The world had fallen silent.
Even the wind seemed unchanged, yet the entire world had shifted.
The original core logic sustaining this world had fully unraveled, and the behavior patterns based on the heroine’s presence were gradually vanishing.
Ruan Jiaojiao was still alive.
But with the deaths of key characters, including the male protagonist, the entire story’s structure could no longer sustain itself.
Public opinion across the internet had naturally turned realistic without any outside manipulation. News of Ruan Jiaojiao’s severe paralysis and the deaths of Hortes and the Ruan family members sparked endless outrage.
Even the Ruan family’s long-hidden laboratory and the dark underground casino that had evaded detection despite the Ruan Group’s collapse were discovered by the government of Country Y.
It turned out that, without the influence of “halo effects,” the world could be so clear.
“What a relief! Why didn’t I see how disgusting Hortez and the Ruan family were before? Thinking back, it’s obvious something wasn’t right—so gross!”
“Really? The Ruan family was kidnapped by Hortes? That’s insane. I heard their bodies were so mutilated after they died that the photos couldn’t even be published!”
“Serves them right! Take a look at Country Y’s newly released statement—apparently, they uncovered an old lab hidden behind an underground casino. The Ruan family was conducting some messed-up human experiments there.”
“Ugh, how twisted…”
“The lab was covered by an underground casino with a freak show! I saw it once and threw up—none of the people looked human. Some had missing limbs, some were burnt or disfigured, others had their eyes gouged out or tongues ripped out. There were so many, all caged like animals. Many looked like they’d been experimented on. It was beyond disturbing.”
“Oh my god… I can feel my skin crawling.”
“I’ve known about the Ruan Group’s cruelty for ages. It was common knowledge in high circles that people who crossed them would end up there. Some even paid Mr. Ruan to trap their enemies. Their fates were as horrifying as you’d expect.”
“This is sickening. They deserve what they got, every bit of it!”
“But isn’t Ruan Jiaojiao still alive? And so is Master Ruan Yanzheng. How can this be justice?”
“Ruan Yanzheng’s body was found at Hortes’ residence in Country F. It shows how these elite figures play by different rules—even as they fall, they cling to privilege. But using it to escape only led to an incomplete, brutal death.”
“It’s all so twisted… And that Ruan Jiaojiao—a ‘queen of innocence,’ beloved by Marceau. Looks like she’ll still have a charmed life. The universe has no justice!”
…
Would Ruan Jiaojiao have an easy life?
Not necessarily.
At that moment, Ruan Jiaojiao awoke from nightmares, finding herself lying in a hospital bed. The high-end décor, the blonde nurses, and the writing on the wall all told her that she’d made it out.
She’d been saved!
She had left that horrible place and returned to Country M!
A wave of joy surged through her heart, and she instantly began envisioning a beautiful future.
Her eyes softened with excitement as her heart raced, but then she looked around and realized the person who should have been at her side was missing.
Brother Marceau…
Where was her Brother Marceau?!
She felt no real pain apart from a few scratches on her face, so she assumed her injuries weren’t serious.
But even so, Brother Marceau should have been by her side!
Tears filled Ruan Jiaojiao’s eyes, and she felt a surge of grievance and anger. She resolved to have a word with Marceau when he visited to explain his absence.
Yet…
The day passed, and Marceau never came.
“Didn’t you tell Brother Marceau that I was awake? Did you not tell him?!”
She snapped at the doctor who came to check on her, but the doctor only glanced at her with a brief pause.
Then, turning to the nurse, he asked, “She doesn’t know her condition, does she?”
“No, she woke up in tears, sometimes seeming sad, happy. I wonder if she might be experiencing mental instability.”
The nurse’s expression was stone-cold.
“You…!”
Ruan Jiaojiao’s face turned red and white in quick succession. She clenched her teeth, though her expression softened to one of innocence, wide-eyed and vulnerable.
“How could you curse me like that!”
She was convinced this group had ulterior motives, hiding her recovery from Brother Marceau. Something was wrong here.
Maybe these people weren’t Marceau’s people—they could be from Marceau’s mother.
Yes, the old-fashioned Mrs. Marceau, who’d always disapproved of her relationship with Marceau, might be behind this. She could easily take advantage of the situation to get rid of her, couldn’t she?
…
Ruan Jiaojiao, her thoughts racing, quickly concluded it was Mrs. Marceau who was trying to sabotage her. Her suspicions were fierce.
“You…how much anesthesia did you give me? You’re trying to keep me from seeing Brother Marceau, aren’t you?!”
She felt she couldn’t control her body. She needed to see Marceau and tell him how frightened she had been—how much she loved him.
These people had to be punished.
Dr. Bronte’s face darkened at her words. As they looked at Ruan Jiaojiao—no longer bathed in the “halo” that made others find her cute, simple, and charming—they saw only arrogance and pretentiousness that couldn’t be ignored.
The nurses, equally speechless, were baffled at how they’d ever considered Ruan Jiaojiao a top-class socialite. Now, she seemed anything but sophisticated.
Still, their professional ethics held them back from being outright dismissive, though their tone turned frosty.
“Miss Ruan Jiaojiao, this isn’t from anesthesia. You’re paralyzed from the waist down.”
Ruan Jiaojiao’s expression froze, and bloodshot lines appeared in her eyes.
The staff couldn’t help but add one more remark.
“I hope Miss Ruan can face this bravely. Don’t let your imagination run wild, and please don’t accuse the medical team.”
