Chapter 30: Replacing Your Life (30)

Ye Xu found Tong Ling inside an abandoned construction site building.

From receiving the message to contacting the police and finally rushing to the scene himself, Ye Xu operated like a precise machine throughout. He dared not reveal even the slightest hint of emotion, fearing that his feelings might hinder the search efforts.

He had to remain calm. However, when he saw Tong Ling bound with ropes within the derelict structure, sitting helplessly on the ground surrounded by menacing thugs with predatory glares, Ye Xu’s entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.

A wave of fear, concern, and indescribable fury engulfed him. He couldn’t bear to imagine what might have happened if he had arrived just moments later.

Thankfully, thankfully, he made it in time. The police were already positioned nearby, ready to pounce. As long as he could negotiate effectively with these criminals and find a way to rescue Tong Ling from their grasp first, everything would be resolved.

Tong Ling maintained her “female protagonist” facade, visibly trembling with terror on the side. Earlier, during her abduction, she had skillfully extracted all the necessary information from the gangsters’ conversations while they transported her.

According to these thugs, the one who placed the order was a foolish woman. She believed that by paying them, she could buy someone’s life. Her plan involved having them kidnap Tong Ling and then dispose of her body in the river. Once they sent photos as proof of “destroying evidence,” the woman would pay the remaining balance.

However, the thugs weren’t idiots; kidnapping was one thing, but taking a life was another entirely. Moreover, the amount offered by that woman barely covered the cost of such a deed. Asking them to get their hands bloody for so little money was no joke!

So, they explained to Tong Ling that if she cooperated by posing for some photographs, they would release her once they received payment. Throughout this, they didn’t hold back on verbal threats. Seeing Tong Ling’s gentle and obedient demeanor, the thugs lowered their guard against her.

“The photos have been sent. Why hasn’t that woman paid yet?” complained a thug nicknamed Yellow Hair, clearly losing patience.

“Let’s hope she isn’t intentionally withholding payment, trying to force our hand,” muttered the leader, his face grim. “If she dares to play us, we won’t let her off!”

In a soft voice, m-577 shared with Tong Ling the information it had uncovered: [It’s not that the protagonist refuses to pay, her bank account has been frozen by Shen Man.]

Tong Ling lowered her head, suppressing a laugh. “She’s way too inexperienced; not only did she hire amateurs, but she didn’t even prepare the money properly. It’s as if she wants to ensure her exposure.”

m-577 muttered, 【Who could have such experience? Just finding people to kidnap you was already the result of her efforts.】

“You want money, right?”

As the thugs discussed payment, Ye Xu emerged from the shadows.

The sudden appearance of a full-grown man startled all the thugs. One particularly alert among them quickly drew a small knife, glaring menacingly at the newcomer.

Ye Xu hastily raised his hands, signaling his non-threatening intentions. “Don’t be alarmed, I’m alone here. I can give you some money, just let my girlfriend go.”

“Girlfriend?” The gang leader turned, looking at the delicate woman on the ground. “Is she your girl?”

Tears streamed down Tong Ling’s face, her pale features filled with vulnerability and pity.

Ye Xu’s heart clenched, and he hurriedly tried to comfort his girlfriend. Seeing his anxious concern for Tong Ling, the thugs exchanged glances, understanding the situation better now.

“How did you find this place?” The gang leader didn’t overlook the suspicion; this abandoned building wasn’t easily discoverable by just anyone. If this man could locate it so effortlessly, wouldn’t their kidnapping operation have been exposed long ago?

Ye Xu replied, “I installed a tracking system on my girlfriend’s phone.”

“Phone?” The gang leader glanced at Yellow Hair beside him.

Yellow Hair pulled out Tong Ling’s phone from his pocket. He had taken it immediately after abducting her, but he hadn’t anticipated that keeping the phone would inadvertently reveal their location.

“I don’t know how much the person who hired you paid, but…” Ye Xu opened the suitcase in his hand, “I hope this amount satisfies you.”

“Whoa—”

As the gang members saw the neatly stacked bills inside the suitcase, they all gasped audibly.

The impact of money visibly displayed before them was entirely different from funds in a bank account. With the financial incentive, both parties quickly reached an agreement. After handing Tong Ling over to Ye Xu, she remembered to retrieve her phone from Yellow Hair.

