Late at night, at the police station.
Lao Wang returned to the duty room with a cup of tea. As he passed through the lobby, he glanced into the noisy interrogation room, where the two robbers were still arguing with Officer Chen.
“Who said we wanted to kill her? We were just robbing her! Don’t frame us!”
“She wasn’t even hurt—she woke up! I’ve studied law—at most, this is attempted robbery!”
Lao Wang scoffed. Robbery in broad daylight, intentional injury—and they still dared to claim they knew the law? Thank goodness the girl had only hit her head and passed out briefly.
Shaking his head, he looked over at the girl sitting on the row of chairs in the lobby.
She claimed to be the second daughter of the Xu family—a wealthy household in Shen City, with the illustrious Changxu Group. If she really were the second daughter, would she be in such a sorry state?
Back in the duty room, Lao Wang peered outside the station again. Officer Chen had contacted the Xu family, and he was curious whether they’d get to see any of those big shots or wealthy ladies today.
The weather had turned cold, and a female officer on duty handed Chuan Jin a thin blanket.
“Thank you,” Chuan Jin said, wrapping the blanket around herself and smiling at the officer.
Her suitcase had broken in the fall, and the lock wouldn’t open. She only had a thin dress on, and sitting in the drafty lobby was freezing. Thankfully, the female officer was thoughtful.
“We could’ve been decent security guards! It’s all your fault, Zhao Guanghua! You had to agree to this shady deal!”
“My name is Zhao Guangfa! Say it wrong again and see what happens! As if you weren’t tempted by Wang Yujiang’s money too, Hu San! How dare you blame me?!”
At the mention of Wang Yujiang’s name, the smile vanished from Chuan Jin’s face.
Now she was certain—she had transmigrated into a book.
She had stayed up late last night working on a script and fallen asleep at her desk. In her dream, she had entered a tragic novel—not as the protagonist, but as a cannon fodder character who only appeared in a few chapters before being written off, only to make a brief comeback near the end.
In the book, the cannon fodder was a fake heiress, also named Chuan Jin, born into the wealthy Xu family, which favored sons over daughters. She had an older sister and a younger brother. Though not as cherished as her brother, she was still a legitimate second daughter of a wealthy family—until the real heiress, the female lead, returned at the start of the story.
In the novel, once the real heiress came back, the fake heiress was exposed and kicked out. After enduring countless hardships, she returned to the country in glory, only to find her former wealthy family in ruins.
The real heiress had ignored warnings and married a phoenix man, who swindled the family out of most of their assets. The older sister, in a desperate attempt to save the family, entered a marriage alliance but was beaten by her abusive husband until she miscarried and lost her mind. The younger brother, whom she had always disliked, grew up undisciplined and became a notorious troublemaker in their circles. Her adoptive parents turned gray overnight, burdened by debt and illness, and ultimately committed suicide under the pressure…
For the cannon fodder fake heiress, this was a genuine revenge story. But perhaps because she had a god’s-eye view, Chuan Jin saw another side to the plot.
That silly girl had been deceived! The ones who drove her out were the phoenix man and the real heiress. Her older sister had been heartbroken and searched for her everywhere. The brother she loathed had actually listened to her the most. No matter whose perspective you took, this was a downright tragic novel!
Thinking of this, Chuan Jin felt a pang of pity for the fake heiress.
After being sent abroad, the fake heiress’s life was probably just like hers—struggling alone in a foreign land. Chuan Jin had succeeded, becoming a renowned screenwriter, but the book left the fake heiress’s later years blank. Who knew how much she had suffered before finally rising to prominence by the story’s end?
Now Chuanjin understood why she had woken up as a character in a book, and why the details of her dream were so vivid—it turned out this was a script prepared specifically for her.
They shared similar misfortunes, and she wanted to help her.
The two robbers were still arguing. Listening to their exchange, Chuanjin pondered her current situation.
The fake heiress had been pushed down by Hu San at the night market, hitting her head. When she woke up, a different soul had taken over her body. Before Chuanjin could figure out what was happening, kind-hearted bystanders had called the police, and she was taken to the police station.
It seemed she had transmigrated on the very day she was kicked out of the family.
If she remembered correctly, these two thugs were sent by the real heiress’s phoenix man boyfriend, with the goal of stealing all her money to pave the way for them to transfer the severance fee. The original host, left with no other options, had accepted the money, ultimately chose to go abroad, and never saw her family again.
But wait—why was this different from the memories she had received?
Chuanjin frowned. In the original story, the robbery was only briefly mentioned, with no kind-hearted bystanders intervening to catch the criminals. Had the plot changed because of her transmigration into the book?
