Shi Qing left at the same time as in the original story.
The sky was just beginning to brighten as she stepped out of the hotel door, perfectly timed to see the sunrise.
She paused on the spot, shielding her forehead with her hand, happily squinting as she gazed at the orange horizon for a while, then took out her phone and snapped two pictures of the sun.
The wind blew through her jet-black long hair, and she closed her eyes in contentment, enjoying the refreshing morning air.
A new day, a beautiful beginning—truly uplifting.
Alright, what should she do next?
As Shi Qing admired the sunrise she had just captured, she casually glanced through her photo album and noticed numerous missed calls from unknown numbers.
She almost forgot that before Shen Jiyuan came out of the bath last night, she had quietly blacklisted An Yue on her contacts.
The relentless bombardment of calls all night long had to have been An Yue, smugly trying to show her sister how she was secretly seeing her boyfriend—but instead, Shi Qing had caught her in the act and gained the upper hand. An Yue probably didn’t sleep a wink all night.
Shi Qing brushed the black strands of hair falling by her cheek, squinted again, then called a taxi and put her phone back in her pocket.
First things first, she decided to handle the chaotic mess left behind by the original An Qing.
The original owner of the body lived in a villa area. In this prime location stood a Western-style house with a garden. Though not comparable to the wealth of someone like Shen Jiyuan, it was still a rich family.
However, that wealth was now precarious.
According to the original story, An’s father was on the brink of bankruptcy. To make a comeback, he planned to send his daughter out to be a wealthy man’s mistress.
An’s father had only two daughters. An Yue was his cherished jewel; he never considered sending her away. Naturally, this task fell on An Qing, who held no status in the family.
But by then, An Qing was already pregnant. If her family found out, the consequences would be dire. Helpless, she fled abroad to give birth.
She wouldn’t return to the country until three years later, when the main story officially began.
The system spoke of this with righteous indignation and repeatedly warned Shi Qing to be cautious.
Reading the novel’s plot made it seem simple, only a few lines. But experiencing it firsthand was a completely different matter.
In the plot, An Qing’s escape abroad was full of danger and suspense. The original owner only managed to flee successfully thanks to a series of coincidences.
This family was like a den of wolves and tigers. An’s father and stepmother were utterly heartless, skirting the edges of the law. An Yue sowed discord and schemed behind the scenes, constantly stabbing An Qing in the heart. Without strong resilience, no one could withstand such a family’s torment.
The system, unlike novice Shi Qing, had accompanied many hosts before and knew well that these seemingly low-intelligence stories were the most torturous for newcomers.
After all, some supporting characters really were written without an ounce of intelligence!
These antagonists would harass the protagonist for dozens of chapters, constantly being slapped down yet still stubbornly bouncing back. Any normal person would have broken down under such torment!
Shi Qing was a first-time player, completely inexperienced. The system worried she wouldn’t take it seriously.
Shi Qing responded decisively.
In her heart… she really wasn’t bothered.
Her concerns were completely different from the system’s.
While the system was still trying to figure out how to avoid potential dangers ahead, Shi Qing only cared about one small detail.
[An’s father is on the verge of bankruptcy…]
Why would the An family’s company go bankrupt?
Financial problems? Poor management decisions?
Broken cash flow? Mismanagement? Shareholding crisis?
In an instant, her mind ran through countless possibilities.
She would need to analyze the plot further before making a judgment.
However, barring surprises, this would be a plot point that worked greatly to her advantage…
How could she let herself get trapped so passively by the plot? Such a storyline would be laughable if it were used to tease her.
Shi Qing never got used to living by depending on others.
Sorry, world’s “father”—the first sword to make a fortune will be to cut this piece of ripe meat delivered to her doorstep.
When Shi Qing arrived at the An family’s home, it was still early.
The surroundings were quiet. The large courtyard was empty except for a few gardeners working, who ignored her completely.
Shi Qing paid no mind and walked straight into the villa.
No one was on the first floor. At this hour, An’s father was still out for work and socializing, and the stepmother hadn’t yet gotten up. Shi Qing made a round of inspection, matching the rooms she remembered with those before her, then prepared to follow her memory back to her own room.
Just as she reached the staircase, an angry shout came from around the corner upstairs: “Stop right there!”
Shi Qing lifted her head with a calm expression and saw An Yue standing on the stairs.
She wore pajamas and a shawl, her chestnut curls draped over her shoulders, dressed like a princess—but the sweet face was twisted into something far too hostile.
Only An Qing and An Yue lived in the house. An Yue no longer bothered to pretend.
The anger in her eyes seemed to solidify into substance as she glared viciously at Shi Qing: “You have some nerve, being so despicable!”
“Taking photos of me—is that something an older sister should do? I’ll tell Dad! You’ll regret this!”
Shi Qing raised her head slightly and met her gaze with indifference.
