The interview did not affect Lin Muci's mood in the slightest.
After finishing the interview, she turned to leave. Uncle Li came to pick her up and asked if she was returning to the Lin family or going somewhere else. She hesitated for a moment and then said,
"To... Ling Qianhe's place."
Uncle Li was surprised at first, then his expression clearly showed understanding. He chuckled, his eyes and tone softening considerably.
"Going to Ling Qianhe's place, right?"
"Alright, alright. I'll take you there right away."
...
When Lin Muci pushed open the villa door, it was pitch dark inside; no lights were on. Clearly, Ling Qianhe was not home.
She didn't know where he had gone.
However, Lin Muci was intimately familiar with the place. She navigated to the upstairs room with practiced ease, sat on the sofa inside, and turned on a dim night light, starting to communicate with the little system.
"What's the deal with that script?"
The little system seemed guilty, its words faltering.
"What deal? That, Host, I don't know what you're talking about. *Ying ying ying*."
It was now pretending to be oblivious to Lin Muci. Lin Muci, however, let out a cold laugh, giving it no room to escape.
"Don't play dumb! You said that was also Ling Qianhe's and my past life. What about forced possession, a path of redemption after abusive love, the true and false daughters? What's going on with all of this? Explain it to me clearly!"
Hearing Lin Muci say this, the little system clearly became terrified and trembled.
It said in a very small voice,
"Host, you can see it yourself. And I think you can also choose to ask Ling Qianhe. He definitely knows what this is all about..."
Lin Muci slowly narrowed her eyes. Deep within her gaze, a faint, shimmering light seemed to dance. She said,
"But I want to know for myself."
"Also, what were the results for him in those worlds?"
"After I leave— what will happen to him?"
She knew she was just a task executor devoid of emotions. Every time she undertook a mission, because her memories were extracted, she likely wouldn't recognize Ling Qianhe. And with what kind of feelings did he fall, only to be disappointed again and again?
When the little system heard Lin Muci ask this,
it fell silent for a moment.
After a long pause, the little system finally told Lin Muci in a muffled voice,
"He..."
For some reason, it wasn't very willing to tell the Host this fact, perhaps out of fear of upsetting the Host. But since the Host had asked, the little system didn't want to skirt the issue. Thus, it finally said in a low voice,
"He... after you left, Host, he naturally had no reason to stay behind."
Lin Muci was silent for a moment, then said,
"So he died for me?"
The little system hummed in affirmation.
It admitted it.
"In every life, he..."
Lin Muci closed her eyes. Outside was dark, but her heart felt as if it were also dark and bottomless. In her heart, she thought, so he truly died for her in every life, yet she never knew.
Her memories were pulled out, like a shipwreck slowly sinking to the seabed, never to see even a sliver of daylight again.
She pursed her lips.
"Can I see the past?"
"Those few lives that he and I experienced, I want to see them."
Her voice was gentle and warm. Upon hearing Lin Muci say this, the little system hesitated before continuing in an extremely low voice, telling Lin Muci cautiously,
"Well— Host, you can directly open the Acting Space, click on the second script, and you will see it."
"Are you sure you want to enter... I can send you in."
"Your two movies have become massive hits. Your popularity has increased... so you have new energy, allowing me to send you into the Acting Space and create illusory worlds of the past."
"However, are you sure now... you want to go in?"
"You just came out of the Xuanhuan Xianxia world. What I mean is— Host, why don't you consider waiting a bit before deciding?"
The little system's voice was filled with hesitation. Hearing the little system say this, Lin Muci replied without the slightest hesitation,
"I want to go in now. And no matter how much time I spend inside, when I come out, it will only be an instant, won't it? Since that's the case, what is there to hesitate about?"
Hearing her confident tone,
the little system took a deep breath, nodded, and immediately opened the Acting Space!
...
It felt similar to the first time. However, this time, as Lin Muci's consciousness entered the world created by the Acting Space, she felt as if she were in an incredibly cramped space.
