“Today she has to go!”
“Haven’t we tolerated her enough?”
“For the past twenty years, you’ve treated her better than your own flesh and blood, always making us give way, just because her grandfather saved my grandfather’s life? But is she worthy? How much trouble has she caused? And now she’s helping Ding Jie acquire my game! She knows full well that I’m mortal enemies with that illegitimate son of the Ding family. Isn’t this just stabbing us in the back?”
“Anyway, I can’t take it anymore. After all these years, any debt of gratitude has been repaid ten times over. Let her pack her things and get out! We must sever ties with her. In this family, it’s either her or me!”
Xu Ziyan had just regained consciousness when she heard the voices outside. The angry tone startled her. Looking around at the unfamiliar room, she quickly got out of bed.
Where was this? Just from the decor, it looked like it cost millions, and this was only a bedroom! How could she be in a place like this?
Wait!
She had pulled several all-nighters. Didn’t she die from overwork while writing a proposal late at night? She could still remember the sudden agony of that moment.
Xu Ziyan looked down at her hands. They were soft, fair, and adorned with exquisite manicure—completely unlike the rough hands she’d had from working since childhood. She rushed into the bathroom to look in the mirror. The face was still hers, but the skin was flawless, making her look stunningly beautiful.
Had she transmigrated, or was this a dream?
‘Memory transfer complete. World information integration complete.
Hello, host. I am your partner system, 001. Your mission is to replace the villainess in this book and follow the predetermined plot.’
Just as Xu Ziyan was about to pinch herself, she heard the system’s mechanical voice. The original host’s memories flooded her mind, and information about this world became accessible in her thoughts like a book she could peruse at will.
She wasn’t panicked. After all, she frequently read novels and watched short videos online. Having already died once, what was there to fear? But “villainess”? Her first question was: ‘What happens if I don’t follow the villainous plot?’
‘If the plot deviates severely, causing the small world to collapse, the host will disappear along with this world into the void of space-time. Conversely, if you succeed, you can continue transmigrating from one world to the next.’
After speaking, 001 presented the plot points Xu Ziyan was responsible for. Xu Ziyan’s expression gradually stiffened.
Falling in love with the rival family’s illegitimate son, helping him steal the eldest brother’s trade secrets, maliciously acquiring the game her younger brother developed, scheming against her sister out of jealousy, causing her foster parents to divorce…
Good grief. She thought there might be some hidden, sympathetic reason, but no—this was a genuine, full-fledged villainess, the particularly vicious kind. Who could do this job?
At that moment, another angry voice came from outside. “Doctor Lin, you’re here? Hurry and check on Xu Ziyan. She’s definitely faking it!”
Now possessing the memories, Xu Ziyan knew the speaker was the Fu family’s youngest son, Fu Qiming, twenty-two years old, the same age as the original host. The original host was a foster daughter of the Fu family who had used underhanded means to secretly acquire the game Fu Qiming developed. Fu Qiming discovered it and was now demanding they sever ties.
The original host had fainted during their argument, and the soul inside the shell had been replaced by hers. Now, Fu Qiming had brought the family doctor to expose her.
This situation was rather awkward, making it seem like she really had faked fainting. But the people were right outside the door; she couldn’t exactly run. Xu Ziyan simply took the initiative, opened the door, and walked out.
Seeing her perfectly fine, Fu Qiming’s face darkened. “Mom, Dad, look! I told you she was faking!”
Foster father Fu Dongfeng and foster mother Li Yun Hui looked at Xu Ziyan with complex expressions. Xu Ziyan, still adjusting to the newly received memories, found his loud voice gave her a headache. Frowning, she walked past him and headed downstairs. “I fainted and just woke up. If there’s something to settle, let’s sit down and resolve it. Stop shouting; it’s giving me a headache.”
Fu Qiming snorted coldly. “You’re complaining that I’m too loud? Fine. Let’s see how you plan to resolve this.”
