Jiang Chen nodded obediently, watching Lu Chiyuan’s car leave the complex before heading upstairs.

The original body didn’t live with his parents; he had his own place, living alone, with a housekeeper occasionally coming by to clean.

The novel barely mentioned the original body’s parents, glossing over them. Digging through the original’s memories, Jiang Chen learned they ran a food processing business with their own brand.

They had only one child—the original body—and doted on him. Knowing he wasn’t the brightest, they didn’t expect grand achievements, only hoping he’d live a safe and happy life.

Even through memories, Jiang Chen could feel the overwhelming love from the original’s parents, warm to the point of burning.

He was grateful he didn’t have to face them yet, unsure how he’d handle their affection.

Jiang Chen found his apartment, entered the passcode, and stepped into the entryway.

Snowball materialized, prowling around the new space as if inspecting its territory.

A photo wall adorned the entryway, catching the eye of anyone changing shoes. The pictures chronicled the original body’s life—his growth captured through his parents’ lens. From babbling toddler to stumbling child, from stumbling child to running teen, and from teen to adult.

In an era where everything was stored digitally, these physical memories were rare and precious.

Looking at the original’s face—identical to his own—but living a different fate, Jiang Chen’s expression grew complicated.

He stood in the entryway for a long time. Snowball hopped onto the shoe cabinet, puzzled. [Host, what are you looking at?]

Jiang Chen lowered his gaze. “Nothing. I’m just wondering—if I can change Lu Chiyuan’s fate, could I also change the original’s?”

[Of course. The original went to prison for standing up for Lu Chiyuan after his death. In a way, if Lu Chiyuan doesn’t fall, neither does he.]

Jiang Chen walked toward the living room, casually saying, “Then I’d better protect him well and return a healthy son to his parents.”

[Your parents too, you know,] Snowball added, trailing behind.

Jiang Chen paused, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he murmured, “Mine too?”

On his first night in this world, exhausted, Jiang Chen fell into a deep, dreamless sleep with ease.

If not for the morning alarm jolting him awake, he might’ve slept until noon.

Groping for his phone on the nightstand with his eyes closed, Jiang Chen struggled to open them. The alarm note read: Work time, strive every day.

Jiang Chen: “…”

No need to motivate himself for work this early—it was only six a.m.

Checking the phone’s alarm settings, he saw the original had set alarms for six, seven, and eight, as if terrified of oversleeping.

Jiang Chen turned them all off. Still groggy and ready to sleep more, his phone kept buzzing with notifications.

Spam news alerts flooded the screen—the original hadn’t disabled them, causing the phone to lag.

Annoyed, Jiang Chen canceled them one by one, his eyes catching the last one.

“Drunk driver collides with luxury car on overpass, involving Huanyu Group’s CEO…”

Jiang Chen snapped awake. Huanyu Group’s CEO was Lu Chiyuan. Drunk driving?

Such an obscure detail.

He clicked the article, scanning it quickly.

The report stated that the other driver, drunk and speeding against traffic, crashed into Lu Chiyuan’s car, which was traveling normally. The other car flipped, rolling several times, causing a chain-reaction collision and a major traffic accident.

Lu Chiyuan, hit head-on, lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital.

The article included a photo of Lu Chiyuan’s wrecked car, with him slumped over the steering wheel, blood streaming from his forehead.

Jiang Chen shot upright, checking the time. The accident happened shortly after Lu Chiyuan dropped him off, likely on his way back.

He yanked Snowball from the pillow, shoving the phone in its face. “What’s going on? This wasn’t in the original story. Is it because of me?”

In the novel, the original couldn’t defend himself, and Lu Chiyuan didn’t see through Chen Jiu and Shen Zhiyi’s scheme. Chen Jiu distracted him with an excuse, allowing Shen Zhiyi to escape the villa.

She sought out Yellow Hair, tearfully complaining that Lu Chiyuan was restricting her freedom and forcing her to take the college entrance exam against her will. She wanted to leave the city with Yellow Hair.

