“Bao’er.” Liu Yueti stood before Bai Zhen’er’s gravestone, holding a bouquet of white flowers. “It’s been a month since you left. I miss you so much.”
“You know, that malatang place we loved going to closed down. They opened a new spicy dry pot restaurant there instead…”
She sniffled and suddenly burst into tears.
“Waaah! It’s so awful!”
“I’ve never had such terrible spicy dry pot in my entire life. Boohoohoo…”
Just as Liu Yueti was crying her heart out, a voice suddenly rang out.
“Target ‘Liu Yueti’ is being locked on. Target successfully locked!”
Liu Yueti froze in shock when she realized that the voice was actually coming from inside Bai Zhen’er’s grave!
She sucked in a breath and her expression changed.
“Who is it?! Who’s messing around at my best friend’s grave?!”
“Come out!”
“Don’t think I don’t know what trick you’re using! Is it a Bluetooth speaker?!”
System 888: “Of course not!”
“I’m Bai Zhen’er’s system!”
Liu Yueti was stunned.
“You…”
“Were you buried with her?”
System 888 was so annoyed it nearly exploded.
“I’m the Super Female Lead System 888! Although Bai Zhen’er of this world has already died, she transmigrated into a book and became another Bai Zhen’er with the exact same name!”
Liu Yueti’s eyes widened.
“She transmigrated?”
She wiped away her tears and said through a sob, “That’s good, then.”
“Bestie, if you can live a sweet, pampered life like the heroines in those romance, power-fantasy, and steamy novels, then that’s great. I’ll pray for you here.”
Then, as if she had just thought of something, she asked hopefully, “Oh, right! If I burn paper money for her, can it be exchanged for currency over there?”
System 888: “No.”
“And she transmigrated into a male-oriented novel.”
Liu Yueti: “What?!”
It was like a bolt from the blue!
She said incredulously, “I refuse to accept this!”
“My best friend can’t grow a penis! She’s not allowed to become a man!”
System 888: “…”
“She didn’t grow one! She’s still a woman!”
“Stop interrupting me and listen from the beginning!”
According to the system, Bai Zhen’er had died from a serious illness and transmigrated into a male-oriented political intrigue novel, becoming a supporting female character named Bai Zhen’er.
And this ridiculous novel even had a harem!
In the original story, the male protagonist, Ling Buzhan, was exceptionally talented in both literature and martial arts. Using his friend Xie Anshi’s identity, he traveled to the capital to take the imperial examinations and ultimately placed third in the palace examination.
Overnight, he became one of the most sought-after young talents in Jinzhong.
Using his identity as the palace examination candidate, he maneuvered among the powerful and influential, rising steadily through the ranks until he reached the highest position in the imperial court. Along the way, he investigated the truth behind his own origins as well as the massacre of his adoptive parents’ entire family—the Yunzhou Prefect’s family.
Naturally, his career went smoothly from beginning to end, as if even the God of Wealth were on his side.
And in matters of love, he had the favor of the current dynasty’s princess, the secret admiration of noble young ladies from prestigious families, and a beautiful female guard who would live and die alongside him…
Meanwhile, her dear, sweet, somewhat clueless best friend Bai Zhen’er had become the innocent daughter of the prime minister—the male protagonist’s political enemy, a man so intelligent he was practically demonic.
Liu Yueti was furious.
“What kind of ridiculous setup is this?! You’re setting her up to fail! Can’t you put her in a better book?”
“She likes domineering CEOs! She reads fantasy novels too!”
“Why did she end up in a political intrigue novel?! Does she even have the brain for politics?!”
System 888’s voice was heavy with pain.
“You’re right.”
“She doesn’t!”
“She’s already been there for a month. During that entire month, she’s been working very hard to follow my instructions and pursue the male protagonist…”
Liu Yueti breathed a sigh of relief.
“As long as she’s taking it well, then there’s no problem!”
“Who could possibly not like our Zhen’er?”
“Although that guy is lacking in gentlemanly virtue as a male lead and is still not quite good enough for my best friend, he probably isn’t bad-looking…”
System 888: “She got the wrong male lead.”
Liu Yueti: “…”
“For an entire month!” System 888 sounded utterly distraught. “She’s been fawning over the villainous regent, Shen Hanzhi!”
