The Beautiful Top Being Pursued Relentlessly [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 57

Xie Cheng felt as if he had lost his memory.

The people here told him his name was Felix Cheng Lanchester. He was described as a tyrannical landlord who had outlived three wives and had a shy, adorable son. In this remote town, he was the undisputed nobility, owning the grandest estate and the most fertile lands. People feared him as much as they looked up to him.

Of course, his manor sat on the edge of a vast, ancient forest, and few dared to truly venture near.

For a period after he “woke up,” the servants whispered that he had grown much more taciturn. Previously, the slaves on the estate often saw him at dusk, dressed in a perfectly pressed black tailcoat, standing alone at the edge of the fields like a solitary, upright tree.

Then, things began to turn eerie.

Every day, the moment the sun dipped below the horizon, he would appear in those fields with clockwork precision. He would stand motionless, staring out over his domain, regardless of whether he had been reading in his study or tending to newly buried seeds in the conservatory just moments before.

But this wasn’t by his own will.

Oh, and those seeds he’d buried? They were of the lowest quality. He had insisted on watering and fertilizing them for half a month, yet they showed no sign of life. This had left him brooding for a long time.

Then, one day, the seeds miraculously sprouted. They grew with unnatural speed; in just a few minutes, he witnessed a flower bloom before his eyes. But when he reached out to pluck the fruit of his labor, the blossom vanished into thin air.

He remembered the color and species vividly: a cheerful, yellow daisy.

The Gilded Cage

In the early morning, Felix Cheng woke abruptly. His consciousness remained muddled and vacant for a long time before his bloodshot eyes focused on what was in front of him.

There stood an antique wall clock, crafted from high-quality timber with a lifelike giant serpent carved at the top, coiled over its territory. The gold hands trembled slightly, pointing exactly to the number “7.”

It signaled the start of a new day. In truth, he didn’t want to get up.

Knock, knock, knock.

Three precise raps sounded at the door. Felix Cheng pinched the bridge of his nose, his voice raspy. “Enter.”

He blinked, startled by his own voice. Yesterday, he had said those exact two words. Even though it was what he intended to say, the repetition felt wrong, mechanical.

John, a familiar servant, entered the bedroom. He kept his head low, speaking with practiced deference. “Your Grace, it is time for breakfast.”

Felix Cheng sat up in silence, but words tumbled out of his throat unbidden: “Breakfast as usual. Prepare an extra glass of honey milk and some toasted bread for Gnas.”

Felix Cheng: 

“As you wish, Your Grace,” the servant replied.

Felix Cheng thinned his lips, his brow furrowing in displeasure. After a few seconds, he got out of bed, seething in silence, prepared to put on whatever attire John had laid out. If things went as usual, it would be a slim-fit white shirt, a light silver waistcoat, and a black tailcoat.

“Your Grace, here is your attire for today.”

Felix Cheng replied numbly, “Very well.”

He looked down, and his eyes caught a sudden, jarring flash of deep crimson. He froze.

“Who prepared these clothes?” Felix Cheng asked, his fingers brushing against the unfamiliar fabric.

It was a tuxedo made of deep red velvet. The tailoring was exquisite, with intricate patterns embroidered in gold thread along the collar and cuffs. It was a far cry from the somber black he usually wore.

Unsurprisingly, John didn’t answer. He simply bowed with a smile and stepped out of the room to wait for his master to change.

“Who prepared them?” Felix Cheng asked again.

After a moment’s hesitation, he put on the new clothes, intentionally pinning his brooch askew on his chest. Truthfully, his wealth was immense; his clothes were always perfectly fitted and comfortable. Yet, he felt a deep unease, especially when he looked down and saw that piercing crimson.

The moment Felix Cheng turned the doorknob to leave the room, the brooch on his chest snapped back into a perfectly straight position.

He noticed, of course. He paused, his expression unreadable. But under John’s silent, urging gaze, he could only walk downstairs.

The heavy curtains were drawn back, allowing the morning light to soften the long table covered in linen. The silver cutlery was arranged with clinical precision, flanked by the usual bouquet of fresh flowers. Only two place settings were laid out.

One for him, and one for his “shy” child.

The boy was Gnas Lanchester. He had the same long, silver hair as Felix. He was already seated quietly. Seeing Felix, he offered a timid smile. “Good morning, dear Father.”

Just like before, Gnas greeted him. Felix didn’t want to speak, but the words came anyway: “Good morning, my dear Gnas.”

Just like before.

Hearing Felix’s “affectionate” tone, Gnas’s face flushed a deeper red as he looked down shyly. Felix looked away. He did not like this child. Specifically, when Gnas showed that innocent smile, Felix felt a sense of profound dissonance. That expression didn’t belong on that face.

This was a wicked child.

“My dear Father, I heard your appetite hasn’t been good lately. Will today’s breakfast be to your liking?” Gnas asked tentatively, fiddling with his fork.

This wasn’t a familiar line of dialogue.

Yet Felix didn’t find it strange. Gnas was the only person here capable of having a real conversation with him. The anomaly of this place must be linked to this eerie child, Felix thought every single day.

“My dear Father, it isn’t just dry toast today. There are delicious wild berries!”

Felix frowned again. The way the child spoke made him feel skin-crawlingly uncomfortable.

