Lin Muci actually did not sleep soundly that night.
After she entered the acting space, she discovered a new segment related to Ling Qianhe. When she tried to open it, the system alerted her, "Wait a moment, host, you need to be careful. That is not Ling Qianhe's past. That is his future."
Upon hearing this, Lin Muci's heart tightened instantly. "Future?"
The system nodded seriously. "Yes, it's Ling Qianhe's future. However, to be more precise, it's Ling Qianhe's past future. It's a video showing what fate this major villain would meet if the story developed according to the original plot."
"Are you sure you want to watch it?"
Lin Muci's heart began to race. She knew what the original plot entailed for Ling Qianhe. But she hadn't delved into the details before, as it was merely a dry narrative injected into her mind by the system. Yet, now, she felt a surge of curiosity.
"Can I open it?"
The system revealed a playful smile. "Of course, you can. You can exchange it with points. Since the acting space was created by you using points, this video of his future within it will only cost ten points. How about that, am I not generous?"
Lin Muci didn't have the energy to haggle with the system. Her points were already running low, but she couldn't afford to hesitate. She handed over the points, and the surroundings shifted.
Darkness, incredibly dirty skyscrapers, wild cats leaping over garbage heaps, and beside a towering pile of takeout boxes, a figure stumbled out. Lin Muci's heart pounded. "Is that... Qianhe?"
The young man staggered, nearly falling into the garbage. His steps were unsteady, his movements awkward, suggesting a past disability. He wore a black mask, but the edges revealed shocking red scars on his cheeks. In the outside world, the Ling Qianhe she knew was a charismatic top star. But the Ling Qianhe in the video was the most destitute and pitiable homeless person at the very bottom of society, like a tragic character in a movie.
Lin Muci covered her mouth, watching him stumble into the dark building and descend in an elevator. In a dilapidated laboratory, someone was waiting for him.
"Is this batch of goods the same as the last one?"
"Are you still trying to find a way to get on that cruise ship?"
"Give up. The threshold to get on that ship is too high. A single ticket is something you could never afford in your lifetime!"
Ling Qianhe handed a battered metal box to the other person and said, "I'll eventually save up for a ticket. I need to know the truth from many years ago."
Lin Muci, as an outsider, was merely a spectator to this scene. After all, this was the original plot. Yet, she had already significantly altered Ling Qianhe's fate. But as his past destiny unfolded before her eyes, she couldn't help but feel a jolt of terror for the life he should have had.
The system sighed deeply. "He was truly wild and fierce before... Honestly, host, I think, judging by his original plot persona, he has truly restrained himself with you."
"Perhaps it's because he loves you too much."
"When favorability exceeds one hundred percent, they can truly give their lives to you."
Lin Muci remained silent. She watched Ling Qianhe turn away with a stack of money, deposit it into an automated teller machine, and then walk out. A wild cat leaped into his arms, and he walked away, cradling it.
The next moment—
Something happened suddenly. The building lost power. Then, the man with whom Ling Qianhe had just transacted suddenly collapsed, convulsing! Lin Muci's eyes widened in disbelief. "This is..."
The system continued its explanation. "It's a virus! The virus has started to spread, hence the reaction. But this is just the beginning. The speed of the virus's spread is far beyond your imagination."
Lin Muci gasped. As she watched, the virus spread rapidly, wave after wave crashing against the entire building, and people began to fall one after another. Ling Qianhe, wearing his mask, remained unaffected, the perpetrator of it all.
Three hours later, he returned to the building, carrying the cat. This underground black market, once stained with endless blood and bringing ruin to countless gamblers, was now being destroyed. He felt no remorse. He simply slipped into the top-floor building before the police arrived, transferring funds to his account. And then—
He logged onto a mysterious website and booked a cruise ticket. Could he not afford a ticket? No. When he wanted to achieve something, no one in this world could stop him.
Hours later, the building was surrounded by police, but he had already slipped away, heading to the most prosperous port, boarding the cruise ship as if nothing had happened!
*The Queen of Ice and Snow.*
He changed his clothes, no longer the disheveled, hiding, wretched ant of the lowest rung. Now, in a suit, the young man exuded an astonishing aura and grace. He boarded the cruise ship step by step, turning back. Beneath his mask, a sneer played on his lips.
Lin Muci watched him, feeling as if her heart had been squeezed tight. "He... he really is quite handsome."
