Chen Yin was an ordinary girl who earned her place at Unity Middle School through outstanding academic performance.

As a prestigious aristocratic institution, Unity Middle School was once a place where only the wealthy and powerful walked its halls. And among these elite students, there was one person who was impossible to ignore—Wang San. His fiancée? None other than the second daughter of the Li family, Li Yue.

If this was a typical high school romance drama, the ordinary girl would capture the prince’s heart, leading to a fairy tale romance and marriage. In contrast, the second female lead, Li Yue, would be cast aside after scheming against them.

But reality wasn’t a drama.

After countless chance encounters with the prince, the girl came to a painful realization: they were from entirely different worlds, and she would never be able to reach that level.

She sold herself to a wealthy second-generation heir, becoming his plaything. But as she immersed herself in that world, her inner desires grew. Money, power, and the luxuries that made life so comfortable—everything was too tempting.

She was no longer satisfied with the little charity given by others.

She set her sights on the highest peak, attempting to conquer the man at the very top of the pyramid.

But she was rejected. Because standing beside him was a woman so dazzling that she outshined everyone. How could he possibly look at anyone else?

Why was there a girl who could be so perfect? Academics, family background, romance—everything in her life went smoothly. Someone like that shouldn’t exist. It had to be a façade!

The girl approached Minmin, doing everything she could to gather information about Li Yue. But to her shock, Li Yue was truly as flawless as she seemed—perhaps even more so.

Darkness took root inside her.

Perhaps her overwhelming desire was too strong because she awakened an ability.

[Script Creation]

She could make those around her act according to a predetermined script—even altering their thoughts and perceptions.

Chen Yin cast herself as the heroine of a romance drama.

Her father got promoted. She became the school’s sweetheart. Even the prince confessed to her in front of the entire student body, abandoning his fiancée and insisting on being with his new love.

The girl smiled. Yes, this was how romance dramas were supposed to unfold. Everything was going according to the script.

Although using her ability pushed her contamination level dangerously close to 60%, Chen Yin believed it was worth it.

Yet, Li Yue seemed unaffected. She confronted the girl: “My father has already contacted the Tower for an investigation…”

That knowing gaze made her panic.

The girl’s expression darkened when she realized that she was discovered.

Wang San pulled her into his arms, inhaling the scent of her neck. “What are you thinking about?”

The girl turned to him with a troubled look. “Sigh, I heard from a classmate the other day that they saw Yueyue at a nightclub…”

Rumors spread like wildfire across the campus.

“Did you hear? Yueyue was out looking for gigolos!”

“Damn, Li Yue is a prostitute?”

"Her family is rich—did they go bankrupt or something?!"

Photos began appearing on the school forum—blurry yet scandalous. Seemingly held in someone’s embrace, the girl's usually neatly styled student haircut was disheveled, and her face was obscured by flashing nightclub lights.

Ruirui put down her camera, wearing a gentle smile. “Yes, who would have thought Li Yue was so desperate?”

During the school's scheduled radio broadcast, the speakers played the suggestive sounds of water mixed with a woman’s moans. A man’s deep voice called out Li Yue’s name, sending shockwaves through the campus.

Wang San buttoned his shirt and slowly adjusted his tie. “Li Yue is such a slut. She can’t live without a man.”

Minmin shut off the recording device in her hand. “I thought she was my best friend. Who knew she was this kind of person?”

With deliberate manipulation, the rumors soon spread beyond the school.

Someone even claimed to have personally witnessed Li Yue’s father slapping her across the face.

Li Yue dropped out. But even after she left, her story continued circulating within the school.

“Do you remember our school’s former campus Belle? She’s living a miserable life now—kept by some rich old man. But since he’s infertile, he’s offering a fortune for someone to bear his heir. Isn’t that just…”

“She couldn’t get pregnant, so Li Yue desperately resorted to seducing delivery men at her door. It’s all over the internet—a certain wealthy woman couldn't stand the loneliness…”

“Did you hear? Turns out Li Yue was a beard (cover-up) for her gay husband! No wonder he was so cold to her. When she couldn’t bear children, he just divorced her and left.”

“Hey, do you know about Li Yue…”

Everyone in the school talked about her. Their blabbering mouths became monstrous, while their disguises served as perfect shields.

Good or bad, truth or lies, everything spread through whispers and gossip until it became a joke for all to enjoy.

Countless mouths opened and closed.

“Li Yue—Li Yue—”

They were flowers of malice, waiting to devour her flesh and drink her blood.

The rumors persisted for an unknown amount of time until the year Chen Yin got married when someone heard the news: 

Li Yue had committed suicide.

She jumped from the top floor of the school’s laboratory building, leaving a body that was shattered beyond recognition.

The false rumors, turned into weapons, had shredded her will to live.

Chen Yin’s script had ended. But her story was not yet over.

A friend attempted to investigate Li Yue’s past, making Chen Yin terribly afraid.

Ever since Li Yue’s death, her ability didn’t seem as effective. Even Wang San’s occasional looks toward her felt unsettling…

Still, her ability was enough to deal with disobedient NPCs.

Bang!

Her friend leaped from the broadcasting station.

The rumors of Li Yue's ghost haunting the school began to spread among the people, attracting attention and drawing in even more onlookers.

A new script was being written, but this time, it was a horror story.

Anyone who attempted to investigate the case would mysteriously die, driven by the "ghost" to jump to their deaths.

On the rooftop of the opposite building, Chen Yin smiled brightly as faint bulges shaped like mouths appeared on her body.

After using her ability again, her pollution level rose even higher, to the point where she had barely managed to revert to her human form.

If she used it for the third time, she might not be able to stay sane anymore.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Like dumplings dropping into a pot, bodies piled up below the laboratory building.

