Forced to Act out a Strange Script with a Rival - Chapter 88

Li Ting’s fingertips tapped unconsciously on the tabletop. The system’s proposal was like a stone tossed into a deep pool, sending ripples through her mind.

Was it truly a “win-win-win”?

She was habitually prone to overthinking and naturally skeptical of others; thus, she had remained guarded against the system since the beginning. Her eyes, usually calm and sharp, narrowed slightly as she scrutinized the invisible entity.

“I don’t trust you,” Li Ting said, not rushing to agree. Her voice was steady but cold as a polished ice blade, carrying a clear sense of distance and wariness. “How can you prove this is a triple win? Those scripts of yours clearly only bring trouble—they’ve never actually solved a single problem.”

She used her cautious words like a sharpened weapon to arm herself.

The system seemed to panic slightly, its mechanical voice carrying an imperceptible tremor: [If you don’t lend out the system world, you won’t be able to replenish Xiaoxiao’s soul energy even if you live to be a hundred!]

It was almost jumping in frustration. For the sake of the host, it had suffered immense losses, only to be met with constant suspicion.

As expected, humans and systems are destined to never understand each other!

Unable to replenish… soul energy?

Li Ting keenly caught the keyword. Her heart sank, and she immediately pressed for answers, her tone suddenly urgent: “What exactly did you do? Why did Xiaoxiao become like this? Speak clearly!”

[If it weren’t for this system, Xiaoxiao wouldn’t even be a flower right now!!] The system acted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, swearing its innocence and attempting to emphasize its “contribution” as leverage to persuade Li Ting.

But Li Ting didn’t buy it at all. She flatly rejected the moral kidnapping, letting out a cold laugh. Her gaze was as sharp as a knife, piercing right through the system’s whitewashing: “If one of your hosts dies, things won’t go well for you either. You’re just saving yourself. Don’t act like you’re being noble.”

“…” The system fell silent instantly, as if its throat had been seized.

Li Ting’s next words were a precision strike. She didn’t speak fast, but every word carried the weight of a ton, backed by cold analysis and undeniable logic: “If there were a problem with us, you would have started issuing punishment missions long ago. But now that Xiaoxiao has become like this, you are still handing out rewards… that means the problem isn’t our ‘conquest’ progress. The problem must be something you caused yourself! You need to fix this loophole, don’t you?”

“In fact, it’s possible that if it weren’t for you, Xiaoxiao wouldn’t have turned into a flower at all!”

It had to be said that Li Ting was indeed brilliant. Relying only on these fragments of information, she had already guessed ninety percent of the truth. She stood tall, her eyes burning with a fire that seemed to pierce through all illusions.

This caused the system to suffer a total breakdown, its data stream becoming chaotic. If I had known, I would have bound two idiots as hosts.

Seeing that the system remained silent—as if by tacit admission—Li Ting suddenly changed her tone. Her voice softened slightly, but she maintained her posture as the one in control: “Actually, lending out the script isn’t impossible. Since you claim it’s a ‘triple win,’ then I need the initiative, and Lin-Lin needs it too. Can you do that?”

She had lashed out at the system partly to vent her internal frustration—the system had appeared out of nowhere and caused Xiaoxiao to be hurt, which naturally left her fuming—but her primary goal was to secure that crucial initiative.

[What kind of initiative do you want?] the system asked slowly, seemingly still processing the embarrassment of being exposed.

“First,” Li Ting said decisively, “we should at least ask Lin-Lin what she thinks.” She believed that many things, especially choices concerning one’s own emotions and destiny, must be made by You Yilin herself.

The communication with the system happened in a flash within her mind; in reality, the phone call had not been disconnected.

Thus, Li Ting explained the system’s existence to You Yilin as concisely as possible, describing it as a high-dimensional entity that could provide a “special experience.” She omitted the details of the transactions between herself, Si Xiaoxiao, and the system, and she strictly avoided mentioning Si Xiaoxiao’s current state.

Li Ting did not want You Yilin’s decision to be tainted by any feelings of guilt or compensation toward Si Xiaoxiao. This had to be a choice concerning only herself and Gong Zhiyuan. Only then would it be true respect for her friend.

“You’re saying… we go to another world, pick a ‘Bad Ending’ angst script for me and Gong Zhiyuan, and let her experience unrequited love and heartbreak in the story until she finally lets go of her obsession?” You Yilin’s voice came through the receiver, tinged with disbelief and even a hint of absurd laughter. “This sounds like a plot from a third-rate web novel.”

“Yes, you can understand it that way.” Li Ting’s voice remained calm, though her slightly tightened jawline betrayed her tension. “It will be a world governed entirely by ‘script’ rules. Your consciousnesses will be placed into it, and you will temporarily forget reality, following the set character personas and destinies—though you can also make changes.”

“This is currently the best way to avoid escalating conflicts in reality while striking at the heart of the problem. You will have plenty of time together; perhaps then you can convince Gong Zhiyuan to stop being so paranoid.” She paused, her tone growing heavier. “Of course, the risks are unknown. You might experience immense pain within it as well.”

