[Entering World XYZ-XXXX21… Proceeding with MISSION XXX91-S… Selecting the identity of “Jun Lee”... Identity confirmed. Please begin your task now.]

  “Jun… Jun? Jun.”

  A low, masculine voice called out to her, snapping her out of her daze.

  Jun moved her gaze away from the window to the man sitting across from her, noticing his impeccable appearance.

  Despite knowing the man was twenty-six, his well-defined jawline, straight nose, brown eyes, brown hair, and toned body made him appear even more remarkable, attractive, and strong. He was a man in his prime.

  “Jun, what’s wrong? Are you tired?”

  Currently, the man with a loving gaze who was saying words of concern towards her was none other than her boyfriend, Liam Cole. They have been dating since their university days and right now; they were in one of the most luxurious French restaurants celebrating their fifth year together.

  Contrary to his assumption, Jun wasn’t thinking about much except observing the man’s excellent act. A man who was so cold, strict and ruthless to his competitors was now pandering to her, treating her like the pearl of his palm. If she didn’t know any better, she would be fooled into thinking that the man loves her like his beloved.

  “Mhm, I’m feeling a little tired, but it’s nothing much. Don’t worry about me, Liam.”

  Jun dismissed his questioning look with a fatigued smile. Acting like she was tired, she grazed the corner of her teary eyes with her finger, looking as if she would fall asleep at any moment.

  Hearing her words, Liam frowned, but sensed nothing was amiss. He pced his suspicions aside because he had a task to fulfil tonight — an important py which he was compelled to perform.

  Liam solemnly looked at Jun before his lips formed a gentle, loving smile. He left his seat, positioning his knee against the ground as he presented a box of a diamond ring.

  “Jun,” Liam’s gaze turned gentle. “Throughout the five years we’ve been together, there wasn’t a day I regretted meeting you. I know deep down in my heart, I’ve always wanted to marry you. Are you willing to be mine forever?”

  In an instant, his sudden proposal changed the quiet ambience in the restaurant and all eyes wandered in their direction. No doubt everyone was enjoying the spectacle of a beautiful couple and their proposal.

  Jun promptly exposed a look of surprise as a rosy shade of blush stained her cheeks. She covered her lips with her hands while her brown eyes twinkled, appearing like a woman brimming with happiness. As such, no one realised that beneath her flustered act, Jun was taking her time to answer the man.

  If it was the “previous” Jun, she would unhesitantly agree to his marriage proposal, but the “current” Jun was a vilin who lived through hundreds of lives. She could discern that there was a great purpose behind this facade.

  Liam assumed only he could keep his pretentious act, but he never realised that there would be someone far better at seeing through his act. He had forgotten that once a man truly loved a woman; his eyes would undoubtedly disclose his real emotions.

  Not of assessment, but adoration for his beloved.

  After all, the eyes are windows to one’s soul. His performance must be more convincing if he wanted to fool the “current” Jun.

  Therefore, from the moment Liam carried out this marriage proposal in the guise of a loving man, he was doomed to fail, especially since the woman before him was not the na?ve woman he once knew.

  Jun stared into his eyes as she leaned forward. Their narrow distance allowed them to feel each other’s breath. She whispered, “Do you really love me?”

  Love?

  Liam looked briefly surprised before he forced a smile — a cynical sneer that almost appeared on his face. Other than the woman he yearned for, to him, love between them was simply a sham.

  Liam lied without an ounce of sincerity, “Of course I love you.”

  Listening to such a btant lie, it brought chuckles to her lips. Jun never expected a selfish man could be anything other than fake.

  “I believe you.”

  Receiving her consent, Liam stood up and carefully pushed the ring onto her finger. As he embraced her, he failed to hear the fleeting sly ughter from the woman’s lips during everyone’s blessings.

  Jun’s fingers rubbed the diamond on the ring and smiled.

  When the couple left the restaurant, they held hands until a bck car stopped beside them. When the window was lowered, the chauffeur smiled as he politely greeted Jun, “Miss.”

  Jun saw it was her family’s driver who was picking her up and immediately turned to her side, seeing the man in a slightly displeased mood. Having no intention of refusing the ride nor pander to the man she didn’t care about, she smiled apologetically.

  “Sorry Liam, I wasn’t expecting your proposal so earlier on, I informed my chauffeur to pick me up after our dinner.”

  “But…” Jun hugged the rose bouquet, shielding his gaze from her blooming smirk. “I can't deny that today has turned out to be the happiest day of my life. Thank you.”

  Her eyes curved in crescents, portraying a woman overwhelmed in happiness.

  Liam looked at Jun, who was acting like a blushing girl in her teens, and his lips curled up. Knowing she was so easily satisfied because of him, a wicked sense of joy filled his heart. As such, looking at her encouraged him to py the st bit of a loving fiance.

  Liam’s smile grew gentle as he approached her. Just as their lips were about to touch, Jun suddenly pressed her fingers to his lips and asked, “Is it because of auntie’s health that you proposed to me?”