Xu Ziyan consulted the system: ‘I can’t be a villainess. I can’t do those things. Send me back for reincarnation. Get someone else.’
001 replied calmly: ‘The birth rate has drastically declined. The queue of old ghosts waiting for reincarnation stretches back hundreds of years. New souls can’t wait that long; they’ll dissipate. Therefore, souls are randomly assigned missions. There’s no going back.’
Xu Ziyan was speechless. So, getting a mission was a favor to her? Otherwise, she’d have scattered into nothingness?
The three members of the Fu family stared in shock at Xu Ziyan’s back. What was she saying? What “villainess”? What reincarnation? And what was that other mechanical voice?
By then, Xu Ziyan had reached the Fu family’s grand hall. It was opulent and magnificent, every item a masterpiece, exuding luxury from every corner. She held her breath, feeling her eyes couldn’t take it all in. Was this what a wealthy family was like?
001: ‘Host, please manage your expression. Don’t break character!’
Xu Ziyan’s thoughts were tumultuous: ‘I don’t want to look like I’ve never seen anything fancy either, but I really haven’t! This is a level of wealth I could never achieve even if I worked myself to death in my previous life! Ahhh!’
Fu Qiming saw Xu Ziyan leaning on the staircase railing. Her mouth wasn’t moving, so how was she producing sound? And why was she saying these things? Who was the other voice?
He looked at his parents and saw their expressions were no longer as grim as before, replaced instead by confusion at the voices. His face immediately fell. Was Xu Ziyan pulling some supernatural trick to divert their attention? She used such tactics to scare him when they were kids, causing him to run a high fever for days. Was she trying to muddy the waters with this old trick again? Dream on!
Fu Qiming said angrily, “Stop your tricks. Using a recording to play games, huh? I’m telling you, it’s useless! If you have any shred of dignity left, pack your things and leave on your own. I’ll make a public announcement right now that the Fu family is severing all ties with you from now on.”
Xu Ziyan glanced at him, baffled. “What recording? I didn’t say I wouldn’t leave, nor did I say we shouldn’t sever ties. Why are you in such a hurry? You’re so irritable. Can’t I take a few more looks at the home I’ve lived in for twenty years?”
Without waiting for Fu Qiming’s response, Xu Ziyan quickly went downstairs and sat on the sofa. The Fu family heard her voice again.
‘Fu Qiming really is a firecracker, just like the book described. Such a terrible temper. It wasn’t me who wronged him, so why should I bear his anger? System, why didn’t the Netherworld give a heads-up when assigning souls? I just died and got assigned as a villainess. It feels so unfair. I never did anything evil in my whole life; I even donated a lot of money to the orphanage. How come I didn’t get any good karma?’
001: ‘Host, many souls dissipate. Being able to live on long-term by completing missions is your good karma.’
Xu Ziyan immediately questioned this: ‘You want me to do all sorts of evil deeds, die a miserable death, and then continue in the next book? So I’d have to do evil and die tragically life after life? What’s in it for me? What’s the point of such eternal life? I’d probably be driven mad by all the various horrible deaths. Might as well not follow the plot at all and let this world scatter along with me!’
“Xiao Yan…” Li Yun Hui wanted to ask, ‘What on earth are you talking about?’ But as the words reached her lips, she suddenly felt suffocated, her whole body frozen as if paralyzed.
Fu Dongfeng frowned, wanting to ask, ‘You’re not Xiao Yan?’ He, too, experienced a wave of suffocation and found he couldn’t move.
Xu Ziyan turned and saw their poor complexion, thinking they were just angry. She said, “Let’s sit down and talk. Weren’t we going to sever ties? A public statement or a social media post? Do we need to hold a banquet to make it official? I’ll cooperate with whatever. Once it’s settled, I’ll move out and return the game to Fu Qiming. Don’t worry, I won’t cause you any more trouble in the future.”
