CHAPTER 54 – And So Does the Original Heroine
That evening, another headline dropped, confirming Xiao Xi's profound dread.
This time, the news was subtle, bubbling up from the entertainment forums and rapidly seizing the top trend on Weibo:
[Weibo TOP TRENDING: Mysterious New Socialite 'Ling Qiuyue' Joins Entertainment Industry]
Xiao Xi's hand tightened around her phone until her knuckles were white.
Ling Qiuyue.
The original female lead. Beautiful. Flawlessly innocent.
Favored by fate and luck.
And the one Shen Yichen, the male lead, was destined to love.
But more importantly—the one the story would protect and elevate at all costs, the counterpart to Shen Yichen's magnetic charm.
Her System chimed, its tone now highly stressed:
[Both primary protagonists awakened. Original Female Lead: Ling Qiuyue.]
[Their destined storyline will actively attempt to override your existence.]
[Host must maintain maximum proximity to Gu Yanzhou to stabilize the anchor.]
She blinked, confused by the sudden, explicit directive.
"Maintain proximity…
what does that mean exactly?"
[Emotional bond is anchoring the world. Physical presence reinforces the structural integrity of the new timeline.]
Before she could process the concept of her relationship being a structural necessity, Gu Yanzhou walked over, resting a heavy, possessive hand on her shoulder.
His voice was low and dangerous, confirming his awareness of the threat.
"I saw the news.
My team is tracking both of them."
She nodded numbly.
He tilted her chin up gently, forcing her to meet his intense gaze.
"They're not taking you away from me, Xiao Xi.
No matter their designated 'fate.'"
Xiao Xi whispered, careful and honest, looking at the immense power they represented:
"They'll try, Yanzhou.
Their destiny is stronger than a normal challenge."
His eyes darkened with fierce resolve.
"Then let them," he challenged.
He leaned closer, lips brushing hers with a promise that was both sensual and defiant.
"They'll fail.
We write the story now."
Her heart trembled—and the System surged with a powerful, stabilizing warmth:
[Bond strength increased. New timeline stability temporarily rising.]
But in the shadows of the distant city, two figures watched the night sky glitch faintly, witnessing the chaotic instability of the broken reality.
Shen Yichen, the magnetic actor: "This world feels… wrong.
Unbalanced."
Ling Qiuyue, the flawless socialite: "And someone is living the story that belongs to us, Shen Yichen."
Their eyes glowed faintly with inherited fate and narrative power.
The original plot had fully awakened, and it wanted Xiao Xi erased.