The woman before him was dressed simply and tastefully, yet her features were stunning. Even the faint lines at the corners of her eyes could not hide her beauty.
With such dazzling looks paired with such composed elegance, she seemed like a contradiction wrapped in radiance, utterly out of place in this tiny alleyway.
Yuan Wei’s expression did not change, though his body tensed slightly.
“What do you want from me?”
Sheng Xia’s mother, Luo Wanyun, smiled faintly. She picked up the pet carrier from the ground and gently placed it into Yuan Wei’s hands.
“Although I would’ve liked to keep this little fellow longer, what isn’t mine will never truly belong to me. So here I am, returning it to its rightful owner.”
Yuan Wei took the carrier and lowered his eyes to look inside.
Tuotuo whined softly and stretched out a furry paw. The moment it caught Yuan Wei’s scent, it cried out excitedly like a pitiful little thing finally seeing its father again after being away from home.
Yuan Wei frowned slightly and opened the small door.
Tuotuo immediately wriggled its fat butt and charged out happily, throwing itself at Yuan Wei’s legs.
Looks like Sheng Xia hadn’t lied. The little thing really had been taken care of well. It kept bumping against his calf like a tiny cannonball.
“Don’t worry. Even though I don’t like you, I’m not petty enough to take it out on a dog.”
Luo Wanyun spoke as she casually strolled through the courtyard.
When Sheng Xia brought the dog to her place, she had already felt that something was off. Sheng Xia had always disliked furry little animals, so why would she suddenly bring home a dog?
After investigating, she discovered the dog had been brought back from the resort by Sheng Xia. Digging further into the places Sheng Xia had been visiting lately, she finally realized that Yuan Wei still hadn’t disappeared from her life.
She had originally thought that after being humiliated by her before, Yuan Wei would have learned his lesson.
Unexpectedly, after all these years, he was still the same, poor and struggling, yet overly ambitious.
Yuan Wei watched as Luo Wanyun wandered around the house like an elegant rich lady strolling through a shabby marketplace.
This house was a second-hand property he bought after getting out of prison. The former owners were an elderly couple who had moved away to live with their son. Seeing Yuan Wei all alone and pitiful, they sold the house to him cheaply.
The furniture was old, and there were only a few pieces sparsely tucked into the corners, making the entire place look especially desolate.
Luo Wanyun covered her nose lightly with a handkerchief. The casual glance she swept across the room carried the same mockery Yuan Wei was familiar with.
Back in high school, when she visited his home, she had worn that exact same expression.
At that time, his mother was still alive. Without any prior notice, she suddenly barged into their home and, speaking to his mother in words that sounded tactful on the surface but were actually full of veiled barbs, said:
“I can see it hasn’t been easy for you raising a child alone. While you’re still young, you should find someone to rely on. After all, a boy needs a father to teach him how to conduct himself. Having crooked thoughts at such a young age is hardly a good thing.”
Every word was like a knife, each one stabbing directly into his mother’s heart. She was so furious she could not even speak, and that very night she was admitted to the hospital.
Because of this, he had nearly broken up with Sheng Xia.
So many years had passed, and Yuan Wei was no longer the hot-headed young man he used to be. He said calmly, “If you have something to say, just say it.”
Luo Wanyun smiled. “The house has changed, but you haven’t.”
Yuan Wei did not respond. He simply looked at her in silence.
Luo Wanyun gave him another look and smiled. “Alright, perhaps you’ve changed too. I remember the last time I came here, you looked like you wanted to strangle me. Now you’ve learned how to keep your composure.”
Yuan Wei lowered his eyes, his raven-feather lashes concealing the emotions within. He seemed unwilling to make excuses for the recklessness of his youth, yet he had no intention of apologizing either.
Luo Wanyun knew people grew up eventually, but what waves could a poor boy who only knew how to haul bricks possibly make?
The corners of her lips curled upward as she said softly to him, “Even if I don’t say it, you should know why I’ve come.”
Yuan Wei knew. It was nothing more than the matter of him and Sheng Xia getting involved again. Luo Wanyun did not know the details of their situation. She was extremely cautious, terrified that old feelings might rekindle between them. The moment she caught the slightest sign of it, she rushed over, eager to snuff out their tiny spark before it could grow.
