Chapter 298: The Broken Youth! Encountering the Reborn Protagonist!
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Liu Ruyan's favorability +1. Reward: Plundered +3,000 Destiny Value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Liu Ruyan's favorability +3. Reward: Plundered +9,000 Destiny Value!]
...
Shen Anyu sat on the edge of his bed, listening to the hurried footsteps fading down the hallway.
"This woman... she just needs a good thrashing to be honest."
His eyes flashed with an amused smile as he imagined the usually imperious Queen of the Capital fleeing in a panic, her face flushed red. His expression was relaxed, savoring the victory.
However, playtime was over. He should attend to serious matters now. He would let Liu Ruyan off for the time being; the seed had been planted, and it would germinate on its own.
"Wen Feifei... Lu Xiuhan... hmm..."
Shen Anyu leaned back, his fingers tapping rhythmically on his knee, lost in thought.
The new chess pieces had arrived on the board.
Wen Feifei, a [Destined Heroine] equipped with an [Entertainment Domination System]. Although Shen Anyu hadn't paid much attention to her initially, a system user was always a variable.
Compared to Zheng Qingqing, the [Daughter of Destiny] he met before who possessed the terrifying [Male God Strategy System] and the overwhelmingly domineering [Love-at-First-Sight Aura], Wen Feifei's system seemed considerably weaker. It focused on acting skills and popularity rather than mind control.
"At least it is weaker currently," Shen Anyu mused. "But systems evolve. Perhaps once it matures, it won't be inferior to Zheng Qingqing's, or it might even surpass it. I need to keep an eye on her growth rate."
As for Lu Xiuhan... this [Child of Destiny] was interesting.
He fit the classic "Domineering CEO" archetype from female-oriented romance novels perfectly. He was the CEO of the Lu Corporation, a leading entertainment conglomerate in Modu, and the heir to a trillion-yuan wealthy family. He was handsome, cold, possessive, and rich.
"It's getting cold... the Lu Family should go bankrupt..." Shen Anyu muttered the classic line with a chuckle.
However, he shook his head. He had a different idea in mind.
Since this was a "Comprehensive Novel World," many characters and plotlines were fused together like a complex tapestry.
Just like Su Hongmian. She was originally the third female lead in the [Country Divine Doctor] novel (Xia Liu's harem). But she was also the fiancée responsible for the annulment in the upcoming [Wasted Talent Annulment] story arc. Was she the Villainess Number One? Or Number Two?
The "Chuan Shu Martial Arts Tournament" on the fifteenth of this month—where Su Hongmian and her cousin Su Wanqing were preparing to publicly annul the engagement with a "wasted" protagonist—was only about ten days away.
Shen Anyu was extremely curious about what type of [Child of Destiny] that "Wasted Talent" character would turn out to be.
Was he a System-based riser? An "Old Man in the Ring" mentor type? Or perhaps a "Great Power Reincarnation" type?
He had sent elite scouts to investigate carefully, but his subordinates reported detecting a "terrifying, ancient aura" protecting the target. To avoid alerting the enemy prematurely, they did not investigate further.
"Lu Xiuhan... with his classic Domineering CEO setting, might also be a nexus point. He could connect me to other hidden [Daughters of Destiny]."
Shen Anyu didn't plan to kill him immediately. He wanted to leave him as a visible clue, or rather, bait.
Of course, if Lu Xiuhan was foolish enough to provoke Shen Anyu directly, then he would indeed let the Lu Family go bankrupt before breakfast.
However, Shen Anyu doubted that would happen. Unless Lu Xiuhan was affected by a [Brain-Dead Aura] forced by the plot, he wouldn't dare to bare his fangs at Shen Anyu.
Why? Because Lu Xiuhan knew who Shen Anyu was.
Previously, when Shen Anyu first arrived in Modu and hosted a welcome banquet, the Lu Corporation had sent a representative. That representative was Lu Xiuhan himself.
They had met once before.
At that time, in front of Shen Anyu, Lu Xiuhan showed no trace of his legendary "domineering" or "cold" demeanor. Instead, he was gentle, refined, and humble, making people feel at ease. He toasted Shen Anyu with respect and kept his head lowered.
Clearly, Lu Xiuhan, the heir of the Lu Corporation, having received an elite education, was no fool. He knew the hierarchy. The Shen Family of the Capital was a dragon; the Lu Family of Modu was merely a snake.
"Harmony brings wealth," Shen Anyu thought. "There's not much genuine domineering behavior in the high-level business world. Only idiots make enemies of those stronger than them."
"Perhaps he is domineering towards subordinates, actors, or those of lower status to satisfy his ego. But towards peers? Or higher status? He knows how to kneel."
Shen Anyu checked the holographic feed from the [Nanometer Monitoring Robot] he had left on Wen Feifei's clothes.
The feed showed that Wen Feifei was still in that film crew. The director, sweating profusely, had specifically asked her to return and arranged a supporting role with significant screen time for her. She was no longer just an extra.