Unbeknownst to her, Yellow Hair was drowning in debt and desperate for money.

Her arrival gave him hope, but when Lu Chiyuan cut off her card, she lost her value. Yellow Hair schemed to get her drunk and sell her off under the pretense of a fun night out.

The subsequent plot followed the classic domineering CEO trope: the betrayed, naive female lead stumbles into the male lead’s path.

Unlike the trope, however, Shen Zhiyi, after briefly encountering the male lead, was promptly taken away by Lu Chiyuan, who was there on business.

Lu Chiyuan had Yellow Hair dealt with, uncovering his past misdeeds and sending him to prison, finally curbing Shen Zhiyi’s runaway tendencies and making her focus on exam prep.

Yesterday, Jiang Chen had kept the plot on track, but Lu Chiyuan’s part went off the rails—he knew about the cloakroom’s hidden compartment and went there.

Jiang Chen suspected his presence had disrupted the story’s flow. The world’s consciousness couldn’t fully control Lu Chiyuan, allowing him to regain his rationality and notice overlooked details.

He was already sharp; it was only the author’s plot-driven nerfing to highlight the main couple that dulled him.

Snowball, startled, pulled up the plot and saw a giant red X over the main couple’s meeting.

A red warning from the world’s consciousness.

Snowball quickly explained, [Host, in a romance-driven world, the main couple’s meeting is a critical plot point. We altered that yesterday, triggering the world’s malice.]

Transmigration Inc.’s first lesson was avoiding the world’s malice.

Yesterday’s plot shift was led by Lu Chiyuan, not Jiang Chen, so the malice targeted Lu Chiyuan.

Jiang Chen understood—Lu Chiyuan had taken the risk meant for him.

“How is he now?” Jiang Chen couldn’t sleep. He got up, washed, and prepared to visit Lu Chiyuan. “Which hospital?”

[Don’t worry, Host. His vitals are stable, no life-threatening issues. I’ve sent the hospital route to your phone. Follow the navigation.]

Lu Chiyuan stared at the hospital ceiling for several seconds before realizing he’d been in an accident.

He recalled being on a busy road where accidents were unlikely, only to be hit by a car driving against traffic. The violent impact knocked him out instantly.

Paramedics brought him to the hospital. Fortunately, aside from a head laceration, he was fine—no concussion. He’d stay for observation but could likely be discharged soon.

Assistant Lu rushed to the hospital upon seeing the news, moving Lu Chiyuan to a VIP ward and staying overnight, fielding constant calls.

He calmly managed the PR crisis, stabilized Huanyu’s stock, deflected probing partners with tact, and kept Lu Chiyuan’s condition under wraps—a full defensive strategy.

Seeing Lu Chiyuan awake and confirming he had no memory loss or confusion, Assistant Lu sighed in relief, nearly collapsing onto him in tears.

“Brother Lu, you have no idea how scared I was when I saw the news. Why were you driving yourself?”

Slumped in a chair, Assistant Lu had stayed up all night, sporting dark circles and hair like a bird’s nest from stress.

Behind his flawless defense was the mental gymnastics of deciphering every caller’s intentions.

Lu Chiyuan thought of Jiang Chen. “I was dropping someone off.”

Assistant Lu, mid-yawn, choked it back, staring at Lu Chiyuan in shock. “Who’s got that kind of clout to get you to personally chauffeur them?”

Lu Chiyuan gave him a blank look, ignoring the trivial question. “What’s the situation outside?”

Switching to work mode, Assistant Lu dropped his playful demeanor, reporting the night’s results. The PR crisis was contained, stocks were stable, partners reassured, and the company was running normally.

“Well done. Double your bonus this month,” Lu Chiyuan said. He rewarded competence and never made empty promises. “I’m fine now. You don’t need to stay—rest on the couch.”

At the mention of a doubled bonus, Assistant Lu’s eyes lit up. The night’s exhaustion felt worthwhile. Sitting up straight, he said, “I’m fine, not tired. I called Miss Shen; she might be here soon.”

