Free Web NovelChapter 218: Chapter 218: Only the One You Choose Is the Male Lead
While the system stammered, Jiang Qingli had already seen Ye Linyuan’s ending.
The plot of the original book’s first half was largely consistent with Jiang Qingli’s memories.
The storyline related to Ye Linyuan had taken place three years ago.
On the eve of a competition, Jiang Qingli was kidnapped by a rival on her way home and thrown into the Underground City.
Ye Linyuan was in seclusion due to a "special period," so his subordinates took it upon themselves to lock her up, planning to use her to extort the Jiang Family.
Jiang Youchen paid a sky-high ransom to rescue her, leaving behind an undercover agent at the same time.
A few months later, he joined forces with the former Underground City Lord. They expended great effort to severely injure Ye Linyuan and then killed the former City Lord.
Ling Qing and the other four original Beast Husbands handled the cleanup.
The plot came to an abrupt halt at a banquet a few days later.
explained, ’This is the point in time when Bai Yiyi was being controlled by the other system. It’s also the scene where your soul was extracted. The subsequent plot, under the influence of the butterfly effect, has changed beyond recognition and is no longer a useful reference.’
Jiang Qingli lowered her gaze.
The memories her mind had deliberately blurred slowly began to surface.
When she recalled that period now, her perspective was very blurry, shifting between first-person and third-person.
At the banquet, a few drunk, debauched nobles had cornered her in a secluded alcove with lecherous smiles.
As those men drew closer and closer, she watched her own hand, compelled by a series of insistent mechanical tones, uncontrollably grab a piece of glass and stab it into one of the men’s wrists.
The moment blood splattered, the mechanical voice exclaimed excitedly, ’That’s right, that’s right, this is how a vicious cannon fodder should act! Kill another one! Then beg Jiang Youchen to take the fall for you! That’s the only way our heroine will have a chance at redemption!’
Contrary to the rumors circulating outside, Jiang Youchen hadn’t hurt anyone.
He had taken the blame for her, while she was being controlled by the system.
’If it weren’t for this, he should have been a dazzling golden child. How could he have wasted several years in a place like that...’
A fluffy sensation brushed against the palm of her hand.
Jiang Qingli looked down and saw a small, white, fluffy puppy nuzzling its head against her.
The dog opened its mouth, and 030’s voice came out, ’Host, don’t be angry! I promise something like this will never happen again!’
’We just need to get rid of that other system, take the initiative to wrench the plot back on track, and raise the HE value!’
As it spoke, it lifted its chin, and Jiang Qingli saw a data bar appear in front of her.
Current HE value: 39.9%
Jiang Qingli snapped back to reality and asked, ’How is this value calculated?’
said, ’It’s a comprehensive judgment based on various indices like plot coherence, the host’s subjective feeling of happiness, family affection, friendship, and love.’
As she listened, Jiang Qingli frowned. ’Can’t we just remove the love part?’
was shocked. ’Host, are you saying you just want to play around with them and not have a real relationship? Uh... well, I guess that’s not entirely out of the question? Should I submit an application and see?’
Jiang Qingli shook her head. ’No, that’s not it. I like my current Beast Husband. The original male leads have already been unfaithful. I don’t want them.’
’Even if they might have betrayed me because of the system, they tried to kill me more than once, drugged me, and insulted me.’
Jiang Qingli had no desire to play out some ’mending a broken mirror’ drama with these males.
Besides, in the original book, the author had gone on hiatus before she even had a chance to get involved with those male leads, so their emotional foundation was very weak.
hadn’t expected that to be the reason. After hearing her out, it cried foul. ’A misunderstanding! This is a grave misunderstanding of us systems!’
In her mind, the system was emphatically slapping the four large words: "Continue Your Happy Life."
’Host! Our job as a system isn’t just to save the world, but also to make you happy!’
’You are the female lead, the child of destiny in this world. You are very important.’
’In this world, only the men you choose are the male leads!’
’So go for it, Host! Go after the males you like!’ 030 stood on the coffee table, excitedly waving its puppy paws. ’Whether it’s the obsessive villain, the gentle childhood friend, the proud tsundere who appears from nowhere, the untouchable ice prince, the yandere rabbit-like older brother, or the mistress on the side—gather them all!’
The system rattled off a long string of archetypes like it was listing dishes from a menu, and a multitude of handsome faces instantly appeared in Jiang Qingli’s mind.
’This damn dog system, how does it know everything!’
’The first few were one thing, but what was that nonsense at the end...’
’It’s not secretly watching me every day, is it?!’
Jiang Qingli reached out and clamped its doggy snout shut. "Shut up. You’re not allowed to spy on my private life."
nodded frantically. ’Rest assured, Host! Any intimate contact will automatically be censored for me! We take privacy very seriously!’
