📖 Chapter 1: Slap First, Apologize Never
System Alert:
Current plot point: You have been exposed for setting up Movie King Shen Muyan.
You're on a live broadcast, mid-apology.
Task: Sincerely apologize within 10 minutes or lose 50% of your life value.
Lin Chaoxi snapped awake.
She was kneeling on a red carpet stage, surrounded by cameras, blinding spotlights, and millions of live viewers.
She had transmigrated—into her own script.
Not as the heroine, not even the lovable sidekick.
She was now the brainless, vicious cannon-fodder villainess she herself had written to die horribly by chapter 20.
Lucky her.
A host crouched in front of her, his fake smile stretching tight across his face.
"Miss Lin, is there anything you'd like to say to Movie King Shen Muyan… and the viewers watching right now?"
The crowd roared with boos.
If it were the original Lin Chaoxi, she'd be sobbing and begging by now.
But this Lin Chaoxi?
She slowly stood, smoothed out her dress, and tilted her chin.
With the stage lights catching the cold gleam in her eyes, she said clearly:
"Apologize?" A slight smirk tugged at her lips. "And who said he deserves one?"
Smack!
She slapped the host clean across the face.
The crowd gasped.
System Alert:
Behavior deviation detected. Proceeding will result in complete task failure.
Confirm to abandon male lead conquest?
"Confirmed," Lin Chaoxi said coolly. "Let the conquest go to hell."
Trending on Weibo: [#LinChaoxiLiveSlapsHost]
In under five minutes, the internet exploded.
[She's insane! No way she can come back from this.]
[Wait… is anyone else kinda into this energy??]
[This villainess… is starting to give main character vibes.]
—Meanwhile, in the VIP lounge backstage—
Shen Muyan stared at the screen in silence.
In the script, she should've been weeping and groveling at his feet, desperately clinging to his forgiveness.
But instead… she slapped someone.
And then walked away like she owned the room.
His dark eyes narrowed.
"You're not her," he murmured.
"Who the hell are you?"
📖 Chapter 2: Viral for All the Wrong Reason
#LinChaoxiSlapsHost
#QueenEnergy
#MovieKing'sVillainess
By the time Lin Chaoxi got back to the backstage lounge, her phone had exploded.
The video of her slapping the host had already hit 10 million views, and the comment section was a battlefield.
[She's insane. I love it.]
[She slapped a national host?? Who does that?!]
[Villain arc unlocked. She's more interesting than the FL.]
[Why is this so… watchable?]
The corner of her lips twitched.
She wasn't trying to go viral.
She was just trying not to die.
But if the internet wanted a villainess, she could play the part in her sleep.
System Alert:
Hostile deviation from plotline.
Side Quest unlocked: Gain 5,000 fans within 48 hours.
Reward: Life points +20.
Failure: Another round of public humiliation.
"I swear, you're worse than my college professor," Lin Chaoxi muttered.
Meanwhile, across the city—
In a high-rise apartment suite wrapped in glass and silence—Shen Muyan watched the viral clip again.
She was laughing.
Not the desperate, hysterical kind the original Lin Chaoxi used to fake.
It was real. Effortless. Infuriatingly beautiful.
He leaned back in his chair, shadows flickering across his chiseled features.
His voice was calm, but low and dangerous:
"She's changed."
His assistant stammered, "S-Sir?"
"She used to cling like a leech. Now she walks away before I even look at her. Why?"
No answer. Just silence and the echo of her voice on loop—
"He doesn't deserve it."
Shen Muyan's fingers tapped the edge of the desk.
He wasn't sure when the game had changed.
But suddenly, she wasn't a nuisance.
She was a puzzle.
And he hated unsolved things.
Back on her side, Lin Chaoxi glanced at the trending hashtags and snorted.
"5,000 fans? Easy," she said. "Watch me become everyone's favorite disaster."
And with that, she opened Weibo and typed her first post—
"I'm not the heroine. Never was. Never will be. But I'm the one you'll remember."
The internet: exploded.
📖 Chapter 3: Even the Devil Has a Line He Won't Let You Cross
Three hours later, Lin Chaoxi was back under the lights—this time, on a talent show panel she didn't even remember writing.
The original villainess had taken this gig to "steal the spotlight" from the sweet, wholesome female lead.
And today, they were both on the same set.
Her name: Jiang Wan.
A.k.a., the "white moonlight" of the nation. Big eyes. Soft voice. Zero spine.
Lin Chaoxi narrowed her eyes as Jiang Wan gave a delicate bow.
"Please take care of me, Sister Chaoxi," Jiang Wan said sweetly, then added, "I've always admired your… persistence."
Lin Chaoxi smiled.
System Alert:
Jiang Wan: +10 fake innocence
Your patience level: -6
Recommended action: Smack her.
Penalty: Industry-wide blacklist
Reward: Emotional satisfaction.
She suppressed a laugh.
The live audience was already watching them like hawks.
Then Jiang Wan "accidentally" tripped, and her tea landed all over Lin Chaoxi's lap.
"Oops!" Jiang Wan gasped. "I'm so, so sorry!"
The cameras zoomed in.
Everyone waited to see the villainess explode.
But Lin Chaoxi just stood up, peeled off the soaked blazer, and gave a smile that froze the entire room.
