Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Finally, Lin Lanlan’s birthday arrived. As the only daughter of the chairman of a large corporation, her birthday celebration would naturally be grand. To avoid being impolite, You Xu put on exquisite makeup, wore a dress and high heels, and carefully examined herself in the mirror.
After confirming everything was in place, You Xu placed a dish meant for Duan Min at 7 PM on the bench in the corridor before leaving.
Zhao Yiyan had parked his car a short distance downstairs and waited for her by the door. Seeing her approach, he couldn’t help but take her left hand and kiss it. “You look beautiful tonight.”
You Xu slightly tugged at the corner of her lips and withdrew her hand. “Thank you for the compliment.”
They got into the car, Zhao Yiyan started the engine, and the car merged into the driveway.
In a nearby building, a window on the seventh floor was wide open, and a man stood there, staring intently at the car as it drove into the distance.
The location of the party was a private villa. Zhao Yiyan led her inside, greeting people familiarly.
“Mr. Zhao, a new companion?” a woman with wavy hair teased.
“Don’t talk nonsense,” Zhao Yiyan said with a gentle smile. “This is my junior sister, You Xu.”
You Xu followed him inside, maintaining her smile and responding politely.
“I didn’t expect Mr. Zhao to have such a beautiful junior sister,” a man said.
“Thank you for the compliment, you are very handsome too,” You Xu said.
The villa was decorated in a predominantly white European style, with numerous famous paintings and expensive antiques adorning the walls. A dance floor was located in the center, from which the sounds of a piano and cello drifted out.
It was a gathering of high society, and many people used it as an opportunity to network and conduct business.
Zhao Yiyan turned to You Xu and smiled, “Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”
You Xu didn’t say anything, only politely returning the smile. To be honest, it was easy for a young girl to be moved by a handsome man saying such ambiguous things like “I’m here.” But perhaps You Xu had been watching Duan Min for too long, and her aesthetic standards had suddenly risen; she wasn’t into this womanizer at all.
Zhao Yiyan led You Xu up the spiral staircase to the rooftop terrace. Against the backdrop of a dazzling fireworks display, a couple stood hand-in-hand in the center, their striking good looks making them stand out.
Zhao Yiyan picked up a glass of red wine and greeted the couple, “Shaosi, Lan Lan.”
Lin Lanlan wore a dark red fishtail dress, revealing a large expanse of her back, showcasing her shapely figure and alluring eyes. “Oh, you brought a new friend?”
Zhao Yiyan introduced, “This is our junior from university, You Xu.” He turned to You Xu and said, “This is Lin Lanlan, the birthday girl today.”
You Xu greeted her politely, and Lin Lanlan nodded slightly.
Xu Shaosi’s gaze was fixed on You Xu, lost in thought.
Zhao Yiyan was adept at building relationships and quickly steered the conversation, with You Xu appropriately joining in. During this time, Xu Shaosi raised his glass and clinked it with hers, his eyes somewhat inquisitive, yet he said with a gentle smile, “You look a lot like someone.”
It sounded like a flirtatious remark, but You Xu knew Xu Shaosi wasn’t joking. He was secretly dating You Qi, and he was probably saying she resembled You Qi.
You Xu remained unfazed, smiling amiably: “Your way of striking up a conversation is rather outdated.”
Xu Shaosi smiled but said nothing more.
Time passed quickly, and the banquet soon came to an end. Before leaving, Zhao Yiyan didn’t forget his mission and said to Lin Lanlan, “Why don’t you exchange contact information with Xiao Xu, so you can become friends and get together sometime?”
Lin Lanlan was in a good mood that evening, and You Xu’s eloquence and proper conduct had left a good impression on her, so she gladly exchanged contact information with You Xu.
Throughout the evening, Xu Shaosi’s gaze would occasionally drift towards You Xu, but You Xu pretended not to notice.
Zhao Yiyan insisted on taking You Xu home, and she couldn’t refuse, so she agreed.
Night fell, and there were no stars or moon. The streetlights and shadows of the trees flickered across the car window, making the interior half-lit and half-dim.
The driver was in the front, and Zhao Yiyan and You Xu sat together in the back.
After dealing with this social interaction, You Xu felt a little weary and tired, but Zhao Yiyan was clearly much more excited. He had drunk a lot that night and was now close to her, rambling on and on.