Jiang Qingli felt a little more at ease and asked the system how to raise the value.
said, ’Things like happiness can be accumulated slowly. The main problem right now is the other system.’
’Previously, Bai Yiyi obtained a lot of ’heroine value,’ which allowed that system to block me and prevent me from finding you.’
’Now, it’s likely weakened significantly because of your arrival. It would be best for us to investigate the subsequent plot, take them down one by one, and rewrite the ending.’
Jiang Qingli had only heard that Bai Yiyi was planning to take a leave of absence from school and go to the Third District, but she didn’t know her exact whereabouts.
Remembering that she had added her cousin’s contact information at the banquet, she sent him a message to ask.
Bai Zhe replied quickly, ’We don’t know where she went either. Dad sent people to pick her up just now, but they only saw a female servant. They didn’t see Bai Yiyi.’
’They didn’t see her?’
Jiang Qingli found it strange. ’Given Bai Yiyi’s personality, if the Bai Family came looking for her, she should have tearfully pleaded for a chance to stay.’
’How could she just disappear?’
She thought for a moment, then told Yi Nuo to keep an eye on things over there and send people to investigate Bai Yiyi’s whereabouts.
After sending the message, Jiang Qingli replied to some concerned messages from her friends, then lay on the sofa in a daze, processing everything that had just happened.
chattered away beside her, explaining its proposed solutions. As a show of belated sincerity, it even brought out a large pile of gifts and rambled on, introducing them to Jiang Qingli.
Most of them were rare items for restoring Superpowers or saving one’s life.
When it took out a Crystal Stone, 030 suddenly grew excited. ’Oh, right, Host! This can help awaken your second Superpower!’
Jiang Qingli was taken aback. ’A second Superpower?’
’That’s right! Haven’t you realized you have the potential to awaken another one?’ 030 rubbed its paws together excitedly. ’This wasn’t written in the book. I’m so excited to see what it is!’
Jiang Qingli’s interest was piqued as well. "I’ll give it a try."
stopped her. ’Not yet. This is for support. When your first Superpower improves and your second one starts to emerge, this can help raise its level.’
Jiang Qingli lay back down. "Then we’ll talk about it when the time comes."
She had just leaned against the back of the chair when she saw a car drive into the manor out of the corner of her eye.
Jiang Qingli shot to her feet and ran outside barefoot.
The hem of the girl’s white dress billowed out as she flew down the stairs like an eager little bird, throwing herself into the arms of Jiang Yi, who had just walked in.
"Mama!"
Jiang Qingli cheered, wrapping her arms around Jiang Yi’s waist and nuzzling her face dependently. She complained in a small voice, "Mama, I missed you so much."
"Why did you come back so late? It’s almost dark. Did you not miss me?"
Being hugged by her daughter, Jiang Yi felt a long-missed warmth. Her eyes couldn’t help but well up as she was filled with emotion.
’A mother and daughter’s hearts are truly connected. Even after so long apart, there was no distance between them.’
"Ahem." Xie Qizhen, who was standing to the side, coughed a few times.
Jiang Qingli looked up with a smile and turned her head, only to realize that there were several people standing behind Xie Qizhen.
A sycophantically smiling Du Yushan stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a dignified female. Behind them followed the two brothers from the Yuan Family.
Patriarch Yuan, alongside Du Yushan, greeted her, "Miss Jiang, long time no see."
The smile on Jiang Qingli’s face froze. "...Long time no see."
’Getting caught acting spoiled with my mom by my Beast Husband’s family... this is so awkward...’
Xie Qizhen said, "Your Aunt Yuan had some business to discuss with us, so she came to see you as well."
Jiang Yi glanced down and frowned with disapproval. "Why aren’t you wearing shoes? You’ll catch a cold. Mama will go get them for you."
"I-It’s fine." Jiang Qingli quickly waved her off. "Mama, you guys go ahead and take care of your business. I’ll find my shoes myself."
She urged her on with her eyes. Jiang Yi understood her embarrassment, patted her head, and led the others upstairs. freёwebnovel.com
Jiang Qingli breathed a sigh of relief. She smiled at Yuan Shimo and Yuan Shiyao, then pulled Yuan Shimo by the hand to sit on the sofa, trying to change the subject. "Would you like something to drink?"
Yuan Shimo was looking at her feet, about to speak, when he saw Yuan Shiyao produce a pair of slippers from out of nowhere and place them by her feet.
The black-cat-like teenager half-knelt by her side, his expression completely serious. "Sister-in-law, would you like to put on some shoes?"
As he spoke, his long, slender fingers wrapped around her ankle.
