5874’s condition for completing this A-level mission is to make Xu Youyou happy.

But the meaning of the word ‘happiness’ is really too broad, so what exactly constitutes happiness?

Is it having money? Being liked by others? Or being very powerful?

Xu Wenyin didn’t know and couldn’t judge, but she knew that the kind of life Xu Youyou led in the original story was definitely not happy!

So, in order to achieve happiness, those who bullied Xu Youyou and the things that hurt her must be kept far away or completely eradicated. The biggest source of unhappiness, Lu Haoyu, should get lost as far as possible, preferably never appearing in front of Xu Youyou again in this lifetime.

Unfortunately, plans couldn’t keep up with changes. Shortly after the plot officially began, she entered a dormant state and couldn’t protect Xu Youyou anymore.

Xu Wenyin felt regretful as she looked at the 87% progress bar, knowing that the closer they got to the end, the slower the progress would become.

Xu Youyou and Lu Haoyu were likely to have a significant entanglement, even if the mission was eventually completed. According to the timeline of the novel, it would probably be at least ten years later. By then, Xu Wenyin feared she would have long since dissipated in this small world due to energy depletion.

Not being able to see Xu Youyou’s happy ending is truly regrettable.

This was the last thought before the system entered dormancy. However, she probably didn’t anticipate that Xu Youyou and Lu Haoyu would meet even earlier than she had expected.

Moreover, when they met, Lu Haoyu’s male protagonist halo had no effect whatsoever in front of Xu Youyou, and it even diminished over time.

It was like a magical curse. In the original story, Xu Youyou’s life got worse while Lu Haoyu’s improved. But now, it was exactly the opposite.

But obviously, this was something Xu Wenyin was pleased to see. The worse Lu Haoyu became, the less likely he would be able to harm Xu Youyou.

As Xu Youyou enjoyed her dream college life and made good friends, her happiness index soared, especially when she started dating Lu Chenjun. The mission completion percentage skyrocketed to 95%!

Career, love, family, and friends—— all these are standards by which people judge whether someone is happy or not. It’s not necessary to have all of them, but having them certainly contributes to happiness.

Originally, with Xu Wenyin’s efforts, Xu Youyou’s career and family lines were almost maxed out, and her friend line was nearly there too. However, her love line remained stagnant.

Just at this moment, Lu Haoyu met Hua Duo’er, and Xu Youyou and Lu Chenjun became a couple. Both sides started sprinting in the opposite direction, so it’s no wonder the mission completion speed increased.

Following the rules of this world, the crucial 5% at the end still depended on Lu Haoyu.

He hadn’t completely given up on Xu Youyou yet, and the Lu family still had some fighting power. If any part of the plan goes wrong, Xu Youyou’s path to happiness might still be affected.

If Xu Wenyin were there at this moment, she would spare no effort to suppress the Lu family and Lu Haoyu, ensuring he would never have a chance to turn things around. But unfortunately, she’s not, and no one knows about the entanglement between Lu Haoyu and Xu Youyou.

Fortunately, even without knowing the key details, with Lu Haoyu’s previous suffocating tactics, the Qin and the Qing family were leaving no stone unturned in suppressing the Lu family’s business. With the help of Hua Duo’er, Lu Haoyu was becoming increasingly disinterested in his career.

In just a month, the market value of the Lu Group had evaporated by at least ten percent!

But this was far from enough. If they didn’t completely crush him, there’s a possibility of him making a comeback. Especially with the proverbial saying that ‘even a scrawny camel is bigger than a horse^[1]even after suffering a loss, a rich person is still better off than ordinary people’. If he really wanted to rise again, it would be easier for him than for most people.

At this time, Hua Duo’er showcased her astonishing talent for ‘honey trap’.

Since Hua Duo’er got the opportunity to grasp Lu Haoyu, she absolutely had no intention of letting go.

In the eyes of prominent families like the Qin family, the Lu family might already be seen as a dying ember, struggling in its last throes. But for the vast majority of ordinary families, even a small amount trickling through their fingers from the Lu family would be better than toiling for a lifetime on their own.

Hua Duo’er spent a lot of money to craft this face of hers.

