There are still five minutes until the hero escapes from marriage. - Chapter 42

Wen Zhao suddenly woke up in the middle of the night.

Upon waking, she realized she was no longer in her bedroom but instead found herself in a vast, boundless, chaotic space.

Not far from her, there was a foggy mass emitting a gloomy aura, shadowy and indistinct, as if it could dissipate at any moment.

Initially, she did panic for a moment. After all, anyone who suddenly finds themselves in such a strange place would struggle to stay completely calm.

But perhaps due to her experiences with rebirth, with a system, and with her lover being taken over by a so-called big shot from a world-hopping bureau, she only panicked for that brief moment.

She stared at the unidentified mass for a while, then, with some uncertainty, asked, “System?”

The foggy mass, though just a meaningless form, seemed to respond. She was sure that if it had a humanoid shape, it would have turned to her with a very resentful gaze after she called it “system.”

“So it really is you,” she said, finally feeling at ease. She took a look around at her surroundings, but no matter how she viewed it, it was just a chaotic void.

“Sigh…” The foggy mass let out a deep sigh.

She wasn’t particularly surprised that the system had brought her here. After all, she had made things quite clear last time, and the system wasn’t stupid—it would have understood her intentions.

She didn’t say anything. Although she lacked patience in certain matters, she knew that sometimes, the one who speaks first is the one who compromises first.

System: … This person is such a jerk!

“Are you feeling quite pleased with yourself now?” It asked angrily.

She smiled a little. She looked down and then sat cross-legged, realizing this conversation might not end quickly. “Not particularly pleased.”

Just a little bit, only a little bit.

The system huffed in response.

The system’s voice carried a touch of childishness, unlike the previously stiff mechanical tone. “Did I ever tell you that I am the world consciousness of this place?”

“I don’t think so?”

Wen Zhao didn’t quite remember. “If you’re the world consciousness of this place, then why did you become a so-called system?”

“I’ve told you before, everything in this world was predetermined. Every person’s fate was written in advance. Every choice you think you’re making was actually already made; this is a novel world.”

Wen Zhao nodded, “I know, ‘The Secret Lover of Mr. Gu,’ right?”

“I’m sorry for deceiving you,” the system said, “but the original story of this world wasn’t like this.”

The system kept watching her, expecting her to be shocked, but instead, she showed a look of realization. “Why aren’t you surprised?”

“You mentioned before that Xianting’s body is currently occupied by a big shot from a world-hopping bureau, and he’s here for Su Mengyao. Because of his arrival, the book ‘The Secret Lover of Mr. Gu’ came into existence. Isn’t that correct?” her tone was calm and methodical.

“That assumes something important,” she continued. “There had to be Gu Xianting first, and only then could he choose Xianting’s identity, from which that book could emerge. So, before the book appeared, this must have been an already existing world.”

“Exactly,” the system silently marveled. Should it be surprised? With such intelligence, such a mind, how could anyone compete with her if not for forcing her into a plot?

“This world was originally a school romance about two top students who grew up together,” the system explained. “You might have guessed it by now—you and Gu Xianting were the original protagonists of this world.”

Wen Zhao propped herself up on her hands, slightly tilting her head back. Her dark eyes reflected the chaos around her, but she didn’t speak, instead thinking back to all the little moments she had shared with Gu Xianting.

“The original story ended when you got engaged. If nothing had gone wrong, you both would have completed your university studies, excelled in your respective fields, and lived a loving life together.”

The system’s feelings were complicated. From the moment it first gained consciousness, it was just a formless, chaotic entity. Before it fully matured, this newly formed small world was captured by the consciousness of a larger world, what is often called the main system.

It was truly terrified at the time, facing a force thousands of times stronger than itself. It was utterly powerless, with no room for resistance.

“Small worlds must be managed by the greater world. You can choose to comply or not to comply.”

“If you don’t comply, then this small world has no reason to continue existing.”

The system never really had a choice. It agreed to let the main system take control of this newly formed small world, turning it into World 10034578 under the main system’s domain.

From that point on, people from the greater world often came here for vacations, though they didn’t replace the original inhabitants. Some came to experience school life, others just to observe the protagonists’ romance up close, and so on.

The system received batch after batch of tourists, and as its awareness grew, it gradually understood everything.

But what could it do? It could only console itself that at least its world still existed and hadn’t been destroyed.

Then one day, the current head of the world-hopping bureau, the tasker coded 0733, found it and presented a new story for this world: “The Secret Lover of Mr. Gu.”

The story began the day after Gu Xianting and Wen Zhao got engaged. On a rainy day, Gu Xianting’s car hit Su Mengyao, sparking their entangled, melodramatic love story.

