A soft woman's voice slowly pulled him out of sleep.
"Master… please wake up…"
Gu Chen opened his eyes, only to freeze in confusion.
This was not the modern room where he had fallen asleep last night. The familiar walls, the bed, the phone—everything was gone.
Instead, he lay on an ancient wooden bed, surrounded by carved furniture and faint incense drifting through the air. The room looked old, elegant, and completely unfamiliar.
Before he could gather his thoughts, he noticed a young woman kneeling on the floor.
She was dressed in an ancient Chinese maid's outfit, her head lowered, her body trembling slightly.
Gu Chen's mind went blank.
Suddenly—
An unbearable pain exploded inside his head.
It felt as if thousands of needles were stabbing into his brain at the same time.
He clenched his teeth as unfamiliar memories poured in violently.
Scenes from a novel.
Names he recognized instantly.
A fate he despised.
After several long minutes, the pain slowly subsided.
Gu Chen lay still, breathing heavily.
He finally understood.
He had entered the novel he read last night.
He had become Gu Chen—
the villain destined to be betrayed and turned into a stepping stone for Lin Fan and Mu Linya.
The foolish Gu Chen who sacrificed everything.
The Gu Chen mocked as a licking dog.
But now, the soul inside this body was no longer that man.
He slowly clenched his fist.
This Gu Chen had been replaced.
At that moment, the kneeling maid spoke in a trembling voice.
"Master… your mother has summoned you to the main hall."
Before Gu Chen could respond, a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
[Ding!]
Host confirmed: Gu Chen.
Protagonist destroyer System activated.