A cold breeze swept into the hall, raising goosebumps on Chuanjin’s skin.
The weather had turned cold early this year. It was only September, but it was already unsuitable to wear low-cut tops. Rubbing her arms, Chuanjin pulled the blanket tighter around herself.
There was no use worrying about the situation now. Figuring out what to do next was what really mattered.
Since fate had brought her here, what was the point of following the original plot and getting kicked out? She had already lived that kind of life once. Staying with the Xu family to watch the drama unfold would be far more interesting.
Besides, with her knowledge of the original plot, why should she fear the Xu family kicking her out again?
Leaning against the wall, Chuanjin closed her eyes to rest, listening as more and more information leaked from the interrogation room, quietly waiting for the Xu family to arrive.
…
Zhao Guangfa was filled with regret. Greed had led him to agree to help his childhood friend, only to end up trapped in a police station with no benefits to show for it. He might even face detention. He hated Wang Yujiang to the core!
Hu San was seething with anger, likely thinking along the same lines as Zhao Guangfa, though he also held a grudge against Zhao.
Frustrated and furious, the two began ranting and cursing Wang Yujiang.
Wang Yujiang was the real heiress’s phoenix man boyfriend—also the male lead in the book.
Those who become male leads in tragic romance novels always have some talent. Being a phoenix man was just Wang Yujiang’s starting point. In the early stages, he used the real heiress to build his career, stopping at nothing to achieve his goals. It wasn’t until he had drained the Xu family’s wealth and the real heiress discovered the truth that the story reached its tragic climax.
Thinking about the plot—her fleeing, him chasing, her having no way to escape, along with all the imprisonment, forced love, and emotional turmoil—gave Chuanjin a headache. What was the appeal of such a heart-wrenching story?
If she were the real heiress, the moment she learned the truth, a plan for revenge would have taken shape in her mind. Even though the Xu parents were no saints, she was a living, breathing person—why should she be bound by a twisted relationship for the rest of her life?
Speaking of the Xu couple, one was patriarchal and superstitious, while the other was patriarchal and materialistic. It was a miracle they had raised a child as well-behaved and content as the original host.
The plot of the book flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern, each character feeling as if they had truly existed in Chuanjin’s world.
Thinking of a certain someone, her expression softened for a moment.
Come to think of it, the biggest reason the original host hadn’t turned into a gloomy child despite having such parents was the Xu family’s eldest daughter, Xu Mianchuan.
Although Xu Mianchuan was a daughter, as the firstborn of the Xu family, she had been doted on by her parents for several years during her childhood. With outstanding abilities, she carried herself with the dignified demeanor of a wealthy young lady.
Back when the original host was born, it was Xu Mianchuan who insisted on having a younger sister that allowed the original host to be raised in the main residence. During Pei Lingna’s postpartum period, her emotions were unstable, and she never once cared for the original host—not even bothering to give the child a proper name. She simply reversed the characters of her eldest daughter’s name and registered the child as Chuanjin.
Yes, Xu Mianchuan was originally named Xu Jinchuan. To prevent her younger sister from discovering the truth and feeling hurt, she took it upon herself to change her name.
At a young age, Xu Mianchuan shouldered the responsibility of being an elder sister and cared for her younger sister until a year before their brother was born, when the original host finally gained the Xu family’s attention.
Wealthy families never lacked for food or clothing, but affection was something only Xu Mianchuan gave to Chuanjin. Yet this gentle and kind-hearted elder sister met such a tragic end. Thinking of that abusive man, Chuanjin clenched her fists beneath the blanket.
Not only did she need to change the original host’s future, but she also had to alter her sister’s destiny—miscarriages, mental breakdowns, abusive men—all of it could go to hell!
Fuming, Chuanjin pondered her strategies. She hadn’t even met the Xu family yet, but her mind was already brimming with plans.
As she was thinking, the roar of an engine sounded outside the police station. Chuanjin and Lao Wang peered out and saw a black Ferrari pulling into the parking area.
A young, handsome guy stepped out of the car. He strode across the courtyard in a few quick steps but suddenly slowed his pace upon entering the lobby, as if the hurried person from moments ago had been someone else entirely.
Looking at his face, Chuanjin guessed this must be Xu Longchuan, the most pampered youngest son of the Xu family.
The police station was quiet and deserted late at night. Xu Longchuan spotted Chuanjin sitting on a chair at once, frowned, and walked over with a scowl. “What trouble have you gotten into this time? Not going home in the middle of the night, and ending up beaten at the police station?”
Chuanjin blinked, curiously studying this newfound younger brother.
