After swallowing the grapes that had stuck in his throat, he quickly opened the system data and breathed a sigh of relief when he found that the plot hadn't changed. Then he got up and ran towards the study.
"Ting Wei!" He pushed open the study door and was surprised to find Kang Run inside. With a glint in his eyes, he smiled and asked, "Kang Run, why did you suddenly return? Weren't you just taken by the Ministry of Justice to serve as a thug?" Initially, after settling Kang Run, Shen Tingwei had thrown him into the dungeon. Two months later, Kang Run had requested to be recruited, and Shen Tingwei had given him a chance. Now Kang Run was a government official receiving imperial support, though he remained under Shen Tingwei's supervision.
"My lord." Kang Run respectfully greeted him and replied, "The mission has been completed. I've come to discuss the matter of transferring under your command."
"You want to join Ting Wei's command?" Ye Zhizhou asked in surprise. Then he smiled and handed over a bunch of grapes he held, saying, "Congratulations then. These grapes were grown in our own garden and are very sweet. Enjoy."
Kang Run hesitated for a moment and then accepted the grapes.
Seeing him take the grapes, Ye Zhizhou turned to Shen Tingwei, who had walked over, and said happily, "The play in the garden is quite lively. Grandmother is insisting that you accompany her to watch it. After you're done, you should head over."
Shen Tingwei furrowed his brow, reached out to hold Ye Zhizhou's hand, and gently squeezed it, asking in a warm tone, "Aren't you going?"
"I'll go pick some more grapes." Ye Zhizhou replied while holding his hand and hooking a finger in his palm. "The grapes in our garden are really good. Go and call a few guards to help me pick them. They are more skillful than the maids."
"As you wish." Shen Tingwei nodded, then turned to Kang Run. "If you have no other business, let's go watch the play together. The recent shows at Chunxiu Garden have been quite good. Don't worry; the seating for men is separate from the women, right in the large garden."
Kang Run obediently agreed, showing no traces of his former assassin training.
The three of them separated at the door, and Ye Zhizhou watched them go before turning to the guards who were gradually approaching. He waved his hand and said, "Let's go, and pick some grapes in the small garden."
"But..." The leading guard's expression twisted for a moment as he whispered, "There are no grapes in the small garden."
"Yes, there are." Ye Zhizhou smiled, his psychic power drifting playfully around him. "There's a grapevine that's been secretly growing for half a year. It's time to pick it."
Meanwhile, in the large garden, Shen Tingwei and Kang Run sat down. After the servants brought tea, Shen Tingwei took a look at the grapes on the table that Kang Run had placed there. He smiled and said, "Qing Qing said that sweet grapes must be delicious. Try them. I haven't tasted the grapes we harvested this time."
Slightly surprised, Kang Run reached out and picked one, popping it into his mouth. The grapes were large, purple, and sweet, indeed very delicious. After he swallowed one, he found the taste quite pleasing and couldn't resist picking another. In less than half a moment, he had eaten all the grapes, surprising himself with his own gluttony. Halfway through the play, he stood up and asked to use the restroom. Shen Tingwei nodded absentmindedly, focusing on the play.
Behind the stage, a delicately featured stagehand raised her head and cast a furtive glance in Kang Run's direction before quietly approaching.
Sensing Kang Run's proximity in his psychic power network, Ye Zhizhou took the basket from the guard's hand and smiled, "Alright, you can go about your business. I'll take these grapes to the stage."
The guards nodded and left. Holding the basket, he walked alone in the direction of the large garden, appearing entirely at ease.
One hundred meters, fifty meters, twenty meters, ten meters... He suddenly stumbled, then frustratingly set down the basket and bent over to fix his overly long robe. Another somewhat familiar presence suddenly intruded into his psychic power network. Satisfied, he straightened his clothing, picked up the basket, and continued walking.
The ten-meter distance was quickly covered, and the sound of a concealed weapon cutting through the air reached him. He turned his head to look, not dodging, and said, "Kang Run, after half a year as a government official, why is your murderous intent still so strong?"
The concealed weapon was blocked by a guard who had suddenly rushed out, and not far away, a scream rang out. Then the sound of approaching footsteps from the guards grew intense. Kang Run, hiding in the bushes, was startled, but when he turned to run, he was quickly restrained by Shen Tingwei, who had somehow appeared behind him. His limbs suddenly became weak, and he looked up at Shen Tingwei. "Did you poison me?"
