Chapter 28

Chapter 28

The Third Daughter

Jiang Su hadn't anticipated the world to evolve in this manner. According to the information from V0, the female character Jing Xiangyao indeed follows the script of a malevolent female supporting character. Initially married to the crown prince, she still entangles with Chu Mu, causing him to remain infatuated with her, thus despising Ye Tong who forces a marriage upon him.

In the middle phase, seeing Chu Mu's growing concern for Ye Tong, she resorts to schemes, ultimately deepening the rift between Chu Mu and Ye Tong, leading to their separation.

Afterward, following their separation, Chu Mu fully realizes his love for Ye Tong and henceforth travels to the frontier in search of her.

In the capital city of Dingjing, Jing Xiangyao, unable to influence events at the frontier, was unaware of Ye Tong and Chu Mu's rekindled relationship at the border.

The information V0 provided Jiang Su focused on Ye Tong, presenting the story from her perspective, leaving Jiang Su unable to fathom Jing Xiangyao's thoughts, knowing only her actions.

In the original plot, Chu Mu went to the border to pursue Ye Tong again. After several life-and-death experiences together, Ye Tong's feelings for Chu Mu reignited, though she never fully accepted him.

Their complete reconciliation was due to Jing Xiangyao causing chaos in Dingjing City. Following the crown prince and Emperor Jiayang's deaths, Jing Xiangyao's young son ascended the throne, with her ruling behind the scenes, her ambition and the resultant discontent among the courtiers evident.

Courtiers who either publicly criticized or secretly contacted the puppet emperor controlled by Jing Xiangyao were directly punished or executed upon discovery by her.

Jing Xiangyao's ruthless governance chilled the officials and shocked the citizens, who cursed her as a calamity upon the nation, though only behind her back.

Additionally, that year saw a female top scholar emerge, named Jiang Wanyi.

Unlike this world's Jiang Wanyi, who thrived in the imperial court thanks to Jing Xiangyao and Ye Tong's support, the original Jiang Wanyi was exposed as a woman, causing turmoil in Great Jin and losing the support she had, even from those willing to follow Jing Xiangyao, leading to her becoming a close female aide to Jing Xiangyao.

Henceforth, this Jiang became a key enforcer in Jing Xiangyao's iron-fisted rule.

The original storyline depicted a tumultuous Great Jin.

Jiang Su initially thought Jing Xiangyao didn't act against Chu Mu and Ye Tong because they were distant at the border and, amidst internal chaos and external threats, needed their military leadership and feared their control over the troops.

Jiang Su once believed Jing Xiangyao to be the stereotypical villainous love rival. Thus, when Jing Xiangyao aimed to kill Chu Mu and Ye Tong later, Jiang Su thought it stemmed from Jing Xiangyao's unrequited love for Chu Mu, who had broken his promises to her for Ye Tong.

However, this world's Jing Xiangyao, while still seizing power and causing disturbances, is entirely different in her background.

She does not love Chu Mu, evident from her lack of action after Ye Tong and Chu Mu's separation.

Nor does she harbor such hatred for Ye Tong, even showing admiration, as seen from her lack of retaliation against Ye Tong after the latter went to the frontier, and instead, rewarded her more upon ascending to power.

Moreover, her relationship with Jiang Wanyi and Ye Tong wasn't as antagonistic as presumed, demonstrated by their joint efforts to upheave Great Jin from within.

The development of this world diverges completely from the original storyline.

Jiang Su spent twenty years in this world, witnessing Jing Xiangyao ascend from Empress Dowager to Emperor, Ye Tong transition from a national protector to Jing Xiangyao's spear, and Jiang Wanyi evolve from a villainous female aide to the esteemed Prime Minister, overseeing efforts to elevate women's status in such an era.

In this realm, Jing Xiangyao wasn't the malevolent supporting character; she neither committed indiscriminate slaughter nor ruled with an iron fist, nor did she manipulate her own child.

Ye Tong didn't reconcile with Chu Mu to rid Great Jin of traitors and kill Jing Xiangyao.

Despite their stories diverging completely from the original plotline, Jiang Su couldn't help but appreciate this development.

After departing from the second world, Jiang Su's soul returned to the Reincarnation Platform.

V0, scampering excitedly at her feet, exclaimed, "Su Su, Su Su, I've grown bigger!"

Jiang Su, pinching her neck to lift and examine her, remarked, "You've just gotten fatter."

V0：“……”

V0 flailed and wagged its tail in protest: "I've grown, grown!!!"

Placing the excited V0 down, Jiang Su questioned, "Why are you so obsessed with your size?"

V0 replied, "Because as a system, I can't be considered small!"

Jiang Su felt puzzled, "…?"

Why did that statement sound familiar to her?

"Aren't you systems supposed to be all about consciousness? Why care about... size?" Honestly, Jiang Su hadn't seen anything amiss until V0's tone made it awkward for her.

"Don't humans like bigger things?" V0 sulked, tail drooping.

Jiang Su was baffled, "…?"

