CH 39

“Tongtong.” Suddenly, a deep angry voice sounded, startling Wan Tong, who quickly pushed away from Gu Chenyue and stepped back, looking nervously at a figure not far away.

It was the original owner’s father. But wasn’t he supposed to have gone back to school? Why did he suddenly come back?

“Dad, why are you here…” Wan Tong called out, feeling uneasy because he must have seen what happened just now.

“I came back to get my lesson plans. I’ll leave again tomorrow morning,” Father Zheng said with a stern face, his gaze falling on Gu Chenyue.

Gu Chenyue straightened his body, but did not show any panic from that moment just now. He nodded to Father Zheng and said to Wan Tong, “I’ll go first.”

Wan Tong clasped her hands in front of her and nodded gently, “Okay.”

Before Gu Chenyue walked far away, Zheng father grabbed Wantong’s arm and brought her into the apartment building.

“Haven’t I told you and your mother before? Look at what time it is now. You’re hugging and cuddling with a boy like this. What kind of image is that?”

In the elevator, the more Father Zheng scolded, the angrier he became.

Wan Tong listened with her head down until he finished, then spoke up, “Didn’t you always want me to grow up freely?”

Father Zheng was clearly taken aback by her words, “What are you talking about? We give you freedom, and you blame us for it?”

The original owner was introverted and timid, and there were some things she would never say in her lifetime. But at this moment, a sense of oppression accumulated in Wan Tong’s chest, and she urgently needed to vent it out, “From childhood to now, you’ve hired maids and tutors for me. You only spend three or four days with me a month, and during summer and winter vacations, you send me to training camps. You bring your students to do experiments, write reports, dine and have activities with them, but you don’t even to call me. When I think about it, I am indeed free enough. Dad, do you know I will be taking the college entrance exam next year? Some parents even moved closer to their children’s school, while I come home every day to only have meals prepared by the maid.”

Father Zheng was momentarily speechless. He and his wife were highly educated and intelligent, but unfortunately their daughter was not outstanding. They had also made study plans for her, but after being disappointed multiple times, they completely left her to the school and tutors.

Compared to their daughter who seemed to be unable to achieve anything, they found more confidence and pride in their own students, gradually neglecting their daughter’s life and studies.

After thinking carefully about the past decade, Father Zheng felt a bit guilty. It seemed that his daughter’s personality had become stronger since the car accident.

“Tongtong, Dad was indeed wrong. It makes me happy that you can talk to me like this,” Father Zheng said.

Upon hearing this, Wan Tong’s eyes suddenly became a bit sour. The original host had hardly communicated deeply with her parents, and she had some complaints about them in her heart. She didn’t expect Father Zheng to be unexpectedly understanding.

That night, Father Zheng and Wan Tong talked for a long time. Finally, he mentioned the issue of Gu Chenyue. He hesitated for a moment before sighing, “When you were in a coma after the car accident, he came to visit you every day. I paid attention to him and he has good character, but that doesn’t mean I approve of your early relationship. Can we wait until after the college entrance examination before deciding?”

Wan Tong: ???

So when did Gu Chenyue notice her?

She pursed her lips and nodded with restraint.

As long as she doesn’t transfer schools, it’s fine.

By the time Gu Chenyue returned to the hospital, it was already early morning. Hu Tiankan greeted him with an almost frantic tone, “Yueyue, I’ve got the surveillance footage you asked for. It turns out that Lin Zhiwen did show up at the hospital that day!”

Gu Chenyue tightly pursed his lips, took his phone, and stared at the screen with a chilling expression in her eyes.

The night was long and drawn-out. When it was just about to dawn, Wan Tong woke up from a nightmare and, feeling uneasy, heard a reminder from Shi Shi: [The boss’ emotions are undergoing strong fluctuations.]

[How is Aunt Gu doing now?] Wan Tong asked.

[She won’t make it through the day.] Shishi replied, causing Wan Tong’s heart to clench in anxiety.

[Is there any way to make her sober and meet with Gu Chenyue?] she asked.

