After successfully winning over the brooding male lead, I chose to immediately leave that world. Even though he begged me, desperate and broken, to stay, I didn’t spare him a single second. Later, back in the real world, things weren’t going well for me. The System found me, offering five million to return to the story and win him over again. I was about to agree when, suddenly, live comments flooded my vision: “OMG, the ex-wife, who dumped our guy, is back!” “Lol, she can’t seriously think he still loves her, right?” “The second girl who came to win him over didn’t just manage to reduce his darkness level to negative one hundred; she willingly stayed, giving him the complete family he always yearned for.” “Now the happy couple is about to get married. Can’t the ex-wife just have some dignity and leave them alone?” It took me a long time to process. The “ex-wife” the comments were talking about was me. Beside me, the System was still chattering away, trying to sell me on the deal. “You just need to make Damien Thorne fall in love with you again, and you’ll get five million. Even if you fail, you’ll get fifty thousand for your effort. How about it? A good deal, right?” It was a good deal. And right now, I really needed that money. But remembering the live comments, I fell silent for a moment, saying I needed to think about it. So, the System decided to send me back into the story first. To be precise, it sent me back to the home Damien and I once shared. The small apartment, just a few hundred square feet, was old but cozy, just as I remembered it three years ago. Damien hadn’t touched any of my things. Even the dress I’d accidentally stained before leaving, he’d somehow cleaned and hung neatly in the closet. I remembered that dress was from a trendy designer label back then. When Damien secretly bought it for me, I’d scolded him fiercely for spending so much. He wouldn’t argue, just lowered his gaze obediently, waiting for my anger to fade. Then he’d gently coax me into trying it on. I lowered my head, looking at the silky fabric in my hands. Taking a deep breath. If Damien had really forgotten about me. Then why was he still keeping this apartment? I looked up again, surveying the small room. My gaze was suddenly drawn to a white sheet of paper taped to the window. On the translucent sheet of paper, a few scrawled words stood out: “HOUSE FOR SALE. NEGOTIABLE. URGENT.” The sharp, decisive handwriting was unmistakably Damien’s.
Again, dense lines of text appeared before my eyes: “Hahaha, the ex-wife must be stunned, huh? Our guy isn’t holding onto their past; he just hasn’t gotten around to selling the place yet.” “The ex-wife still thinks Damien loves her like before, but nope! With Chloe, he wouldn’t spare her a second glance.” “The System only made her come back to cause trouble for Damien and Chloe. The ex-wife is just setting herself up for public humiliation.” I pursed my lips. So, that was it. The System dared to offer five million because it was utterly convinced I’d fail. Its real goal was to make me the villainess, an obstacle to the main couple’s love story. It just got my labor for fifty thousand, practically for free. Fifty thousand. I gave a self-deprecating laugh. Being a clown for fifty grand wasn’t nothing. It was a week’s worth of ICU treatment, after all. I called out to the System and readily agreed to the deal. The System beamed, giving me a large sum of money for my expenses during this time, though it could only be used in this world. Since Damien was so eager to sell this apartment. Why don’t I just buy it? I clutched my phone, dialing the familiar number from memory. It took half a minute for someone to pick up. A clear, youthful voice chimed from the other end: “Hello, who is this?” I froze for a second. I looked down to confirm, it was indeed Damien’s number. “I was passing by and saw the ‘for sale’ sign on the window…” “You want to buy the house?” The person on the other end exclaimed with surprise: “That’s great! Someone finally wants this place.” I cautiously asked: “Are you the owner?” “I’m the owner’s girlfriend. You can just call me Chloe.” So, she was the second System Host. In my moment of distraction, there was a brief commotion on the other end, like two people whispering. It seemed like a long time passed. Someone picked up the phone again. Damien’s cold voice came through clearly: “Hello, would it be convenient to meet and discuss?”
I waited restlessly in the coffee shop for a long time. Until a low-key luxury car pulled up in front. The car door opened, and a stunning couple emerged. Three years hadn’t changed Damien’s striking looks. The youthful innocence in his eyes had faded, replaced by the calm composure that came with power and wealth. He leaned casually against the car door. Chloe must have said something, because he smiled and ruffled her hair. Even from a distance, his eyes flickered in my direction. It was only for a second, a brief, dismissive glance, before his gaze went utterly blank again, like a still pond. Chloe sat across from me while I was still lost in thought. She smiled apologetically at me: “My boyfriend had an appointment, so he could only drop me off. I’m here to handle this for him.” I nodded genuinely: “I can see you two have a great relationship.” Chloe’s smile deepened: “My boyfriend runs a tech company; his pure profit alone is over a hundred million a year. We don’t really need the money from this house; we just don’t want to keep it anymore.” Her tone carried a hint of subtle superiority. I nodded, and, following protocol, asked to see the house. Chloe hesitated, a flicker of awkwardness in her eyes: “The house key isn’t with me. If you want to see it, my boyfriend will have to take you personally.” I was slightly surprised, confused: “He didn’t give you the key before you came?” Logically, buying and selling a house always involves a viewing. Damien couldn’t possibly not know that. Chloe sighed with a苦笑 (bitter smile): “I asked for the key, but he wouldn’t give it to me, and he’s never taken me there either.” She lowered her voice: “To be honest with you, this is where he lived with his ex-wife when he started out, and honestly, it just gives me the creeps, so I really want to sell it fast.” I said “Oh.” “In that