More and more people became involved, eventually drawing the attention of the Quarantine Center and the Tower.

However, this incident was not caused by pollutants in the first place, so it was impossible to find any trace of pollution.

The woman giggled. “A knight capable of detecting pollution but unable to recognize an issue with abilities? How laughable. So much for so-called top-tier combat power.”

Bai Xu was so dumbfounded that even his pink hair seemed to lose some color.

"If you’re this powerful, isn’t it a waste not to join the Investigation Corps or the Quarantine Center?"

“Why should I? I’ve fought hard to get to where I am. What benefit do I get from saving the world? If the current system collapses, my life will be ruined too!"

With such an extraordinary ability, she could enjoy the best resources. Why should she throw it all away to join the Investigation Corps?

She loved her current life—hidden awakened didn’t have to serve the base, yet they controlled massive resources. Even if she used her abilities recklessly, she wouldn’t suffer the consequences of pollution.

What did she have to fear? What she feared most was losing her current life!

Inside the brightly lit broadcasting station, a slender figure appeared. She wore a blue and white school uniform, a schoolgirl hairstyle, and a cold, indifferent expression.

It was Li Yue.

The woman's chest shook with laughter as she lay on the ground. A flicker of jealousy flashed in her eyes when she saw that Li Yue was still youthful and beautiful. “You’ve already turned into a pollutant. You know exactly what’s waiting for you. Even if these deaths aren’t blamed on you, you won’t survive.”

“So what if you force me to apologize? What’s done is done. With the Wang family’s influence, handling this is a simple matter. There’s nothing you can do to me.”

A crackling sound came from the red microphone.

“Oh? Is that so—”

Suddenly, the woman realized something and shouted at Bai Xu, “Save me!”

Pink Hair raised his hand, and the conference table transformed into a shield that protected the woman.

Clang! A metallic clash echoed through the room, followed by a crisp sound as a dagger fell to the ground.

Li Yue glanced at Pink Hair. “Even knowing what this woman has done, you still want to protect her?”

Bai Xu frowned, “I’m not protecting her. I just want to preserve the evidence. If she dies, who will testify?”

Li Yue tilted her head. "I can't?"

Bai Xu hesitated. “Pollutants can’t be used as evidence in court.”

Li Yue let out a scornful laugh. “What a farce.”

Outside the classroom, students pushed their way in. Seeing the woman lying on the ground, they swarmed around her and spitted venomous curses.

“You bitch! Look at what you’ve done! You were so consumed by jealousy, and now you want to drag us all down with you?!"

“I treated you as a friend, and you killed me in return! Yinyin, how could you be so cruel?!”

“Even as a ghost, I won’t forgive you!”

“Yinyin…”

The woman screamed as she clutched her ears. She could block out the external voices but couldn’t silence the mouths growing on her own body.

“Yinyin, you've completely ruined me. The Wang family won’t leave you a single cent!” Wang San’s voice came from the mouth on the left side of her face.

“You were the one who told me to play the recording, and now you’re pinning all the blame on me? Did I ever wrong you?!” Minmin’s voice came from the mouth on the right side of her face.

"Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP!" The woman’s body was covered in wounds. Her eyes were bloodshot, clearly teetering on the edge of a mental breakdown. “Li Yue, if I killed you once, I can do it again!”

Li Yue closed her eyes. “You’re still the same as ever.”

The students’ aggressive shouts ceased. Their unreadable faces seemed to reveal a faint trace of sorrow.

Suddenly, Fu Gui trembled. “I… I know what the pollution source is…”

—

Investigation Corps members were caught in a pollution incident without any protective gear. The situation quickly escalated, and Fu Zhi’s firm stance left the Quarantine Center’s director in distress.

Director Gu technically outranked Fu Zhi in administrative power, but real power? Fu Zhi had full authority.

Now, all the pressure was on him—how could he not run around frantically?

“Director Gu, do you have any additional comments on this pollution outbreak? We all know that years ago, a series of mass suicides happened here under mysterious circumstances. Some say it was related to the Li family. Years later, this place has turned into a pollution zone. Could it have something to do with the Li family’s second daughter, who committed suicide back then?”

“Director Gu, regarding the ordinary civilians caught in this incident, do you have anything to say?”

“Director Gu, has the Investigation Corps contacted you for a rescue operation?”

“Director Gu…”

Director Gu hadn’t expected the individuals involved to be people he couldn’t afford to offend—the Wang family, the Investigation Corps, the Chen family… Handling this case was a nightmare.

Wiping his sweat, he stepped past the barricade to ask when they could enter the site. Unexpectedly, he spotted a familiar figure. “Old Luo? What are you doing here?”

A middle-aged man with a protruding belly laughed heartily. “Just dropping by to take a look.”

Director Gu was on the verge of panic. “Come on, don’t make things worse. This isn’t a place for you. Go back to the Research Insitute.”

The middle-aged man waved him off. “Alright, alright, I’ll leave. Take care.”

He glanced at the thick, churning fog beyond the barricade that covered everything inside. With a quiet sigh, he turned away.

A junior researcher nearby leaned in. “Director Luo, why are you sighing?"

“You don’t understand. I have a friend whose child just joined the Investigation Corps. His father, my dear brother, died on a mission. And now, before the kid even worked for a few years, he had encountered this misfortune. I don’t think he can make it out."

The junior researcher wiped away imaginary tears. “Director Luo, you’re such a kind soul. Not many people care about their friends as much as you do.”

Director Luo patted his belly. “Ah, enough about that. Weren’t you guys having a gathering tonight? Still got room for one more?”

The junior researcher stiffened. “Uh… yeah, sure…”

Just as he replied, someone shouted from behind: “The fog is dissipating! The pollution zone is gone, and they’re coming out!"

The smile on Director Luo's lips suddenly disappeared.