When Wen Ze regained consciousness, the first thing that flared to life was his hypersensitive sense of smell.
In truth, all his senses were exceptionally sharp, but the olfactory assault was simply too overwhelming.
Wen Ze clutched his nose in agony. His gaze fell upon piles of plastic bags and liquor bottles; the acrid, pungent odor originated directly from them.
How… incredibly familiar.
A blurry scene flashed through Wen Ze’s mind.
Could this be… the mortal realm? Had he actually become a human?
Although the current mortal realm was in an era of “Dharma-ending,” where not only was it impossible for powerful entities to manifest, but even the connection channels between Heaven and Hell had been lost, that was only a one-way street. Hell could still observe the state of the human world.
In his younger years, whenever Wen Ze was bored and wanted to escape the suffocating clinginess of his aunts and sisters, he enjoyed watching the magic mirror that monitored the human realm, marveling at its rapid, ever-changing developments and itching to give it a try.
However, realizing a decade-old dream in an instant was one thing; having a sudden crisis on the very coming-of-age day he had looked forward to for so long was an entirely different matter.
Wen Ze recalled the magic circle he had seen at the very end and pondered it was likely some space mage trying to take a trip to the mortal world, and he had simply been collateral damage.
Under normal circumstances, he would have been happy to embark on such a unique journey. After all, the eternal life of a higher-level demon was excruciatingly boring. But today was his coming-of-age ceremony!!!
Grief washed over him, but that didn’t stop Wen Ze from efficiently packing the piles of trash into bags, tossing them out the door, and opening the windows for ventilation.
Only after the foul odors had dissipated did Wen Ze have the presence of mind to inspect the apartment.
It was evident the owner had designed the space with great care; warm tones and all sorts of soft, fuzzy things filled every corner, resembling a fairy tale the kind of place where one just wanted to sink in and never leave.
However, this cozy arrangement had been violently destroyed:
A warm-brown bear bedside lamp lay discarded on the floor, its glass shade shattered into pieces. The warm-yellow wallpaper patterned with small white flowers was marred by numerous stains and even torn in one spot. The off-white curtains printed with cats and dogs had suffered the same fate, and the glass coffee table in the living room was completely pulverized, with small amounts of dried blood stuck to the shards.
To be honest, it looked like a crime scene, or perhaps the aftermath of a couple’s explosive argument.
Wen Ze looked down at his palms, releasing and then clenching his fists.
Nothing changed.
The magical elements that were usually extremely active and drawn to him failed to gather in his palms.
Whether this was his own body remained to be seen demons didn’t actually prioritize the physical form, but his magic was undeniably unusable.
This was not good news.
He had arrived in a strange world for no reason, and he didn’t even have the magic he relied on to protect himself.
Yet at that moment, a string of information abruptly appeared in his mind: “The original host has died naturally. Please live on in the original host’s place as the player until the natural end of your lifespan.”
Wen Ze knitted his brows.
“Player”—that corresponded to a game. Had he entered an otherworldly game?
What exactly was that space-time mage doing?!
Wen Ze pondered for a while, but with no results, he simply went to the other rooms to hunt for a mirror; he wanted to see what this body looked like.
As someone who prioritized aesthetics, Wen Ze possessed absolute confidence in his own beauty while also caring deeply about the faces of others.
If this face turned out to be too ugly to look at, he might as well commit suicide to see if he could go back.
However, even though he had mentally prepared himself to become a monster, when he saw the person in the mirror, Wen Ze still couldn’t control a scream.
“AH—!”
It was early morning. The act of tossing out the trash wouldn’t have caused much of a stir, but this piercing shriek rudely awakened the residents across three floors.
“Fuck! Who’s screaming their head off this early in the morning?!”
“Don’t you know that disturbing people’s sleep invites lightning strikes?!”
The curses drifted up from downstairs, but they couldn’t awaken the devastated Wen Ze from his grief.
The person in the mirror had a small, round face, apricot-shaped eyes, and brown pupils. The large, watery eyes gave off a very lovable impression. His hair was light brown, soft to the touch, and looked very strokable.
In truth, judging by the facial features alone, he looked remarkably like Wen Ze’s original appearance, save for the fact that his purple hair and eye color had transformed into colors common in the mortal realm.
But… but this face was maintained so poorly.
The original Wen Ze had porcelain-white skin, incredible beauty, and long legs; his facial features were exquisitely unrivaled. Even if you took the eye of a Fog Demon and pasted it onto his face, you wouldn’t find a single pore. Combined with his slightly arrogant, pampered personality and his chin perpetually tilted upward, he had attracted countless demons who vied to pursue him.
Of course, only one person had ever plucked that flower.
Because the person who plucked it had beaten away all the others who coveted it and killed the ones who didn’t run.
It wasn’t for nothing that demons were known for their intense jealousy, even if his own “original sin” was Wrath.
But this face before him, despite the similar features, was riddled with enlarged pores and blackheads that couldn’t be covered by concealer. The lips were chapped, there were dark circles under the eyes, and the hair was a tangled mess you could find split ends just by grabbing a handful.
Wen Ze clutched his hair in a breakdown, calling out to the game system in his mind: “Can you give me this person’s memories? At the very least, let me know what happened!”
Let me know how he managed to ruin a face with such good potential into this kind of ghostly state!
