Wei Xicheng opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time, and his sight was filled with whiteness.
In the last world, he had sent away Zhu Xingyuan’s family and then spent the rest of his life with Sheng Huasen. Only when Sheng Huasen passed away did he return to this space. However, the moment he returned, a strong sense of loneliness gripped his heart, forcing him to enter a temporary hibernation—both to nourish his soul and to use the long stretch of time to forget the emotions from the previous world.
Wei Xicheng closed his eyes briefly and shook off the unnecessary thoughts in his mind. He flipped through the light screen in front of him and was surprised to find that his energy has multiplied by several times .
How is that possible? In the last world, he only did one thing that could have gained energy, and the energy he received was barely enough to travel between worlds. But now, with this surplus of energy, he could use the system to do many things.
Sheng Huasen’s name abruptly appeared in Wei Xicheng’s mind. Completely forgetting him was impossible, but now, Wei Xicheng no longer felt the heart-wrenching pain that used to come with that name.
Forget it, I’ll just observe more carefully next time.
Transmit.
—
Dim light shone on the walls, where large patches of the plaster had peeled off. The walls had a faint yellow hue, and in some places, dampness had caused black mold to grow.
Wei Xicheng frowned and sighed. It seemed that the living conditions this time weren’t great. Transitioning from luxury to frugality is easy, but going from luxury back to simplicity is hard.
He looked around and saw that the room had only a small exhaust fan, no windows at all, and it was cluttered with miscellaneous junk, making the already cramped space feel even more suffocating.
The only light in the room came from a single energy-saving bulb overhead, emitting a pale glow.
Wei Xicheng found a mirror on the table and looked at his current appearance. Although the surface of the mirror was covered in dust and grime, he still gasped.
How could someone end up this bad? What a waste of good looks.
Ethereal.
That was the first impression Wei Xicheng had of this face. The impact was so great that he had to take in the overall impression before he could focus on the individual features.
He pulled open his slightly swollen eyelids and strained to check the color of his pupils—light ice blue, like a clear stream reflecting the color of the sky. His thick, long eyelashes curved like a bird’s wings when they drooped, and when they cast shadows, they made his originally calm and shallow pupils appear deeper.
The contours between his brows and eyes were very defined, with a high, but not exaggerated, nose bridge. A small nose tip softened his sharp features, while his perfectly shaped lips, with their faint color, added a touch of coldness.
Even so, this was not the peak of this body’s beauty. His small, palm-sized face now appeared gaunt due to weight loss, with slightly protruding cheekbones and a sharp chin.
Wei Xicheng peeled off a small piece of dead skin from his lips and patted his face. Even someone who wasn’t obsessed with looks would be mesmerized by this face. How could someone with such beauty live such a miserable life? Could this be a world with a bizarre sense of aesthetics?
The physical condition of this body was terrible. Wei Xicheng adjusted its data immediately—he didn’t want to be sickly.
The person in the mirror changed visibly. His eyes quickly de-puffed, the dullness on his skin faded, and his lips became plump and inviting.
Although it was only his vitality and a few subtle changes, the difference was so drastic that it looked like two entirely different people.
Feeling the strength flowing through his body, Wei Xicheng smiled with satisfaction, then touched his cheekbones. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a one-click button to gain weight.
Though he didn’t care too much about appearances, beauty always brought sensory pleasure.
After putting down the mirror, satisfied, he finally remembered to receive the storyline.
The original body, Qi Chen, was a celebrity, a former child star. He should have lived a life of comfort and adoration, but instead, his entire life was filled with pain.
Qi Chen had outstanding looks and was pushed by his father into talent shows from a young age. From his first appearance in front of the public, he astonished everyone. However, the endless stream of appearances and endorsements became little Qi Chen’s nightmare.
Qi Chen’s mother was Canadian. She fell in love with the young, handsome Qi father while studying abroad and, without hesitation, stayed in the country of her “true love.” Her gentleness and romantic ideals didn’t lead to a happy life. Within just three short years, the originally courteous man changed completely. Violent, vicious, cunning, and lazy—his terrible traits became increasingly apparent.
At only two years old, Qi Chen had no memory of his mother, who fled far away. The plot did not describe the woman much, only mentioning that after she left, Qi Chen’s life became much harder.
When he made his first earnings from public appearances, his father picked him up and kissed him. Little Qi Chen’s eyes sparkled like the brightest stars—that was the first time his father ever kissed him. However, Qi Chen didn’t know that his father was simply thrilled to have found a fast and easy way to make money. No matter how hard Qi Chen worked afterward, he could never earn his father’s affection again, only relentless beatings and ridicule.
Growing up in such a distorted family environment, it’s a miracle he survived to this point.
When Wei Xicheng arrived, Qi Chen had just turned sixteen. No longer the glorious star he once was, he could only appear on trashy variety shows, where people made fun of him. He was timid, lacked confidence, and after long years of being beaten down, he couldn’t properly recognize himself. His father would constantly curse him for his poor performance, and the audience would criticize him. It was a vicious cycle.