Shishi displayed a series of skill buttons, and her eyes fell on the words “Terminal Lucidity”1.

[Shishi suggests not wasting points.] Shishi spoke up at the right time.

Hearing this, Wan Tong pursed her lips but still chose to not use the points. She then changed her clothes and took a taxi to the hospital.

When she arrived, Mother Gu had already been taken to the emergency room. Hu Tiankan was not there, and Gu Chenyue was sitting in a chair, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and dark circles under his eyes.

Upon hearing footsteps, Gu Chenyue slightly opened his eyes. When his gaze fell on her figure, a glimmer of light appeared, but it quickly dimmed.

Wan Tong walked up to him and he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her towards him. His haggard face was pressed against her chest.

Wan Tong raised her hands, feeling momentarily unsure, but in the end, she didn’t push him away.

He never seemed to mind being physically intimate with her. It seemed that only through this kind of contact could he ease his tense emotions.

He was like a helpless child, in desperate need of comfort.

Gu Chenyue didn’t ask why she came early in the morning, and the two of them maintained a quiet understanding, but Wan Tong could feel that his whole body was stiff.

After ten minutes, the doctor came out and suddenly stood up, his big hand still tightly holding Wan Tong’s hand.

At the moment when the doctor announced that Mother Gu had passed away, Wan Tong felt her hand being held tightly by the young man, who was still trembling slightly.

A brain injury plus stomach cancer, in fact, everyone had already anticipated this outcome.

Gu Chenyue seemed to have not digested the doctor’s words for a long time, standing still in place, just tightly holding Wan Tong’s hand.

Wan Tong felt the pain, but didn’t make a sound.

After a while, she turned slightly, and her other hand hugged him around the waist.

Gu Chenyue slightly hunched his back, pressing his head on her shoulder, his rough chin rubbing against her neck, and his hoarse voice gradually reaching her ears.

“I knew this day would come, but I never thought it would come so soon.”

“It will get better,” said Wan Tong, patting his back lightly, unable to find any more words of comfort.

In this world, it is always difficult for an upright citizen to fight against those who are not bound by morals and laws.

The Raider clearly sees this world as a playground, and everyone around Gu Chenyue is her plaything.

This is the most despicable thing about Lin Zhiwen, she uses her prophetic abilities without restraint to harm others, only to achieve her own goals.

But even if Mother Gu’s case were brought before a judge, Lin Zhiwen could not be convicted because Mother Gu committed suicide.

Gu Chenyue didn’t let Wan Tong stay at the hospital, probably because he didn’t want her to see him like that.

Wan Tong was restless and not in the mood for class. During class breaks, a few boys mentioned Lin Zhiwen.

“She’s currently suffering from online bullying and family pressure. She’s now performing at a bar, it’s so pitiful. Some people are even trying to ask you to appeal on Weibo, to make netizens more rational and stop attacking her.

The tone sounded like they were accusing and blaming it all on Wan Tong.

But they forgot that they used to call her a bitch too.

Now, because of some pictures of Lin Zhiwen wearing a cute little white dress and singing love songs on Weibo, sympathy flooded in again.

Not only her classmates, but also some netizens left messages on Wan Tong’s rarely-used Weibo, asking her not to be too aggressive and to come out to explain and stop this online bullying.

Even when there was no response from Wan Tong’s Weibo for a long time, someone angrily commented, “What’s the difference between you and Lin Zhiwen? Don’t you know how terrible online bullying is? You are ruining a young girl in her prime!”

“Tongtong, you didn’t lose anything, and you even gained tens of thousands of fans. How about forgiving Lin Zhiwen? After all, you two were close before, and it’s almost time for the college entrance exams. It’s not good for her to keep taking time off from school like this.”

The boy behind Wan Tong said.

Several others chimed in, “Yes, it’s really sad to see her like this. Her family conditions were already not good, and she was reportedly abused.”

Wan Tong turned around and looked at the boy, her large eyes calm and still. When her black pupils locked onto someone, there was a unique sense of mystery and a hint of intimidation.

“Are you blaming me? Who are you to say these things to me?”

