The system’s solution for setting the plot straight was to have the female lead write a plot revision manual by hand.
It was something the system had retrieved from headquarters—how exactly it got it, the system told Chu Luyu not to worry about. All that mattered was that once the manual was completed, the storyline and the development of the male and female leads would be completely restored.
The manual was about seven pages long, formatted like a script used in film production—with columns for time, location, and characters, all left blank to be filled in manually.
Once all seven pages of revised plot were written, the world would change, along with the memories of its key characters.
Chu Luyu was a bit confused and asked the system: [Cuihua, why does it have to take seven days? Can’t I just write it all at once?]
System Cuihua: [I’m trying to buy you a few more days of close time with the male lead, aren’t I? Besides, if a world’s development suddenly undergoes a massive upheaval all at once, it could easily collapse. But if the plot is altered little by little, the transition will be much smoother.]
Chu Luyu understood the system’s explanation. Finally, feeling a bit down, she asked: [So if I start writing this plot revision manual tomorrow, does that mean every day after that, I’ll see the male lead gradually grow to dislike me more and more?]
The system seemed caught off guard by the question. After a long pause, it replied: [How about this—I’ll create an electronic dreamscape for you and the male lead. Basically, I’ll use data to build an identical parallel space for you. Your primary consciousnesses will go there, while your bodies in the plot world will be temporarily replaced by programs. Once you start revising the plot with the manual, ‘they’ will be controlled for seven days until the storyline is fully restored to its original trajectory. When the time’s up, your primary consciousnesses will return, and the male lead’s memories from the dreamscape will be wiped clean. Then he’ll act according to the revised plot—developing the proper aversion toward you as the supporting female character. At that point, you just pack your things and leave. Hmm… how should I put it? Even though you’ll still have to face the moment when the male lead completely turns cold on you, it’s bound to be better than watching him gradually hate you more day by day, right?]
Chu Luyu was full of gratitude: [Cuihua, thank you. Every time I’ve faced trouble or difficulty since coming to this world, you’ve been the one to help me solve it. Thank you. Really, thank you.]
The system chuckled and simply said: [You’re my host—it’s only natural that I look out for you.]
Chu Luyu wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but she felt the system had been a bit down lately. Taking the chance, she asked: [Cuihua, I get the feeling you haven’t been very happy these past few days. You look kind of heavy, like you’re carrying some burden.]
The system was quiet for a couple of seconds before replying: [Well, the plot of a world I’m overseeing completely fell apart—of course I wouldn’t be in a great mood. Ah, don’t overthink it. This has nothing to do with you. You don’t need to worry about me. Just focus on making the most of the remaining days you have with the male lead—because after this, you’ll only have seven days left together.]
After the system said that, it was Chu Luyu’s turn to fall silent.
She and Jiang Hezhou finally made it back to the city around two in the morning. They’d called Chen Mian and Chu Fanyin on the way to let them know they were safe. Chu Fanyin, no longer worried, had gone to bed early, while Chen Mian had retreated to his room to secretly play games.
Chu Fanyin had left them food, including some uncooked dumplings. When they got home, Jiang Hezhou rolled up his sleeves, washed his hands, and went to the kitchen to cook the dumplings.
Chu Luyu was told to sit nicely at the table and wait for her meal. Watching the man’s back, she couldn’t help feeling a pang of sadness at the thought that they only had seven more days like this.
During the meal, she naturally couldn’t help being distracted. Jiang Hezhou sat beside her, serving her a bowl of dumplings and letting them cool before pushing it toward her. He turned his head and looked at her.
“What are you thinking about?”
Chu Luyu pursed her lips and shook her head, then looked at him. “Jiang Hezhou, after we finish eating, let’s go home.”
The man looked surprised but nodded in agreement. “Alright.”
After the meal, Chu Luyu knocked on Chen Mian’s door to let him know. He was in the middle of an intense team fight and barely registered what she said, brushing her off with a half-hearted “Okay, okay, sure, sure.” By the time they’d driven quite a distance away, his call came through.
“What’s going on? Where are you guys? I just finished my game and was going to come out and have a bite with you two, but when I opened the door, the living room lights were off and your room was empty! Did you go out again?”
Chu Luyu sighed helplessly. “You really don’t listen to anyone when you’re gaming, do you? I told you—we were going home.”
“Why would you suddenly leave in the middle of the night? Didn’t you say you’d stay until New Year’s Day?”
Chu Luyu didn’t know how to explain, so she simply replied: “Something came up. Don’t ask anymore. I’ll come back after the seventh.”
“Alright, fine.”
After the call ended, Jiang Hezhou, who had been silent the whole time, suddenly asked: “Why wait until after the seventh to go back? We don’t have anything else going on lately. If you miss Auntie and Xiaomian, we can go visit them anytime. And also—why did you only say ‘I’ and not ‘we’?”