“Xiao Xu, you didn’t have a boyfriend in college, and you still don’t, right?”
“I don’t know how you’ve been all these years. Why don’t you call your senior brother? Have you forgotten about me?”
“I couldn’t reach you several times, and I thought you blocked me.”
His arm and leg brushed against hers, no longer as polite as they had been tonight or before. Feeling the heat and smell of alcohol beside her, You Xu subtly moved to the other side.
Just as You Xu was pressed against the car door with nowhere to retreat, the car finally stopped downstairs. She immediately opened the door and got out, saying quickly, “Thank you for taking care of me today, senior brother. You should go home and rest early too.”
Zhao Yiyan followed without a word, grabbing her wrist. Due to the alcohol, his face was flushed, his eyes were bright, and he staggered a couple of times before stepping forward to hug You Xu, resting his head on her neck, his breath reeking of alcohol: “How do you want to thank me?”
“I helped you so much,” his hand touched You Xu’s waist through the fabric, “How about you invite me upstairs for a cup of tea?”
Today, You Xu was wearing a shoulder-length short dress. His warm face pressed against her shoulder, and You Xu felt a chill. She closed her eyes, gritted her teeth, and was about to kick him to death when the weight on her shoulder suddenly lightened. Zhao Yiyan was thrown away like a sandbag.
You Xu froze for half a second, subconsciously looking at her half-raised leg. Wait, she didn’t seem to have touched him yet.
With a muffled thud, Zhao Yiyan was thrown against the wall, then slid down and fell to the ground, curled up in pain.
You Xu glanced at the crew-cut man who had appeared out of nowhere. After throwing Zhao Yiyan aside, the man walked over and grabbed Zhao Yiyan by the neck, lifting him up and slamming him against the wall.
Zhao Yiyan’s face was flushed red from suffocation; his mouth opened and closed, but he couldn’t utter a single word, only making faint, indistinct sounds.
You Xu remembered. The short-haired man who would throw someone against the wall at the slightest provocation was the one she’d met in the stairwell that day. Now, his eyes were lifeless; he was a puppet controlled by Duan Min. Sensing something, she glanced to the other side. In the corner downstairs stood a tall figure. There were no streetlights there, and the view was pitch black; the person almost blended into the darkness, easily missed if not looking closely.
You Xu softly called out, “Duan Min?”
The shadowy figure moved, walking towards her step by step. He stepped into the circle of light cast by the streetlight on her side, half his face illuminated, half in shadow, his expression inscrutable.
Duan Min stopped two meters away from her, his voice cold: “Why have you been so close to him these past few days?”
His eyes were dark and deep, and in the dim light, You Xu couldn’t immediately discern his emotions, only feeling his chilling tone.
You Xu instinctively uttered two words: “What?”
Then she realized—Duan Min had someone monitoring her during this time.
Duan Min, unwilling to say more, looked at Zhao Yiyan with a chilling gaze. He muttered something under his breath and then snapped his fingers.
The crew-cut man released Zhao Yiyan, who stood there blankly, expressionless and motionless, a puppet being manipulated.
Duan Min pointed at him and asked, “What was your purpose in approaching her?”
Zhao Yiyan replied, “I wanted to sleep with her.”
You Xu: “…” She still wanted to kick him.
Duan Min’s brows furrowed, a smile curving his lips, revealing white teeth, and he said in a cold tone, “Wrong answer, you want to die.”
Zhao Yiyan repeated, “I want to die.”
Then, he turned to face the wall, tilted his head back, and slammed it down, again and again, desperately pounding his forehead against the wall.
You Xu was shocked and looked at the driver in the car. The driver didn’t react; he was probably also being controlled. She then scanned the surroundings to make sure there were no cameras.
By the time she was sure it was safe, Zhao Yiyan was already bleeding from his head.
In the pitch-black night, a chilling wind blew, and the light was dim. A man, his face covered in blood, continued to frantically smash his head against the wall, each thud echoing, leaving bloodstains on the ground.
The scene was gruesome and violent, utterly chilling.
Seeing that Duan Min’s expression remained unchanged, showing no sign of stopping, and the dark crimson in his eyes revealed genuine, undisguised murderous intent, You Xu found it hard to accept the sight of someone being smashed to death before her eyes. So fearing for Duan Min’s safety, she stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve: “Alright, stop.”
