"Mmm..."
A faint, familiar sound echoed in her ear, and slowly, Zhú Jià's consciousness returned. Her first thought was that she had been drugged.
The person beside her was someone she knew, and like her, they were in a similar state. What else was happening, she couldn't tell, nor did she particularly want to know. With the perfect timing and circumstances, it would be a shame not to do something about this beginning.
The sound was swallowed by the dark room, replaced by ambiguous and tender moans and sighs.
The first night was incredibly long.
[Task target's blackening value +10, current blackening value 50.]
When the host is not acting human, how can the system know?
Before he could even transmit the plot, he had to watch an entire night of blurred scenes.
The next morning, Zhú Jià was awakened by the system's forceful transmission of plot details.
The person beside her was gone. As she washed up and tidied herself, she absorbed the plot.
This time, the story was a rebirth script.
The female protagonist, Gù Yìngróng, was her half-sister. They were supposed to be a loving family of three. The original host was merely an invisible, pitiable figure in the Gu family.
The original host was engaged to the young master of another prominent family. They had been betrothed since birth. While their love was not deep, they were mutually fond of each other and were waiting for the original host to turn twenty to get married.
The female protagonist, Gù Yìngróng, fell for her sister's fiancé. She tried to seduce him, and when that failed, she drugged him. She succeeded, forcing him to break off his engagement with the original host and become engaged to her instead.
This incident caused the original host's father, who had always favored his stepmother and Gù Yìngróng, to start disliking them. The young master also deeply disliked Gù Yìngróng, calling her a shameless "fiancée."
However, because Gù Yìngróng became pregnant, they eventually married.
Even a happy beginning doesn't guarantee a happy ending, let alone a relationship and marriage built on deceit. The young master detested Gù Yìngróng and felt guilty towards the original host, protecting her at every turn. He only gradually faded into the background when she met her true love and married a wealthy and powerful CEO, having children.
Although the original host never experienced her parents' love, she was well-protected by those around her. Especially after meeting her true love, she lived a very happy life.
In contrast, Gù Yìngróng, by employing despicable means, married the man she loved, only to be despised by him. Furthermore, during an argument with the man's admirer, she was pushed and miscarried, rendering her infertile.
Because of this, she harbored a deep resentment towards the original host. Her attempt to hire an assassin failed, and in her desperation, she drove her car to crash into the original host. However, she was outmaneuvered by the original host's husband, crashing into a large truck and perishing in the fiery wreckage, her remains incinerated.
Then she was reborn.
This time, she changed her strategy, abandoning her pursuit of the "scumbag." She ingratiated herself with the original host, gaining her trust over a year. Simultaneously, she made numerous changes to appeal to the "scumbag's" preferences, gradually winning over the man who had previously dismissed her.
Then, on the original host's 20th birthday, she drugged her and arranged for a male escort, leading to the original host's ruin and loss of her inheritance, and even leaving her pregnant with an unknown man's child...
"A child?"
Zhú Jià was a bit bewildered. She placed her hand on her stomach, her expression horrified.
System: [... Host, you're touching your stomach.]
Zhú Jià calmly withdrew her hand. "Give me an explanation."
[The host has a special constitution, so she generally cannot get pregnant. However, the target is also very special. Regarding this, I can't say for sure right now.]
Zhú Jià paused but didn't dwell on the matter.
She changed her clothes and prepared to leave.
The system kindly reminded her: [Host, you're quite famous now. If you go out like this, you'll definitely be mobbed.]
Zhú Jià casually cast a minor illusion, picked up the original host's phone, and left the hotel while checking it.
The most prominent news was about the scandalous affair between the two.
Not only were there news articles, but also pictures, videos, and the truth.
Although only a short segment was captured, it was enough to ignite the imagination.
Below the ten-second video, netizens were engaged in heated discussions.
Zhú Jià expected mostly curses, but to her surprise, the initial comments were completely different.
[That voice! I'm diving in first!]
[So seductive! I don't know whether to call the man husband or the woman wife first, both are my type! It's too hard to choose!]
[Only kids make choices, I want both! Hey, husband, wife!]
[Actually, it could be the other way around. Miss, are you interested? I'm a girl and I really like this type. A lesbian icon!]
[......]
