Chapter 203 Zheng Qingqing dies, Xu Pingan a murderer? The Fall of the Female Lead
With a soft tearing sound—like silk ripping—Shen Anyu withdrew his hand from Zheng Qingqing's chest.
Splurt.
A tragically beautiful bloom of blood blossomed on her white blouse, expanding rapidly like a crimson rose. Droplets sprayed into the air, catching the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Shen Anyu's hand was firmly encased in a glove of thick, pure martial arts [True Qi]. It shimmered with a faint golden light, acting as an impenetrable barrier. Not a single bit of Zheng Qingqing's skin or a drop of her dirty blood touched him—it remained fair and pristine.
Zheng Qingqing stared at the hole in her chest. Then she looked up at Shen Anyu.
Her face was frozen in a mask of shocked, bewildered, and disbelieving expression. Her mouth opened and closed, but only blood came out.
Shen Anyu calmly wiped his (clean) hand on a handkerchief he produced from thin air, looking at her with cold indifference.
"Zheng Qingqing... or rather, Zheng Lili."
"Did you really think I didn't know your true identity? Did you think a simple facelift and a name change could fool the eyes of a god?"
"You wanted to use the [Male God Strategy System] and the [Love-at-First-Sight Aura] to enslave me? To make me your subordinate? Your chief gigolo?"
Shen Anyu chuckled, a low, dangerous sound.
"Heh heh... a fool's dream! You are an ant trying to swallow an elephant."
Zheng Qingqing's eyes widened to the point of tearing.
She hadn't expected Shen Anyu to know that she was Zheng Lili—the trashy girl he had dismissed months ago.
But what was even more unbelievable to her—what shattered her worldview—was that Shen Anyu knew she possessed the [Male God Strategy System]. He knew the name! He knew the aura!
How?! The System is invisible! It exists in a higher dimension!
"System! Save me! Heal me!" she screamed internally.
[System Error: Host Vitality Critical. Heart Destroyed. Cannot Repair. Initiating Emergency Unbind Protocol...]
Even her cheat abandoned her.
Under the intense pain sweeping through her body, Zheng Qingqing convulsed. Her strength drained away like water from a broken jar. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the ground, her blood pooling around her like a red dress.
Blood overflowed from her mouth and gushed from her chest, staining the grass. Yet her eyes were fixed on Shen Anyu, filled with deep incomprehension and unwillingness.
How exactly did Shen Anyu know? Who is he?
Shen Anyu squatted down, bringing his face close to hers, invading her dying space.
His lips moved slightly, and a voice—amplified by Qi so only Zheng Qingqing could hear—entered her ear like a death sentence:
"Because... I also have a System."
"And mine... is stronger than yours. It eats Systems like yours for breakfast."
Zheng Qingqing's pupils dilated.
"Zheng Qingqing, your biggest mistake was not being ambitious. Your mistake was coming to provoke me! You targeted the wrong villain."
"However, you won't get a chance to regret it in the next life. I devour souls too."
Zheng Qingqing suddenly understood. The fear in her eyes was absolute. She wasn't just facing a rich young master; she was facing a predator from the same realm as her cheat.
Extreme regret and unwillingness washed over her.
Originally, with the [Male God Strategy System] and the [Love-at-First-Sight Aura], her future was bright. She was the protagonist! Countless male gods would be at her beck and call. She would be the Empress ruling the world from the shadows!
But now... by provoking Shen Anyu too early... she had thrown herself into the incinerator.
She was unwilling!
[Ding! Daughter of Destiny Zheng Lili is filled with regret! Plundering +9999 destiny value!]
[Ding! Daughter of Destiny Zheng Lili is unwilling and vexed! Plundering +9999 destiny value!]
[Ding! Daughter of Destiny Zheng Lili's life is in peril! Plundering +50,000 destiny value!]
...
Shen Anyu narrowed his eyes, savoring the harvest. He looked at the regretful, vexed, and unwilling Zheng Qingqing, whose life force was fading like a candle in the wind.
He decided to give her one final gift.
"Oh... and you don't have to worry about being lonely down there in Hell."
He smiled, a gentle, cruel smile.
"I've already sent your father, Zheng Hongji, to his death ahead of you. A tragic car accident on the highway just ten minutes ago. Brake failure. Very messy."
"A family should always be together, neat and tidy. I reunited you."
"No need to thank me."
Zheng Qingqing's eyes widened. The light of hatred burned for one last second.
She looked at Shen Anyu with fury and venom. With difficulty, she squeezed out a curse from her blood-filled throat:
"Shen... Anyu... you'll die... a terrible... death..."
Shen Anyu's handsome face was full of brilliant smiles: "Perhaps. But you won't be able to see that."
Harboring immense hatred and fury towards Shen Anyu, Zheng Qingqing breathed her last.
Her head lolled to the side. Her eyes remained wide open, staring at nothing, unable to rest in peace.
[Ding! Daughter of Destiny Zheng Lili has fallen! Plundering +300,000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Zheng Lili has fallen. Destiny Value cleared to zero. Daughter of Destiny Aura shattered. Lost Daughter of Destiny status.]
[System Alert: Detected unowned System Component: [Male God Strategy System] (Broken).]
[Ding! Do you wish to spend 1,000,000 Destiny Value to devour and integrate the [Male God Strategy System]? Countdown: ten, nine...]
"No. I don't go for that!"
Shen Anyu rejected it instantly.
