When the Female Lead Cries, the Whole Game Is Lost - Chapter 1

“Task 0368 failed. 1000 points deducted.”

“Automatically transferring to the next world. Please confirm identity.”

“Character locked. Transferring now.”

“Host, you have already failed seven worlds. If you fail again, not only will you go bankrupt, you will also be expelled and exiled to the Three Thousand Worlds.” The system opened the interface. The once powerful big shot who had owned millions of points now had to carefully consider even buying a single item.

Jiang Ning had been fierce and ruthless in the Scum Abuse Department, completing missions quickly but always using extreme methods. Many of the scum she abused would rather die than reform, rendering those worlds unusable for resale. As a result, she had no performance points.

The higher-ups eventually transferred her to the Redemption Department. Many people applied for the Redemption Department, leaving only one mission available: Do not let the female lead shed tears.

In the past, Jiang Ning’s way of abusing scum was to make them cry until they doubted life itself and fell into utter despair. Her first reaction after being transferred to this department was refusal.

She didn’t even want to look for the female lead. She wandered around the small world until she died naturally or was recalled by the main system. The result was that the female lead cried miserably, and Jiang Ning lost every last point she had.

“What is the original owner doing?” Jiang Ning looked at the river under the bridge. The reflection of the city’s neon lights shimmered on the water, appearing hazy and unreal.

【The original owner is attempting suicide. One year ago, her parents were killed in a staged car accident. She studied classical dance and knows nothing about business management. Despite her desperate efforts, she couldn’t turn the company around. Yesterday, the talent she had trained was poached by a competitor, causing massive losses. The company is now facing acquisition.】

Jiang Ning rubbed her temples in distress. With this kind of situation, forget helping the female lead—she’d be lucky if she didn’t cry first.

Based on previous experience, the female lead was usually someone with a tragic background, betrayed by everyone and bullied by all. To prevent her from crying, one would need considerable power and influence to protect her properly.

Now it seemed like a broken pot paired with a broken lid—two miserable people who shouldn’t judge each other.

【No, Host, you’re mistaken. The female lead is a wealthy heiress from a rich family. Her parents adore her, and her situation is much better than yours.】

“Then why does she need me?”

【Because emotional matters are unpredictable.】 The system originally wanted to sound impressive, but it had stepped on Jiang Ning’s landmine.

The tall woman nodded, stepped onto the guardrail, and was about to jump in accordance with the original owner’s wish when she was suddenly grabbed tightly from behind.

“Don’t do it!” The person hugged Jiang Ning desperately, her voice trembling with fear that the moment she let go, the person would be gone. Jiang Ning’s body stiffened at the sudden embrace. After struggling unsuccessfully, she said coldly, “Let go,” and reached out to pull the person away. Instead, the arms around her tightened even more.

Jiang Ning disliked being touched by others. Although she knew the girl was trying to save her, she still felt repulsed by the stranger’s contact. She used more force, hearing the person behind her cry out in pain, yet the grip still didn’t loosen.

【Female lead’s crying level: Five stars. 100 points deducted. Please comfort her emotions immediately.】

Jiang Ning’s movements paused. She glanced at her remaining points, sighed silently, and stopped struggling.

“Let go.”

Jiang Ning’s tone was calm, revealing nothing of her thoughts. Lin Yiren hesitated for a moment before releasing her, but she remained standing nearby, staring at Jiang Ning intently.

Neither of them spoke. Jiang Ning looked into the distance. Her chestnut-colored curly hair was blown by the night wind. Her features appeared soft and hazy under the lights. Lin Yiren felt a sour ache in her heart, so painful that she wanted to cry.

Lin Yiren looked up at the sky and blinked hard. If she hadn’t returned to the country tonight, would she never have been able to see Jiang Ning again?

Such a good person was actually thinking about committing suicide.

【The female lead is about to cry again. Please take action immediately.】

Jiang Ning had been silent earlier because she was reviewing the original owner’s memories. From the female lead’s hesitant expression, it seemed she knew the original owner, but there was no record of any interaction between them in the memories.

Seeing the tears swirling in Lin Yiren’s eyes, Jiang Ning touched her pocket, took out a tissue, and handed it over. Her voice softened slightly: “Don’t cry.”

“Your eyes aren’t suited for tears.” Jiang Ning looked at Lin Yiren’s red, watery eyes, which carried an unconscious charm, and spoke honestly.

Whether for points or other reasons, Jiang Ning didn’t want to see the female lead cry. Looking into her eyes always made Jiang Ning’s heart feel uncomfortable—this was also why she had avoided interacting with female leads before.

Lin Yiren was startled by Jiang Ning’s words. The sorrow in her heart was replaced by surprise that the person she liked was speaking to her. She took the tissue, feeling both embarrassed and secretly delighted.

But thinking about Jiang Ning’s suicide attempt earlier, Lin Yiren still felt lingering fear.

Assuming Jiang Ning didn’t know who she was, Lin Yiren hesitated before speaking: “Actually, the night view tonight is really beautiful.”

So the human world is still worth staying for.

Understanding the deeper meaning behind Lin Yiren’s words, Jiang Ning leaned against the railing without replying. She looked at the thousands of lights across Jiang City. Once, she had also believed there was a light somewhere left for her. Now, after drifting for so long, she no longer held much expectation or attachment to anything.

