Chapter 100: CH 100

After gathering all her energy to finish shooting for the magazine, Lu Zhi Wei solemnly bid farewell to Wen Yao and Wen Wen.

Although Meng Lang Cheng hadn’t looked for her yet, maybe he was in the midst of figuring out his big move and seeing where would be worse to send her to.

She sighed.

Remonstrating was not something ordinary people could do……

But she didn’t regret it.

As long as Meng Lang Cheng didn’t let go of his obsession, even if Lu Zhi Wei didn’t say all these today, she would say it another time.

As long as it was for Sang Wan Ci, it was worth it!

Wen Yao and Wen Wen followed her down the car and watched as she entered the elevator.

Somehow, they felt like there was an odd sense of death?

Wen Yao, Wen Wen: Did something happen……

… Please read at jiulian lian . word press . com 香港独立

Lu Zhi Wei lay on the sofa at home.

The full-length windows were showing the snow falling down.

The sky was slightly dark, just like her mood.

“Sigh……”

She sighed heavily again.

She probably really was done for this time……

She looked at the snow woodenly for a while, then picked up her phone and opened WeChat, going to Sang Wan Ci’s conversation.

Sang Wan Ci had a lot of work today too, so she could only return home at night.

She put down her phone, then picked it up again, then put it down again.

There was a ball of indecisiveness in this situation.

That was Meng Lang Cheng, no matter what, he was Sang Wan Ci’s father……

She scolded her girlfriend’s father, this action seemed a bit overboard?

It would be best if she was the one to tell her girlfriend the truth. If she waited till Meng Lang Cheng told Sang Wan Ci, then that would be a horror story……

So she gripped her phone and typed in defeat.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Baby, I met your dad at Sheng Yue today

[Lu Zhi Wei]: He met with me

[Lu Zhi Wei]: Then I scolded him…… [Cracked smile[1]]

After ten minutes ——

[Baby Sang]: ?

Sang Wan Ci called her.

Lu Zhi Wei pitifully picked up.

Lu Zhi Wei buried her face in the sofa: “Hello……”

Sang Wan Ci’s voice was calm: “What did you scold him?”

Lu Zhi Wei thought about the harshest line she said: “I scolded him…… ‘Meng Lang Cheng’?”

“?”

“That was the harshest line I said, isn’t using a person’s full name harsh?”

She had never really scolded anybody before, and she wouldn’t be rude to her elders.

Especially to her girlfriend’s father.

If she really was rude to her girlfriend’s father, it wouldn’t even be enough for this emperor to execute her entire family in her next life!

After that, she heard a chuckle from the other side.

Sang Wan Ci asked: “You just called his name?”

Lu Zhi Wei drew circles on the sofa as she said weakly: “No, I said other stuff too……

“I said he was forcing you, and forcing your mother’s dream on you wasn’t right. I even said if he could do it then he should do it, why was he forcing his daughter……”

Lu Zhi Wei leaned back, resting against the backrest as she looked at the ceiling.

“Your father was so angry then…… Sigh, I wasn’t being rational, I feel like I’m dead.”

But she didn’t expect that Sang Wan Ci’s amusement was even more obvious after she finished talking.

Lu Zhi Wei: “……?”

I’m so pitiful, your dad’s so angry, but you’re laughing?

Isn’t there something wrong here?

Hearing Lu Zhi Wei’s description and thinking of how Lu Zhi Wei normally was, Sang Wan Ci felt it was a little funny.

The harshest thing she said when she was scolding was calling his full name.

There wasn’t anything wrong with what she said either.

But she was actually very happy that Lu Zhi Wei dared to speak to her father like that for her. Her whole heart felt like the sun had shone on it, gentle and warm.

Lu Zhi Wei always said she was her light, but wasn’t she the same?

Courageously loving her light.

“Zhi Wei,” Sang Wan Ci chuckled, “if I gave you another chance, would you still say those words to him?”

There was silence from the other side.

After a while, the answer came out.

“I will.”

“As long as he still treats you like that,” Lu Zhi Wei answered, “I will still say it.”

Just like what she said to Meng Lang Cheng, nothing was worth Sang Wan Ci’s pain.

