Chapter 4: The Man Behind the Mask

I want to ask why it has to be him loving me. But then I think, I travel through worlds, seeking 100 affection, isn’t it because I want every target to love me? Collect enough affection, and I can break free, return to normal life. I’m speechless. The journal in front of me shows his journey in this world. I recognize every word, but they’re all blurry now.

I ask, “Are others like this too?” Do the other targets travel through worlds too?

System: “Of course. It’s a special privilege for top scorers.”

“Top scorer?”

“Let’s put it this way: 100 affection is just a baseline—it means he loves you, but not how much. Some people’s affection drops after 100, some keep rising. We collect true love, so the more the better. Samuel proves 100 is just the testing peak, not his limit. For someone like that, we naturally give privileges.”

“Then how much affection does Samuel have now?”

“No idea. We’re curious too.”

I get it. The so-called top scorer is just a tool for generating love value. The system is awful, but all this started with me. If I hadn’t bound myself to the system, if I hadn’t chased him, he’d still be the high-and-mighty golden boy, not a pawn in this broken world. I ask, “Can he go back to his original world?”

System: “Of course. It’s a special privilege for top scorers.”

The system is quiet for a moment. “No. From the moment he chose to go with you, his fate was tied to yours.”

I’m lost. It all feels so absurd. My head is spinning, and I regret ever binding myself to the system. If only there were no mission.

When I arrive at the Foster family company, it’s already 5 p.m. Thanks to sticking close to Carter lately, I get to his office without trouble. My steps feel heavy. I don’t know how to open the door, or how to face him. What to say, what to do—I have no idea. The door opens from inside. Carter’s assistant comes out. He sees me, steps aside, revealing Carter at his desk. I walk forward without thinking. Carter sees me and smiles: “Checking up on me again?”

“I wanted to see you,” I say honestly. The system pings: “Male lead affection +2, current affection: 93.” What used to make me happy now just makes me sad. I look at Carter walking toward me and hug him tight.

“Looks like you really missed me.” He strokes my hair with a sigh.

“I know everything... Samuel.” I say quietly in his arms. He stiffens. “Why did you follow me? Don’t you want your family...”

Carter quickly lets go. “How do you know? Are you okay? Will the system punish you?”

“That’s not important,” I say. “I just want to know why you came.”

Carter looks at me in silence. Under my insistence, he tries to act casual: “Forgot. It’s been so long, maybe I was just a dumb kid who thought you couldn’t possibly not like me.” But he’s never been dumb or reckless, always cool-headed. I stare at him. He’s still worried: “Are you sure you’re okay?” He says, “The system says I can’t reveal who I am, can’t mess with the world’s order, can’t influence your choices...” One restriction after another, all to tie Carter’s hands. If Peyton hadn’t found his journal, if I hadn’t changed targets, how much longer would he have waited? He’s just being used for love value by the system. “Are you crazy?”

“We promised forever,” Carter says, hugging me. “If you left, where would I go for forever?”

“But I’m not worth it.” I thought he’d have figured it out by now. After I didn’t pick him for several worlds, he should have known, but he still stuck around.

“Worth or not doesn’t matter,” he says. “If I want to, it’s worth it.”

I wonder where Carter’s courage comes from.

“Let’s not talk about this,” he says. “When do you want to finish this world?” He’s a bit proud: “Anytime. The system promised me, as long as you choose me, the mission will succeed.”

I look at his face in surprise. Why is he proud of this? Why is Carter Foster proud of something so small!

“You really can’t go back?” I murmur. “Carter, I want you to go back, keep being Samuel. Isn’t that good?”

Carter is quiet for a while. He hugs me, his voice trembling in my hair: “Maddie, don’t push me away.”

“Since I was a kid, everything was planned—where to study, what hobbies, who to be friends with... all decided for me. If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably be marrying whoever my family picked. I never thought that was a problem, but now I know it is.”

“I want to have adventures with you.” He says, “Only with you do I feel like I’m really living.”

“But...” I start.

“No buts.” He says. Maybe seeing my hesitation, Carter gives up: “Anyway, we’re tied together now. You can’t get rid of me.”

