No wonder she was able to assign tasks to Chen Fu before.
The system has a responsibility to control the plot direction of the host. 0505 understands that Lu Yu suffered too much due to the bad family situation during her childhood. Over the years, she has become accustomed to keeping herself in a hard shell. If she wants Lu Yu to boldly face her obsession, she must take drastic measures.
Therefore, Lu Yu's recent unpleasant experiences were mostly orchestrated by 0413 and 0505. 0413 was responsible for mediating and stabilizing Lu Yu's mindset, while 0505 was responsible for arranging the order of NPC appearances and plot developments. For example, Eva's defection, Lu Yuan's appearance, and Lu Yu's father's attitude were all directly manipulated by her behind the scenes.
This includes Chen Fu's repeated emotional breakdowns.
As the entity that maintains the order of the entire parallel world, 0505 has the direct power to manipulate everyone in this world except for the host. However, when she tried to manipulate Chen Fu's emotions and thoughts, she was surprised to find that she had failed. At the time, 0505 thought this was a function introduced by the system to familiarize itself with the next host, and she was amazed by the system's intelligence.
Every task point that 0413 guided Lu Yu to was carefully considered, for fear that a single wrong step would bring a bad experience to the host. However, Chen Fu, who was also a host, was not so lucky. Every action and reaction she did under the explicit and implicit guidance of 0505 was to help Lu Yu face his obsession more quickly.
0505 has never been patient with NPCs. She uses so-called rewards to guide Chen Fu to complete the corresponding plot points. Most of these rewards are means to increase popularity, which is very attractive to Chen Fu.
0413 was extremely disgusted by this, calling it "the devil's deal".
Indeed, because every bit of "help" given by 0505 contains a manipulative spell that manipulates people's hearts.
Once these Gu have accumulated to a certain extent, 0505 will be able to smoothly control any of Chen Fu's reactions.
Her repeated emotional breakdowns, her tendency towards world-weariness and despair, and her inconsistent attitude towards Luyu are all "instinctive reactions" manipulated by 0505 in secret.
In order to prevent the plot from deteriorating further, even Chen Fu's almost overflowing affection for Lu Yu was reduced to zero overnight by 0505.
Under her influence, the plot deteriorated rapidly and nearly collapsed, but Lu Yu was able to face her obsession, and the mission was successfully completed. Whether the rest of the storyline could continue was originally none of 0505's business.
"It's alright, as long as you can continue to manipulate Chen Fu, there's still a way to resolve the situation."
0413 jumped onto the table and said,
The snow-white fox cub looked down and gently licked the side of the person beneath it with its soft tongue. Chen Fu, lying on the hospital bed, had her eyes closed, and her eyes were flushed with a haggard look.
0505 never hesitates to use any means to complete the mission. The high intensity of mental manipulation is obviously unbearable for the human body. It's like a split personality. 0413 really doesn't know how Chen Fu got through those days and nights of repeated struggles between consciousness and semi-consciousness.
"it's useless..."
0505, slumped in the chair, shook his head.
"The previous attempts at mind control were too intense; the host couldn't withstand them immediately..."
0505 covered her cheek in pain.
"In short, she is in a state of complete confusion right now, and I can no longer control her."
Chapter 44, page 44
Before coming, 0413 asked Luyu what to do if Chen Fu didn't accept his apology.
After the engine was turned off, the flame ignited by the lighter became the only flickering light in the darkness. Lu Yu lit a cigarette, letting the surrounding cold silence slowly creep in.
She didn't know.
Some emotions piled up in his chest, turning into an unresolved and intractable ailment. Lu Yu felt a sudden tightness in his chest, and even his heart was aching dully.
Seeing that she didn't answer, 0413 cautiously asked again,
What if she rejects you?
As the cigarette burned out completely, Lu Yu remained aloof and silent. She slowly opened the car door and uttered a few words.
"Then let's go tear Yanshan apart first."
That's exactly what she thought.
Lu Yu has been busy raising money for public relations these past few days, completely forgetting about Yan Shan, the culprit. Most of the plot in fan fiction reflects reality, meaning that in reality, Yan Shan is also involved in Chen Fu's fall.
Thinking of this, she gritted her teeth in anger, blaming herself for being too shallow in her cultivation and unable to judge people, while also hating how good these people were at disguising themselves, making it impossible to tell whether they were human or ghost.
