The Self-Correcting Plot and the Unforeseen Live Stream

In the bustling cafeteria, as Jiang Zhe involuntarily overheard rumors circulating about himself, the hand gripping his spoon subtly faltered.

Without betraying any emotion, he resumed scooping the plain porridge, lifting it to his mouth.

The lean pork porridge looked quite appealing, and it seemed to have been simmered to perfection. Yet, Jiang Zhe tasted nothing at all.

Upon first transmigrating into the game, Jiang Zhe had heard a mechanical voice announcing the rules. It stated that while becoming a game character wouldn’t subject him to plot or character design influences, thus preventing forced actions, the relevant plotlines would inherently self-correct.

The original game narrative had Ning Ran bringing her followers to threaten Jiang Zhe, only to be stopped by Su Lianlian. When Lin Moshu finally arrived, he would chastise Ning Ran on Su Lianlian’s behalf, drawing a crowd of students eager for a spectacle.

This core plot was designed to advance the relationship between the male and female protagonists, showcase the villainess’s impotent rage, and ultimately garner sympathy for Su Lianlian while ruining Ning Ran’s reputation.

It also laid the groundwork for Ning Ran’s later attempts to deal with Su Lianlian.

Simply put, Su Lianlian would earn the pity of both Lin Moshu and Jiang Zhe, while Ning Ran would be publicly condemned and slandered, her reputation irrevocably tarnished.

However, due to an unforeseen issue with Jiang Zhe’s game character, the original plot had already diverged.

After their shared experience of a forced apology, Lin Moshu’s pity for Su Lianlian had been successfully elicited. Despite the change in the rumors’ content, Ning Ran’s reputation was still damaged—this objective, too, had been achieved. Such was the formidable power of plotline self-correction!

Nevertheless, Jiang Zhe’s role as a game character within the plotline had been erased. From this perspective, the automatic self-correction wasn’t entirely omnipotent.

It wouldn’t force Jiang Zhe to pity Su Lianlian!

Jiang Zhe ate spoonful after spoonful of porridge, quickly reaching the bottom of his bowl. During this time, he didn’t forget to devour the soup dumplings on his plate, thoroughly filling his stomach.

Suddenly hearing rumors of Ning Ran’s forceful pursuit of him, Jiang Zhe didn’t feel angry. After all, his own intentions toward Ning Ran were far from pure; he was still actively trying to bind himself to her.

The more intimate their relationship, the easier it would be to maneuver. At the very least, it would provide continuous opportunities for him to get closer.

As for an engagement…

Ning Ran wasn’t genuinely fond of Lin Moshu anyway.

Hmph, arranged marriages among prestigious families weren’t predicated on deep affection between the couple. They were merely alliances between two families, bound by matrimony to establish a foundation for long-term cooperation.

Many couples in such unions were harmonious in appearance but estranged in reality, each pursuing their own interests. Without genuine affection, they would only remain bound due to a reluctance to sever ties and lose financial benefits.

Therefore, to break Ning Ran and Lin Moshu’s engagement, the collaboration between the Ning and Lin families had to be dismantled.

Coincidentally, Jiang Zhe hadn’t just idled away his time after transmigrating into the game. He was already eager to continue his business ventures, and now he had a clear goal to strive for, ensuring he wouldn’t become complacent.

He never doubted his own capabilities. Thus, once his net worth reached a certain level, everything else would fall into place.

Naturally, beyond material wealth, he also needed to secure the emotional aspect.

Jiang Zhe wasn’t worried about this point. The mission to gain affection points and survive had to be completed. It was obvious that with prolonged contact, anyone who didn’t fall for Ning Ran would have to be a stone.

Especially since Ning Ran’s overall qualities were excellent. Even her tsundere, sharp-tongued nature was well within acceptable limits.

However, while this was Jiang Zhe’s rational conclusion, it didn’t negate the fact that the spreading rumors about him and Ning Ran were detrimental to her reputation.

