Part 018
Han Yanyan opened her eyes, finding herself in a pure white space.
Suddenly, her face lost all color, her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, clutching her heart. However, there were no bloody holes from claw marks on her chest, and her heart was still strong and healthy, beating steadily in her chest. In this pure white space, her body felt safe and unhurt.
Han Yanyan took deep breaths, slowly standing up. “Ding Yao, Ding Yao... Ding Yao!” She repeated his name, her eyes reddening as she ground her teeth in anger, “You scoundrel!”
If there had been a table or anything in front of her, she would have kicked it over. But in this endless pure white space, there were no walls to touch, nor a ceiling to reach, it felt boundless. Anger and hatred twisted within her, whipping her relentlessly, leaving her on the verge of explosion.
Frustrated, Han Yanyan pulled at her own hair, spinning around in place. If only she could return to the zombie apocalypse, she would definitely unleash her strongest abilities and strike Ding Yao down without hesitation!
That scoundrel!
She had entered with a mission, yet had been drawn into such a world, into the life of a person so deeply. Han Yanyan once believed she would not regret it. Now, she wanted nothing more than to drag that emotionally invested self out and give her a good beating.
There was nothing more ridiculous than this. She resolved to die for him, yet he used her as a human shield first.
Han Yanyan felt like she was about to explode. Standing in the white space, she clenched her fists and closed her eyes, screaming with all her might, filled with anger!
“Han Yanyan, calm down, calm down!” A mechanical voice echoed.
This synthetic voice brought a spark of reason back to Han Yanyan. It reminded her that she was not from that world. She had her own life in her own world; her life was still in the hands of this strange thing.
Han Yanyan forced herself to breathe slowly, clenching her fists, waiting for the electronic voice to deliver her punishment.
Who could she blame? This weird entity that held her life and death in its hands? Or Ding Yao for being so charming that he made her heart race? Ultimately, she could only blame herself for being foolish. She had been told it was a “quick travel world,” and she entered with a task, yet fell in so deeply with those feelings.
How foolish!
Ding Yao’s actions in the face of life and death proved he never truly loved her. Her mission had failed; the electronic voice had said she was to fend for herself.
Han Yanyan closed her eyes, waiting for death.
But what came was the electronic voice stating, “Calm down, you did well. I didn’t misjudge you; you are indeed a potential builder!”
Han Yanyan opened her eyes in shock. “What did you say?”
“I said you did quite well,” the electronic voice responded. Han Yanyan even sensed a hint of joy in its praise.
“But Ding Yao never loved me,” Han Yanyan remarked.
“That doesn’t matter,” the electronic voice replied. “Whether you are loved or not is irrelevant. That is just a means to an end. As long as I can achieve my goals, it doesn’t matter if you love me or hate me.”
Han Yanyan fell silent for a moment before asking, “Then what exactly is your goal? What do you want from this world, or the target of the mission?”
The electronic voice grew cold. “That is not something you should be concerned with. You should focus on how to save yourself; don’t forget, your life is in my hands.”
Han Yanyan changed her questioning tactic, “Then how do I complete the task? You must give me a clear explanation. How am I supposed to know what to do in this fog?”
“Well…” the electronic voice hesitated, then said, “It depends on the specific situation. Each world has different circumstances; after all, this is a ‘quick travel world.’ Um, let’s not talk about these unimportant things. Given how hard you’ve been working, I’ll give you an easier world next.”
After finishing, it suddenly became emotionless, saying with a cold voice, “Mark.”
Another mark! Han Yanyan opened her mouth but couldn't stop it in time.
A fleeting blankness enveloped her, causing an empty feeling in her head.
“In this world, you must help the target character understand their mistakes. How to do that is for you to figure out. You did quite well in the last world; trust your instincts.” The electronic voice continued, “This world isn’t too difficult; consider it a vacation.”
“World generated,” it said mechanically.
The tone shifted seamlessly between human warmth and cold, inorganic quality, making Han Yanyan ponder.
What Han Yanyan didn’t know was that after she entered the world, the “electronic voice” switched off the microphone and turned to the person behind it, explaining, “She is a very promising builder; so far, she’s performed the best.”
“We… we must let her relax a bit… her mental threshold is already approaching the warning line.” It looked at the row of dark gun barrels, swallowing hard, and explained cautiously, “Three builders have already died; we need to be careful with this one. I’ll arrange an easier task for her to help her unwind. Once she’s rested, then let her work.”
The cold muzzles of the guns remained unwaveringly pointed at him.
“Electronic voice” felt a cold sweat break out, turning back to continue monitoring…
Han Yanyan opened her eyes to find a room full of clothes. This wardrobe was larger than her living room back home.
Taking a step forward, she reached to touch the clothes, which were exquisite, stylish, and clearly expensive. There were countless clothes, along with shelves overflowing with shoes and bags… Han Yanyan stopped at a full-length mirror, gazing at herself. Information began to unlock in her mind.