case, I don’t need to see the house. Let’s just sign the contract.” Chloe was overjoyed. Afraid I might change my mind, she immediately pulled out the sales agreement. However, she didn’t have the property deed, so the transfer couldn’t happen immediately. We still had to wait for Damien. Sitting idly, bored. Looking at this other System Host, just like me. I curiously probed: “How did you two get together?” Actually, I wanted to know how she managed to win Damien over. The System had told me. After I left that world, Damien briefly spiraled into a secondary dark phase. He slit his wrists, attempted suicide, and his darkness level became so extreme it threatened the very stability of this world. Chloe came into his life at that time. She not only reduced his darkness level but completely replaced me in his heart. Damien wasn’t an easy person to win over. She must have gone through a lot. Yet Chloe said with a beaming smile: “He had just been abandoned by his ex-wife then and was completely disheartened. I kept comforting him, and we confirmed our relationship not long after.” It was that simple? I could barely believe it. Again, a flood of mocking comments appeared before me: “Hahaha, the ex-wife must be so triggered, right? Damien just has no resistance to our girl!” “Don’t forget the ex-wife spent ten whole years trying to win him over, throwing herself at him countless times before he finally, reluctantly, got with her.” “Chloe just talked to him a bit, and all the ex-wife’s years of effort went to waste. That’s the power of true love!” … I silently read the sarcastic remarks. They were right. My process of winning Damien over had indeed been incredibly difficult. So difficult that I never wanted to go through it again.
Damien’s parents didn’t love him. At a young age, they abandoned him at a psychiatric institution, leaving him at the mercy of abusive staff and relentless bullying. The patients confined there were lunatics and violent maniacs; the entire institution was like a prison, heavily guarded. So, even with the System’s help. When I rescued him from the psychiatric institution, I almost lost half my life. I brought Damien to an unfamiliar city. I wanted him to study, to lead a normal, decent life. I even arranged expensive psychological counseling for him every week. I did all of this because I wanted him to completely trust me. But Damien was too smart. He easily saw through the truth of this world, including my identity and purpose. After high school, Damien became the top student in the state. I happily celebrated with him. But he subtly pulled my arm, his expression cold, with a hint of self-mockery that was hard to detect. “You’re doing all this for me because you want to win me over, right?” After the initial shock. I sighed, choked up, and said: “I like you. That’s my purpose.” Damien snorted lightly, clearly not believing me. I felt a little nervous, but still rested my head on his chest, muttering softly: “Damien, don’t dwell on all those trivial things. These past few years have been so hard for me; you need to make my life easier soon.” “I truly like you. Please don’t question me like this anymore; it really hurts.” … After college graduation, Damien started his own business. We moved into that small, old apartment. There was no heating in the winter. I’ve always been sensitive to the cold, and my feet would get stiff and ache. Every night, Damien would rub my feet, silently, his eyes red with concern. By that time, we were already married. His life’s ambition shifted from founding a tech company to, well, destroying the world, to the rather mundane goal of just making enough money to buy his wife a house. We hustled during the day and nestled together on that small bed at night. When I was trying to secure investments, one CEO made things incredibly difficult for me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Damien, so I just walked the streets alone, crying. And when faced with deliberate retaliation from competitors, I firmly shielded Damien, protecting him, while I ended up in the operating room myself. I can’t even count how many times I went through things like that. That’s how long it took for Damien to slowly, finally, fall in love with me. Compared to my ten-year effort to win him over. Chloe only took three short weeks. To reduce Damien’s darkness level to negative one hundred. And raise his affection level to one hundred percent. 6. Chloe was still telling me about the sweet details of her relationship with Damien. She said Damien fell in love with her at first sight. I suppressed a pang of sadness and took a sip of my milkshake. “Did he… ever mention his ex-wife to you?” Chloe thought for a moment, then smiled triumphantly: “Never. He must have moved on from her long ago.” I nodded. I hoped so. I didn’t want to genuinely sabotage their relationship either. When Damien arrived, I’d pretend to be regretful, throwing myself at him. Knowing his personality, he’d probably be disgusted and avoid me at all costs, right? Once he rejected me, I’d take my fifty grand and happily leave this world. As I was planning this, Chloe suddenly got a call and told me excitedly: “My boyfriend just finished his meeting and is coming to pick me up now. We’re going on a date, so let’s talk about the house tomorrow.” I froze for a second, forcing a smile and nodding: “Then I’ll just go…” Chloe affectionately took my arm: “Where do you live? I’ll have my boyfriend drop you off.” My smile froze. Chloe was so enthusiastic. So much so that by the time I realized what was happening, the car door was already closed. A cool, crisp pine scent, like an expensive cologne, slowly permeated the air. Beside me, Chloe’s voice was playful as she showed Damien her freshly done manicure. Damien was sitting in front of me. From my angle, I could see his distinct, bony fingers on the steering wheel. He focused intently on the road, yet responded to her every word. Watching the man’s striking features in the rearview mirror, I felt a momentary blur. Damien was never this patient with me. When we were together, he was always so insecure, afraid of losing me. Every night, he would wake up abruptly, frantically reaching for my side of the bed. I could only, tiredly, reassure him again