Chapter 92: What You Desire

Mo Niannian finished her final scenes, feigning an air of indifference. Because of her impeccable cooperation, the last few days of filming went exceptionally smoothly. Once she wrapped, she didn't even stay for the wrap party, rushing back home immediately.

This was a disaster. Would Jiang Hu start clinging to her again?

She was truly exhausted. In the previous world, a mission that should have been completed in a few years was dragged out by Jiang Hu for over thirty. Mo Niannian had done the math: if an average small world lasted forty years, she would need to complete at least twenty A-rank or higher missions just to finish her objective. That would be an enormous waste of time. And that was just for ordinary planes—what if she encountered other immortal cultivation planes? With lifespans stretching into the hundreds or thousands of years, she had no time to squander on them.

Mo Niannian felt incredibly vexed. If she couldn't afford to provoke them, she would simply hide. All she wanted was to repay a favor, resurrect "what's-his-name," and return home early to live comfortably as a deity.

She stopped replying to messages and ignored his calls. Whenever Jiang Hu tried to reach her, she was either busy or occupied. She made her refusal perfectly clear.

She was at home watching television when Jiang Hu’s call came through again. Mo Niannian let out a deep sigh, trying to think of a good excuse. Sick? No, he would come to visit. Period cramps? No, she had just used that one. Out of town? Even worse, she had run into crew members just yesterday. Given the speed at which that group gossiped, word would have already spread. After struggling for several seconds without finding a reason, she gave up and answered the phone.

"Niannian." Jiang Hu’s voice came through the line, sounding even deeper and more captivating than before.

Mo Niannian fidgeted with her phone, feeling uneasy. "Is something the matter?"

"The show *Happy Match-Up* is recording live tomorrow. I have two tickets. Would you like to come?"

"...No, I have things to do tomorrow." The show was hilarious; she really wanted to see it live.

There was silence on Jiang Hu’s end for several seconds. Then, he said, "Niannian, this is the eighth time you've rejected me."

"Has it been that many? Haha, I've just been really busy lately. I'm truly sorry. Let's make it up another time, definitely next time."

"If I've done something wrong, Niannian, you can tell me." Rather than just kicking him away without any reason at all.

Jiang Hu’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his phone tightly. His mind was in turmoil, his gaze cold and sharp.

Mo Niannian felt irritable. "It’s nothing like that, I’m just really busy. I have to go, I’m busy here. I’m hanging up." She ended the call, offered a silent two-second apology, and went back to her show, portraying the essence of being heartless to perfection.

Jiang Hu stood downstairs beneath Mo Niannian’s apartment, staring at the light in her window for a long time. He let out a soft laugh, his eyes growing darker. Niannian wanted to cast him aside just like that? Absolutely impossible. If their current relationship couldn't keep her by his side or allow him to see her whenever he wanted, then he would simply change it. There was always a way, wasn't there?

Jiang Hu silently tore the tickets in his hand, crushing them into dust. He stared at Mo Niannian’s window, his eyes filled with a sense of inevitable possession.

[Male lead’s malice value +5. Current malice value: 55.]

The system sighed deeply. [Host, you made this mess, you deal with it.]

[What do you mean "I made this mess"? What can I do if his malice value goes up?] Mo Niannian was helpless, too. She could lie to Jiang Hu and pretend to be with him, but... she always felt she owed him. The Daoist master was right; she shouldn't have kept her seven emotions and six desires when she ascended to become the first deity of eternity. If she had discarded them back then, she wouldn't have these troubles. No, if she had discarded them, she wouldn't have come to these small worlds to suffer in the first place. It was no wonder she was the only one to make that choice since ancient times.

[So, what is the host going to do now?]

[I refuse to believe he won't be satisfied once I turn him into an international superstar.] The male lead of this world was very career-driven; it should work.

Mo Niannian transferred another massive sum to the company, ensuring every resource available went to Jiang Hu. Money was no object; if it wasn't enough, she would keep pouring it in. With her backing, Jiang Hu’s resources became the envy of the entire industry. He became incredibly famous, with fans all over the world, all built on the money Mo Niannian spent.

The film that would truly make him a global sensation was still in post-production. Mo Niannian was planning to secure him an endorsement with an international top-tier brand to elevate his status. But before she could even contact the brand, Jiang Hu got into trouble—big trouble. He had opened a company with a friend, and that friend had swindled a massive amount of money and fled.

Creditors swarmed Jiang Hu. Overnight, he was millions in debt. Worse, many of the debts were high-interest loans the "friend" had taken out in Jiang Hu’s name, accruing millions in interest every single day.

