Chapter 18
Lin Xi had just returned home when she received a system notification from a chat group: [Ding! Detected that the world of the domineering CEO's villainess Ye Bingbing is undergoing a worldview-shattering change. Would you like to enable the live broadcast feature?]
The timing of this message in the group was particularly coincidental—right after Ye Bingbing announced her intention to rescue Su Rou and prevent her from being sacrificed in a ritual that would close the barrier. As a result, every member of the group immediately clicked "Yes."
Soon, a dark forest appeared on the chat interfaces of all the members. The camera slowly panned until it focused on a woman running ahead, clutching her wound.
After all, this was a novel’s world. The moonlight in City S was bright, casting a glow over the forest that made it almost as clear as day. When the trees thinned out, Lin Xi finally got a clear look at Su Rou’s face.
She couldn’t say Su Rou was unattractive, but she was nothing like the pure, innocent "little white flower" Lin Xi had imagined. Compared to Ye Bingbing, a dazzling socialite, Su Rou was like clouds versus mud—Ye Bingbing was the celestial beauty, while Su Rou wasn’t quite dirt, but close enough.
Lin Xi came to a conclusion: People in the domineering CEO’s world were truly abnormal. They were all idiots!
Su Rou had no idea her every move was being live-streamed. All she knew was that every step she took sent waves of pain through her body. Earlier, Ye Bingbing had shot her, and though Gong Jiuyi and the others had seemed heartbroken, they hadn’t taken her to a hospital. Instead, they brought her to a mountain villa and had Lin Minru treat her.
Lin Minru’s medical skills were decent, but even a miracle worker couldn’t have healed Su Rou completely in just a few days. After running a short distance, she was already gasping in pain.
Footsteps approached from behind. Su Rou hid behind the nearest tree, holding her breath. The person who appeared was Lin Minru, but she seemed to be making a cursory search before quickly leaving. Su Rou waited a long time, only continuing forward once she was sure the entrance was clear.
She had spent years maneuvering between Gong, Ye, and Leng, none of whom treated her poorly—but none of them truly saw her as important, either. From their passing remarks, Su Rou had pieced together her own "specialness" to them.
And Su Rou had always believed she was special. She’d known it since birth.
Her family lived in Hongzhou Bay, a poor area where her parents had barely scraped by before she was born—so poor they couldn’t even save a hundred yuan a year. But the moment she was born, her father found a gold ring just outside their door.
As she grew older and learned to walk, she became the one finding things. Over time, her luck only improved, and she seemed to intuitively master many skills.
Because of her "good fortune," her parents—despite favoring sons over daughters—spoiled her rotten. Young Su Rou had believed she was the happiest child in the world.
But everything changed when she turned eight. Her parents had a son, and from then on, their love for her dwindled.
Their words shifted from "Our Rou Rou is so good, so clever" to "You’re the older sister—you have to give in to your brother. Anything you find outside must be saved for him. If your brother is rich, you’ll have someone to rely on."
Back then, Su Rou couldn’t understand why things had changed. When she was ten, she found a badly injured boy outside. Terrified but compelled by an inner voice telling her he would be useful in the future, she hid him in her room and secretly used the money she’d found to treat his wounds.
The ring Leng Mingchen wore was also something she’d found. Her parents had wanted it, coaxing her into handing it over by promising it would be part of her dowry.
Su Rou never expected Leng Mingchen to overhear—or for him to outright take the ring. When she failed to retrieve it, her parents beat her. That was the moment she began to hate them.
As the years passed, their favoritism toward her brother only deepened her resentment. When rumors spread that Hongzhou Bay would be demolished, the entire neighborhood celebrated. Her parents were ecstatic, discussing how every cent of the compensation would go to her brother—his guarantee of a wealthy future.
As for her? She was grown now, no longer as obedient, and once her "good luck" faded, they’d just marry her off for a dowry.
Furious and heartbroken, Su Rou ran away. Before leaving the village, she saw someone setting fire to Hongzhou Bay—but she stayed silent, even praying the flames would consume her parents and brother.
Then everything would be hers.
Her prayers were answered. The fire left Hongzhou Bay in ruins, with heavy casualties. But Su Rou’s joy was short-lived—without her parents, life became even harder. She had no home, and the meager relief funds weren’t enough for school or living expenses.
If she couldn’t study, what future did she have?
Luckily, her fortune hadn’t abandoned her. She was admitted to an elite school on a special scholarship. On her first day, she relied on her intuition to pick the easiest target—the unlucky Ye Bingbing—as her stepping stone. By trampling over Ye Bingbing, she gained connections and sympathy from others.
In the end, she got everything she wanted.
