The internet exploded!
From random street corners to bus stops and internet cafés, everyone was whispering about the news.
“Gu Zhaoye had a fiancée all along? So what was going on with him chasing Ruan Nian?”
“He had a fiancée and still had a years-long romantic scandal with Ruan Nian?? Was this whole thing absurd from the start?”
Many were unaware of Gu Zhaoye’s prior engagement, which had never been widely publicized.
In the past, Gu Zhaoye’s “devotion” to Ruan Nian was seen as a golden couple, the domineering CEO and his pampered wife.
People envied Ruan Nian, saying it’s better to marry well than to struggle, comparing her to other small-time actresses from her era who paled in comparison.
The conclusion?
No one was as lucky as Ruan Nian, who’d landed such a great guy.
It was once something many envied.
But recently, this sugary facade was peeled back, revealing the rotten truth underneath—
His so-called loyalty and devotion were all an act.
When Ruan Nian threw tantrums, Gu Zhaoye turned around and flirted with Liang Zhiwei.
His “selfless giving” to his beloved?
Compared to Liang Zhiwei, who came before Ruan Nian, he was stingy, offering her no resources.
He was clearly a cold, cruel, manipulative, irresponsible, and incompetent fraud—not even golden on the outside, just a hollow husk.
He only bullied the weak, cowering before someone truly strong like his sister.
The envy for Ruan Nian gradually turned into mockery and disdain for Gu Zhaoye.
“This shameless guy’s true colors are clear now. When his family was on top, he ignored Fang Yining, made a spectacle with Ruan Nian, and even messed with Liang Zhiwei. Now that he’s in trouble, he runs back to his fiancée’s family. Is he seriously banking on his in-laws and fiancée to bail him out?”
“What a kept-man script. And his fiancée’s family actually agreed???”
“His fiancée can’t be that dumb, right? Wait, didn’t reports say she’s Gu Zhaoping’s friend? How could Gu Zhaoping’s friend side with Gu Zhaoye? Would Gu Zhaoping be friends with someone so lovesick?”
“That doesn’t add up…”
“Whether his fiancée is lovesick or not, isn’t it Gu Zhaoye’s fault for trying to use her to climb back up, exploiting her feelings? Doesn’t that make him even more disgusting? A gold-digging phoenix man.”
“I really want to see what kind of person this fiancée is, agreeing to this…”
“Doesn’t Gu Zhaoping step in?”
“Step in for what? You can’t stop the rain or someone’s marriage. Can she physically block them from the registry? You don’t even need a household booklet to get married now—they could just walk in and do it!”
The chatter was chaotic, opinions flying everywhere!
Countless people were gripped by curiosity about this engagement, eager to see what was really going on and whether Gu Zhaoye had the nerve to show his face in public again.
Yet, amidst this storm, the fiancée at the center of it all, Fang Yining, remained absent.
She hadn’t made a single statement.
Some tried to interview Gu Zhaoping, but she offered no opinion, saying succinctly,
“I have no right to interfere in others’ marriages. We’ll talk when the time comes.”
On the TV screen, Gu Zhaoping’s expression was calm, her eyes steady despite the relentless camera flashes, avoiding direct contact with any lens.
Yet the cameras frantically captured her, desperate for a headline-grabbing scoop.
In front of the TV, Ruan Nian’s tears streamed down.
In that moment, she seemed to hear a sigh from the system behind her.
This voice, which had aided her for years, this system that had always cheated for her, showed disappointment for the first time.
Ruan Nian jolted, grasping at it like a final lifeline.
“My mission hasn’t failed yet, right? I still have a chance, don’t I? They’re not married yet—it’s just a temporary move. If I can turn the ending around, Gu Zhaoye will remember me, won’t he?”
In the empty room, only her shadow existed, the disembodied voice making the scene eerily chilling.
For the first time, the system’s tone turned coldly unacceptable to her.
“I’m sorry, but your mission is about to fail.”
“Gu Zhaoye’s affection for you is about to drop below the final threshold. Once it crosses that line, your mission will completely fail.”
A deep chill ran through Ruan Nian, goosebumps rising as she hugged her arms.
She’d never considered what would happen if she failed.
It was such a simple mission—a world of NPCs, a system unconditionally helping her, requiring only small sacrifices to become perfect and earn endless love.
With such a setup, how could she fail?
She’d never even thought about what she’d do if she did.
Shivering, Ruan Nian asked,
“What happens if the mission fails?”
“Nian Nian, I told you when we first bound,” the system’s voice was merciless, taking on a cold, electronic edge.
Despite still calling her “Nian Nian” affectionately, to Ruan Nian, it sounded like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.
Her face drained of color.
She vaguely recalled the system’s words when they bound.
If she couldn’t complete the mission, the worldview might collapse.
And after that collapse?
What would she face?
Could she survive?
Return to her original world?
Would she…be erased?
Ruan Nian no longer craved power in this world.
She just wanted to return to her original world, live quietly as an ordinary person, without all the adoration, beauty, or attention.
