There are still five minutes until the hero escapes from marriage. - Chapter 47

“Have I seen you before?” Shen Han Feng asked directly when he couldn’t recall the memory.

The butler’s hand rested on Wen Zhao’s shoulder as he stood behind her.

This scene made his pupils constrict sharply.

It was like a fierce summer wind blowing through, and the scene before him overlapped with a memory from years ago that he had unconsciously etched into his mind.

It must have been six years ago.

At that time, Wen Zhao and Gu Xianting were still in high school.

He had been brought back to the Shen family and attended the same high school as them.

During a physical education class, he was targeted and maliciously pushed down because of his status as an illegitimate child of the Shen family. He left the class and went back to the classroom.

As he passed by a classroom, he glanced inside and saw a girl sitting in the back row reading a book, with a tall boy standing beside her. The boy was looking at the girl with a gentle gaze.

Perhaps because the atmosphere was so pleasant, he unconsciously stopped and his gaze fell on the girl.

Sensing his gaze, the boy in the classroom suddenly lifted his head, his eyes sharp and fierce like a wild wolf, as if he had accidentally entered a wolf’s territory and triggered its vigilance.

The boy stood up, placing one hand on the girl’s shoulder, and looked at him with a fixed, intense stare.

Before he could look away, the girl glanced up at him and then reached out to wrap her arm around the boy’s neck, looking up with a warning gaze at the boy.

The boy’s previously fierce eyes instantly softened, showing a hint of grievance.

When the girl looked back at him, she gave him an apologetic smile and a slight nod.

He awkwardly turned and fled, his head down as he returned to his classroom.

It was just a small incident, but he unexpectedly remembered it. In that moment, he might have felt a hint of envy.

Envy for someone who always had a place to belong, while he had nothing, not even a semblance of worth.

Later, he learned that the boy’s name was Gu Xianting. He was like a contrast to him—born with loving expectations, excelling academically, and having a childhood sweetheart to grow up with.

From Gu Xianting, he could sense a similar aura. Though he wasn’t as obedient as he seemed, it didn’t matter; he was still different from him.

Perhaps due to this subtle similarity, he had always paid attention to Gu Xianting, whether intentionally or not.

Later, when Gu Xianting fell for Su Mengyao, his obsession with her was partly because he wanted to win just once.

To become a winner in a life that had been a total failure compared to Gu Xianting.

Now, he had indeed won Su Mengyao. He didn’t really care who she loved; he only needed to know he had won.

But in reality, he felt emptiness. He hadn’t felt the thrill of finally winning.

At this moment, seeing the butler behind Wen Zhao, and recognizing the same seemingly gentle but actually sharp and fierce gaze as years ago, he finally understood why he felt nothing after his victory.

Because—

“Gu Xianting.” He looked at the butler and uttered the name. “You are Gu Xianting.”

Wen Zhao’s eyes showed surprise but no denial.

The butler’s smile widened slightly. “Mr. Shen, your eyes are quite perceptive.”

Shen Han Feng looked at him, confused. “Is our world… still normal?”

He recalled the Gu Xianting from before and looked at the butler now, questioning the reality of their world. Shouldn’t it be just an ordinary, normal world without supernatural events?

“Yes, our world is still normal.” Wen Zhao did not want him to spiral into speculation or fantasy. “As you know, our world is a novel. In the story, Gu Xianting is supposed to fall in love with Su Mengyao.

She then placed her hand on the butler’s hand. Almost instantly, the butler’s hand turned over, holding her hand in his palm.

“But my lover, he was unwilling.” she said with a cheerful tone. “So he has become like this.”

Shen Han Feng: …

Didn’t you omit too many details in your explanation?

“So who is the current Gu Xianting?” He asked.

She did not hide the truth. “He came for Su Mengyao. Mr. Shen, I admire you for managing to take her from him.”

Shen Han Feng furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? Wen Zhao, since you invited me here, let’s be straightforward. Just say it all.”

She did not keep up the pretense. Since he had already guessed the butler’s identity, there was no need for further secrecy.

Wen Zhao directly explained the origins of 0733, his connection with Su Mengyao, and why he became Gu Xianting.

Now, Shen Han Feng, as an important awakened character, was in a precarious position. They were on the brink of being discovered by the main system, which might destroy them, or 0733 might successfully escape, destroying the small world. Their current task was to preserve their consciousness and their world under these dire circumstances.

He looked incredulous, and after hearing her explanation, he fell silent.

How could he, of all people, be competing with a fast-travel big shot for a woman, especially when just a few hours ago, he was tangled up with the big shot’s woman in bed?

“So my fate is to give everything for Su Mengyao?” He found it hard to accept. He couldn’t imagine going this far for a woman, but reflecting on past events, he had no doubt he might have been blinded by love, willing to give up everything for her.

“As a deeply emotional supporting male character, your ending is still better than mine,” Wen Zhao said. “At least you can exit alive. I, on the other hand, met a tragic end at sea, with no remains.”

The butler, observing the two competing in misery, couldn’t help but say, “At least you both still have your identities. I had mine stripped away.”

Shen Han Feng: …

Wen Zhao: …

Indeed.

“This situation can’t end well, right?” Shen Han Feng rubbed his face, starting to blame himself for throwing caution to the wind and sleeping with the big shot’s woman.

