The male supporting character was actually myself.

Song Aiwan hurriedly asked, "Can I get into university?"

"You'll definitely pass the exam, but you're not destined to go to university. You might as well settle down and stay in town as a primary school teacher; that's a stable life. If you force yourself to go to university, things might not turn out as you wish."

Upon hearing this, Song Aiguo hurriedly asked, "What about me? Will I be able to pass the exam?"

"Yes!" Situ Nan said decisively, "Not only will you pass the exam, but you will also do exceptionally well! However, your fate after graduation is not very good. If nothing unexpected happens, you will likely to toil for half your life and only leave behind a good reputation."

However, your fate and destiny are not entirely set in stone.

There is still a glimmer of hope; if you could change your destiny, your later life would be much smoother.

After graduating from a prestigious university, I stayed in a big city, married my sweetheart, and have a bright future with nothing to worry about. However, changing my destiny is a bit tricky, and more importantly, it depends on whether I'm willing to do it.

"Change your destiny? What?!" The little white cat's fur stood on end in fright, staring at the fortune teller in astonishment. "You're going to go this far? Are you sure you can pull this off? Don't think you can fool the main system and the script team with your half-baked skills!"

The fortune teller naturally couldn't hear what it said; he simply focused his gaze on Jiang Chen, his eyes narrowing as he looked at him with a half-smile.

A life of hard work leaving behind a good reputation VS graduating from a prestigious university with a bright future, Song Aiguo chose the latter without hesitation.

He's young and impetuous, not so full of love and compassion, so of course his priority is to live a good life!

Therefore, Song Aiguo hurriedly asked, "How is one's destiny changed?"

Situ Nan didn't speak, but tapped the tea table twice with her slender fingers.

“Money is no problem.” Jiang Chen took out his bulging wallet from his pocket and placed it on the table. The other person glanced at it and immediately beamed with joy.

“If you want to change your destiny, you need a suitable person to do it for you.” Situ Nan pointed at the two of them. “You two happen to have suitable destinies.”

Everyone comes into this world with a mission.

If there were no debts or karmic debts, there would be no need for this trip. So, your task is to work hard and diligently for most of your life, sacrificing personal gain and making various sacrifices, and finally leaving behind a good reputation.

If you want to change your destiny, then someone has to take on this task for you.

The logic is simple: it's a tiring, low-paying job, and the higher-ups require someone to do it. If you don't want to do it, just secretly find someone to take your place, and do it quietly without the higher-ups knowing.

The person whose destiny has been swapped with yours will be fine as long as they perform their work well. You've taken away their free destiny, so they can do whatever they want from now on, following their own heart.

From what I see now, your idea is to go to university and make a name for yourself.

As for whether or not to change your fate, that's something you two need to discuss.

This gentleman's fate is very comfortable; he's destined to enjoy a life of leisure for most of his life, at most he might have a less successful old age. If you two switched places, he'd have to be busier, but he's lucky and won't have to work as hard as you, and he'll still be a wealthy person in his old age.

If you could change his destiny, you'd be ascending to immortality on the spot.

A golden phoenix soaring from a small mountain village—it's destined to become an official in a big city!

“This…” Song Aiwan looked at her younger brother and her sweetheart, her heart clenching.

My family owes Jiang Chen enough; to ask him to give up his carefree and happy life for his younger brother would be too much of a debt of gratitude!

But if we don't change it...

The thought of her younger brother studying hard to get into university and then having to work hard for the rest of his life makes her feel bad.

"Master, what's this guy doing? He's going to forcibly replace the main and supporting characters!" The fluffy dumpling's voice trembled with shock. "This bug is way too powerful! It's like it's been upgraded to a super virus?"

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow slightly, pulled out all the hundred-yuan bills from his wallet, and pushed them over. "No need to discuss it anymore, let's exchange! What else do we need to prepare?"

"Sister, brother-in-law!" Song Aiguo's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Regardless of whether the fortune teller's words were true or false, Jiang Chen's unwavering decision to exchange his good fortune for hers was already incredibly moving.