"You know what?" she said calmly. "It's fine."
Then she leaned in close, voice low but perfectly caught on mic.
"Next time you try to make me look bad, Jiang Wan… at least use hot tea."
Boom.
Hashtag: #LinChaoxiQueenModeOn
Exploded again.
Backstage.
Three rookie actresses had cornered her near the dressing room.
"You think acting like a psycho makes you relevant?" one hissed.
"Just apologize to Jiang Wan, and maybe the fans will stop hating you."
"You're just a filler character. Nothing more."
Lin Chaoxi tilted her head. "And yet here you are. Stalking the filler."
The girl lunged.
And that's when he appeared.
A hand shot out—strong, cold—and caught the girl's wrist mid-air.
"Enough."
Shen Muyan's voice was soft. Deadly.
The room fell into silence.
His eyes didn't leave Lin Chaoxi's face. "You alright?"
She blinked. "Did you just save me?"
"I don't like noise backstage," he replied, tone indifferent. "That's all."
But his hand… lingered one second too long before letting go.
And the entire fandom would later analyze that one second for days
📖 Chapter 4: The Man Behind the Curtain
The studio lights were gone. The cameras, off. The fake smiles, tucked away.
But Shen Muyan was still watching her.
Across the dressing room, Lin Chaoxi sat with one leg crossed, slowly peeling off the lashes someone had aggressively glued on her face earlier. She looked… casual. Almost too casual.
"Who takes off falsies like that in front of the Movie King?" one of the makeup artists whispered.
He heard it. She definitely heard it. But Lin Chaoxi didn't flinch.
She looked like a woman who had nothing to lose—and no fear of the fire she was playing with.
System Alert:
New Side Task: Establish physical contact with the male lead within 72 hours.
Completion: +5 life points
Failure: Increased pain sensitivity for 24 hours
Lin Chaoxi rolled her eyes.
"You trying to kill me or make me date him?"
Response: Yes.
It was the next morning when she made her move.
The perfect setup: long marble stairs, sleek boots, slightly damp floor, a crew assistant conveniently distracted.
She took a deep breath, tilted her weight forward, and let gravity handle the rest.
Slip.
Just enough to fall. Not enough to break anything.
Except she didn't hit the ground.
A hand—firm, strong, cold—grabbed her wrist mid-air.
Another arm wrapped around her waist. Her body collided with a wall of muscle and cologne.
Shen Muyan.
Of all the people in the hallway, it had to be him.
For a split second, no one moved.
Lin Chaoxi blinked up at him. Her fingers curled reflexively around his collar.
His jaw clenched. His eyes narrowed—not with concern, but calculation.
"You," he said lowly, "are way too calm for someone who nearly fell."
She smiled. "I trust your reflexes."
He didn't smile back. "Did you fall on purpose?"
"What if I did?" she challenged.
A breath passed between them. Tight. Electric.
Then he let go.
She stumbled a little as his arms withdrew, but kept her smile as if nothing had happened.
"Thanks for the save, Movie King," she said sweetly, "You've got good hands."
System Notification:
Physical contact achieved.
Life points +5
Shen Muyan's interest: fluctuating…
Back in the surveillance booth, an assistant director whispered, "Did you see how close they were?"
Another replied, "He actually touched her. Voluntarily."
From behind the screen, Shen Muyan didn't say a word.
But his eyes never left the replay.
📖 Chapter 5: Trending Again, This Time in His Arms
The clip hit the internet less than an hour after it happened.
#MovieKingCatchesVillainess
#LinChaoxiFallsIntoHisArms
#AccidentalOrNot
Within three hours, it had five million views, and the comments section was, once again, an inferno.
[This woman is unkillable. First a slap, now a fall? ICON.]
[I swear she staged that fall. And I don't even care.]
[The tension in that catch? Someone write a fanfic now.]
In her dressing room, Lin Chaoxi sipped on a cold coffee, legs up on the couch, phone glowing in her hand.
"Yup," she muttered, eyes skimming the live rankings.
"I'm trending again. You're welcome, system."
System Alert:
Public Engagement +7000
Task: Post follow-up message to fanbase
Reward: +3 Reputation Points
Suggestion: Appear flirtatious, playful. Maximize male lead engagement.
She grinned. "Playful? Fine."
She opened Weibo and typed:
Thanks for catching me, Movie King. Milk tea on me next time? 😊
One minute later, the post exploded.
[NO WAY SHE FLIRTED WITH HIM PUBLICLY]
[This woman is my new religion]
[I ship it. I SHIP IT SO HARD]
Elsewhere, in a darkened van en route to his next shoot, Shen Muyan stared at the message on his phone.
His assistant peeked over. "Want me to respond, sir?"
"No."
But his thumb hovered over the post longer than necessary.
She was teasing him.
She knew it, and she wasn't even trying to hide it.
First the slap. Then the walk-off. Now this.
This wasn't the Lin Chaoxi he remembered—the clingy, whimpering social climber from months ago.
This one was… electric. Unpredictable. Dangerous.
And far too confident for someone under public fire.
System Update:
Affection Progress: +5%
Warning: You are entering an emotionally unstable arc. Proceed carefully.
Back on set, Lin Chaoxi leaned back, smiling to herself.