“It was never going to end well,” the butler said.

From the moment he repeatedly ran Su Mengyao to her death at the start of the plot, things were bound to go awry.

At this moment, the system, hidden within Wen Zhao’s consciousness, was feeling utterly distressed as it scrambled its code.

The system had long given up on having Wen Zhao complete any redemption tasks or hoping for a happy ending for the protagonists, as it was utterly futile!

“System.” She suddenly called out.

The system, which had been racking its brains trying to save itself and prevent the destruction of its world, jolted at her call.

It dared not speak, fearing she might discover its presence in her mind.

Shen Han Feng was also surprised to hear her call the system, knowing the world was a novel was already absurd. Was there something even more absurd?

Was there a system in this world too?

“Stop playing dead; I know you’re there.” she rapped her knuckles on the table. “Now, we’re all in the same boat. The three of us, along with you, either all survive together or all perish together. We have a high chance of dying, so why keep pretending?”

Suddenly, the television screen in the room lit up. Shen Han Feng, startled, looked up. Seeing that both Wen Zhao and the butler remained calm, he decided to wait and see what would happen.

The screen slowly displayed a line of text:

**“What do you want to ask?”**

He stared at the text and couldn’t resist asking, “What is this?”

“As you can see, it’s the system that maintains the stability of this world and handles tasks for the so-called main system controlling this world,” Wen Zhao briefly explained.

Shen Han Feng frowned and nodded.

She continued communicating with the system, “What is the current world awakening level?”

The system: …

Well, what can I say? The original protagonist really is sharp, always hitting the nail on the head.

**“Small worlds often originate from novels, operas, even songs, or games. The trajectories and outcomes of these worlds are predetermined. The world will follow the set storyline and future accordingly.”**

**“Such worlds repeat in cycles as they are read, and the people in the small world occasionally experience dejà vu—feeling that things they’ve experienced seem familiar. This is due to residual, un-cleared fragments of information from the cycles.”**

**“In some small worlds, after many cycles or when characters notice abnormalities and deviate from the set storyline, these characters are called ‘awakening characters.’”**

**“If a small world has an awakening character, they will inevitably change the storyline. The original story line will be broken. Some worlds may develop positively under the influence of the awakening character, but others might head towards destruction.”**

The text paused at this point.

Wen Zhao thought to herself. Regardless of how she and Gu Xianting had awakened, they were clearly the second type, the kind that would lead to the world’s destruction.

**“The second type will not trigger the world awakening level, while the first type has a chance to trigger it.”**

No kidding, if the world is destroyed, there’s no chance for awakening.

The system seemed to realize it had stated the obvious.

Wen Zhao: “So, is the world awakening level a good thing? What happens if it reaches 100%?”

The system was silent. If it were a person, it would have been experiencing a racing heart and intense excitement. But as a system, it remained overly rational. If Gu Xianting had not been possessed by 0733 and had his identity taken, and if this world had not been selected for 0733’s chase mission, it would have been very pleased.

However, if it weren’t chosen, Wen Zhao and Gu Xianting might still be trapped in the repeating love story as protagonists, looping over and over again. After countless loops, they might have had a chance at their own consciousness.

But it was very difficult because it’s nearly impossible to detect abnormalities when character desires align with the story’s direction.

For example, why does Gu Xianting resist? Because subconsciously, he believes he loves Wen Zhao. Besides Wen Zhao, he could never love anyone else, so the moment his thoughts deviated, he detected it and reacted violently.

Gu Xianting’s love for Wen Zhao was part of the story’s setting, but it was also his genuine choice.

The system’s internal code fluttered wildly before quickly stabilizing.

**“If the world awakening level reaches 100%, our world will become a free world, not subject to the control of the main system. It will no longer have the authority to control a completely free world.”**

Wen Zhao and the butler exchanged glances, both seeing excitement in each other’s eyes. Even Shen Han Feng, after a moment of surprise, showed a look of interest.

“What’s the current awakening level?” he asked.

Wen Zhao answered, “30%.”

“So we’re already a third of the way there.” he raised an eyebrow. “What do we need to do for the rest?”

The system observed the three eager individuals and couldn’t help but remind them.

**“There are people from the fast-travel bureau in this world. Once they die, they will return. At that time, you won’t have a chance to reach 100% awakening…”**

“Well, then we just need to reach 100% before they return,” Wen Zhao thought it was no big deal!

The butler smiled, “He may be very powerful and capable of influencing many things, but right now, he is Gu Xianting. System, he’s an intruder. Do you understand what that means?”

**“But if the character dies, 0733 can return.”**

The system emphasized.

“Aren’t you the system?” Shen Han Feng suddenly spoke up. “Since you can become a vicious female supporting role’s redemption system or a male lead saving system, can’t you become a male lead self-rescue system? Right now, he can’t contact the outside world. Without claws and fangs, a tiger is just a large golden tabby cat. Given the circumstances, you can’t stand by.”

Wen Zhao nodded. “Yes, system, are you willing to cooperate?”

The system: …

The system had nothing to say.

It couldn’t quite understand why, despite not being human, and existing due to the initial world’s plot, its original data had been compressed into the farthest corners after becoming a system.

But now, its protagonists had jointly opened Pandora’s box.

**“Announcing the world awakening task.”**