She also grasped a truth from it—— With money, one can become increasingly beautiful, and no one would ever despise or reject them again.

But making money isn’t that simple, is it?

The money for the plastic surgery alone was accumulated by Hua Duo’er in the past four years through live streaming her figure and her good voice, and it has been used up now.

But her face still wasn’t beautiful enough. There were still flaws!

Coincidentally, because of this face, she happened to overhear some gossip about the Lu family and the Qin family from a company boss.

In fact, over the years, Hua Duo’er had never forgotten about Xu Youyou. She had always been secretly keeping an eye on her and even managed to become online friends with her through some means.

However, as she started to become beautiful herself, it’s clear that Hua Duo’ers mind was no longer focused on Xu Youyou.

There are always people more beautiful than Xu Youyou, aren’t there? Hua Duo’ers features can become even more refined and attractive with money!

But if she continued to earn money as before, does she have to spend another four or five years slowly accumulating it?

Hua Duo’er didn’t have that much time!

After her plastic surgery, she once considered entering the entertainment industry. After all, everyone knows that the entertainment industry is lucrative.

But she didn’t expect her luck to be so bad. After finally landing a supporting role in a TV drama, the female lead was suddenly changed to Yao Yunyou. Naturally, she wouldn’t allow a face similar to her own to appear in the same drama.

Not only did she cut off Hua Duo’ers financial path, but she also clearly expressed her dislike for Hua Duo’er.

At that time, Yao Yunyou had the backing of the Lu family, so those people naturally wouldn’t offend her for the sake of an insignificant nobody. Therefore, Hua Duo’ers path to stardom was cut off before it even began.

Since you’ve cut off my financial path, I’ll steal your man!

Hua Duo’er was very clear-headed. Relying on marrying Lu Haoyu for money was not only troublesome, but she also didn’t want to be tied down to a man for the rest of her life.

Once she became even more beautiful, what was Lu Haoyu to her? Surely there would be plenty of more outstanding men who would like her.

So, Hua Duo’ers current goal was just to make a fortune from the Lu family. After some preliminary research on Lu Haoyu through collected information, she decisively approached the Qin family.

Hua Duo’er was confident in her acting skills, but her only concern now was that if someone investigated her, everything would be ruined.

She couldn’t change her background on her own, and an ordinary small boss wouldn’t be able to resist investigations from the Lu family either. Hua Duo’er can only seek help from the Qin family.

It’s said that the enemy of one’s enemy is a friend. The Qin family wanted to bring down the Lu family, while Hua Duo’er sought revenge on Yao Yunyou and wanted more money. These goals were not contradictory.

Indeed, the plan went very smoothly afterward.

Lu Haoyu responded to her ‘I’m indifferent to you’ strategy by becoming increasingly pleased the more she resisted and was forced to compromise.

This man is a sadist, isn’t he?

No wonder Yao Yunyou kept stringing him along. A man like this would never cherish something easily obtainable.

But Hua Duo’er doesn’t need his affection.

She! Wants! Beauty!

And the only way to be beautiful was to have lots and lots of money.

For this, Hua Duo’er can spare no expense. She had evidently fallen into a frenzy of appearance anxiety, to the point where it had become pathological.

In just a week of being with Lu Haoyu, Hua Duo’ers wardrobe and jewelry underwent a complete overhaul. Even if she said ‘no’, Lu Haoyu would force her to accept them.

In Lu Haoyu’s words, “You’re my woman now. When you go out, you represent my image. You cannot embarrass me!”

So, Hua Duo’er could only ‘reluctantly’ accept them, while secretly calculating how much money she could get for these items later.

The clothes would probably have to be heavily discounted, but the jewelry wouldn’t depreciate too much.

Just one bracelet is worth several years of hard work for her. Indeed, the world of the wealthy is different.

The only trouble was that old man Lu. Judging from the way he looked at her, he would probably make a move against her soon. Hua Duo’er decisively sought help from the Qin family again and exchanged some information she obtained from Lu Haoyu for protection.

After that, things went very smoothly.

Hua Duo’er got injured, and Lu Haoyu was furious.

It turned out that the person who injured Hua Duo’er was actually his own grandfather.

In Lu Haoyu’s mind, even if it’s his grandfather, he couldn’t harm his woman!

