Warnings: Homophobic Characters, mentions of suicide, Past memories.

Once the doctors prescribe Shen Shanyuan to be impossibly cured, all hopes are lost. Although Shen Shanyuan’s name hasn’t been removed from the family’s genealogy, the relationship between the family has drifted far away. After everything that has happened, both sides have lost the trust and affection for each other. On the other side, Han Xiaowen is already considered a favorite and always accompany Prime Minister Han out in public.

It is easy to guess that Han Xiaowen is the root of Shen Shanyuan’s sickness and not surprising that the female lead is in it too. Han Xiaowen and Fan Qiang has become good friends, rather friends but more of a contract partner. One day, they stumble across each other at a teahouse and Fan Qiang has reach a hand to cooperate with Han Xiaowen for Zheng Huiqing’s support. They agree that Shen Shanyuan is a stumble blocking their path. Both sides decide to destroy this obstacle laying in the middle of the way. Han Xiaowen wants Shen Shanyuan out of the house so he can replace the latter’s status of being the next Prime Minister. Meanwhile Fan Qiang is obstructing the young master because Shen Shanyuan does not like the third prince, Zheng Huiqing. Shen Shanyuan sees Zhen Huiqing as one who’s not a dragon but a snake, not fit to wear the emperor’s robe or seated on the dragon throne. Prime Minister Han is neutral on both factors, but with Shen Shanyuan around the words might change because Shen Shanyuan is likely to support the seventh prince more. So, the plan is for Han Xiaowen to earn the Prime Minister’s favor then convince the father to support the third prince’s factor. However, this is all but speculations because Shen Shanyuan does not like any factor, much more to even pick a side.

The princes’ personality clashes with his but Shen Shanyuan is not a petty person. The seventh prince is a shy person, barely speaking and Shen Shanyuan isn’t one to open his mouth to lick his boots so the two avoids each other. The reason why he dislikes the third prince is because the latter has once hit on him! And it doesn’t stop then, Zheng Huiqing continues to shame him from behind. Out in view of the people, he is treated as air and even called embarrassing words saying he’s trying to seduce the third prince. Shen Shanyuan’s face turns ugly, it took everything in him not to go teach them a lesson. Seeing the beauty just purses his lips then walk away, they assume that they were right and the rumors started. Zheng Huiqing, to protect his reputation, acts righteous and sympathetic but you can see the hints of disgust knowing a man likes him. Shen Shanyuan becomes more inclusive and rarely goes outside, only coming out to take the imperial exams. He hopes he achieve a great honor to make his father proud. The young master walks in full of air with elegance and confidence to end up falling in a trap that marks the end of his dream.

Before Shen Shanyuan leaves this place, he has written a full set for the final imperial exams under Han Xiaowen’s pressure. That’s right, Han Xiaowen admits it was all his plan once Shen Shanyuan broke down about having a little time left to live. He broke the straw during his brother and friend’s in time of need. Shen Shanyuan’s eyes turn dull as if soulless and he no longer opens his small mouth to complain about the pain he had from the poison or the pain from being damaged inside and out by his most trusted person who should’ve always stand by his side, supporting him. Han Xiaowen reaching this high is from Shen Shanyuan’s work but of course, who would believe a person who had repeatedly cheat off a scholar’s paper? Who would believe an abandoned son who’s ill and had to live seclusively alone in the back courtyard of the whole mansion?

Liu Xu Yuan has come in time after the original body took the remaining pills on the desk after finishing the set off work for his brother. Shen Shanyuan has done so to ‘payback a debt’ for that brother of his. Liu Xu Yuan doesn’t understand their minds, what does the original body owes Han Xiaowen? Did he ask to be born into this despicable family? Did he bully or treated Han Xiaowen any worse than a brother should? Shen Shanyuan has never once look or care about the status between them, treating Han Xiaowen wholeheartedly only to be backstabbed. Liu Xu Yuan doesn’t know what Han Xiaowen had said for Shen Shanyuan to think he owes him something and needs to pay it back. Even if he does, he wouldn’t care and just think these people are muddled in the head.

Liu Xu Yuan can only sigh and try his best to help the owner of this body to rest peacefully up above. Although Liu Xu Yuan has turn apathetic from all the experiences he has to go through, this doesn’t mean he would just sit still and watch someone be wrongfully blamed. Liu Xu Yuan hates it. He hates seeing someone goes through the same experience as him with no strength to go against the rule, he could only grit his teeth and follow the orders. In the past world, Liu Xu Yuan has gone through billions of stars just to earn enough points for him to upgrade to an A rank. Once he reaches A rank, he gets the chance to make a deal with his system. Thinking of the old system, Liu Xu Yuan scoffs. Passing each rank, the system going with him always change but he never took the time to remember those systems. Why should he reminisce about the things that treated him as a livestock ready to be slaughtered?