"Don't act impulsively, think it over carefully!" Song Aiwan was at a loss for what to do.

She was torn between her younger brother and the man she was to entrust her life to; she didn't want either of them to suffer.

Jiang Chen waved his hand and laughed, "Don't worry, didn't you hear what the fortune teller said? Even if my fate is changed, I'll just have to work hard and be busy, but there won't be any other problems. If it's not changed, Aiguo will have to work hard for the rest of his life and end up with nothing. I'll be poor and destitute when I get old."

Why not just switch? If Patriot is successful and helps us out, how bad can things get?

"Brother-in-law, I will definitely repay you!" Song Aiguo wiped away his tears, so moved that he didn't know what to say.

The little dumpling was also eager to try, "Let's switch, let's see how capable he really is!"

Chapter Twenty-Two: Changing Fates

After the fortune teller repeatedly asked and confirmed that the two had decided to exchange their fates, he took out a red string from his pocket and tied it to the middle finger of each of their left hands.

Then, he took something and poked Jiang Chen's fingertip until it bled, while smearing the blood on the red line and muttering incantations.

After finishing, Situ Nan pricked Song Aiguo's left middle finger and repeated the strange ritual. Finally, he sat cross-legged and began muttering some incomprehensible nonsense.

"Whoa!" A few seconds later, the little white cat, its fur bristling and back arched, squealed, "Host, he's really something! The protagonist's aura is slowly transferring over along the red string! It's just a bit slow, let me help!"

The fluffy ball jumped onto Song Aiguo's shoulder and started digging around like it was burying poop. After about five minutes, it stopped, licked its paws, and examined Jiang Chen. "Host, you are now completely enveloped by the protagonist's halo. It's so beautiful!"

It's a real shame that this type of protagonist's plot armor is destined to lead to self-sacrifice for the benefit of others.

"Alright!" The fortune teller stopped chanting, opened his eyes, and looked tired. He untied the red string, waved his hand, and said, "Your matter is settled. Go outside and wait."

I have a special connection with this gentleman, and now that I've changed his destiny, I feel I should offer him a few words of advice.

As Song Aiwan watched a large wad of money being stuffed into the other person's pocket, she couldn't help but mutter to herself.

"Patriotism, how do you feel about it? Could we be being scammed by a con artist?"

As she stepped outside, she glanced at the fortune teller leading Jiang Chen back into the house, and hurriedly whispered, "We've spent so much money, and we can't see or touch anything about changing one's fate. Do you think we should call the police and get our money back?"

Song Aiguo scratched his head, his expression somewhat conflicted. "I feel a bit lighter, like that feeling of being restrained is gone. But I don't know if it's just psychological, like I've been tricked. Maybe I should ask my brother-in-law later what he thinks?"

"You keep calling me 'brother-in-law,' look how sweet your mouth is!" She blushed and glared at her younger brother. "Then let's wait here for now. I wonder what they're talking about inside. They're being so secretive."

Jiang Chen followed the fortune teller into the room and found that it was very spacious. Right in the middle of the room, there was a beautiful screen that blocked the view.

"Please sit here and wait a moment." Situ Nan gestured for him to wait in the chair behind the screen, while he went into the inner room.

A moment later he came out holding a small box wrapped in yellow silk.

"I called you in alone to tell you two things."

Situ Nan sat down opposite Jiang Chen, placed the small wooden box in her hand on the table, and after a few seconds of contemplation, said, "The girl who came with you..."

To be honest, I shouldn't have accepted her share of the fortune-telling fee.

It is the rule that we do not accept money from people who are about to die.

I just realized you're no ordinary person, so I took the money and gave you a few pointers. If you can defy fate and save her, that would be a blessing for both of you.

Based on the girl's birth chart, I predict she won't live more than a year.

After winter sets in, she will likely fall to her death from a height; as for you, after exchanging fates with that lucky young man, you will be busy and hardworking but never lack money, only to die alone.

If you are always mindful of protecting that girl from certain death, both of your destinies will change.

