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  Chapter 136: Completely Deceived!

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  Although Xanthia was indeed curious about what exactly had transpired with Dionysius, she refrained from sending him any messages to inquire about the secrets behind it all.

  She was thoroughly enjoying herself, building up her "happy points," and didn’t want to waste any time or disrupt her rhythm. In truth, she was deeply engrossed in her video game, far too absorbed to care about anything else.

  After all, Dionysius was a man of pride. It was perfectly natural for him to have a few secrets of his own.

  As long as Xanthia could confirm that he bore no ill intentions toward her, and given how genuine his attitude had always been—willing to help with anything—she was content. He was, after all, a gentleman of considerable value.

  Meanwhile, on the other side of things, what Dematero had shared regarding Xanthia’s "future" was even more gut-wrenching and distressing than the stories about her "past."

  Xanthia’s past had been mere "second-hand sorrow," reyed to Dematero by the "future" Dionysius as a means to prove his identity as a time traveller. Dematero had simply passed it on to the current Dionysius.

  Luckily, the system hadn't fabricated anything about Xanthia's past. Otherwise, if Dionysius had seen through Dematero’s tale on the spot, things would have gotten awkward very quickly.

  Had that happened, Dematero would likely have been dismissed as nothing more than a master storyteller, rather than a true "reborn one."

  Fortunately, Dematero’s revetions added instant credibility to everything that followed regarding Xanthia’s future. The vivid details, combined with Dematero’s bloodshot eyes, the tears welling up, and the pained expression on his face, made the entire experience all the more convincing.

  This was no mere act—it was raw, heartfelt emotion on dispy!

  Unsurprisingly, Dionysius was completely swayed. He was now utterly convinced of the tragic truth: Xanthia would meet an untimely death due to illness in the future.

  What sealed the deal was when Dematero, right there and then, softly hummed one of the "original songs" that the "future Xanthia" had supposedly written.

  These high-quality, original compositions simply didn’t exist in this parallel world. Yet, when listening to the melody and lyrics, it was immediately clear that they were something quite special.

  Dionysius’s musical taste had always been rather refined.

  He had pyed the piano from a young age. Although he leaned more towards cssical music, he wasn’t opposed to listening to older pop cssics or even trendy internet hits.

  As a retively unknown pianist online, Dionysius frequently uploaded piano covers of well-known songs, ensuring that the music he chose was recognizable to a wide audience.

  Thus, his familiarity with various tracks was quite extensive. Upon hearing Dematero hum those songs, Dionysius could tell instantly that the melodies were unfamiliar. It was clear they were original works.

  To confirm his suspicion, Dionysius even pulled out his phone and searched for the song titles and lyrics. When no results came up, it was all but certain.

  With an astonished sigh, Dionysius remarked, "I always thought Xanthia had only inherited her mother’s singing talent, but it seems that in the future, she’ll also have the gift for songwriting and composition. She’s destined to shine as an original artist!"

  He wasn’t wrong. In this era of short videos, good songs were becoming increasingly rare.

  Many musicians focused solely on crafting catchy choruses, fragmented and formuic, designed only to go viral as background music for short clips. That, by today’s standards, was considered a success.

  The golden age of pop music from two decades ago, where legendary artists competed with one another, had long since faded.

  Even someone like timeless singers, who once churned out hit after hit with boundless creativity, could no longer satisfy their longtime fans with their new releases. Many fans preferred to reminisce over their old cssics instead.

  In fact, quite a few of fans often fantasized about the possibility of another young artist from Gen-Z rising to take their pce, or even themselves crossing over from a parallel universe, bringing with them a treasure trove of new songs filled with that distinct fvor of the past.

  That fantasy was something Xanthia could very well fulfil.

  Hearing Dionysius’s heartfelt words, Dematero couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. "In the future, Xanthia made a name for herself in the music world at a very young age. Many fans were grateful that, in an era when pop music was on the decline, someone with Xanthia’s beauty, talent, and vocal prowess had emerged. Sadly, she burned out at the height of her brilliance."

  Dionysius sighed deeply. "What’s the point of shining so brightly if she ends up like a shooting star? I’d rather she live a longer, happier life."

  Dematero’s tone became fervent. "That’s exactly what I want too! The first thing I did after being reborn was to urge Xanthia to take care of her health!"

  Dionysius froze for a moment, as though something had just clicked, then excimed, "So it was you who convinced her! Well, it seems she really took your advice to heart. But now we’ve got a new problem—she’s so into it that she’s even thinking of becoming a professional athlete…"

  As he trailed off, even Dionysius couldn’t help but chuckle at how absurd it all sounded. His mischievous younger sister had taken his suggestion to exercise and run with it, to the point where she now harbored dreams of becoming a professional athlete. How had a simple request turned into something so overblown?

