There are still five minutes until the hero escapes from marriage.

Regarding Su Mengyao’s anomalies, Wen Zhao had noticed them before.

She had impulsively kidnapped Gu Xianting, but Su Mengyao seemed to anticipate her plans, and miraculously disappeared from the basement, only to reappear later, in the alley outside the bar. 

How did she know, and how did she open the door to the hotel room where she was staying?

All these anomalies couldn’t help but make her think of one thing – a system.

Since there exists the so-called “Evil Female Supporting Role’s Cleansing System” in this world, is it possible that Su Mengyao also possesses a system?

With this thought in mind, she suddenly felt enlightened. All the inexplicable things about Su Mengyao suddenly made sense.

But for now, all of this was just her speculation. She was somewhat interested in what extraordinary abilities Su Mengyao possessed, but not overly so.

She threw her phone aside. It was time for her to sleep; Su Mengyao wasn’t important enough for her to stay up late.

In fact, Su Mengyao did manage to sneak into the Qianyuan Manor’s charity gala tonight, but her night was somewhat embarrassing.

In the original plot, Gu Ruoxian was supposed to bring Su Mengyao to the event, mainly to make her familiar to some directors.

Yes, in the novel “The Secret Lover of President Gu,” with elements from the entertainment industry, the reason the female lead garnered so much attention was mainly because of the Gu family’s reputation.

Su Mengyao’s proactive attempts didn’t yield any results; instead, it drew disdain from many people, with some even suspecting her of being a freeloader, prompting security to escort her out.

Although she had declined before, she eventually decided to seek help from Shen Han Feng. The system saw no problem with this!

Indeed, when the main lead is unreliable, is there any issue with the female lead seeking assistance from the supportive male second lead?

None! Absolutely none!

She entered Qianyuan manor as Shen Han Feng’s date and smoothly infiltrated the charity banquet. She embarked on her mission with high spirits while he went to discuss business with others!

However, dreams are beautiful, and reality is harsh.

Her first setback was that she ran around the entire venue but couldn’t encounter a single member of the Gu family!

Her second setback came when she tried to meet the benefactor the system mentioned would appreciate her. The person didn’t even spare her a glance.

As mentioned in the first chapter, Su Mengyao is not a stunning beauty. Her looks are at best delicate, with a touch of pure charm that makes her somewhat special.

With such external conditions, she could hardly make a splash in the entertainment industry. In the original work, the reason she attracted so much attention was entirely because of the Gu family’s influence.

Her proactive attempts at conversation had no effect and instead aroused a lot of resentment. Some even suspected she was a freeloader and directly called security.

Perhaps the experience of being escorted out by security at the Hotel had left a psychological shadow on her. When she saw the security guards, she instinctively turned and ran.

The security guards, seeing her reaction, thought she had ulterior motives and chased her even more aggressively. In the end, several guards surrounded her and asked her to show her invitation. She couldn’t produce it and repeatedly emphasized that she was Shen Han Feng’s date.

The security team leader politely nodded and sent someone to the banquet hall to confirm, only to learn that he had left half an hour earlier.

She entered the Manor as his companion. However, he left half an hour before, intending to take her with him. But she was determined not to miss the two things she wanted to accomplish that day – finding Gu Xianting’s parents and seizing her opportunities!

The charity gala was beyond her reach without his guidance. She struggled, but ended up facing disappointment after disappointment. Her attempts to network and meet potential supporters backfired, earning her disdain and suspicion.

As she faced one setback after another, she couldn’t help but break down, crying to the point of blaming the system for her misfortune.

She didn’t want to embarrass herself at the entrance of the Manor. With her handbag in hand, she hurried forward.

Her eyes reddened with anger. Despite all the hardships she had endured growing up, she had never been thrown out like this.

[Host, at least you were just thrown out and not sent to the police station. That’s progress!]

“Shut up!” She broke down instantly, crying from the system’s remark.

Not wanting to embarrass herself at the entrance of the manor, she grabbed her handbag and hurriedly walked away.

[Um…]

“Don’t speak!”

[But…]

“If you say another word, I’ll kill myself!”

The system dared not speak again.

However, twenty minutes later, she  found herself surrounded by pitch darkness. There weren’t even street lights, and the road beneath her feet felt increasingly unfamiliar. Only then did she stop.

[I was trying to tell you earlier, you walked in the wrong direction. You’re far from the main road now.]

She screamed, “Aaaahhhhh!”

Twenty minutes later, she found herself in complete darkness. She had strayed from the main road, unable to discern her surroundings.

The system finally spoke up, informing her of her mistake. However, she, already overwhelmed, snapped at it, blaming it for her predicament.

Despite her protests, she continued to follow the system’s guidance, hoping to find her way back to the main road.

Back at the island, the morning light illuminated Gu Xianting, who had spent the night diligently working on his handicrafts under the watchful eye of the butler.

When Wen Zhao woke up refreshed, she saw a disheveled Gu Xianting.

Having stayed up all night, his face was covered in stubble, his eyes bloodshot, his lips cracked from dehydration. His clothes were wrinkled, his hair unkempt.

But fortunately, his rugged appearance still held a certain charm. She calmly looked away, stating, “Freshen up and join me for breakfast.”

He obediently complied, but as he stood up, the lack of sleep and blood loss caused him to stagger, his vision blurry and ears ringing. He tried to maintain his composure, refusing to appear weak in front of her.

As he struggled, she couldn’t help but feel a hint of regret.

Gu Xianting, meanwhile, was determined not to appear weak in front of her, pushing through his exhaustion to join her for breakfast.

After breakfast, she changed into fishing gear, intending to go sea fishing. Naturally, Gu Xianting had to accompany her.

Although she was afraid of the sea, Wen Zhao wanted to overcome her fear and learn to love the ocean again.

Standing by the shore once more, the sight of the vast expanse of water sent shivers down her spine. But she took a deep breath and stepped onto the yacht, with Gu Xianting following silently behind.

As the yacht set sail, she tightly gripped his arm, inadvertently causing him pain.

Concerned, he glanced at her, only to find her pale and trembling. Despite her efforts to remain calm, her fear was evident.

Puzzled, Gu Xianting wondered why Wen Zhao, who had always disliked the sea, was now terrified of it. What had happened when he wasn’t around?

“Do you want to know why?” Her voice was barely audible, filled with suppressed emotion.

As he leaned closer, she suddenly reached out and pushed him hard in the chest, sending him tumbling into the sea.

“Drown once, and you’ll know.”

Her voice, cold as ice, echoed in the air.