Narrow and stuffy, it almost made her unable to breathe, suffocating her.
Her hands and feet were bound, and she could even feel the stinging pain from her wrists, clearly indicating that her skin had been chafed. This was the first time Lin Muci had encountered such a situation, and she felt utterly perplexed.
This...
What on earth was going on?
Lin Muci found it difficult to comprehend!
She asked the little system in her mind,
"Am I bound by Ling Qianhe again? Has Ling Qianhe's obsessive, yandere tendencies acted up again?"
Unexpectedly, the little system told her in a panicked voice,
"Oh dear, Host, it seems the time node we've arrived at is a bit off... This isn't you being bound by Ling Qianhe. Do you remember your identity? You are the fake daughter. Your identity hasn't been exposed yet, but because your parents are involved in business with many enemies, they've kidnapped you to make your parents compromise!"
"And Ling Qianhe's identity in this world is Luo Yu."
"He is the bodyguard of the Xia family's eldest daughter."
"Host, please bear with it. He will be here to save you soon!"
Lin Muci was slightly stunned, and then a surge of intense anger washed over her. Lin Muci directly sneered, letting out a cold huff, her voice extremely cold.
"Bear with it?"
"How can you expect me to bear with it?"
Lin Muci's words were filled with both grievance and anger.
"I can barely breathe right now, I feel like I'm about to suffocate! And you expect me to bear with it? How can I bear it!"
Lin Muci's voice was utterly plaintive.
Hearing Lin Muci say this,
the little system immediately comforted her.
"Don't worry, Host, you definitely won't die here. Ling Qianhe, oh no, his name in this world is Luo Yu. Luo Yu will definitely come to save you."
"Don't worry."
Lin Muci could only sulk in silence. The surrounding air was extremely turbid, and she felt like she couldn't hold on any longer— then, a violent crashing sound came from above, followed by a clatter as if a metal plate had been pried open.
Countless rays of light slanted down.
The light fell upon Lin Muci's cheeks.
Her eyes suddenly encountered brightness, feeling almost uncomfortable. Then, a pair of fair, slender hands, bearing faint calluses, covered her face. She heard the person speak,
"I am late, apologies for startling Miss."
"Those scoundrels who kidnapped Miss have paid the price. I will escort Miss away."
He reached out and pulled Lin Muci out. Lin Muci fell into his embrace. As he pulled her out, she stared blankly at the man before her. The corner of his lips curved slightly, seeming to carry a faint smile.
He had a handsome face, exactly like Ling Qianhe's.
But behind his seemingly elegant smile lay a storm hidden deep within his unfathomable eyes. He was like a black hole, bottomless.
Lin Muci, held by him, felt her body go limp, unable to muster even the slightest bit of strength.
He picked her up and walked out.
Many people were lying outside, and there seemed to be bloodstains. She felt a slight palpitation, but then she heard the man lean close to her ear and explain patiently and earnestly,
"Don't worry, none of these people are dead."
Lin Muci hummed in acknowledgment, still feeling a bit dazed. The man's smile widened slightly as he said,
"However, they will experience a life worse than death. This is the price for offending Miss."
"Alright, I should escort Miss back to the Xia family— or should I have Miss checked at the hospital first?"
Lin Muci was stunned, clearly not having processed everything yet.
The little system, however, raised its volume and yelled desperately in her ear,
"Host, absolutely do not let him take you to the hospital... If you go to the hospital, it's very likely to trigger the critical plot of the true and false daughter, thus revealing the matter of the switched babies... You'll fall from heaven into hell in an instant!"
Lin Muci was a little annoyed.
"You're doing this to me right after I arrived?"
"Making me fall from heaven into hell?"
The little system's voice was aggrieved.
"But what can I do about it?"
"In any case, Host, you decide for yourself."
Lin Muci's eyelashes fluttered. She hesitated for a moment, then quickly made a decision.