The boy stiffened for a moment, feeling uneasy in front of the girl who had always been unobtrusive due to her personality.

“Zheng Wantong, I was just speaking the truth.”

His voice was weak, and he couldn’t even look her in the face.

Although everyone knew that Zheng Wantong was beautiful, because of her personality and her close relationship with Lin Zhiwen, people had grown accustomed to ignoring her existence.

Only now that he remembers that Zheng Wantong had good grades, never threw tantrums, unconditionally helped everyone, and seemed to have no blemishes. Even when she was framed by Lin Zhiwen, she remained calm and never actively slandered Lin Zhiwen.

She was already very magnanimous. If it were someone else, they wouldn’t be able to remain as composed as her.

“I also think she’s pitiful, but I won’t forgive her. She’s just reaping what she sowed,” Wan Tong said again.

The boy was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, “I’m sorry.”

The onlookers didn’t say anything more, but Wan Tong’s last sentence was posted on Weibo by someone.

Some people thought her tone was too overbearing and started to diss her instead.

Weak people who play the victim always attract more supporters.

On the forum of Nineteen Middle School, gossiping students analyzed the relationship between Wan Tong, Gu Chenyue, and Lin Zhiwen, and concluded that it was a melodramatic love triangle. The two best friends were fighting for Gu Chenyue, and they even came to the conclusion that Gu Chenyue liked Wan Tong.

However, this conclusion was quickly refuted. Gu Chenyue had beaten Zheng Wantong on the rooftop, so it’s impossible that he liked her. It was speculated that he liked Lin Zhiwen because he always treated her with great tolerance.

This boring analysis post was immediately divided into two factions, and they argued back and forth.

Of the three people involved, only Wan Tong was still in school and couldn’t avoid being watched like a monkey, with people gossiping about her from time to time.

Chen Jun’s incident made the news, but it didn’t cause much of a stir because the Chen family deliberately suppressed it.

It wasn’t until the afternoon that the police reported on the incident, trying to describe it in the simplest and most formulaic language possible, but it still attracted a lot of attention.

One man and three women in a car, they sure know how to have fun.

Later, someone dug deeper into the news and leaked a photo of the four people with their faces blurred. Although it was not very clear, it was enough to stimulate people’s imagination.

Originally, due to the problem with the lighting, the faces of the three girls were also somewhat blurry. However, someone uploaded a high-definition photo of them getting into the car, and Lin Zhiwen’s face was clearly visible.

This is great, the topic exploded quickly.

Lin Zhiwen has been a hot topic on the internet recently. It’s unknown how many times she has been exposed, but these past few days, she has attracted a batch of fans due to her sweet voice and innocent appearance, and it seems like she has a chance to be whitewashed.

Unexpectedly, at this juncture, such news suddenly broke out, which really caught everyone off guard.

Just as her image as a little fairy was being established, it immediately collapsed?!

Those netizens who had been dissing under Wan Tong’s Weibo felt as if they had been slapped in the face. How could they spend time and effort defending someone like her?

It’s obvious that Lin Zhiwen is digging her own grave. Her character and decadent lifestyle make even those who just became her fans feel disgusted.

Under Wan Tong’s Weibo, an apology wave has risen again.

Throughout this whole ordeal, she remained silent, watching these people make a mess of themselves.

Wan Tong felt that Gu Chenyue was avoiding her, as she couldn’t even contact Hu Tiankan now.

She knew that Gu Chenyue had a paranoid personality and was worried that he might lose control and do something he shouldn’t.

So she frequently asked Shishi to remind her to check if he had any abnormal behavior.

After all, since the moment of Gu’s mother’s death, his favorability towards Lin Zhiwen had turned into -100, enough to drive him to murder with hatred and resentment.

Lin Zhiwen’s family members had been too embarrassed to go to the police station to pick her up. It wasn’t until the next night that her elder brother finally grudgingly took her out of there.

But after they got out, he just left her on the side of the road and walked away.

Lin Zhiwen took out her phone and dialed Wan Tong’s number.