and again: “I won’t leave you alone. I love you, and it has nothing to do with the mission.” I kept telling him that lie until the moment I left that world. Damien wept, clutching my hand, begging me not to go, begging me to stay a little longer, to spend a few more years with him. I sighed, refusing him every time. His face was pale, his eyes swirling with pain and madness: “Why? Don’t you love me? How can you bear to leave me? Didn’t you say you’d never leave me alone?” I gave a bitter smile: “I have my own love in the real world.” … Catching my gaze, Damien frowned and slowly lifted his eyes. Our eyes met. The car lurched forward violently—a sudden brake. I wasn’t prepared and hit my forehead hard against the window, leaving a red mark. “Sorry.” Damien’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse. He turned his head slightly: “We’re at your place.” I finally realized, said “Oh,” and thanked him. When I got in the car, Chloe had asked for my address, and I’d just randomly picked a neighborhood. I made plans to meet Chloe again and then got out of the car. Damien kept his eyes down, never looking back at me. He didn’t hesitate for a second; the car’s tail disappeared from sight in an instant. At the entrance of the bustling neighborhood. I slowly crouched down, hugging myself. Who knows how much more time passed. The familiar luxury car silently and forcefully pulled up in front of me. The car window slowly rolled down, revealing the sharply defined profile of a man. Damien just calmly looked at me: “Get in.” 7. I’d thought Damien would find a way to see me. But I never imagined it would be so soon. So fast that I hadn’t even had time to prepare myself to face him. During the standoff, Damien lit a cigarette. I frowned abruptly. I didn’t like Damien smoking. In the past, I would have snatched it away and stomped it out without a word. And back then, Damien was always obedient. If I said quit smoking, he wouldn’t touch another cigarette. He would never have acted like this. Staring at me unabashedly through the pale tendrils of smoke. I held back, just about to speak. The live comments once again flooded the screen: “Why is the ex-wife acting so demure? Does she seriously think Damien still has feelings for her?” “Damien already knows she’s back, but he didn’t want to make Chloe overthink, so he didn’t reveal her identity in the car.” “If it weren’t to warn her not to say anything stupid in front of Chloe, Damien wouldn’t bother meeting her alone.” I stood silently. It was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me. That momentary impulse vanished without a trace. Now, I didn’t care about his status. The cool, pale hand resting on the car window dropped lazily. Damien pulled his eyes away, expressionless. Lost in thought, he put out the cigarette with a hint of sarcasm. “You wanted to buy the house, right? Get in, I’ll take you to see it.” 8. The drive was silent. Damien showed no inclination to speak. But the comments in my vision were a cacophony. “Good thing the ex-wife is smart enough to know the passenger seat is for the girlfriend. She voluntarily sat in the back.” “Damien’s supposed to be warning the ex-wife, so why is he taking her to their old house?” “Don’t worry, upstairs! Damien just doesn’t know the ex-wife’s little schemes yet. Once her true colors are exposed, he’ll hate her even more.” … At the door. I couldn’t help but ask: “Don’t you have anything… to ask me?” Damien’s hand, holding the key, paused. He looked down, raised an eyebrow, and quietly waited for me to continue. I gathered my courage: “Like why I came back, how long I’ll stay, or… what my purpose is in buying this house.” “Not interested.” Damien withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent: “I don’t care who buys this place; I’ll erase everything associated with you. As for why you came back…” With his hands in his pockets, he seemed to let out a small, mocking laugh: “It wouldn’t be to win me over again, would it?” I was silent for a second: “What if it is?” 9. “You’re welcome to try.” Damien raised his hand and pushed the door open. *Creak*. Everything inside the room was once again clearly laid out before me. A shaft of slanted light, dust motes dancing. Damien stood behind me and to my left, his clothes brushing against my sleeve. He didn’t speak, nor did I. In the silence, it felt like we were back in an ordinary afternoon after we got married. We were returning home from the grocery store. His fingers were laden with plastic bags full of all my favorite foods and snacks. We laughed and joked all the way. When the door closed. I jumped onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck, giggling as I sought his lips. Damien leaned back helplessly. Until his back was pressed against the door, he held my waist and kissed me back, gently. … My wrist was suddenly seized. My body stiffened. Damien quickly let go, his expression returning to normal: “Take a look. Selling it to you is fine; it saves me the trouble of cleaning the place.” I nodded, casually walked around, and came back: “No problem. I’ve already arranged with Chloe to transfer the deed tomorrow. Just give her the property deed, you don’t need to show up.” “Alright.” Damien agreed readily. His tone paused for a second, then he said with slow, mocking sarcasm: “You don’t need to be so guarded with me. If I could, I’d wish to never see you again.” “This private meeting with you is because I was afraid you’d say something stupid in front of Chloe,” he raised an eyebrow at me, “I don’t want her to be unhappy, do you understand?” I took a quiet, deep breath: “I won’t mention our relationship to Chloe.” “Good.” Silence again. With things said to this extent. I knew, of course, that I should discreetly leave. But for those fifty thousand dollars. I still spoke, my voice a little choked: “Damien, I was wrong back then. I shouldn’t have abandoned you and left.” A ripple appeared in Damien’s dark, deep eyes. He narrowed his eyes, staring at me, seemingly lost in thought: “Go on.” “I came back this time because I wanted to make it up to you, and I realized I still like you. Can you…” I nervously looked at him: “Consider me… just one more time?” 9. The room fell into a dead silence. As soon as I finished speaking, my