The old man was promptly stripped of his power and sent directly to a nursing home under the supervision of his favorite grandson. It’s like being up a creek without a paddle!

Moreover, this injury further intensified the two’s relationship.

Lu Haoyu gradually sent fewer and fewer messages to Yao Yunyou to inquire about her well-being. Later on, even when Yao Yunyou took the initiative to message him, his replies were very slow. This attitude made Yao Yunyou feel somewhat panicked.

Especially after hearing that there was a woman around Lu Haoyu who looked very similar to her, Yao Yunyou repeatedly pondered and eventually decided to return home earlier!

Even if she didn’t like Lu Haoyu, she wouldn’t allow this spare tire to be taken away by someone else!

Hua Duo’er wasn’t like Xu Youyou in the original story. When she faces off against Yao Yunyou, it’s bound to be quite a spectacle.

But before the show could start, another scandal erupted involving the Lu family.

Since Lu Weiyao was ousted from his position, Old Master Lu promptly sent him abroad, out of sight and out of mind.

Naturally, Zhao Xuanyi went along with him.

But Lu Haoyu was Lu Weiyao’s son after all, and considering that Lu Haoyu still had some feelings for his father, Lu Weiyao wasn’t lacking in terms of money.

Who would have thought that the other party would actually get involved with drugs?

That stuff is a bottomless pit. The more money one has, the faster one spends it.

Soon, the money provided by the Lu family couldn’t satisfy Lu Weiyao’s consumption. In a fit of madness when he couldn’t get his fix, he accidentally killed Zhao Xuanyi’s younger brother. By the time the news reached Lu Haoyu in the country and he wanted to suppress it, it was already too late.

Don’t say that the current chairman of the Lu Group was no longer Lu Weiyao. The sins of the father are paid for by the son. With a father who is a murderer and drug addict, how good can the son be? Could the Lu Group be a drug den?

As a result, the Lu Group’s stocks hit the limit down that day. Various scandals that were previously circulating in small circles were now exposed, causing heavy losses.

———pr

“Aunt Qin.”

It was another Saturday and Xu Youyou was painting in her estate while listening to Qin Yiren telling her about the recent events. She sighed but also noticed something wrong. “That Zhao Xuanyi…… isn’t she……?”

“Is she close to that brother of hers?”

Going mad and killing someone is indeed possible for someone under the influence of drugs.

But no matter how Xu Youyou looked at it, wasn’t the probability of Zhao Xuanyi getting hurt higher than that of her brother?

“Oh, Youyou, you’re really perceptive.” Qin Yiren praised Xu Youyou with a smile.

“The information I received indicates that Zhao Xuanyi’s younger brother is involved in all sorts of vices like drinking, gambling, and debauchery. Zhao Xuanyi originally entered the entertainment industry to repay her brother’s debts, and Lu Weiyao was influenced by her brother to get addicted to drugs. At that time, they were both doing drugs together.”

Ah, this……

Xu Youyou’s mind turned. “So that’s why?”

She didn’t finish her sentence, but Qin Yiren understood what she meant.

No one knows what role Zhao Xuanyi played in this incident.

After having a miscarriage because of Ruan Rourou, she lost the ability to be a mother. Does Zhao Xuanyi resent Ruan Rourou?

Surely she must, right?

But besides Ruan Rourou, doesn’t she also resent Lu Weiyao and her brother?

Anyway, since the police haven’t found Zhao Xuanyi guilty, it doesn’t matter even if people speculate about her. She was now overseas and couldn’t hear any of it.

The only ones who suffered harm were the Lu family.

“That Lu family is truly beyond redemption.”

“Fortunately, Aunt Qin, you all got out quickly.” Xu Youyou sighed, shaking her head.

Otherwise, they would have been dragged down with those people.

At the same time, Xu Youyou was once again grateful that Uncle Lu and Lu Chenjun emerged unscathed, without being tainted by the bad habits of the Lu family!

“You can rest assured, Youyou.” Qin Yiren said with a smile. “If Juanjuan dares to lose his mind, I’ll disown him immediately!”

Xu Youyou was speechless. “……Aunt Qin, Juanjuan will cry.”