The game system fulfilled his request.
Only then could Wen Ze see the original host’s past.
The original host was also named Wen Ze, but unlike Wen Ze’s noble background, the original host grew up in an orphanage.
Conditions in the orphanage were poor, but the old director was a kind person. The original host was willing to work hard, and with good grades, he managed to secure scholarships all the way through university.
He worked part-time jobs in college; although he was poor, he managed to get by. Had he graduated, he might have had a bright future ahead of him.
But while working a part-time job, the original host was discovered by a talent scout. The scout lavished praise upon his looks and then tricked the original host into signing with a very small company.
The original host’s nightmare began there.
The company was small, its contracts were harsh, and its treatment of artists was even harsher. The original host had no acting experience and lacked talent. After failing to make a splash in a few minor supporting roles, he caught the eye of several directors, and was then dragged out by his manager to keep them company at drinking parties.
Although the original host was a self-deprecating soft-pushover, he knew this wasn’t right. He broke a director’s head after refusing to submit to humiliation and fled, only to be shelved and blacklisted by the company.
After languishing for a period, the original host met a “noble person” in his life a top-tier actor who claimed to love him and wanted to pursue him.
Stuck at the lowest point of his life, the original host foolishly agreed. Not only did he keep their relationship hidden for the sake of the man’s career, but he even helped him fawn over big-time executives. He was humble and obsequious in every way imaginable; you could say he had done everything except be sent to their beds.
The actor threw him a few minor roles like he was tossing scraps, and in several interviews, he hinted that he had a lover and called the person a “virtuous assistant at home.” The original host was thrilled, believing the man truly loved him, so he worked even harder.
Later, the original host helped the actor get a lead role through one of those drinking parties, and the show became a massive hit, catapulting the man to the status of a Best Actor (Movie King).
The original host was overjoyed and set up a table of food at home to celebrate, but the actor didn’t return, telling him he had social obligations.
The original host was disappointed, but found it normal, as the actor was naturally very busy. However, someone sent him several photos showing the actor kissing another little celebrity, along with an audio clip where the actor openly mocked the original host, calling him ugly, unrefined, and unworthy of him.
The original host went to catch them in the act in a rage, only to be scolded mercilessly by the actor. Even the little celebrity ridiculed the original host to no end. They had a massive argument, and they broke up.
If it had ended there, it would have been fine at most, just a case of being blind and choosing the wrong person.
After all, who hasn’t met a few scumbags when they were young?
But someone leaked the incident. The actor’s reputation plummeted, and in a panic, he came back to beg the original host. The original host’s heart softened; feeling he wasn’t going to stay in the entertainment industry anyway, he claimed he was the one who broke up because he felt unworthy and feared holding the man back.
In the end, the ex-boyfriend turned his back on him. In subsequent interviews, he smeared the original host’s reputation in every possible way. When the original host went to confront the scumbag, they had a loud argument, which was captured by paparazzi arranged by the scumbag. Labeled a “troublemaking jilted spouse,” his reputation was completely ruined; he couldn’t even step outside without being cursed at.
In the end, the original host drank himself to death at home.
After Wen Ze finished reading, he was first in disbelief, and then completely resigned.
So, there really are people with “love-addled brains” in this world. Today, he had finally seen it with his own eyes.
Succubi are naturally “prodigal sons” in love; it had always been them playing with and abandoning other demons. He had never been played with like this.
It was too infuriating.
Wen Ze was truly at a loss to understand the original host’s actions.
Why break up with the scumbag? Why not drag him down into the grave with you?!
Couldn’t you have written a few sentimental posts online describing how much you loved him and putting yourself in the position of the victim?
Even if the final outcome was still a breakup, at least you could have gotten more assets, gained the sympathy of netizens, and used the clout to do something else.
If a scumbag cheats on you, can’t you cheat back? Hang onto a bigger tycoon and slap his face!
With this face which, while low-spec, was still alluring what couldn’t you have done?!
Wen Ze scrolled through the original host’s Weibo, looking at the overwhelming torrent of abuse, feeling heartbroken. He cursed the original host a thousand times over in his heart for wasting this face.
However, the matter was settled now; the original host had walked down a dead end, and there was no point in saying anything else.
The most important thing now was how to reverse the original host’s reputation.
As a newly crowned Best Actor, the scumbag was at the height of his popularity. Plus, with a handsome face, he had over 100 million followers. You could say that if you grabbed ten people on the street, one of them would be his fan.
Wen Ze didn’t want to live a life where he’d be pelted with rotten eggs the moment he stepped outside.
Just then, a phone rang.
It was an unknown number, not saved by the original host.
Wen Ze hesitated for a moment, wondering whether he should answer.
After the incident with the scumbag broke out, it had hung on the trending list for several days. People were overwhelmingly sympathizing with the scumbag, and some had dug up the original host’s identity, home address, and phone number. The number of harassment and abusive calls was endless, and the original host hadn’t dared to turn on the phone for several days.
But in the end, Wen Ze answered.
Even if the person on the other end was calling to curse him out, he could use his masterful debating skills to curse them right back.
What demon didn’t know how to curse?
The voice that came through was unexpected a quite steady, middle-aged male voice: “Mr. Wen, I was wondering if you’d be interested in participating in our dating reality show, ‘The Heart-Fluttering You’?”