vision was practically drowned in an overwhelming flood of mocking comments. I closed my eyes in shame. My face was burning, hot with embarrassment. After a long moment. Someone in the room let out a low chuckle: “What? Did your husband in the real world finally die, and now you’re coming back to your eternal backup?” I snapped my head up, my eye twitching for a moment. My lips trembled slightly with anger. All of this registered in Damien’s dark eyes. He raised an eyebrow: “My apologies, didn’t you notice? I have my own love now.” His tone was light and dismissive. Yet, those dark pupils were fixed intently on me. My eyes felt a little dry; I blinked hard: “I know.” Damien seemed to smile faintly, or perhaps there was no emotion at all. Finally, he just left, pushing the door open, leaving me with his retreating back. “YES! God knows how long I’ve waited for this moment!” “Hahahaha, the boomerang finally came back to hit the ex-wife!” “The ex-wife should just leave the System already. Even if she saves Damien a hundred more times, he’ll never love her again.” “But Damien still went soft on her, leaving the house key so she wouldn’t be homeless… Wait, what’s under the key?” I stiffened slightly, looking at the table covered with a clear tablecloth. Damien had indeed left the apartment key behind before he left. Under the old, yellowish key, there was a red booklet. “OMG! Am I seeing things? It’s the property deed!” “Why would Damien leave the property deed to the ex-wife?! Shouldn’t such an important document be given to Chloe?!” I tremblingly opened the property deed. Suddenly, the comments went silent. Only my name was written on the property deed. 10. I suddenly remembered. When we bought this apartment, Damien handled all the paperwork. I knew I would eventually leave, and to avoid future complications, I specifically instructed him to only put my name on it. I didn’t expect him to only listen halfway. He did indeed only write one name, but that person was me. So this was my apartment all along; there was no need for me to buy it. The comments became lively again: “I get it! Damien must not want the ex-wife to meet Chloe again, so he pulled this trick.” “Makes sense. Damien is now a billionaire, a self-made tech mogul. A house worth a few hundred thousand is nothing to him; it’s less than a single piece of jewelry for Chloe!” “Ah, I’m dying of sweetness! Damien’s love for Chloe is so obvious! They’ve been together for over a year, and he still can’t bear to even touch her hand…” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. So that was it. I called out to the System: “I failed to win him over. Can I go back to my original world now?” The System slowly typed out a question mark: “You’re too perfunctory, aren’t you? You think a simple confession is enough to make him fall in love with you again? Where’s the relentless drive you used to have to win him over?” I sighed: “I did my best. So, what would constitute ‘not perfunctory’?” The System was silent for a moment: “You actively kiss the male lead.” “What?” I was startled. “If the male lead pushes you away, we’ll consider it a failed attempt to win him over. You can exit the world and receive fifty thousand.” “If he doesn’t push you away…” The System paused: “Then you’ll have to stay in this world until you win him over again.” ***PAYWALL SECTION START*** 11. “Has this damn System lost its mind?” “The ex-wife actually agreed. What a bitch.” “Waaah, I don’t want Damien and Chloe to have problems, nooooo!” I remained silent. In this story, someone always had to be the villain. If not me, then someone else. I haggled: “Since you’ve made a demand, I want more in return. One hundred thousand, not a cent less.” For the System, this amount was negligible. It agreed, but with some doubt: “Are you really that short on cash?” “Of course.” The System continued to ask: “Is it worth sacrificing the rest of your life for someone who will never wake up?” A pale face flashed before my eyes. I said: “You wouldn’t understand.” The next day, Chloe invited me to lunch to thank me for solving her big headache. “I think, even if he doesn’t say it, he still cares about her,” Chloe whispered her complaints to me. “Honestly, many people asked about buying this house over the years, but he didn’t want to sell it, which is why it dragged on until now.” I paused, then shook my head: “You’re overthinking it. If he really didn’t want to sell it, why would he put up a ‘for sale’ sign?” Chloe gave me a knowing look, then leaned in mysteriously, sighing: “Let me be frank with you, actually…” Her words were cut short as the glass next to our table suddenly shattered. A massive roar followed. Glass shards flew everywhere; I quickly pulled Chloe behind me. A middle-aged man drove an oversized excavator straight into the restaurant. “OMG, OMG! The villain’s here! Here comes the legendary hero to the rescue!” “Who will Damien save first~ So hard to guess~” “Can the villain just kill the ex-wife already? Her pretentious act is so annoying!” In the bumpy trunk of a car. Chloe was terrified and panicked, her eyes red like a little white rabbit. A year ago, when she met Damien, he had already built a vast business empire. On the surface, he was merely a tech magnate, but in this city, where his influence stretched far beyond the law, he was practically untouchable. Under his protection, Chloe had experienced virtually no hardships. But I was different. During the years I spent trying to win Damien over, he hadn’t yet become as powerful as he was today, and he couldn’t always protect me. In the business world, it was all open hostility and underhanded tactics. Being kidnapped, I was already… used to it. I struggled to turn around, gently touched her forehead, signaling her to calm down. Meanwhile, the villain had stopped the car in a desolate wasteland. He picked up an iron bar from the passenger seat and walked coldly towards us. “Whoa, he’s going to hit someone with a bar that thick?” “That looks so scary, it’ll hurt so much, don’t hurt our girl, noooo!” “It’s not going to be a bad ending, right? If Chloe dies, Damien will probably go insane again.” “Exactly, when the ex-wife left, Damien nearly destroyed himself. If Chloe gets hurt again…” Watching Chloe curl