Liu Yueti felt a little guilty, but she was fiercely protective of her best friend.
“You… Why didn’t you remind her?!”
“Our Zhen’er is wonderful in every way. It’s just that she’s a tiny bit…”
She pinched her fingers together.
“…scatterbrained.”
System 888: “But she has to obtain the female lead position! At the very least, she must become Ling Buzhan’s legal wife. Only then can she obtain the Holy Grail that can fulfill all her wishes—”
Liu Yueti interrupted him.
“Wait. Is that setting even copyrighted?”
“Ahem.” System 888 awkwardly tried to brush the question aside. “Don’t worry about so many details!”
“Anyway, while the story is in progress, we systems aren’t allowed to interfere at will. It was only today that Bai Zhen’er finally realized she had been pursuing the wrong person. She used her one and only system assistance request, which allowed me to find you!”
“She said that, at this point, you’re the only one who can save her!”
Liu Yueti stared blankly and pointed at herself.
“M-Me?”
System 888: “This is her last chance! There’s no time to worry about anything else. Let’s go!”
Liu Yueti’s vision spun. Just before she lost consciousness, she heard the system say—
“The quota for supporting female characters is already full, so you’ll have to be inserted directly into the story. Your identity will be Liu Yueti, Bai Zhen’er’s cousin, who has come to the capital to seek refuge with her!”
“Remember!”
“If neither of you manages to win over the male protagonist, Bai Zhen’er will return to the real world and face death!”
Liu Yueti was jolted awake by sheer terror!
She still remembered the moment Bai Zhen’er had stopped breathing right in front of her. There was no way she could let her die a second time!
“Bestie!” Liu Yueti clenched her fists. “I’m coming to save—ow!”
She grabbed her backside.
“Where am I? Why is it shaking so much?!”
The coachman outside answered, “Miss! We’ll be arriving at the capital soon!”
So she was in a horse-drawn carriage.
Looks like the conditions here weren’t exactly great. This carriage was so plain.
Liu Yueti lifted the curtain and saw several people standing in the distance near the city gate.
But there was only one person Liu Yueti could see.
The young woman standing at the front wore a white robe decorated with delicate pale-purple beads. From afar, she looked simple and elegant; up close, her beauty was restrained and radiant.
Her oval face framed a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes. Whenever she smiled, she looked sweet and adorably innocent. Anyone who saw her would have to praise her for being cute.
Liu Yueti rested her chin on her hand and grinned foolishly.
“Hehe, bestie, I told you ancient-style clothing would suit you.”
She looked just like a little bunny!
“Yuebao!” Bai Zhen’er recognized her as well.
The girl who lifted the carriage curtain had long, flowing black hair, held in place by nothing more than a single bamboo hairpin. Dressed in a simple blue-green robe, she was as cool and clear as jade, as though a moon goddess had descended into the mortal world.
…It was just that she smiled a little too foolishly.
“Stop the carriage!”
Liu Yueti couldn’t wait for the coachman to bring over the mounting block. She jumped straight out of the carriage and threw herself at Bai Zhen’er.
“Zhenbao!”
“Yuebao!”
Bai Zhen’er opened her arms to welcome her, and the two girls hugged each other tightly, spinning around in circles.
“I’m dizzy, I’m dizzy!”
Liu Yueti collapsed into Bai Zhen’er’s arms, giggling.
“Hehe!”
Her best friend!
Alive!
Liu Yueti immediately asked with concern, “Are you feeling all right now?”
“I’m fine!” Bai Zhen’er raised her arm proudly. “I’m in great health! I didn’t waste a single bit of the tonics my father prepared for me!”
“Come on, let’s go! I’ve arranged a huge feast for you!”
“Let me tell you, I even figured out how to make French fries here…”
“Really? Really?”
Liu Yueti held Bai Zhen’er’s hand and blinked.
“Bestie, is the ground shaking?”
Amid the rumbling that grew louder as it approached, the two girls turned around together—
A squad of black-armored cavalry rode toward them in formation.
At the front was a man draped in a luxurious black cloak. His handsome, almost peerless face was cold and expressionless. His gaze swept over the two girls, paused briefly on Bai Zhen’er’s face, then shifted away as though nothing had happened.