Chapter 30
As Jiang Minghua listened to Wen Chuqing's tearful narration, her heart sank deeper and deeper. The Transmigration Bureau not only cruelly took her grandmother's life, but also used this familial bond to push Wen Chuqing back into the cage of a tragic novel.
She held Wen Chuqing's shoulders, making her look directly into her eyes. Under the lamplight, Wen Chuqing's eyes were wet and filled with despair.
"Chu Qing, look at me." Jiang Minghua's voice was unusually calm. "That voice is lying to you."
Wen Chuqing shook her head blankly, tears welling up again: "But that's the only way to save Grandma!"
“There’s no single solution,” Jiang Minghua said firmly. “But first, you need to know the truth.”
In the following time, Jiang Minghua took Wen Chuqing to the study and started a voice call, inviting Fu Yanzhi and Han Yunchu to join in.
She revealed everything she knew: the place they were in was actually a tragic novel, and she, Wen Chuqing, was the female lead, while Fu Yanzhi was the male lead. In this book, Wen Chuqing would experience all sorts of physically and emotionally tormenting events, become disillusioned with Fu Yanzhi, and choose to leave. Then Fu Yanzhi would suddenly realize that he actually loved her, leading to a "wife-chasing-after-the-crisis" scenario, and finally achieving a happy ending.
Inside the study, Jiang Minghua poured Wen Chuqing a cup of hot tea, the rising steam blurring her pale and fragile face.
"So, all of this... was part of a pre-programmed book?" Wen Chuqing's voice trembled with disbelief, her fingertips icy cold.
"My encounter with Fu Yanzhi, my attraction, my pain, even my grandmother's illness... were all part of a pre-arranged plot?"
"Yes. You were originally the female lead, Fu Yanzhi was the domineering male lead, and Qin Shuyi was the white moonlight female supporting character. My role was supposed to be your best friend, but in the end, I was matched with your suitor Han Yunchu."
She paused, a cold smile curving her red lips: "But I don't intend to follow the script."
Wen Chuqing took a deep breath. The overwhelming amount of information almost made her dizzy, but the events of the past few days, Fu Yanzhi's hot and cold attitude, Qin Shuyi's humiliation, and her grandmother's strangely worsening condition... all the inconsistencies seemed to find their answers at this moment.
After Jiang Minghua finished speaking, the voice call had already ended.
Just then, the study door was pushed open, and Fu Yanzhi stood in the doorway with an unprecedentedly solemn and gloomy expression. Behind him was Han Yun Chu, who already knew the truth.
"I heard everything."
Fu Yanzhi's voice was hoarse as he walked in, his gaze fixed on Wen Chuqing.
"So, all my previous feelings for you, and all the uncontrollable hurt I caused you, were all orchestrated? All fake?"
Han Yun Chu leaned lazily against the door frame, but his eyes were fixed on Jiang Ming Hua, his gaze surprisingly bright:
"Huahua, since it's set up that you'll be my suitor in the future, there's no need to wait until later. I'll give us a chance now that we're mutually in love."
Jiang Minghua glanced at him, ignoring the teasing in his words, and cut straight to the point:
"Now is not the time to process our emotions. The Transmigration Bureau has noticed our departure and is warning us with Grandma's safety at stake. To resurrect Grandma and completely break free from their control, we must join forces."
She glanced at the three people present, her eyes sharp: "We need to put on a show, a grand show for the Chuanshu Bureau."
"What do you mean?" Wen Chuqing asked anxiously.
"They like to watch sadomasochistic love stories and balanced dramas, so we'll put on a show for them."
Jiang Minghua calmly said:
"Chu Qing, the more heart-wrenching and physically abusive you and Fu Yanzhi get back together, the better. As for me, I will pursue Han Yun Chu and create another seemingly forced relationship."
The living room fell silent.
Wen Chuqing subconsciously looked at Fu Yanzhi, who was also looking at her with a complicated expression, a mixture of guilt and struggle.
