Chapter 1 – Breakup and the Sound of Fate
The evening wind blew gently through the streets, but Li Wei felt none of its coolness.
He stood outside a shopping plaza, facing the girl he had dated for two years.
Liu Xinyi.
Her arms were crossed, her face full of irritation rather than sadness.
"Li Wei, this is exactly why I can't stay with you anymore," she said sharply. "You didn't even buy me a birthday gift this year. Do you know how embarrassing that is?"
Li Wei clenched his hands slightly. "Xinyi… I told you, things are different now. My family—"
"I don't want excuses!" she cut him off. "In the past you bought me whatever I wanted. Bags, phones, clothes. Now? Nothing. Love can't pay for anything."
Li Wei opened his mouth to explain again, but the sound of an engine interrupted him.
A sleek BMW 4 Series stopped right beside them.
The window rolled down.
Inside sat a young man with styled hair and a confident smirk.
Han Jie.
Li Wei's childhood rival.
Han Jie looked him up and down, then laughed lightly. "Li Wei… long time no see."
Before Li Wei could respond, Liu Xinyi suddenly walked toward the car and leaned against it, smiling sweetly.
"Oh, Li Wei," she said mockingly, "let me introduce you. This is my new boyfriend."
Han Jie chuckled. "You really fell far, huh? In the past, your family was rich. Everyone followed you around. But now?" He clicked his tongue. "Your father's company is collapsing, your family is drowning in debt, and you work part-time jobs just to survive."
He leaned closer, his eyes full of ridicule.
"And now, even your girlfriend is mine."
Liu Xinyi got into the passenger seat without looking back.
The car door shut.
The BMW sped away, leaving only exhaust smoke behind.
---
Li Wei stood there quietly.
His expression didn't change much.
He had already expected this day to come.
Liu Xinyi had only gotten close to him because of his family's wealth. Back then, he knew it. He just didn't care.
Now that the money was gone, so was she.
But strangely… he didn't feel heartbroken.
More like… empty.
Just then—
Ding.
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[The Perfect Life System is merging with the host…]
Li Wei froze.
He looked around.
The street was normal. Cars passed. People walked by.
"…I must be hearing things," he muttered.
There was no screen. No panel. Nothing appeared in front of him.
He shook his head and pushed the strange voice aside.
Right now, he didn't have time to think about hallucinations.
His family owed money. A lot of it.
To help at home, he worked part-time as a waiter in a bar every night after classes.
Li Wei took a deep breath, his eyes turning calm and steady again.
"Life doesn't stop," he said softly.
Then he turned and walked toward the neon lights of the city night, unaware that his ordinary life was about to change forever