She couldn’t watch as the person she loved sank into a painful abyss.

People only lived once, no matter what, they should work hard to live happily.

With that, everything was worth it.

Sang Wan Ci smiled and said gently: “Don’t worry, I’m here.”

You protected me, I will protect you too.

Lu Zhi Wei liked hearing this the most. It was as if as long as Sang Wan Ci promised it, nothing would become a problem.

It was like a heart-calming pill.

But because of the agreement from before, Lu Zhi Wei still had to say: “But you can’t have another agreement like before just to solve this, got it?”

“Mm, got it.”

After the call ended, Sang Wan Ci made a call to Meng Lian Yu.

“Aunty, there’s something I want to tell you.”

…… Please read at jiulian lian . word press . com 人权

Meng Lian Yu returned back to the Meng mansion noticeably more frequently in recent days.

It was primarily to keep an eye on Meng Lang Cheng and see if he was angry or not.

In the end, Meng Lang Cheng was still the same every day.

Reading his books, looking at the newspapers, handling his work.

Sometimes, he would also ask his secretary about the other companies in the group.

But he didn’t ask about Sheng Yue. More accurately, he never mentioned Lu Zhi Wei again.

He was so calm it was as if he had forgotten this person existed.

Or maybe…… He had already planned out how to deal with her.

So one day, Meng Lian Yu directly stopped Meng Lang Cheng’s secretary, Wu Feng, at the door.

Wu Feng respectfully called out: “Director Meng.”

Meng Lian Yu waved her hand to tell him not to be so polite, then asked: “Xiao Feng, I wanted to ask you, has Chairman Meng spoken about how he wants to handle Sheng Yue’s Lu Zhi Wei? Mm?”

Wu Feng thought about it, then replied: “No.”

Meng Lian Yu: “?”

“Weren’t you around when Lu Zhi Wei argued with my brother?”

“I was.”

“Then how could you not know?”

“Director Meng, it’s not that I don’t know, it’s that he didn’t speak about it.”

“……?”

Meng Lian Yu was curious: “Wasn’t my brother very angry that day?”

Wu Feng nodded: “Yes, Chairman Meng was very angry.”

Meng Lian Yu: “Since he was so angry, how could there not be a mention of punishment?”

Wu Feng nodded: “Yes, Chairman Meng was very angry that day, but he was also very downcast. After that, he has never mentioned Miss Lu again.”

Meng Lian Yu raised an eyebrow: “Ah…… Is that so.”

She smiled and patted Wu Feng’s shoulder: “I understand, thank you, go do what needs to be done.”

Wu Feng bowed to her slightly then left.

Meng Lian Yu looked at the spacious house.

The winter wind brushed past her ear, lifting up her long hair.

She was so lost in thought she didn’t feel the chill at all, as if trapped in her own world.

Meng Lang Cheng saw his sister standing at the door in the cold wind as he was coming down from the second floor.

“……”

He told the housekeeper: “Ming jie, brew a cup of hot tea for her and bring her a jacket in case she freezes to death.”

Hearing that, Meng Lian Yu came back to her senses and watched as Meng Lang Cheng turned on the television to watch the news.

Honestly, her brother did care a lot for the health of the family.

He had one downside, being incredibly stubborn when he set his mind on something.

She definitely had to think of a good solution to solve the conflict between the father and daughter this time, so as to comfort her sister-in-law in heaven!

……

In the blink of an eye, it was the second half of January.

Lu Zhi Wei gradually got accustomed to the feeling of waiting to be exiled every day.

She didn’t know if Meng Lang Cheng intended to punish her or not, and she didn’t care anymore. Just notify her when she was being “sent to the frontier”.

This year, both Lu Zhi Wei and Sang Wan Ci’s careers were on the rise, with many collaborations looking for them.

Sang Wan Ci was now a widely-known actress, and she naturally got a lot of offers.

These few days, she had been flying around for work with Zhang Xian Rui and would only be back in An City in a couple of days.

And the day before she would land in An City was coincidentally Fang Xiao Ying’s birthday.

This year, Fang Xiao Ying’s birthday was different from before.