Duan Min glanced at her, his lips pressed together, his face grim, clearly displeased, but he still snapped his fingers.
Zhao Yiyan, receiving the command, immediately stopped, collapsing weakly against the wall, unconscious.
You Xu wanted to check on him, but before she could take a step, Duan Min forcefully grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the building.
His brow was furrowed, his eyes blazing with a dark fire, yet shrouded in an unyielding mist. His intense emotions caused his breathing to quicken, his chest heaving, and the tips of his fingers gripping her wrist were turning slightly white.
You Xu felt a sharp pain from his grip, but she endured it without uttering a sound, her mind racing as she searched for a solution.
Duan Min didn’t give her a chance to react, leading her back to the seventh floor. He didn’t let You Xu go back to her own apartment but instead pulled her into his. The moment the door opened, You Xu froze. His apartment… his apartment was entirely black—black walls, sofa, floor, and furniture—almost no other color could be found. A heavy, oppressive feeling overwhelmed her, making it hard to breathe.
Duan Min didn’t stop, leading You Xu directly to the laboratory.
The laboratory finally had some other colors, though mostly cold white and silver—a huge experimental table and bed, and a pile of instruments she couldn’t name.
You Xu suddenly remembered her ending in the original timeline: imprisoned on a lab bed by Duan Min, watching herself being dismembered while fully conscious, and finally dying in agony.
“Wait, what’s going on?” You Xu couldn’t calm down anymore. “So all my hard work was just to go back to the original storyline?”
The system sadly chimed in, “It’s because the villain’s trust value is only 35 now. I’m afraid even if you beg and plead, it won’t work.”
What the heck? Wasn’t it slowly rising to 50 a while ago? Now it’s only 35?! This thing can go down?
Duan Min released her wrist, walked over to the lab table, glanced at the instruments on the table, picked up a scalpel, and walked towards You Xu with a half-smile.
You Xu swallowed hard, her body stiffening, cold sweat breaking out on her back. She frantically screamed at the system, “I’m fu**ing dying! Save me!”
“I’m currently in a low-spec version, many permissions aren’t enabled, I really can’t save you. Although you’re the only one who failed the newbie quest,” the system encouraged, “then try again in the next world.”
It sounded almost gloating. You Xu gritted her teeth, “Then give me a pain-blocking system.”
“Insufficient permissions,” the system said casually, “It won’t work, dear.”
…Damn it, what kind of unreliable system is this?
You Xu cursed twice, on the verge of collapse. She really didn’t understand why the plot had taken this turn. She didn’t have time to think it through. She wasn’t afraid of death, but she was truly terrified of pain, especially the feeling of being slowly but surely cut open, that excruciating pain. Just thinking about it made her scalp tingle.
The broken door didn’t even have a handle. Once it was closed, You Xu was at a loss. Looking around, she realized the enclosed space didn’t even have a window; she didn’t know where to escape. You Xu rammed the door twice, but Duan Min was already behind her, one arm around her, and said calmly, “Only I can open this door.” His indifferent tone sent chills down You Xu’s spine, making her hair stand on end. She struggled desperately in his arms, but the disparity in strength made her struggles seem particularly weak.
Duan Min pinned both her wrists to the door. You Xu instinctively tried to kick him, but he bent his leg slightly and blocked her movement.
You Xu was completely pressed against the door, unable to move. The two were pressed tightly together; she could even smell his cool scent. The intimate proximity made her face flush.
She smiled shyly, “Let’s talk this out. Are you hungry? What do you want to eat? I’ll make you something now.”
If one meal couldn’t solve the problem, then two would do.
“You betrayed me,” he said.
A muffled voice sounded above her, startling You Xu, who didn’t react immediately.
Before she could respond, Duan Min leaned down, meeting her gaze. “I don’t want to give you another chance to betray me.”
He brandished the scalpel in his hand, a cold, white light flashing in his eyes.
“So—” Duan Min drawled, his eyelashes narrowing into a smile, like a wicked demon from hell.
“Want to know what it’s like to be a puppet?”
The author has something to say:
The author suddenly became excited, eyes sparkling.
You Xu: Stepmother!
–No
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