After all these years, she was the one who had never changed.
Yuan Wei said, “Sheng Xia is already an adult. Are you still trying to control her?”
“Control?” Luo Wanyun raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by control? I’ve never told her to break up with you. Is that what you call control?”
Yuan Wei replied, “You just put all the pressure on me.”
It had been like that four years ago, and it was still like that four years later.
Luo Wanyun seemed to know exactly how to play the role of a good mother. Even though her scheming was written plainly across her face, even though she treated Sheng Xia as a tool, she always carried herself with calm composure. She influenced Sheng Xia subtly and gradually, making her believe she was the best mother in the world.
She had never openly opposed Sheng Xia being with Yuan Wei, yet behind the scenes she pressured his mother so heavily that they had nearly been torn apart.
Luo Wanyun smiled. “And what good did that do? You’re still clinging to her.”
Yuan Wei sat with his back perfectly straight. He clearly had no desire to waste words arguing with her, so he said directly, “I understand why you’ve come, but your concerns are unnecessary.”
Luo Wanyun frowned, surprised. “What do you mean by that?”
Yuan Wei said, “Sheng Xia and I are not together.”
Luo Wanyun lifted her brows and sneered. “That’s hard to say. Maybe you’re not together now, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be in the future. What if my daughter softens for a moment and gets fooled by you again?”
Yuan Wei said, “Surely you know your own daughter well enough. She would never turn back and choose to be with a poor nobody like me.”
Luo Wanyun snorted. His words seemed to have convinced her. She knew Sheng Xia’s personality. There was no way she would ever return to this poor boy. Even if they still had some contact, it was only because she felt momentarily soft-hearted.
“Good. That’s for the best. I hope you remember what you’ve said today. Sheng Xia and you are no longer people from the same world. Don’t mistake that little bit of sympathy she has for you as a lifeline. This is all your life will ever be. Don’t drag someone else down with you. Understand?”
His Adam’s apple bobbed. In the end, he only said, “Don’t worry.”
Luo Wanyun glanced at the increasingly gloomy sky. She brushed the hair by her ear and smiled.
“I misjudged you. I didn’t expect that after all these years, you’ve become much more sensible.”
Yuan Wei pressed his lips together. His face was pale, as though covered with frost.
Satisfied, Luo Wanyun left.
Yuan Wei closed the door. The moment he turned around, his face instantly returned to calm.
The resentment and unwillingness he had shown earlier seemed to recede completely like a retreating tide.
What he had told Luo Wanyun was seven parts false and three parts true. The lie was that Sheng Xia would never look down on him for being poor. The truth was that… he genuinely did not want to hold her back.
It was not insecurity.
He simply could not bear it.
He could not bear to see such a dazzling girl buried alongside him in the passage of time, becoming just another ordinary person living an unremarkable life. She belonged on a stage, shining brilliantly beneath the spotlight.
Sheng Xia no longer remembered.
He did.
Back in high school, she had sung at the school’s anniversary celebration. Dressed in a white blouse and red skirt, she had captivated countless people.
He had watched her proudly then, feeling as though he had discovered a hidden treasure.
He was proud, yet afraid.
Proud that such a wonderful girl could be with him.
Afraid that he would no longer be the only one who could have her.
Back then, the two of them had sat by the edge of the sports field, and he had asked what she wanted to do in the future.
Sheng Xia immediately lit up with excitement and declared that she would definitely become a big star one day, surrounded by admirers wherever she went.
After all these years, he still remembered everything clearly, not just her face, but her dream as well.
Now, how could he bear to grab the hem of her skirt and pull her down into the mundane world with him?
Tuotuo seemed to sense that he was in a bad mood. It whined softly and nudged against him.
Yuan Wei stroked its fur and stared vacantly at the sky. In his pale eyes seemed to lurk a wild beast, surging and ready to break free at any moment.
He looked at the darkening sky and pressed his lips together.
One last time.
He only wanted to see her one last time.
The weather grew increasingly gloomy, and dark clouds slowly rolled in from the distance.
