Chapter 16: The Madman and the Madwoman

“Host, as long as you complete the mission, I will definitely petition the Main God to resurrect you and give you a small goal. Deal?” She had already ceded land and paid reparations; if this didn’t work, she would perish alongside Jiang Wannin.

“That’s not impossible…” Jiang Wannin stroked her chin thoughtfully. If she refused, she would remain trapped in the plot; accepting the mission might still offer a chance to break free.

The system’s eyes brightened—there was hope.

“But you know I can’t die; this kidney can’t be removed.” She would only endure endless pain before returning to the starting point.

The system’s face twisted into a bitter grimace, feeling worse than having swallowed bitter herbs. “You’re the first to present this kind of problem.”

She had combed through every system manual, even the tiniest annotations, yet failed to understand. In the end, it had to be a bug in the program.

Originally, she thought she had chosen the easiest scenario for Jiang Wannin, a rookie, but it turned out to be an impossible game. Exhausting.

Quietly, she glanced at the sky, then swiftly pulled a black bag from behind and slipped it into Jiang Wannin’s clothing.

The system looked particularly sly, lowering her voice. “This is a universal kidney. You’ll swap it with the female lead, then fake your death. Once the storyline finishes, you can move on.”

A universal kidney? The system sure knew how to play dirty.

“Didn’t expect you to be such a crafty trickster,” Jiang Wannin said with some admiration. This system was indeed cunning and adaptable.

The system, thick-skinned, took it as a compliment.

“Anyway, your task is to make sure the main cast lives happily ever after until their natural deaths…” The system rambled on at length.

Jiang Wannin only caught the phrase “natural deaths.”

Understood. That meant sending them all underground to meet their ancestors.

Seeing her scheming expression, the system panicked. “What do you understand? Do you even get it?” She felt her words and her host’s interpretation were worlds apart.

Jiang Wannin was already pressing the [Teleport] button.

“Hey, don’t press that randomly! Let’s talk it through first, dear.” The system fumbled nervously, eyes wide in shock. When had the host opened that page? Where did she get the authority?

[Teleportation commencing…]

Inside a café, a middle-aged woman with a well-preserved, affluent appearance bared her teeth at a young woman sitting across from her. The girl was bright-eyed, with red lips and white teeth, her large watery eyes looking pitiful.

“Take this five million and leave my son.”

The middle-aged woman tossed a check onto the table.

“No. Chen and I truly love each other. I’ve never been with him for money,” Jiang Xinwan bit her lip, her gaze stubborn and resolute. She was cold and aloof, like a red plum blooming fiercely in the biting wind.

“Ten million!”

Jiang Xinwan shook her head firmly, enduring but resolute.

“Fifty million!”

“Auntie, my love for Chen cannot be measured in money. If you think money can tear us apart, then you truly underestimate us.” Jiang Xinwan stood, fearlessly meeting the older woman’s eyes, her determination seeming as though she would defy the world for love.

Pfft, the world couldn’t care less about your love story.

Outside the café window, an old man peered in with a lecherous grin, his sly little eyes glinting through the glass as he watched them.

Classic CEO romance trope: the malicious matriarch trying to break up the couple, the innocent flower bravely fighting for love.

Truly a moving tale.

Jiang Wannin spat in disdain.

Jiang Xinwan, grief-stricken, grabbed her million-dollar Hermès bag and fled, tears streaming down her face. She accidentally bumped into a waiter carrying coffee, spilling the scalding drink all over his chest.

The waiter cried out in pain, “It hurts…”

Startled, Jiang Xinwan blinked, tears clinging to her long lashes, her eyes red like a little rabbit’s.

She shrank back timidly. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

In every romance drama, this moment always summoned a white knight to slash through the thorns and rescue his princess.

Jiang Wannin counted silently: one, two, three…

Thundering footsteps.

Gu Qiyu made a dazzling entrance, appearing from some corner. He appeared magnificently behind Jiang Xinwan.

He wrapped his arm around her waist protectively, casting a disdainful glance at the dirtied waiter lying on the floor.

With genuine concern, he asked the woman in his arms, “Did she bully you?”

The waiter: “…”

Damn it.

Who’s bullying whom? Are your eyes blind?

Jiang Xinwan whimpered into his chest, “I already apologized to her. Why does everyone dislike me? Maybe I was born to be hated…”

Her sobbing broke her breath, and she even hiccupped.

Gu Qiyu’s heart ached for her. Holding her tenderly, he comforted her carefully.

He blamed the entire incident on the waiter, then turned to say, “You’re fired.”

The waiter’s eyes widened. Wasn’t she the one injured?

She almost hallucinated that she was the wrongdoer, that she’d spilled the hot coffee on this lady, caused her to stumble…

Ahhh…

The waiter snapped.

She suddenly stood up. “Get it straight! She’s the one who bumped into me, so why am I the one getting fired? Just because she cried? I can cry too!”

She howled like a child throwing a tantrum.

Tears and snot streaming, makeup smeared all over her face, eyeliner running down her chin like black rivers, dripping wet—a walking ghost.

Jiang Xinwan was too scared to cry, just sniffled quietly.

The manager rushed over in a panic. Seeing the bully Gu Qiyu, he was overwhelmed and quickly fawned, “Young Master Gu, how could you come without telling me? Xiao Hong, apologize immediately to Young Master Gu and Miss Jiang.” Everyone in the circle knew Jiang Xinwan was Gu Qiyu’s cherished one.

The waiter stiffened her neck, refusing to apologize. She came from a good family and wouldn’t tolerate this.

Gu Qiyu tapped his fingers. “From today, no one in this industry will dare employ you. You’re blacklisted.” His tone was commanding and authoritative.

Huh? Xiao Hong almost imagined the waiter’s job was some exclusive, high-tier profession.

If worse came to worst, she’d quit.

Seeing Xiao Hong’s expression, Gu Qiyu realized his mistake and added, “I, Young Master Gu, make it clear: if any company in the city hires you, they’ll be opposing the Gu Corporation.”

With that, he carried Jiang Xinwan away in triumph.

Jiang Xinwan, feeling wronged, murmured as she walked, “Qiyu, it’s all my fault; don’t blame her…”

“You’re just too kind, always thinking of others…”

…

Xiao Hong stood bewildered in the wind, doubting life itself—could it really be her fault?

As Gu Qiyu embraced Jiang Xinwan and stepped out, he collided with a disheveled old man.