When the system first received this script, it was utterly confused and wanted to reject it. This story was completely contradictory to the world’s original plot.

It was like a skyscraper—if the foundation was shaken, no matter how tall the building, it would collapse instantly.

“So, the new story picks up where the original world plot left off, and when that story ends, everything is likely to unravel, isn’t it?” 0733 had said.

“And then you just accepted it?” Wen Zhao asked, finding this world increasingly absurd.

System: “Of course not! But he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.”

“What condition made you agree to something like this?” she asked, a bit surprised.

“If I helped him continue the plot of this world so he could spend time with his lover here, he promised that when he returned, he would delete all records of this small world from the main world’s database.”

“In other words, if I did this, both the world and I would be free. This place would no longer be a tourist destination for the greater world.”

Wen Zhao was silent for a long while, then suddenly laughed. “So for this, Xianting and I had to be sacrificed, my family had to be destroyed, just to fulfill your wishes and save this world?”

“What else could I have done?” The system was equally frustrated. “I don’t want to be forever controlled by the main world. We’re like exhibits in a museum—whenever someone picks us, we have to replay the same story over and over again. Your timeline would be forever stuck at the engagement, with no future for you or this world!”

0733’s offer was too tempting to refuse, and the system couldn’t reject it even if it wanted to, because 0733 had never given it a real choice.

“Cooperate, and there’s a slim chance. Refuse, and we’ll be destroyed!”

“Do you think I had a choice? I’m just a small world’s weak consciousness.”

“Yes, we are all very weak,” Wen Zhao said calmly. “To many people in this world, I might seem glamorous, a person at the top, a symbol of success. But at the end of the day, I’m just a weakling who can be easily manipulated.”

“You are the world’s consciousness, with powers beyond what ordinary people can imagine. You are strong, capable of controlling this world’s time. But to the greater world, you’re just a weak being that can be erased at any moment.”

The system was stunned, staring blankly at her.

“What’s wrong?” she turned her head to look at the fog.

“Haven’t you always considered yourself impressive? Haven’t you always been unwilling to be controlled, always rebellious?” The system was a bit confused.

Wen Zhao smiled. “That doesn’t contradict anything. Because I’m weak, I’m unwilling to accept it. That’s why I want to resist.”

Once a person clearly realizes they are weak, they won’t cling to the dignity and pride reserved for the strong. By shedding these unnecessary mental burdens, the weak can find a way to climb out of their hopeless situation.

“But does the resistance of the weak really matter?” the system sighed. “Maybe once 0733 dies and returns to the world-hopping bureau, this world will cease to exist.”

“I understand your choice now,” Wen Zhao suddenly said.

After learning she was merely a pawn in a game, she harbored equal hatred for everyone, with the system at the forefront.

She despised the system for trying to control their lives.

But now, stepping out of her own shoes and seeing it from the system’s perspective, she could understand its choice. As the consciousness of a world, it couldn’t just focus on the fate of a single person; it had to ensure the world’s continued existence and functioning, so that even after “The End” it could go on, rather than being endlessly

 looped or erased.

“I’ve been struggling with what you were really trying to do by bringing me here,” she said softly. “What’s the point of showing me all this?”

The system: “…”

“You’ve come all the way to this chaotic space, through what must have been immense effort. It’s so unlike you to show this side.”

She was finally getting to the bottom of things.

Living in such a bottle world, everyone is like something that can be flipped through and displayed at will. There is no true freedom, no real choices.

Is it wrong for the system to want to break the bottle world?

No.

The misty system trembled. What’s up with this woman, suddenly talking like this?

Even so! It can’t forgive her for pushing this world to the brink of destruction!

“What do you think would happen if everyone in this world understood that they were living in a bottle world?” she asked.

The system was stunned. This was a possibility it had never considered.

It’s like fish living in water—they don’t feel there’s anything wrong with water; only humans outside the water understand what it is. It’s like characters in an animation—they don’t realize they’re just drawings, created by three-dimensional humans, because the creator cannot step out of the two-dimensional world into the three-dimensional one.

The people of a small world live in a bottle world. As long as they can’t step outside the bottle, they will never realize this fact.

Gu Xianting is an exception because he was someone destined to be replaced. He accidentally uncovered the truth about this world. And Wen Zhao only awakened and realized she was just a character in a story because of his interference, which allowed her to break free from the plot’s control.

The awakening of these two people is completely unrepeatable.

Is it even possible to make everyone in this world aware that they live in a bottle? The awakenings of these two individuals nearly drained all of the system’s energy. Its current misty form, as if it could disperse at any moment, was thanks to them.

“You mentioned that we’ve already antagonized that big shot. Even if we keep him here until he dies, his consciousness can still leave,” Wen Zhao said. “If things continue like this, this world will eventually be destroyed.”