A Bentley was parked by the roadside. The window was open, and cigarette smoke drifted out from inside.
Shen Haolin took a deep breath of the damp air. His phone kept turning over in his hand, betraying the restlessness in his mind.
He lit up the screen. His finger hovered over Sheng Xia’s name, trembling slightly in midair. After hesitating for a long time, he still could not bring himself to press it.
He had learned about Sheng Xia’s injury yesterday and had almost immediately dropped everything to rush over and see her. But then he thought about how they had only recently argued, and how she was still hung up on that ex-boyfriend. If he went running to her so eagerly, wouldn’t that make him look far too cheap?
But if he didn’t go see her, he worried himself sick.
Shen Haolin clicked his tongue and crushed out his cigarette.
After chasing Sheng Xia for so many years without success, his feelings had long since become tangled with obsession. At this point, he was determined to have her no matter what.
After some thought, he concluded that the biggest obstacle between them was that ex-boyfriend, Yuan Wei.
As long as Yuan Wei was gone…
As long as he was gone.
Shen Haolin gritted his teeth. Just thinking about that poor bastard made his teeth itch with hatred.
He viciously crushed the cigarette in his palm and slammed his foot on the accelerator.
Forget that brat for now.
He had to win Sheng Xia’s heart back first.
The car sped away, while the dark clouds in the distance pressed even closer.
Su Youtian opened the window and stretched out her hand to catch the raindrops.
“Ugh, this rain is making me uneasy. I have a feeling something’s about to happen.”
【Why?】
Su Youtian sighed.
“Because that’s how novels always go. On a stormy night, something huge is bound to happen. The male and female leads misunderstand each other, break up, the heroine jumps into a river, gets into a car accident, then the hero howls in agony, cries his eyes out, and suffers so much he wishes he were dead. Somehow, all the drama always happens when it’s raining.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she gasped and covered her face in horror.
“Wait, you’re not planning to get me into a car accident, are you? Then Yuan Wei sees it with his own eyes, becomes devastated, suffers unbearably, loses all hope in life, leaves town forever, and the plot finally gets back on track?”
The system fell silent in thought. If it were human, it would probably be stroking its chin right now.
【How did I not think of that? If possible, we could give it a try…】
Su Youtian immediately shouted, “No, no, no! I was just joking! Just joking!”
The system replied:
【Relax, I was only scaring you.】
Su Youtian finally let out a sigh of relief.
【As if I’d let you off that easily.】
Su Youtian: “…”
Suddenly, thunder boomed across the sky.
She shrank her neck and shook open her blanket, preparing to crawl underneath it.
【Not yet. Someone’s here.】
Su Youtian froze.
Who had arrived that was important enough for the system to tell her?
She poked her head out and looked downstairs.
A Bentley was parked below.
Then a long leg stepped out first.
Judging by the car and the clothes, it was definitely some rich, handsome guy.
Su Youtian rubbed her hands together excitedly.
“System, who is it? Is this my second chance at romance?”
The person stepped out completely, looked up at her, and smiled.
Su Youtian: “…”
She slammed the window shut.
“Why didn’t you tell me it was Shen Haolin?!”
【If he wore a bag over his head, he’d still be usable. Stop being so picky.】
Su Youtian: “…You’re evil.”
The system’s tone turned serious again.
【He probably has something important to discuss with you. Go downstairs now.】
A bad feeling immediately crept over her.
“Is this another mission?”
【The final mission is coming up.】
The final mission!
Did that mean she would soon be rid of Yuan Wei and finally be free to enjoy herself?
Su Youtian quickly changed clothes. Just as she was about to head out, she suddenly turned back.
She rummaged through her belongings, pulled out the thickest down jacket she could find, and put it on. Then she stuffed a throw pillow inside her clothes.
【…What are you doing?】
Su Youtian replied, “Didn’t you see what he drove here in? A car! What if he gets angry and runs me over later? If I have to complete the mission and can’t fight back, maybe all these layers will make it hurt less.”
【Put on one more layer and I’ll electrocute you. You and your down jacket can burst into flames together.】
Su Youtian hurriedly took it off.
She grabbed an umbrella, carefully wrapped up her injured foot, and limped downstairs.