He says, “Even if you don’t want me here, I’ll still follow you to the next world. Watch you chase others, or me.”

I think, he’s really a fool. How could I ever dislike him? I’m just afraid he’ll get hurt. Carter seems to read my mind. He says, “If you’re afraid I’ll get hurt, just pick me in the next world.”

I finally realize something. The first world’s target was assigned, but in later worlds, whoever I picked became the lead. I once thought this was the system’s reward, but it seems Carter arranged it for me. He hid among the targets, giving me more choices, even if I didn’t pick him.

“Do you want to go back?” I ask.

Carter says, “No.”

“If I go with you?” He changes his answer: “Then I do.”

I smile. “Then I’ll take you back.”

The system says, if affection reaches 1000, I can break free—that is, succeed in ten worlds. Then I can choose: return to my original world, or stay in any mission world. Now it’s the fifth world. With Carter here, I’m confident about the rest. I repeat firmly: “I’ll definitely take you back.”

Carter and I start prepping to leave the mission world. Actually, there’s nothing to prepare. Once we leave, the system will erase most people’s memories—only the lead can choose to keep them. Now I don’t have to worry about failing or Logan interfering. With Carter here, I don’t have to worry about anything. He’s kind of smug: “Now you know how important I am?”

He always gives people a sense of security, makes you feel like he’s rock solid. With nothing to do all day, I bug Carter to tell me about being a background character in past worlds. Carter says he forgot, but then complains a lot. Turns out, in the second world, he was the lead’s rival. He tried to help, hoping to make the lead jealous and raise affection, but I kept my distance to avoid upsetting the lead, filling up his journal. In the third world, he was my stepbrother. He thought being close would give him an edge, but I ignored him and went after the quarterback next door, making him mad. I listen quietly to his stories. Those days I never knew about, but he was always there. No wonder winning Carter was so easy—he knew I was coming all along. And he liked it. I hug Carter and sigh: “How did I meet you?”

He laughs: “Are you starting to like me?”

“Hmm?”

He says, “I said I’d try to make you like me, and I’d do everything to find you.”

I remember my conversation with Carter. He meant it all along. Carter asks, “So have I won you over?”

“Yes.” I kiss the corner of his smiling mouth.

He says, “Let’s go.”

I nod to the system. Soon, the system’s voice rings in my head. “Detected male lead affection is full, mission complete, enter next world?” I’m about to confirm, but the system reports: “Detected host 1011’s affection is full. Congratulations, you’ve finished the mission. You may now leave the system. Do you want to return to your original world?”

I’m stunned for a long time before I realize what the system just said. Carter is still calm. I wonder, did his hidden affection value finally show up? Is it so high I can leave the system and return to normal life? The system is still waiting for a reply. I say excitedly, “I choose to return to the first mission world!”

Birds chirp outside the window. When I open my eyes again, I’m in the room Samuel’s family prepared for me. The familiar furniture makes my nose sting. I go to the mirror and look at myself. Barefoot, no makeup, still in a white nightgown. I don’t know what time it is or if anyone outside remembers me. I brace myself, open the door, and see Samuel hurrying toward me. He sees me, breathes a sigh of relief, and stands there catching his breath. My anxious heart finally settles.

Samuel slowly walks up and asks, “How did we come back?”

“The mission’s over,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck, full of relief. “Thank you for loving me so much.”

Samuel is still a little dazed. “No more missions from now on?”

“Yeah, it’s all over.”

“You’ll always stay with me?” He can’t believe it. “Healthy and by my side?”

He makes me laugh. “Yes, healthy.”

I say, “After all, I still have to be with you forever.”

He hugs me and sighs deeply. “That’s perfect.”

After hugging for a while, I remember to ask, “What time is it now? Did the system erase everyone’s memories? Does everyone still remember me?”

“We came back to the day you left,” Samuel says. That’s it. I look around. Oak floors, big windows, the sound of the garden fountain—everything is so familiar. Like a crazy dream. Luckily, it’s over, and the one who loves me is still here.

[End]