"What are you babbling about, child?!" she scolded.

V0, feeling more aggrieved under Jiang Su's reprimand, stopped wagging its tail and instead tugged at her trousers, pleading her to follow.

Confused but unable to resist the pitiful V0, Jiang Su followed, passing through a cloud wall, only to find a gathering of Catians of various sizes and breeds.

Jiang Su: "…?"

The group of Cat Star beings varied in appearance, size, and breed, but they all shared one trait: they were exceptionally fluffy and cute. Even Jiang Su, not particularly a cat person, felt the urge to pet them.

"…See! You humans just like the big ones!"

V0, seeing Jiang Su captivated by other systems upon entering, felt like a jar of sauerkraut had been spilled inside it, utterly sour.

Yet, it couldn't bear to sulk with Jiang Su, feeling a bit wronged but still couldn't help but rub against Jiang Su's leg, pleading in a sticky sweet manner, "Su Su, don't like them. I'll get bigger, even bigger than them. You like me... like me, right?"

Hearing this, Jiang Su finally understood the meaning behind V0's words, realizing that their systems had levels of forms.

Jiang Su laughed and picked up little V0, comforting, "Okay, okay, I don't want them, only you, just you."

Little V0 was moved beyond words, clinging to Jiang Su, cuddling and rubbing vigorously, mumbling, "Su Su is the best, I like Su Su the most!"

"I like you the most too," Jiang Su said with a soft smile, her eyes glowing with warmth. She thought she didn't need to look at other cats when her own could change too. How wonderful it would be to go from petting it as a hamster to it becoming a cat?

V0 shuddered in response: "..."

Jiang Su quickly realized, "—Sorry, I forgot you could hear my thoughts."

V0：“……”

You humans just like big things! Big cloven hoofs!

V0 was annoyed by its tasker's obsession with size, but this also strengthened its resolve to accumulate points for an upgrade to become bigger.

This time, when Jiang Su mentioned moving to the next world, she didn't persuade Jiang Su to rest for a few days but directly initiated the spatial jump.

Once again, the scenery before Jiang Su blurred, and she arrived in a new task world.

The new task world was set in modern times, and in this world, Jiang Su's tasker identity was a woman named Li Xia.

The original Li Xia was born into an ordinary but happy family, with both parents being regular workers. Though the family lived modestly, they were content.

Later, when the original Li Xia turned eighteen and was in her first year of university, she was suddenly kidnapped by human traffickers and sold to a man fifteen years her senior in the mountains.

Initially, Li Xia constantly thought of escaping, but each attempt to leave the mountains ended in capture, followed by brutal beatings upon her return home.

She was tortured miserably by the family that bought her, gradually losing the courage to even think of escape.

After enduring a year, Li Xia gave birth to a daughter in the mountains.

The hardships Li Xia faced in the mountains, and the bitter effort of bearing a child, led her to cherish her daughter as if she was a precious gem. For her daughter's sake, she no longer considered escaping, even when, ten years later, the police busted the trafficking ring that sold her and her parents came to the village with the police to find her, she pleaded with her parents not to report her husband.

By then, Li Xia had adapted to life there. Aside from the initial violence when she tried to escape, the family lived relatively smoothly in the following years, especially since she had her daughter.

Li Xia loved her daughter dearly and couldn't bear the thought of her growing up fatherless, believing she could endure for her child's sake.

Li Xia pleaded with her parents to spare the man and his family. Despite their frustration, her parents, heartbroken, acquiesced. However, they still despised the man's family, so their contact with Li Xia became infrequent.

Li Xia continued to live in the mountains. Her daughter excelled in studies, but the man's family was too poor, and Li Xia's mother-in-law disdained her for having a daughter, leading to her daughter being forced to stop her education after high school.

Li Xia's daughter wanted to continue studying, and Li Xia, feeling sorry for her, managed to send her to her parents. Li Xia's parents were initially reluctant to support her daughter's education until Li Xia's daughter met a man on her own.

Reportedly, the man fell in love with Li Xia's daughter at first sight and began pursuing her. With his support, Li Xia's daughter was able to attend university.

Li Xia's daughter thought they were in love, but the man was actually keeping her as a mistress. Later, when Li Xia's daughter joyfully told the man about her pregnancy and her desire to marry him, she was met with his cold refusal, as he never intended to marry her.

He had been with her only because she reminded him of someone else.

Devastated by the man's indifference and even pressured to terminate the pregnancy, Li Xia's daughter refused.

So, she eventually fled with the child.

Jiang Su: "..."

Reading this background information made Jiang Su feel like smoking.

Needless to say, Li Xia's daughter is the focus of her task in this world, but Jiang Su doesn't even know where to begin critiquing this plot.

Kidnapping, enduring for the sake of a child, meeting a tycoon, being kept, being a stand-in, and then running away pregnant...

"V0, come out. Let's talk."

In the new world, struggling for a long time not knowing which direction to take. Wondering if everyone likes this dramatic situation.