Looking at Ophelia, who was muttering incessantly as if she had fallen into a demonic trance, Luo Wei’s face showed clear concern.
“Are you alright? Have you not been resting well lately?”
Her complexion was unnaturally pale, her eyes bloodshot, as though she had been staying up night after night, utterly drained.
But Luo Wei knew that her current state was likely more due to “backlash.”
Creating a dreamscape so vivid it rivaled reality—such an ability must come at a great cost. Luo Wei sensed that she was gradually succumbing to the inevitable corruption and madness that plagued those who wielded supernatural powers.
She was too obsessive. Even as a descendant of the ancient gods, she shouldn’t overuse her powers like this.
Moreover, the source of the “dreamscape” power didn’t belong to her in the first place.
Just thinking about the horrifying, blood-soaked truth behind that dreamscape was enough to know that such eerie power from ancient deities should never be delved into too deeply...
“I’m fine, I’m fine...”
Hearing Luo Wei’s concern, Ophelia’s eyes finally settled for a moment.
But she still clutched his hand tightly, unwilling to let go even a little.
“Go back and rest,” Luo Wei advised patiently.
“Stop focusing on those official duties... Your health is the most important thing...”
“Let’s just end all this.”
Unexpectedly, after he said this, Ophelia suddenly raised her head.
“It can’t end! It won’t end!!”
“I’m going to succeed, I’m almost there!”
She began muttering to herself again, as if possessed.
She was so close!
She was almost there!!
But then...
When Ophelia thought of that icy corpse—Luo Wei’s corpse—her heart sank once more.
What was missing? Where had she gone wrong??
Her bloodshot eyes instinctively turned to Luo Wei’s face, but her gaze flickered uncertainly.
Ophelia didn’t dare to truly meet his eyes.
Whenever she looked into them, regret and guilt would surge within her.
And that haunting thought wouldn’t leave her.
The poor bird in the metal cage, battered and bloodied...
It was all because of her...
She was the one who killed Luo Wei, she was the one who killed him...
These thoughts tormented her relentlessly, driving her to the brink of madness.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, Ophelia felt the world spinning around her, her body swaying unsteadily.
“Your Highness!!”
Caroline, hearing the commotion, rushed into the room and hurriedly supported Ophelia.
“Are you alright?”
Ophelia seemed lost in her own world, completely oblivious to Caroline’s worried voice.
“I know! I know what’s wrong!!”
She suddenly became excited, muttering to herself in exhilaration.
“I’m not wrong, I’m not wrong...”
“It’s just...”
“Just a minor parameter issue, just a small adjustment needed!”
She immediately shook off Caroline’s support and stumbled toward the door, eager to leave.
Her figure staggered down the hallway until she disappeared into the distance.
The head maid watched Ophelia’s retreating figure with concern, and the room fell into silence.
Then, Caroline’s gaze slowly shifted to Luo Wei, her eyes now filled with hostility.
“Speak! Are you the one behind this?”
Luo Wei feigned confusion. “Behind what?”
“Don’t play dumb! It must be you!”
Caroline’s voice grew angrier.
“You! What have you done to our princess? What have you been up to?”
Luo Wei frowned slightly. “What are you talking about? What could I possibly do to Ophelia?”
Caroline clearly didn’t believe him.
She clenched her fists, her killing intent palpable as she stepped closer to Luo Wei.
“Don’t think I won’t lay a hand on you!”
“Killing you would be as easy as breathing!”
Facing Caroline’s threat, Luo Wei shrugged, his expression still calm.
“If you don’t believe me, there’s nothing I can do.”
“It must be you!” Caroline glared at him. “She was fine just a few days ago! Ever since that day she burst into your room crying, she’s been like a different person! What did you do to her?”
It had to be Luo Wei’s doing! Otherwise, the princess would never have become like this.
Staring at the man before her, Caroline’s eyes were filled with undisguised murderous intent.
If only...
If only this man weren’t so important to the princess.
She would have killed him long ago, without wasting a single word on him!
Seeing her unbridled hostility, Luo Wei let out a cold laugh.
“Behind this?”
“You do realize I’ve been living under your watchful eyes every day, with every move monitored.”
“How could I possibly have done anything?”
He then smirked mockingly.
“If anything, I think you’re the one who should be under suspicion.”
“Me?” Caroline snapped. “What does this have to do with me?”
Luo Wei looked at her intently. “Ophelia told me that she had a nightmare and was frightened by what she saw in it.”
He narrowed his eyes, his gaze suspicious.
“Who here is most skilled in sleep and dreams? That would be you, wouldn’t it? I’d like to ask you something. Why is it that since I’ve been staying here, I’ve found it harder and harder to sleep? Sometimes I even need your help to fall asleep?”
Caroline froze.
Luo Wei suddenly turned the tables, pressing her with his questions.
“Miss Caroline, what exactly have you done to us? Why are both of us experiencing such similar symptoms?”
“I...” She opened her mouth, trying to explain. “That’s not the same thing... It’s not my fault... It’s because...”
But she quickly shut her mouth.
She couldn’t reveal the princess’s role in all this.
Yet, she realized with frustration that she had no way to explain herself, as both of them relied on her to fall asleep.
Not only did she have to forcibly hypnotize Luo Wei, but the princess... Due to her prolonged manipulation of the dreamscape, she could no longer sleep normally and often needed Caroline’s help to do so...
Seeing Caroline’s hesitation, Luo Wei’s smile deepened.
“What’s wrong? Caught red-handed and now you’re speechless?”
“How dare you!” Caroline snapped. “You’re the one twisting the truth and spreading lies!”
“Think what you want,” Luo Wei said, crossing his arms. “Now that I’ve exposed your true nature, if you continue your wicked schemes, don’t blame Ophelia and me for not being lenient.”
Caroline was so furious she couldn’t stand being in the room any longer.
She shot Luo Wei a cold glare and turned to leave.
After all these days together, it seemed she had finally realized...
Just what kind of despicable person Luo Wei truly was.
Luo Wei walked to the door, watching her retreating figure with a smile.
“Miss Caroline, even if you won’t admit it, I hope you’ll remember this.”
“Ophelia’s current predicament is partly your doing.”
“Perhaps you should reflect on the underhanded things you’ve done.”
Caroline’s figure trembled slightly at his words.
...
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