"I'm not going to the hospital."
Her tone was exceptionally firm. She looked up, and from her angle, she could just see the man's beautifully shaped jawline and his exquisite lips. Her fingertips could even gently touch his perfectly formed lips.
But in the next second, she realized this was wrong.
The man before her was not Ling Qianhe at all. Acting cute wouldn't work.
In this world, he was merely her bodyguard.
A loyal, emotionless bodyguard who had hidden his Dragon Group identity.
As expected.
The man smiled.
"Host, you should be a good girl."
His words were ambiguous, carrying a hint of threat. He leaned close to Lin Muci's ear and said,
"After all, you are the Xia family's eldest daughter. Your parents care a lot about your health. It is only natural for your parents to want you to have a check-up after you've been rescued—"
"Miss, what are you afraid of?"
"I know you must have been very scared during the kidnapping. But a doctor can help you, whether it's a physical examination or a psychologist, they can help you forget those unpleasant past experiences as soon as possible."
He tried to persuade Lin Muci.
But Lin Muci directly grabbed his hand, her voice pitiful, even nuzzling into his embrace.
"I don't want to go."
"Please— don't send me, okay?"
She looked up at the man opposite her, her eyes filled with a faint plea. The Luo Yu opposite her was even taken aback by her tearful gaze.
This... was quite unlike the arrogant and malicious rich daughter he knew.
She wouldn't make such an expression.
She would only threaten him fiercely.
Saying she wanted to fire him, to make him get lost, and never act cute towards him, let alone make such an expression— or perhaps, had this kidnapping truly frightened her, causing her to act this way subconsciously?
Could it really be so?
Luo Yu looked at the young lady before him again.
To be honest— even though she was arrogant and rude before, she was still doted upon. A very important reason for this was her face. It was simply too beautiful, so beautiful that no fault could be found with it.
Her face was indeed exquisitely beautiful. If she were to debut as a star, she would surely become popular overnight.
However, she came from a good family, and her parents doted on her, so there was no need for her to wade into the murky waters of the entertainment industry.
Luo Yu glanced at her again, seeing the fear deep within her eyes.
She seemed genuinely resistant to going to the hospital—
Wait.
Could she have found out?
Luo Yu's expression suddenly became unreadable.
Luo Yu knew the true identity of this eldest daughter. He knew she was the falsely adopted daughter who had been switched at birth. Luo Yu originally intended to watch the show with amusement, but he found the current reaction of this eldest daughter rather interesting.
On the surface, she was the eldest daughter.
He was merely her bodyguard.
He was to be at her beck and call, responsible for her safety.
But in reality, in a sense, the truth he controlled could even determine her life or death, whether she would fall from heaven into hell. Isn't that quite amusing?
He still held the young girl tightly. Even when he placed her into the car, she still looked at Luo Yu pitifully, trying to get assurances from him.
"You won't send me to the hospital, will you?"
Her tone instantly became stern.
"You have to promise me, you absolutely won't send me to the hospital, alright?"
"I order you!"
The young girl's demeanor was imposing. Luo Yu turned and glanced at her.
"If I don't send Miss to the hospital, that's fine. I've studied traditional Chinese medicine for a while, so I'll visit Miss every evening to examine and treat her."
"Does Miss agree?"
Lin Muci was stunned.
To visit her every evening and treat her? She didn't even have time to investigate how this Ling Qianhe, or rather, this alias Luo Yu, learned traditional Chinese medicine. She quickly nodded, her voice becoming much more cheerful.
"Yes, yes, I agree! Of course, I agree!"
She looked up, her eyes shining brightly, full of brilliance.
"I completely agree with your proposal. You can come find me every evening. But you mustn't break your promise, you must come, I will definitely wait for you!"
Luo Yu suddenly froze, because the reaction of the eldest daughter Xia Cilu before him was completely different from what he had expected.
She was so eager for him to come...
But didn't she hate him the most?