaction be because Ruan Nian did something? Or did she show up in front of Fang Yining again?
At the mere thought of this possibility, Gu Zhaoye felt a surge of anger press down hard in his chest.
If it really was like that, just imagining the possibility made a nameless fire rise within him.
Just imagining it, he had already transferred all his anger onto Ruan Nian, wondering if Ruan Nian even understood the situation? At a time like this, was she still trying to argue over whether he loved her or not? The top priority now was to secure his position and regain access to the inheritance.
Gu Zhaoye sobered up quickly. When power began to slip away, things like love, or a white moonlight, were no longer within his consideration, tossed to the far ends of the earth.
Seeing Fang Yining turn back to continue her styling, Gu Zhaoye finally suppressed his anger, turned, and walked out of the dressing room pretending nothing was wrong.
Once in the hallway, he looked around to make sure no one else was there, then with a dark expression, strode forward to a corner, took out his phone, and dialed a number he had been rejecting for a long time.
Lately, he had wished he could blacklist this number and kick this person out of his life, but now, he had no choice but to contact her.
Seeing his call, the other party seemed to wait a while before answering, then a somewhat timid voice came through: "Gu Zhaoye, you... you're looking for me?"
Seeing his call, Ruan Nian still seemed to hold some expectation, her tone somewhat timid.
Hearing this voice, Gu Zhaoye would usually have been filled with pity, but now, preoccupied and irritated, he asked without preamble: "Have you been lying low lately? Or have you contacted Fang Yining?!"
Ruan Nian was stunned. Her, contact Fang Yining? She had only known of this person's existence before, had never met her, let alone had any contact information.
Thinking this, Ruan Nian's heart grew even more bitter. Fang Yining was a genuine wealthy heiress, her existence well-protected, not someone just anyone could easily reach.
Even though Gu Zhaoye was so famous publicly, no one had ever exposed that Fang Yining was his fiancée.
These past days after her own incident, all her contact methods and private accounts had been bombarded, and people had even come knocking on the door of her previous residence. Ruan Nian didn't dare stay in her old place and had found a small apartment to hide in.
This contrast made the black fog in Ruan Nian's heart spread even more, an indescribable sourness overwhelming her mind.
In her daze, Gu Zhaoye heard Ruan Nian ask from the other end: "Is that all you want to say to me?"
Gu Zhaoye frowned impatiently. What kind of question was that? He asked, and she should answer properly. Why was she questioning him back?
Gu Zhaoye hated inefficiency most when dealing with her. His heart tightened further. Just as he was about to speak, he heard the other side say: "If that's how you are, then I have no choice."
Ruan Nian said on her own: "Let's trade."
The tone of this sentence was somewhat off, but before Gu Zhaoye could figure it out, he suddenly felt as if an electric current had passed through his body, plunging him into a state of numbness!
Then, it seemed many things in his mind underwent a change difficult to perceive.
In an instant, many memories and pieces of information not belonging to him flooded into his mind.
It made his whole body tremble, freezing him in place.
This feeling was even somewhat familiar, as if it had happened many times before, but never this intense.
So intense it made him visibly react, realizing something was wrong!
But after an unspeakable silence, Gu Zhaoye heard the voice from the other end again, still Ruan Nian's: "Zhaoye, are you really going to get engaged to Fang Yining?"
"You don't want to take me away?"
"Back then... didn't you promise that as long as I followed you, I would be happy forever?"