Just like that, the crisis silently came to an end. As the gangsters exited the abandoned building with the suitcase, they were swiftly apprehended by the police lying in wait. During subsequent interrogations at the police station, minimal effort was needed for them to fully disclose the details of the incident.

Using the account through which the gang members communicated with their “buyer,” Yu Yurou’s identity as the mastermind behind the kidnapping attempt was exposed.

“Little Ling?” Tong Ling seemed incredulous, her eyes red and voice trembling, “It can’t be… She’s my sister, how could she… do something like this?”

Despite Tong Ling being unharmed, the incident remained grave. As expected, Yu Yurou, the primary culprit, would face severe legal consequences.

Of course, Tong Ling wouldn’t truly want to see the protagonist imprisoned. She clutched Ye Xu’s arm, pleading, “Little Ling didn’t mean to harm me, and nothing happened to me anyway. The kidnappers said they wouldn’t kill me; it was all just an act…”

“I can drop the charges, so Little Ling will be okay, right?”

When Ye Xu heard the name of the mastermind, he was stunned. Although aware that the woman had changed, learning about her transformation into such a cruel and terrifying person still chilled his heart.

Seeing his girlfriend’s distraught expression as she begged for mercy on behalf of the antagonist, coupled with thoughts of what might have happened if he hadn’t rescued her, his wavering heart gradually hardened.

“This is a criminal case. Even if you don’t press charges, the prosecution will pursue it,” Ye Xu’s gaze turned cold. “People must always pay the price for their mistakes.”

“No, isn’t there any other way to save her?” Tong Ling stared intently at Ye Xu. “I know you must have a solution!”

Ye Xu indeed had a plan. Compared to imprisonment, this alternative wasn’t too unfavorable.

“You don’t blame her for what she did to you?” Ye Xu asked.

“She’s my sister!” Tong Ling declared firmly.

“Her mental state is unstable; I suspect she may have dissociative identity disorder,” Ye Xu explained. “During the crime, it could have been one of her alternate personalities acting out.” He continued, “A person with a diagnosed mental illness cannot be held criminally responsible.”

“I’ll help secure a competent defense attorney for her and arrange for the required legal psychiatric evaluation. Once this incident concludes, we’ll send her to a specialized hospital where she can receive treatment. This way, you won’t need to worry about further incidents involving her.”

Hearing these words from Ye Xu, Tong Ling knew that her mission in this world was finally complete.

With Ye Xu orchestrating matters, Yu Yurou was soon deemed to suffer from a mental illness. Whether genuine or feigned, even if just to escape punishment, Yu Yurou wouldn’t clarify anything herself.

And so, the once-main protagonist-turned-cannon fodder was sent to a psychiatric hospital by the devoted male second lead.

M-577 was utterly astounded by this turn of events: [It’s over? Is the cannon fodder minor female character’s storyline concluded like this?]

On the screen of the device monitoring plot milestones, vibrant fireworks erupted—congratulating her on completing the storyline!

Within Tong Ling’s consciousness, her soul was alongside m-577, and together they reviewed the task rewards sent by the Main God.

“What’s the use of this virtual currency?” Tong Ling tapped on the screen. “Is 30,000 currency points considered a lot or little?”

m-577 excitedly responded: [Absolutely a lot! Host, you completed three years’ worth of plot arcs in such a short time and earned all the available mission rewards. How is that not enough?]

Eagerly, m-577 continued to explain: [The Main God’s currency can be used to exchange for various items in the system’s marketplace. The prop cigarettes I previously bought for you were from there; each cigarette costs only 100 currency points.]

m-577 then granted Tong Ling access to the System Marketplace, a privilege reserved for hosts after completing tasks in a world.

Tong Ling opened the marketplace directory and glanced through it, momentarily dazzled by items priced at over one million currency points.

Items like [Protagonist Aura], [Heartthrob Halo], [Breathtaking Beauty], [Lucky Charm]…

These items clearly offered cheat-like advantages and were indeed enticing. However, Tong Ling had no interest in them; to her, they seemed less appealing than even a single prop cigarette.

“Save the currency for now, there’s nothing worth buying.” Closing the shop, Tong Ling returned to her body. “It’s time we fully enjoy life.”

Even when bound by tasks, Tong Ling lived freely without restraint.

Without any obligations, she would only become more indulgent.