“My dear Father, please just try one,” Gnas pleaded, clasping his hands as if in prayer.

Felix ignored him, eating his breakfast in swift silence. The meal proceeded quietly until Felix finished the last sweet-and-sour berry. Suddenly, he snatched the silver knife from his plate, kicked back his chair, and spun around. Without a second’s hesitation, he drove the blade into Gnas’s heart.

Hot blood splattered across his face.

The world froze on Gnas’s pale face. The boy looked up with effort, flashing a brilliant, radiant smile at Felix. His lips moved, mouthing the words: “Dear Father.”

Bzzzt!

The familiar static noise returned. That familiar sensation of falling hit him again. Felix Cheng expressionlessly pulled out the silver knife and sat back in his chair, as he always did, waiting for the reset.

A second later, Gnas was miraculously restored.

His voice was clear, his smile bright. “Good morning, my dear Father.”

Felix lowered his gaze and elegantly wiped his fingertips. His voice was calm. “Good morning, my dear Gnas.”

Another failure.

He had tried to kill Gnas many times, pushing him off balconies, throwing him into rivers, poisoning him, feeding him to wild beasts… every attempt ended in a reset.

What a wretched child.

The Obsessive Gamer

“Welcome to my stream, everyone! I’m The Only Verified Felix Cheng Fanatic. Make yourselves at home, hit that follow button, and let’s have a great night.”

Manor Town was a casual management game famous for its hyper-realistic art style and high degree of freedom. Most of its players were chill “farming” enthusiasts, and the streams usually didn’t get much traction except for Jiang Yi’s.

He was a viral sensation for three reasons:

He had used high-level hacking skills to rewrite the game’s code, making the antagonist, Duke Felix Cheng, his sole protagonist.

He had a mysterious, powerful background; despite his blatant tampering, the game developers never breathed a word against him.

Most importantly, he was a delusional “dream husband” fanboy for Duke Felix.

Jiang Yi’s clean study was filled with merchandise cabinets and a wide desk covered in Polaroid photos and cards of the Duke. Jiang Yi wore a hoodie, a lollipop in his mouth, clutching a plush doll of the Duke. He meticulously straightened a standee of the Duke to make sure it was facing him directly.

He was dedicated.

As he turned on his computer, the screen was filled with the Duke’s incredibly handsome face.

Manor Owner #1: “Ugh, every time I see the Duke’s face, I forget he’s the villain.”

Hardcore Farmer: “Beauty is justice.”

Newbie: “The streamer’s ID is so weird. Wait, why does the game look different for you? Isn’t the Duke the antagonist?”

Manor Captain: “Newbie, run! If Yi-ge sees that, he’s gonna blow a fuse!”

Newbie: “My bad, my bad! Didn’t know!”

The chat scrolled at lightning speed. Jiang Yi glanced at it, took a swig of iced cola, and said, “Time for the dailies.”

Unlike loud, boisterous streamers, Jiang Yi focused on the “immersive” experience. After that one sentence, the only sound was the crisp clicking of his keyboard.

Since the game was in open beta and had level caps, daily tasks were simple: gather berries, chop wood, mine ores, or fish. Jiang Yi’s character name was “Jiang Cheng.” Like other players, his starting role was a poor peasant with a dilapidated shack and a barren plot of land.

As he leveled up, his character could unlock “hidden identities.”

Jiang Yi first switched to “God Mode,” staring dotingly at his “husband” for several minutes. Only then did he switch back to “Player View” to finish his tasks. The system notified him that he had reached Level 6.

Digital fireworks exploded on the screen. Dear Manor Owner, congratulations! You have unlocked a new interaction feature in ‘God Mode’.

Jiang Yi’s eyes sparkled. He immediately switched to God Mode and tried to drag his character into the luxury manor using his mouse.

Failure. Dear Manor Owner, you do not currently have the authority to freely enter Duke Felix Cheng’s estate.

“Fine, can’t interact with him yet. This stupid game needs to raise the level cap,” Jiang Yi grumbled, slumped over the desk. He scrolled his mouse until he found the Duke, who had just woken up.

The Duke lived a healthy, disciplined life, waking up at the same time every day for breakfast. Jiang Yi knew his routine by heart.

He turned off the screen-share for the stream, leaning in close to the monitor to watch Felix wake up in private.

Faint light filtered through the window, falling across the large bed. Felix was lying on his side, his silver hair fanned out across the pillow like shimmering silk. The silk duvet shifted, revealing a face kissed by angels. He opened his eyes, which were deeper and more translucent than silver crystal, still hazy with sleep.

The Duke rolled over, his slender fingers pulling the duvet down slightly. His silk robe loosened at the collar, revealing an elegant collarbone and a pale neck.

Jiang Yi subconsciously held his breath. He pressed his nose against the screen, watching the Duke sit up, watching the silver hair slide over his shoulder, watching the Duke elegantly fix his collar.

Plop.

The lollipop fell out of Jiang Yi’s mouth.

John: Your Grace, here is your attire for today. Unlocked ‘God Mode’ Interaction: Change the Duke’s Attire.

Change his clothes.

No sane person could resist such a temptation. A perfectly “sane” Jiang Yi immediately switched to the mall, scrolling to the most expensive outfit available.

Deep Red Velvet Tuxedo Set: Attire worn only by high nobility, symbolizing peerless power.

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