[Cunning Old Wolf vs. Cool-Outside, Warm-Hearted Little Fox]
Main story complete, with occasional bonus chapters
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In the waning years of the Great Zhao, war flared across the land, and thousands of miles of territory were laid waste.
At eighteen, Rong Chaoge was entrusted with the country's fate in its hour of crisis, becoming the only female emperor her people could rely on.
She put an end to the wars, settled the refugees, and established laws, turning the tide through her own efforts alone.
Yet in the end, she died by her own hand.
When she opened her eyes again, she had forgotten her past and become the starting Boss of a nightmare game.
She traveled through one eerie instance after another, playing different roles.
She was a bride forced into marriage and trapped in a manor full of vengeful spirits with no escape; a marionette bound by rule after rule in a matriarchal ghost story; the hidden strategist rewriting players' lives again and again in an imperial examination illusion; and a young woman in a remote village who witnessed a sacrificial scam and refused to bow to the gods.
Her journey through the game was never dull, thanks to the many interesting players she encountered.
A pitiful girl who was ruthless, a timid actor blessed with incredible luck, a gentle face concealing ruthless schemes, and a dazzling smile that showed complete indifference to life and death.
The more instances she completed, the more the obsessions buried in others' hearts and the regrets accumulated over countless cycles were finally resolved. The fragments of her sealed past came together, and she finally understood that neither her fate back then nor her present circumstances had been a coincidence.
Everyone in the world told her that the will of Heaven could not be defied.
Behind Rong Chaoge, nine tails unfurled as she tore through layer after layer of karmic bonds.
She said, "If Heaven wants me dead, then I'll kill Heaven."
Romance-focused version:
Rong Chaoge is the starting Boss of a nightmare game.
With the mind-reading ability granted by the System, she can see through every little scheme players have at a glance, driving the instance clear rate to almost zero.
The System, desperate because it couldn't attract new players, sent her to a beginner instance where hurting others was forbidden.
With her right to cause trouble taken away, Rong Chaoge was thoroughly displeased.
She wanted to lie flat and slack off in protest, but then she met a special player in the beginner village.
While everyone else cried and wailed, he watched with interest. While others trembled in fear of death, he deliberately provoked it.
Everyone else was afraid to meet Rong Chaoge's eyes, worried she would see through their secret thoughts.
He came right up to her instead, his peach-blossom eyes narrowed as he sincerely thought about how beautiful she was.
Rong Chaoge stared blankly, speechless: I'm just a worker who wants to lie flat!
After Qin Qiushi exploited a bug to clear the game, Rong Chaoge received a message from the System that it was about to collapse.
Having lost her chance to lie flat for good, Rong Chaoge finally snapped: "Just destroy it! Whoever wants to manage this awful game can do it!"
A certain player innocently raised his hand as the floating repair fragments danced merrily.
"Looks like it might still be fixable?"
Rong Chaoge thought for a moment, then smiled the wicked smile of a capitalist.
Since you love playing so much, why not become my underling and work for me?
From then on, she watched from the sidelines, sipping tea and slacking off.
He investigated the truth behind each instance, achieved perfect clears, and collected repair fragments.
Even the System gradually gave in: Lie flat or set up a scheme, whatever makes you happy!
After all, the burden of repairing the System now...
The System said humbly, "We can only rely on the person standing beside you."
Rong Chaoge quietly took the credit, feeling that this was a fantastic deal.
Until one day, as she watched Qin Qiushi eagerly hand her a cup of water, she suddenly covered her face.
This man... he might be the Boss she knew before she lost her memory!
She had heard that he was the true master of the nightmare game...
Rong Chaoge silently handed the teacup back.
He smiled at her with those peach-blossom eyes. "Don't be shy. I promised I'd work for you."
Rong Chaoge: ...Help!
Reading Guide:
1. The romance is pursued by the male lead, with plenty of prolonged tension and flirtation, but they both fall for each other. Includes past-life and present-life elements.
2. Both leads are virgins, and there are no infidelity or purity issues. HE, so read with confidence.
3. There is an ensemble cast. The female characters all have distinct personalities and are highly intelligent, with no disposable characters.
4. This is an infinite-flow novel, so the palace scheming in the flashbacks is only touched on briefly. Please don't scrutinize it!
Theme: Karma comes full circle in its own time