Twenty minutes later, Wan Tong saw the gloomy-looking Lin Zhiwen downstairs, staring at her like an evil spirit.

“Zheng Wantong, in the parking lot, I saw you. The picture of me online, you were the one who leaked it, right?” Lin Zhiwen ground her teeth and approached her.

Wantong didn’t say anything, just avoided her reaching hand. In the darkness, she nodded slightly, her big and bright eyes staring straight at her, with a hint of wicked smile on her lips.

Lin Zhiwen looked at her like she had seen a devil, taking a step back in surprise. “Zheng Wantong, you hate me, so when you saw me being taken away, heard me screaming, you just turned a blind eye. Are you happy that I was violated? Are you satisfied?!”

“Lin Zhiwen, what are you talking about?” Wan Tong responded softly, but her phone was aimed at Lin Zhiwen, with a message on the screen that read: “I only know that you guys had a lot of fun.”

Lin Zhiwen saw the words clearly and her eyes widened. Zheng Wantong knew that I was trying to trap her, and she also knew that I was recording the conversation!

“Don’t come and find me again. It’s the college entrance exams soon, and I just want to study hard,” Wan Tong paused for a moment and continued, “I advise you not to harm yourself or others, or you will end up in jail.”

Her tone was gentle and soft, but her gaze was cold. Coupled with her fair and delicate appearance, Lin Zhiwen was reminded of horror movies she had seen before.

Wan Tong didn’t want to waste any more time with Lin Zhiwen and turned around to walk back.

As she entered the door, she looked outside again and found that Lin Zhiwen was gone.

But before she could go upstairs, she heard Shishi’s reminder, [Tongtong, Gu Chenyue is going to kill someone.]

“What?” exclaimed Wan Tong. “Where is he?”

Wan Tong repeatedly pressed the elevator button and rushed out as soon as the door opened.

In a small alley outside the community, someone was moving.

Gu Chenyue held Lin Zhiwen’s neck in one hand, with a gloomy expression, as if a fierce beast that had been dormant was awakening.

Hu Tiankan tried to stop him, his voice urgent, “Gu Chenyue, don’t go crazy!”

“Why?” Gu Chenyue muttered, his hand exerting force again, as if he wanted to kill her the next second.

“Cough…Cough…Do you want to kill me, Gu Chenyue?” Lin Zhiwen convulsed all over, feeling like she could pass out at any moment. The system had already reminded her that her favorability had dropped below the minimum value, and Gu Chenyue hated her so much that he wanted to kill her.

Of course, she was scared, but more than that, she was unwilling.

She had been made so miserable by these bratty kids!

“Yueyue, don’t be impulsive. Aunt Gu doesn’t want to see you like this,” Hu Tiankan tried to persuade him, placing his hand on his shoulder.

But Gu Chenyue seemed not to hear him. He had one hand around Lin Zhiwen’s neck, pinning her to the wall.

“Do you want to be a murderer? If you do that, you’ll never get…Zheng Wantong! Hahaha!” Lin Zhiwen struggled, and her cackling laughter was very piercing.

This plot is really cliché. Gu Chenyue actually started a romantic storyline? Is his career storyline going to collapse?

“People like you only know how to fight. You’re the scum of society. Zheng Wantong is so scared of you that she’s afraid to even get a speck of dirt on her. Her parents are both teachers, and they won’t tolerate even a little stain. You’ll never be able to be with her in your life—”

Lin Zhiwen’s hoarse voice abruptly stopped as her neck was lifted by a palm, her feet dangling and her eyes rolling back.

“Gu Chenyue!” A clear voice made him stiffen, and the limp body of Lin Zhiwen slid down the wall like a rag.

It was only when Wan Tong got closer that she realized Lin Zhiwen was unconscious.

[Shishi, is she dead?]

[No.]

Wan Tong breathed a sigh of relief and looked at the slightly bowed head of Gu Chenyue next to her.

He was still staring at Lin Zhiwen as if he were about to snap her neck in the next second.

