Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 111

Si Xiaoxiao was practically dying of rage thanks to this godforsaken system!

The complex cocktail of emotions in her chest—pity, bitterness, and a secret sense of victory sparked by Li Ting’s rare breakdown and vulnerable confession—hadn’t even been properly digested. She hadn’t even had the chance to stand on the moral high ground and lecture that perpetually guarded woman for a few more sentences!!

She had already prepared her mental draft! And then what?!

This damned system! It didn’t show up early or late, but chose the exact moment her emotions hit a climax, just as she was about to “pursue the victory,” to smash down like an unromantic, intrusive lightbulb!

And!

The thought of her amnesiac self acting like a “sweet young thing,” calling her “Sister” over and over with such saccharine reliance, made Si Xiaoxiao feel like she had suffered a massive loss! A total deficit!

However… to Si Xiaoxiao’s slight surprise, this system transmission seemed different from the previous ones.

The expected sensation of the world spinning and falling headfirst into some bizarre script world didn’t happen. Instead, she felt the surrounding scenery blur and fade like a water-washed oil painting. Then, a familiar, boundless, and heart-palpitating pure whiteness drowned her senses.

She had returned to that place the pure white system space she occupied back when she played the tentacle monster.

Vast, silent, and empty. Aside from herself, it felt as if nothing else existed in heaven or earth.

Si Xiaoxiao instinctively looked around, her heart feeling as if it were being gently squeezed by an invisible hand.

Li Ting was gone again.

This realization instantly sent a wave of inexplicable emptiness and a trace of undetectable panic through her soul.

Just moments ago, they were arguing fiercely, clinging to each other tightly, feeling the warmth of each other’s tears and the resonance of their heartbeats. How could that person vanish in the blink of an eye?

What was going on?

Was she going to be a “useless wife” again?

Was she only allowed to watch?

That shouldn’t be right. Didn’t the system say that after the tentacle stage, the next world would switch to tormenting Li Ting?

Si Xiaoxiao began to scan the area and, sure enough, found a screen identical to the one from last time.

However, this time, the screen didn’t show a real-time feed of Li Ting in a specific scene. Instead, it displayed a line of clear, concise text, like a cold command:

[Please select the next script type.]

Si Xiaoxiao froze, blinking her eyes, almost suspecting she was hallucinating due to emotional agitation.

Huh? She gets to choose?!

A massive wave of joy exploded in her mind like fireworks! This was amazing!

No wonder the system’s info about the new world was a blurry “???” before she was pulled in. She thought the system was up to its old tricks again, but the little surprise was hidden here!!

The excitement temporarily overrode her worry for Li Ting and her previous annoyance.

Si Xiaoxiao immediately looked up into the vast, heart-sinkingly empty space and tried to communicate with the omnipresent yet formless system consciousness, her voice taking on a calculated, sickeningly sweet tone:

“System-Miss! Welcome back~” she tried to sound as well-behaved and harmless as possible. “Um… may I ask, where did Li Ting go? Why isn’t she with me?”

After a brief silence, that electronic voice—a mix of mechanical texture and a certain malicious playfulness—leisurely echoed through the white space:

[Once the Host has selected the new script and the world is officially loaded, your designated ‘partner’ will naturally appear.]

“So!” Si Xiaoxiao’s eyes lit up instantly, like two little stars stuffed into her sockets. “It’s my ‘Privilege Phase’ now? I get to decide what play we act out next?!”

Thinking back to the last world, she basically had zero game experience. She was either getting beaten or on the way to being beaten. Now, the “serf” had finally turned into the master! This was a historical turning point!

The electronic voice answered solemnly, as if reading a serious evaluation report:

[Correct. Based on the system’s comprehensive testing and analysis, during most previous interactions between Miss Xiaoxiao and Miss Li Ting, whether in emotional gambits or actual ‘combat results,’ you have shown a trend of… being at a disadvantage. This is seriously inconsistent with the core appeal of ‘evenly matched rivals turned lovers’ advocated by this system. To maintain the CP ecological balance and enhance dramatic tension and viewership, this ‘Balance Correction’ privilege phase has been specifically opened…]

“Who says I’m at a disadvantage in most matchups!!” As soon as she heard this, Si Xiaoxiao reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. Her fake sweetness vanished instantly, and she bared her little tiger fangs, flailing her arms at the air in rebuttal. “I am not! Where—where am I at a disadvantage!!”

Her cheeks puffed out with rage, making her look like a bloated pufferfish. Having the system point out her “disadvantage” was even harder to accept than Li Ting’s cold avoidance! It was a public insult to her personal charm and combat effectiveness!