  Dematero was dumbfounded. "What? With her delicate frame, she’s pnning on becoming an athlete? That’s absurd! If she’s going to pursue a career, it’s got to be as a singer. We just need to get those original songs of hers to her, and she’ll be set."

  Dionysius patiently expined, "Actually, her physical condition isn’t as bad as you think. What worries me more is her mental health. According to what you’ve told me, as long as she stays happy, she’ll be fine, right?"

  Dematero quickly corrected him, "That’s not just my advice—it’s what the ‘future you’ told me. The key to battling depression is keeping a person in a constant state of light-hearted happy. The more joy she experiences, the longer she’ll live."

  Dionysius nodded in agreement. If his "future self" had said it, then it had to be true. After all, the future him would surely have access to more family resources and be operating on a higher level.

  Little did Dionysius know, he had been thoroughly duped. The so-called "future version of himself" was merely a tool fabricated by the system to push the tragic narrative forward.

  That said, Dionysius’s rational mind was still quite resilient. Unlike Dematero, he wasn’t so easily swayed by emotional tendencies or bogged down by a sense of literary mencholy.

  In fact, Dematero had stubbornly convinced himself that the Xanthia of this world, with her altered life trajectory, was no longer the same person as the one from the future.

  This was why Dematero harbored no romantic feelings towards her. He’d id it all out for Dionysius, reassuring him that there was nothing inappropriate in his intentions.

  Dionysius, of course, wasn’t nearly as tangled up in such concerns. He wasn’t a "reborn one" after all, so to him, there was only one Xanthia—the one that existed right here, in this world.

  Now that none of the tragedies had yet come to pass, with his abilities and the invaluable insight from the "future information," there was no doubt he could rewrite fate itself.

  This was precisely what Dematero hoped for. He believed that by colborating with Dionysius and reaching a consensus, they would establish a "double guarantee" of success.

  "I'll keep a close eye on Xanthia's mental state from here on," Dionysius remarked casually. "But as for her original works from that other timeline, they wouldn't exist in this world. So, how do you propose we get her to sing those songs?"

  "Well," Dematero, ever the strategist, replied with a sly grin, "doesn't she trust you implicitly now? And since you’re already putting together a behind-the-scenes team for her, why not use that trust? Quietly register the copyrights under her name, without telling her. Make it official!"

  "Then, when the time comes, tell her the songs were acquired for her, that all the rights have been bought out, and all she needs to do is sing! Xanthia is quite careless when it comes to such trivial matters; she won’t dig too deeply."

  Dematero, now fully embracing his role as the “scheming advisor,” id out his pn. It was all about using a "white lie" to avoid triggering Xanthia's high moral standards, which might otherwise lead her to reject their proposal.

  In truth, Xanthia wasn’t as morally scrupulous as they might think. As a somewhat self-indulgent girl, she was always inclined to do things that benefitted her. And besides, these were songs from the original world. If this parallel universe didn’t have them, wasn’t it a waste of good resources not to bring them over?

  However, her mind wasn’t entirely focused on "bringing over" the songs. The magical items she’d acquired from the system’s mysterious gacha feature were far more amusing to her. The idea of copying songs seemed tedious and a waste of time.

  As a high schooler, writing original songs herself was simply too far-fetched. Perhaps once she was in university, she might consider pying the role of an “original singer.” For now, though, she was content to be a virtual uploader, casually performing covers that suited her youthful identity.

  This was all part of the setup. After all, a first-year high school girl, without any formal music training, suddenly producing masterpieces would be highly impusible.

  Dionysius, listening to Dematero’s advice, nodded decisively. “Your pn is quite solid. How about you join the behind-the-scenes team I’m assembling? Together, we’ll act as her management and support team, ensuring her safety and success. Whether she wants to sing or become an athlete, we’ll handle everything behind the scenes, ensuring she enjoys herself to the fullest. This could be the perfect antidote to her depression.”

  Dematero, naturally, had no hesitation in joining. After all, in the future, they would likely form a company together, and they would all be shareholders. As for the soul of this company and its rgest shareholder, that would, of course, be Xanthia herself.

  “I’m confident that with Xanthia’s talent and potential, this company will thrive! She’s the kind of girl who makes a lot of money but doesn’t care about it in the slightest.

  “She’s bound to suffer losses if left to her own devices, given that kind of personality. But with us protecting her interests, she won’t fall prey to other companies or become just another cash cow. We’ll also prevent her from burning out by over-focusing on her career.”

  Dionysius’s face finally broke into a small smile as he regarded Dematero with growing admiration. His “scheming advisor” really had a sharp mind for such things, always thinking ahead.

