Chapter 493 Chapter 491 The Stand-In
Chapter 491 The Stand-In
Meld with Xiao Cheng… keep Xiao Cheng forever by my side.
—No, not by my side, but inside my body~
“Inside my body…” Su Tao’s pained expression slowly turned blank, her eyes vacant, as if devoid of light. Her body no longer trembled, and her posture as she stood was terrifyingly calm. A voice deep within her heart even began to cackle uncontrollably at that moment.
As Su Tao walked back towards the banquet hall, the strange aura emanating from her could no longer be concealed. Ordinary people couldn't perceive it. But anyone with slightly higher character influence could sense that something was off with Su Tao now. Yet typically, those unaware of the world's true nature would merely attribute Su Tao's current state to a bad mood or feeling unwell.
Yes, no more pretending, I'm laying my cards on the table.
I am the Will of the World!
The openly revealed aura brazenly declared this message to everyone in the world. Systems possess their own independent thoughts, so why wouldn't the Will of the World? Three little mice burrowed into this vast home, constantly stealing Its possessions, gnawing at and destroying the household's garments, and had even threatened Its granary—how could It not be enraged? And now, they even wish to break Its little toy!
Do you truly believe that by stealing My authority over reincarnation, you could escape My notice? Even if My little toy's character influence drops to 50%, what can you do? A toy is just a toy, and a puppet will always be a puppet. Even now, is not Su Tao under My control? Controlling her mind, manipulating her thoughts, and making her My instrument, turning her into My puppet!
Hmph ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!
Now, Su Tao is completely under My control and is even the strongest fighting force in this world. All I need to do next is kill that little mouse that has strayed from its destined path, and your hundreds of efforts will still come to naught, won't they? Are you still thinking there'll be a next time? There will be no next time! Everything I once lost, I will reclaim!
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Following a garden path, Chi Xiaocheng unknowingly found herself at the side gate of the villa estate. Two bodyguards were diligently on duty there, their ears perked. They watched the bustling traffic, also envying the lively atmosphere within the villa. Suddenly, a girl emerged from the side, seemingly one of the bodyguards' girlfriends; she secretly brought fragrant bread, then playfully departed amidst the bodyguard's doting lecture. They envied the people attending the banquet inside the villa. But Chi Xiaocheng, already inside the villa, looked at them with the same envy. What she yearned for, wasn't it precisely this kind of ordinary daily life?
“Tao Tao, that idiot!”
Thinking this, Chi Xiaocheng stepped forward and forcefully kicked a stone. Feeling her emotions weren't fully vented, she changed direction and continued her walk, still muttering, “Idiot! Blockhead! Cowardly, dullard of a person! Always so rigid, always splitting hairs! So annoying!”
“And that damned Will of the World, I hate it so much!”
Xiao Hei appeared beside Chi Xiaocheng at just the right moment, accompanying her on her walk, and asked, “So, the one you hate so much is Su Tao?”
“It’s the Will of the World!”
Chi Xiaocheng glared at Xiao Hei and stomped her foot hard again. “I know Tao Tao is being influenced by the Will of the World, it’s just… never mind, I don’t want to talk about her.” The argument was already over; what good was it to talk about it now?
Xiao Hei sighed. “Su Tao will be influenced more and more deeply by the Will of the World. Even like this, her influence hasn't dropped below 50%. I estimate a large part of the reason is precisely this influence.”
“Her thoughts aren’t her own; she’s constantly being guided. If she has certain ideas that would lead to her influence decreasing, the Will of the World instantly takes over and amplifies them.”
“Su Tao can’t act proactively, so her influence is stabilized at 50% instead.”
Chi Xiaocheng cast a sideways glance. “Is it because the stimulus isn’t strong enough?”
Xiao Hei shook his head. “It’s because she can no longer find her true self.”
There was something else Xiao Hei didn't say. Ever since her attempt to end her life, Su Tao had been on the verge of collapse. Even after recovering, she had always relied on Chi Xiaocheng as her anchor and spiritual pillar. Indeed, whether now or in the past, even in the original story, Chi Xiaocheng had always been Su Tao’s spiritual pillar. But now, under various misunderstandings and influences, the spiritual pillar she perceived had deceived her. And the Cheng Cheng who could scold her was also gone. Who, then, could help her find her true self? The essence of declining character influence is to break free from the persona restraints imposed by the Will of the World and discover one’s true, authentic self. Now, it would likely be very difficult, short of that one method.
“What will you do next, then?”
Xiao Hei awaited Chi Xiaocheng’s response.
The girl sighed and lifted her skirt slightly. “What else can I do? I’ll use their own schemes against them. We can exploit the attack by that special forces team; at the very least, we can’t let Tao Tao sink deeper and deeper under the Will of the World’s influence.”
Chi Xiaocheng did not want to see Tao Tao completely controlled by the Will of the World. Even if her character influence were to decrease, it shouldn’t happen this way. The situation was slowly spiraling out of her control.
It was then that Chi Xiaocheng’s phone rang. It was Dongfang Yang. “Chi Xiaocheng, where are you right now? Si Chen said someone seems to be staking out near the villa. To prevent any accidents, we’re sending you and Su Tao back early.”
“Where’s Tao Tao? Is she with you?”
Chi Xiaocheng asked.
Dongfang Yang replied, “I haven’t found her! I thought she was with you. I’ll come pick you up first.”
If you come to pick me up, won’t Tao Tao misunderstand things even further?
Chi Xiaocheng gazed at the starry sky, hesitating for a moment. “Alright, come pick me up. I’m by the side gate of the garden.”
Add a little more gunpowder to the bomb.
Let the bullets fly a little longer.
Let the balloon inflate a bit more.
Anyway, if things went according to her plan, Tao Tao’s misunderstanding with her would gradually be resolved soon.
Before long, a fully armed modified SUV pulled up to the side gate. But the one who emerged from it wasn't Dongfang Yang; it was Si Chen. He found Chi Xiaocheng and said directly, “My lookouts have spotted suspicious individuals all around. If we linger any longer, I feel something unexpected might happen.”
“Are they the head maid’s people?”
“Unclear. They certainly wouldn’t dare make a move here, but it’s not certain when we leave.”
“So, get in the car now?”
Facing Chi Xiaocheng’s question, Si Chen gently shook his head.
“First, come with me.”
Chi Xiaocheng followed Si Chen back to a lounge at the banquet, and then she was surprised to find a familiar girl sitting obediently there. The moment she saw Chi Xiaocheng, the girl exclaimed in surprise, “Sister Xiao Cheng, good evening!”
Looking at the person before her, Chi Xiaocheng gazed at Si Chen in confusion. “Wait, why is Ning Ning here?”
This familiar girl was indeed Fang Ning.
Si Chen was silent for a moment before explaining, “Going back directly in my modified car is still too dangerous. I just received word that the head maid is no longer planning to play games with us slowly.”
“I plan to use Fang Ning as your substitute.”
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