TSVSFL 08

Chapter 08

Set Up by the System

It was Chu Zilan!

Ding Li’s heart raced. She felt like she had uncovered a shocking secret.

So this was the origin of Xiao Wenjing and Chu Zilan’s relationship!

No wonder Xiao Wenjing loved Chu Zilan so deeply. It wasn’t just some “second male lead must love the female lead” trope—they had met long ago, sharing a past together!

That’s why Xiao Wenjing would clear every obstacle for her, and anyone who dared harm Chu Zilan would pay a hundredfold.

That’s why, when he suspected Ding Li might threaten Chu Zilan, he risked himself to take her away.

That’s why his first instinct in the illusion was to kill Ding Li—the intruder.

No wonder…

In the original novel, Xiao Wenjing had very little screen time, reduced to a flat character.

But now Ding Li realized—

In a book, characters might seem two-dimensional. But once inside the story, they were real—flesh-and-blood individuals.

Everyone had their own story, their own cause and effect.

And now, she herself had become part of that chain.

But…

Looking at the scene, Ding Li felt puzzled.

Chu Zilan was alive and thriving, a top disciple of the Cangshan Sect, destined to meet Lu Qianchuan. That was a beautiful outcome.

So why was this memory Xiao Wenjing’s fear?

Shouldn’t his greatest fear be losing Chu Zilan to Lu Qianchuan?

Ding Li didn’t understand.

Beside her, Xiao Wenjing remained expressionless, watching coldly.

But when he saw the young Chu Zilan appear, his expression changed slightly.

Suddenly, he raised his hand. A small bronze compass appeared in his palm.

It was identical to the one in the young Xiao Wenjing’s hand.

At that moment, the compass in the child’s hand vanished—and reappeared in Xiao Wenjing’s.

The two overlapped.

In an instant, the space twisted violently.

Everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Wenjing’s cold voice rang out beside her:

“You’re mistaken. The one who feared that moment… was only the me back then.”

In the next second, his sword pierced the heart of the demon vine—

—

The scene shifted again—

Back in the mist-filled forest, the towering demon vine roared in fury as its core was pierced. Countless vines whipped wildly in the air.

Xiao Wenjing did not retreat. His sword shone even brighter, as if tearing through the mist and opening a new sky.

A blinding flash—

And the demon vine withered instantly.

All the vines shrank back and turned yellow.

The dense fog vanished, revealing the bright moon above.

When the two returned to the city—

All the vine threads in the sky had disappeared.

The ones inside the townspeople’s bodies also vanished with the death of the demon vine.

The people looked at each other in confusion, not understanding why they were on the streets or in such a state.

But soon, they realized they had been freed from the illusion.

Remembering the pain and terror, they erupted in joy—cheering, crying, even kneeling in gratitude.

On the other side of the street, Chu Zilan and Lu Qianchuan stood waiting.

As soon as Xiao Wenjing landed, he rushed toward Chu Zilan. “Are you alright?”

Chu Zilan shook her head. “Are you injured?”

Xiao Wenjing smiled. “No. I’m fine.”

Heh.

Behind him, Ding Li rolled her eyes.

“No~ problem~ at~ all~.”

Lu Qianchuan turned to Ding Li, looking slightly apologetic. “Miss Ding, are you hurt?”

Ding Li replied coldly, “No. I’m fine.”

Lu Qianchuan: “……”

He smiled awkwardly. “That’s good.”

Before he could say more—

A violent wind suddenly swept through the sky.

A blinding flash tore across the night—

“Boom!”

A bolt of lightning struck down with terrifying precision—

Directly onto Ding Li.

Damn… I’ve been set up…

That was her last thought before everything went black.

—

The same roof.

The same beams.

The same—

Ding Li slowly turned her head.

“You’re awake?”

Chu Zilan sat by the table. Lu Qianchuan stood by the bed, concern in his eyes.

Ding Li felt like every bone in her body had been whipped a thousand times. Her skin felt burned raw. Even her throat hurt too much to speak.

She raised her arm—

Wrapped in thick bandages.

She was basically a mummy.

Damn… I’m charred…

Only one thought remained:

System, f** you.*

She closed her eyes in despair.

Lu Qianchuan stepped forward, wanting to speak, then sighed heavily.

Chu Zilan remained silent.

Suddenly, Ding Li remembered something. Gathering her strength, she croaked:

“…Water…”

“Okay, okay—water.” Lu Qianchuan quickly poured a cup and helped her sit up.

Just as he was about to feed her—

A hand suddenly reached out and snatched the cup away.