The deal was that he had to exchange an item or a significance important stuff of his own to be able to get what he wants. Liu Xu Yuan once had to exchanged his pair of legs just to be able to avoid the plot of him being gangraped. Not to mention legs, he had been cut alive, hanged alive and even being eaten by the wolves and zergs. When he thought this couldn’t get any worse, the world’s plot would prove him otherwise. Liu Xu Yuan doesn’t hate the villain role he’s assigned rather he had grown to hate the oppressive struggle that strained his being. He felt nothing towards the protagonists, just the mindset that if they mess with him then he won’t be nice.

Nice? Liu Xu Yuan is never nice, the moment the system came to bound a contract with him, he kept asking why won’t he just be left alone and reincarnate in the next life? In this world, he even thought that if it was before then, the reason as to why he’s in this ailed body is because he had exchange years of the next life just to stay longer in the last world. Liu Xu Yuan covers his face in his hand, laughing bitterly. He had hidden all those dark memories all in the back of his head only to be reminded once again.

After he has reached rank S, he started noticing cracks in the space trapping him. Liu Xu Yuan did not feel happy or any joy over the viruses hacking in, his heart is cold and empty. He had felt excited, happy to confusion, irritation then tired, angered only to now be empty and lost any warmth to this journey of travelling. The cracks continue to break as more and more world Liu Xu Yuan succeeds in and his heart felt colder and emptier. Even at the S rank, they didn’t even let him go. The system would control his body if he doesn’t repeat the lines and follow the actions needed, Liu Xu Yuan asks what’s so good about him that they couldn’t even let him go after his death? When he reached A rank, he gets to make an exchange deal but for what? Only to feel more pain and fall to an endless abyss.

He can’t even leave, having to die over and over again. The more he passed his days, the less emotions penetrate his heart. Has it turn blue now? Is it still a pumping red color? He had been dead for thousands of years, what heart does he even have? Everything he thought of that awful experience, Liu Xu Yuan does not have any anger nor sadness on his face. He is more of a soulless doll, dead with no heart. He had lost his heart the moment he closes his eyes in the real world.

He had met Xiao Tong the moment the cracks smash the wall trapping him in. Xiao Tong has scanned his body and soul. Liu Xu Yuan pays the small thing no mind, letting it do anything it wants. This is just another system that will keep him entrapped. Does he have anymore right to abide his own principals?

The moment that red light flash and pasted itself in between his forehead, it was as if the pain and suffering he had for the centuries were washed away. With bones and marrow cleansed, his body is lighter and livelier. Liu Xu Yuan has forgotten all that apathetic mask from before, of course he would never ever forget those experiences he had to went through but he tried his best to keep still and not rack the other side’s dimension. If they want to play him, then he’ll give it to them. He just had to make the game more fun, after all. They love playing, right? Then, they would for sure love the game he has for them.

[Xiao Tong, get me a top grade 1 replenishing pill and 2 calming pills.]

[DrDrDr--- Status: Online. Checking available balance… Purchasing Replenishing pill (High Grade, A), Purchasing Calming Mind Pill (Double High Grade/ SS) Balance deducted -40 -20x2 --- Transaction transfer- …2%-…-7%-…10%! Transaction complete, Master please open your palm. The pills will drop right in between.]

[---DrDrDr--- Xiao Tong wishes Master’s an immortal health and quells all the evil energy surrounding master’s body and mind.]

[…rrr--- Dropping extra repelling pill--- constructive energy pills (Type: Internal)--- Balance deducted -80 -120 …rrr- Balance error--- No balance deducted! Purchase Complete! Thank you for shopping the system’s mall! If you have any feedbacks, please email the higher ups using the system’s database!]

Author’s Corner:

The systems before Xiao Tong all has monotonic, robotic voice. Xiao Tong is childish with a hint of playful teasing! Also Liu Xu Yuan isn’t in the right mind then, he just directly name the strange system as a little system haha! Ps: Liu Xu Yuan never names the other system, he never calls them they just come to him… well, it’s more like they can’t communicate. You know… AIs like actual bots. Not anything too advance or fantasy stuff… Don’t worry too much, it doesn’t matter much in the plot! Just to make it clear, Liu Xu Yuan only gets to OOC and travel any world he wants because the system had asked the upper’s authority and they agreed however the past systems he was not able to escape or had any rights to disagree. Just like this he thinks it’s because he chose to spent the rest of his life with his husband in the last world that’s why this world’s body is heavily ruined and damage, mostly having no vitality left to live. Again, these are just his dark speculations. Liu Xu Yuan is more cheerful once he’s bound with Xiao Tong however that doesn’t mean the past trauma doesn’t affect him. He just “chose to forget it”.

Ps: My exam’s this month so wish me luck! Enjoy reading and Happy New Years!!!