The electronic voice remained emotionless, even carrying a hint of programmed “confusion”:

[Oh? Does the Host have an objection to the system’s judgment? In that case, it seems you do not need the right to choose the world? Then I shall… randomly arrange the next script for you and Miss Li Ting?]

“No! I want it! How could I not want it!!!” Si Xiaoxiao practically shrieked, fearing the hard-won privilege would fly away if she were a second late. Random? You’ve got to be kidding! Who knows what perverted script this twisted system would roll! She didn’t want to go through something bizarre again!

Only by holding the choice in her own hands could she feel safe!

[Very well.] The system’s voice seemed to carry a trace of a (perhaps hallucinatory) successful scheme. [Then, Host, please look at the big screen and make your selection.]

The line of text on the screen vanished like flowing mercury, replaced by three distinct options, each glowing with a faint light as if tempting her to click:

• [World 1: Fairytale Romance]
• [World 2: Martial Arts (Jianghu) Storm]
• [World 3: Apocalyptic Wasteland]

“Can you give me more info? For example, what’s the specific background? What are the character settings like?” Seeing these three options, Si Xiaoxiao immediately fell into a state of immense indecision.

Just looking at the names was far too vague! It was impossible to choose!!

Did a Fairytale World mean becoming a princess? Wearing beautiful puff-sleeve dresses and living in a magnificent castle? That actually sounded quite appealing—at least the environment would be beautiful, and there’d be no need for constant fighting. But what if she turned into a dragon or a wicked witch? That would be disastrous.

What about a Martial Arts (Jianghu) World? Flying over eaves and walking atop walls, acting as a heroic swordswoman… that seemed like a fantastic choice! Maybe she could even experience a scene where she beats Li Ting to a pulp? Then again, there was always the risk that Li Ting would be the one pinning her down…

As for the Apocalyptic World, choosing that felt like a classic case of seeking out suffering for no reason. Zombies everywhere, scarce resources, covered in grime… just thinking about it was exhausting. Pass. Absolute pass!

However, the system clearly had no intention of providing extra hints, maintaining its usual “loving the chaos” attitude. To stop Si Xiaoxiao from haggling further, the massive screen began to flash urgently, its edges glowing with a warning red light. A giant, blood-red countdown timer appeared abruptly in the center:

“Ten… Nine… Eight…”

Seeing the countdown hit zero, Si Xiaoxiao shrieked: “I choose! I choose World Two!!!”

[World Selection Complete. Now loading World Two…]

The moment the words left her mouth, the countdown stopped dead. The options on the screen receded like a tide, and the pure white world began to ripple and twist violently, like a crumpled piece of paper. The familiar dizziness of teleportation hit her.

The Imperial Palace

When she opened her eyes again, Si Xiaoxiao found herself waking up on a lounging couch. She was in a magnificent, antique palace, and the clothes she wore were incredibly opulent.

It seemed her status in this world was quite high.

“Could it be…!!” she thought. In this world, was her identity a top-tier martial arts master?!

However, before the grin could even spread across her face, the system delivered the bad news.

[The ‘Jianghu Storm’ script has begun.]

• Main Mission: Romance Li Ting. When Li Ting’s favorability reaches 100, you may return to the real world.
• Side Missions: Not yet unlocked. Please explore on your own.

“Romance Li Ting???” What did that mean?!

Si Xiaoxiao froze instantly. Why?! Why was she still the one being victimized?! What happened to the “privilege”?! You’ve got to be kidding me!!!

In response to her outburst, the system provided an answer: [Does the Host not feel insecure? Do you not desperately want to know if Miss Li Ting likes you, and exactly how much? The system will use this world to help you both resolve your emotional knots!]

Well, credit where it’s due—the system actually had a bit of cleverness there.

This mission… she supposed it was fine. If that woman Li Ting knew her favorability was being exposed like this, she’d probably find it incredibly humiliating. Hahaha! It seemed like a great opportunity to get a handle on “Manager Li”!!

Si Xiaoxiao managed to comfort herself instantly. She recalled Li Ting’s genuine display of emotion before they crossed over; this mission shouldn’t be that hard… reaching 100 favorability should be a breeze… right?

But, if the favorability wasn’t actually that high… The moment the thought occurred to her, Si Xiaoxiao felt her mental defenses start to crumble. If Li Ting’s favorability toward her was only… only in the double digits… she… she would…

She would actually cry!

Anxious, she asked tentatively: “So, can you tell me what Li Ting’s current favorability is?”

The system replied instantly: [Current favorability is… 0.]

“AH!” “HUH?!”

Si Xiaoxiao’s eyes turned red instantly.

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