She was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, dressed in a soft pink outfit, looking like a delicate, blooming flower.
In one hand, she carried a small basket filled with wild fruits she had just picked from the mountain. In the other, she held a parasol, shielding herself from the fine drizzle falling from the sky.
Wherever she walked, the villagers would pause in small groups, staring at her as if trying to see right through her, their awe barely concealing a streak of malice.
The sudden appearance of such a stunning young lady in this remote village amazed and delighted the men, yet her beauty was so striking that they couldn’t hide their envy.
She truly was beautiful. From her clothes and manner, one could tell she must be the daughter of a wealthy family. Yet why she had come to this impoverished, backwater village was a mystery.
Yun Shang merely held her parasol, not even raising an eyelid, acting as though these people didn’t exist. But their naked hostility irritated her nonetheless.
It’s true—people in the most remote villages rarely hide their malice.
She had only been here a few days, and it was already unbearable. That little system of hers had been here for five years.
“System! Look at the mess you’ve gotten me into! I can’t stay in this wretched place!”
Back in her room, Yun Shang closed the door and complained. If she hadn’t been inexplicably bound to this system, why would she have to suffer in these terrible places?
A beautiful girl appearing in this backward mountain village was bound to stir up a commotion. With the system protecting her, there was no real danger—but the villagers’ hostility and barefaced greed still made her heart ache.
When she first arrived, she found an abandoned shack to stay in. In the first few nights, some men had tried to sneak in, only to fail—either the door wouldn’t budge, or the walls were impossible to climb. Eventually, they gave up.
People slowly started to sense that there was something unusual about this girl, and gradually no one dared get too close.
“Calm down, host! Calm down!” The system pouted, trying to act cute.
There was no choice—the worlds were all broken, and if she couldn’t fix them, the system itself might cease to exist.
Yun Shang looked at the basket of wild fruits and blinked, her long eyelashes fluttering like butterfly wings.
Indeed, no one harbors resentment for no reason. Pain and injustice must have shaped these people’s hearts.
Not far away, in another dilapidated shack, a boy of about ten struggled to his feet. His body was covered in wounds; his frame was almost skeletal. On his forehead, a large swelling protruded.
Nearby, a drunken middle-aged man cursed and raged, clearly the source of all the boy’s injuries.
The boy had been forced on him years ago by some noble, along with a large sum of silver. When the man was in a bad mood, he would beat the child—what did it matter if he died? It wasn’t like he cared.
Eventually, the man passed out drunk on the floor.
The boy dragged his battered body back into his shack, collapsing to the ground and hugging his legs.
Tears clung to his lashes. He could cry, but he didn’t make a sound; in the past, crying only brought more punishment.
He felt his life wasn’t meant to be like this. Memories of his noble father, who should have been his true parent, haunted him. He remembered his mother being poisoned, and each memory of pain was a lifeline keeping him going.
He would grow up, and someday, perhaps his life would be different.
A small sound drew his attention—something had fallen near his feet.
It was a bright red fruit, freshly picked. He reached for it and, following the sound, saw someone familiar.
He knew there was a beautiful young lady in the village. Sometimes she came to the mountain to pick fruit. He had met her once before.
The sister seemed kind and had even spoken to him, though he didn’t know what to say—he hadn’t spoken to anyone in so long.
“Did someone hurt you again?”
Yun Shang asked gently, beckoning him closer.
“Host, you’ve never been this gentle with me before!” The system pouted, almost in tears.
“Shut up. If we don’t get the male lead right, how can we save this broken world? How can we save you?” Yun Shang rolled her eyes.
The boy staggered forward, trembling. His body bore no unbroken skin—he was pitiful. Yet he clutched the wild fruit as if it were his only anchor to safety.
Yun Shang gently wiped the blood from his face with a handkerchief. If she hadn’t come to this world, his suffering would only just be beginning.
The boy tilted his head back, numb from pain he could hardly feel. Since arriving here, he had never known kindness or care.
This kind sister seemed so out of place, as if she didn’t belong in this cruel village at all.
“I know he treats you badly. You’ve never had a single good day with him, and he’s not your true father. He has humiliated and abused you… do you wish he were dead?”
Yun Shang’s voice was low as she stroked his head.
Even if her words were blunt, the male lead in this world wasn’t a simple character. Even at this young age, his mind was sharp.
The boy’s reaction was calm. After all, death was not something to fear.