The system also exclaimed, "He's a truly charming villain... I wasn't without reason when I advised you to take on his mission before. You know, among so many small worlds, Ling Qianhe was collectively voted the most charming mission target by all our small systems, even ranking higher than any main character."
"In a way, it's also... a stroke of luck for you to be here for his mission. Cough cough."
As the system lamented, Lin Muci rolled her eyes at it. "Luck? If you want this luck, do you want it?"
The system immediately retorted seriously, "Of course... Of course, I have my own luck!"
"My luck is more than enough."
Lin Muci couldn't be bothered to argue with it. She continued watching, seeing Ling Qianhe board the yacht, seeing him in his suit and tie. For some reason, a vague sense of unease lingered in her heart.
"Wait a minute—could Ling Qianhe have brought the virus onto the ship?" she asked the system.
The system, however, played coy. "Host, won't you find out if you keep watching?"
Lin Muci frowned. The ominous premonition surged within her. She watched Ling Qianhe move through the yacht. While his every action was elegant and graceful, her heart sounded a high alarm. In the ballroom, wealthy businessmen clinked glasses. Ling Qianhe produced playing cards to perform a magic trick for them. His performance was successful, eliciting laughter from the ladies. But then the playing cards flew out, and the entire hall collapsed. He moved through the crowd, stopping before a terrified woman, a cold smile on his lips. The woman began to scream frantically! She wanted to escape, but her body convulsed violently, making escape impossible. Helplessly, she looked up into Ling Qianhe's eyes, her gaze filled with terror and desperate anxiety. She panted, her voice trembling with tears, "Who are you? Do you know, I'm a principal member of the Ling family. I have money, so much money!"
"Please, let me go..."
Ling Qianhe looked indifferently at the weeping woman, her face contorted. He said, "I've come to collect a debt."
"Many years ago, on this very cruise ship, you ordered your subordinates to kill a poor woman."
"You took her son, using him as a tool for your power struggles, a bargaining chip for company shares. Do you remember?"
The Ling Madam opposite him trembled. "I... I had no choice. That woman... that woman saw a shocking secret. If I didn't kill her, I would be the one dead, the one erased..."
"I already spared that little brat's life. He was ungrateful and insisted on investigating his mother's death..."
"He deserved it!"
"He went to jail because he offended someone he shouldn't have!"
The man wearing the mask opposite her slowly removed his mask. It was a face of extreme beauty, almost enough to make one scream. Only on his face were deep and shallow scars, a tragic sight. Like a shattered, radiant moon, the most beautiful things had been broken.
Seeing his face, Ling Madam's expression turned to panicked terror. "You're Ling Qianhe... How is this possible? How could you afford to board this ship?"
Ling Qianhe's eyes held a mocking glint. "What, only the rich are worthy of boarding this ship?" He sighed softly. "Unfortunately."
"This ship will soon become your tomb."
"Ghosts drifting at sea, never finding peace for eternity."
Ling Madam's limbs went numb. She gritted her teeth, her voice forced through clenched jaws. "Ling Qianhe! You... you despicable scoundrel... Don't think... that by boarding this cruise ship, you can uncover that secret... Impossible, you'll never turn your life around, you're destined to sink into hell forever..."
She cursed Ling Qianhe with the most vicious words. But Ling Qianhe responded, word by word.
"What does it matter then?"
"If I am destined to sink into hell."
"Then let this world become hell."
He didn't care. Like a ferocious jester, or a watchman tolling the death knell, a solitary light surged in his eyes. He was the embodiment of a demon on earth. He brought only destruction.
Lin Muci watched him walk towards Ling Madam, a silver dagger gleaming in his palm. Then the image suddenly blurred. She was slightly annoyed. "I paid points, didn't I? Can you be more reliable? At least let me finish watching this video..."
The system said apologetically, "The subsequent scenes were too bloody and violent, deemed unsuitable for viewing. You would have vomited after watching, so why bother."
"Anyway, host, I think Ling Qianhe has been holding back with you."
"Loving you is equivalent to his instinct."
"In this world, the one he cares about most, the one he fears hurting the most, is you."
Lin Muci snorted. "You don't need to tell me."
The more she watched, the harder it became to change his fate. Deep within Ling Qianhe's heart, the thought of revenge never ceased for a single moment. If he couldn't retrieve his mother's ashes and resolve his obsession, this life would also be inescapable from this dead end. Ah, this damned fate, this damned world will. Annoying main system!
Lin Muci couldn't help but sigh inwardly. If only she could drag them out and beat them all up to solve every problem.