And the director also relayed a message: CEO Lu Xiuhan was not angry about the shoe incident. He told Wen Feifei to relax and work hard.
Wen Feifei didn't want to miss this opportunity, so she went to the film crew with trepidation, walking into the lion's den.
"Lu Xiuhan is playing the long game," Shen Anyu analyzed. "He's developing an interest in Wen Feifei. The classic 'Woman, you caught my attention' trope."
"It just so happens that I'm free today. I'll go see the film crew as well. It seems to be some kind of fantasy epic with an investment of five hundred million. I'll go take a look at my investment... and my prey."
Shen Anyu went downstairs.
The living room was quiet. Liu Ruyan had already fled the scene of her embarrassment. Aunt An Zhiyue had left a note on the table, stating she had an urgent mission from the Martial Alliance and reminding Shen Anyu to "treat Ruyan well."
Only the little maid Ruan Lingshan and the new apprentice Yang Luoluo were there. Both girls were blushing furiously, avoiding Shen Anyu's gaze.
Apparently, the soundproofing wasn't that good, or their martial senses were too sharp. They had likely heard the commotion upstairs.
Shen Anyu, being thick-skinned, didn't mind. He smiled casually.
"I have something to go out for. I'll be back later."
"Luo Luo, I'll continue to guide your practice when I get back tonight. Be ready."
Yang Luoluo's eyes lit up with anticipation despite her shyness. She nodded like a pecking chick.
"Mhm! Mhm! Master Brother! Luo Luo will wait for you to come back! I will warm up!"
...
Afterward, Shen Anyu picked a "low-profile" car from the garage—a convertible Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse in matte black—and drove towards the film and television base near Modu.
The engine roared like a beast, tearing down the coastal highway.
As he was driving, Shen Anyu's eyes suddenly lit up. He slowed the car down, showing an expression of keen interest.
On the bicycle lane parallel to the highway, a young girl was pedaling a shared bicycle with effort.
Fine beads of sweat gleamed on her fair forehead like diamonds. Her small face was flushed pink from the exertion and the sea breeze. Her ink-black long hair fluttered in the wind, carrying a visual scent of purity and youth.
What made Shen Anyu's eyes light up was not just her struggle, but how extraordinarily beautiful this young girl was.
Her face was peerlessly beautiful. Her sparkling eyes had long, fluttering eyelashes that looked like butterfly wings. Her nose was straight and delicate, and her lips were rosy like cherry blossoms.
She was as beautiful as an angel descended to the mortal world, untainted by a single speck of dust. Pure. Flawless. Radiant.
Even in a plain, cheap blue high school tracksuit, her celestial beauty could not be concealed. It was a beauty that transcended clothing and status.
By Shen Anyu's strict standards, she would score at least 9.8 points. A top-tier beauty.
If netizens were to score her, it would definitely be a binary choice: Perfect Score or Nothing. She was the kind of girl who became the "White Moonlight" of an entire generation.
"Such a beautiful girl... has no reason not to be a [Destined Heroine], or possibly even a [Daughter of Destiny]," Shen Anyu thought, his hunter instincts flaring.
He became interested. The Bugatti Veyron slowed to a crawl, matching the bicycle's speed.
The girl pedaled her bicycle with effort, panting slightly as she shouted ahead:
"Lin Xiang! Wait for me! I'm so tired... I can't pedal anymore..."
"Susan! Why are you cycling so slowly? Do you want me to teach you how to ride properly?"
Ahead of her, a handsome young man riding a mountain bike turned back. He had a wild and uninhibited expression, his smile brash and confident.
Although he teased her, the young man's speed also slowed down immediately. His gaze towards the girl held an almost imperceptible tenderness and deep admiration—a look that spoke of a long history.
A sweet smile also bloomed on the girl's peerlessly beautiful face when she saw him wait.
A passerby walking on the sidewalk sighed, looking at the couple.
"Ah... this is love. This is youth..."
His expression was filled with nostalgia, as if recalling his own youthful days, running in the sunset, and the missed childhood sweetheart he never confessed to.
The young man and girl, hearing the comment, both blushed at the same time. They secretly glanced at each other, electricity crackling in the air, then quickly looked down, shy and happy.
Shen Anyu watched this scene from his convertible. He also sighed, his voice melodious.
"Naive and innocent love. How wonderful. So beautiful... so pure... that one can't bear to destroy it."
Shen Anyu shook his head, a cruel, playful smile slowly spreading on his lips.
"But... beautiful things are also quite interesting when they break. The sound of shattering glass is music to my ears."
He looked at the boy. There was something... off about him. His confidence was too high for a high schooler. His eyes held a maturity that didn't match his age.
"System, identify!"
[Ding! Congratulations to the host, for spending 10,000 Destiny Value, successfully used the son of destiny identifier to identify Lin Xiang!]
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