READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 1 - Female supporting system
On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, the moon shone brightly over the sea.
A luxurious cruise ship was quietly anchored on the water, its lights sparkling. White roses, dreamy gauze, a towering champagne pyramid, and waiters in neat uniforms holding trays moved among the guests dressed in glamorous gowns.
Wen Zhao kept her head down, her thick seaweed-like hair hidden under a baseball cap. An ill-fitting men’s suit hid her graceful and perfect figure completely.
She stood in front of an arch made of 9,999 roses, her eyes fixed on the life-size cutout.
The man was tall and handsome, the woman pure and petite, leaning against each other like a match made in heaven.
“Tsk, tsk, this wedding photo truly shows true love,” a noblewoman holding champagne sighed to her friend not far away.
“Half a year ago, when Gu Xianting and Wen Zhao took their wedding photos, there wasn’t a hint of a smile on their faces.”
“Has it only been half a year? It feels like it’s been a long time,” another woman remarked in surprise. “Speaking of which, she was really vicious, so bad that the Wen family went bankrupt. If I were Gu Xianting, I wouldn’t like her either.”
Wen Zhao pulled her cap lower and brushed past the two gossiping women.
When she slipped into the makeup room, it was bustling with activity. Through the makeup mirror, she saw Su Mengyao, the bride of this wedding, sitting and letting the makeup artist enhance her features.
Su Mengyao was the woman who had stolen Gu Xianting from her at their wedding six months ago.
One had to admit, the makeup artist was highly skilled. That face, which was only clean and pure at best, had been transformed to look somewhat attractive.
Wen Zhao’s expression twisted uncontrollably for a moment, filled with unwillingness and anger. She couldn’t understand how a woman who was inferior to her in every way could take away her lover.
She and Gu Xianting had grown up together. Before this woman appeared, Gu Xianting’s side had always been hers. He cared about her, looked forward to marrying her, and kissed her with restrained tenderness.
But after Su Mengyao appeared, he told her that their relationship was not love; he had made a mistake and only saw her as a sister.
It was hard to say whether she was more furious that her fiancé had fallen in love with someone else, or more desperate that all their past feelings were denied.
she couldn’t accept it. She angrily tried to reclaim what she believed was hers. The Wen-Gu family wedding was moved up, thinking that once the wedding was held, he would come back to her.
She didn’t expect that this would be the beginning of losing him completely.
At the wedding, Gu Xianting eloped with Su Mengyao, leaving her in her white wedding dress without looking back even once.
She thought she might have gone crazy at that time. She began to frantically oppose Gu Xianting, but the Wen and Gu family’s businesses were intertwined. The final outcome was Wen’s bankruptcy and total acquisition by the Gu family.
She had lost everything, but the woman who took everything from her sat here, smiling happily. How dare she!
Her eyes reddened with anger. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a sharp knife, aiming directly at Su Mengyao’s back!
Perhaps Wen Zhao’s fierce gaze alerted Su Mengyao. She opened her eyes, saw Wen Zhao’s twisted face through the mirror, and screamed instinctively, her body dodging to the side.
The knife missed its mark, leaving a ghastly wound on her arm before stabbing into the dressing table.
“Ah!” The sudden turn of events threw the makeup room into chaos.
“Wen Zhao! Don’t do anything rash! Xianting won’t let you get away with this!” Su Mengyao’s voice was sharp with fear.
Fueled by adrenaline, Wen Zhao continued to stab at her. “Shut up! Die! Why are you still alive? You took everything from me; give it back!”
“I didn’t… I know you blame me, but feelings can’t be controlled. Xianting and I truly love each other. Let us go, and free yourself too!” She pleaded while dodging, her white wedding dress quickly stained with blood.
“Are you an animal?” Wen Zhao’s fury only grew, “Only animals can’t control their urges. Humans should have limits! You knew he was my fiancé!”
“No, don’t kill me! Please!” Su Mengyao, sensing Wen Zhao’s madness, was terrified. She could feel nothing but endless hatred and killing intent in her eyes.
“Die!” Wen Zhao aimed the knife at her heart.
Su Mengyao closed her eyes, thinking her death was inevitable. The next moment, she was pulled into a warm embrace, and warm blood dripped onto her face. She opened her eyes to see a large hand gripping the knife tightly.
Gu Xianting, breathing heavily and filled with rage, looked at Wen Zhao as if she were a wild beast.
Wen Zhao seemed not to register his sudden appearance.
His eyes showed a flash of disgust, recalling the bright, beautiful girl from their youth.
The black-suited bodyguards quickly subdued her. She finally snapped back to reality, her face twisted, “Let me go! Gu Xianting, you’ll die a horrible death!”