Over the years, Su Rou reveled in playing the three heirs of powerful families against each other, watching them fight over her. To stoke their rivalry, she occasionally staged disappearances or escapes.
To maintain her image of resilience, she took on menial jobs despite having no financial need—all to make the men pity her and punish those who crossed her.
Su Rou loved it, especially when girls from better backgrounds—more beautiful, more privileged—were scorned or tormented by Gong, Ye, and Leng.
It had never occurred to her that one day, she might be the one discarded.
She walked step by step up the mountain, knowing there was a barrier at the summit. She wanted to cross to the other side, just like Ye Bingbing had. Su Rou wasn’t afraid of dying if she made it over—if Ye Bingbing could do it, why couldn’t she? Besides, she was the chosen one. Once she crossed, she’d surely be valued even more than Ye Bingbing.
With her skills, seducing a few prodigies on the other side wouldn’t be a problem.
Lost in these hazy thoughts, Su Rou barely noticed the pain in her body anymore.
She was almost at the top now, though the climb had been agonizingly slow—every step followed by ten minutes of rest.
Yet she made it. Su Rou’s eyes gleamed brighter as a smile spread across her face. She lifted her foot—
"Ah Rou."
A voice called out beside her, and in an instant, people emerged from all directions, surrounding her.
Cold sweat dripped from her forehead into her eyes, stinging sharply.
Blinking, she turned and realized everyone had come—men and women, young and old. Among them were those who had once looked down on her with disdain.
The elders of the Gong, Leng, and Ye families, now in their seventies and eighties, sat on specially brought mahogany chairs, leaning on their canes as they watched her. Gong Jiuyi, Ye Xuheng, and Leng Mingchen stood beside them.
Gong Jiuyi’s piercing gaze—often described in the novel as "frost-laden"—locked onto Su Rou. His thin lips parted. "Ah Rou, what are you doing here?"
Su Rou didn’t answer. Instead, her eyes flicked past them to Lin Minru, bound and bruised, her body covered in wounds.
Su Rou turned away indifferently, pretending not to see. Though they were supposed to be best friends, only Su Rou knew the truth of their relationship.
She despised Lin Minru’s feelings for her, yet reveled in the devotion. And she loathed how Lin Minru, despite those feelings, still slept with her boyfriend.
Leaning against a tree, Su Rou pressed a hand to the bleeding wound at her waist, catching her breath before scanning the crowd. "I know what you want," she said hoarsely.
"But I’m not your wife—not that foolish Lin Airong you manipulated so easily. I won’t give you what you want."
Grandpa Gong shot up from his seat, his face darker than the night itself. "What did you say?"
Years ago, his arrogance had nearly shattered the barrier, drawing the attention of the outside world. Faced with a nation’s military force, Grandpa Gong and the others had backed down. While negotiating, they’d sought out a high monk from S City’s Guardian Temple—a friend of Lin Airong’s who knew her origins.
The monk, unwilling to let S City’s uniqueness be destroyed (especially when the outside world was tearing down old traditions, forcing nuns and monks into secular lives), had proposed a solution after days of contemplation: a living sacrifice.
Lin Airong’s arrival had granted S City its uniqueness. Sacrificing her would either erase that or sustain it.
Grandpa Gong and the others had chosen the latter.
After half a month of calculations, the monk devised a method: dismember Lin Airong’s body into nine parts and bury them across S City. That way, she would endlessly nourish the city’s pocket dimension—until the next chosen one appeared.
Few knew the truth. The monk, consumed by guilt, had died soon after. His disciple, inheriting his legacy, now presided over this new sacrifice.
Grandpa Gong glanced at the younger generation of the three families. Their faces betrayed nothing.
"Don’t protagonists always have some kind of sixth sense? Of course I know," Su Rou sneered.
It wasn’t entirely a lie. Since childhood, she’d dreamed of a stunningly beautiful woman. As she grew older, the dreams faded, but Su Rou never doubted her own importance—until she saw a portrait in the Gong family home and realized the woman was Gong Jiuyi’s grandmother.
Back then, she’d thought it fate, even sharing the dreams with Gong Jiuyi. His delight had been unforgettable.
Later, he’d often probed, asking if she’d dreamed of his grandmother’s death. Publicly, Lin Airong had died suddenly. Su Rou had blamed herself for not helping him.
Then came the day Ye Bingbing shattered the barrier. A bullet from Ye Bingbing had torn through Su Rou, and under anesthesia, she’d dreamed Lin Airong’s final moments.
That was when Su Rou knew—she was destined to follow Lin Airong’s path.
She refused. For days, she plotted her escape, even feigning intimacy with Lin Minru to buy time.
