Xu Zhiyuan had transmigrated into a book.
She found herself in a domineering CEO novel, becoming the early-deceased ex-wife of the devoted second male lead, He Jiayu—a character who shared her name, Xu Zhiyuan.
What a melodramatic plot.
She had always thought that transmigration and rebirth only happened in novels or movies—turns out it existed in reality too.
Even more absurd was that the original host had been a substitute bride. The one engaged to the devoted second male lead was her sister, not her. But on the wedding day, the original host’s sister eloped with a foreign noble.
To save face and not lose the powerful backing of the He family, the original host was coerced by her family with various excuses. In a daze, she hastily put on an ill-fitting wedding dress and completed the ceremony with He Jiayu.
Right after the wedding, He Jiayu rushed abroad, citing company emergencies.
As for the original host, she was sent to this half-villa. The He family showed no intention of comforting her—in fact, they seemed to resent her.
Overnight, the original host became a laughingstock among A City’s elite circles. Rumors spread that He Jiayu couldn’t bear to lose Xu Zhixiao and was trying to win her back.
Forced into a substitute marriage, neglected by the He family, hurt by gossip, and despised by her own family—the original host couldn’t take it anymore and ended her life in the bathtub. That was when Xu Zhiyuan transmigrated into the book.
When she first arrived, she thought she was drowning. Little did she know it was book transmigration.
While reading the novel before, she couldn’t understand—was it really that bad for the original host?
But now, as Xu Zhiyuan, having received all the original host’s memories, she realized it might truly be that bad.
The original host was a sensitive person.
Her parents were biased, focusing almost entirely on Xu Zhixiao. They often compared the original host to Xu Zhixiao—how she wasn’t as good as Xu Zhixiao in this or that. This kind of discouraging upbringing led to either rebellion or inferiority.
The original host was insecure, believing she was inferior to Xu Zhixiao in every way. She secretly competed with her sister while subconsciously despising herself.
The biggest blow came from an accident. Both the original host and Xu Zhixiao were injured, but their parents only had eyes for Xu Zhixiao. They called only one ambulance and easily abandoned the original host. If not for a kind stranger, she might have died in that accident.
Afterward, the Xu parents merely offered a casual apology and compensated her with an extra month’s allowance.
From then on, the original host clearly realized she was truly redundant in the Xu family.
Yet, deep down, she still held onto a sliver of hope and thought about rebelling. Her rebellion manifested in the substitute marriage—but it was useless. Her parents’ remark about raising her for so long made her unable to resist.
Later, it was also the Xu parents’ comment about her being useless that drove the original host to submerge herself in a bathtub filled with water.
But in the novel, the original host didn’t die—she was saved by a servant who arrived in time. Yet now…
Xu Zhiyuan felt heavy-hearted. A sudden sense of suffocation made it hard for her to breathe.
She clutched her chest, knowing it was the lingering consciousness of the original host.
Although Xu Zhiyuan had lost both parents, she had still experienced eighteen years of parental love. She had never been able to understand why some parents could be so biased. If you truly couldn’t treat your children equally, why have a second child? And once you did, shouldn’t you do your utmost to keep things fair?
No matter what, you shouldn’t tilt the scale completely to one side.
Looking at herself in the mirror, Xu Zhiyuan forced a smile, though it still carried a hint of bitterness, and a trace of sorrow lingered in her eyes. Her lips drooped briefly before quickly lifting again.
This time, the smile was genuine and radiant, the sorrow in her eyes replaced by brightness.
Since this body was now hers, her emotions should be under her control as well.
Xu Zhiyuan, since you’ve chosen to leave, let go completely.
“Young Madam, are you all right?”
Outside the bathroom, a servant asked with concern.
She had called out several times, and if Xu Zhiyuan didn’t respond soon, she would have to barge in.
“I’m fine,” Xu Zhiyuan snapped back to reality, feeling a bit nervous.
She had overlooked two very important issues.
First, this was a novel world, and she was the cannon fodder ex-wife. She wasn’t dead yet, but it seemed she wouldn’t last much longer.
Second, the He family was large. Though they didn’t live together, interactions were unavoidable—and she was socially anxious.
Thinking about having to deal with these people, each with their own schemes, Xu Zhiyuan felt her trypophobia acting up. Suddenly, death didn’t seem so scary anymore.
“That’s good, Young Madam. Lunch is ready.”
Xu Zhiyuan took a deep breath. “I know. You… you can go ahead. I’ll be down in a moment.”
The servant acknowledged and left.
Xu Zhiyuan sighed in relief, then suddenly felt cold. Only then did she realize she was soaked through. She quickly took off her clothes, dried herself, and put on a bathrobe.
After mentally preparing herself, Xu Zhiyuan left the bathroom—and was stunned.
She was just an ordinary, average person, living a comfortable but modest life. She had traveled occasionally, but her horizons were limited. Mansions like this were something she’d only seen online. This was her first time experiencing one in person.
It was too luxurious. Everything in the room, from the chandeliers to the carpets, seemed to radiate wealth.
Looking down at the floor, Xu Zhiyuan suddenly felt afraid to move. If she damaged anything, could she even afford to pay for it?
She slowly shuffled to the bedside, where a set of bright red, festive bedding lay spread out, strikingly eye-catching. She reached out and touched it—the smooth texture was absolutely exquisite. Without a doubt, this bedding set was also incredibly expensive.
Xu Zhiyuan swallowed hard.
Putting everything else aside, this book transmigration did have its perks. At the very least, she could live a wealthy life without having to work for it and experience the extravagance of the rich.
That wasn’t so bad, was it? As for dealing with the He family, since she’d been sent here, interactions probably wouldn’t be too frequent. She just needed to do her part and not worry too much. Right?
Besides, the novel mentioned that He Jiayu was a workaholic who rarely came home. That was part of the reason the original host had later cheated.
For someone starved of affection, a husband who only provided money but never came home would indeed be unbearable, making them vulnerable to temptation.
But for Xu Zhiyuan, this couldn’t be more perfect for someone as socially anxious as her. A husband who rarely comes home, no need for social interactions, a luxurious and comfortable residence, and minimal disturbance from outsiders—it was practically an environment tailor-made for her.