“Don’t dirty your hands, Gu Chenyue.” Wan Tong came to him, hugged his trembling hand with both of hers, and spoke softly.

Gu Chenyue just paused for a moment and then quickly withdrew his hand from hers and left in a hurry.

His back looked a bit panicked.

In that moment just now, he really wanted to kill Lin Zhiwen.

The darkness in his heart grew and expanded, but he didn’t want to control himself in the slightest.

Now that he had come back to his senses, he felt a little scary, he couldn’t lose control in front of her, and didn’t want to see any trace of fear or disgust in her eyes.

The footsteps of Gu Chenyue became more and more hurried and messy. Hu Tiankan looked at Wan Tong with a complicated look, but in the end, he didn’t say anything and followed them.

Wan Tong watched the two figures leave and slowly squatted down beside Lin Zhiwen.

[Shishi, I forgot to ask you earlier, what are these Raiders plundering the boss’ luck for? They’re too crazy.]

[Tongtong, Shishi cannot provide an answer to this question. Shishi still needs to level up.]

Thinking about the series of gray squares on the system page, Wan Tong also felt a headache. Shishi had told her from the beginning that it would grow with her. However, she didn’t earn many points and even went into debt, so Shishi’s level naturally couldn’t go up.

[Shishi, if we can’t drive away the Raiders before the end of the plot, can we break her system?]

Shishi seemed to analyze it before answering, [It is possible to implant a virus to paralyze it, but it will inevitably attract the attention of the central control of the Raider System. Shishi does not recommend it.]

Wan Tong pondered for a moment, with one side being the Raider System and the other being the Corpse Collecting System.

On one side, there were countless Raiders following one after another, while on the other side, there was only her.

On one side, there was plundering, while on the other side, there was guarding.

The enemy is strong and I am weak, but the only advantage is that the system can detect the opponent’s system and hide itself.

In this sense, the system is more like a self-protection mechanism for the boss.

She was silently calculating in her mind, picked up Lin Zhiwen’s phone and checked it. As expected, it was still recording.

She deleted the recording and Lin Zhiwen woke up.

Seeing Wan Tong squatting silently in front of her, Lin Zhiwen was frightened and shivered, then covered her neck and started coughing.

“Zheng Wantong! What do you want to do?”

The weather was a bit cold, Wan Tong was wearing a sky blue long-sleeved cartoon pajama, her long black hair scattered behind her. She squatted there like a naive and innocent doll, and lightly said, “Lin Zhiwen, don’t hurt Gu Chenyue again, otherwise I will kill you.”

As she said the last few words, she even pointed her index finger and lightly poked Lin Zhiwen’s pale face.

The gentle and lovely gesture made Lin Zhiwen shudder in her heart, feeling like Wan Tong was holding a knife in her hand.

She wondered if Zheng Wantong was a pervert with two personalities?

Sometimes she felt that Zheng Wantong’s eyes were like surveillance cameras everywhere, making her feel uneasy and scared.

This was not the Zheng Wantong she was familiar with, or perhaps she had never really understood this person.

“Then try it.” Lin Zhiwen gritted her teeth, unwilling to show weakness.

But her system was too useless and most of the time she could only rely on herself!

At the corner, Hu Tiankan shrank back, his eyes widened, and he couldn’t digest what he had just seen for a long time.

He looked at Gu Chenyue beside him, and saw that he was still looking in that direction, with a straight line on his thin lips and a misty haze in his black eyes.

“Yueyue, is the little rabbit getting dumb from studying too much?” The words that just came out of her mouth made Hu Tiankan unable to believe it.

Her delicate and obedient doll-like appearance made it impossible for people to be wary of her, but her threatening words made people feel uneasy.

However, she was doing it to protect Yueyue.

Hu Tiankan had always thought that Yueyue was impulsive and not in the same world as the little rabbit, but now it seems that it’s not like that.

Little rabbit is not as indifferent as he thought.

Gu Chenyue took back his gaze, his Adam’s apple moving slightly as he spoke in a low voice that was barely audible, “Yes, very dumb.”

1 referring to the temporary recovery of consciousness before death