“Wen Zhao, you’ve disappointed me too much.” The lovely girl in his memory was now hideous. He found it hard to look at her, “I let you go, and you seek your own death!”
“Xiating, it hurts,” Su Mengyao cried, nestled in his arms, tears streaming down her face.
Seeing Su Mengyao covered in wounds, his anger surged, “Wen Zhao, I’ll kill you!”
Su Mengyao was his cherished treasure, the love of his life. How dare Wen Zhao!
“Throw her overboard!” He ordered coldly.
“Gu Xianting, you have no heart! I curse you; I curse you and Su Mengyao to never find peace!” Wen Zhao struggled but couldn’t overpower the bodyguards.
She was thrown off the cruise ship, hitting the water hard, sinking into the cold, dark sea.
Water flooded her mouth and nose, filling her chest, making her stomach and lungs ache. It was so painful, and she was unwilling to accept it.
As her consciousness faded, she felt only unwillingness. Why did she deserve this fate? What had she done wrong?
【You did nothing wrong.】
“If I did nothing wrong, why did I lose everything?”
【Because you’re the villainess, and the fate of a villainess is always like this. But you’re important, you’re a cornerstone of this world’s stability.】
“Really?” Was her existence just a stepping stone?
“And what are you?”
【I am the Villainess Redemption System. In this story called “Gu’s Secret Lover,” you are the top villainess, constantly creating conflicts between the main couple, ultimately strengthening their love. I exist to reward you. Now, you can bind with me to get a chance to be reborn, and I will help you reach the pinnacle of life!】
In her confused consciousness, she saw a line of glowing words.
【Please, Wen Zhao, do you agree to bind with the Villainess Redemption System?】
There was only one option: “Agree” in bold letters.
No choice at all.
Her lips curved slightly as she decisively clicked the agree button.
The next second, a strong sense of falling made her feel weightless.
When she opened her eyes again, she heard the noise of conversations around her. She looked around in confusion.
She was standing in the middle of a stage, wearing an elaborately made wedding dress. The host was speaking beside her. She turned her head and saw Gu Xianting in a groom’s suit.
【Congratulations on successfully binding with the Villainess Redemption System. Now, here’s your first redemption task.】
【In five minutes, the heroine Su Mengyao will burst into the banquet hall. You need to tell Gu Xianting that you’re willing to give up the engagement and wish them happiness.】
The system’s voice brought her back to reality. She looked at her hands, these perfectly maintained hands.
She turned her head to look at Gu Xianting, the groom who would abandon her in five minutes, leaving her to face ridicule alone. Right now, he was still hers.
【How about it, host? The task is simple, right?】
“Now, let’s have the bride and groom exchange rings,” the host said passionately, gesturing for the flower girl to bring the rings.
Her gaze fell on the rings. This pair of rings was her design, a perfect work that she poured all her heart into since their engagement at eighteen, but they never fulfilled their mission.
“Xiating,” she turned to Gu Xianting, “I’m not feeling well. Can you come with me for a moment?”
Gu Xianting, standing tense and distracted, frowned, “The wedding is in progress.”
“I know.” She grabbed his hand and, sensing the other person trying to pull away, tightened his grip. “I want you to come with me now, if you don’t want anything to happen to your true love.”
“Wen Zhao!” He hissed in a low voice, “I’ve already agreed to marry you. What more do you want? How long are you going to keep this up?”
“Come with me.” She pulled him back a step.
Smoke swirled around the stage, creating an illusion-like scene. She dragged the furious Gu Xianting back several steps until they disappeared completely behind the smoke.
“Host, what are you doing? Please don’t do anything unrelated to the mission!”
Ignoring the voice yelling in her ear, she forcibly dragged him out of the banquet hall through the backstage door.
“Host, ignoring the system. Initiate Level One Punishment!”
As the system’s voice fell, she felt as if her skull had been struck hard, the intense pain nearly causing her to lose her balance.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” Gu Xianting frowned deeply. He thought she was lying about feeling unwell, but seeing her pale face and cold sweat from the pain, he began to doubt.
Wen Zhao gritted her teeth, refusing to speak. The pain was so intense that she bit her lip, causing blood to trickle down the corner of her mouth.
With a mouth full of blood, she staggered, dragging Gu Xianting along the corridor until she forcefully pulled him into a nearby dressing room.
At that moment, a commotion erupted in the banquet hall.
Five minutes had passed, and she knew Su Mengyao must have pushed open the banquet hall doors.
Gu Xianting tried to listen carefully to what was happening, but the next second, he felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness, collapsing forward.