If this marriage goes through, the girl will never have to worry about food or clothing and will live a happy and fulfilling life with you, and you won't have to worry about being a widow or lonely person in the future.

Remember, the most important thing is to prevent her from going to high places alone after winter begins.

Climbing mountains and towers both count; pay close attention.

Jiang Chen looked at him with surprise, "Sir, did you calculate all of this from your birth date and time?"

“Of course!” A hint of pride appeared on Situ Nan’s young face as he pointed upwards with a mysterious expression and said, “A person’s life is basically set once they are born. Some destinies can be changed, while others cannot. You belong to the lucky group who can change their fate, the kind of people who are said to have ‘my destiny is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven.’”

As long as someone gives you pointers, your fate is in your own hands, and you can seize the opportunity to change things.

Even with further guidance, most people lack the ability to change their own fate, so it's all in vain. I don't bother saying much to them; I just answer their questions and collect my payment.

He smiled, picked up the teapot on the table, poured himself a cup of hot tea, took a sip, and said with a smile, "I knew we'd have distinguished guests today. Try this good tea."

Jiang Chen picked up the cup and took a sip; indeed, the tea had a lingering, delightful aroma and an unforgettable aftertaste.

"Don't think my fees are high; you'll see later that it's well worth the money!"

The little white cat nodded eagerly, "Yes, yes, you can even steal the protagonist's halo without being detected by the main system. Your bug is getting more and more powerful!"

Host, actually, after reading the update, I was thinking of helping you get some of the protagonist's halo, stealing Song Aiguo's thunder, leading all the villagers of Lijiazhuang to get rich, and taking the protagonist's path so that he has nowhere to go.

Who would have thought we'd encounter such a bug?

Actually, this is quite good. At least the main review system can't determine that we have a problem; at most, it will perform a virus scan on this mission world.

Jiang Chen put down his teacup and asked in a low voice, "Sir, what you just said constitutes revealing heavenly secrets, right? Are you sure it's alright?"

"I dare to say what I mean and do what I say, so I have no worries." He laughed arrogantly and sipped his tea. "Well, my name is Situ Nan, and I'm three years older than you. You can call me 'brother' from now on."

Today I'm going to try to defy fate for you, and I've gone to great lengths to do so.

Let's be friends, let's exchange contact information. If you manage to rescue that girl someday, you have to invite me to your wedding banquet.

“No problem!” Jiang Chen picked up the paper and pen on the table and quickly wrote down the address.

The other party wrote down several addresses and also wrote down the auspicious days they had just calculated, then handed them to him.

“Now that I’ve finished the first thing, there’s a second thing.” Situ Nan lifted the yellow silk to reveal an antique-looking wooden box. “Inside is my family’s heirloom bronze mirror, called the Qiankun Mirror.”

The benefits of this mirror can only be understood intuitively, not explained in words.

Twenty yuan per session, guaranteed you won't lose out or be cheated.

"So? Want to take a picture?"

Jiang Chen chuckled helplessly and emptied all the remaining change from his empty wallet. "Brother Nan, did you calculate exactly how much money I would bring? You had to take it all? I paid three thousand yuan just now for the life-changing ceremony, enough to buy a nice house in town. You won't even round down this twenty yuan?"

Situ Nan counted out the twenty yuan, stuffed it into her pocket, and shook it like a rattle. "That's different. One thing at a time. Here, the mirror is right here. Look at yourself."

Taking the small wooden box that the other party pushed over, Jiang Chen opened the copper clasp and took out a palm-sized copper mirror with intricate carvings. When he turned it over, it was a bright mirror reflecting his own image.

"What is that? Let me see it too!" The little white cat curiously poked its head out to look into the mirror.

The bronze mirror gleamed, as if a layer of water was rippling across it.

Jiang Chen watched as she looked at herself in the mirror, getting smaller and smaller until she seemed to be completely enveloped by a pool of water.

Li Chengze?

When he saw the person standing next to "himself" in the mirror, he was slightly taken aback.

This is my own home!

Jiang Chen immediately realized that the scene reflected in the mirror was the memory of reality that had been blocked and forgotten by the main system!