Ye Xu felt this change most acutely. At some point, his girlfriend began frequently staying out overnight. Whenever he asked why she didn’t come home, Tong Ling would simply reply, “Don’t you already know where I am? You can come find me yourself.”

Know? How could he possibly know such things?! He just wished for one excuse from her, just one, so that he wouldn’t blame her at all!

Their relationship had been so sweet, with her always appearing as lovely as before him. Ye Xu tried hard to suppress his unease and ignore these subtle signs. He thought perhaps his girlfriend wasn’t yet ready to settle down with him, believing he should wait longer.

However, waiting did not improve the situation; instead, it worsened over time.

But when he discovered items belonging to another man in his room… Ye Xu finally couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Who did you bring here?” Facing his delicate girlfriend, who seemed ready to cry at any harsh word, even Ye Xu’s anger felt subdued, “Don’t be afraid, I just want to know.”

“Tong Ling, you brought…”

Before Tong Ling could answer, Ye Xu hastily interrupted her, “No need to tell me, but please don’t do this again, okay? I don’t want anyone else in our home.”

“He was just a friend.” Tong Ling nestled into his arms and kissed him gently on the lips. “Nobody compares to my little gege; you’re the best!”

Her smile remained as innocent as ever, making it seem like all his concerns were unfounded worries.

”…Alright,” Ye Xu relented. He discarded those unfamiliar clothes, pretending nothing had happened.

A person’s limits can gradually erode, bit by bit.

Ye Xu granted Tong Ling ample freedom, yet it didn’t yield the desired outcome.

The number of changing details seemed to increase…

She no longer called him ‘little gege.’

She became increasingly distant towards him.

Tong Ling always had endless conversations with others, yet when he tried to touch her, she would swiftly avoid his gestures.

Ye Xu found it unbearable as they drifted further apart, leading him to make the decision to propose marriage.

Without the bond of matrimony, their relationship was likely to crumble soon.

“Are you certain you want to marry me?” His girlfriend seemed genuinely surprised by his proposal, but despite her reservations, she agreed under his earnest pleas.

“As long as you don’t regret it, I’m fine,” Tong Ling said, her expression unreadable between a smile and a frown. “I need to visit my sister today, do you want to come along?”

Ye Xu shook his head. Lately, his girlfriend had been inviting him more frequently to the psychiatric hospital, but he consistently declined without hesitation.

”…Are you really going to keep up this act with me?” Tong Ling asked.

Pretending not to hear, Ye Xu turned and left.

He needed to prepare for their wedding, which kept him busy for the following weeks.

M-577 struggled to comprehend Ye Xu’s reaction; it had observed how its host treated him. Typically, most men would have severed ties with her long ago, yet Ye Xu only seemed to become more deeply entangled, almost as if bewitched.

“What exactly have you done to him?” m-577 asked, “I feel like he’s become truly unhinged…”

Tong Ling sneered, “He indeed has issues. Knowing that I no longer wish to continue this charade, he is willing to do anything just to keep me.”

“Why…?”

“His sunk costs are too high,” Tong Ling explained calmly. “For me, he abandoned the real little girl and even personally sent her to a psychiatric hospital. He cannot allow himself to admit choosing wrongly; otherwise, his past actions would burden him with lifelong pain and guilt.”

“He can only persist down this path, convincing himself he made no mistake.” Tong Ling sighed, “I could have given him a beautiful dream, but unfortunately, I’ve grown tired of it.”

“So you still plan to marry him?” m-577 didn’t foresee any good coming from this wedding.

Tong Ling chuckled softly, “The wedding won’t happen.”

News of Ye Xu’s impending marriage to “Yu Yurou” quickly spread within their social circle.

When Ye Huan learned about it, he immediately knocked over the wine glass in his hand.

Ever since Yu Yurou was kidnapped by her sister’s hired thugs and subsequently rescued by Ye Xu, she had cut off all contact with Ye Huan.

It’s not that Ye Huan hadn’t considered finding her, but he couldn’t even get close to her. Ye Xu kept a tight watch on Yuruo, and moreover… after losing his power and status, Ye Huan realized just how difficult it was to accomplish anything.

A few bodyguards could easily restrain him, and any company or project he attempted to establish would fail due to unforeseen complications. He knew well that Ye Xu wasn’t the only one targeting him; despite no longer being the heir of the Ye Family, Lu Yue and Song Xingyi continued their relentless pursuit against him.