This matched the original owner’s feelings quite well.

“It’s getting late. Go home early.” Jiang Ning noticed people in the distance looking their way—they were probably waiting for Lin Yiren.

Lin Yiren shook her head. Looking at Jiang Ning’s profile, she didn’t directly ask what had happened (she had already received the news). Stubbornly refusing to leave, she said, “Sister, I’m feeling a bit upset. Can you talk with me for a while?”

Jiang Ning had graduated many years ago. Her crimson lips were slightly pursed, giving her features a somewhat cold and sharp look that made her appear difficult to approach. The top two buttons of her white shirt were undone, revealing her fair collarbones. Her black suit skirt hugged her hips. The simple outfit looked alluring on her, accentuating her mature, feminine curves. Her high heels had been taken off and placed to the side.

Although Lin Yiren was also an adult, she had been well-protected by her family and hadn’t experienced much hardship. Wearing a white dress that only revealed her ankles, her voice still carried the tenderness of youth. Calling Jiang Ning “sister” was perfectly appropriate.

Jiang Ning glanced at Lin Yiren, neither responding nor leaving. She took out a pack of cigarettes from the bag on the ground, pulled one out, and lit it. The faint flame made Lin Yiren pause.

It felt… rather delinquent.

Even more delinquent was when Jiang Ning took a drag, turned her head, and blew a puff of smoke toward Lin Yiren. She chuckled lightly: “Still want to chat?”

Jiang Ning had a high nose bridge and beautiful eyes. Under the smoke, they gained a seductive charm. The original cold, distant aura softened a little because of the smile on her lips.

In Lin Yiren’s eyes, Jiang Ning’s originally aloof temperament suddenly became captivating, yet she somehow felt even harder to approach.

Lin Yiren didn’t like smoking or the smell of cigarettes. She knew Jiang Ning did it on purpose, but she pretended not to notice. She stood still, looking serious: “Yes, I do.”

Jiang Ning glanced at her, let out a soft laugh, and leaned against the railing. She moved the hand holding the cigarette to the right, farther away from Lin Yiren, and listened as the girl shared her “troubles,” which didn’t seem like troubles at all to Jiang Ning.

“I have a dog at home named Black Knight. Every morning he scratches at the door really loudly, but I don’t want to get out of bed.”

“The auntie at home always prepares a glass of milk for me at breakfast, but I still haven’t grown taller.”

“The osmanthus flowers in the yard get blown all over the ground by the wind. It always makes me reluctant to leave home, but I have to go to school.”

Lin Yiren’s voice was soft and gentle, flowing like poetry. Her long black hair draped over her shoulders, making her look petite and adorable. When her dress fluttered in the wind, she looked like the ideal girl from many people’s dreams.

At first, Lin Yiren tried to lean on the railing like Jiang Ning, but she was shorter and found it uncomfortable. She turned around, resting only her hands on the railing, occasionally glancing sideways at Jiang Ning’s profile.

Jiang Ning took one drag and didn’t move again. The cigarette ash grew longer and longer but stubbornly refused to fall. After Lin Yiren finished speaking, Jiang Ning loosened her fingers, letting the cigarette drop into the river without a trace.

“If I jumped from here, what do you think would happen?” Jiang Ning smiled as she said something that made Lin Yiren extremely nervous. Seeing the girl’s body suddenly tense up, the smile in Jiang Ning’s eyes deepened.

“You would miss tomorrow’s sunrise. You would forget all the beautiful things you once had. You would lose your way in silent darkness.” Lin Yiren tried hard to keep her voice from trembling, desperately hoping the despair in Jiang Ning’s eyes would disappear.

“If I forget everything, wouldn’t I also forget the pain?” Jiang Ning latched onto one word in Lin Yiren’s sentence. She turned around like Lin Yiren had, looking at the dark river water, her voice soft as if sighing.

“Sister, don’t dwell too much on the things that hurt you. You have to remember that only love and beauty last forever.” Seeing Jiang Ning move, Lin Yiren tensed up nervously. Only after confirming she wasn’t going to do anything else did she continue.

“Look, yesterday has already passed.” Lin Yiren pointed at the clock on a tall building not far away. The hour, minute, and second hands had just stopped at exactly 12—a meaningful double entendre.

Even though Lin Yiren tried to hide it, Jiang Ning could still hear the fear hidden beneath her forced calm. The girl’s soft voice calling her “sister” struck straight at the softest part of the heart.

Even though it was summer, the riverside at night was still chilly. Jiang Ning looked Lin Yiren up and down and noticed the fine goosebumps on her arms from the cold wind.

The system watched in surprise as Jiang Ning actually accepted the mission. Earlier, she had seemed dissatisfied with this world. Jiang Ning disliked trouble and preferred using power and influence rather than handling things personally. Staying in this world would require fulfilling the original owner’s wishes and helping her reclaim the company. The system had already prepared to move to the next world.

It never expected Jiang Ning to actually be persuaded.

Because Jiang Ning was confirming the mission with the system, she didn’t react for a moment. Just as Lin Yiren was feeling dejected, the person in front of her suddenly lifted her chin.

Jiang Ning looked at Lin Yiren’s flickering eyes, which resembled a cautious little deer. The smile on her lips became more genuine: “Little sister, from what you just said, it seems you’re really troubled.”

“How about Sister comes home with you and listens to you talk properly?”