Unlike the two previous “Han Yanyans,” who were gentle and scholarly, this one had red lips and white teeth, her eyebrows and eyes exuding a bold brilliance. She was the epitome of a rich young lady, just like the former Miss Cao from the world that had fallen apart.
Another similarity with Miss Cao was that Han Yanyan also had a fiancé: Qiao Wenxing, the heir of Qiao Corporation, the target of her mission. They were praised by the media as the golden couple of the business world, but it came as no surprise that the essence of this engagement was still a business alliance.
“Miss.”
Han Yanyan suddenly heard someone speak. Stepping out of the cloakroom, she saw a maid standing outside. The maid wore an old-fashioned uniform fitting for a wealthy family in a Hong Kong drama and reported to Han Yanyan, “The driver is ready. When will you set off?”
The information activated; Han Yanyan realized she had a dinner appointment with her fiancé Qiao Wenxing tonight. According to the preset information, Qiao Wenxing would confess his intentions to end their engagement this evening.
Qiao Wenxing was invited back to the university by his alma mater as a young elite to attend an anniversary celebration, where he encountered Bai Yue, a junior from a humble background. To Qiao Wenxing, Bai Yue was like a lotus flower that bloomed from the mud—pure, clean, strong, and independent, yet evoking a sense of tenderness. He believed he had found true love and resolutely decided to break off the engagement with the rich young lady Han Yanyan to be with his true love for eternity.
The corners of Han Yanyan’s mouth twitched. This plot… why did it seem so similar to the earlier world’s version involving Han Yanyan, Zheng Yao, and Miss Cao? Han Yanyan felt a twinge of discomfort, as if she was caught in a cliched narrative that was too familiar.
“I’ll change clothes and come down.” Han Yanyan replied.
Once the maid withdrew, Han Yanyan turned back into the cloakroom. This closet was like a woman’s dream. The electronic voice said this world was like a vacation; it seemed it wasn’t lying. Based on the information in her mind, Han Yanyan already understood how luxurious this life was. It was something she could hardly have imagined before because poverty truly limits one’s imagination.
Born a rich and beautiful woman, fulfilling one dream in life, Han Yanyan took a deep breath, trying to suppress the lingering anger and hatred within her, as she stepped into the closet to pick out clothes.
With so many clothes, choosing one by one could be blinding; Han Yanyan closed her eyes and pulled one out. When she opened her eyes, it was a style she really liked, which brightened her mood a little. As she took the clothes off the hanger and was about to change, her eyes swept over the brand, causing her to freeze. She stared at the tag for a while, tossed the clothing on the floor, and began rummaging through the other clothes to check their tags one by one.
After a while, Han Yanyan stood in the middle of the cloakroom, silently gazing at the room full of clothes, shoes, and bags. She remained silent for a long time before finally picking up the earlier piece of clothing and changing into it…
This city was by the river, and the restaurant Qiao Wenxing had reserved had a view of the river.
Han Yanyan questioned if she had come out a bit late; surprisingly, she arrived before Qiao Wenxing, waiting for a full ten minutes.
Qiao Wenxing didn’t come alone; he was accompanied by a girl. She was lively and fresh-faced, giving off a clean feeling. This girl was Bai Yue, who had just graduated from university, and Qiao Wenxing had arranged for her to join his family’s company, right under his nose. The world’s “Han Yanyan” had actually seen her in Qiao Wenxing’s office before. Back then, this girl had bowed her head shyly, calling her “Miss Han,” appearing innocent.
Having opened her eyes as a tasker, Han Yanyan was fully aware of everything, yet she raised an eyebrow and deliberately lifted her chin, saying, “Why did you bring your secretary to dinner?”
Bai Yue’s head lowered a bit. Qiao Wenxing noticed, reaching out to hold her hand and pulling her to sit across from Han Yanyan.
“This is Bai Yue; you’ve met her before,” he said. “I brought her here today to introduce you.”
“Yanyan, I like Bai Yue, and I want to be with her.” He said seriously to Han Yanyan. Bai Yue felt bolstered by his words and bravely lifted her head to face this proud and domineering young lady.
The domineering Miss Han was unfazed, saying nonchalantly, “If you like her, just buy a house and support her. There’s no need to bring her in front of me.”
Bai Yue’s face turned pale, humiliation filling her eyes as she tried to break free from Qiao Wenxing’s grip. Yet, Qiao Wenxing did not let go but tightened his hold instead.
Looking at Han Yanyan, he said calmly, “You misunderstood my intention. Yanyan, I want to end our engagement. I wish to marry Bai Yue. Matters of the heart cannot be self-deceiving; the one I truly love is her, not you. I’m sorry.”
Han Yanyan feigned surprise. “Are you serious?”
“Yes. Very serious.” Qiao Wenxing nodded.
He also glanced at Bai Yue. A blush crept onto her face, as if gaining courage from him, she straightened her posture to face Miss Han again. Regardless of what harsh or cruel words this domineering young lady would throw at her, she was determined to confront her, Bai Yue thought.
But the domineering Han merely curled her lip, nodded, and shrugged, saying, “Okay.”
Both Qiao Wenxing and Bai Yue were left stunned.