Thirty-One, the Grasping System

“I must be crazy, asking him for help.” Su Wan didn’t believe a single word the system said, silently thinking to herself: It must be messing with me again.

“Do you really think I won’t turn around and kiss Chi Mu right now?”

[Don’t be impulsive!] For the first time, the system’s cold, synthetic voice showed a hint of emotion.

[They just want you to get rid of Wang Luo, that’s all. They’re not really going to hurt you.]

Su Wan widened her eyes at this. “So you’re saying I should do what they want?”

[Absolutely not! The male and female leads are at a critical moment right now. Because of your interference, they’re already drifting apart. If you stir things up any further, the whole storyline will collapse.]

“So I can’t do this, can’t do that. You just want me dead, don’t you?”

The system was on the verge of tears. [I don’t know why the plot has gone so off track. Why is everyone acting out of character?]

It seemed that pushing any harder would get her nowhere—the system was out of ideas. Su Wan could only give up, frustrated. “Hmph. Some system you are. Yet when it comes to zapping me, you’re all too competent.”

The system was left speechless, silent for a long moment.

Su Wan had no choice but to fend for herself.

The car came to a halt in front of a small Western-style house.

Through the window, Su Wan saw a man in a white shirt standing downstairs, playing the violin.

She tried to get a better look, but was dragged out of the car by a burly man. “Go. Figure out a way to make him leave, or you can forget about getting your bike back.”

At this time, a bicycle was as valuable as a luxury car in 2020. For an ordinary family, losing one would be a major blow.

The burly man unfastened the bicycle from the back of the car, giving the seat a taunting pat.

Su Wan glanced back at the two people inside the car.

One of them was staring at her intently, the other warily watching the upstairs windows.

Seeing Su Wan hesitate, Chi Mu tried to persuade her, “Miss Su, what are you waiting for? Get Wang Luo out of there and I’ll give you thirty thousand.”

At that moment, the system’s warning chime sounded again: [Warning. Under no circumstances may you sabotage the relationship between the leads.]

Su Wan crouched down and tightened her shoelaces in silence.

With everyone watching, she slowly walked toward Wang Luo.

When she was less than four meters away, Wang Luo looked over in surprise.

He continued playing the violin, but his eyes grew instantly guarded.

Su Wan drew closer.

Cold sweat began to bead on Wang Luo’s tense forehead.

Chi Mu and his companions, hidden under the shade of a tree, held their breath.

With everyone’s eyes on her, Su Wan suddenly turned and sprinted toward the corner of the street, shouting as she ran, “This has nothing to do with me! Chi Mu and Chen Tianyu forced me to come!”

“They wanted me to ruin your relationship!”

With that, she raced off as fast as she could.

Upstairs, the heroine, locked in her room, immediately jumped to her feet when she heard the commotion.

She threw open the window and leaned out as far as she dared. Sure enough, she spotted Chi Mu’s car parked at a distant intersection.

Her pale hand slammed the window in anger. “My brother is actually colluding with Chi Mu to pull something like this!”

Down below, Wang Luo was stunned. He stopped playing the violin.

The goddess he’d longed for had finally thrown open the window, but he didn’t even notice—he just stared blankly at Su Wan’s figure, running away at top speed.

She looked so much thinner—no doubt the broken engagement had taken a toll on her these past days.

Wang Luo’s feelings were a tangled mess as he glanced back in the direction Su Wan had come from.

A hulking brute with a wooden club was now chasing after her, looking murderous.

To help him, Su Wan had actually put herself in danger.

As Wang Luo hesitated, wondering if he should go help, a long-familiar voice suddenly called down from above.

“A-Luo!”

Wang Luo jolted, forgetting everything else, and looked up.

There was Wan Jun, standing at the window in a pure white nightdress, her hair loose, her delicate face gaunt and exhausted.

She’d been on a hunger strike these past days, wasting away until her wrist looked as if it might snap at any moment.

“A-Luo, I’ve made up my mind. I should be brave. My family isn’t an obstacle to our love.” Her tears flowed like strings of broken pearls.

Wang Luo’s heart nearly broke at the sight.

“Wan Jun, it’s me who’s useless.” Tears welled in Wang Luo’s eyes as well.

Chen Wan Jun, beautiful as any heroine in a TV drama, shook her head. “No, A-Luo, don’t say that about yourself. I just wasn’t resolute enough. Catch me—I’m jumping down now.”

The words had barely left her lips when Chi Mu and Chen Tianyu, who’d been hiding in the car, panicked.

Both scrambled out of the car in a frenzy.

“Wan Jun, don’t jump!!” Chi Mu’s eyes were bloodshot. In his haste, he stumbled and fell, his expensive suit stained with mud.

His heart seized as he looked up just in time to see a slender figure leap from the second floor.

He reached out instinctively, eyes riveted on Chen Wan Jun’s form, only relaxing when she landed safely in Wang Luo’s arms.

Furious, Chen Tianyu shouted, “Chen Wan Jun, if you walk out that door, don’t ever come back!”

Chen Wan Jun just threw him a defiant look, then turned and ran off with Wang Luo, not looking back.

Chen Tianyu made to chase after them, but Chi Mu grabbed his arm.

“What?” Chen Tianyu snapped.

Chi Mu only shook his head. “Let her go. Don’t chase her anymore. She’s barefoot—if we keep after her, she might get hurt.”

Chen Tianyu’s anger only burned hotter. Did Wang Luo cast a spell on his sister? How else could she abandon Chi Mu and choose Wang Luo so stubbornly?

He was about to say something comforting, but then saw a flash of coldness in Chi Mu’s eyes. “That village girl’s name is Su Wan, isn’t it?”

“Don’t do anything rash,” Chen Tianyu said anxiously.

With Chi Mu’s personality, he’d never let Su Wan off easily. She was bound to suffer.

“I never act on impulse,” Chi Mu said with a smile, turning to get back in the car.

Chen Tianyu grabbed his arm. “Chi Mu, please—don’t. This is all my family’s fault. My parents and I failed to stop Wan Jun. No one else is to blame.”

Chi Mu didn’t look back. He simply patted Chen Tianyu’s hand on his arm. “Don’t worry.”

Then he shrugged him off, opened the car door, and got in.

The driver had already re-fastened Su Wan’s bicycle to the back of the car.

As the engine started, the bicycle gave a dull thud.

Chi Mu’s face darkened as he glanced back at the bike, and Su Wan’s image in the café surfaced in his mind.

Her dark eyes had swept impatiently around, lingering on the back door before turning that cool gaze on him.

She was calm and composed, as if she already knew how to escape.

She spoke fluent English, knew how to drink coffee, and didn’t bat an eye at losing a bicycle—nothing seemed to sway her, and she hadn’t even been tempted by his offer of thirty thousand.

Chi Mu narrowed his eyes. This village girl was far from ordinary.