“That’s right,” the system sighed, exhausted. It really wanted to yell that everything turned out this way because of them!

But it didn’t dare. It didn’t even have the strength to shout.

“You didn’t come to me just to tell me all this, did you?” she said.

The system replied, “Earlier tonight, 0733 tried to communicate with me. I didn’t respond.”

A smile tugged at her lips. “Haven’t you already made your choice then?”

The system snapped, “What other choice do I have?!”

The system couldn’t hold back and roared.

Wen Zhao wasn’t angry. As long as the system was willing to cooperate, everything was negotiable.

“Think of it this way: we’ve already thoroughly offended him. So why not go all out?” she said.

The system felt both nervous and a bit excited—a kind of reckless, “I’m already near death, so why not go for broke” attitude. “What do you want to do?”

Shereached out and scooped up the mist, squeezing it in her hand. The system was furious, “Hey, hey, hey! Talk if you want, but stop manhandling me!”

“The initial plot can’t be altered, but after the story ends, it’s possible to start a new one, right?” she asked.

“That’s right,” the system admitted.

If the original plot could have been altered, the big shot wouldn’t have waited patiently until Gu Xianting and Wen Zhao got engaged before entering the world to meet Su Mengyao. He would have entered earlier to meet Su Mengyao.

This is precisely why 0733 chose a school romance world. School romances typically end with the characters getting into college and getting engaged, unlike urban stories that continue well into married life and even include stories about their children.

“The Secret Lover of Mr. Gu” can be seen as a second chapter that continues the plot after the original story ends. After the school romance concludes, the once-lovers become enemies, and the male lead meets his true love.

“We’re still in the plot of ‘The Secret Lover of Mr. Gu,’ right?” she asked.

“Yes, we’re still in this story,” the system replied. “But thanks to you, the plot has collapsed to the point that 0733 wouldn’t even recognize it anymore.”

“Then let’s keep the story going,” she said with a smile. “Only this time, I’m the one who decides how it unfolds!”

Half an hour later, the system, filled with both excitement and complex emotions, sent her back.

In the chaotic space, a progress bar had appeared at some point.

World Awakening Progress: 5%.

The next morning, when Wen Zhao woke up again, she found herself entangled in someone’s limbs. She turned her head and saw the face of the butler, inches away.

She looked at him, recalling that the system had said the world’s original plot was a school romance about top students growing up together.

In that story, she and Gu Xianting were the true protagonists.

She couldn’t tell whether the love she once shared with Gu Xianting was genuine or simply a result of the plot’s design. The story dictated that they would be childhood sweethearts and fall in love, and it had predetermined that they would get engaged in the future.

The system had once said that everyone’s fate was decided from the start.

She had been defiant, resisting with all her might, trying to break free from the so-called plot constraints.

But looking back, she realized she hadn’t really escaped the plot after all. She had still fallen in love with Gu Xianting, which is why, after the conclusion of the first story, she spiraled into madness in the second, where he was the male lead and Su Mengyao the female lead.

Now that she had broken free from the forced madness imposed by the plot of “The Secret Lover of Mr. Gu,” she calmly contemplated a question in her mind.

Why did she like him? If he truly fell for someone else, would she break down, or would she let go gracefully?

She looked at the person in front of her. This person was right here, in a different guise, yet still carried the warmth that made her heart flutter.

The butler opened his eyes, groggily glancing at her before wrapping his arms around her and muttering something before drifting back to sleep.

The warm breath, the steady heartbeat, the close presence of a lover.

Wen Zhao suddenly realized that she was still constrained by the plot.

She had resisted desperately because she didn’t want to be controlled, and now she was beginning to question whether her feelings were truly her own.

But there was no need to doubt. Even if she had fallen in love with Gu Xianting because of the plot, it must have been because, during their long companionship, there were things about him that genuinely moved her, no matter how small—something that made her truly fall for him.

That’s why, even with a different appearance, she could still recognize him through the little details that had once touched her.

There is no plot, no control. The path she has walked to this point is a choice of her own free will.

At that moment, she finally understood why Gu Xianting could kill the female lead over and over again and why he resisted so fiercely. If he loved her only because the plot dictated it, he would have been equally bound by the plot to fall in love with someone else.

But he didn’t.

He genuinely loved her.

There was no need to doubt this love.

Wen Zhao reached out and hugged the butler’s waist, slowly closing her eyes and once again drifting into sleep.

In the chaos, the world awakening progress: 10%.

The system was stunned, a bit bewildered as to why the progress bar suddenly jumped so much.

But that didn’t matter. It hummed an unknown tune and got to work.

Unlike before, when 0733’s attempts to communicate left it anxious and uneasy, it felt at ease.