up in fear. I closed my eyes. Chloe saved Damien. She rescued him, giving him the motivation to live a good life. If she died too… The moment the weapon swung towards Chloe, I moved, pushing myself in front of her. 12. Piercing police sirens cut through the howling wind. The weapon paused in mid-air, an inch from my face, frozen in panic. Amidst a flurry of “????????”, I remained in a posture that felt like I was about to be decapitated any second, difficultly looking into the distance. Several police cars surrounded the desolate area. The car door opened, and Damien almost leaped out, his eyes immediately fixed on me. In my peripheral vision, his expression went blank for a moment, his eyelashes trembling, yet his face remained emotionless. Only his eyes, in that instant, turned completely red. The villain quickly made a decision between me and Chloe. He grabbed Chloe, holding a sharp box cutter to her carotid artery. Amidst her screams, he dragged her quickly backward, moving further and further away from me, even further than from the police. The police rapidly surrounded him, confronting the villain. I seemed to be safe. Still shaken, I tried to stand up. The next second. Someone lunged forward and embraced me. 13. Damien was trembling. He held me in a death grip, so tight I could barely breathe. My neck slowly became soaked. I almost wanted to laugh, but I couldn’t. I could only, as I had done countless times before, stroke his back, gently: “It’s okay, see? I’m fine. I told you I’d be okay, why don’t you believe me?” The person in my arms remained silent. That wildly beating heart finally calmed down under my soothing touch. “?? Damien hates the ex-wife, so why was his first instinct to hug her?” “Hate my ass! Subconscious reactions don’t lie; he clearly loves her to death!” “So what about our girl? Chloe’s still with the bad guy!!!” My heart sank. I pulled away: “Let go. Everyone’s watching. Chloe is still with the bad guy; we need to save her first…” “At a time like this, you’re still thinking about someone else?” Damien cut me off abruptly, his cold, rough voice trembling uncontrollably: “Why did you shield her? If I had been even a second late…” “I won’t die,” I whispered. “Even if I die here, at most, I’ll just return to reality.” But Chloe was different. Once a System Host decides to remain in this world, their real-world body automatically dies, and they can only live out the rest of their days within the story. Chloe dying in this world meant she was truly dead, in every sense. Damien’s expression slowly faded. Even his breathing seemed to turn cold, leaving only a moist red mark at the corner of his eye. He lowered his head slightly, looking at his trembling hands, giving a self-deprecating laugh: “How pathetic. I worried for nothing. I almost forgot you don’t belong here.” “Right, you have a precious husband in a vegetative state back in the real world. You can’t wait to leave here and go back to him.” After successfully winning over the brooding male lead, I chose to immediately leave that world. Even though he begged me, desperate and broken, to stay, I didn’t spare him a single second. Later, back in the real world, things weren’t going well for me. The System found me, offering five million to return to the story and win him over again. I was about to agree when, suddenly, live comments flooded my vision: “OMG, the ex-wife, who dumped our guy, is back!” “Lol, she can’t seriously think he still loves her, right?” “The second girl who came to win him over didn’t just manage to reduce his darkness level to negative one hundred; she willingly stayed, giving him the complete family he always yearned for.” “Now the happy couple is about to get married. Can’t the ex-wife just have some dignity and leave them alone?” 1. It took me a long time to process. The “ex-wife” the comments were talking about was me. Beside me, the System was still chattering away, trying to sell me on the deal. “You just need to make Damien Thorne fall in love with you again, and you’ll get five million. Even if you fail, you’ll get fifty thousand for your effort. How about it? A good deal, right?” It was a good deal. And right now, I really needed that money. But remembering the live comments, I fell silent for a moment, saying I needed to think about it. So, the System decided to send me back into the story first. To be precise, it sent me back to the home Damien and I once shared. The small apartment, just a few hundred square feet, was old but cozy, just as I remembered it three years ago. Damien hadn’t touched any of my things. Even the dress I’d accidentally stained before leaving, he’d somehow cleaned and hung neatly in the closet. I remembered that dress was from a trendy designer label back then. When Damien secretly bought it for me, I’d scolded him fiercely for spending so much. He wouldn’t argue, just lowered his gaze obediently, waiting for my anger to fade. Then he’d gently coax me into trying it on. I lowered my head, looking at the silky fabric in my hands. Taking a deep breath. If Damien had really forgotten about me. Then why was he still keeping this apartment? I looked up again, surveying the small room. My gaze was suddenly drawn to a white sheet of paper taped to the window. On the translucent sheet of paper, a few scrawled words stood out: “HOUSE FOR SALE. NEGOTIABLE. URGENT.” The sharp, decisive handwriting was unmistakably Damien’s. 2. Again, dense lines of text appeared before my eyes: “Hahaha, the ex-wife must be stunned, huh? Our guy isn’t holding onto their past; he just hasn’t gotten around to selling the place yet.” “The ex-wife still thinks Damien loves her like before, but nope! With Chloe, he wouldn’t spare her a second glance.” “The System only made her come back to cause trouble for Damien and Chloe. The ex-wife is just setting herself up for public humiliation.” I pursed my lips. So, that was it. The System dared to offer five million because it was utterly convinced I’d fail. Its real goal was to make me the villainess, an obstacle to the main couple’s love story. It just got my labor for fifty thousand, practically for free. Fifty thousand. I gave a self-deprecating laugh. Being a clown for fifty grand wasn’t nothing. It was a week’s worth of ICU treatment, after