Jiang Qing remembered saying she wouldn't.
"Then let her die inside."
*
Lu Xiaomi was afraid of fire, and because her reaction before filming was too strong and annoying, she was kicked off the set by Yanshan.
She turned and left, clutching 0413 with a disgruntled expression. The staff member accompanying her smiled and said, "Ms. Lu, I'll take you to the nearby lounge."
Pshaw, if you don't want us to see it, then don't. Why make it so mysterious?
But before she could take more than a few steps, Lu Xiaomi heard a loud explosion—no, not just one, but several explosions in succession.
A bad thought popped into her head, and she turned around instantly, where thick black smoke and fierce flames came into view.
The red flames stung her eyes, and memories of the fire from her childhood returned. The unbearable heat gnawed at her flesh like maggots clinging to bones. She curled up in the cramped space, listening to the sound of her body burning.
An overwhelming fear surged through her, and she abruptly released her grip on 0413.
But Chen Fu is still inside.
In the midst of the chaos, she remembered Chen Fu's words: "People are selfish. No one will love others more than they love themselves. Therefore, there is no such thing as love in the world."
She wanted to ask Chen Fu if, if she were to rush into the fire now, facing her fear, it would mean she loved Chen Fu more than she loved herself.
She didn't know why she had such thoughts. Whether in reality or in the world of fanfiction, she couldn't bear to see Chen Fu suffer even the slightest injustice. The command to protect Chen Fu seemed to be etched into Lu Xiaomi's genes. To Lu Xiaomi, there was no one better than Chen Fu in the world.
The situation at the scene reached an eerie stalemate, with no one willing to be the first to step forward and rescue people. Amid the staff's exclamations, Lu Xiaomi casually picked up a fire suit.
The fear deep within her made her tremble uncontrollably. Lu Xiaomi was terrified. Staring into the firelight had exhausted all her courage, and she couldn't even stand up straight.
But she was more afraid that Chen Fu would die inside.
She stirred up the atmosphere of the rescue effort, and several crew members followed suit. Lu Xiaomi kicked open the rickety wooden door.
The scene of rescuing the damsel in distress was interrupted the next second. Jiang Qing suddenly appeared out of nowhere, and his courage and strength finally came in handy. He rushed into the warehouse first.
The wooden door in front of her suddenly collapsed, and Lu Xiaomi, unable to dodge in time, fell to her knees. The scorching flames burned her body, and in unbearable pain, she saw Jiang Qing scoop the semi-conscious Chen Fu into his arms.
"ambulance!"
The roar awakened the stunned crowd, and the surrounding flow of people began to move. Jiang Qing carried Chen Fu and rushed out of the sea of fire, which was quickly extinguished.
Blood kept dripping down her burned left hand, and Lu Xiaomi felt a strange sense of joy.
Chen Fu was saved.
Will she know that it was he who saved her?
Intense pain kept coming, and Lu Xiaomi didn't know how she felt at that moment.
*
The accident happened suddenly, but fortunately no one was injured except for Chen Fu.
Blood slid down Lu Xiaomi's left hand. She had just been knocked to the ground by Jiang Qing, and her entire arm had hit the still-burning wall panel. Her exposed left hand had been scraped into the fire, leaving a series of hideous wounds.
Little Bell was terrified. She had just escorted Chen Fu into the ward when she turned around and saw Lu Xiaomi standing in the corridor with a pool of blood at her feet.
She said, "Mr. Lu, what's wrong? Let me go with you to get a room."
Lu Xiaomi let out a dull "Ah".
She waved her hand and said no need.
"It doesn't hurt much."
--------------------
Author's Note:
This novel will be available for purchase tomorrow! Three fresh chapters will be released at midnight tonight.
After writing for so long, Xiao Xun has accumulated some thoughts she wants to share with everyone.
This book is my first full-length novel, and it holds great significance for me. I am very grateful for everyone's support along the way.
I actually planted a lot of foreshadowing in the first few chapters of the novel, but because the twenty chapters are too short, I haven't had time to explain them properly yet.
For example, as mentioned a long time ago, Chen Fu fell after being invited to a senior's concert. Was this an accident or intentional?
If it was done by someone, who is this person, and why would they want to injure a nobody like him?
For example, Yanshan, as the only male character in the first half of the book who did not turn evil, is he really a good person?
For example, why did Xiao Xun suddenly bring up the fire at Lu Xiaomi's house when she was fourteen?
For example, there's the gradual shift in pronouns. Why does the name Lu Xiaomi appear less and less frequently, while the name Lu Yu appears more and more frequently?
Are Lu Xiaomi and Lu Yu really two different people?
And why does Xiao Xun keep mentioning the plot of the drama "Cultivation"? Does it hint at some future direction?
And Su Qing, and Bai Lu (Yan Qing) before the update. Why did Xiao Xun mention them? Will they appear later?
...
These questions will be answered one by one in the second half of the book.
Actually, when I was writing this book, I didn't simply treat it as a fast-paced, satisfying revenge story. I had something I wanted to express. Why is Lu Xiaomi so devoted to Chen Fu? Is it just because she's beautiful and has a tragic past?
Of course not.
Chen Fu had her own principles, and so did Lu Xiaomi. These two principled people comforted and healed each other, eventually coming together. The message I want to convey is: never shrink back from difficulties.