She sighed inwardly. ‘Sigh. Who would have thought? In the real world, I severed ties with my parents and brother. And the first thing I do after transmigrating into a book is sever ties with parents and a brother again. I really am destined to have no familial bonds.’
This time, the three Fu family members saw clearly that Xu Ziyan’s mouth didn’t move, nor did she make any gestures. She couldn’t be controlling a recording. So… were they hearing her inner thoughts? This was too bizarre. The moment they gave up trying to speak and question her, their ability to move returned. When they walked over to sit on the sofa, they subconsciously chose the seats farthest from Xu Ziyan.
Fu Qiming suddenly looked at Doctor Lin and the servant. They seemed normal. He exchanged a glance with his parents. Could it be that only the three of them could hear?
What was going on? Had the original Xu Ziyan died? Was the current Xu Ziyan a lost soul?
Li Yun Hui desperately wanted to grab Xu Ziyan and get answers, but the earlier feeling of suffocation frightened her. Xu Ziyan seemed unaware they could hear her thoughts. What if they leaked this secret and Xu Ziyan, along with that so-called system, killed them to silence them?
And what did “transmigrating into a book” mean? Were they living in a world from a book? The information overload was so great that all three Fu family members were on edge, watching Xu Ziyan, not daring to act rashly.
Li Yunhui said stiffly, “Let Doctor Lin examine you first. You just… Are you feeling unwell anywhere now?”
Li Yun Hui’s heart was in her throat. They had truly thought Xiao Yan was faking earlier and hadn’t gone in to check on her. How could her soul have been replaced so suddenly? Originally, their hearts had turned cold, set on severing ties. But upon learning their foster daughter might be dead and facing this bizarre situation, she felt a complex mix of fear, sorrow, and bewilderment. She didn’t know how to react, so she could only clench her hands tightly, feeling the pain of her nails digging into her palms, trying her best to stay composed.
Fu Dongfeng and Fu Qiming felt the same. Compared to the game copyright, figuring out Xu Ziyan’s situation now seemed far more important.
Doctor Lin stepped forward to inquire about her symptoms. Xu Ziyan truthfully said she still had a bit of a headache, was sensitive to noise, but otherwise felt fine.
After examining her and asking a few more questions, Doctor Lin combined it with what he had observed and surmised, “Miss Xu likely hasn’t rested well in recent days and fainted due to a moment of intense emotional agitation. She needs quiet rest. A good sleep should help her recover. If you’re concerned, you could go to the hospital for a more detailed examination.”
He added the last sentence out of courtesy. As the Fu family’s personal doctor, he was very familiar with each family member’s health. Xu Ziyan had just had a routine physical not long ago with no issues. This episode was clearly caused by the stress of the argument; rest would suffice.
To everyone’s surprise, Fu Qiming abruptly stood up. “Then let’s go to the hospital for a detailed check-up!”
Xu Ziyan looked at him strangely and said to the system, ‘Are the Fu family this concerned about the original host? Even when severing ties, they’re worried about her health?’
Fu Qiming knew he was being too hasty and might give himself away. He awkwardly sat back down. “What are you looking at? I’m not concerned about you. I’m just afraid that after you move out, you’ll use poor health as an excuse to cry to Mom and Dad.”
“I won’t do that.” Xu Ziyan didn’t like hearing these cold remarks, but given her current identity owed this family a great deal, she couldn’t retort righteously. She took a deep breath and said, “Let’s discuss the main issue. We’ll sign a transfer contract, and I’ll return the game to you. For the sake of our many years of sibling bond, let me remind you: your roommate and partner betrayed you. Be careful of him in the future.”
Fu Qiming instinctively said, “Impossible! Li Dong is my best bro!”
Xu Ziyan spread her hands. “I warned you. Believe it or not. After we sign the agreement, we’ll be even.”
Seeing they were about to discuss family conflicts, Doctor Lin quickly seized the chance to excuse himself. The servant also took the opportunity to leave.