  Upon hearing that, Liam paused before taking a step back, sighing. Because of that sudden question, it broke the delicate atmosphere between them.

  Sadly, Liam didn’t capture the hint in her words. Assuming she was yet again hesitant, being more than familiar with lying, he lied again. “Of course not. We have been dating for five years and it’s a matter of time that I’ll propose to you. I always love you, so Jun, don’t doubt the affection I have for you, okay?”

  Unfortunately, his overconfidence led him to miss the look of pity on Jun’s face.

  “Okay, I believe you, Liam.”

  After Jun entered the car and left Liam’s sight, the car drove to a corner and stopped beside a quiet alley. Without a second thought, Jun rolled down the window and threw the bouquet into the nearby trash cans. The chauffeur saw it but said nothing as he began to drive again.

  Just as Jun leaned back comfortably, she noticed a stalk of rose remained on the seat.

  At which point did it fall out of the binding? She didn’t know.

  Seeing this, Jun picked up the rose which the stalk had cut short. Inadvertently, a cruel smile formed on her lips, devoid of any warmth. Covered up by the darkness in the car, the chauffeur couldn’t see the dark, malevolent eyes of the woman behind him. Her gaze remained fixed upon it while she toyed with its red petals.

  In her mind, this anniversary dinner was just the beginning of her mission. The mission which requires her to py the role of a foolish “vilin” and die pathetically for the protagonist’s happiness and success.

  Just thinking about it made Jun so amused when she learnt about the tragic ending of her identity. Like a game of poker, even with such a strong starting hand, she could still be defeated if the game was already rigged from the start. It goes to show that against the protagonist, the role of a vilin could only live an ill-fated life.

  In this world, she was known as Jun Lee, a 26-year-old woman who has been in a five-year retionship with Liam Cole, the protagonist, since their university days.

  Jun Lee didn’t know about Liam until it was midway through her year three. Due to his outstanding appearance, grades and background, there was a lot of fuss made when he first transferred into the university. Even if she was disinterested in him, no one wouldn’t know about him.

  Things would’ve remained the same and they wouldn’t have crossed paths until Liam chanced upon Jun Lee at the lecture hall one day. Due to the limited number of seats, many seats were quickly occupied. Liam coincidentally chose an empty seat beside Jun Lee and that’s when he noticed the girl beside him looked remarkably simir to his ex-girlfriend, who broke up with him over an argument. At that moment, when his gaze nded on her face, he was stunned before a wave of delight rushed out of him. However, it wasn’t long before his happiness dropped when he saw the girl wasn’t “her”.

  Although Jun Lee’s appearance had two-third of simirity, it was still obvious that they were two different people. Yet it didn’t prevent him from approaching her, because deep down in his heart, he still couldn’t forget about his ex-girlfriend.

  After multiple purposeful meetings between them, Liam and Jun Lee eventually became acquainted. As they got to know more about each other and their friendship grew deeper, Liam gradually noticed about his growing feelings for her but not the kind without impure motives. He realised everything that Jun Lee did — from her pretty smiles to her little gestures — all had a shadow of his ex-girlfriend.

  And he liked it. It was as if “she” hadn’t broken up with him.

  Once Liam had this realisation, a sinister idea was formed in his head. He wanted to get Jun Lee and shaped her into the woman he loved; the ex-girlfriend he missed so dearly.

  As such, Liam began his passionate pursuit of Jun Lee. He would attend all the csses that Jun Lee was in, worked on the same projects, and even joined her club activities. Due to his arrangements, they would cross paths daily, leading to an inevitable familiarity between them and a gradual increase in their time spent together.

  After many months of interaction, Jun Lee felt utterly grateful to meet a good friend like Liam. However, being just a good friend was not what Liam wanted. His goal was to be her perfect boyfriend. At some point, Liam would meet her outside of university, and they would go on several dates. He would shower her with gifts, encourage her with kind words, and make it clear that she was “special” to him.

  Faced with his fervent love, Jun Lee was moved. When Liam finally confessed, she naturally accepted it. Unbeknownst to her, it was the beginning of her eventual downfall.

  When they graduated, Jun Lee went to her family’s company to help her father, whereas Liam started up his own company, one separated from his family. Each led busy lives, but they never once stopped meeting up. And brief meet-ups only made their fondness for each other grow stronger and deeper.

  After five years have passed, people around them, friends and family, admired their long, committed retionship, and all expected that they would get married soon.

  Jun Lee believed so… until Liam reconciled with his ex-girlfriend, which shattered all of her expectations and understanding.

  On the day of their wedding ceremony, Liam rushed out of the venue and disappeared, abandoning her to clean up the mess he had left behind. Since Jun Lee didn’t know what had transpired, she could only postpone their wedding while she searched for the truth.

  Little did she know, Liam reconciled with his ex-girlfriend and rekindled their love.

  After his secretary informed him that his ex-girlfriend was leaving the country, Liam immediately rushed to the airport to stop her. When he saw how his ex-girlfriend shed tears over her reluctance to lose him to another woman, he found his resolve shaken.