With Lu Chiyuan’s parents abroad, Shen Zhiyi was the only family nearby.

Despite the siblings’ recent tension, Assistant Lu believed familial bonds could mend any rift.

If Shen Zhiyi came, this injury could be a chance for them to talk things out and bond.

Lu Chiyuan showed little reaction, gazing at the rising sun outside, recalling Jiang Chen’s words about Shen Zhiyi’s school incident.

Before the accident, he’d been contacting her school, planning a visit. Now, someone else would have to go.

Before he could speak to Assistant Lu, a knock came at the door.

Assistant Lu jumped up, saying, “Must be Miss Shen.”

He opened the door eagerly, only to find a vaguely familiar face.

Jiang Chen and Assistant Lu locked eyes. “Did I get the wrong room?”

He glanced inside, confirming Lu Chiyuan’s presence. “Nope, it’s right. Can I come in?”

Jiang Chen looked up at Assistant Lu.

[This guy’s tall. My boy’s new bodyguard?]

Assistant Lu stepped back, glancing at Lu Chiyuan, unsure of Jiang Chen’s identity.

Lu Chiyuan said, “Come in. Didn’t I tell you to rest at home? Why are you here?”

Jiang Chen entered, Assistant Lu still peering outside, hoping for Shen Zhiyi, but she wasn’t there.

Setting a fruit basket by the bed, Jiang Chen’s gaze fell on the stitches on Lu Chiyuan’s forehead. “I saw the news this morning. I’m sorry, Brother Lu. If you hadn’t been driving me, this wouldn’t have happened.”

Leaning against the pillow, Lu Chiyuan felt a pang of disappointment. Everyone who saw the news knew he was injured and came to visit, but Shen Zhiyi, notified by phone, was nowhere to be seen.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t crash into me,” Lu Chiyuan said.

Jiang Chen’s face fell, a pang of guilt hitting him.

[How’s it not my fault? The world’s malice was aimed at me, but it hit you instead. All because I stopped Shen Zhiyi from escaping and meeting the male lead? They’ll meet eventually—so why take it out on my boy?]

Lu Chiyuan’s gaze darkened, his hand tightening under the blanket.

World’s malice? Because he stopped Shen Zhiyi?

Was this a warning for those who altered fate?

He recalled Jiang Chen’s shock yesterday, unable to reveal the truth. Clearly, he hadn’t anticipated these consequences.

He’d come rushing over, genuinely worried.

A strange emotion flickered through Lu Chiyuan, too fleeting to grasp.

Assistant Lu, sitting nearby, studied Jiang Chen, suddenly recalling where he’d seen him. Slapping his thigh, he exclaimed, “You’re Jiang Chen?”

No wonder he looked familiar—Assistant Lu had sent his health report to Lu Chiyuan just yesterday, puzzled by the request.

Now, seeing Jiang Chen in person, Assistant Lu felt he was onto something.

The report’s photo made him look plain and forgettable, far less vibrant than the real thing.

Gossip burned in Assistant Lu’s heart. So this was Lu Chiyuan’s type—gentle, non-threatening, like a little lamb, easy to tease.

Jiang Chen sensed offense in Assistant Lu’s stare, goosebumps rising. “Uh, hi…”

Searching his memories, he couldn’t place the man and turned to Snowball for help.

Before Snowball could respond, Lu Chiyuan spoke first. “Lu Mingxuan.”

Jiang Chen jolted.

[The Assistant Lu who was killed by the male lead’s dirty tactics in the novel’s business rivalry?]

His eyes darted between Lu Chiyuan and Lu Mingxuan, sucking in a sharp breath.

[My boy’s college roommate, the rumored ‘boyfriend’ who fended off romantic pursuits? The novel didn’t say he was this tall! Oh no, my boy, Daddy won’t let you be the bottom!]

Lu Chiyuan: “…”

What kind of nonsense was spreading rumors?