She wasn't just surviving in the story she'd written.
She was rewriting it—one bold move at a time.
And the male lead?
He was starting to notice.
📖 Chapter 6: You've Entered the CP Show, Congratulations
System Alert:
Major Task Unlocked:
Join reality show "Heart Signal: Celebrity Edition" with the male lead.
Objective: Complete 3 episodes with rising public favorability.
Reward: +30 Life Points
Failure: Public backlash, contract freeze, emotional burnout
Lin Chaoxi choked on her water. "You want me to what?"
Participate in the show. Pair with the male lead. Fake it, survive, thrive.
She stared at the system screen like it owed her rent.
"There is no way Shen Muyan would agree to this kind of trashy, low-effort, couple-baiting—"
"—He's already signed."
"…What?"
Later that afternoon, her agent barged into the room with a stack of NDAs.
"You're trending again. Congratulations. The producers loved your fall stunt. The sponsors want you. You're going on the show."
Lin Chaoxi blinked. "He really agreed?"
Her agent laughed bitterly. "He didn't even blink."
The first filming day arrived too fast.
The villa was stunning. All white marble, garden balconies, soft golden sunlight for that "we're totally natural" aesthetic.
The host smiled into the camera.
"Welcome to Heart Signal: Celebrity Edition," she chirped, "where real emotions blossom under the spotlight!"
Ugh.
Lin Chaoxi stepped out of the van in black boots and sunglasses, a vision of calm chaos. Behind her, Shen Muyan exited his black car—tall, cold, immaculately dressed.
The producers were nearly salivating.
Inside the house, the cast was already in motion.
A top idol. A soft-spoken actress. Two influencers. One quiet screenwriter.
And the couple everyone was already shipping before the show began.
Lin Chaoxi and Shen Muyan took their seats opposite each other.
The host smirked.
"So, you two have… quite the online history. How do you feel working together?"
She smiled sweetly. "We don't bite."
He added, flatly, "Yet."
The room went dead silent—
Then the audience screen filled with exploding hearts.
[Did he just flirt??]
[Chaoxi is smiling like she owns him. She kind of does.]
[Can this show be 50 episodes??]
.
Later that evening, as the cameras "discreetly" recorded them cooking together in the kitchen, Shen Muyan handed her a knife.
She took it. Their fingers brushed—brief, electric.
"You don't like this kind of show," she said under her breath.
"I don't," he replied, eyes on the chopping board.
"So why agree?"
He glanced sideways at her, tone unreadable.
"I wanted to see what you'll do when people stop acting… and start feeling."
System Notification:
Progress: Affection +8%
Public Sentiment: CP Fever rising
Caution: Emotional entanglement approaching critical threshold
She looked at him—and for the first time, couldn't tell if he was playing along…
Or beginning to really fall.
📖 Chapter 7: His Past, Her Mask
"Today's challenge," the host announced brightly, "is called: Switch!"
The contestants groaned.
"Each pair will swap roles and act as the other person in a five-minute skit," she continued, "Show us what it's like to walk in their shoes."
Lin Chaoxi raised a brow.
"Roleplay? Cute."
Shen Muyan didn't react. But his hand clenched slightly at his side.
The theme was supposed to be light-hearted.
But when it came to them—nothing ever stayed that way.
☕ Scene 1: Shen Muyan as Lin Chaoxi
On set, Shen Muyan stepped onto the stage in a long coat, hair slightly tousled, his expression tense.
He held a phone to his ear and mimicked Lin Chaoxi's tone.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know I needed approval to breathe now."
"No, I don't regret slapping him."
"Maybe next time, I'll aim harder."
The room laughed.
But then—he turned serious.
He set the phone down and looked at an imaginary mirror. Voice lower now.
"They'll never stop hating me, will they?"
"No matter what I do—it's never enough."
Silence.
The laughter stopped.
He didn't blink. He just stared into the mirror like it might break him.
The audience swallowed hard.
🎭 Scene 2: Lin Chaoxi as Shen Muyan
Then it was her turn.
Lin Chaoxi walked onto the same stage, shoulders square, expression frozen.
She mimicked his blank face, gave robotic answers to imaginary reporters:
"No comment."
"Not obligated to explain myself."
"I don't date."
Then, she stood still for a long moment.
Eyes empty. Chest rising slightly, like holding back something.
She whispered:
"No one ever asks if I'm okay."
"They just assume I'm perfect."
The entire room went quiet. Even the production crew stopped moving.
When the segment ended, the host had tears in her eyes.
"Well," she said, voice shaking, "That… was more than we expected."
[Are you crying? I'm crying.]
[Who knew Shen Muyan felt this lonely?]
[Lin Chaoxi literally nailed him. And herself.]
Later, while the other cast members scattered to the garden, Shen Muyan found her alone on the balcony.
"Nice performance," he said.
She didn't turn. "It wasn't a performance."
He paused.
Then slowly stepped closer, just enough that their shoulders nearly brushed.
"You said something in your scene," he murmured.
"That no one ever asks if you're okay."
She gave a half-smile. "Why? Gonna start asking now?"
He didn't smile.
But he didn't walk away either.
"I don't ask because I assumed you'd lie."
The words hung between them—
honest, sharp, and unexpectedly… soft.