Shen Man provided no assistance, as even associating with him risked implicating the entire Ye Family. Thankfully, Ye Huan still owned several properties under his name, which, when sold, could provide some financial relief.

Ye Huan had contemplated finding a job. Having served as the CEO of the Ye Corporation for so long, he possessed basic decision-making skills and could easily secure a position at a smaller firm. However, his pride wouldn’t allow such compromise; taking a low-level job meant he’d likely never regain his former status.

If Ye Xu could leave the Ye Family and build a company capable of rivaling theirs, why couldn’t Ye Huan achieve the same? If not for Ye Xu surpassing him, Yuruo wouldn’t have chosen him over Ye Huan.

Ye Huan’s greatest pride had always been that the woman they both loved chose him. However, with Yuruo not contacting him for so long and now hearing about her wedding, even his arrogance couldn’t blind him to reality any longer.

What he couldn’t understand was why, if Yuruo no longer wanted him, would she arrange for her parents to live in his home?

Their supposed engagement was all a facade!

In fury, Ye Huan rushed to the mansion immediately, intent on confronting Yuruo’s parents to find out what was truly happening.

Father and Mother Yu were utterly stunned upon receiving this news.

Their daughter wasn’t marrying Ye Huan but rather his younger brother?

Neither Father nor Mother Yu knew that Ye Huan was no longer the designated heir of the Ye Family. Moreover, living comfortably in such a grand mansion naturally inclined them to support Ye Huan.

“We have high hopes for you, dear Huan,” Mother Yu reassured him. “Rest assured, we will make sure Rourou chooses you! Weddings require parental presence; once Rourou invites us, I’ll persuade her to change her mind!”

Father Yu echoed, “Yes, yes, absolutely. She’s always listened to us since childhood. With us here, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Comforted by Father and Mother Yu, Ye Huan regained some spirit. “Then I’ll await your updates.”

As soon as Ye Huan left, Mother Yu hastily called Tong Ling, but there was no answer.

“Hasn’t she been out of contact with us for quite some time now…” Mother Yu asked Father Yu.

He nodded. “We haven’t heard from her since she brought us here.”

Mother Yu’s heart raced, suddenly recalling something. “The money from selling our house… did you give it to her?”

“Yes, didn’t she say she would help us secure shares in the Ye Family business using that money?” Father Yu initially hadn’t given it much thought; after all, the mansion they were living in was far more valuable than their sold property. However, seeing Mother Yu’s alarmed expression, he realized something might be amiss.

“You suspect…?” Father Yu dared not ponder further. If their daughter truly embezzled their assets, they would lose everything they had saved for retirement!

“Haven’t you heard Ye Huan mention ‘Rourou’ marrying his younger brother? She hasn’t even kept in touch with Ye Huan, so how could she possibly give him the house sale money for shares!” Mother Yu’s face paled. “Oh no, oh no! That ungrateful wretch is truly trying to ruin us!”

Father Yu tried to remain optimistic. “Don’t scare yourself unnecessarily. After all, she brought us to live in this luxurious mansion.”

Mother Yu fumed, “This mansion isn’t ours; if Ye Huan wants to, he can kick us out anytime!”

Father Yu hesitated before responding, ”…Ye Huan wouldn’t go that far.”

Mother Yu sneered, “Just wait until he sees our ‘wonderful’ daughter marrying someone else. Do you think he’ll still keep us here then? The reason he spoke to us today was hoping we could persuade her back. But if we’re no longer useful…”

Father Yu’s lips trembled, unable to utter a single word, stunned.

Apart from Ye Huan, Lu Yue was the most invested in this wedding. He had gone to great lengths for Tong Ling, even severing ties with Ye Huan on her behalf. Hoping his efforts would count, he anticipated that Tong Ling might now reconcile with him, at least not completely cut ties.

Yet unexpectedly, Tong Ling didn’t express a single word of gratitude. It seemed as though she had forgotten about him entirely; all his messages went unanswered, sinking without a trace. Now, after waiting anxiously, he learned that Tong Ling planned to marry Ye Xu instead. How could Lu Yue possibly accept this outcome?!

Regarding that heartless woman, Lu Yue harbored only one thought left: it mattered little if she refused him, but dreaming of marrying someone else was utterly unacceptable.