  As fate has it, despite many years of separation, Liam still ended up meeting his ex-girlfriend, who was working in his company. Although their interactions were brief, keeping it professional between them, only they both knew that they were still very attracted to each other. The five years he had with Jun Lee were incomparable to the short time he had with her. The presence of his ex-girlfriend made him understand it was her that mattered most to him. He was the one who couldn’t let go of her. He truly loved her.

  So making a choice between two women, his ex-girlfriend or his fiancée, Liam chose to give up on Jun Lee, as she had always been a substitute for his ex-girlfriend.

  But when Liam made that choice, did he consider the harm he would cause to Jun Lee? Perhaps he did, but he didn’t care. All he wanted now was to be with the woman he truly loved.

  Days after the wedding, Liam finally made a call to Jun Lee to break the news. Once they met up, he expined and requested that they amicably end their retionship. To apologise for the trouble he had caused, he compensated her with money and properties. But no matter what he did, Jun Lee was unable to accept it. Her grief had already overwhelmed her rationality.

  And it was the upcoming banquet that broke her final straw.

  At the birthday banquet held by one of the industry leaders, Liam and Jun Lee’s father were both invited to attend. Gaining entry to the event was easy since each person could bring along a partner. Her father already heard the news of Jun Lee’s breakup, so he thought it would be a good idea to bring her with him to have a change of pace. However, he didn’t expect that his decision would lead to his daughter witnessing first-hand the hypocritical nature of Liam.

  When Liam and his girlfriend arrived, what captured people’s attention was the uncanny simirity in the woman’s appearance to Jun Lee.

  The woman beside Liam was not Jun Lee that they were acquainted with, but rather a woman that they had never seen before. In fact, both women appeared so simir that their clothes, make-up, posture, gait, and temperament were almost indistinguishable.

  It was almost as if they were twins.

  But of course, that’s impossible as everyone in the social circle knew that Jun Lee was the only daughter in her family. As such, everyone gnced at the two women with scrutiny, and also amusement.

  When Liam was asked about the identity of the woman by his side, he openly revealed his intimate retionship with her. He also stated that she was his true love, implying his previous retionships as fake.

  Once Jun Lee heard the word “true love” again, she almost broke the champagne flute in her hand. True love? Did the five years she spent together with him meant nothing at all in face of true love?

  Sadly, it was only now did Jun Lee know that during the five years she dated Liam, her tastes had slowly changed to fit his preferences. Everything about her fashion, make-up, tastes and interests were clearly tailored to his girlfriend’s liking. Even the bck, spaghetti-strapped dress she was wearing now fitted his girlfriend more than her.

  At this moment, Jun Lee felt as if she had been id out in the open for mockery. Who wouldn’t understand she was just a substitute?

  After the banquet ended, Jun Lee only held a burning hatred for Liam. She hated him for taking her for granted. She hated him for treating her sincerity and love like trash. She hated him so much that she wanted to make him pay.

  As such, Jun Lee began to retaliate against him in all sorts of manner. She paid people to smear his reputation, hired thugs to kidnap his love, and went as far as stealing business secrets from his company to sell to his competitors, all for the sake of sabotaging him. During the process of revenge, she gradually became a poisonous viper, just like the indisputable character of a “vilin”.

  Throughout all these ordeals, his girlfriend stood firmly by his side without wavering. And since Liam was still the “protagonist”, he withstood every hardship and eventually made a comeback. He didn’t let go of anyone who dared to harm him.

  On the day of a hostile acquisition over her father’s company, Jun Lee was sent to jail because of multiple offences such as attempted murder and leaking business trade secrets. To pay for her crimes, she would have been punished to stay in the jail for at least twenty years with an undeniably rge amount of debt, but with Liam pulling the strings, she was instead sent to a mental institution for criminals. At there, she suffered inhumane torture for a long time before she was killed by one of the insane patients.

  As for Jun Lee’s father, with no wealth, backing and connections to redeem his dear daughter back, with no more meaning to his lonely life, he couldn’t accept her death and eventually took his own life.

  In the end, such a tragic ending reflected the fate of Jun Lee. Just one selfish choice from the protagonist pulled her down into the pits of hell, forcing her, the so-called vilin, to suffer the most painful humiliation.

  After recalling everything, Jun’s brown eyes stared at the rose pinched between her fingers. As a vilin who lived through her hundreds of reincarnations, she already thought of an interesting method to deal with this world.

  Without the system watching closely, without the restrictions holding her back, Jun would never allow herself to be at a disadvantage, for she would lead her own brilliant life under any circumstances.

  She could turn the most poisonous viper into the most intoxicating flower.

  When Jun reached the gates of her home, she dropped the thornless rose on the ground and crushed it under her heel.

  She will make her “lives” better. Even if this world was one of the many worlds that the system had chosen for her to suffer.

  Her lips curled into a deadly, bewitching smile.

  Don’t say I didn’t give you a chance.

  juno21