System Update:
Emotional Tension: ↑↑
Affection Rate: +10%
Warning: Main Lead has begun internal shift. Emotional control weakening.
And still, he stood beside her.
Saying nothing.
Feeling too much.
📖 Chapter 8: The Night He Held Her Hand
The cameras were rolling. Again.
For the third time that week.
This time it was a dinner challenge—everyone sat around a fake "casual" dining table, forced smiles and passive-aggressive questions simmering in the air like bad wine.
Someone asked her:
"Chaoxi, if you could go back in time, would you still slap the host?"
Laughter followed, but it wasn't warm. Not anymore.
Another voice cut in, this time from a co-guest:
"Or do you think the drama's the only reason you're still relevant?"
The air turned sharp.
Lin Chaoxi gripped her wine glass too tight.
System Alert:
Stress levels exceeding safe zone
Suggestion: Smile. Laugh. Defuse tension.
No.
Not this time.
She stood up, slowly.
All eyes turned. The cameras zoomed in.
Lin Chaoxi's voice was calm, but her eyes shimmered with something dangerously close to tears.
"You want me to say sorry for existing loud enough that people finally noticed?"
"You think the only thing I am… is noise?"
"Then listen carefully."
She set the glass down.
"I don't need your validation. I don't need your forgiveness. I don't need this room."
Then she walked away.
No script. No signal. Just heels on hardwood and her back to the world.
And just as she reached the hallway exit—
A hand grabbed hers.
Firm. Sure. Unmistakable.
She turned, shocked.
Shen Muyan stood there, his expression unreadable, but his hand didn't let go.
He looked at her—not the cameras, not the crew. Just her.
"Don't leave."
Her throat tightened.
"Why not?"
A long pause. His voice was low.
"I don't like you."
She blinked.
"But I hate watching them tear you apart even more."
Silence.
And then—
[HE SAID HE DOESN'T LIKE HER… BUT—]
[That's the most romantic line I've ever heard.]
[Help. I'm in too deep.]
She looked at his hand. Still holding hers. Still warm.
"Then what are we?" she asked softly.
He didn't answer.
But he didn't let go either.
System Update:
Affection Level: +12%
Emotional Bond Activated.
Host's heart rate irregular. Please proceed with caution.
And somewhere deep inside her—
Something that had been frozen for a long time…
Cracked.
Chapter 9: Dangerous Games and Deeper Looks
"Tonight's segment," the host said with a gleam in her eye, "is something our viewers love…"
Lin Chaoxi already had a bad feeling.
"…Truth or Dare: Feelings Edition."
Yep. Terrible idea.
The group sat in a circle on velvet cushions. Candles flickered between them, soft music in the background. Cameras were hidden but present.
The rules were simple: pick a name, ask a question. No skipping. No lying.
It was only a matter of time before someone called her name.
"Lin Chaoxi," one of the influencers said, "Describe your ideal type. Be specific."
She smiled slowly, eyes flicking across the circle—and landing on him.
"Smart. Cold. Knows when to shut up."
A beat.
"Also really good at catching people when they fall."
A few gasps. A lot of smirks.
The camera zoomed in.
Shen Muyan didn't move.
Everyone turned to him, waiting for his reaction.
He leaned back, arms crossed. Silent.
Then someone threw the next question his way.
"Mr. Shen," the host said innocently, "What do you think about girls who are… chaotic? Unpredictable? A little too brave?"
His eyes flicked to Lin Chaoxi.
A long pause.
Then—
"They're dangerous."
She raised an eyebrow.
"But?"
Another pause.
Then, so quietly the mic barely caught it—
"Sometimes danger is… interesting."
Comment section:
[OMG DID HE JUST—]
[HE'S INTERESTED IN HER??]
[Somebody sedate me I'm shaking]
Later that night, after filming wrapped, she found him alone under the terrace lights, sipping tea like the storm hadn't just happened.
"You didn't deny it," she said.
He didn't look up. "Deny what?"
"That I'm your type."
Now he looked at her. Calm. But the calm that came before thunder.
"Did I say you were?"
"You didn't say I wasn't."
A beat.
His eyes scanned her face.
"Maybe I'm still figuring it out."
That was worse. So much worse.
Because now it wasn't scripted.
It wasn't fake.
And she could feel it—
He was getting real.
System Warning:
Emotional instability detected.
Male lead's interest level approaching critical zone.
Host advised to proceed with care—or surrender to storyline.
She stepped back. Smiling like none of it mattered.
But her heart?
It hadn't stopped racing since he looked at her like she was the most dangerous thing he'd ever wanted.
Chapter 10: When the Villainess Becomes the Flame
The commercial dropped at midnight.
Lin Chaoxi in a crimson dress, walking through fire—unburnt.
One glance over her shoulder. One smile.
By morning, the endorsement was trending.
By noon, her follower count had jumped 80,000.
And the comments?
[She's not just a villainess anymore. She's the moment.]
[She shut everyone up without raising her voice. Queen.]
[Is this the redemption arc or the real her all along?]
At a press conference that afternoon, a reporter smirked as he asked:
"Some people are saying you only got this deal because of a certain co-star.
Care to respond?"
She tilted her head. The cameras clicked furiously.
"You're right about one thing," she said, voice cold.
