Chapter 714: Uncovering the Truth
The day finally broke.
It had been a long night, one where far too much had happened. The banquet at the Hilton, Shen Anyu and Ling Qingcheng's healing, Ren Zhacheng's nocturnal reconnaissance and subsequent capture, the utter extermination of the Yu Family, Shen Anyu's ambush and slaying of Qin Yuan…
Now, everything had returned to a semblance of peace.
A new day dawned, clear and cloudless.
In the well-known, high-end riverside residential area within Hangzhou's business district, residents gradually began to leave their homes, heading out for morning shopping or their daily commute to work.
But today, they immediately noticed something was different.
"Who is this guy?"
Their gazes were drawn to a man tied to a large tree directly in front of one of the main buildings. The residents were all taken aback.
Several men in black suits and sunglasses, looking like professional security, stood coolly nearby, pointing to a sign propped up next to the captive.
A few large, palm-sized characters were scrawled across it in stark, black ink.
TRESPASSING! MALICIOUS INTENT! INTENTIONAL ASSAULT! UNREPENTANT!
REN ZHACHENG, A SENIOR STUDENT AT HANGCHENG UNIVERSITY, AND AN INTERN AT LING GROUP!
Reading these damning words, the surrounding residents erupted into a flurry of shocked and animated discussion.
"Hangcheng University is a prestigious school, and an internship at the Ling Group is an excellent opportunity. I can't believe he'd throw that away to climb a wall and trespass into a private residence. Was he trying to steal something?"
"It's truly a shame. A top student, wasting such a promising future!"
"Didn't you read the rest? 'Intentional assault, unrepentant'! He must have been caught by security and decided to fight them instead of surrendering. With a top student like this, the greater their ability, the more harm they can cause."
"Pah! What scum!"
"Why haven't they sent him to the police station? Is it really appropriate to just tie him up here?"
"Hmph, people like him deserve to be tied up here. Let it be a lesson to him."
…
[Ding! Child of Destiny Ren Zhacheng's mentality has shattered! Destiny Value plundered: +9999!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Ren Zhacheng's defenses have been broken! Destiny Value plundered: +9999!]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Ren Zhacheng's reputation is in ruins! His destiny line has been severely impacted! Destiny Value plundered: +100,000!]
…
The surrounding crowd pointed and whispered, their voices thick with disdain and disgust.
Ren Zhacheng's defenses crumbled. His mind completely shattered.
He was socially dead.
He was the man with the Goddess Future Diary System! Wasn't he supposed to be the protagonist of this world? Shouldn't he be on the fast track to the pinnacle of life?
Yet here he was, tied to a tree, a spectacle for all to see, a humiliation almost worse than being paraded through the streets in ancient times.
"This big brother is so bad." A cute little girl with dimples poked her cheek, then spat disdainfully in Ren Zhacheng's direction, deepening his shame.
He wanted to explain, but how could he? The words wouldn't come, and even if they did, they would be meaningless.
The security guards nearby had already released the surveillance footage.
The video clearly showed him, under the cover of darkness, climbing into the Riverside Community. It clearly showed him fighting with the guards after being discovered.
The evidence was crystal clear, leaving no room for refutation.
No one would believe that Ren Zhacheng had snuck in late at night to perform a good deed; they would only assume the worst, that he harbored malicious intent.
And he couldn't possibly explain that he was trying to intercept President Ling. Doing so would mean exposing his greatest secret, his Golden Finger—the Goddess Future Diary System.
At this moment, Ren Zhacheng felt utterly despondent.
Originally, reading President Ling's future diary had filled him with anticipation and excitement. But now, not only had he failed to intercept her, but he had also fallen spectacularly from grace.
The fate awaiting him was certain: disciplinary action from Hangcheng University and immediate expulsion from the Ling Group.
Once he was fired from the Ling Group, how could he ever get close to Ling Qingcheng or He Yiyi again?
But that was nothing.
Ren Zhacheng, armed with his Goddess Future Diary System, was confident that he could rise again, even if he were expelled from both his university and his internship.
If he could control the future, couldn't he control everything?
But there was one crucial question, one dreadful thought that Ren Zhacheng dared not dwell on. President Ling had been drugged by the Yu Family's Second Young Master and left with a man. What had happened during the rest of that night?
Ren Zhacheng didn't even need to guess; he could simply look in the Goddess Future Diary.