By the time she reached Shen Haolin, he was already soaked to the skin.
The moment she opened her umbrella, Shen Haolin lunged at her like a starving tiger pouncing on its prey.
She yelped.
He nearly squeezed the life out of her.
Shen Haolin held her tightly.
“Sheng Xia, I was wrong. I was wrong. Can you forgive me?”
Her umbrella was shoved aside, and she squinted against the pounding rain.
“Bro, if you’ve got something to say, just say it. Do you have to hug me this hard?”
Shen Haolin wiped the rain from his face and released her.
“So you’ve forgiven me?”
Su Youtian replied, “Forgiven you for what? Just get to the point!”
Shen Haolin said, “I shouldn’t have gotten angry with you that day. When I heard you were injured, I regretted not being by your side. I came here specifically to apologize.”
Only then did Su Youtian understand why the system had ordered her downstairs.
It was giving Shen Haolin a way out.
She quickly waved her hand.
“Alright, alright. I forgive you. My foot’s fine. You made such a huge scene out of this that I thought something serious had happened.”
Shen Haolin finally relaxed.
He picked up the umbrella from the ground, opened it, and said softly to her,
“As long as you’ve forgiven me. Actually, there’s another reason I came to see you today.”
Su Youtian listened quietly.
Shen Haolin continued, “I know you haven’t been happy on that production set, and honestly, the resources you’re getting aren’t very good. So I’ve found you a new role. It’s the third female lead in a xianxia drama. Don’t underestimate it just because it’s the third female lead. The character has a lot of potential. Plenty of people have been fighting for the role. I had to promise my friend quite a few favors before I could secure it for you.”
By now, Su Youtian had lost most of her interest in acting.
She answered perfunctorily, “Thanks.”
Shen Haolin carefully studied her expression.
“What, you’re not happy? Don’t tell me you like Yuan Wei so much that you won’t even accept this small gesture from me?”
As he spoke, a harsh look once again appeared on his face.
Startled, Su Youtian hurriedly said,
“No, no, you’ve got the wrong idea!”
Shen Haolin froze, looking at her with a hint of anticipation.
Just as Su Youtian was about to brush him off, a beep sounded in her mind.
【Final Mission: Within thirty seconds, the host must recite the following sentence in full:
“Don’t overthink it. I do like him, but he could never help my career the way you can. To be honest, I’ve never even considered being with him. You know that Yuan Wei and I are worlds apart now. There is no future between us.”】
Su Youtian froze.
Why did the system want her to say those words?
If the final mission was supposed to make Yuan Wei leave, then all she had to do was say a single sentence?
Unless… those words were never meant for Shen Haolin.
One of Su Youtian’s feet lifted off the ground, and suddenly her intelligence seemed to reclaim the high ground.
Her first instinct was to turn around.
The system immediately stopped her.
【Don’t turn around! Do you still want to complete the mission or not?】
“System… is Yuan Wei standing behind me?”
【Yes. Complete this mission, and Yuan Wei can go home. He can finally live a good life. Host, there’s not much time left. Hurry up.】
That’s right.
Once this mission was completed, Yuan Wei would become the powerful CEO he was destined to be. In the future, he would wield immense influence in A City. Whether it was Shen Haolin, Sheng Xia, or anyone else who had wronged him, they would all end up beneath his feet.
All she had to do was complete this mission.
Her son would rise to glory.
And she could finally throw herself into the arms of handsome young men.
Such a win-win situation.
So why wasn’t she happy?
Su Youtian tried to smile, only to find that she couldn’t lift the corners of her mouth at all.
If she said these words, then she and Yuan Wei would truly be finished…
Seeing her remain silent for so long, Shen Haolin’s expression became slightly more restrained.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Youtian moved her lips.
She felt as if her back were about to be pierced through.
She knew Yuan Wei was watching her.
Watching her personally utter those hurtful words.
Watching her strip away her hypocritical mask and finally reveal her selfish, contemptible true nature.
A chill spread through her entire body. The rain seemed to seep into her very bones.
Biting her lip, she forced a smile.