"I got this because of someone powerful—me."
Silence.
"I don't ride coattails. I walk fire."
"And I've never needed a man to open doors I could burn down."
The clip went viral in under ten minutes.
[She ATE that reporter alive.]
[She said I'm the fire. I'm the fire.]
[Okay but… will he respond?]
He did.
That night, Shen Muyan—verified, silent, god-level untouchable—broke protocol.
He reposted the interview clip on Weibo with only four words:
"She deserves all of it."
The world stopped.
[NO WAY. NO WAY. NO WAY.]
[He NEVER comments on anything.]
[Is this a love confession or a full PR war? Either way, I'm screaming.]
Backstage, her phone buzzed endlessly.
Her manager stared at her. "He reposted it. With words. Actual words."
Lin Chaoxi didn't speak. Just stared at the screen.
Her system buzzed next.
System Alert:
Male lead has voluntarily acknowledged emotional attachment.
Storyline deviation confirmed.
Mission Status:
⚠️ Irreversible
💡 You changed the script.
Outside the greenroom, Shen Muyan leaned against the corridor wall, phone dark now, but mind racing.
He'd done it.
No turning back.
Not because the show told him to.
Not because she needed saving.
But because somewhere between the slap, the fall, the flame—
She stopped being the villainess.
And became the one thing he couldn't look away from.
📖 Chapter 11: The Original Female Lead Has Entered the Chat
The next episode began with unexpected news.
"Today," the producer announced, clapping his hands excitedly, "a special guest will be joining us. A surprise late entry to shake things up."
The cast exchanged glances. Lin Chaoxi sat back on the couch, crossing her legs, unconcerned.
Until she saw the silhouette.
Soft white heels.
An ivory dress.
Eyes like spring water and a voice dipped in honey.
"Hello, everyone. I'm Xu Wan."
A gentle bow. A polite smile.
"Please take care of me."
The room collectively inhaled.
System Alert:
Timeline Correction Agent Detected.
Name: Xu Wan
Role: Original Heroine
Warning: Storyline integrity threatened.
Recommendation: Minimize contact with Male Lead. Avoid disrupting core pairing.
Lin Chaoxi felt her chest tighten.
So this is her.
The one she was never meant to replace.
She remembered fragments from the original book.
Xu Wan—the white moonlight. The soft light. The inevitable love.
The girl who nursed the male lead's pain.
The one who held his hand when the world broke him.
And yet…
As Xu Wan greeted each cast member with a kind smile, Lin Chaoxi noticed something strange.
Shen Muyan hadn't stood up.
Hadn't smiled.
Hadn't even looked at Xu Wan for more than two seconds.
Instead, as Xu Wan was guided to her seat…
He glanced at her.
Lin Chaoxi.
Eyes lingering, almost searching.
Later, when filming paused for a short break, the system buzzed again.
New Task Available:
Surrender lead status. Return to background. Let original heroine fulfill narrative arc.
Reward: System stability. Partial memory retention upon exit.
She stared at the message, fingers trembling.
"So… you're offering me a way out now?"
Correct.
"If I step back, she gets the happy ending. The story continues. Everything resets."
Correct.
"And if I don't?"
Then the world will collapse around you. Starting with him.
She looked across the garden where Shen Muyan stood quietly, pretending to read a script.
And for the first time since arriving in this story
She didn't know what to choose.
📖 Chapter 12: When the System Turns Against Her
The punishment came quietly.
No explosion. No warning. Just… silence.
That morning, Lin Chaoxi spent six hours on set—shooting, laughing, even sharing a moment by the lake with Shen Muyan.
But when the episode aired that night—
She wasn't in a single scene.
Not one.
System Notification:
Task declined.
Initiating stabilization protocol.
Visibility: -100%
Favorability algorithm: Frozen
Emotional suppression in progress…
She stared at the cold text.
"You're making me invisible?"
You are not necessary to this narrative.
She threw the system screen shut.
The fans noticed immediately.
[Wait, where's Lin Chaoxi?]
[They cut her?! But she filmed that day! I saw the spoilers!]
[This is targeted. Someone is trying to erase her.]
And backstage, the crew began whispering.
"Maybe she's leaving the show?"
"Her screentime's been dropping all week."
"Did she get pulled by PR?"
But only one person wasn't guessing.
He was watching.
That night, Shen Muyan knocked on her dressing room door.
She didn't answer.
He opened it anyway.
She was sitting in front of the mirror, removing her makeup slowly. Carefully. Like it was the only thing she still had control over.
"You're disappearing," he said.
She didn't look up. "Am I?"
"They're cutting you out."
His voice was low. Controlled. Too calm.
She met his eyes in the mirror.
"I guess I'm not part of the main story anymore."
A beat.
Then he stepped closer.
"Tell me the truth. Are you trying to leave me?"
She flinched. The question hit deeper than she expected.
"I—"
The system buzzed violently.
System Warning:
Host emotional boundary breach
Male lead psychological destabilization at 64%
Further contact will accelerate collapse
She pressed a hand to her temple. Her head was spinning.
Shen Muyan caught her arm.
"You're not okay," he said, and for once his voice cracked. "You're not okay and I don't know how to fix it."
Her eyes shimmered.
She whispered:
"You're not supposed to."