Ye Zhizhou put down the basket and walked over, smiling. "You're blaming Ting Wei unfairly. I'm the one who poisoned you. How do you like the grapes?"
"You've both been acting and deceiving me all this time?" Kang Run had no more doubts at this point. In anger and astonishment, he tore off the facade he had maintained for the past six months and shouted, "You knew all along, you knew... despicable!"
"What did we know? We knew you had mental problems, and despite almost being killed by Zou Qing, you still chose to help him?" Ye Zhizhou's smile faded, and he looked down at Kang Run condescendingly. "People's nature is hard to change. Your transformation was too drastic, and anyone with a brain would be suspicious. The news of Ting Wei heading to the border just came out the day before yesterday, and you couldn't wait to capture me today and take his place. Did you assume that after a few years on the border, he wouldn't recognize his lover?"
By this time, the guard had already apprehended the stagehand who had been captured. Ye Zhizhou turned to look at him, and his gaze swept over the two small flags on his head. He sneered, "Zou Qing, your face looks good now. How about it, did you apply some appearance-altering potion again? Aren't you afraid of death? If your plan had succeeded today, were you planning to use some more potion to turn into my likeness?"
The stagehand looked pitifully at him, appearing entirely innocent. "Madam, I don't know what you're talking about. I, I just got lost while coming out for a break... Madam, I'm innocent, you can't..."
Ye Zhizhou couldn't be bothered to listen to his feigned innocence. He stepped forward and fed him a pill. "I've neutralized the poison on your face. No need to thank me." With that, he stepped back and looked at him coldly. Due to the rules, he couldn't directly affect the protagonist. The pill he had given him was indeed an antidote, but it was different from the beauty-enhancing pills he had taken. It only neutralized the poison but did nothing for his appearance. The poison on the protagonist's face was so deep that after neutralizing it, it was likely that his face would be ruined.
The stagehand shrank under his gaze, and soon, a large amount of black blood suddenly oozed from his face, and his skin dissolved rapidly, disappearing into a pockmarked, red mass. He seemed to feel no pain until he noticed that everyone else was looking at him in shock and disgust. Only then did he belatedly touch his own face.
"Ah! My face! My face! Zou Qing, you wretched person, what did you make me eat!" Zou Qing finally stopped pretending, holding his face and screaming, "Kang Run, kill him for me! Kill him! Otherwise, I'll expose your master's secrets to everyone! Kill Zou Qing now!"
Kang Run, whose limbs were weak, gave him a resentful look but turned his head without saying a word.
"The probability of Fei Jinchu and the protagonist falling in love has now dropped to 0%. The third soul flag has been removed. Congratulations, host. Please continue to strive."
The protagonist's face had just been ruined, and Fei Jinchu's flag was already removed. Does that mean Fei Jinchu is actually obsessed with appearances?
He brushed aside the untimely thought in his mind and turned to Kang Run. He took out a portrait from his pocket and said, "Is the leverage he mentioned referring to your master's face, which was altered by a potion? Were you helping Zou Qing all this time because of this? Were you afraid he'd expose this and disrupt your master's peaceful life in seclusion?" When he guessed that Zou Qing's connection to Kang Run was related to Madam Zou, he gradually realized something. In the initial storyline, Kang Run had been helping Zou Qing from start to finish. His closeness to the real Zou Qing was fake; seeking revenge against the Zou family for capturing Zou Qing was fake. Helping Zou Qing replace Zou Qing was his true purpose.
With this premise in mind, the storyline made more sense. The ease with which "Zou Qing" broke out of the General's Mansion's tight security and replaced Zou Qing could now be reasonably explained. The "Zou Qing" was ultimately taken out of the General's Mansion by Kang Run, but who knew who the person Kang Run had taken him out for was? A straw hat, a few explanations, and the protagonist successfully replaced Zou Qing and appeared by the side of several other male leads.
What a deep love... But clearly, there was no love left between the two now. So why was Kang Run still helping the protagonist? After some thought, there was only one explanation: Zou Qing had something that Kang Run cared about, or rather, leverage. After considering this, he did a quick investigation and found Kang Run's former master, who had retired to a peaceful life after washing his hands of the trade.