An Yue’s neck flushed red from anger at Shi Qing’s cool, unconcerned expression. Her voice sharpened, charging downstairs aggressively: “Where did you hide last night? Hand over your phone now!”
Shi Qing anticipated An Yue’s move perfectly and dodged sideways when she reached out.
An Yue shouted about snatching the phone, but secretly gathered strength in her hand. As soon as she reached Shi Qing, she tried to slap her.
She used too much force and didn’t expect Shi Qing to dodge. She missed, couldn’t pull back in time, and her body was carried forward by inertia. She staggered a few times and actually tumbled down the stairs with a rumble.
“…”
Shi Qing lowered her eyelashes and glanced down the stairs casually, as if nothing had happened.
An Yue was seeing stars from the fall, her whole body aching badly, lying on the ground unable to move for a long time, while that usually meek person was actually standing nearby watching the show!
“You… you jerk, why aren’t you coming to help me! Wait until I tell Dad…”
An Yue struggled to squeeze out these harsh words from her throat just as she finally heard Shi Qing’s footsteps.
Shi Qing’s leather shoes clicked on the stairs. After a few seconds, she slowly approached.
She didn’t stop right in front of An Yue but paused a few steps above.
From a few steps up, An Yue strained to see Shi Qing’s brown wedge leather shoes and a length of black trouser leg.
Shi Qing stood there motionless, as if looking down at her.
An Yue’s teeth chattered with anger, but at the peak of her fury, a trace of fear suddenly appeared.
How could the usually meek An Qing suddenly be like a different person? She never dared to defy her before! What was going on now? Why had things changed like this—
The intense pain and a strong sense of impending doom gave her the sudden illusion of being the heroine in a horror movie.
The woman standing a few steps above was like a strange monster… like a pitch-black giant python.
However, no matter how scared she was, she refused to bow to Shi Qing.
After all, An Qing was just someone she had bullied since childhood. What could she really do?
An Yue was preparing to straighten her neck and spit out a few more harsh words when Shi Qing suddenly descended the stairs.
Step by step, the leather shoes lightly tapped.
An Yue suddenly realized she couldn’t say a word.
The sound of the shoes seemed to hammer on her heart, each tap bringing her immense fear, her heartbeat racing faster and faster.
Though it was only a few steps, it felt like a long time until those shoes quietly stopped before her.
“Stop always mouthing off about ‘Dad, Dad.’”
Those shoes hooked under her chin, helping her lift her head, and finally she saw Shi Qing’s face again.
Her black hair draped on both sides of her porcelain-white face as she steadily looked down at her.
“Your dad can’t protect you.”
“And don’t keep doing stupid things to bother me. I don’t find it amusing.” Suddenly, she smiled—a creepy smile—“Don’t test my patience, and don’t waste my time.”
When the system returned to Shi Qing’s side, she was already back in her room, sitting at a desk, leaning on her chair, staring out the window while scrolling on her phone.
The system immediately asked, “Did An Yue give you any trouble?”
In the story, that morning An Yue was gloating over last night’s events, mocking An Qing arrogantly. An Qing, already dazed from her reckless night with Shen Jiyuan and devastated by losing her boyfriend to An Yue, completely collapsed.
Though the host had no feelings for her ex, An Yue’s harsh words could still sting.
Shi Qing lazily replied, “She probably won’t bother me for now.”
She thought the villain would be tougher, but it turned out she only bullied the weak and feared the strong. Thinking about it, someone who only stirs trouble and talks behind people’s backs couldn’t have much courage. She hadn’t even done anything yet, and An Yue was already trembling like a quail.
The system was puzzled, “Did you do something?”
Shi Qing looked at the sunrise photo she took this morning, increasingly satisfied. She changed her social media avatar to that photo and replied casually, “Nothing much. Oh, by the way, give me a copy of the original novel—I want to read it.”
She realized the system wasn’t by her side 24/7 but appeared only when she needed it.
They were like partners, unfamiliar colleagues who didn’t interfere with each other and had plenty of personal space. Also, the system had a “pocket” like Doraemon’s—a system mall.
Shi Qing was very satisfied with this arrangement and was friendly toward the system. She considered herself to have a good temper and willing to be kind to those with good attitudes.
System: “Good, studying the plot is important, but don’t be careless. An Yue is not easy to deal with.”
Shi Qing was changing her social media username to “Clear Skies Everywhere” and smiled silently when she heard the system.
The system didn’t know what she hadn’t told it or what she had chosen in the system mall.
That was fine. She didn’t want to explain and didn’t want to lose a pure partner.
She even forcibly subdued the “world’s chosen one” of this world; would she really be bullied by a loud but timid minor character?
Thinking of Shen Jiyuan, she wondered if he was awake yet.
Shi Qing raised her hand and sniffed her clothes. The sleeve still carried the cedar scent from Shen Jiyuan, faintly lingering at her nose.
She squinted and smiled.