System Alert:
Emotional loop expanding
Target (Male Lead) exhibiting unbound response
Suggested protocol: Detach. Now. Or lose him permanently.
But how could she let go—
When he was the only thing in this fake world that felt real?
📖 Chapter 13: The Night She Vanished from the Screen
It started with a missing call time.
Then a skipped scene.
Then her name… quietly disappeared from the schedule.
"Where's Lin Chaoxi?" someone asked the assistant director.
"She's… resting."
But when Shen Muyan checked her dressing room, it was empty.
Her wardrobe: gone.
Her script folder: gone.
Even her nameplate on the door was replaced.
System Alert:
Emergency Protocol Executed
Host forcibly removed from active world layer
Reason: Uncontrollable deviation
Status: Suspended
Memory Scrubbing: Pending
She opened her eyes in a room that wasn't part of the set.
White walls. No windows. No sound.
Not a prison—
Worse.
A waiting zone.
Her system floated midair, its voice colder than ever.
"Congratulations, Host. You've failed to integrate with the story.
Prepare for removal."
She whispered, "What about him?"
"He will forget you."
Back on set, Shen Muyan was not okay.
He stormed through the building, jaw tight, fists clenched.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
The producer blinked. "She left the project. Personal issues."
"Don't lie to me."
He called her number. It rang once. Then disconnected.
He searched the cast chat. All her messages were gone.
It was as if—
She'd never existed.
That night, he sat alone in the garden where they used to film.
The wind was cold. The seat next to him empty.
He scrolled through his phone. Searched her name.
Nothing. No agency profile. No previous works. No records.
Only screenshots.
And those too, began glitching—faces blurred, names corrupted.
System (to Male Lead):
Unstable memory detected.
Subject: "Lin Chaoxi"
Recommend reset. Erase corrupted data.
But instead of agreeing, Shen Muyan whispered to himself:
"No. I remember her."
He clutched his phone like a lifeline.
"I remember the way she argued. The way she looked at me like I wasn't just the cold-hearted lead. The way she never begged for attention—because she never needed it."
His voice cracked.
"I remember her."
Somewhere in the blank zone, Lin Chaoxi sat up suddenly.
Heartbeat spiking. Eyes wide.
System Alert:
Emotional tether reactivating.
Target: Shen Muyan
Status: Refusing erasure.
He was still holding on.
📖 Chapter 14: He Broke the Script for Her
Three days after she vanished, the program resumed filming.
But Shen Muyan wasn't on set.
Not in the garden.
Not in the interviews.
Not even in the group dinner scenes.
"Where is he?" one of the crew whispered.
"He locked himself in his van," the assistant director said. "Said he's done."
Backstage, chaos.
Producers scrambled to salvage footage. The director called his manager twenty times.
But the answer was always the same:
"He's not acting anymore. He's angry."
That night, #ShenMuyanGoesSilent trended worldwide.
Fans speculated everything:
[Creative conflict?]
[Health issue?]
[He's in love with her and she's GONE??]
They weren't wrong.
Inside his trailer, Shen Muyan sat in the dark.
No script in hand.
Just a photo.
Her photo.
The last screenshot he managed to save before even that began to fade.
His voice was a whisper.
"You promised you wouldn't lie to me.
And now… you're just gone."
System Override Initiated
Subject Emotion Surge > 85%
Narrative integrity failing
Counter-Protocol: Reinsert Host
Condition: Limited Time Return
Duration: 72 hours
After which, removal will be permanent.
Lin Chaoxi opened her eyes.
The cold room was gone.
Instead—warm sunlight. Curtains. A familiar scent.
She sat up.
And saw her name.
Back on the door.
System Notice:
Welcome back, Host.
You have 72 hours. Use them wisely.
When she stepped onto set again, time stopped.
The cast froze.
No one spoke. No one even breathed.
Until he turned.
Shen Muyan.
He was standing near the studio lights, holding a half-read script.
He looked up.
And saw her.
He didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Just looked.
Like he wasn't sure she was real.
Like he'd been waiting forever for her to walk back through that door.
The director broke the silence.
"You're late," he said awkwardly.
But Shen Muyan only said one thing.
"She's back. Now we can begin."
[DID YOU SEE HIS FACE?!]
[He didn't even try to hide it.]
[Someone tell me this isn't real. Oh wait. IT IS.]
Lin Chaoxi lowered her eyes.
But when she looked up again—
he was still watching her.
As if no camera existed.
As if nothing else in the world mattered.
System Reminder:
Countdown: 71:58:00
Warning: You cannot stay.
But in that moment…
Neither of them cared.
Chapter 15: The Confession He Shouldn't Have Made
It was after midnight.
The crew had gone. The cameras shut off hours ago. But neither of them moved.
They sat on the rooftop. Just the two of them.
No scripts. No masks. No backup.
Lin Chaoxi held a steaming cup of tea, fingers trembling slightly. Not from the cold—but from what she was about to do.
He sat across from her. Silent. Patient. Watching her like he already knew.
Maybe he did.
"I need to tell you something," she said.
His eyes didn't leave hers. "Okay."
She swallowed. Looked down. Then back up.
"I'm not… who you think I am."
"I'm not the original Lin Chaoxi."