The internet was flooded with discussions about the incident. Some said Jiang Hu shouldn't be blamed, that it wasn't his intent, and he shouldn't be the one to pay. Others argued that as a partner, he was part of the company, and the creditors' money didn't grow on trees, so it couldn't just be ignored.

The scandal was huge—a massive debt involving a top celebrity—and it dominated dozens of trending topics. Jiang Hu stood up and stated that no matter what, he would take full responsibility. His sense of duty touched countless people, but... the question remained: where would he get the money?

Mo Niannian knew Jiang Hu had no money. His previous earnings had been exploited by Zhou Ze, and the salary she paid him afterward mostly went to paying off his parents' debts. He had almost nothing left. To Mo Niannian, this wasn't a huge deal, but she couldn't fathom how Jiang Hu could have made such a foolish mistake. Furthermore, since when did he have "friends"?

Mo Niannian poked the system. [System, check what’s going on.]

[Jiang Hu did indeed open a company with someone. The company is currently over 890 million in debt, and the legal representative has been changed to Jiang Hu.]

Mo Niannian was even more confused. [That shouldn't be right. Since when does Jiang Hu like being a patsy?]

The system didn't dare tell her the more detailed things it had uncovered. It stammered, [You can't conflate the male lead of the previous world with the male lead of this one. This one is still very kind-hearted.] To change her mind, the system added, [The male lead hasn't done anything. Even the culprits who killed his parents, he...]

The system suddenly checked on Zhou Ze’s current state and its eyes widened.

Zhou Ze... his current situation could only be described as "worse than death," barely clinging to a miserable existence. The system had a premonition that this was all linked to the male lead.

[If you have something to say, say it! Why are you stuttering?] Mo Niannian was growing impatient.

The system stammered for a long time. [Anyway, the male lead is still very naive. Perhaps that friend had helped him before, so he never suspected him.] Ever since staying with the host for so long, the system had learned to lie through its teeth. It felt a pang of guilt for two seconds.

[Jiang Hu is really going downhill.] Mo Niannian complained, then pulled out her phone and made a call. "Cover the money Jiang Hu owes from my account."

"Boss, I was just about to find you! Jiang Hu wants to terminate his contract with our company!" the person on the other end said anxiously.

Mo Niannian: "Terminate now? Is he insane?"

"I tried to persuade him for a long time. He said he didn't want to drag the company down. Boss, you need to come and see him."

"Wait there, I’m coming."

Half an hour later, Mo Niannian arrived at the office. Since Jiang Hu was their only artist, everyone was idle now that he was quitting. Mo Niannian pushed the door open. "Where is Jiang Hu?"

"In the office. Nini is still talking to him."

"Jiang Hu, listen to me. Look at this company, look at everything you have—it’s what countless people dream of! The boss just called, and the first thing she said was that she’d cover your debts from her own account. What more could you possibly be dissatisfied with?" The manager was talking until her throat was dry, but Jiang Hu remained unmoved, sitting there without a reaction.

Mo Niannian’s entry startled them both. They looked over simultaneously. The manager looked at her like she was a savior and quickly stood up. "Boss, you’re finally here."

"Yes. You go on back; I’ll have a talk with him."

Mo Niannian dismissed the manager and sat across from Jiang Hu, stretching her long legs. "Why do you want to terminate the contract?"

The plan had failed, and Mo Niannian couldn't be bothered to keep up the pretense, so she simply dropped the act.

Jiang Hu suddenly stood up and leaned in close to her. "I heard you wanted to help me pay off my debts?"

"You would have earned it back for the company anyway."

Jiang Hu rested his hands on the back of her chair and leaned over. "You splashed out on endorsements and resources, went all out to make me famous, and now you’re paying off huge debts." He whispered in her ear, "Isn't this what you were after, Niannian?"

As he spoke, he reached out and loosened his tie, unbuttoning several buttons, revealing a glimpse of his toned, powerful muscles.

Mo Niannian’s eyes widened. "What are you doing?" Had Jiang Hu lost his mind?

"I know the games the rich play. I’m willing."

As he spoke, he unbuttoned another button. The shirt hung loosely on him, covering nothing. Mo Niannian reached out and pinned his hand down. "What are you doing?"

"Isn't this what you wanted? You did so much for me, I have nothing else to repay you with." Jiang Hu took her hand and pressed it against his firm, defined abdominal muscles.

"That’s not what I meant!" Mo Niannian shoved his hand away. "Stand up straight and put your clothes on!"

Her face was flushed, whether from anger or heat, she couldn't tell.