This man was far too perceptive. Chu Luyu hadn’t expected that a casual slip of the tongue would be picked apart so easily by him.
She couldn’t explain, so she could only brush it off with nonsense.
“Because before the seventh, I want to spend time alone with you! This is our first Spring Festival together! I want to save more time for just the two of us—is that not okay? And as for ‘I’ versus ‘we,’ that was just a slip of the tongue. Why are you nitpicking?” Chu Luyu pretended to be upset and shot him a glare. “I’m not one of your suspects at the bureau!”
Jiang Hezhou could tell the girl was saying these things on purpose, but he didn’t press further. Still, the look in his eyes darkened unconsciously.
When they got home, before the lights could even be turned on, Chu Luyu was pinned against the wall from behind.
She was pressed against the wall, both wrists locked behind her back by one large hand. The disparity in height and strength left her with no chance to resist. The next second, her chin was gripped tightly, and the man behind her forced her head to turn sideways.
When his lips clamped down hard on hers, Chu Luyu let out an uncomfortable whimper. Kissing in this position was truly awkward—the person behind her had complete control and dominance, leaving her no choice but to tilt her head back and endure.
“Jiang Hezhou, it’s uncomfortable…”
The man regained some of his composure. Without a word, he stepped back, scooped Chu Luyu up, and carried her all the way to the bathroom.
Her clothes ended up discarded at the bathroom door. When the hot water came pouring down, Jiang Hezhou still held her face and kissed her fiercely. She didn’t know what had suddenly come over him—all she felt was the suffocating mix of the steamy water pouring over her and his overwhelming, unyielding presence that refused to let her retreat even an inch.
At this moment, their bodies were pressed tightly together. She could feel the heat and tension radiating from him. After a long while, he finally released her.
“Are you still thinking about leaving me?”
Chu Luyu froze for a moment, then numbly lied: “No.”
“Better be that way.”
Jiang Hezhou leaned down to kiss her again. He relished the feeling of their lips and tongues intertwining—the mingling of their breath and saliva made him feel like he still truly had her.
“Baby, I can’t bear the pain of losing you anymore. I’ve already lost too much—too many things. I don’t want to, and I won’t, let you escape from me again.”
Chu Luyu lowered her eyes, the bitter and aching emotions hidden beneath her long, wet lashes. She replied with a soft “Okay,” but in her heart, she thought: In seven days, you won’t feel this way anymore.
When they went to sleep, Jiang Hezhou held her tightly from behind. The pitch-black night completely enveloped the room. In the darkness, he peppered her nape with small kisses. She squirmed at the ticklish sensation, but he gave her no chance to escape, his arms firmly locking her in front of him.
“Baby, say you love me.”
Chu Luyu answered without hesitation: “I love you.”
“Say you won’t leave me.”
“…I won’t leave you.”
“Now say you like me.”
Hearing that, Chu Luyu struggled to turn around in his arms, facing him in the darkness. She fumbled to cup his face in her hands.
Beneath her palms, she could feel the taut skin and sharp bone structure. She tilted her head up to look at those eyes, wide open in the dim darkness, and held his gaze without moving.
“Jiang Hezhou, I like you—really, really like you. You’re the most outstanding and perfect man I’ve ever met, and the person who treats me the best in this world. So I hope your life will always go smoothly, and that your future will be nothing but bright.”
In the dark, she reached out to trace his features—his brows, his eyes, the bridge of his nose, his lips… She wanted to etch her lover’s face into her memory at this moment, her heart overflowing with reluctance.
After a moment, she spoke again, every word carrying a depth of feeling that only she could fully understand: “Jiang Hezhou, your days ahead will be wonderful—full of flowers and splendor, with loved ones and friends always by your side.”
The man lowered his head and kissed her forehead. His deep, magnetic voice came from above: “As long as you’re here, every day is wonderful.”
Chu Luyu curved her lips into a smile. But as she smiled, her eyes suddenly grew damp. She didn’t dare say anything more, afraid Jiang Hezhou would notice her state. So she reached out her arms and hugged the man back.
“Let’s sleep. If we don’t sleep soon, the sun will be up.”
The two held each other tightly in the darkness. Chu Luyu felt like she’d only just fallen asleep when suddenly she heard a voice calling out by her ear—
“Baby, time to get up. It’s already noon. If you sleep any longer, your days and nights will get flipped again.”
Chu Luyu groggily opened her eyes. The room was flooded with bright daylight—not a trace of night remained.
She was puzzled. She’d only just fallen asleep—how could it be the next day already? Then suddenly, a thought shot through her mind, and she realized belatedly—
She and Jiang Hezhou had already entered the electronic dreamscape the system had mentioned?!
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