35 The World of the Second Playthrough
A Kiss Worth a Thousand Pieces of Gold◎
I see……
Just as I expected.
Yan Sui looked at Lu Shutian's face and thought calmly.
"Why did that first timeline end?" she asked.
Lu Shutian pouted, "Why doesn't my sister seem surprised at all?"
"I had already guessed this possibility," Yan Sui thought to herself. "It's better to deal with the problem calmly than to be surprised."
Lu Shutian blinked. "Then give me another kiss, and I'll tell you."
Yan Sui lowered her eyes and reached out to push the person opposite her away.
"I was wrong, sister." Lu Shutian apologized in a sticky manner, then suddenly leaned closer, pulled open the other person's nightgown with her right hand, and bit her collarbone lightly.
She laughed a little silly, "If my sister won't kiss me, then I'll kiss her first."
Yan Sui sighed, "Is this a kiss? That's clearly a bite."
"But it doesn't hurt, does it, sister?"
Yan Sui didn't want to continue this topic: "Okay, tell me, how does the first cycle of this world end?"
Lu Shutian sat up, leaning lazily against the sofa. She raised her hand towards the glass window, and golden sunlight shone through her fingers onto her face, tinting her originally dark pupils with a golden halo.
"I discovered that I was the protagonist of this world, so the world began to collapse, and then it ended."
Yan Sui sat up as well, rubbing her temples. "You put it too succinctly."
Lu Shutian lowered her hand and closed her eyes. "A detailed version isn't out of the question, but it will cost extra."
Yan Sui rubbed her temples. "How much do you want? I'll transfer it to you when I get back."
Lu Shutian poked her cheek. "Give me a kiss. My sister's kiss is worth a fortune."
Yan Sui was shocked, Yan Sui was helpless, Yan Sui was numb, Yan Sui compromised.
She smoothly transitioned between four emotions, leaned over, and kissed the other person's cheek.
Lu Shutian then spoke with satisfaction, "Actually, during my first playthrough, I noticed something was off since I was little. No matter what I said or did, I always managed to get the unconditional approval of everyone around me."
After all, you are the female protagonist of this world, with the protagonist's halo, so it's normal for this situation to occur.
Yan Sui thought to herself, but remained silent.
“But over time, I became very lonely,” Lu Shutian said, changing the subject.
"At that time, although I didn't know that I was the protagonist, I knew that these people liked and affirmed me not because they really liked me, but because of some kind of setting or ability of mine that made them like me."
"It's like I've gained superpowers. I only need to beckon with my finger, and everyone will flock to me to express their affirmation and love."
Lu Shutian looked at Yan Sui, "Doesn't sister also think this kind of life is amazing?"
Yan Sui didn't speak.
Lu Shutian wasn't annoyed by the lack of an answer. She continued, "But this kind of liking isn't real liking. So many people 'like' me, but not a single one of them truly likes or appreciates me."
"At that time, I was probably the happiest person in the worldly sense, but also the loneliest person."
Lu Shutian shrugged. "To be honest, although living in such an environment feels a bit strange, I can manage to survive. Until He Chenyu appeared."
Yan Sui's right eyelid twitched.
"Everyone says that he and I are a match made in heaven, and that I have to be with him."
Lu Shutian's tone grew colder, "However, there are two reasons why I absolutely cannot accept him. First, he is indeed not like others; he won't like me unconditionally, but he has ulterior motives towards me. As for the second..."
Lu Shutian smiled and pulled Yan Sui into her arms. Her smile grew wider as Yan Sui nestled into her embrace.
"At that time, I already realized that I was the female protagonist of this world, and He Chenyu was the male protagonist. Whether it's in novel settings or fairy tales, princesses and princes always end up together—"
"But sister, I don't like men at all."
Yan Sui was speechless, not knowing what to say.
Lu Shutian tilted her head and affectionately nuzzled Yan Sui's thin shoulder. "So, the Heavenly Dao, or you could say the world's consciousness, has begun to punish me. It's forcing me to be with He Chenyu, and if I don't comply, I will be punished."
Yan Sui's voice tightened, "So that's how you got that scar on your heart?"
Lu Shutian shook her head, "No, that scar is because I killed He Chenyu." ?!
It took Yan Sui a while to find her voice, "Your way of solving problems is really..."