Stripped of the script, they had to pretend to be intimate with each other and act out a play destined to be full of pain. For the two who had just learned that all their feelings for each other were fake, this was nothing short of torture.
Han Yunchu chuckled softly. He walked up to Jiang Minghua, leaned down slightly, and his breath almost brushed against her ear:
"Pursue me? Huahua, your plan is exactly what I'm looking for. If things turn out really serious, I wouldn't mind."
As soon as he finished speaking, the seahorse in the aquarium behind him made a sound again, as if expressing its dissatisfaction.
Jiang Minghua pushed away his approaching face without changing her expression:
"You're overthinking it, you're just a tool."
Fu Yanzhi remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, his voice low and deep:
"Okay. For Grandma's sake, and to escape this damned fate."
He looked at Wen Chuqing, his eyes filled with assurance.
"I will cooperate and will never overstep the bounds."
Wen Chuqing closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and when she opened them again, all that remained in her eyes was a resolute determination to burn her bridges.
"Okay, let's act it out."
The Anti-Time Travel Bookstore Alliance is formed here. In the name of love, they carry out rebellion.
The "reunion" between Wen Chuqing and Fu Yanzhi caused a sensation in the entire social circle and on campus.
Fu Yanzhi humbled himself, picking her up and dropping her off every day, openly expressing his love, and offering Wen Chuqing all the best resources.
Following Jiang Minghua's instructions, Wen Chuqing acted aloof, sometimes moved to tears, sometimes cold and indifferent due to "past wounds." The two staged classic scenes of "he chases, she flees, and she has no way to escape" in front of the public.
On the other side of the ocean, as Qin Shuyi descended the steps, she received a message that had been specially requested. The moment she opened her phone, a photo of Fu Yanzhi and Wen Chuqing, posted on social media, popped up.
In a moment of panic, he lost his footing and fell heavily to the ground.
On the other hand, Jiang Minghua's pursuit of Han Yunchu was even more straightforward and direct. She used her wealth to buy the gym he frequented and the racing club he liked, and even the restaurant he casually mentioned as nice.
Jiang Minghua would appear almost every day in places where Han Yunchu might be, carrying carefully prepared lunch boxes or small items that he had casually mentioned.
She imitated the female supporting characters in TV dramas who were infatuated with the male lead, showing him concern and care, her eyes filled with undisguised adoration and dependence.
"Yun Chu, these are some snacks I made, would you like to try them?"
"Yun Chu, about that project you mentioned yesterday, I looked up some information, but I don't know if it'll be useful..."
"Yun Chu, don't send me away, I just want to see you..."
Han Yunchu cooperated perfectly. He enjoyed Jiang Minghua's "pursuit" while listening to her most honest complaints, and he was a little worried that she would have a split personality.
"Huahua, next time you give me something, could you please not curse me in your heart?"
In Jiang Minghua's study, Han Yunchu cautiously offered his advice. Although Huahua's scolding was quite charming, what if she went insane?
Jiang Minghua looked at him suspiciously: "How did you know I was cursing you in my heart every time?"
Han Yunchu scratched her cheek: "I... I could tell from your eyes."
Jiang Minghua: "Haven't you heard the saying? Spending money on a man is like being struck by lightning."
Han Yun Chu's smile faltered slightly: "Then shall I return the money to you?"
He had barely finished speaking when Jiang Minghua, with a blank expression, handed him a mobile payment QR code.
Han Yun Chu: ...
He thought he was the one who was crazy, and even so, he thought Huahua was really cute.
Plus sign was closely monitoring the situation at the Transmigration Bureau and reporting regularly: [The monitoring pressure on the BOSS seems to have decreased; they probably believe the plot is returning to control.]
Everything seemed to be going according to plan.
When the plot detection device turned green, the plus sign actively connected to the direct communication channel of the Transmigration Bureau BOSS.
The screen lit up, and the BOSS's figure was shrouded in a blurry data fog, making it impossible to see its specific appearance. Only an invisible, suffocating pressure emanated from the screen.