Zhú Jià wasn't entirely familiar with the term and asked: "What is 'ji quan'?"
System: [... It's when girls are with girls... Host, a girl said she likes you.]
Zhú Jià smiled, not refuting it.
Recalling the plot of the original story, she hailed a taxi downstairs and went directly to the Gu family's company.
A crowd of media and reporters were gathered outside the Gu family company building, being held back by security guards, all demanding interviews and questioning passing employees.
When Zhú Jià arrived, she calmly walked over, presented her identification, and entered the company. The media, realizing belatedly that she was the main protagonist of the incident, couldn't care less and rushed in after her.
"Miss Gu, who was the person you spent the night with yesterday? Can you tell us?"
"Miss Hu, what about your engagement with Young Master Tan? Is there still a possibility of a marriage alliance between your families?"
"Are you feeling guilty about cheating before marriage?"
"You..."
Zhú Jià walked quickly, making it impossible for them to get in front of her to block her. They could only follow beside her, bombarding her with questions and taking pictures, all the way into the company.
The security personnel had people loyal to Gù Yìngróng, who wished for the situation to escalate. Seeing her appear, they lessened their efforts to stop the media, allowing them to follow inside.
Following the original host's memories, Zhú Jià went to the management conference room. She kicked the door open, ignoring the strange and surprised expressions on everyone's faces. She walked directly to Gù Yìngróng, who was sitting in the original host's seat.
Seeing Zhú Jià's aggressive approach, Gù Yìngróng felt pleased but also a little scared. She feigned ignorance, saying, "Sister, when did you get here?"
Zhú Jià reached out and gripped her neck, lifting her from her seat.
"Where is he?"
Gù Yìngróng's face turned pale with fear. Her hands flailed aimlessly in the air. Zhú Jià didn't let her suffocate. Although it was uncomfortable, she could still speak.
"You wicked girl! What are you doing? Release your sister immediately! You committed such a disgrace, and you still have the nerve to show your face here!"
"I asked you, where is he?"
Zhú Jià's voice turned icy, her expression chillingly serious.
The cameramen were momentarily stunned. Those livestreaming turned their lenses towards the two of them.
"Who? Sister, what are you talking about? I don't know."
Zhú Jià applied a little more pressure. Gù Yìngróng's face began to turn from white to red, her face flushing as she struggled to breathe.
"Where did you put the person from last night?"
"I really don't... Ah!"
"Where is he!"
The aura of death enveloped her. Gù Yìngróng looked at the terrified people around her, her consciousness beginning to blur, and she struggled again.
Was she going to die?
After a year of rebirth, she had done so much to change her destiny, and now, she was about to die.
No, she didn't want to die!
She forced her eyes open, her hands clawing at Zhú Jià's grip, trying to make her loosen her hold.
Zhú Jià, however, remained unyielding.
"I, I'll tell you."
Only then did Zhú Jià release her, throwing her to the ground.
"Speak!"
Perhaps it was Zhú Jià's imposing aura that scared her, making Gù Yìngróng afraid that she would go mad and kill her. She dared not feign ignorance any longer.
"I don't know." Seeing Zhú Jià's expression darken instantly, she quickly explained, "The person I hired didn't show up. That person was found at a club. I don't know who it was, but I can help you find him, Sister, I was wrong!"
Those who had died once cherished their lives dearly. She had just faced the threat of death and was now under Zhú Jià's scorching gaze, no longer daring to lie.
Zhú Jià crouched down slightly, pulled her up from the ground, leaned close to her ear, and said in a chilling voice, "If you can't find him by the end of today, I'll make you die again."
Gù Yìngróng trembled, her body going limp once more.
Zhú Jià let go of her and turned to leave.
Gù Yìngróng watched the departing figure with blurred vision, feeling a sense of having narrowly escaped death, but it wasn't relief. It was a different kind of fear.
Die again?
What did she mean?
The comments on the livestream exploded.
[So she was framed! What kind of annual drama is this?]
[The melodrama of wealthy families is truly beyond my comprehension. I thought this kind of plot only happened in TV shows.]
[Even TV shows wouldn't dare to film it like this!]
[I apologize for cursing Miss Gu earlier, and also, she's so cool! I love her!]
[So fierce!]
[......]