"The girl in this story—the one the world knew—she was supposed to be different. Colder. Louder. Meaner."
"But I woke up here one day… and I was her."
A long silence.
"So I lied," she whispered. "Every day I breathed in this world—I lied."
He didn't speak.
And she couldn't stop the next question—
"So now that you know… will you still choose me?"
A pause.
Then he stood up.
Walked toward her. Slowly.
Kneeled in front of her like it was her who needed saving this time.
He reached out, took her shaking hands into his.
And said—
"I knew."
She froze.
"From the moment you looked at me with real eyes.
From the moment you smiled like it cost something.
From the moment you started breaking the script just to protect people who didn't even like you."
He held her gaze.
"I knew you weren't her.
And I didn't care.
Because you're you."
System Emergency:
Male Lead Consciousness Breach
Narrative Collapse: 87%
Recommendation: Immediate memory wipe and Host extraction.
But the warnings didn't matter.
Not when she was crying into his chest.
Not when he whispered into her hair:
"So yes. I'll still choose you."
"Again. And again. And again."
Even if it destroyed everything.
Final System Alert:
❗Main storyline permanently altered
❗Villainess path terminated
❗New route unlocked: Love Against the World
📖 Chapter 16: The Countdown Begins
The world was beginning to glitch.
It started small: lights flickering, audio cutting out, time loops in the same five-second clips of reality. But Lin Chaoxi saw the signs.
This world—the one she had grown to love, the one where he existed—was dying.
Because of her.
System Alert:
Final Deviation Confirmed.
You have 96 hours before full narrative collapse.
Options Remaining:
A. Exit Now.
B. Stay and be deleted with the Male Lead.
She stared at the words flashing in front of her, her fingers trembling at her sides.
"You're giving me a choice?"
No, the system replied coldly. We're giving you time to grieve.
On set, chaos had become routine.
Cameras refused to record.
Scripts kept resetting.
Other cast members started repeating the same conversations.
It wasn't just technical malfunction.
The story was unraveling.
She walked into the prop room, where Shen Muyan sat with his back to her, flipping through a script that now had blank pages.
He didn't look up. "Time is running out, isn't it?"
She didn't answer.
Because yes.
And because she couldn't lie anymore.
Later that night, she accessed the system's core.
Hidden deep in its archives, she found something terrifying.
Shen Muyan — Status: Interlinked Consciousness Entity
Origin: Real World
Condition: Comatose
Integration Risk: Critical
Solution: Host Exit Required for Target Reawakening
She dropped the interface. Her legs gave way.
He's not fiction.
He's real.
And I'm the one keeping him trapped here.
In the mirror, her reflection blurred.
But her heart was clear.
She had fallen in love with a man she was never meant to meet.
And now she had to choose—
To keep him here.
Or set him free.
📖 Chapter 17: His Real Body Lies in a Coma
The system finally spoke.
"He's not supposed to be here."
"He wasn't meant to be conscious in this simulation."
"But when you entered, your presence… woke him up."
Lin Chaoxi stood frozen in the system core, a black-and-white void where data floated like shattered glass.
"What do you mean he's not supposed to be here?" she asked.
The system paused.
"Shen Muyan is a real person in your world. A well-known actor. He signed onto a cognitive immersion project—experimental. The one you hacked when you tried to escape your life."
"He was never meant to interact with a variable like you."
She staggered back, almost choking.
"So… this world isn't just a story? It's a simulation?"
"It was. Until you broke the loop. Now, it's a prison."
Her heart pounded.
"Where is he? His real body?"
"Hospital. ICU. Alive, but fading. If you stay… you'll both vanish when the collapse completes."
Back in the world, the sky had turned strange.
Colors flickered at the edges. Time stalled.
And Shen Muyan found her by the lake—again, as if drawn by something deeper than scripts or blocking.
She was sitting on the edge, her shoes off, feet in the cold water.
He sat beside her in silence.
"You know, don't you?" she finally said.
He didn't answer.
Just stared at the reflection of the moon.
"You're not… just a character."
He looked at her. Really looked.
"I don't know who I am anymore."
"But I know how I feel when I'm with you. And I know that doesn't come from a script."
She turned to him, tears brimming.
"If I leave… you'll wake up."
"And if you don't?"
"You'll die here. With me."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring box the crew had used in a fake proposal scene.
But the ring inside was real now.
"Then maybe I'd rather die with you… than live a life without remembering this."
She slapped the box closed, voice cracking:
"Don't say that."
He took her hand.
"Then tell me what to do."
But she couldn't.
Because no matter what she chose—
She would break something.
His body.
His memory.
Her heart.
System Alert:
Narrative Collapse Imminent
Host Emotional Threshold: MAX
Warning: If exit is not triggered in 48 hours, reality corruption will be irreversible.
And so she sat beside the man she loved.
A man born of both code and soul.
Real and not real.
And the countdown began.
📖 Chapter 18: The System Starts to Collapse
It began with silence.
Not the peaceful kind, but the kind that screamed.
The kind where cameras kept rolling even when no one moved.
Where crew members repeated lines they'd already said.
Where flowers in the set garden bloomed, wilted, and bloomed again—in seconds.
Lin Chaoxi stood in the middle of the set as it looped for the fifth time in a single hour.