  Building a company was not something that could be achieved overnight, but Dionysius could certainly begin preparations. With the "future" information provided by Dematero, he knew one thing for sure: investing in Xanthia was a surefire, no-risk opportunity. The longer she lived, the more he stood to gain.

  Not that the profits mattered, really. What Dionysius truly wanted was to see Xanthia remain happy, never again dispying those self-destructive tendencies.

  That evening, Dematero finally found someone with whom to share the painful memories he’d been suppressing for so long. It was a relief, lifting a heavy weight from his shoulders.

  Dionysius hadn’t endured as much suffering as Dematero, of course. The tter had lived through those dark times, and the emotional toll had nearly drained him dry.

  But Dionysius had only heard Dematero’s account. He couldn’t possibly imagine how devastating it had been to see his sister slip away on that hospital bed. The reality of such a tragic death could only be fully appreciated by those who had experienced it firsthand.

  In contrast, the Xanthia of today radiated energy and joy. Her vibrant smile made it impossible to reconcile her with the girl who had died so young in that alternate timeline.

  Yet, a misleading impression was still a misleading impression. Dionysius now resolved to find out whether Xanthia’s happy was genuine or merely a facade.

  He recalled that during their conversation earlier in the day, Xanthia had mentioned she’d recently taken up drawing and was teaching herself to sketch. She expressed excitement about drawing whatever came to mind in the future.

  It was said that an artist’s mental state could be reflected in their spontaneous sketches, much like a child’s doodles. Children suffering from depression often drew disturbing images filled with dark, oppressive, or eerie themes, reminiscent of apocalyptic or hellish visions.

  Dionysius thought that this could be a subtle way to gauge Xanthia’s mental state. After all, he couldn’t very well ask her outright how she was feeling emotionally, could he?

  Knowing Xanthia, with her mischievous, lively personality, she’d likely fsh him a wide grin, thump her chest, and say, “Of course my mental state is great! I’m happy every single day!”

  Happy, my foot!

  You little liar!

  Dionysius already knew that in the "future," Dematero had been too compcent and had been thoroughly deceived by Xanthia. She was the type who would show the world her happy side while silently bearing her sorrows, keeping all the sadness to herself.

  Catching a glimpse of Xanthia’s unhappiness was a near-impossible task. It wasn’t as though they could watch her every second of the day, nor could they lock her up for observation.

  Such extreme measures would only aggravate her already unstable mental state. The psychological trauma from her childhood had left deep scars, though she no longer outwardly dispyed any signs of distress.

  In short, Dionysius would need to investigate Xanthia’s mental health from a different angle. Thus, he devised the idea of using her random sketches as a means of verification.

  He shared this clever pn with Dematero.

  Though Dematero privately wondered why Xanthia hadn’t shown any interest in drawing in her "previous life," he chalked it up to the "butterfly effect" he himself had caused!

  If ever Dematero’s memories of his past life proved unreliable, the expnation was always the same: bme the "butterfly effect."

  Xanthia’s future now brimmed with endless possibilities, and with Dionysius’s trust firmly in his grasp, Dematero felt that her future was secure with their "double insurance."

  After considering it, Dematero responded, “That’s a brilliant method! If she’s really into drawing now, why not set up a studio for her? You could keep a spare key, and when she’s not around, we’ll sneak in and take a look at her work. We’ll be able to confirm a lot that way.”

  Dionysius cpped Dematero on the shoulder, nodding in approval. “I never thought you’d come up with a concrete pn so quickly! You really do have a sharp mind. You’re cut out to be a strategist.”

  With the burden finally lifted from his heart, Dematero’s spirits soared. He chuckled. “That’s what they call experience! Don’t be fooled by my high school appearance. If we’re talking psychological age, you should be calling me uncle. I’m the old sage behind the scenes!”

  Dionysius, of course, had no idea that the brilliant pn they’d devised together would eventually backfire on them both.

  Later, they continued their drinks, toasting one another until they were both thoroughly tipsy, having fully bonded over the evening. Dematero even managed to pay for the entire meal—a barbecue feast that cost nearly 300 romani. In his mind, it was worth every penny.

  The barbecue shop’s owner, who had long been acquainted with Dionysius, was a bit surprised. It was the first time he’d seen his regur customer trust someone his age so implicitly, as though they had been through life-and-death experiences together.

  Naturally, the shopkeeper had no idea that the "life and death" in question referred to none other than Xanthia’s fate. Since the two shared the same goal and had no conflicting interests, their bond was now unshakeable.

  Dionysius, ever the cautious pnner, saw in Dematero—the true "reborn soul"—untapped potential. Saving Xanthia from tragedy was just the beginning; there was still far more to gain.

  ShoujoDirector