Xu Ziyan thought to herself, ‘People who work for wealthy families really have good judgment. But this Fu Qiming is a bit naive. If it weren’t for Li Dong’s betrayal, how could the original host have bought the game so smoothly? Li Dong fed him a lie, and he bought it. So gullible.’
Even hearing her inner thoughts, Fu Qiming refused to believe it. “Li Dong and I have been classmates since middle school. We’ve known each other for ten years. He’s helped me countless times; he’s my best brother. How could he possibly betray me? Once, when I got into a fight, he even took a knife for me! What could you have possibly offered him to make him betray me? He already told me—you tricked him!”
In the original host’s memories, this Li Dong was indeed closer to Fu Qiming than a real brother. When the original host first approached Li Dong, she was just testing the waters. She never expected Li Dong to agree. When she acquired the game copyright, she even suspected it was a trap set by Li Dong and Fu Qiming together. But in the end, Li Dong really did sell Fu Qiming out.
Xu Ziyan checked the plot and complained to the system: ‘Turns out Li Dong intentionally got close to Fu Qiming from the very beginning. Not only did he become his best brother, but he also subtly sabotaged Fu Qiming’s other friendships to become his most trusted person. Looking at it this way, Fu Qiming is kind of pitiful. Bullied at home by the original host, tricked outside by his best friend. And this ‘brother’ will end up deceiving him three times. No wonder he never trusts anyone again in the future.’
A hint of sympathy appeared in Xu Ziyan’s gaze. She kindly told him a few key pieces of information. “Those thugs who pulled a knife on you back then were hired by Li Dong. After the incident, they followed Li Dong’s arrangement and fled to Shenzhen City, where they committed another crime and ended up in prison. You can send someone to interrogate them and get the truth.
Li Dong is an orphan. In middle school, after becoming your deskmate, he realized you were unimaginably rich. He was always the top student in his grade, but at best, he could get his tuition waived and receive scholarships. He had to work himself to the bone just to attend the same school as you. In the future, even with great effort, he might only get a job at your family’s company. So, he saw befriending you as a shortcut.”
Xu Ziyan’s words and her inner thoughts had already revealed the truth, but this truth was too heavy a blow for Fu Qiming. He simply refused to believe it and instinctively retorted, “If you promised to keep it a secret for him, why are you telling me the truth now?”
As soon as he said it, he realized. The current Xu Ziyan had a different soul. She looked down on such despicable methods, so of course she had no reason to help Li Dong keep the secret.
Xu Ziyan didn’t continue with the matter. She only said, “I was kind enough to let you know the truth. You can investigate the rest yourself. Should we sign the transfer contract now? I don’t like dragging things out. Once it’s settled, I can still move out before it gets dark.”
Fu Qiming’s mind was a jumble. He stood up directly and headed upstairs. “I’ll go print the contract.”
He needed to calm down. He also needed to send someone to investigate whether the man who wielded the knife back then was really in the Shenzhen City Prison, and whether Li Dong really had gambling debts.
He had come home today just to drive Xu Ziyan away and make his parents see her true colors. He never expected everything to become such a complete mess. The only bit of good news was probably that Xu Ziyan was willing to return the game he had made to him?
Downstairs, Xu Ziyan made the most of her time admiring the luxury mansion. She said to the system: 【Does this count as me having toured the place? I’ve been here for less than a day and I’m about to get kicked out. What a waste of the wealthy adopted daughter identity. Luckily, there’s money in the bank card. I can still enjoy life after moving out.
Come to think of it, in my past life, I worked myself to death, literally, just to save enough for a down payment on a forty-square-meter apartment. Now I have over ten million and a small villa! So exciting!】
She suddenly remembered the plot. 【001, does me leaving the Fu family and cutting ties count as following the villainess’s storyline? Do I get a reward? But I ruined the task the male lead gave me. He won’t try to kill me ahead of schedule, will he?】