Lu Shutian said nonchalantly, "When one of the main characters of this world died, it naturally collapsed. To compensate me, Heaven said it would find someone to save this world, and this person was someone it made me choose myself."
Yan Sui's voice was hesitant, "The person you chose is me?"
“Of course, sister,” Lu Shutian said, her tone filled with a tenderness she herself didn’t know she had, “you are the one I chose from among thousands of souls.”
"After that, the world restarted, and I probably fell asleep for a while? I can't remember exactly, but anyway, after that, the second world began."
Yan Sui pursed her lips, staring at the calluses on the tips of her right fingers, lost in thought.
"So if you want this world not to collapse, neither you nor He Chenyu can get into trouble," Yan Sui said after a long silence.
Lu Shutian denied it, saying, "I could never coexist with him. Either he dies, or I die."
What's the point of restarting the world then?
Seeing through Yan Sui's thoughts, Lu Shutian stroked her hair. "So I'm thinking of other ways. Originally, I was waiting for you. Waiting for you to come into this world, to fight alongside me, and for us to take care of that bastard together. But..."
“But the object of my salvation is neither this world nor you.” Yan Sui’s tone was devoid of emotion.
Lu Shutian hummed in agreement, "So I've been deceived by the Heavenly Dao again; it's a liar."
Yan Sui did not immediately agree; she felt there were too many suspicious points involved.
"Sister, I've told you everything I know," Lu Shutian said, her voice tinged with a childish, unserious tone. "Am I good enough?"
Yan Sui was immune to the other party's coquettish attack. "Don't make a move against He Chenyu rashly. Let's think of a solution to this matter first. Take it slow and don't rush."
Lu Shutian ignored her, saying, "Sister, we're going to be together."
Seeing that Lu Shutian was about to become unresponsive again, Yan Sui sighed, "Alright, next time you feel bad because of this scar, give me a call."
Lu Shutian's eyes lit up. "Sister, you're coming to find me?"
Then she turned her head and said in a rough voice, "Forget it, anyway, the only person you're trying to save is Jian Liyun. Even if I die from the pain, it has nothing to do with you."
"Don't think like that..." Yan Sui said helplessly.
Lu Shutian finally gave up, "It's fine if you want to save her first, anyway you'll end up with me. But it seems like your company really helps. After you helped me up yesterday, I really didn't feel so bad."
Yan Sui subtly changed the subject, "Well, now that things are clear, I should go back and rest."
Lu Shutian gave a coquettish snort, "My sister is always like this, using me and then leaving without a second thought."
Yan Sui was both amused and exasperated. "I didn't... Alright, I really should go back now."
Lu Shutian clung to the other person like an octopus, saying, "No, sister, stay with me a little longer."
Yan Sui said in a calm tone, "Okay, then tell me what the ending of Li Yun's next timeline is like."
Lu Shutian fell silent.
She released Yan Sui and straightened her slightly disheveled clothes. "Sister, you can go now."
Yan Sui stood up, her right hand being held by the other person.
“Sister, you can pity her, but you can’t like her,” Lu Shutian said earnestly.
Yan Sui did not respond.
Lu Shutian took the opportunity to kiss Yan Sui's hand again, muttering something about how the unloved are the mistresses.
Yan Sui found it absurd, "Don't say things like that."
Lu Shutian was already completely absorbed in her own world, unable to extricate herself. "But this also feels like having an affair, it's a bit exciting, I quite like it too."
Knock knock.
A knock sounded at the door. Lu Shutian scratched Yan Sui's palm and said, "Go on, sister. Don't forget our promise."
Yan Sui wrapped her coat tighter around herself and went to open the door.
Even without looking through the peephole, she could tell who was standing outside the door.
As expected, Jian Liyun stood outside the door with her lips tightly pressed together. When she saw that the person who opened the door was Yan Sui, her tension instantly dissipated. "Sui Sui."
Yan Sui patted her on the back, "I talked to her about some things related to the document content, so it took some time. Sorry."
Jian Liyun took Yan Sui's hand and led her back to her home. "No need to apologize for this. Do you want to rest for a while? I turned up the air conditioning in the master bedroom, it should be warmer to sleep there."
Yan Sui was actually quite tired.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then said, "No. Before we go to record the show, I'll teach you Go for a little while longer."