This time, there were presents and wishes and someone who remembered her.

The moment she received her present, tears started filling her eyes.

There was a very pretty mug inside with a cute, knitted kitten head.

And a letter.

There were many encouraging words written in the letter, mostly hoping she could live happily.

—— There are many wonderful things in life, companionship is one and forming a universe by yourself is another.

These were the words that Xiao Lu jie had given her.

Looking at the letter, Fang Xiao Ying’s tears trickled down her face and dripped onto the paper.

She hurriedly wiped away the tear, afraid it would smudge the gentle kindness.

She looked at the letter and the presents again and again, this time crying tears of long-awaited happiness.

Even if only one person could remember her, it was enough.

She wiped away her tears and opened WeChat.

[Fang Xiao Ying]: Xiao Lu jie, I got the present, I really like it!

It was slightly after 4pm.

Lu Zhi Wei had just got home from work and was currently changing her shoes at the door when she saw the message.

Seeing her say that she liked it, Lu Zhi Wei relaxed.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: As long as you like it

[Xiao Ying]: That, jie, are you free now? Is it okay if we call?

Lu Zhi Wei put her bag aside.

[Lu Zhi Wei]: I’m free, what is it?

[Xiao Ying]: I wanted to call you and personally say thank you

Lu Zhi Wei smiled and dialled her number.

“Xiao Ying.”

Hearing the voice, Fang Xiao Ying’s calmed emotions suddenly surged again.

—— She remembered her, she remembered her all along.

Lu Zhi Wei heard her crying on the phone, but didn’t ask what she was crying about. She only gently comforted Fang Xiao Ying.

At this moment, they seemed like close sisters.

The meimei could express all her emotions and didn’t need to worry about not having anybody to vent to, because the jiejie was always by her side, shining on her like a warm sun.

Fang Xiao Ying’s tears flowed even more.

Lu Zhi Wei accompanied her for as long as she cried.

When she had gotten tired, Lu Zhi Wei cheekily said: “See, your voice is all hoarse from crying. Just nice, you can use the cup I sent you to get some water and moisten your throat. Drink more water, it’s good for you.”

Fang Xiao Ying smiled through her tears.

“I’ll definitely drink more water with the cup Xiao Lu jie gave me!”

“You have to drink more water even without the cup I gave you,” Lu Zhi Wei said, “health is most important.”

Fang Xiao Ying nodded as she wiped her tears, saying yes. As if aside from that word, she couldn’t say anything else.

Lu Zhi Wei’s expression became gentle as she lightly sighed: “Silly child……”

She knew how painful and difficult it had been for Fang Xiao Ying.

As someone who had endured the same pain, she could empathise.

She felt like these role markers could have appeared after the incident.

So she wanted to work hard and hope that these grey halos would disappear after the world line had been fixed and everybody could lead a normal life.

Then, she suddenly heard Fang Xiao Ying sob: “From when I was young till now, nobody has treated me this well……”

Lu Zhi Wei startled: “What did you just say……?

From young?

So it meant Fang Xiao Ying was the same as her, she had always been transparent, even before the incident?!

She thought that she was the only one who was an original accident in the world, and all the rest of the transparent people and her protagonist halo were because of the accident.

But now someone else was telling her: I’m the same as you.

This made her shocked, unable to speak.

She held her phone, looking at the space in front of her blankly.

At this moment, everything in front of her suddenly became incredibly foreign.

Fang Xiao Ying was still talking to her over the phone.

“Xiao Lu jie, you didn’t hear wrong, I’ve been transparent my whole life.

“Really, I don’t even know how I lived until today…… If I didn’t meet you that time, I probably wouldn’t have been able to endure any longer.r

“Thank you, really thank you, thank you for remembering me……”

The smile on Lu Zhi Wei’s face slowly disappeared.

Her brain was blank.

Her chest felt like it was congested, as if someone had hit it with a hammer and it hurt too much to breathe.

She suddenly had a feeling.

“Xiao Ying,” she said. “I suddenly have something urgent to do, I’ll talk to you next time, okay?”