It’s not that Xu Youyou blindly trusts. She and Lu Chenjun have known each other for over ten years, growing up together. Don’t they understand each other’s personalities by now? But she also knew that Qin Yiren was joking, so she changed the subject, “Is the Lu family really on the brink of collapse?”

Qin Yiren thought of what Qin Xiao had said. She nodded at first, then immediately shook her head. “The bankruptcy liquidation of a listed company isn’t that fast. It could take several years.”

And the Lu family hadn’t reached the point of bankruptcy yet.

“It’s okay. It’s only a matter of time before they go bankrupt.” Xu Youyou said. She didn’t like, even detested, Lu Haoyu. After hearing about some incidents involving the Lu family, she also had no favorable impression of other members of the Lu family. Seeing them decline even gave her a kind of inexplicable joy.

It seemed like…… revenge fulfilled?

Xu Youyou shook her head to dispel this eerie sense of joy, then refocused her attention on her painting.

It had been almost five years since her last art exhibition. Xu Youyou’s agent, the person who usually handled her publicity, sales, and other affairs, had recently suggested that it was about time for her to have another one.

An artist’s reputation needed to be constantly consolidated and expanded. Xu Youyou could conveniently use the occasion of turning eighteen to deepen everyone’s impression of her as a ‘genius painter’.

Moreover, after seeing Xu Youyou’s recent paintings, her agent also felt that she had made tremendous progress. Her paintings were imbued with emotion and intention, making it hard to imagine that they were the works of an eighteen-year-old girl.

Many children of this age are still living carefree lives in their ivory towers.

After some consideration, Xu Youyou didn’t refuse. Then, accompanied by Aunt Qin, the three of them sat down to discuss the details such as the timing, location, promotional methods, and so on.

Over the years, with the continuous improvement of the internet, the means of promotion have become increasingly diverse. The key was that Xu Youyou had many aspects that could be promoted. With a face that rivals that of a celebrity, if managed properly, it could generate significant online traffic.

And on top of that, she’s also a high-achieving student admitted to A University. In Hua Country, there’s always an extra layer of admiration for people with good academic performance.

Xu Youyou was also versatile. She could play the violin and the piano, and handling a few scoundrels in a fight was no problem for her. She’s truly the top-tier version of someone else’s child.

Sometimes, even her agent thought that if her own child could have half of what Xu Youyou possesses, she’d wake up laughing from her dreams every night!

The exhibition was tentatively scheduled for December, which might be a bit tight, but it’s not a big problem for the agent. At least there’s no need to worry about the venue as the Qin family was more than happy to provide it.

And all Xu Youyou needed to do during this time was to focus on creating, striving to produce even better artwork.

So, Xu Youyou spent almost every weekend at the estate, where she found more inspiration.

Occasionally, she would also spend time with Lu Chenjun, reading in the study, feeding fish by the pond, or watching stars from the attic. Even though they had only recently become a couple, they were already living the life of an old married couple.

One Saturday night, Xu Youyou was about to go to bed when she suddenly received a message requesting friend verification.

【This is Mu Heyao.】

Mu Heyao? Of course, Xu Youyou knew him. But wasn’t he always communicating with her mother? Why did he suddenly add her as a friend?

Xu Youyou accepted his friend request while speculating.

As she was pondering how to greet him, the other party couldn’t wait and immediately sent a message.

【Xu Wenyin isn’t human, is she?】

Xu Youyou’s hand paused as she was about to send an emoji, but she didn’t hesitate or delay in responding.

【??? What are you talking about? Of course my mother is human.】

However, Mu Heyao didn’t back down.

【I want to meet you tomorrow.】

【Your mother is likely in trouble.】

Xu Youyou’s hand tightened suddenly. What did he mean?

Was he referring to knowing about her mother’s recovery, or did he mean something else entirely? Was he just trying to deceive her?

Xu Youyou’s mind raced with countless thoughts, but in the end, she replied with just one word.

【Okay.】

Regardless of what Mu Heyao knew, Xu Youyou felt she must meet him.

But she couldn’t just do it without any preparation. She needed to choose the location herself and be cautious to prevent being tricked into revealing information, among other things.

Tonight was destined to be a sleepless night.