“Y-you’re overthinking it. I do like him, but he…”
But he…
In the distance came a rumble like war drums. A bolt of lightning suddenly split the sky.
Shen Haolin said, “Your foot is still injured. Whatever you want to say, let’s go upstairs and talk.”
“No!”
Su Youtian’s sharp cry rang out suddenly.
Startled, Shen Haolin stared at her in surprise.
Forcing up the corners of her mouth, Su Youtian said,
“I have to finish saying it now… But he could never help my career the way you can.”
The moment she finished speaking, her heart suddenly clenched.
It felt as though someone had seized it tightly before abruptly letting go.
Blood surged through her body like a beast released from a floodgate, making her vision turn white as her hands trembled uncontrollably.
The gaze behind her grew increasingly intense.
One moment, she felt as though she were struggling in an icy ocean.
The next, she was drowning in scorching magma.
Caught between fire and water, she could no longer think clearly.
Meanwhile, Shen Haolin’s eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Drawing a deep breath, he listened excitedly as Su Youtian continued.
It seemed as though the lightning had blinded her. Her eye sockets burned painfully hot as she tilted her head slightly upward.
“To be honest… I’ve never considered being w-with him.”
At that moment, it felt as though a massive stone had fallen straight from her chest into a bottomless abyss.
Apart from the initial pain, she seemed incapable of feeling anything else.
Shen Haolin was both shocked and delighted.
Grabbing her shoulders, he laughed.
“Really? Is that really how you feel?”
Su Youtian swayed back and forth from his shaking.
Taking a deep breath, she realized her voice sounded muffled. She quickly lowered her head.
“You know Yuan Wei and I are worlds apart now. He and I… he and I…”
She rubbed her aching eyes.
“We have no future…”
Boom!
Lightning tore across the distant sky.
Shen Haolin suddenly tossed aside the umbrella and pulled her into his arms. His voice overflowed with unconcealed joy.
“Sheng Xia, I’m so glad you’ve come to your senses. Don’t worry, I’m not going to pressure you right now. I’ll keep treating you well, so well that one day you’ll completely forget that poor boy.”
Su Youtian said nothing.
Tilting her head upward, she discovered that rainwater could be so scalding hot.
Two streams of warmth seemed to melt down her cheeks.
The gaze behind her lingered on her back for only a moment before disappearing.
Slowly, Su Youtian closed her eyes.
【Mission Complete. Congratulations, Host. You can rest for three years now.】
Su Youtian narrowed her eyes.
Yet no matter how hard she tried, she could not smile.
After sending Shen Haolin away, she dragged her exhausted body back upstairs and threw herself onto the bed.
A thousand thoughts seemed to pass through her mind.
Yet at the same time, it felt as though she had thought of nothing at all.
The next morning, the sky was clear.
The fragrance of damp earth drifted in through the window.
Rubbing her forehead, Su Youtian sat up and stretched lazily.
“Ah, finally no more missions. I need to give myself a proper vacation.”
【How do you want to spend it?】
Su Youtian thought for a moment.
“I’ll find somewhere with beautiful mountains and clear waters, bring Tuotuo over, and enjoy being surrounded by nature.”
【Would you really enjoy that kind of life?】
Surprised, Su Youtian replied,
“Of course I would. After spending so much time in the city, isn’t it nice to go into the mountains and enjoy nature for a change? A different lifestyle, a different mood.”
The system responded thoughtfully.
After cleaning the apartment, Su Youtian headed downstairs to throw out the trash.
The moment she opened the door, she saw something leaning against the wall beside it.
She froze.
It was a cane.
She immediately hurried to the stairwell and looked downstairs.
No one was there.
Letting out a sigh of relief, she muttered,
“Thank goodness. I thought someone had fallen down the stairs. For a second I thought the person was gone and only the cane was left behind.”
The system said:
【…Why don’t you look at what’s on the cane first?】
Turning back, Su Youtian saw a small wooden turtle perched on it, peeking its head out curiously.
She froze.
With trembling hands, she pulled a little turtle out of her pocket.
Comparing the two, she found they were exactly the same.
The system said:
【Looks like it was delivered overnight.】
Suddenly, Su Youtian shouted,
“Can you shut up?!”