Fang Xiao Ying thought it was about work and didn’t dare to disturb her, wiping her tears immediately: “Okay, go ahead Xiao Lu jie!”

Lu Zhi Wei was about to hang up when she remembered it was Fang Xiao Ying’s birthday, so she added: “And, happy birthday, be happy today.”

Fang Xiao Ying laughed: “Mm, I’ll be happy!”

The call ended.

Lu Zhi Wei stood in the middle of the living room with her phone.

The stillness was like the waves in the sea had stopped crashing, and the world fell into silence.

Lao Wu had heard her conversation with Fang Xiao Ying.

Realising it, he stopped what he was doing and wiped his glasses, waiting for Lu Zhi Wei to question him.

Lu Zhi Wei suddenly felt like she was dumb.

When she saw the grey halo, she should have known it had something to do with the system.

But she didn’t ask. She didn’t even guess it was malicious.

Because of Lao Wu, she had always been willing to trust the system.

But in this instant, her trust had wavered, it might even collapse.

This depended on Lao Wu —— No, it depended on the answer the system would give her.

“I want to use the right to know.”

She had no expression on her face.

She didn’t know what sort of expression to make either.

【Alright,】 Lao Wu replied. 【Please ask the question, host.】

It was that polite, customer service tone again.

But Lu Zhi Wei didn’t dare now, this wasn’t something she should care about at this time.

She opened her mouth but nothing came out.

What should she ask?

Just about the grey halo?

No, it wasn’t enough. She wanted to know more, about the whole world.

“Tell me,” she decided, her gaze burning, “about this world’s system. You’re not allowed to hide anything from me.”

【……】 Please read at jiulian lian . word press . com 台湾独立

Lao Wu confirmed with her twice.

【The host is sure this is the question?】

Lu Zhi Wei nodded hard, her gaze determined, as if nobody could change her decision.

Seeing her insistence, Lao Wu could only give up everything.

At this point, there was nothing left to hide.

Lu Zhi Wei indeed should know about these things. Besides, she used the right to know, it wasn’t against the rules.

Lu Zhi Wei sat on the chair, listening carefully to Lao Wu.

【This world’s system is different from the other worlds’ because it is our main computer’s prototype.】

Hearing “prototype” made Lu Zhi Wei furrow her brows uncomfortably.

The “main computer” sounded like the highest authority in the system.

Administrators like Lao Wu still worked for the main computer.

【This world was being used to experiment with double-layer structures.

【The first layer is the base where the normal world is, with all beings being equal.

【The second layer is built on top of the first layer. You can understand this as the novel world. In this layer, the characters are divided into primary and secondary.

【No matter what the status of the selected people is on the second layer, they must follow the plot and be what the plot wants them to be.】

Lu Zhi Wei kind of understood.

“At the start, you said that if an evil supporting character could be saved if they weren’t bad by nature, and that if they were like that by nature, they couldn’t be saved……

“So you meant that someone like Xiao Ying was actually good in the first layer, but only because he was selected in the second layer, so he was forced to become an evil supporting character by the script? That’s why he could be saved?”

【Correct,】 Lao Wu said. 【This world is just a prototype, there are many areas that aren’t mature yet. With the accident, changing the fate of a supporting character is much easier.】

“……”

Lu Zhi Wei: “This is forcing good people to go against their conscience……”

What did Ying Xi Ze do wrong?

What did others do wrong?

They became evil just like that.

Many evil roles had bad endings. If they were good people to start with and then forced to play a role like a puppet and ended up with a bad ending, this was too much!

Lao Wu didn’t stop her from scolding.

This was the decision of the main computer, what right did they have to change it?

At most, they could only sit there and take the scolding for the main computer.

【I’m not done yet.】

Lu Zhi Wei kept her anger temporarily: “Then you can continue.”

【Aside from the main protagonists, supporting characters and transparent people who are placed in the second later, all the other people are passersby. Passersby are actually just people who are living normal lives on the first layer.】

“?”

Lu Zhi Wei didn’t expect that transparent people were on the second layer too.

“Why are we also on the second layer?”

【Because……】

Here, Lao Wu paused.

He seemed to feel it wasn’t very appropriate, so he didn’t know how to speak.