Even assassins have weaknesses.
Kang Run looked at him in shock, not understanding how he had obtained this information.
"This bait is quite effective." Ye Zhizhou took out a lighter and burned the portrait, then smiled at Kang Run. "This is your reward. The portrait is destroyed, and Zou Qing won't have another chance to reveal your master's existence. You can now peacefully go to prison."
Kang Run's emotions rapidly changed in his eyes, finally settling on relief. He lowered his head and said in a hoarse voice, "Thank you." Whether it was prison or the death penalty, he had finally secured his master's peaceful life.
"The probability of Kang Run and the protagonist falling in love has now dropped to 0%. The fourth soul flag has been removed. Congratulations, host. The mission in this world is complete. Would you like to enter the next world?"
In his heart, he selected "No" and looked at Shen Tingwei, taking a deep breath. "Finally... we can go to the border and find my father."
Shen Tingwei hugged him and nodded.
"No!" Zou Qing, holding his ruined face, watched them embrace each other. His eyes gradually became manic. "I am Zou Qing! Kang Run, kill him for me! I am Zou Qing, I am the General's wife! It's me! It's me!"
Shen Tingwei gave him a cold look and held Ye Zhizhou tighter, preventing him from moving. He said in a deep voice, "Even if I were blind, I would recognize him the moment Qing Qing appeared. Zou Qing, is your life goal to have a group of loved ones and lovers who don't recognize your true appearance? Do they love you or the false image in their minds? Don't worry; I won't kill you. In the deepest part of the dungeon, I've prepared a cell for you."
Zou Qing was momentarily stunned by his words, then screamed even more wildly. Guards with grim expressions moved forward and knocked him out before dragging him away.
Ye Zhizhou leaned against his lover, and his psychic power gradually became calm and peaceful. This world was exhausting... Fortunately, he always had his beloved by his side.
After half a year, the perpetrator of the Huzhou massacre was finally captured. With a stroke of the emperor's pen, he was sentenced to life imprisonment, enduring corporal punishment every day until his death. After giving up his life of killing, Kang Run also entered the prison. Due to his contributions to the court in the past half year, he was spared the death penalty, but several years of imprisonment were still necessary.
Three years later, Fei Jinchu married a young lady from a well-known family. Five years later, Yang Qi became the top scholar and married a princess. Seven years later, Madam Shen passed away. Eight years later, the border was finally stable, and Shen Youpeng returned to the Shen mansion to retire. Ten years later, Zou Qing resigned from his official position, handed over the family business to his eldest son, and began a leisurely retirement with Yuan Hui.
Several decades passed, and Ye Zhizhou rested his head on his lover's chest, gradually closing his eyes. "In the next life... wait for me..."
Shen Tingwei touched his now fully white hair and tightened his embrace, nodding. "Alright."
Suddenly, there was a slight vibration under their pillow, and then a beam of light reached his mouth, containing a pill.
"Thanks." He swallowed the pill and felt much better after a while. He looked around the spacious room, pushed aside the pile of wine bottles, and examined the floral shirt he was wearing. He covered his forehead and sighed, "Dressing like a drunken philistine. I can already see the words 'cannon fodder' written all over me... Anyway, give me the information."
The pile of wine bottles shook again, and a holographic screen popped up. [Help me.]
"Huh? Help you?" He was momentarily puzzled, reached for a wine bottle, and then fell silent. A small white kitten with big eyes was biting a pink cat-shaped small mirror on the carpet, its sharp fangs tearing at the fake ears of the mirror, looking very lively.
"Meow~" The little cat meowed sweetly, then suddenly dropped the mirror and approached him.
Ye Zhizhou had no resistance to such small creatures. He reached out and stroked its soft fur, smiling. "That's a nice little gift you got there. I like it."
The small mirror shook more vigorously, seeming very dissatisfied with his neglect.
"Alright, I like you too." He chuckled, picking up the small mirror and touching its damp ears. "Now, give me the information."
The protagonist of this world is named Fan Lang, male, 21 years old, a rich second-generation, loves beautiful women and racing, and has two rich second-generation buddies, Zhang Lin and Cao Yu. One day, he took his two buddies for a late-night street race, but had an unlucky accident and became a vegetable.