[System plus sign, what is it?] The cold voice was devoid of any emotion.
Plus sign: [Reporting to the Boss, after intervention and guidance, the core storyline of the target world has basically returned to normal. Wen Chuqing and Fu Yanzhi have re-established their emotional connection, and the deviation rate of the main characters' behavior patterns from the original settings has dropped below the threshold. According to the rules, the premise of the punitive plot [Wen Chuqing's grandmother's death] has become invalid. Requesting the revocation of this punishment and restoration of the original data.]
It submitted carefully edited evidence: videos of Wen and Fu interacting intimately, records of Jiang Minghua's infatuation with Han Yunchu, and Han Yunchu's interest in Wen Chuqing.
The boss remained silent, seemingly verifying data. That brief silence caused Jiang Minghua and the others, watching from the villa via a shared viewpoint, to hold their breath.
Finally, the cold voice rang out again:
"Approval granted. Punishment details revoked."
The moment the light screen went out, Plus felt a massive flow of data surge into the underlying rules of the world.
Almost at the same time, Wen Chuqing's phone rang, and the hospital was urging her to pay the next stage of her grandmother's medical expenses.
Wen Chuqing covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face, but this time, they were tears of overwhelming joy at having something lost and then regained. She looked at Jiang Minghua and nodded vigorously.
It worked! Grandma's back!
Just as Grandma was resurrected, inside the bookstore, the invisible shackles that bound 00X showed a brief crack due to the cancellation of the punishment plot!
00X felt the power that had been suppressing him and even robbing him of his sight loosen instantly. Without any hesitation, he gathered all his remaining energy into a single point and, like a moth to a flame, charged towards the rift!
"Plus!" He used his last bit of strength to send a message to the signal source with whom he had a special connection.
Just as Jiahao was overjoyed at his grandmother's resurrection, the urgent and weak voice of X suddenly rang in his mind.
He hurriedly returned to the Book Bureau and saw that in that silvery-white space, X's body was starting to dissipate from the edges, turning into shimmering silver particles of light.
"Ex!" The plus sign transformed into human form, trying to get closer, but it passed right through the gradually fading figure.
"Listen to me... there's not much time left..."
Ex's voice, though intermittent, clearly imprinted the core operating rules of the Transmigration Bureau into Plus's consciousness.
"The Transmigration Bureau... operates on the law of conservation of plot energy... The stability of the world is based on the characters' identification with the plot... When the main characters completely deviate from the original plot trajectory... the free will energy they generate... will directly weaken the Transmigration Bureau's control over the world... and cause irreversible damage to the Transmigration Bureau's core program... The more severe the world collapse... this is... its weakness..."
His intact right eye stared intently at Jiang Mingjia, and he wanted to ask her one last question: Did she really like him?
But the question that was on the tip of his tongue remained unasked. Some answers are better left unanswered. He didn't want to bind her with his last remaining connection.
A calm sense of relief flashed in his silver eyes. He gave Jiang Mingjia a gentle smile one last time, and his figure instantly transformed into countless firefly-like data fragments, dissipating into the cold air without a trace.
Jiang Mingjia stood there, stunned. She had guessed that 00X would be punished for revealing the rules, but she hadn't expected the punishment to be complete annihilation. Staring in the direction where 00X had disappeared, a sense of bewilderment and complexity welled up inside Jiang Mingjia.
In the hospital, Wen Chuqing held her grandmother's hand tightly, feeling the pulse, which had been gradually weakening, regain its strength. Her grandmother slowly opened her eyes, her cloudy gaze gradually clearing, even carrying a hint of knowing smile, and gently patted her granddaughter's hand.
Grandma's resurrection brought them brief joy. In Jiang Minghua's study, the group held a small celebration.
Only here could they catch their breath during the days when they were being monitored by the Book Bureau.