Years of navigating the entertainment industry had taught her to read people’s expressions. Though Xu Longchuan wore a displeased look, his eyes were fixed intently on her. He thought he was hiding it well, but he was secretly checking if she had any injuries.
Chuanjin’s hardened heart instantly softened.
“What are you staring at? Can’t you hear me talking to you? Are you deaf?”
Chuanjin: “…”
Well, her heart hardened again.
Sighing, Chuanjin asked, “The police called home, so why are you the one who came?”
Xu Longchuan stuffed his hands in his pockets and snorted. “Can’t I come? At this hour, you still expect Mom and Dad to clean up your mess? Dream on. You should be grateful I came at all.”
“You’re not much help anyway,” Chuanjin said.
She meant that Xu Longchuan was still young—just starting college—so what could he possibly handle? Since she had been kicked out of the house, only Mr. and Mrs. Xu could resolve this matter.
But upon hearing this, the young man dropped his casual attitude and asked darkly, “Did the robber hurt you?”
Chuanjin shook her head in confusion. “No.”
Xu Longchuan snapped back to reality and retorted, “Then what did you mean? Xu Chuanjin, are you saying I’m useless?”
Chuanjin teased him, “Useful, very useful. F University is so far away, yet you got here so quickly. You’re the fastest and most useful.”
“Hmph.” Xu Longchuan lifted his chin with a cold snort.
Seeing through his childish temper, Chuanjin smiled faintly.
The original host resented him for receiving the family’s undivided affection simply because of his gender, and had always been at odds with this younger brother. Even during infancy, she never gave him a friendly look. As Xu Longchuan grew a bit older, he began fighting with his second sister. While the original host was gentle and obedient toward their eldest sister, she showed no mercy toward her brother. After several physical altercations, their relationship openly deteriorated completely.
However, having read the book’s plot, Chuanjin knew that Xu Longchuan had actually always favored his second sister since childhood.
The Xu family valued sons over daughters, doting on their young master to the core. Yet Chuanjin happened to be a rebellious thorn who treated him with coldness and disgust. Xu Longchuan seemed to possess a cat-like nature—the more Chuanjin ignored him, the more he clung to her. During his early childhood, a seed of dependence on Chuanjin was planted in his heart.
As he grew older and gained understanding, Xu Longchuan began to resent Chuanjin, but his anger and dislike had a peculiar focus—he loved his sister so much, why didn’t she love him back!
The angrier he became, the more he opposed her, and the more he opposed her, the angrier he grew.
Before their relationship reached the point of no return, Xu Longchuan had an epiphany. He saw through his family’s ingrained preference for sons over daughters and understood the root cause of his sister’s lack of affection for him—he had been enjoying love that she could never obtain no matter how hard she tried in her lifetime.
After realizing this, Xu Longchuan transformed from a bully who tormented his sister into a tsundere who said one thing but meant another. However, given their years of animosity, an abrupt change was impossible—Xu Longchuan couldn’t manage it, and Chuanjin would have found it disgusting.
Unfortunately, this tsundere younger brother also met a tragic end.
Recalling the book’s plot, Chuanjin’s lips gradually pressed into a tight line. Her impression of Xu Longchuan’s future remained quite vivid.
With no one to discipline him, Xu Longchuan became an uneducated parasite. He first developed a gambling addiction, and all his fixed assets were swindled away through elaborate schemes. Later, when the Xu family lost their influence, he fell from the clouds into the mud. Weak-willed, he turned to drugs to escape reality. Finally, lacking money for his drug habit, he desperately resorted to robbery and was beaten to death in an alley by drug dealers.
Previously, these were just words she’d read in her mind, but now the living boy stood before her. Thinking of Xu Longchuan’s gruesome death, Chuanjin felt a heavy tightness in her chest.
“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”
Xu Longchuan fumed with anger: “If you’re hurt or in pain anywhere, just tell me. Who are you putting on this act for?”
Chuanjin laughed in exasperation. Even words of concern had to be delivered with sarcastic barbs—only Xu Longchuan could pull that off.
Perhaps feeling he’d gone too far, Xu Longchuan added: “Should I take you to the hospital?”
Chuanjin shook her head: “The matter isn’t resolved yet. I can’t leave for now.”
“Tch, I’ll go check.” The boy looked thoroughly impatient.
Just as he entered the interrogation room, several car horns sounded outside the police station again.
Lao Wang stuck his head out and shouted: “Oh my, another luxury car! Is this one from your Xu family?”
Chuanjin looked outside and thought, well now, Xu Anguo, Pei Lingna, the eldest sister, and the recently returned true daughter of the Xu family—everyone had gathered.