Such sacrifices, only to end like this? Unbearable. She cursed the heavens for their cruelty.
Grandpa Gong knew about the dreams—he’d sent Gong Jiuyi to test her. Now, his gaze swept the crowd.
Only trusted confidants of each family were present tonight. Though silent, their exchanged glances spoke volumes.
Su Rou couldn’t be allowed to live.
Grandpa Gong turned deferentially to a man in a Zhongshan suit. "Master Wenhe, we leave it to you."
True to his name, Master Wenhe appeared gentle and scholarly, like a university professor. But those who’d dealt with him knew—his ruthlessness far surpassed his master’s.
"Amitabha." He regarded Su Rou with benign eyes. "Benefactor, you must understand karma. For years, you’ve enjoyed S City’s blessings—a life beyond most people’s dreams."
"Now that S City faces calamity, it’s time to fulfill your duty."
His words dripped with righteousness.
Su Rou spat. "You fake bald donkey."
"I've enjoyed the gifts of this small world, but what about them? Haven't they enjoyed them too? Just because they're men, just because they have power, the sins they've committed must be paid for with women's lives?" Su Rou pointed at Grandpa Gong and the others.
Her words were like dragging their dignity through the mud.
Gong Jiuyi frowned in displeasure, while Leng Mingchen chuckled softly. "Ah Rou, you're mistaken. It's not that we're unwilling to sacrifice—we simply aren't qualified. Only you can do this. Don’t you see how important you are, Ah Rou?"
Leng Mingchen's face remained as gentle as ever, his peach-blossom eyes fixed on Su Rou as if she were his greatest love. She had once basked in that gaze, but now she knew the coldness hidden beneath it.
Su Rou took a step back. "You want to use my life to secure your wealth and power? I won’t let you succeed."
She pulled a dagger from her pocket and pressed it to her throat. "Your so-called 'living sacrifice'—it only works if I’m alive, right? If I kill myself, your plans fall apart, don’t they?"
A flicker of madness flashed in her eyes, a stark contrast to her usual delicate demeanor.
The living sacrifice was an excruciating ritual. The victim had to be dismembered limb by limb while still alive, their body parts buried in specific directions within the shortest time possible—all while ensuring they remained conscious. Who could endure such agony?
Su Rou's gaze shifted to the man sitting beside Grandpa Gong, a man three or five years his senior. His face was expressionless, but Su Rou had dreamed of Lin Airong’s entire death process.
He had been the one to dismember her. How absurd—he had once been one of Lin Airong’s closest lovers. How could he have done such a thing?
And Leng Mingchen, his chosen successor, had inherited this gruesome craft.
Su Rou had once witnessed Leng Mingchen turn a traitor into a human stump in mere moments.
"Ah Rou, you're being disobedient," Gong Jiuyi said sternly.
Su Rou burst into laughter. "Disobedient? Go fuck yourself, you idiot. I’ve wanted to say that to you for ages. If my foresight hadn’t told me there’d be benefits in staying with you, I wouldn’t have given you the time of day."
"You don’t see women as human—what, did you crawl out of a man’s asshole or something?" Having grown up in the streets, Su Rou had heard such insults all her life.
Truthfully, she had tolerated these men for far too long.
"Pah! And you call yourself a male lead? That thing between your legs is barely the size of my finger. Without pills, you wouldn’t even know where to stick it. Every time I see it, it makes me sick. And yet you still keep mistresses—one, two, three of them. What, does drowning in the sea feel that good?"
Some things just had to be said.
As she spoke, Su Rou gagged at the memory of what she’d seen. The insult struck deep into Gong Jiuyi’s pride—his jaw clenched, his eyes burning with fury.
Su Rou kept backing away while Leng Mingchen, unaware of Gong Jiuyi’s shortcomings, laughed outright. The others’ eyes darted downward, and Gong Jiuyi’s face darkened. Even Grandpa Gong wasn’t spared—no wonder the world’s barrier had been so fragile. He’d once blasted it open with cannons for three days.
Was it all because his grandson was… inadequate? The thought alone made Grandpa Gong’s expression turn stormy.
Su Rou couldn’t stand Leng Mingchen’s laughter either. "What the hell are you laughing at? You think you’re any better? Sure, yours has some length, but it’s limp as noodles. What’s the point? Even when you manage to get it in, it’s like nothing’s there. A cucumber would do more. And you think you’re impressive?"
Now Leng Mingchen’s face darkened too. He and Gong Jiuyi strode forward, intent on seizing her. Su Rou retreated further.
When her back hit the barrier, a pain a hundred times worse than a gunshot tore through her. She’d never felt anything like it—instinct screamed at her to stop.