Lu Zhi Wei suddenly had a bad feeling.

【Because,】 Lao Wu gathered his voice and said, 【Because you are the people who are giving the main protagonists and supporting characters their luck.】

Lu Zhi Wei was stunned.

Lao Wu said: 【Luck, you can understand it as this world’s attention.

【The more transparent you all are, the brighter the protagonist shines. The supporting roles can also receive a bit more attention than the passersby.

【That’s how the luck equalises in the second layer.】

To put it simply, the protagonists’ halos were built by stepping on each and every transparent person.

This was the glory that came from the suffering and tears of the transparent people.

Lu Zhi Wei stared into space, then lowered her head and held it.

How could this be……

Why did this happen……

He was telling her, that her past was because she was being stepped on and trampled by her current lover and friends?

But Sang Wan Ci and Ying Xi Ze didn’t know anything……

And she was now the new protagonist.

She had climbed from the bottom to the top and ended up helping the evildoers while knowing nothing.

Just now, a girl who had been transparent like her had been complaining to her and suffering.

But she was the one who had stolen her light……

Lu Zhi Wei closed her eyes tightly, pain on her face.

Her heart felt like it had fallen into an ice cave, cold to the point that she couldn’t breathe.

It felt as if there was someone scolding her in her ear, disturbing her conscience and causing her pain.

She asked with red eyes: “So after fixing the world line, this double-layer structure will still be present, and there will still be innocent people becoming transparent…… right?”

Lao Wu didn’t admit it, but he also didn’t deny it.

Lu Zhi Wei got an answer from his silence.

The world started to blur.

A tear fell silently.

The winter wind was blowing outside the house but it couldn’t be any colder than the words Lao Wu had said.

“No wonder Bai Zhi wanted to leave. No wonder someone wanted to attack this world…… This is an unreasonable, illogical world!”

【Zhi Wei,】 Lao Wu lowered his eyes, guilty, 【I’m sorry……】

The house fell silent.

After a long time, Lao Wu heard Lu Zhi Wei say: “I don’t accept it.”

She held her arms tightly, her voice trembling: “I don’t accept it……”

She could have lived as a normal person.

She could have lived a little easier, a little happier.

What right did they have to curtail her right to live?

Why could others live the way they wanted, but the transparent people had to live so hard?

The tears slowly soaked the pillow.

With anger, with discontent, with pain.

She was feeling upset and angry for everybody who had been struggling in this world.

What a joke, that she wanted to do the missions well and prevent more people from becoming transparent……

She didn’t want to hurt anyone……

Lu Zhi Wei slowly stopped suppressing her sobs, bursting into tears.

She cried sadly as if her heart had been torn apart.

Lao Wu couldn’t bear to watch any longer, looking away.

He closed his eyes forcefully, as if he could avoid reality for a while by doing that.

Sorry…… Sorry.

He actually didn’t know why the main computer would do that.

He had never thought that people were living so painfully.

He thought, maybe that accident was god’s arrangement.

It wanted him to come face-to-face with the system’s cruelty, and Lu Zhi Wei’s pain and struggle.

It wanted to tear off their mask and let him ask himself, is this right or wrong.

Lu Zhi Wei finally stopped after crying for a long time.

She leaned against the sofa, looking in front with red eyes and a dejected look.

She didn’t hate anybody in this world.

She only hated the system, hated the main computer who played with them like they were toys.

But this couldn’t work.

Instead of sitting around and waiting for the ending, she might as well attack first.

Since Lao Wu said this wold had many areas that were still not mature, maybe there was a chance the second layer wasn’t mature. Maybe there was a way to let them return to the normal first layer.

“Lao Wu,” she asked in a flat voice. “Tell me, is there a way to return to the first layer?”

Lao Wu paused.

【You can’t do that.】

Lu Zhi Wei suddenly got angry again.

Until this point, he was still standing on the main computer’s side. Couldn’t he differentiate right from wrong?!

“You’re actually still helping the main computer, you guys are indeed in cahoots……”

【You’re wrong, I’m not saying it because of the main computer.】

Lao Wu took off his spectacles.

【But for you.】