Later, during a chance encounter on the street, the reigning “Chosen One” happened to see Qi Chen hiding in a corner of a supermarket. She who had always been confident in her own appearance, felt her self-esteem take a hit.
Later, her casual jokes on a show unintentionally incited her fans to maliciously attack Qi Chen. This was the final straw that broke him. At the tender age of sixteen, Qi Chen vanished from the public eye completely, without causing even a ripple. No one remembered the cute child who had debuted on stage at age three.
Wei Xicheng felt a pang in his heart. He clutched his chest, slowly processing the last memories from this body. He could imagine how, every time Qi Chen wanted to escape, his father and the public would force him to confront everything. He had no friends, no family, and no one to confide his pain to. He was insecure and sensitive, caring deeply about what others thought but unable to handle their malice.
In this storyline, Qi Chen didn’t even qualify as cannon fodder—he was just a fleeting background character.
Wei Xicheng closed his eyes. When he reopened them, he had concealed his usual confidence and aura, allowing a hint of sorrow and cautious timidity to surface in his expression.
His demeanor now bore a few similarities to the original Qi Chen’s dejected and fearful appearance. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear they were completely different. While the original Qi Chen avoided everything he feared, Wei Xicheng retained a youthful innocence and unease from his early rise to fame, making him seem like a small animal that had accidentally wandered into the human world—adorable and pitiful.
Qi Chen’s father, in an effort to control him better, never let him go out alone. Qi Chen’s room had once been his father’s storage room, barely converted. The so-called “renovation” only involved placing a bed and a broken desk inside.
Qi Chen had earned money in the past, but because he was so young, all of it had been given to his father. His father spent it all after buying a house, leaving nothing behind. In the years that followed, all of Qi Chen’s earnings were confiscated by his father.
After adjusting to the dim light in the room, Wei Xicheng opened the door, momentarily blinded by the bright light outside. He raised his hand to block it until his eyes adjusted. The tears welling up from the sudden light made his eyes shimmer.
Qi Chen’s father was not at home.
It was easy for Wei Xicheng to find his documents and a few coins before walking straight out of the door. Because of his personality, Qi Chen had never interacted with the outside world, and his father felt no need to worry. This worked out perfectly for Wei Xicheng’s plans. Now that he was outside, he didn’t intend to return to that “rat’s nest.”
Wei Xicheng felt that the warmth from the previous world had influenced him. In this world, he wanted to restore the boy’s name. Qi Chen wasn’t without talent, his uncaring father had crushed him, and his personality made it hard for him to express himself.
Fortunately, the house Qi Chen’s father bought was in a fairly prosperous area. After thinking for a bit, Wei Xicheng headed towards the largest entertainment company in the vicinity.
Qi Chen’s contract with his previous entertainment company had expired, and his father was busy searching for a new one. However, despite being captivated by Qi Chen’s appearance, companies would lose interest after seeing his performances.
With such a personality and image, no company would waste their resources trying to promote him.
Jingnian Entertainment, a fast-rising company, had produced many top-tier stars, each of whom had abundant resources and promising careers. It was the dream company for all aspiring stars—the company of the “Chosen One,” Bai Linwan.
After walking just four or five blocks, Wei Xicheng saw Jingnian Entertainment’s billboard prominently displayed.
He entered the lobby with his head lowered and sat down on the guest sofa, casually flipping through a magazine, attracting the attention of passersby.
The boy’s beautiful profile was exposed to the public eye, though he seemed oblivious to it. Warm sunlight streamed onto his face, and anyone with decent vision could see that he wasn’t wearing any makeup, yet his skin was impossibly flawless, without a single blemish.
“Who is that?” “Never seen him before, maybe a recent recruit?” “He’s really blessed with good looks.” “Could it be plastic surgery?” …
The hushed whispers reached Wei Xicheng’s ears, and he gently curled his lips. He had encountered no resistance when entering the company, likely because his face had intimidated the security guards, making them assume he was a star.
Qi Chen wasn’t famous, and since Wei Xicheng had adjusted his appearance, even people who had seen Qi Chen before wouldn’t recognize this notorious child star right away.
Wei Xicheng had a purpose for coming here: the famous photographer Grant was visiting Jingnian today to choose the cover model for *People* magazine. He had announced that this year, he would be selecting a newcomer, which had many small-time celebrities eagerly competing for the spot.
In the original storyline, Grant hadn’t found a suitable newcomer, so the cover went to actress Yang Fan. The following year, it went to the “Chosen One,” Bai Linwan.
At the thought of that name, Wei Xicheng narrowed his eyes. If you asked whether the original Qi Chen had any grudges against her, the two had never really crossed paths. But if you asked if there was no grudge, Qi Chen had died because of a few careless words from her.
Wei Xicheng touched his slightly growling stomach. It seemed he had become more vengeful. He didn’t like this “Chosen One” at all.