But the men were closing in. Su Rou refused to become nourishment for S City. Gritting her teeth, she pushed back harder, agony nearly knocking her unconscious. Yet no matter how hard she pressed, the barrier resisted.
A realization struck her, draining the color from her face. Panic surged—then, as her focus wavered, the pain vanished. She tried retreating again, but the barrier seemed to evade her.
Master Wenhe’s expression twisted in alarm. "Stop her! She can’t cross the barrier, but her actions will accelerate its collapse!"
Su Rou heard him. Her eyes snapped open to see the two men right before her. Their gazes, once warm, now burned with fury—she had exposed their deepest shame.
For a moment, she was dazed. That look… it had always been reserved for Ye Bingbing.
"Hello there, seems like quite the party here?" A familiar voice rang out. The brainwashed elites of the domineering CEO world turned to see Ye Bingbing in camouflage, poised and sharp.
An invisible screen hovered in her hand, replaying the scene before them.
She had removed her makeup before arriving—she would face them with her true face, demanding justice for herself and the original host.
Her fingers brushed her wrist as she hefted the gun—a weapon sponsored by Lin Duxi.
This wasn’t an ordinary firearm. Its power far surpassed modern arms, fueled by materials unknown in this dimension. One shot, Lin Duxi had said, would send these idiots straight to hell.
The thought alone filled Ye Bingbing with exhilaration.
"Ye Bingbing, you unfilial wretch! How dare you show your face here!" Grandpa Ye, silent until now, finally spoke.
The barrier was shattered by Ye Bingbing, making the Ye family the sinners of S City in recent days. To atone, their assets shrank by thirty percent—a blow Old Master Ye couldn’t stomach.
Every Ye family member present glared at Ye Bingbing with fury. She couldn’t care less about these idiots.
Dismissing their insults as mere noise, she didn’t even spare them a glance. Her eyes locked onto Su Rou, who was also staring back.
From the moment Su Rou first saw Ye Bingbing, she’d loathed her. Ye Bingbing possessed beauty Su Rou could never have, a privileged upbringing she could only dream of. Despite being disliked by everyone, Ye Bingbing lived freely, wanting for nothing.
In truth, Su Rou had played a significant role in Ye Bingbing’s tragedies. She’d never regretted it—until now. Seeing Ye Bingbing’s complete transformation, Su Rou felt a pang of regret. She should’ve been crueler. She should’ve pushed Leng Mingchen to kill Ye Bingbing outright.
A smirk curled Su Rou’s lips. Trapped—the barrier wouldn’t let her leave, and the world beyond refused to accept her. Staying meant certain death. Her gaze swept over the three men who’d entangled themselves in her life for years: Gong Jiuyi, Leng Mingchen, and Ye Xuheng.
All three were handsome, with impeccable pedigrees. She’d felt something for them once. But those fleeting affections were as fragile as a bubble, popping at the slightest touch.
Her eyes then landed on Grandpa Gong and the others. Their men raised guns, aiming at Ye Bingbing’s group. Old Master Leng retrieved a boning knife from his seat and strode toward her.
Su Rou understood instantly—he intended to dismember her himself. With their numbers, if they acted fast, the barrier could be repaired swiftly.
In twenty years, another "Chosen Daughter" like her would emerge in S City’s microcosm. The three families’ prestige would endure. A woman’s life? A trifling sacrifice.
Su Rou thought, Why should I die for these fools? She wasn’t Lin Airong, who’d willingly embraced death for her child and lover, even after being forced into degradation.
What did she have? The Gong, Leng, and Ye families coveted her fate yet scorned her origins. Years with Gong Jiuyi, Leng Mingchen, and Ye Xuheng—yet not a single pregnancy.
Pathetic.
Why should she die for incompetence?
Su Rou had always been ruthless. She raised a dagger and plunged it into her own throat. Blood sprayed onto Gong Jiuyi and Leng Mingchen, who stood closest, and pooled at Old Master Leng’s feet, two paces away.
Her lips split into a grin. With her windpipe severed, blood bubbled grotesquely as she rasped, "Why should I secure your fortunes? If I die, it’ll be on my terms."
She glared at Ye Bingbing, venom dripping from her words: "Ye Bingbing, I regret it. I should’ve killed you sooner."
Before anyone could react, she shoved the dagger deeper, ensuring her swift end.
With the Chosen Daughter dead, the barrier collapsed entirely. The tycoons of this absurd world paled, scrambling to flee.
A blinding spotlight flooded the area. "This is the People’s Liberation Army of China. You are surrounded. Drop your weapons immediately, or we will use force."
The announcement repeated three times. Armed soldiers breached the barrier—unhindered at last.
