Liang Yu had once been the protagonist of a fast-paced novel. He'd played his role conscientiously from beginning to end, doing his utmost to guide the male lead to victory. But in all that world, what had he gained? No payment. No return to reality. No handsome leading man or devoted wife to care for him.
One day, without warning, his system vanished. The world dissolved, and he found himself cast into a dark, empty void—nothing but gray fog stretching in every direction. He screamed. He ran. He tried to claw his way out, but there was nowhere to go.
Occasionally, two shafts of light pierced the gloom. Through each, he glimpsed a glowing notebook screen—text-editing software. A woman's slender fingers tapped at the keyboard, and, line by line, his name scrolled onto the page. From the words she typed, he learned a truth more terrible than any monster: he was nothing more than a character in a novel. A cannon-fodder role, discarded when the author—who clearly had no mercy—grew bored.
This revelation shattered Liang Yu's world. His sense of self, his purpose, even his sanity nearly unraveled. He seethed with rage, fantasizing about bursting into the author's mind and strangling her. Yet, as the fury burned itself out, a sliver of clarity remained. If he felt real, if he suffered, then—cogito ergo sum—he must be alive in some way.
So he waited. Time lost meaning in that endless gray. Just as despair threatened to swallow him whole, a pale blue interface appeared before him.
[Hello, Host. I am your new system, Ziyue. From this moment on, I will serve you sincerely!]
Liang Yu swallowed the surge of hope. "Where is my original system? What the hell is going on?" he snarled.
[Uh… there was a bug in the last system. It's being repaired. For now, Ziyue is your replacement…]
"Bug?" Liang Yu scoffed. "You mean you've locked me in this dark tomb forever."
[My apologies, Host. To make amends, your status is upgraded: you're now the second male lead in each world. Your mission is simpler: dismantle the CP and bend the male lead. Complete your tasks, and you'll regain your reality—and your system—without ever facing another bug.]
Liang Yu's tension eased. He still had a chance. "Fine. Let's begin." If he ended up cannon fodder again, he swore he'd claw his way out of the author's mind and finish her for good.
[Thank you for your cooperation!]
[Ding… loading new world data…]
[Ding… data load complete. Fusion with host body finished. Welcome to the first world: "The President's Cool-Handsome Crazy Bully." Details available on request. Good luck!]
The darkness faded. Liang Yu blacked out for a moment, then opened his eyes to bright sunlight streaming through a car window.
"Second Young Master, we'll arrive shortly," the driver called from the front seat.
Liang Yu said nothing. He summoned the system interface and checked the plot outline:
Six years ago, heroine Sophie had abandoned the male lead, Murong Ling. Now she'd returned with a child—his purported son—and begged Murong Ling to save the boy. Step by step, she wormed her way back into his life, reigniting old flames until, astonishingly, she won him over completely. The protagonist's halo gleamed brighter than ever—and Liang Yu's interference was coming just in time.
Tonight, Murong Ling would drown his memories in a bar. The prelude to their sadomasochistic dance would begin with his stumbling out drunk—exactly when Liang Yu would strike.
Liang Yu's lips curved. He'd finally get to challenge this cold-hearted male lead in person.
The car rolled to a stop outside a dimly lit bar. Liang Yu paid the driver and stepped onto the pavement under a flickering streetlamp.
[Warm reminder: target strategy icon has appeared ahead!]
Liang Yu turned his head. A tall man in a crisp white shirt lurched from the bar's doorway, unsteady on his feet, clearly drunk. Murong Ling lurched forward as the world spun. He stumbled—but strong arms caught him at the waist, lifting him back upright.
Murong Ling frowned, disoriented. He tossed a key to the supposed valet. "I'm drunk. Take me home…"
Liang Yu stifled a grin. The game had begun.