"Jiajia, I heard from Han Yun Chu that his system has been unbound." Jiang Minghua came to the garden alone to ask Jiang Mingjia.
There are generally only two situations for unbinding: one is voluntary unbinding, and the other is that one party has an accident.
Is it alright?
The plus sign: [After telling me the operating rules of the Transmigration Bureau, it disappeared.]
Electromechanical sounds cannot convey joy or sorrow.
Do you regret it?
As soon as she finished asking the question, the electronic voice with the plus sign sounded again. This time, she could tell that Jiang Mingjia wasn't sad at all, because she said:
【Ah Hua, feeling sorry for a man will bring you big trouble.】
The party went on until late at night. The girls were all drunk and unconscious. The two boys fell asleep on the spot, while Jiang Minghua, with the last bit of clarity, took Wen Chuqing back to the guest room. She herself stumbled back to her master bedroom and collapsed onto her soft bed.
At midnight, Xie Yan returned to human form and walked barefoot beside Fu Yanzhi and Han Yunchu. However, when he passed by Han Yunchu, Xie Yan accidentally kicked him.
Xie Yan didn't linger. Instead, he went straight to Jiang Minghua's room again. This time, he didn't just stand outside the door. Instead, he went to Jiang Minghua's bedside. He was jealous. He was jealous that Han Yunchu could be by Jiang Minghua's side all the time.
“Minghua…” Xie Yan’s voice was filled with deep infatuation and obsession.
Jiang Minghua looked at him with hazy, drunken eyes. Her usually cool gaze was now veiled with tears, making her look somewhat dazed. She reached out, her fingertips brushing across Xie Yan's delicate yet pale cheek, across his slightly furrowed brows, and finally landing on his pink hair.
"Xie Yan..." she murmured. The alcohol had lowered her guard a bit, revealing a true desire she rarely showed to others. "Your hair color is so beautiful, can I have it?"
Xie Yan's body stiffened abruptly, and his breathing became rapid. Jiang Minghua's touch and her drunken, straightforward praise were like a fire, instantly igniting all the emotions he had suppressed for so long.
His dark eyes churned with naked desire and possessiveness.
Jiang Minghua reached out, hooked her arm around his neck, and pulled him toward her.
Their breaths mingled, and the temperature rose.
The night was thick with darkness when a sudden downpour began, pounding against the apartment's floor-to-ceiling windows like a rapid drumbeat.
Only a dim wall lamp was on in the bedroom, casting ambiguous shadows on Xie Yan's pale skin. He was pinned down on the soft bed by Jiang Ming, his pink hair spread out, and his gloomy black eyes were misty with tears, like a frightened fawn.
Jiang Ming straddled his lean waist and abdomen, looking down at him and slowly pulling open his clothes to reveal his thin but well-defined chest. His body trembled slightly, not from the cold, but from the shivering sensation brought on by the touch of her fingertips tracing his skin.
"Scared?" Jiang Mingji leaned down, her red lips almost touching his earlobe, her breath warm, her voice husky with the languor of alcohol.
Xie Yan shook his head, his hands gripping the sheets beneath him tightly, his knuckles turning white. He looked up at her, his eyes filled with utter helplessness and a sacrificial submission, his voice broken:
"I'm not afraid. I'll do anything if it's you."
Jiang Ming chuckled softly. She lowered her head and kissed his bobbing Adam's apple, then looked up again, carefully examining the person beneath her.
Xie Yan opened his eyes and was met with her beautiful gaze. In her eyes, Xie Yan felt exposed, all his darkness, baseness, and morbid attachment laid bare before her.
Jiang Minghua grabbed his hand as he tried to embrace her, her fingertips forcefully squeezing between his fingers, interlocking them, and firmly pressing his restless hand against the pillow. This action was full of control, but also carried a strange sense of comfort.
Xie Yan let out a muffled groan, his eyes glazed over, and a broken, almost dreamlike confession escaped his lips.
“Minghua, I am yours…”
"Minghua, look at me... just look at me..."
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