Chapter 16: The Truth Beneath the Script
The air between them had changed.
Since Lin Zhaoxi publicly cut things off with Shen Muyan, rumors buzzed across the set like static electricity—impossible to ignore, painful to touch.
"She really dumped him in front of everyone?"
"I heard he looked devastated."
"Maybe she was just using him to boost her popularity."
Lin Zhaoxi heard them all. The System had stopped punishing her—for now—but the price was steep. Her world felt colder. Duller. And Shen Muyan… he stopped trying to talk to her.
But he hadn't stopped watching.
That evening, he sat in his apartment with the lights off, staring at the screen in front of him.
Lin Zhaoxi. Age: 26. Actress. Debuted five years ago.
But the more he looked, the more he realized how wrong her records were. Too perfect. Like an AI-generated bio. The photos on public sites were all taken within the last year—nothing before that. Her interviews revealed nothing. No childhood stories. No friends. No past.
And then, a glitch.
An old paparazzi video from over a year ago, buried deep in a forgotten fan forum. The footage was shaky—but there she was.
Except it wasn't Lin Zhaoxi as he knew her.
In the video, she stumbled through a street at night, clutching her head, mumbling something incoherent. The voice was faint, but clear enough.
"I don't belong here… this isn't my story…"
Shen Muyan stared at the screen, chills running down his spine.
Who was she?
At the same time, Lin Zhaoxi stood alone on a quiet balcony, gripping the railing as if to stop herself from falling apart.
System Notice: Male lead's suspicion level has reached 55%. Recommend immediate misdirection.
She ignored it.
She couldn't lie anymore. Not to him. Not to herself.
She missed him.
His warmth. His laughter. The way he'd once looked at her like she was more than just a pawn.
WARNING: Emotional surge detected. Reset sequence may resume.
And then, unexpectedly, a voice behind her:
"You've changed."
She turned. Lin Yaoyao stood in the doorway, her delicate face framed by the warm light of the corridor. But there was nothing soft in her eyes.
"You're not the same person you were when we first met," Yaoyao said, stepping forward. "And Shen Muyan—he's not the type to fall for villains. So what are you doing to him?"
Lin Zhaoxi remained calm. "He fell in love all by himself."
"Did he?" Yaoyao tilted her head, smiling, but her words were sharp. "Or did you make him love you?"
Zhaoxi didn't answer.
Because the truth was—she didn't know anymore.
Back on set the next day, a new scene was announced: a confrontation between the second female lead and the male lead.
Lin Zhaoxi and Shen Muyan.
Everyone expected tension.
They got fire.
As the cameras rolled, Zhaoxi's character accused him of betrayal. Shen Muyan, in character, begged her to believe he still cared. Their eyes locked.
And then—he broke script.
"Who are you?" he asked, voice shaking—not the line in the script, but real. Raw.
The director started to call cut, but froze.
Zhaoxi's breath caught. "What…?"
"You're not the same girl I first met," Shen Muyan continued, stepping toward her. "Even your pain feels borrowed."
That wasn't a line. That wasn't acting.
She stumbled back, the System screaming in her mind.
ALERT: Timeline compromised. Male lead consciousness awakening. Initiating Storyline Override.
Then, the lights on set flickered.
Someone screamed.
A spotlight crashed to the floor, narrowly missing them both.
Crew scattered. Chaos erupted.
Zhaoxi's ears rang. Shen Muyan grabbed her shoulders, pulling her away from danger.
"Are you hurt?" he asked, urgent.
"No," she whispered, trembling.
But in that moment—she saw it.
A flicker of something in his eyes. Understanding. Real fear. Real feeling.
He was waking up.
And the story was about to fight back.