She turned toward the assistant director.
"Didn't you just say that?"
He blinked.
Paused.
Then said it again—word for word.
Her chest tightened.
"No. No no no—"
System Collapse Level: 89%
Visual continuity breach
Supporting characters reverting to defaults
Timeline breaking down…
She ran to the studio hallway. No doors led to anything anymore. All hallways looped into each other. The mirrors reflected things that weren't happening.
And worst of all—
People stopped remembering her.
The second lead, who once fought to kiss her on-camera, passed by with a polite smile.
"Are you new here?"
She laughed weakly.
"You're joking, right?"
He didn't even blink.
"Nice to meet you. What's your name?"
Her body shook.
She turned on the system interface and screamed:
"They're forgetting me!"
System Response:
"You don't belong in this story. The world is healing… by erasing you."
Only one person still remembered her.
And he was fading, too.
She found Shen Muyan backstage. Sitting on the floor, his back against a mirror.
He looked up slowly, eyes tired, voice strained.
"I… can't remember what day it is."
She knelt beside him.
"You don't have to remember days. Just remember me."
He blinked.
"I always do."
"You're the only real thing left."
But his fingers trembled.
And a thin line of glitch crawled up his wrist like veins made of static.
"It's happening to you," she whispered.
"You're unraveling."
He tried to smile.
"Then hold me together."
System Final Notice:
24 Hours Remaining
If exit is not executed, subject (Shen Muyan) will be permanently deleted
Memory wipe: irreversible
Soul tether: severed
She broke.
She held him close, her tears falling onto his skin as if they could patch the pieces of him back together.
"Why did I fall in love in a world that's not even real?"
He looked at her one last time, eyes clearing.
"Because love is the only thing that ever was."
📖 Chapter 19: The Final Exit
The world was collapsing.
The walls of the studio shimmered like liquid glass.
Background characters froze mid-sentence.
Camera drones hung motionless in the air, buzzing like trapped flies.
And in the center of it all—
She held him.
Shen Muyan lay in her lap, eyes barely open, body flickering in and out of existence.
System Warning:
3% World Integrity Remaining
Host Exit Mandatory
[TRIGGER EXIT SEQUENCE? Y/N]
Her finger hovered over the glowing icon.
"If I press this… you'll wake up."
His breathing was shallow. "Good."
"And I'll be gone."
He looked up at her, eyes clearer than they'd been in hours.
"You'll still be in here," he said, pressing a finger gently to his temple. "Even if I don't remember… you will always be the echo."
She sobbed. "But that's not enough."
"It has to be."
The system screen pulsed violently.
Final Countdown: 00:01:37
"Chaoxi…" he said softly.
"You have to go. Please."
She kissed his forehead.
"I wanted more time."
"You gave me the best time I never deserved."
She leaned down, pressing her forehead to his.
"This isn't goodbye."
"It feels like one."
"Then pretend it's not," she whispered.
And hit "Yes."
The world shattered.
White light.
A soundless crash.
And then—
Silence.
🕊 REAL WORLD – 6:47 AM
Lin Chaoxi opened her eyes in a hospital bed.
Wires attached to her wrist. A heart monitor beeping steadily.
Beside her, the research team looked shocked, speaking over each other.
"She made it—"
"The system expelled her—"
"Is her memory intact?!"
She turned her head slowly.
"Where is he?" she croaked.
Everyone went silent.
Then someone whispered:
"Shen Muyan's vitals just spiked. He's waking up."
📖 Chapter 20: I Woke Up—and So Did You
The world was loud again.
Too loud.
Hospital machines beeping. Nurses calling codes. Lights too white. Air too sharp.
Lin Chaoxi blinked against the glare as her body adjusted to being real again.
Truly real.
She spent days in recovery. Doctors called her a miracle.
They said she had no memory loss.
They said no one had ever lasted that long in the simulation.
They didn't know that it wasn't the world she remembered—
It was him.
She asked about Shen Muyan.
They hesitated at first, unsure of her mental state.
Then someone finally said:
"He woke up five days ago."
"He's… fine. But he doesn't talk much."
"It's like he's waiting for something."
She stood outside his rehab center one morning, unsure why she came.
Maybe she needed closure.
Maybe she just wanted to see him one last time, even if he didn't recognize her.
Even if to him, she was no one.
But fate, once it connects two souls, never lets go so easily.
He walked out of the building at that exact moment.
Hair a little longer. Clothes too neat. But his eyes—
Still the same.
She froze.
He saw her.
Stopped.
Time slowed.
She didn't breathe.
And then—
He smiled.
Like the sun rising over a world that had almost forgotten how to feel.
"You said," he said slowly, walking toward her,
"that if I ever woke up… I should come find you first."
She couldn't speak. Her mouth opened. Nothing came out.
"So," he added, stopping right in front of her,
"I'm here."
There were no systems.
No countdowns.
No scripts.
Just them.
And everything they had fought through to get to this moment.
She reached for his hand.
Warm. Real. Trembling.
"Do you remember everything?" she whispered.
He leaned close, eyes locked on hers.
"I remember you."
"That's all that matters."
And somewhere, deep in the code of a broken simulation—
A system that once ruled them both collapsed for good.
Because this was no longer a story.
This was their life.
💫 The End