Jian Liyun frowned. "But you're very tired."
Yan Sui comforted her, "It's okay. Anyway, I won't have anything to do while you're recording the show this afternoon. I can just take a nap in the lounge then."
The two entered the study. Jian Liyun looked at the chessboard full of pieces and suddenly asked, "What...did you two talk about just now?"
Looking at Jian Liyun's flawless face, Yan Sui silently cried out to the system, "System, can you speak now?"
The system hadn't made a sound while she was chatting with Lu Shutian, so Yan Sui could guess that the system had most likely been banned again.
[Host, I was so frustrated just now, sob sob. Why are you still helping the female lead? She doesn't even know you took the damage for her yesterday. I told you, in your current condition, you can only help her three more times at most.]
“There are still three more, that’s quite a lot.” Yan Sui replied in her mind, “Now, help me find out the current trajectory of Jian Liyun’s fate.”
A black sphere, visible only to Yan Sui, appeared above Jian Liyun's head.
Yan Sui lowered her eyes; it seemed that Jian Liyun's fate was still destruction.
Seeing Yan Suiguang staring at her without saying a word, Jian Liyun's unease grew stronger, and she gave in first, "If Suisui doesn't want to talk, then forget it."
Yan Sui took a breath. "I'll tell you later. Li Yun, under what circumstances do you think you'll be happy?"
It's not just about feeling happy, but about being happy enough to have the unwavering will to live on.
Jian Liyun opened the chess jar, casually picked up a white chess piece, and said, "Being able to do what I like and be with the people I like."
“Oh,” Yan Sui responded softly, then asked an even more pointed question, “Under what circumstances would you feel so desperate that you want to die?”
Jian Liyun paused.
"When you're completely desperate, you might think about using death to escape your suffering." Her answer was perfectly reasonable.
Yan Sui picked up the chess pieces from the board one by one and put them back into the chess jar: "Could you elaborate a bit more, like setbacks in your career?"
Jian Liyun thought for a moment, "I might indeed be a little sad if my career suffers a setback, but it wouldn't be to the point of wanting to die. If I really reach that point of despair, it would probably be because I can't keep what I want to keep, and I've lost the motivation to live."
In the blink of an eye, Yan Sui had made up her mind.
She slowly set up a chessboard. "Li Yun, try to break the deadlock using the methods I taught you before. I'll give you half an hour."
After saying that, she stopped looking at Jian Liyun's expression, stood up and left the study.
"system."
Yan Sui's inner call was immediately answered: "Host, I'm here."
"As the male protagonist of this world, if He Chenyu were to have an accident, it would also cause this world to collapse, right?"
【Yes. 】
Yan Sui stared blankly at the fruit basket that Lu Shutian had brought not long ago on the coffee table. "I think I understand why you wanted me to save the female supporting character, instead of the female lead."
So, why is that, host?
Yan Sui didn't answer the system's question, but instead called out in her mind again, "The system that gave me the Eye of True Sight, are you here now?"
There was no response.
Yan Sui sneered, "If you don't show up, I'll tell the female lead, Lu Shutian, that after her first time in the world ended, she came to my world and... with me..."
[Hello, transmigrator Yan Sui, I'm here. To distinguish me from that low-level system, you can call me .001.]
The system that was inexplicably caught in the crossfire: ?
“.001,” Yan Sui cracked her knuckles, “what was your purpose in opening the Eye of True Sight for me twice?”
You need to use this ability to see the truth of this world.
Yan Sui gave a mocking smile. "The truth? From the moment I came into contact with this world, everything has been a lie. And the truth you showed me is just the truth you wanted me to see, not the real truth."
System: This is such a profound conversation. Never mind, I don't understand it, I'm logging off now.
That's not the case.
Yan Sui picked up an apple and started peeling it. Her technique wasn't very good; she had only peeled a few centimeters when the apple peel broke.
"In the first playthrough, the female protagonist killed the male protagonist, causing the world to collapse. Now it's the second playthrough, and in order to prevent the world from collapsing, the most urgent task is to stop the female protagonist from having such thoughts again."
"But you sent me to save the seemingly unrelated female supporting character."
Yan Sui finally finished peeling the apple, stumbling and struggling. She adjusted her grip on the fruit knife slightly and began to cut it into pieces.