It was as though every emotion she had been suppressing exploded at once.
Her voice was unbearably sharp, echoing repeatedly through the stairwell and colliding into layer after layer of reverberation.
Su Youtian breathed heavily.
Her trembling hand stroked the cane.
She could imagine Yuan Wei carving it, stroke by painstaking stroke.
And she could imagine the state of mind he must have been in when he brought it here.
Perhaps he really did want to make a clean break with her…
Su Youtian collapsed onto the floor. As she stroked the little turtle carved onto the cane, she noticed a spot of blood on it.
She froze.
The thunderous roar from the previous night seemed to echo in her ears again.
All she could see was that tiny smear of red, stabbing at her eyes until they ached.
After a long while, she carefully pulled the cane into her arms and rubbed her cheek against it before carrying it inside.
After locking the door, she turned and left.
【Where are you going?】
“To find Yuan Wei!”
She hailed a taxi and spent the entire ride urging the driver to go faster.
Yet when she finally arrived at Yuan Wei’s house, she stopped in front of the gate and could not bring herself to move forward.
The system seemed to have detected something. It hesitated, but ultimately remained silent.
Gritting her teeth, Su Youtian gently pushed open the gate.
Nothing in the yard was missing.
The tight string in her chest loosened slightly.
Carefully, she knocked on the door.
When no one answered, she pushed it open.
Sunlight instantly flooded the room.
The house was terrifyingly silent.
Su Youtian slowly walked inside.
Looking at the dust drifting through the air and the white sheets covering the furniture, her eyes gradually grew hot.
【He’s already gone.】
For once, Su Youtian did not complain about the system speaking without permission.
She sank onto the sofa, feeling waves of pain surge through her chest.
It was like an ocean carrying countless blades, wave after wave crashing into her heart without end.
“How could he leave so quickly? I didn’t even get the chance to say goodbye…”
【What would saying goodbye accomplish? Don’t overthink it. You’ll see him again in three years.】
Softly, Su Youtian said,
“But the Yuan Wei three years from now won’t be the same Yuan Wei. He won’t be the Yuan Wei who cooked for me, patted my head, and called me an idiot anymore…”
The system replied:
【He won’t change.】
Su Youtian shook her head.
Large tears rolled down her cheeks.
Her chest heaved violently as sobs escaped her throat.
The system said nothing more.
By evening, darkness gradually settled in.
Su Youtian slowly sat up from the sofa.
Her face felt dry, while her throat hurt and rasped as though she had swallowed ten pounds of salt.
Covering her face, she took a deep breath before slowly rising to her feet.
The instant she stood up, darkness suddenly engulfed her vision.
She lost control and collapsed.
The world spun around her.
It felt as though she had dreamed for a very long time.
As consciousness slowly returned, Su Youtian felt herself lying on thick bedding.
Yet the cold wind still found its way through every crack.
She opened her eyes.
Immediately, she found herself staring into a pair of wide, round eyes.
Those eyes were studying her as though she were some fascinating new creature.
Startled, she jerked backward.
Only then did she see that the owner of those eyes was a little kid with a runny nose.
His cheeks were red from the cold, and the floral cotton jacket he wore was so dirty it had turned black in places.
Little bro, who are you?
The child seemed delighted to see her awake and immediately began clapping his hands.
Speechless, Su Youtian tried to get up, only to realize something was wrong.
What was with all this fur?
Where had her smooth, jade-like skin gone?
When had she grown a coat of fur?
And what about her long limbs?
When had they turned into these short little legs?
Su Youtian’s eyes widened in horror.
Reflected in the child’s eyes was a little orange tabby cat staring back with equally wide eyes, its mouth slightly open to reveal tiny sharp baby teeth.
Su Youtian: “…”
“System, what the hell is going on?”
【Didn’t you say you wanted to go to the mountains? A different way, a different mood.】
…
So she had become a rural orange tabby cat?
She had become a cat!
【Congratulations, Host. Enjoy your vacation, hehe.】
“…I hate you, meowww!!!”
The child jumped in fright at Su Youtian’s cry and scrambled backward while shouting,
“Brother Yuan Wei! Your cat barks like a dog!”