Before he could finish, there was a commotion outside. The door burst open, and a group of eunuchs held knives to Ruan Ning’s neck, forcing her into the hall. They said to Chu Allowright: “Your Majesty, we’ve captured the Ning woman.”
“Good!” Chu Allowright signaled them to bring the knife closer, looking triumphantly at Chu Yuan. “Yuan’er, kill the rebellious son, and I’ll release Ning’s woman.”
Chu Yuan’s blood-red eyes were fixed intently on Ruan Ning, but her appearance could not calm him down. Exhaustion, tension, and the pain of betrayal pushed him to the edge of madness.
The blade cut Ruan Ning’s delicate pink neck, but she felt no pain. All her attention was on Chu Yuan. Noticing his distress, she quickly said, “A Yuan, don’t be afraid. I’m fine.”
A eunuch saw her moving and thought she was going to resist, so he pushed the blade in further. The white blade stained with her blood was about to drip.
Chu Yuan roared and instantly appeared in front of them. Before anyone could react, he had grabbed the eunuch, torn him in half, and thrown him away. The scene was chaotic and bloody.
Except for Ruan Ning, everyone was stunned.
Ruan Ning, ignoring the wound on her neck, rushed to embrace Chu Yuan to comfort him. Several eunuchs instinctively grabbed her and drew their blades, causing more wounds on her body. Chu Yuan let out a howl, his eyes red, and grabbed the nearest eunuch, violently smashing him against the dragon pillar.
Amid the screams, the eunuchs were bloodied, but he continued, smashing the person against the pillar until the body became a mangled mess.
“Anyone who dares to hurt her must die!” he roared, losing control.
Chu Yanzheng began to fear, retreating. He never expected his son to be so unhinged. His own love for A Yuan still allowed him to maintain rationality, but Chu Yuan’s love was too pure.
“Yuan’er, stop! Ning’shi is fine!” Chu Yanzheng called, trying to calm him down.
Ruan Ning mustered all her strength, embracing the furious Chu Yuan. She urgently kissed him, saying, “A Yuan, I’m fine; don’t be afraid…”
She usually could soothe him, but this time she could not. The fear and violence deep within him were fully unleashed.
Chu Yuan was terrified and filled with hatred, feeling powerless to protect her. He believed that only by eliminating all evil could she be safe.
Amid Chu Xiang’s screams, he punched toward Chu Yanzheng’s head, and Chu Yanzheng died swiftly, his last words calling out, “Yuan’er, call me father…”
Ruan Ning stood frozen in shock, realizing that the emperor was actually Chu Yuan’s father, making his actions an act of patricide.
Chu Xiang urged her, “Why are you still standing there? Quickly comfort A Yuan!” He knew Chu Yuan could not bear this burden; his emotions were too intense.
In a panic, Ruan Ning embraced Chu Yuan, tiptoeing to kiss him, tears streaming down her face. Her compassion for him peaked as she comforted him, “A Yuan, wake up. It’s okay, look at me…”
By the time Chu Yanzheng fell, Chu Yuan had sobered, but it was too late. He numbly hugged Ruan Ning back, kissing her hair lightly, his voice dry: “Ning Ning, I’m sorry…”
Ruan Ning looked up urgently, asking, “A Yuan, what are you going to do?”
In the next moment, Chu Yuan collapsed on her shoulder, warm liquid flowing from his body and wetting her clothes.
Chu Xiang crouched by Chu Yanzheng’s corpse, contemplating how to conceal his death when he heard Chu Yuan say, “Big brother, take care of Ning Ning for me.” He looked up just in time to see Chu Yuan’s body falling against Ruan Ning, a dagger inserted in his chest—the same one the Grand Princess of Jin had used to commit suicide.
“A Yuan!” Chu Xiang cried, his vision darkening as he barely supported himself on the table.
“Congratulations to the host for completing the main line task,” the familiar female voice announced, but Ruan Ning did not respond. She was unsure of what to do. Saving Chu Yuan would only leave him guilty over his father’s death, while saving Chu Yanzheng would not bring peace.
What should she do? Ruan Ning’s tears flowed as she felt lost.
After a long wait, the system said, “Congratulations, host. After completing this task, you have been upgraded to a third-level relationship.”
You can choose to continue the strategy or return to reality, and you can also unlock the experiences in each world…”
“Return to reality?” Ruan Ning repeated blankly.
“Yes, return to reality,” the standard female voice answered cheerfully. “But my suggestion is to continue the strategy. Most people’s real lives are boring and helpless compared to a transmigrator’s world…”
“Can I take Chu Yuan back with me?” Ruan Ning asked with hope.
She wanted to save Chu Yanzheng and take Chu Yuan away. Her real world might lack noble status or luxury, but it had the freedom he desired and her love for him.
The standard female voice took a long time to reply, “The host’s request exceeds my authority. I need to submit an application to upper management before I can respond.”
“Jiao Jiao, please help me!” Ruan Ning pleaded sincerely. “Speak up for me to let me take him!”
“Host, please be patient and wait for my news,” the voice replied, showing rare emotion. “You are the most successful host I’ve brought along in the system world.”
After what felt like an eternity, the voice finally said: “Host, I’ve submitted reports, and your application has been approved. However, Chu Yuan is not a real person, and you do not resemble Ning Ruan.”
If you cannot find each other within a month, he will vanish without a trace, and you will re-enter the sick system, starting from zero.”
“What if we find each other?” Ruan Ning asked anxiously.
“If he loves the real you, you’ll both be free. If he doesn’t love you, he’ll stay, and you’ll continue to travel,” the voice said with a hint of sympathy. “Host, do you want to go back?”
“Yes!” Ruan Ning said through gritted teeth.
She hoped to be with him forever, but if she could let Chu Yuan live freely in a brand new world, even for just a month, she was willing to take the risk.
“Revive Chu Yuan and Chu Allowing,” Ruan Ning ordered.
Chu Xiang, who was crying while holding Chu Yuan’s body, suddenly felt a movement. Chu Yuan embraced Ruan Ning, causing Chu Xiang to be stunned. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chu Allowing also stand up, his dragon robe stained with blood but the wound on his head disappeared.
Was it just a chaotic dream? Chu Xiang watched Chu Yuan bow to Chu Allowing, then his body gradually became transparent, and Ruan Ning also slowly disappeared. He heard her kiss Chu Yuan, saying, “A Yuan, remember to find me. No matter life or death, always together.”
A few breaths later, Chu Yuan and Ruan Ning were gone.
When Ruan Ning opened her eyes, the half-eaten takeout chicken soup was still on the table, a disposable chopstick in her hand, and a flickering laptop screen nearby. Everything felt like a bizarre dream.
But the calendar showed several months had passed.
Ruan Ning stood up suddenly, knocking over the table and spilling everything. She nervously scanned the small rented room; it was empty, and Chu Yuan was not with her.
The mirror reflected her ordinary face – the unremarkable Jinjiang textile worker, no longer the stunning beauty from her time travel.
Would Chu Yuan find her? Would he love this ordinary her? She felt lost and disappointed. Time travel had changed nothing; she was still that useless nobody.
A faint voice echoed in her mind: “But you have someone you love.” Yes, she must find him, even if he doesn’t love her as she is now. Ruan Ning threw away the chopsticks and ran outside. Stepping out, she froze – the previous green space had transformed into an antique courtyard with an inscribed plaque that read “Bian Xiang.”