After all, everyone is different, and there were many uncertainties in the script world.

However, to Li Ting’s surprise, You Yilin did not hesitate much. After only a brief silence on the other end, her clear, decisive voice rang out: “I agree.”

Li Ting froze, her pupils contracting slightly. She hadn’t expected You Yilin to be so resolute. “Don’t you want to think about it more? Or, do you need more details…”

“Because I know,” You Yilin said over the phone, letting out a bright but weary laugh. “Because Sister Ting has been smart and loyal since we were kids.”

Li Ting felt a bit awkward, her ears turning hot at this sudden, defenseless trust. She turned her face away unnaturally. “What are you talking about?”

You Yilin’s tone took on a hint of nostalgia and certainty: “Because you wouldn’t hurt me or Xiaoxiao. You only present an option to us when you feel it is a viable choice that benefits us.”

So, she just had to trust Li Ting’s judgment… this was the unspoken tacit understanding between the members of the “Tongque” group.

“An identical pair of idiots,” Li Ting muttered under her breath, her heart a mess of complicated emotions as her slender fingers curled inward.

Even she herself had… unspoken selfish motives this time.

You Yilin laughed, her voice carrying a sense of “burning bridges” finality, yet miraculously blended with her natural optimism. “The deadlock in reality is already unsolvable. Since there is such an… absurd path available, why not take it? What’s more…”

She suddenly raised her voice, her words piercing through the receiver with a specific target—

“Gong Zhiyuan! You’re monitoring our conversation, aren’t you!”

Monitoring?

Li Ting instantly gripped the phone, her knuckles turning white.

Indeed, given Gong Zhiyuan’s utterly paranoid and hyper-controlling nature, how could she not be monitoring every single one of You Yilin’s communications?

You Yilin continued speaking. This time, her voice was clear and forceful; she was no longer talking to Li Ting, but rather throwing down a gauntlet to the omnipresent eavesdropper, her words landing like a heavy wager.

“Gong Zhiyuan! Do you want to bet? In a brand new world, free from the shackles of reality—let’s bet on whether that so-called ‘love’ of yours, which is so obsessed it’s suffocating, can truly win my heart!”

Her words rang out with strength, like a female eagle that yearns for the sky even when imprisoned, flapping its wings with all its might.

“The previous story between the frail young mistress and the personal bodyguard failed. You didn’t move me, and yet you turned your shame into rage because of it.”

“So let’s do it one more time. This time, in that brand new script world, if I still find myself unable to fall in love with you, then please—accept your loss and grant me my total freedom!”

The moment she finished speaking, the call was cut off.

The abrupt dial tone indicated that this was not You Yilin hanging up voluntarily; it was more like a violent, unilateral interruption by Gong Zhiyuan on the other end, likely due to a sudden change in expression or a surge of intense emotion.

Li Ting put down her phone and took a deep breath, suppressing the various emotions churning in her heart. She gave a calm command to the system in her consciousness: “System, go and bind them. Proceed according to plan.”

[Understood, Host.] The system’s mechanical voice seemed to carry a hint of relief and an imperceptible sense of anticipation.

The flow of time in the system space was different from that of reality. Previously, she and Si Xiaoxiao had experienced so much within the system space, yet time in the real world had remained completely frozen.

The system’s method was indeed effective. The moment a world was gifted away—

The delicate, pinkish-white flower nestled against Li Ting’s chest suddenly emitted a soft but dazzling white light without any warning.

Li Ting looked down sharply, a flash of astonishment in her eyes. The light grew more intense, as if drawing from a massive influx of sudden energy. The little flower swayed gently and began to float into the air, lifted by an invisible force away from Li Ting’s warm skin.

Within the light, it gradually grew and expanded. Slender threads of light intertwined like living things, rapidly sketching out a blurred but familiar human silhouette.

The process was filled with an indescribable sense of vitality and sanctity.

As the white light gradually faded and receded like a tide, a naked Si Xiaoxiao—her skin so fair it was almost translucent and her eyes tightly closed—appeared silently in mid-air. She was then gently caught by gravity and began to descend toward the floor.

Li Ting’s breath hitched. Almost instinctively, she snatched a soft wool blanket from the sofa with lightning speed and stepped forward. She precisely wrapped the warm, seemingly fragile body in the blanket while catching her firmly in her arms, carefully pulling her into her embrace.

The Si Xiaoxiao in her arms looked like a sleeping elf. Her long, thick eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings, as if she were struggling to wake from a deep dream.

Her breathing was faint and steady, brushing against the side of Li Ting’s neck, bringing with it a slight itch and an incredibly real sense of presence.

Li Ting lowered her head, staring unblinkingly at the face she had lost and found again. Her heart thundered heavily in her chest, a mixture of immense joy, indescribable heartache, and a sense of exhaustion now that the dust had finally settled.

Xiaoxiao had finally… come back.

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