"With my help, the female supporting character could be used to balance the female lead and the male lead, preventing the world from collapsing. That was your original plan, wasn't it? But—"
"You didn't expect that even in the second timeline, the female protagonist still retains the memories of the first timeline."
Yan Sui finished slicing the apple and suddenly said, "From the moment I started talking about the first timeline heroine, you should have completely blocked my system, right? It can't know the truth of this world either."
[Yan Sui, the transmigrator, you are indeed very clever.]
Yan Sui gave a forced smile. "Many things are not hard to guess. Even if I don't know the specific truth yet, there are already enough things that I can speculate about."
She took a deep breath. "Whether it's Jian Liyun or Lu Shutian, they will have wonderful lives. They will never be tools to support the existence of this world. They are free."
".001, I'll make a deal with you."
【…you said.】
"In any case, your ultimate goal is simply for this world to function smoothly. Therefore, I want you to change the rules of this world—"
Yan Sui thought for a moment, and realized that Lily seemed to have told her about more professional terms.
"Or rather, the laws of the world."
What would you like to change?
"Let the male protagonist of this world be erased."
.001 was not surprised at all; in fact, Yan Sui could detect a hint of pleasure in the cold electronic voice.
[The transmigrator is Yan Sui; if the male protagonist is eliminated, the world will collapse.]
Yan Sui didn't care at all. "Because the male protagonist has a lot of 'weight' in the world, but what if there is someone who is just as heavy as him, or even heavier?"
"If this world can only be sustained by two main characters, then I will make the female supporting character a main character as well."
[Yan Sui, the transmigrator, your ideas are too audacious.]
“But it’s feasible, isn’t it?” Yan Sui said confidently.
[Yes. But you cannot use any means to actively harm the male protagonist, such as assassination, poisoning, or setting traps. The male protagonist must bring about his own destruction.]
Very demanding requirements.
But Yan Sui agreed, "Okay."
[Transmigrated Yan Sui, I must remind you: erasing the male lead is extremely risky. In the end, you may fail, and you won't be able to return to your original world, hear those words again, or even disappear and perish in this world.]
"I see."
Yan Sui agreed and carried the fruit platter toward the study.
“Li Yun,” she said gently, “have you figured it out? If you haven’t, that’s alright. Have some fruit first.”
Jian Liyun couldn't help but laugh when she saw the apple that had been peeled so unevenly. "Sui Sui, let me peel the apple next time."
She placed a piece, then slightly parted her lips, "Sui Sui, feed me."
Yan Sui popped a decent-looking piece of apple into the other person's mouth, then glanced at the white piece that Jian Liyun had placed.
“You placed the right one,” Yan Sui put down the fruit plate, then picked up a white stone and placed it in another spot. “But look, isn’t this spot better?”
Jian Liyun chewed on the crisp, sweet apple, "...Yes."
Yan Sui noticed the other woman's frustration and softened her tone, "Li Yun, the place you played was also very good. Many people say that in Go, one wrong move leads to a series of wrong moves. But that's not true. Go is like life; there are no absolutely correct choices, and as long as you want to, there's always a chance to turn things around."
Jian Liyun's eyes brightened.
She looked at Yan Sui and said, "Then stay with me forever, okay, Sui Sui?"
Yan Sui avoided eye contact. "Li Yun, nothing lasts forever. Let's just live in the present."
After rearranging a few pieces, Yan Sui said, "This is the second game. Imagine where White will place the next piece. After we finish this game, we'll take a break."
【Host! 】
The system's voice was heart-wrenching: "[What just happened?! Not only am I muted, but I suddenly can no longer stay by your side; I've been locked in the black room QAQ]"
Yan Sui's lips twitched. "System, how many times have I told you to keep your voice down when you're speaking in my head?"
[I'm so sorry, host, I was just too anxious. That stinky .001 system didn't do anything to you, did it?]
"I'm fine." Yan Sui replied to the system while gazing tenderly at Jian Liyun, who was deep in thought.
She asked herself, "System, if I fail the mission, will you punish me?"
She is willing to get involved and sacrifice herself, but she doesn't want others to be implicated.
It is a system that cannot even be called human.
[Author's Note]
The expert Xiao Yan is about to start planning. [Newbie]
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