Ming Ge fell silent.
"Hey, stupid host, you're not chickening out, are you?" System looked down on her.
"No," Ming Ge replied.
Chickening out?
It was impossible to chicken out.
She should have died a long time ago, so living an extra day was a gain; what was there to fear from being eradicated?
What's more, ten years, a hundred billion...
Without trying, how could she know for certain that it was unachievable?
Ming Ge curled her vivid lips into a smile.
I have returned from Hell, destined to slay gods if they block my path, and kill Buddhas if they stand in my way.
My dears, are you ready to face the challenge?
...
System rolled its eyes, "It's not like you're making that sort of face just now for no reason."
"No..." Ming Ge furrowed her brows, "I was just thinking, why...it's so hot."
System thought for a moment, "Oh, you got drugged."
Ming Ge: "..."
Fuck.
You're telling me now?
As if time, which had stopped, suddenly started running at extreme speed at this moment.
Her senses became increasingly intense, an indescribable restlessness erupting within her like a volcano!
System warned her, "You have 10 seconds to leave this place, or history will repeat itself."
History repeating itself?
Ming Ge used her fading consciousness to recall carefully, April Fools' Day, 2010...
Yes, it was the day paparazzi burst into the hotel and captured "solid evidence" of her seducing a sleazy middle-aged director!
From then on, the label of someone willing to sell herself for roles and climb up the ranks through the casting couch, stuck to Ming Ge and couldn't be torn off.
Not only did it almost ruin her star journey, but also led to countless troubles in the days that followed.
After all, with such a reputation, it was inevitable to attract people with sinister motives, swarming like bees and butterflies, fearless of death.
In her past life, although nothing had happened with that greasy director, and no advantage was taken, the public exposure led to a huge fight with her father, worsening their already tense relationship.
In an effort to redeem her reputation, the old man announced to the public that she was the daughter of the Ming Family, but it only led to mockery: a willing fall from grace.
Looking back now, she realized how foolish she had been.
Blinded by rebellion, she was hostile towards her father, unwilling to accept even a hint of his kindness.
She cast away a father's sincere love for his daughter like a worn-out shoe.
In this life, things would be different.
Ming Ge also wouldn't allow herself to repeat the same mistakes.
A firm resolve flashed in her eyes.
System's voice rang out again, "You've only got 8 seconds left, oh."
Ming Ge felt like she could even hear the footsteps outside getting closer.
That was the sound of a sleazy middle-aged man's feet on the carpet, filled with slimy excitement.
Ming Ge bit her lower lip hard, the bright beads of blood oozing out, the pain granting her a moment of clarity.
But it wasn't enough.
Nowhere near enough to quell the restlessness inside her.
The next second, Ming Ge got up from the ground.
In this presidential suite, other than the bathroom and the wardrobe, there was no place to hide.
And these two places were likely the first the man who was about to break in would check after finding the little white rabbit, who was supposed to be lying on the bed drugged and ready for the taking, missing.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you, when you reach a million negative value, you'll also be eradicated," System suddenly remembered and reminded her, "Now you only have 6 seconds left, oh."
Goddamn it.
Ming Ge cursed, left the bathroom, and ran towards the window.
No wonder this damn bastard System kept chattering in her ear, telling her to get up or she'd be dead.
It turned out that once the star luck value reached negative one million, she would be eradicated on the spot.
She wouldn't even make it to ten years later.
She was already at -250,000, close to a quarter of the eradication threshold.
If she repeated the mistakes of her previous life and got tangled up with "giving herself for roles" and "casting couch", it would truly be no different from heading straight to her death.
There might be a chance to bounce back from rock bottom, but the difficulty level would probably jump from S grade directly to Hell mode.
Ming Ge took a breath, her exhale scorching hot.
In this context, the countdown of System's voice sounded almost coldhearted, "4 seconds."
She reached the window.
Ming Ge took a glance.
Her heart sank.
```
The floor-to-ceiling window was sealed shut, and this was... the 17th floor.
Jumping down would only lead to one outcome: death.