all. I called out to the System and readily agreed to the deal. The System beamed, giving me a large sum of money for my expenses during this time, though it could only be used in this world. Since Damien was so eager to sell this apartment. Why don’t I just buy it? I clutched my phone, dialing the familiar number from memory. It took half a minute for someone to pick up. A clear, youthful voice chimed from the other end: “Hello, who is this?” I froze for a second. I looked down to confirm, it was indeed Damien’s number. “I was passing by and saw the ‘for sale’ sign on the window…” “You want to buy the house?” The person on the other end exclaimed with surprise: “That’s great! Someone finally wants this place.” I cautiously asked: “Are you the owner?” “I’m the owner’s girlfriend. You can just call me Chloe.” So, she was the second System Host. In my moment of distraction, there was a brief commotion on the other end, like two people whispering. It seemed like a long time passed. Someone picked up the phone again. Damien’s cold voice came through clearly: “Hello, would it be convenient to meet and discuss?” 3. I waited restlessly in the coffee shop for a long time. Until a low-key luxury car pulled up in front. The car door opened, and a stunning couple emerged. Three years hadn’t changed Damien’s striking looks. The youthful innocence in his eyes had faded, replaced by the calm composure that came with power and wealth. He leaned casually against the car door. Chloe must have said something, because he smiled and ruffled her hair. Even from a distance, his eyes flickered in my direction. It was only for a second, a brief, dismissive glance, before his gaze went utterly blank again, like a still pond. Chloe sat across from me while I was still lost in thought. She smiled apologetically at me: “My boyfriend had an appointment, so he could only drop me off. I’m here to handle this for him.” I nodded genuinely: “I can see you two have a great relationship.” Chloe’s smile deepened: “My boyfriend runs a tech company; his pure profit alone is over a hundred million a year. We don’t really need the money from this house; we just don’t want to keep it anymore.” Her tone carried a hint of subtle superiority. I nodded, and, following protocol, asked to see the house. Chloe hesitated, a flicker of awkwardness in her eyes: “The house key isn’t with me. If you want to see it, my boyfriend will have to take you personally.” I was slightly surprised, confused: “He didn’t give you the key before you came?” Logically, buying and selling a house always involves a viewing. Damien couldn’t possibly not know that. Chloe sighed with a bitter smile: “I asked for the key, but he wouldn’t give it to me, and he’s never taken me there either.” She lowered her voice: “To be honest with you, this is where he lived with his ex-wife when he started out, and honestly, it just gives me the creeps, so I really want to sell it fast.” I said “Oh.” “In that case, I don’t need to see the house. Let’s just sign the contract.” Chloe was overjoyed. Afraid I might change my mind, she immediately pulled out the sales agreement. However, she didn’t have the property deed, so the transfer couldn’t happen immediately. We still had to wait for Damien. Sitting idly, bored. Looking at this other System Host, just like me. I curiously probed: “How did you two get together?” Actually, I wanted to know how she managed to win Damien over. The System had told me. After I left that world, Damien briefly spiraled into a secondary dark phase. He slit his wrists, attempted suicide, and his darkness level became so extreme it threatened the very stability of this world. Chloe came into his life at that time. She not only reduced his darkness level but completely replaced me in his heart. Damien wasn’t an easy person to win over. She must have gone through a lot. Yet Chloe said with a beaming smile: “He had just been abandoned by his ex-wife then and was completely disheartened. I kept comforting him, and we confirmed our relationship not long after.” It was that simple? I could barely believe it. Again, a flood of mocking comments appeared before me: “Hahaha, the ex-wife must be so triggered, right? Damien just has no resistance to our girl!” “Don’t forget the ex-wife spent ten whole years trying to win him over, throwing herself at him countless times before he finally, reluctantly, got with her.” “Chloe just talked to him a bit, and all the ex-wife’s years of effort went to waste. That’s the power of true love!” … I silently read the sarcastic remarks. They were right. My process of winning Damien over had indeed been incredibly difficult. So difficult that I never wanted to go through it again. 4. Damien’s parents didn’t love him. At a young age, they abandoned him at a psychiatric institution, leaving him at the mercy of abusive staff and relentless bullying. The patients confined there were lunatics and violent maniacs; the entire institution was like a prison, heavily guarded. So, even with the System’s help. When I rescued him from the psychiatric institution, I almost lost half my life. I brought Damien to an unfamiliar city. I wanted him to study, to lead a normal, decent life. I even arranged expensive psychological counseling for him every week. I did all of this because I wanted him to completely trust me. But Damien was too smart. He easily saw through the truth of this world, including my identity and purpose. After high school, Damien became the top student in the state. I happily celebrated with him. But he subtly pulled my arm, his expression cold, with a hint of self-mockery that was hard to detect. “You’re doing all this for me because you want to win me over, right?” After the initial shock. I sighed, choked up, and said: “I like you. That’s my purpose.” Damien snorted lightly, clearly not believing me. I felt a little nervous, but still rested my head on his chest, muttering softly: “Damien, don’t dwell on all those trivial things. These past few years have been so hard for me; you need to make my life easier soon.” “I truly like you. Please don’t question me like this anymore; it really hurts.” … After college graduation, Damien started his own business. We moved into that small, old apartment. There was no heating