He didn't want to become charming and enchanting in that way. He didn't want to put on women's clothes, apply makeup, and spend his days trying to conquer a bunch of men to gain points. That System was trash for a straight male villain.
[System Dissipated.]
Looking at Zheng Lili's corpse on the ground, Shen Anyu mused.
"All in all, I've plundered nearly four hundred thousand Destiny Value from Zheng Lili. That's barely over one-third of her potential total value if I had farmed her slowly."
"A bit wasteful... but worth it."
"Such troublesome Child of Destiny and Daughter of Destiny—especially those with growth-type Systems—must be killed immediately. Leaving no future troubles is the only way to avoid capsizing in the gutter."
"Fake Young Master Xu Ping'an and Dragon King Son-in-law Han Qi... they are traditional protagonists. I can play with them more, thoroughly draining them like dairy cows. They can't cause real trouble because their cheats are static."
"Of course, if there's any sign of things going awry... I'll ruthlessly deal with them too."
Shen Anyu rubbed his chin. He looked at Zheng Lili's corpse, then at the path leading to the dormitory.
He smiled playfully.
"Xu Ping'an... Daddy is giving you a big gift. A graduation present."
"And incidentally, finding you a promising career: Murderer!"
...
[Location: Modu University - Secluded Path]
"Why did Zheng Qingqing ask me to come here? Hasn't she harmed me enough?"
Xu Ping'an was full of anger, stomping towards the secluded corner of Modu University behind the old library.
Just now, Zheng Qingqing's phone sent him a message.
[Come to the Old Garden. Alone. I can explain everything. I can clear your name. I was forced.]
Xu Ping'an wasn't a fool (entirely). Having been tricked by Zheng Qingqing once, he naturally didn't believe her fully.
But being falsely accused of molesting Zheng Qingqing... having his parents (who disowned him) called... being asked to apologize and compensate... and facing expulsion...
Xu Ping'an felt a headache and was at a loss. He was desperate for a lifeline.
After much thought, Xu Ping'an had no choice but to come and see what tricks Zheng Qingqing was playing. Even a slim chance was better than social death.
"Hmph! I've started my phone's recording! Video and audio!"
"Once I catch Zheng Qingqing's handle—once she admits she framed me—I might be able to turn the tables. I can blackmail her back!"
"Zheng Qingqing, you wouldn't want the matter of you framing me to be exposed to the school board, would you?"
Xu Ping'an's face showed excitement and smugness. He felt smart.
This time, he might be able to turn the tables. Not only resolving the issue, but maybe... catching her handle would allow him to get close to her again?
He still coveted Zheng Qingqing. He hated her, but he desired her. It was a twisted love.
"Huh... Zheng Qingqing asked me to meet here, but where is she?"
After Xu Ping'an arrived at the agreed location—a quiet grove of trees—he looked around but didn't see anyone.
The wind rustled the leaves. It was eerie.
"Wait... what's that smell?"
Xu Ping'an sniffed the air. He caught a strong, metallic scent.
The scent of rust... and blood.
He immediately followed the smell, his heart pounding.
He walked around the corner of the old wall.
His eyes widened sharply.
There, lying in a pool of expanding red liquid, was a body.
The corpse's face was tragically beautiful and charming—her eyes wide open in terror.
Who else could it be but Zheng Qingqing?
"Zheng Qingqing... is dead? Who did this???"
Xu Ping'an's pupils constricted to pinpricks. His brain screamed.
Then, his face changed drastically.
He realized his position. He was alone with the corpse. He had a motive (revenge). He had been summoned here.
"It's a trap!"
He turned to flee. He felt that he had fallen into an even bigger conspiracy than the dorm incident.
If he were caught at the scene of Zheng Qingqing's death... he would be unable to explain himself. He would be executed!
However, Xu Ping'an's realization came too late. Shen Anyu wouldn't give him a chance to breathe.
"Quick! It's this way!"
"Someone saw Xu Ping'an following Zheng Qingqing here! He looked crazy! He was harboring ill intentions, wanting revenge for the dorm incident!"
"Student Zheng Qingqing is in danger! Hurry!"
"Xu Ping'an, that beast! Don't you dare do anything to Student Zheng Qingqing!"
"Damn it, I should have called the police earlier!"
"..."
A group of students—dozens of them, led by members of the Student Council and some athletic boys—came rushing over from the other side of the grove.
They perfectly blocked Xu Ping'an's escape route.
Xu Ping'an's face turned pale as paper. He was trapped.
And those students... they stopped. They looked past him.
They looked at Zheng Qingqing lying in a pool of blood, a hole in her chest.
And they looked at the pale-faced Xu Ping'an, who stood over the body, looking guilty as if he had just committed the deed.
Silence.
Then, screams.
"AHHH! MURDER!"
"Catch him!"
"Call the police quickly! And an ambulance! Though... she looks dead!"
"Beast! Xu Ping'an, that beast! He actually killed Student Zheng Qingqing because she rejected him!"
"..."
Then there was a chaotic scene. The boys charged at him.
Xu Ping'an, panicked and terrified, activated his [Damage Reflection Aura] instinctively.
Bam! Bam!
He knocked everyone down who tried to grab him. Their punches broke their own arms.
"Get away!"
He fled into the woods, leaving a trail of injured students behind him.
Police sirens wailed loudly in the distance, approaching fast.
Modu University was shaken to its core!
And those associated with Xu Ping'an—his sister Xu Ruoshui, his mother Wang Qin—also received the news...
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