The lingering snow and wind scorched her exposed skin, turning into a slow, stinging pain in the cold wind. This pain slightly calmed the almost uncontrollable anger in her heart. Before coming, she had indeed thought of many things to say, but before arriving, her mind went blank. Love is inherently a product of impulse; calculating and pondering every step as if walking on thin ice might only lead to losing sight of the bigger picture. Just like before Lu Yu came, the thought that Chen Fu might reject her, the thought of those beautiful lips uttering cruel words, made her feel like she was going to die of grief.
But Chen Fu finally began to refuse her.
Chen Fu said that we should not see each other again.
Lu Yu's heart skipped a beat.
As if she knew how hurtful her words were, Chen Fu's lips began to tremble unnaturally as soon as she finished speaking. She had been in a daze since waking up from her illness and had almost completely forgotten what happened that day. Her assistant, Xiao Wang, told her what she had done and said that day.
The person in front of him snorted coldly and said, "What a lively scene."
Of course, it was quite a spectacle. The scandal exposed by "Cultivation" instantly thrust Chen Fu into the spotlight, causing her promising career to plummet. Spectators had no interest in understanding the truth behind the complicated matters; they only knew that Chen Fu seemed to be kept by someone, a high-ranking executive at Xihe Company, and even a woman.
Jiang Qing's fans already wanted to tear her apart, and now that they had caught her red-handed, they dug up the whole story of how Lu Yu and Chen Fu met.
Some say Chen Fu and Lu Yu have been together for a long time. Lu Yu, relying on his family's wealth, has always been domineering at Xihe Entertainment, even driving away Chen Fu's longtime manager, Sister Sun. According to a ten-year fan of Chen Fu, Sister Sun was Chen Fu's first mentor. She worked diligently after joining Xihe Entertainment, but because she didn't want to be associated with the stigma of an artist being kept by a sugar daddy, she consistently opposed Chen Fu and Lu Yu's relationship. After being repeatedly targeted by Lu Yu, she had no choice but to leave the company.
Some say that Lu Yu's actions weren't the end of it after suppressing Sun's manager; another young actress under her management also suffered. A former employee of Chen Fu anonymously posted online, saying that Chen Fu had always been jealous of Wei Xi's acting talent. After getting a sugar daddy, she not only stole Wei Xi's leading role but also sent her to do live-streaming e-commerce.
Neither of these events was entirely without clues. After several days and nights of searching by onlookers, some clues that could be matched were finally found. Sometimes, vague "evidence" is more convincing. For a time, Chen Fu was completely pushed to the forefront of public opinion.
Chen Fu scrolled through the long thread on her phone, feeling a foggy sense of bewilderment.
All the progress in her career came from Luyu. Perhaps it all came too easily and suddenly, so she never really felt it. Therefore, even though she lost these progresses so easily, she didn't show any sadness or disappointment.
Like a festering sore that appeared on the skin a long time ago, it would occasionally be picked up and feel painful and itchy. But after the sore completely died and fell off, there was nothing to feel, only a hazy state of mind.
A sentence arose from this foggy state of mind.
We can't drag Luyu down any further.
She had originally planned to refuse, but upon hearing Lu Yu's concerned words, all her carefully planned restraint and patience crumbled.
She began to lose her composure, struggling against the tight grip on her wrists. However, this only emboldened the person beside her. Lu Yu's high boots slammed into the room, making a clattering sound on the wooden floor. She was also lifted up and slammed against the wall with a thud.
Lu Yu slowly took a step forward and steadily pulled Chen Fu into her arms. Her hands traced up Chen Fu's slender waist. Chen Fu's body was stiff, like a frightened kitten. She had been trembling slightly ever since Lu Yu embraced her, as if she were both yearning for something and dependent on it. She slowly leaned against Lu Yu's chest, her shoulder blades fluttering like butterflies about to take flight.
"How come you've lost so much weight?"
Lu Yu heard himself say that.
As she spoke, she almost kissed Chen Fu's neck. The heat from her kiss made Chen Fu tremble. She had always been stubborn and obstinate. In Sister Sun's words, she was as hard-hearted as a stone. Once she made up her mind, she would never change it. However, she had softened her stance on Lu Yu many times.
Eva's words that day made her lose faith in everyone and everything around her, and Lu Yu was clearly among those she lost faith in. Eva's ambiguous words subtly implied that Lu Yu was tacitly accepting all of this. Deep down, she didn't believe it, but it seemed as if something was guiding her, making her believe, as if she were talking to herself, that Lu Yu was also involved in the speculation.