Today was August 23rd. He could see tomorrow's entry, for the 24th.
It was written there in black and white. His goddess, President Ling, had her most precious treasure taken by her best friend Zhang Yaqian's man. Worse, she was now feeling conflicted, apparently developing feelings for him.
'No, no, it can't be true! It can't be!' Ren Zhacheng prayed silently, desperately. 'The butterfly effect! My unexpected arrival must have changed things! There has to be a butterfly effect!'
The thought of President Ling being with another man… that kind of thing couldn't happen. A choked sob caught in his throat.
At this very moment, in the luxurious penthouse on the top floor of the Riverside Community, Shen Anyu stood by the floor-to-ceiling window. A faint smile played on his lips as he watched Ren Zhacheng tied to the tree below, savoring the wonderful expression on the Child of Destiny's face.
Wanting to coerce He Yiyi? Wanting to intercept Ling Qingcheng? In his dreams.
This Child of Destiny, Ren Zhacheng, possessed a very powerful Golden Finger. The Goddess Future Diary System, the ability to see the future, gave him limitless potential for growth. From the background appraisal, Shen Anyu knew that in the original timeline, Ren Zhacheng eventually even obtained Nuwa's Goddess Diary. His power was truly impressive.
Unfortunately for him, Ren Zhacheng had fallen into Shen Anyu's sights at the very beginning of his journey. He was destined never to grow.
Once Shen Anyu accumulated two million destiny value, he would devour the system whole.
It was Qin Yuan, that Child of Destiny lurking in the shadows with an incredibly mysterious identity, who concerned Shen Anyu more.
'Many things in this world aren't necessarily as complicated as they seem,' he mused. 'Perhaps if you peel back enough layers of mist, you'll find the connections between them.'
'Look past the phenomenon to see the essence. Perhaps some truths can be discovered that way.'
'Corpse Puppets… the Celestial Corpse Refining Divine Method… the Jing River Corpse Fisher… Perhaps they can all be linked.'
Shen Anyu's eyes flickered with insight. From Long Hao's memories, he knew that the Jing River Corpse Fisher was a prominent figure in the future, very likely another Child of Destiny. And if he was a Child of Destiny, he was an obstacle Shen Anyu would have to deal with.
Corpse Fisher, Corpse Puppet, Celestial Corpse Refining Divine Method… all of them were related to corpses.
Making a bold assumption, to be verified with caution later, Shen Anyu guessed that this Qin Yuan was very likely the Jing River Corpse Fisher. Killed by Shen Anyu before his rebirth, he had now returned for revenge.
Of course, this was just a hypothesis. He had insufficient evidence and clues to confirm it. It was entirely possible that this was just another wild Child of Destiny who had emerged from the woodwork.
'Matters involving the Children of Destiny have too many variables, too much fog. This, however, is much simpler.'
Shen Anyu's gaze shifted away from Ren Zhacheng below. He left the floor-to-ceiling window and returned to the bedroom.
The silk quilt on the bed outlined a graceful, alluring curve, hinting at the exquisite body beneath that would drive any ordinary man wild with imagination.
Shen Anyu's lips curled into a pleasant arc.
'Whether it's black silk, white silk, or fishnet, once you peel back the layers, the truth is revealed: a delicate, graspable, utterly exquisite foot. This is very easy to verify.'
As Shen Anyu's large hand slipped under the warm silk quilt, a beautiful foot, like a sculpture of crystal-white jade, fell into his palm.
He clearly felt the owner of the foot tremble at his touch.
His smile grew wider. He playfully traced a line along her sole with his pinky finger.
"President Ling, aren't you going to wake up?" Shen Anyu chuckled. "It's almost noon."
"Shen Anyu, you… you get out!"
Ling Qingcheng had intended to feign sleep, but it was clearly impossible now. Her voice was laced with exasperation as she gave a half-hearted kick with her beautiful foot.
"You see, now you're getting impatient. Alright, alright, I'll go."
Shen Anyu smiled, gently covered her again with the silk quilt, and quietly left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
About five or six minutes after he left, Ling Qingcheng's head finally emerged from beneath the covers. Her eyes scanned the room, and seeing that Shen Anyu was truly gone, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, Ling Qingcheng stared at the ceiling, her beautiful eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions, her face a mask of worry.
"It's over. How am I going to explain this to Yaqian now? Can she ever forgive me?"
And there was another thing, something that worried her even more.
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