After becoming a vegetable, his soul unconsciously drifted and ended up inside the body of Shen Mengxi, the illegitimate daughter of the Shen family who was lying in the hospital with a high fever. Thus, Fan Lang woke up in shock to find that he had turned into a woman!
"..."
Ye Zhizhou tugged on the fake ears of the kitten in frustration. "A man turning into a woman? Are you kidding me?" Can't these main characters in different worlds be more normal? Is it too hard to be an ordinary person?
The little mirror pretended to be dead, and the information continued to pour out on the holographic screen.
So, what would a man do after turning into a woman? Of course, he would first have fun with his buddies! Fan Lang explained the situation to his two friends and wanted them to help him... no, to help him figure out how to get his soul back into his own body!
Zhang Lin and Cao Yu were shocked by this unscientific turn of events, but the woman in front of them, acting so boldly, revealed a slew of secrets that only their good friend Fan Lang would know. After some internal struggle, the two men believed Fan Lang's explanation and began to brainstorm for solutions. But for these three rich second-generation guys, coming up with a solution was quite a challenge. After various attempts and discussions, they still couldn't switch his soul back. Instead, Zhang Lin and Cao Yu found themselves inexplicably attracted to their friend, who was now wearing a woman's skin, and unknowingly fell in love with him! Thus, the two buddies became two of the male leads in this world.
Ye Zhizhou: "..." The plot twists in this whimsical world are happening so quickly.
Switching back the soul was still a work in progress. During this time, Fan Lang often visited the hospital to check on his own body and met Doctor Yin Feiyu. He gained Yin Feiyu's favor in the process.
By this point, all six male leads had gathered, but Fan Lang's soul remained firmly in Shen Mengxi's body.
As time passed, the affections of the male leads for the protagonist continued to deepen, and the dark side of Shen Zihao, the second young master of the Shen family, who secretly admired the campus heartthrob Cen Yuebai, grew darker. Suppressed feelings, the gradual softening of his family's attitude towards the illegitimate daughter, sudden favoritism from his elder brother, and the sense of crisis from losing the person he loved all combined to further twist Shen Zihao's already paranoid nature. Eventually, after witnessing Cen Yuebai hugging the illegitimate daughter, he harbored murderous intentions.
Unaware of this, the protagonist gradually realized the feelings the male leads had for him. In a state of inner turmoil, he decided to gather them all and reveal the truth that he was actually a man.
On a sunny afternoon, several handsome male leads gathered at the school gate of Shen Mengxi. They attracted countless onlookers as Fan Lang, wearing Shen Mengxi's body like a shell, slowly walked out in a white dress, as beautiful as a colorful cloud in the sky. In this seemingly slow-motion, soft-lit scene of a prince and princess, a homeless man suddenly rushed out from the corner, attacked the protagonist with several blows, and the white dress was stained with blood as the protagonist fell.
In the previous moment, the male leads were sizing each other up, engaged in an underlying struggle, but now they were shocked. They rushed forward to surround the protagonist, but it was too late. The protagonist was dying. While spitting blood, he affectionately revealed the truth, sighed that if he could live, he would accept all the male leads and have a great time!
The male leads, still in shock, quickly fell into the pain of losing their loved one. Later, the pain turned into anger. They hunted down and tortured the main culprit, the homeless man, and the mastermind, Shen Zihao, before sending them to prison.
Five years later, Fan Lang woke up in his own body and was surprised to find that the male leads had accepted the fact that he was a man and were still waiting for him. He was deeply moved and then got together with the male leads.
Turning off the holographic screen, Ye Zhizhou stroked the cat and looked up at the ceiling.
"Communicator... Is my current body named Shen Zihao?"
[Correct answer, Host. Well done. Friendly reminder: the cat in your arms is stolen.]
"Huh? Stolen from whom?"
[Cen Yuebai.]
"..."
[Host is advised to dispose of it as soon as possible.]
He glanced at the cat and figured out what was going on. "You're just jealous that it's a real cat, while you're fake, aren't you?"
The small mirror stopped shaking and simply bounced on the floor, sulking as if it wanted to break itself.