And it would be a grisly death, one where the body shattered into pieces.
Ming Ge narrowed her eyes, a plan formulating in her mind.
[2 seconds.]
Ming Ge's jet-black hair was dishevelled, a thin sweat breaking out as she retreated from the window.
[1 second.]
Ming Ge picked up a European-style candlestick from the nightstand, its base heavy and its tip gleaming menacingly in the darkness.
She smiled, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.
At the same time, someone was swiping a key card outside the hotel suite. There was a "ding" as the door was pushed open with brute force.
The bald, beer-bellied, greasy middle-aged director stumbled in, rubbing his hands together, "Little beauty, I've arrived~hick~"
He groped his way to the bed in the darkness, but the bed was empty—where was the promised little beauty?
"Eh, where is she?"
"Looking for me?" The woman by the window slowly let out a laugh from the darkness.
He squinted his eyes, looking over.
The woman was holding the candlestick by the window draped with curtains, and his drunken vision blurred so he couldn't make out her face.
But that didn't matter. There were plenty of little stars eager to climb into his bed; he didn't care at all who was in his bed tonight, "Come here, if you take care of daddy tonight, the third female lead in 'Deep Sentiment' is yours."
As he spoke, he burped, patted the bed beside him, and settled himself like a lord of the manor.
Ming Ge: "..."
She had some impression of "Deep Sentiment." Despite its artistic title, it was just a third-rate film that banked on nudity for attention.
The third female lead?
Go to hell.
The candlestick was heavy, and Ming Ge felt weak in her limbs, struggling to hold it, hence she switched hands from left to right.
The greasy middle-aged director, growing impatient, noticed the weapon in her hand. His eyes narrowed as he lumbered over.
"Yo, what are you planning to do with that? Assault me? I'm telling you, don't push your luck!"
"How many years would a D-list actress like you have to suffer in the entertainment industry to make a name for herself? But with me, it's different. I promise you'll be A-list in three years and an international star in five."
"How many female stars in the entertainment industry are clean? Why pass up a shortcut? I'm not bragging, but Qin Yiran, who's big now, I made her famous, believe it or not?"
He was half-threatening, half-enticing.
Ming Ge: I don't believe a word, you disgusting old man.
Her breath grew heavy, and she remained silent.
The hand holding the candlestick felt more and more strained, as if she was amidst roaring flames.
She was stalling for time.
Ming Ge vaguely remembered that in about a minute, the paparazzi would burst through the door, cameras at the ready...
This man was merely cannon fodder in the scheme against her.
It was pointless to argue with him.
As she remained unaffected by his words, the greasy middle-aged director became enraged. He raised his hand to strike Ming Ge's shoulder and sneered, "Let's see where you can run to now. Try running away again!"
"Bang—"
Ming Ge swung the candlestick, striking his head hard. After opening a gash, she coldly threatened by the dazed director's ear, "If you dare do this to me today, even as a ghost, I, Yin Ruowei, won't let you off!"
Without another word, she tossed the limp body of the greasy man onto the floor. Turning, she smashed the floor-to-ceiling window with one swift blow. Amidst the crashing sounds, she mimicked a woman's voice, crying out in a sharp wail.
"After being disgraced by a piece of trash like you, I, Yin Ruowei, have no face left to live in this world!"
The group of paparazzi, armed with cameras, had just broken into the room when they heard this cry.
They caught only a glimpse of a figure jumping from the building, with no chance to intervene.
"No good, Yin Ruowei has jumped!"
...
The director was stricken with terror.
A shock ran through him, sobering him up considerably, a chill spreading through his body.
Dead... Someone died?!
-
Meanwhile.
The 18th floor.
A slender figure thumped onto the carpet.
Ming Ge discarded the candlestick and laboriously got up, stumbling forward, desperate to escape this place.
Little did she know, her shin was tripped by something.
And to her terrible luck, she fell onto a body.
In the darkness, the man suddenly opened his eyes, his handsome features sharpening with a dangerous glint, his onyx eyes dark and intense as a chilly night.
"—Who?"
```