...
Finally, thank you all again for your continued support.
Please continue to support us in the future!
bow----
Chapter 24 (First Chapter of V-Day)
Lu Xiaomi sat on a chair outside the ward, her injured left hand half tucked back into her sleeve, hanging casually by her side.
0413 curled up on his lap, looking distressed, and asked her, "Host, does it hurt?"
Lu Xiaomi nodded blankly and said it was alright.
A bitter taste rose in her mouth, and her fingertips were trembling with cold. She had just rushed into the sea of fire to save Chen Fu, but Chen Fu didn't know.
This thought made Lu Xiaomi slump to the spot. Half of her body was numb. The courage she had mustered turned into a scar deep in her heart. Chen Fu had fainted at the time, and she watched Jiang Qing carry her out of the fire. So when Chen Fu woke up, she would only remember Jiang Qing's kindness.
River sentiment, river sentiment, will always be river sentiment.
She had subtly hinted to Chen Fu that she disliked Jiang Qing and Chen Fu getting too close, but Chen Fu always just gave a perfunctory reply that she knew.
She told Chen Fu last time that Jiang Qing wasn't a good person, that everything she said and did was purposeful, and that she told Chen Fu not to trust Jiang Qing easily. What did Chen Fu say?
"I have my own plans."
Lu Xiaomi knew that Chen Fu didn't like her.
There is a stark difference between feigned flattery and genuine love. Lu Xiaomi has loved Chen Fu for so many years, and Chen Fu's pretense and probing are all exposed in front of Lu Xiaomi.
Chen Fu only treated her like a child.
Come to think of it, her purpose in transmigrating into the book was simply to make Chen Fu happy. So, at this moment, she should stand behind Chen Fu and Jiang Qing to offer her blessings. Besides, she was just an ordinary fan of Chen Fu. How could she take what happened in the fanfiction world seriously? Chen Fu and Jiang Qing are such a perfect match. Isn't Lu Xiaomi a fanfiction writer? She should sincerely wish Chen Fu well.
But what happened today made her realize that she wasn't so magnanimous after all, and she's in so much pain now that she feels like she's dying.
0413 offered her some haphazard comfort, saying, "Host, try to think positively. Maybe Chen Fu saw you when you barged in? Nobody's heart is made of stone. You've done so much for Chen Fu; she'll eventually feel your kindness."
...
The pent-up grievances turned into tears that kept flowing. 0413, still unanswered, continued talking to itself, saying, "Host, if you're really in pain, I can help you heal. 0505 has added a lot of overpowered skills to the favorability system; they're great value for money, you can exchange them for just three favorability points..."
As soon as 0413 finished speaking, the space in front of her suddenly distorted. Lu Xiaomi heard the clicking sound of high heels. 0505, in human form, walked gracefully from the other end of the passage. 0413 hurriedly climbed out of Lu Xiaomi's arms.
This is the second time Lu Xiaomi and 0505 have met since Lu Xiaomi transmigrated into the book. The last time was when Lu Xiaomi was severely out of character, and 0505 explained the system's punishment system to her.
0505 will only appear when the host makes a serious mistake.
Seeing 0505's solemn expression, 0413 jumped down from Lu Xiaomi's arms and tried to rub against 0505's trouser leg in a flattering manner, but was pulled up by the tail and held in someone's arms.
"Host, the system has conducted a second evaluation of your action of 'rushing into the fire to rescue Chen Fu' and has determined that this action is severely out of character. Since this action disrupted the development of the subsequent plot, the system may erase the memory of the character involved."
0413's expression gradually became complicated as 0505 spoke, and Lu Xiaomi suddenly took a step back.
"In other words, no one will remember that you saved Chen Fu."
Okay, okay.
The pent-up emotions caused her a dull pain in her lungs, and a sweet taste rose in her throat; she tasted blood.
Because of the system's constraints, everything she did for Chen Fu was ultimately in vain.
*
When Chen Fu woke up, she found herself lying in a hospital bed wearing a blue and white hospital gown. The shock had exhausted her, and a soreness and pain slowly spread from her limbs.
Little Bell came in carrying hot water, smiling broadly, and said, "Sister Fu, thanks to Brother Jiang for saving you today."
Chen Fu responded with an "oh".
Today, we really owe a debt of gratitude to Jiang Qing. In such a critical situation, he kicked open the wooden door. It was so dangerous at the time. Sister Fu, what do you think he must have felt then?
The little bell-wearing girl clasped her hands together in prayer, her eyes sparkling with countless tiny stars. She was clearly deeply moved by Jiang Qing's heroic rescue earlier that day.
"Really, Sister Fu, you have no idea how critical the situation was. The fire was burning so fiercely that no one dared to go in. When Brother Jiang saw it, he didn't even think twice, put on his protective suit and rushed in."
Chen Fu hummed in agreement, a slight warmth rising in her heart.
But there was something strange about this warmth, as if the little bell had done something wrong. Chen Fu had lost consciousness for a period of time before being rescued, and the hazy memories gave her a headache.
Something seems to be missing...
Where is CEO Lu?
Hearing this, Xiaolingdang was a little confused. She said, "Sister Fu, of course President Lu is at the company at this time."
"I heard the company has a very important meeting today, and CEO Lu is busy with it."