As long as she could survive, anything was better than this!
But she trembled uncontrollably, unable to speak, her throat choked.
The system sighed more, clearly dissatisfied with her outcome, even slipping into complaints.
“I’m a fair and just system. You traded for charm points to win Gu Zhaoye’s love, all to stabilize this world’s worldview, making everyone believe he was madly in love with you. That through trades like yours, they could live well, believing Gu Zhaoye was this world’s true protagonist. But you’ve done such a poor job.”
Ruan Nian froze mid-sob, her pupils contracting, hands gripping her thighs tightly.
She couldn’t believe what she heard, struggling to process the system’s words.
The more she listened, the less it made sense.
This wasn’t how her relationship with the system had been.
What was going on?
What did it mean that Gu Zhaoye was the true protagonist?
Wasn’t she the protagonist?
She was the one conquering Gu Zhaoye in this world, so he was the male lead.
Why…
“You didn’t maintain the balance of this world’s values. No one believes anymore that doing what you did leads to a good ending, or that Gu Zhaoye could truly cherish you.”
The system sighed, blaming her for exposing Gu Zhaoye’s true nature.
Ruan Nian stared in disbelief at the virtual shadow in the air, as if she’d misheard.
But the next moment, the system’s tone returned to its usual gentle warmth.
“It’s okay, though. At this stage, we usually offer a final trump card. Would you like to choose it?”
Ruan Nian snapped to attention.
In the past, hearing the system had a game-changer, she’d have jumped at the chance to trade without hesitation.
But at that moment, after hearing the system’s unintentional outpouring of truth, Ruan Nian felt an inexplicable chill toward this system she’d trusted so deeply.
She didn’t understand what the system was saying.
It had become unfamiliar, that fleeting coldness it revealed moments ago feeling almost unreal.
Though the system had no form, Ruan Nian sensed its impatience, as if it were frowning, asking,
“Nian Nian, haven’t you decided yet?”
“Or do you not want to complete this mission?”
It left her no room to back out.
Shivering, Ruan Nian felt powerless to resist.
“What else…can I do?”
“Our system is very generous,” it replied.
“In emergencies or major crises, we offer a trump card free of charge: instantly maxing out the target’s affection for you. But it’s temporary. What you achieve, what changes you make, or how you turn things around in that time—that’s up to you.”
Ruan Nian’s eyes widened slightly.
Such a method existed?
The system had never mentioned it before.
But remembering the physical weakness and breathlessness she’d felt after the last emergency boost to Gu Zhaoye’s affection, a wave of fear rose in her.
She couldn’t help asking,
“What’s the cost?”
“It’s provided free of charge,” the system said warmly, then added,
“Oh, but as a fair system, after granting this ability, I’ll also fairly deduct some other attributes. That’s normal, right? We’ve been trading for years, Nian Nian. You know how it works.”
Fair trade?
The phrase sent a shiver down Ruan Nian’s spine.
What did she have left to trade?
It was laughable.
If it took back attributes later, how was this “free”?
The cost she’d pay was clearly steep—likely more than the fleeting gain of maxing out Gu Zhaoye’s affection!
In a sudden jolt, Ruan Nian froze—
Hadn’t her past trades to boost Gu Zhaoye’s affection been just a prolonged version of this same deal?
What had she even traded for?
Ruan Nian finally broke.
Tears burst past her eyes, streaming down as her mind spiraled into chaos, unable to think clearly.
Like a possessed woman, she scrambled to her feet, desperate to run, but her body was so weak she collapsed after a few steps.
She didn’t want to trade anymore.
Why trade?
What could she gain?!
Why trade her life, health, and other attributes for just Gu Zhaoye’s affection?
Why had she started this trade in the first place?
Who had lured her into this gamble?
It wasn’t fair—not fair at all!
As Ruan Nian curled her fingers tightly, the system spoke again,
“Nian Nian? What are you thinking?”
At the same moment, thousands of miles away, Fang Yining, dressed in an elegant off-shoulder gown with a refined hairstyle, looked up and said,
“Nian Nian?”
Her words startled the stylist behind her, who nearly dropped a million-dollar necklace.
Gu Zhaoye, sitting across from her, froze, his dazed eyes slowly focusing as he repeated, confused,
“What, Yining?”
His unprecedented gentleness made Fang Yining’s mocking smile nearly break through, but she asked calmly,
“Weren’t you just saying it? Nian Nian?
“Even now, you’re thinking of Ruan Nian?”
Gu Zhaoye’s pupils shrank.
Why would he think of Ruan Nian now?
Was he insane?
This was his engagement to Fang Yining—he needed the Fang family’s support!
But as he frantically thought this, he froze again.
For a split second, he had zoned out, inexplicably feeling controlled, as if something made him blurt out Ruan Nian’s name.
Was he crazy?
Gu Zhaoye’s face was full of disbelief, scrambling for an explanation, when Fang Yining said,
“Does getting engaged to me feel like a grievance?”