If this were the unpredictable world of business, Jiang Zhe would employ every trick in the book without hesitation. As long as it wasn’t illegal, his morals could be thrown to the dogs without any psychological burden.

Becoming rich or going bankrupt could happen in an instant.

Yet, now that Ning Ran was involved, Jiang Zhe, who usually disregarded all means to an end, felt a slight tremor of concern.

Despite the potential benefits, he hesitated, even contemplating clarifying the rumors for Ning Ran’s sake.

Could this be what it felt like to be completely smitten by a woman?

“But I really envy Ning Ran. She’s beautiful and has a powerful background; she can pick any man she wants.”

“Exactly! If I were Ning Ran, just looking at Jiang Zhe’s face, I’d definitely drag him home to be my ‘mountain bandit chief’s husband’.”

“Hehehe, Lin Moshu is also very handsome, and they’re engaged. They’re practically a match made in heaven.”

“Oh, please. I’ve seen Lin Moshu and Su Lianlian constantly pulling at each other, acting all dramatic like they’re in a Qiong Yao drama every day. Who knows how many times they’ve slept together in private! Ning Ran and Jiang Zhe just look more compatible.”

Just as Jiang Zhe was worrying about Ning Ran’s reputation, he unexpectedly heard the gossip take a sharp turn, making him struggle to swallow the bun in his mouth. He felt as if his thoughts couldn’t keep up with the changes.

Was he getting old and out of touch, or were these young people just too formidable?

Perhaps, the rumors about him and Ning Ran could be left alone after all?

After all, he was already being called a ‘mountain bandit chief’s husband.’ Ning Ran forcefully taking him wasn’t entirely out of the question.

“That new transfer student, Su Lianlian, is so annoying! Every time I see her, she has that pitiful, delicate look. And those boys swarm around her like flies; it’s disgusting.”

“If Ning Ran actually beat her up, it would be a service to the people and a restoration of school discipline. I’m logging onto the school forum right now to post in support of her!”

“You’re getting off-topic! Aren’t we supposed to be discussing Ning Ran’s unrequited pursuit of Jiang Zhe? Why bring up Su Lianlian!”

“I have to say, Jiang Zhe’s face is truly handsome. Someone in our school secretly takes photos of him, and they sell for a high price! Each shot looks like a landscape painting; he could debut as a celebrity idol in minutes. What if he has no money or power? He could become a film emperor later!”

Jiang Zhe, who had been silently eavesdropping with pricked ears, once again felt question marks float above his head. Someone at Fenghua High was secretly taking photos of him to sell for money?

That was quite impressive.

What a way to make money out of thin air!

It was a pity he didn’t want to rely on his looks, only his talent. Otherwise, he might have jumped in to sell some selfies himself.

“Jiang Zhe is indeed handsome, but aren’t they all saying he has no talents, his grades are terrible, and he’s a useless pretty boy? He probably doesn’t even have the acting skills to make it in the entertainment industry. He’s probably destined to be a kept man.”

“That sounds so sour! Even if Jiang Zhe really were a kept man, it wouldn’t be something we could aspire to. Only a woman of Ning Ran’s caliber could afford to keep him.”

“What are you talking about? Who’s sour? It’s true! Jiang Zhe only has that face to show for himself. What else is special about him?”

“Oh, stop arguing! Hurry and check the school forum; Ning Ran herself is live-streaming! The title of the live stream post is amazing; it’s incredible!”

Just as Jiang Zhe was thinking that being a kept man was entirely unnecessary, he heard about Ning Ran’s live stream. Not only did a group of girls quickly pull out their phones, but he also deftly retrieved his own, opened the school forum, and immediately saw the red-lettered, stickied post.

[About the Secrets I Must Tell Regarding Jiang Zhe and Myself. Watch the Live Stream for Details.]

???

In just one morning, countless question marks had floated above Jiang Zhe’s head, leaving him utterly numb.

Now, he had to see what secret he and Ning Ran had to tell!