in the winter. I’ve always been sensitive to the cold, and my feet would get stiff and ache. Every night, Damien would rub my feet, silently, his eyes red with concern. By that time, we were already married. His life’s ambition shifted from founding a tech company to, well, destroying the world, to the rather mundane goal of just making enough money to buy his wife a house. We hustled during the day and nestled together on that small bed at night. When I was trying to secure investments, one CEO made things incredibly difficult for me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell Damien, so I just walked the streets alone, crying. And when faced with deliberate retaliation from competitors, I firmly shielded Damien, protecting him, while I ended up in the operating room myself. I can’t even count how many times I went through things like that. That’s how long it took for Damien to slowly, finally, fall in love with me. Compared to my ten-year effort to win him over. Chloe only took three short weeks. To reduce Damien’s darkness level to negative one hundred. And raise his affection level to one hundred percent. 6. Chloe was still telling me about the sweet details of her relationship with Damien. She said Damien fell in love with her at first sight. I suppressed a pang of sadness and took a sip of my milkshake. “Did he… ever mention his ex-wife to you?” Chloe thought for a moment, then smiled triumphantly: “Never. He must have moved on from her long ago.” I nodded. I hoped so. I didn’t want to genuinely sabotage their relationship either. When Damien arrived, I’d pretend to be regretful, throwing myself at him. Knowing his personality, he’d probably be disgusted and avoid me at all costs, right? Once he rejected me, I’d take my fifty grand and happily leave this world. As I was planning this, Chloe suddenly got a call and told me excitedly: “My boyfriend just finished his meeting and is coming to pick me up now. We’re going on a date, so let’s talk about the house tomorrow.” I froze for a second, forcing a smile and nodding: “Then I’ll just go…” Chloe affectionately took my arm: “Where do you live? I’ll have my boyfriend drop you off.” My smile froze. Chloe was so enthusiastic. So much so that by the time I realized what was happening, the car door was already closed. A cool, crisp pine scent, like an expensive cologne, slowly permeated the air. Beside me, Chloe’s voice was playful as she showed Damien her freshly done manicure. Damien was sitting in front of me. From my angle, I could see his distinct, bony fingers on the steering wheel. He focused intently on the road, yet responded to her every word. Watching the man’s striking features in the rearview mirror, I felt a momentary blur. Damien was never this patient with me. When we were together, he was always so insecure, afraid of losing me. Every night, he would wake up abruptly, frantically reaching for my side of the bed. I could only, tiredly, reassure him again and again: “I won’t leave you alone. I love you, and it has nothing to do with the mission.” I kept telling him that lie until the moment I left that world. Damien wept, clutching my hand, begging me not to go, begging me to stay a little longer, to spend a few more years with him. I sighed, refusing him every time. His face was pale, his eyes swirling with pain and madness: “Why? Don’t you love me? How can you bear to leave me? Didn’t you say you’d never leave me alone?” I gave a bitter smile: “I have my own love in the real world.” … Catching my gaze, Damien frowned and slowly lifted his eyes. Our eyes met. The car lurched forward violently—a sudden brake. I wasn’t prepared and hit my forehead hard against the window, leaving a red mark. “Sorry.” Damien’s voice sounded somewhat hoarse. He turned his head slightly: “We’re at your place.” I finally realized, said “Oh,” and thanked him. When I got in the car, Chloe had asked for my address, and I’d just randomly picked a neighborhood. I made plans to meet Chloe again and then got out of the car. Damien kept his eyes down, never looking back at me. He didn’t hesitate for a second; the car’s tail disappeared from sight in an instant. At the entrance of the bustling neighborhood. I slowly crouched down, hugging myself. Who knows how much more time passed. The familiar luxury car silently and forcefully pulled up in front of me. The car window slowly rolled down, revealing the sharply defined profile of a man. Damien just calmly looked at me: “Get in.” 7. I’d thought Damien would find a way to see me. But I never imagined it would be so soon. So fast that I hadn’t even had time to prepare myself to face him. During the standoff, Damien lit a cigarette. I frowned abruptly. I didn’t like Damien smoking. In the past, I would have snatched it away and stomped it out without a word. And back then, Damien was always obedient. If I said quit smoking, he wouldn’t touch another cigarette. He would never have acted like this. Staring at me unabashedly through the pale tendrils of smoke. I held back, just about to speak. The live comments once again flooded the screen: “Why is the ex-wife acting so demure? Does she seriously think Damien still has feelings for her?” “Damien already knows she’s back, but he didn’t want to make Chloe overthink, so he didn’t reveal her identity in the car.” “If it weren’t to warn her not to say anything stupid in front of Chloe, Damien wouldn’t bother meeting her alone.” I stood silently. It was like a bucket of cold water had been thrown over me. That momentary impulse vanished without a trace. Now, I didn’t care about his status. The cool, pale hand resting on the car window dropped lazily. Damien pulled his eyes away, expressionless. Lost in thought, he put out the cigarette with a hint of sarcasm. “You wanted to buy the house, right? Get in, I’ll take you to see it.” 8. The drive was silent. Damien showed no inclination to speak. But the comments in my vision were a cacophony. “Good thing the ex-wife is smart enough to know the passenger seat is for the girlfriend. She voluntarily sat in the back.” “Damien’s supposed to be warning the ex-wife, so why is he taking her to their old house?” “Don’t worry, upstairs! Damien just doesn’t know the ex-wife’s little schemes yet. Once her true colors