The makeup artist behind her trembled, wishing he could vanish rather than overhear this bombshell.
Holy crap, what a scandal!
He’d come in clueless, thinking Fang Yining was a lovesick fool, so smitten with Gu Zhaoye that she’d marry him despite the backlash to help clear his name.
But seeing them now, he realized—lovesick?
Fang Yining had no feelings for Gu Zhaoye at all!
His sharp intuition and observation told him that, despite her gentle tone and smiling face, there was no trace of love in her eyes—not even kindness.
Whenever Gu Zhaoye looked away, he caught a glint of cold, almost murderous intent in Fang Yining’s gaze.
This family was too bizarre.
The makeup artist quaked.
Gu Zhaoye’s expression shifted, and he quickly denied,
“No way, how could I be like that? Yining, are you just overtired, overthinking things?”
“After the last incident, I saw Ruan Nian’s true colors. I’d never have anything to do with her again. I’ve turned over a new leaf, realizing how you’ve waited for me all these years. I’d never betray you—I swear on the Gu family’s name!”
The makeup artist was floored.
This guy’s lines were so clichéd!
Swearing on the Gu family’s name?
Did he even ask if the Gu family agreed to be his collateral?
Why not swear on his own skin or worthless life?
Or did he know he wasn’t worth anything?
The artist couldn’t help but snark internally.
Fang Yining just smiled, saying nothing.
But Gu Zhaoye felt something off.
Things had been fine during their engagement discussions—why was Fang Yining bringing this up now?
Had someone said something to her?
His thoughts suddenly turned to Ruan Nian.
Since the scandal, he’d completely ignored her.
With the whole internet against him, how could he have time to care about her?
Ruan Nian had faced as much backlash as he had, and without a powerful background, her company wouldn’t protect her.
But Gu Zhaoye felt no guilt, only thinking—with disaster looming, was he supposed to worry about saving her?
If he helped Ruan Nian, what would happen to his engagement?
Would Fang Yining and her family still trust him?
Years of feelings, that once-consuming infatuation with her, had vanished without a trace, leaving only self-preservation.
Gu Zhaoye’s brow twitched.
Fang Yining’s sudden reaction—could Ruan Nian have done something?
Had she shown up to stir trouble with Fang Yining?
The thought alone ignited a surge of anger in him.
If that was true, just imagining it made fury flare, all directed at Ruan Nian.
Did she even understand the situation?
At a time like this, was she still fighting over whether he loved her?
His priority was securing his status and reclaiming his inheritance.
Gu Zhaoye snapped to clarity.
As power slipped away, love and past crushes were irrelevant, cast to the winds.
Seeing Fang Yining turn back to her styling, he swallowed his anger, left the room pretending nothing was wrong, and stepped into the hallway.
Glancing around to ensure no one was nearby, he strode to a corner, pulled out his phone, and dialed a number he’d ignored for ages.
He’d wanted to block this number, erase this person from his life, but now, he had no choice but to call her.
Seeing his call, the other side hesitated before picking up.
A timid voice came through,
“Gu Zhaoye, you…you’re calling me?”
Ruan Nian, noticing his call, sounded hopeful yet cautious.
Normally, that voice would’ve stirred pity in Gu Zhaoye, but now, consumed by irritation and suspicion, he snapped without preamble,
“Have you been staying out of trouble lately? Or did you contact Fang Yining?!”
Ruan Nian froze.
Contact Fang Yining?
She’d only ever known of her existence, never met her, let alone had her contact information.
The thought deepened her bitterness.
Fang Yining, a true elite heiress, was so well-protected that not just anyone could reach her.
Despite Gu Zhaoye’s public prominence, no one had ever revealed Fang Yining as his fiancée.
Since her own scandal broke, Ruan Nian’s contact details and private accounts had been bombarded, even her old apartment swarmed by people banging on her door.
She’d fled, hiding in a small rented place.
This stark contrast fueled a dark, bitter fog in her heart, an indescribable sourness overwhelming her.
In her daze, Gu Zhaoye heard her ask,
“Is that all you wanted to say to me?”
He frowned impatiently.
What was that supposed to mean?
He asked a question, and she should answer properly—why was she turning it back on him?
Gu Zhaoye despised inefficiency, especially with her, and his frustration grew.
Just as he was about to retort, she said,
“If that’s how it is, then I have no choice.”
Ruan Nian muttered to herself,
“Let’s trade.”
Her tone was off, but before Gu Zhaoye could process it, a jolt like electricity coursed through him, leaving him numb!
His mind seemed to undergo an imperceptible shift.
In an instant, a flood of foreign memories and information surged into his brain.
He trembled, frozen in place.
The sensation felt vaguely familiar, as if it had happened before, but never this intensely.
So intense that he noticeably reacted, sensing something was wrong!
After an indescribable silence, he heard Ruan Nian’s voice again,
Zhaoye, are you really getting engaged to Fang Yining?
Don’t you want to take me away?
“Didn’t you promise…that as long as I followed you, I’d be happy forever?”