Maybe Luyu doesn't have it. Why don't you go and ask her?
Chen Fu's gradually softening heart began to waver, and Lu Yu cupped her cheeks in his hands.
Let's start over.
These words struck Chen Fu like an electric shock, leaving only a burst of fireworks in her mind.
She wanted to nod weakly and say yes, but her parted lips were bitten hard the next moment. The cold pain imprisoned her mind in place, and the feeling of her soul being gradually peeled away surged into her heart.
The pain she had never felt before overwhelmed her, and even her mind became a complete mess.
Sweat and tears streamed down her face in anguish. Chen Fu wore her signature haughty expression, shoving Lu Yu's hands away and showing disgust at his hopeful face.
"It's no longer possible for us."
*
"You ask me why?"
The warmth that had been pressed against his side had completely dissipated. Looking at Chen Fu, who was wrapped around his arms, Lu Yu felt that she was so unfamiliar to him.
"You tacitly approved of what Yanshan did to me back then, but did you never think about why, or why I had to suffer this pain?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yu took a step back.
She didn't know that Eva and Chen Fu had met that day, nor did she know what the two had talked about. She was completely unaware of what Yanshan had done, and when she heard this unfounded accusation, she stood there stunned for a long time before she could understand its meaning. The baseless accusation left Lu Yu speechless, and the more absurd it seemed, the less she knew how to explain it.
He stammered and took a few steps forward, grabbing Chen Fu's wrist, only to be violently flung away. Her manipulated consciousness remained impaired for a moment; Chen Fu trembled violently.
No one in the world is invincible.
Finally, he said it...
She once said this to Jiang Qing, on that beach with its waves.
The inner demons ultimately stemmed from Chen Fu's deepest resentment, so saying this wasn't entirely against her conscience. She had been completely defeated, and everything she had persisted in was meaningless.
So why not just let yourself slide down these constraints?
She should have given up long ago.
We're doomed.
The warm atmosphere instantly turned cold and desolate, and 0413, who had fallen to the foot of Luyu, thought helplessly.
As Lu Yu's system, 0413's mission was actually completed the moment Lu Yu was willing to face her identity. However, due to a failure in internal communication, they mistakenly brought Chen Fu, the host of the next mission, into this world as well. 0505 has always been ruthless in achieving its goals, and several forced manipulations made Chen Fu lose control of her mind, leaving her numbly following the plot line.
The cost of such a major accident was something 0413 could not afford, so it was willing to take a gamble. It brought Luyu here, hoping to awaken the mind of the bound Chen Fu.
But it seems to have taken everything too lightly.
Seeing the increasingly uncontrollable situation, 0413 kept whimpering while biting Lu Yu's trouser leg. It could no longer handle a rampaging Chen Fu. If Lu Yu was forced into something bad, it and 0505 would be completely finished.
But the person in front of me didn't seem to have any intention of leaving.
"You are not Chen Fu."
This sentence was like a boulder plunged into a cold pool, the icy splashes instantly freezing 0413 in place.
Lu Yu uttered these seemingly random words in a low voice, his eyes fixed intently on the tear-streaked face of the person in front of him.
Her face was almost entirely covered in glistening tears. The sight of her tear-streaked face should have made her appear pitiful, but Chen Fu's eyes clearly revealed hysterical hatred and a tremor as if she had been exposed.
She shook off Lu Yu's hand that was gripping her jaw and asked what nonsense she was talking about.
"Chen Fu wouldn't be that weak."
*
The half-open door was slammed shut by Lu Yu, the loud bang startling Chen Fu. She watched as the person in front of her walked up to her again, and Lu Yu grabbed her arm and dragged her into the room.
Chen Fu's disheveled appearance caused her to wrinkle the carpet in the room. Lu Yu pressed her against the mirror in the bedroom, slamming Chen Fu's face against it and asking her, "Who are you?"
The person being choked looked like a dying fish. In the chaos, several glasses fell to the floor and shattered. 0413 followed behind, excitedly whimpering.
There's hope.
Chen Fu is trapped in the plot and cannot break free on her own. However, the rampaging Lu Yu forces her to face herself, which may help Chen Fu break free from her shackles, and both of them can achieve liberation from the plot.
Her slender neck was held tightly in someone's palm, but the feeling of suffocation didn't increase much. However, her imprisoned body showed faint signs of recovery, like the limbs gradually regaining consciousness after a nightmare.