are exposed, he’ll hate her even more.” … At the door. I couldn’t help but ask: “Don’t you have anything… to ask me?” Damien’s hand, holding the key, paused. He looked down, raised an eyebrow, and quietly waited for me to continue. I gathered my courage: “Like why I came back, how long I’ll stay, or… what my purpose is in buying this house.” “Not interested.” Damien withdrew his gaze, his tone indifferent: “I don’t care who buys this place; I’ll erase everything associated with you. As for why you came back…” With his hands in his pockets, he seemed to let out a small, mocking laugh: “It wouldn’t be to win me over again, would it?” I was silent for a second: “What if it is?” 9. “You’re welcome to try.” Damien raised his hand and pushed the door open. *Creak*. Everything inside the room was once again clearly laid out before me. A shaft of slanted light, dust motes dancing. Damien stood behind me and to my left, his clothes brushing against my sleeve. He didn’t speak, nor did I. In the silence, it felt like we were back in an ordinary afternoon after we got married. We were returning home from the grocery store. His fingers were laden with plastic bags full of all my favorite foods and snacks. We laughed and joked all the way. When the door closed. I jumped onto him, wrapping my arms around his neck, giggling as I sought his lips. Damien leaned back helplessly. Until his back was pressed against the door, he held my waist and kissed me back, gently. … My wrist was suddenly seized. My body stiffened. Damien quickly let go, his expression returning to normal: “Take a look. Selling it to you is fine; it saves me the trouble of cleaning the place.” I nodded, casually walked around, and came back: “No problem. I’ve already arranged with Chloe to transfer the deed tomorrow. Just give her the property deed, you don’t need to show up.” “Alright.” Damien agreed readily. His tone paused for a second, then he said with slow, mocking sarcasm: “You don’t need to be so guarded with me. If I could, I’d wish to never see you again.” “This private meeting with you is because I was afraid you’d say something stupid in front of Chloe,” he raised an eyebrow at me, “I don’t want her to be unhappy, do you understand?” I took a quiet, deep breath: “I won’t mention our relationship to Chloe.” “Good.” Silence again. With things said to this extent. I knew, of course, that I should discreetly leave. But for those fifty thousand dollars. I still spoke, my voice a little choked: “Damien, I was wrong back then. I shouldn’t have abandoned you and left.” A ripple appeared in Damien’s dark, deep eyes. He眯ed his eyes, staring at me, seemingly lost in thought: “Go on.” “I came back this time because I wanted to make it up to you, and I realized I still like you. Can you…” I nervously looked at him: “Consider me… just one more time?” 9. The room fell into a dead silence. As soon as I finished speaking, my vision was practically drowned in an overwhelming flood of mocking comments. I closed my eyes in shame. My face was burning, hot with embarrassment. After a long moment. Someone in the room let out a low chuckle: “What? Did your husband in the real world finally die, and now you’re coming back to your eternal backup?” I snapped my head up, my eye twitching for a moment. My lips trembled slightly with anger. All of this registered in Damien’s dark eyes. He raised an eyebrow: “My apologies, didn’t you notice? I have my own love now.” His tone was light and dismissive. Yet, those dark pupils were fixed intently on me. My eyes felt a little dry; I blinked hard: “I know.” Damien seemed to smile faintly, or perhaps there was no emotion at all. Finally, he just left, pushing the door open, leaving me with his retreating back. “YES! God knows how long I’ve waited for this moment!” “Hahahaha, the boomerang finally came back to hit the ex-wife!” “The ex-wife should just leave the System already. Even if she saves Damien a hundred more times, he’ll never love her again.” “But Damien still went soft on her, leaving the house key so she wouldn’t be homeless… Wait, what’s under the key?” I stiffened slightly, looking at the table covered with a clear tablecloth. Damien had indeed left the apartment key behind before he left. Under the old, yellowish key, there was a red booklet. “OMG! Am I seeing things? It’s the property deed!” “Why would Damien leave the property deed to the ex-wife?! Shouldn’t such an important document be given to Chloe?!” I tremblingly opened the property deed. Suddenly, the comments went silent. Only my name was written on the property deed. 10. I suddenly remembered. When we bought this apartment, Damien handled all the paperwork. I knew I would eventually leave, and to avoid future complications, I specifically instructed him to only put my name on it. I didn’t expect him to only listen halfway. He did indeed only write one name, but that person was me. So this was my apartment all along; there was no need for me to buy it. The comments became lively again: “I get it! Damien must not want the ex-wife to meet Chloe again, so he pulled this trick.” “Makes sense. Damien is now a billionaire, a self-made tech mogul. A house worth a few hundred thousand is nothing to him; it’s less than a single piece of jewelry for Chloe!” “Ah, I’m dying of sweetness! Damien’s love for Chloe is so obvious! They’ve been together for over a year, and he still can’t bear to even touch her hand…” I gave a self-deprecating laugh. So that was it. I called out to the System: “I failed to win him over. Can I go back to my original world now?” The System slowly typed out a question mark: “You’re too perfunctory, aren’t you? You think a simple confession is enough to make him fall in love with you again? Where’s the relentless drive you used to have to win him over?” I sighed: “I did my best. So, what would constitute ‘not perfunctory’?” The System was silent for a moment: “You actively kiss the male lead.” “What?” I was startled. “If the male lead pushes you away, we’ll consider it a failed attempt to win him over. You can exit the world and receive fifty thousand.” “If he doesn’t push you away…” The System paused: “Then you’ll have to stay in this world, until you win him over again.”
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