Chapter 116: Start Over from a Clean Slate

Jiang Hu’s eyes flickered slightly. "If it really wasn't me, would Niannian despise me?"

"Jiang Hu, could you please have a bit of self-awareness? Looking around, how many people reach this level in their twenties? You shouldn't be so ungrateful."

That Jiang Hu could become the male lead of a small world was proof enough of his capability. The Way of Heaven would never choose a good-for-nothing to sustain a small world.

"Is Niannian praising me?" Jiang Hu’s eyes shone like stars.

"...If that's how you want to interpret it, sure."

Jiang Hu smiled even more happily, his eyes curving into crescents that held an entire galaxy. The camera happened to cut to him at that moment, and that breathtaking smile was broadcast live to the entire world. His follower count exploded as he attracted a massive wave of fans captivated by his appearance. The live stream viewership numbers hit a new peak at that very instant.

Jiang Hu: the third wonder of the world.

The host spoke English throughout the event, and Mo Niannian could at best only identify the names. When the award for Best Actor finally arrived, the host read a long, winding speech, and Mo Niannian only caught the name "Jiang Hu."

In an instant, the entire venue erupted. The roar of the crowd seemed to shatter the very walls of the hall.

Mo Niannian was slow to react. "Jiang Hu, did you win?"

Jiang Hu stood up and hugged her. "Niannian, thank you."

He walked onto the stage with effortless composure.

"Jiang, you don't look surprised at all. It seems you were very confident."

"One can never speak of certainty before something has actually been achieved."

"Haha, well, we were quite surprised when we received the list as well. Do you know how many records you've broken with this win?"

Jiang Hu smiled slightly. "I would like to hear the details."

"You are the youngest Oscar winner for Best Actor to date, and *Desperate Situation* has become the first film to sweep all three major awards simultaneously." The host spoke with genuine sincerity. "Jiang, you are truly remarkable."

The jury had gone through intense deliberations before deciding to bestow this honor upon him. In the end, it was Jiang Hu’s acting prowess and strength that conquered them, leading them to make an exception. The judge handed the trophy to Jiang Hu with a word of congratulations.

The host stepped aside, leaving the stage to Jiang Hu. He had no desire to spout grand, polite platitudes. His gaze remained fixed directly on Mo Niannian.

"Someone once said that she liked the way I sparkled on stage, so I stood here."

The camera instantly shifted to Mo Niannian, who looked slightly dazed. Jiang Hu knelt on one knee, holding the trophy aloft, and said in Chinese, "Niannian, all this glory belongs to you."

The comment section went wild. What kind of divine romance was this? They were going crazy; they were "shipping" this so hard, and now they could finally shout that their ship was real!

That night, the search terms for Jiang Hu and Mo Niannian dominated the top ten trending lists. The scene of him kneeling was turned into countless GIFs, spreading across the internet. Looking at Jiang Hu, then looking at their own boyfriends who did nothing but eat and sleep, countless women let out a cry of despair at the unfairness of life.

Jiang Hu became the youngest Oscar-winning actor in history. Just as his career reached its zenith and countless people were waiting for him to create further brilliance, Jiang Hu vanished.

His social media account had only one line: "Gone. We shall not meet in the Jianghu."

The fans were stunned and anxious. Eventually, those who calmed down began to offer their blessings to Jiang Hu and Mo Niannian. No matter what, as long as they were well, that was all that mattered.

Mo Niannian was currently living in the eye of the storm. Jiang Hu had pulled such a stunt in front of the whole world—if it wasn't a marriage proposal, it was close enough. Whether Mo Niannian was moved didn't matter; what mattered was that Mother Mo was moved. She was nearly brought to tears by Jiang Hu's actions. It was hard to end things without a marriage after such a display. She called Mo Niannian eight times a day to ask when they were getting married.

What could Mo Niannian do? Jiang Hu was a master at playing the part, acting before her parents as if he lived only for her, ready to do whatever she said, even willing to stay by her side without status or recognition. Her parents were practically forcing them to marry.

In the end, they registered for marriage. Jiang Hu’s malice value plummeted to ten. Mo Niannian thought the world would be completed early, but who knew it would drag on to the very end?

Mo Niannian accompanied Jiang Hu as he traveled, seeing all the wonders of the world. Because she had used her soul essence in this lifetime, her body was much weaker and she fell ill several times. Each time, Jiang Hu would stay by her side, not taking a single step away, so worried he couldn't sleep for nights on end.

Ultimately, it was still Mo Niannian who sent Jiang Hu off.

Jiang Hu’s hair was white as snow. His gaze was lingering and affectionate as he stared at her, calling out, "Niannian," over and over again.

"You've been calling me that your whole life; aren't you tired of it?" Mo Niannian asked, feeling helpless.

Jiang Hu gripped her hand tightly, his breathing shallow. "I will never get tired of Niannian."

His eyes slowly grew cloudy, yet he stubbornly stared at her. "In the next life... will we be together again?"

Mo Niannian said nothing, just watching him. Jiang Hu tightened his grip on her hand, his voice intermittent. "We will... we definitely will."

Mo Niannian waited quietly until he took his final breath. Even in death, Jiang Hu kept her hand held tightly.

[Male lead malice value -1, current malice value 0.]
[Task completed. Would you like to leave the small world immediately?]
[Yes.]
[Transmission starting. Arriving at the next small world soon. Please be prepared, Host.]

A flash before her eyes, and Mo Niannian appeared elsewhere. Before she could even assess her surroundings, she passed out.

When she woke up, she was in the system space. The system was drifting in mid-air, restless, its small wings flapping nervously. Mo Niannian was full of questions.

The system stammered, [Host, the mission failed.]

Mo Niannian: ???
[What the hell? I just got there!]
[Yes... and then you were hypnotized and lost all consciousness.]

The male lead had found her too boring and killed her. The system didn't dare tell her that, or she would explode in a heartbeat. Mo Niannian had a thousand elegant profanities she wanted to unleash, but she swallowed them whole.

The system quickly added, [However, I contacted the Father of the Way of Heaven, and he said this small world can be reset.]
[What's the condition?]
[Demotion...]

Mo Niannian knew the Way of Heaven wasn't that kind. Threatening her with a demotion—he really had a way of thinking.

[So, Host, should we start over?]
[Yes!]

Mo Niannian refused to believe she couldn't handle a single male lead in a small world. Before losing consciousness, she caught a glimpse of a face that made her grit her teeth in rage.

[Arriving at the next small world soon. Please be prepared.]
[Three, two, one. Transmission successful.]
[Host, shield your mind! Don't look at the center point of that pocket watch! Quickly!]