Steel Factory, Yan City — Alley Behind the Workers’ Residential Compound
“Ugh… what’s going on? My head hurts! And my back is freezing and stiff!”
Tong Yuheng slowly woke up and discovered that she was lying on the ground wearing a blue floral cotton-padded jacket.
Since when did I own such an old-fashioned, ugly piece of clothing?
Her neck felt sticky and cold. She reached up and touched it.
Blood.
Her palm came away covered in it.
A sharp pain shot through her head again.
The events that had just happened flashed through her mind like scenes from a movie. At the same time, countless memories that did not belong to her flooded in.
After a few seconds of rapid processing, she arrived at a tragic conclusion:
She had transmigrated into a novel.
The girl who had been ambushed, struck on the head, and left unconscious in this remote alley shared her name.
She was none other than Tong Yuheng, a cannon-fodder character from the web novel The Extraordinary Life of the Delicate Darling Heroine, the audiobook she had listened to before falling asleep.
Not only was she cannon fodder—
Her entire family of eight were cannon fodder.
One by one, they would be ruined by the heroine’s family, meeting miserable ends.
In the early part of the story, the heroine feasted on the Tong family’s sacrifices and suffering. Later, she would publicly denounce her own villainous father and brothers, sever ties with them in the name of justice, and continue living a smooth, blessed life while being pampered and worshipped by a group of love-struck men.
Back when Tong Yuheng listened to the novel, it had infuriated her.
She liked the original Tong Yuheng’s righteous personality and had repeatedly cursed the author in the comments, wondering what kind of sick mind could write something with such twisted values.
She had listened until she fell asleep.
Who would have thought that upon opening her eyes, she would actually end up inside the story?
The modern-day Tong Yuheng had been a special forces soldier.
She joined the military at eighteen and retired at twenty-seven.
Besides the government-assigned job she received afterward, she also operated a women’s sanda training center.
She was an only child.
Her grandparents, maternal grandparents, and parents were all alive and doted on her endlessly.
The only annoyance in her carefree life was being constantly pressured to get married.
But now—
She had become the eldest daughter among the Tong family’s seven girls.
Her father had died six months ago.
Her mother was about to be tricked into remarriage.
And afterward, the original owner of this body would be falsely accused and sent to a labor-reform camp for three years.
A whole string of disasters awaited the family.
What kind of hellish opening was this?!
The original Tong Yuheng had been knocked unconscious by a street thug.
Wasn’t this exactly where the plot began?
In the novel, she was found unconscious by an acquaintance from the factory and sent to the hospital.
Meanwhile, her mother, Tong Jiahui, would be discovered in an office with Fan Eryong in a compromising situation.
They would be reported for having an improper relationship.
For the sake of her daughters, Tong Jiahui would have no choice but to marry Fan Eryong.
Six months earlier, Tong Yuheng’s father had died while pursuing a thief.
Tong Jiahui had fallen ill from grief but forced herself to keep working for the sake of her children.
Her marriage to Fan Eryong was entirely the result of the Fan family’s scheme.
After this injury, the original Tong Yuheng remained exposed to the cold for so long that she nearly died from a fever.
When she finally recovered, Fan Eryong had already become her stepfather and had moved his two sons into their home.
Naturally, Tong Jiahui hated being tricked into marriage.
She either gave Fan Eryong the cold shoulder or joined her daughters in fighting with the three members of the Fan family.
The household never knew a day of peace.
She guarded her salary and her late husband’s compensation money like treasure, refusing to let the Fan family spend a single cent.
But before long, she fell seriously ill.
Her body grew weak, she frequently fainted, and eventually she could no longer work.
Tong Yuheng inherited the job left behind by her father.
Tong Jiahui’s position, meanwhile, was taken over by Fan Jianli.
Then the Fan family framed Tong Yuheng for possessing foreign-language books and accused her of collaborating with enemies.
She was sentenced to three years of labor reform.
Her second sister was manipulated into marrying the deputy factory director’s abusive son.
Though she avoided being sent to the countryside, she suffered endless torment and was eventually beaten to death by her husband.
Not long afterward, the twin sisters, Ling and Long, disappeared.
They were never found again.
Two beautiful young girls vanishing without a trace—
The ending was easy to imagine.
No!
She absolutely could not allow Tong Jiahui to marry Fan Eryong!
At this very moment, her mother should be working overtime in the office, preparing a bulletin board display.
The original Tong Yuheng had been on her way there to help.
If she hurried, there was still time to stop everything.
Ignoring the pain in her head, Tong Yuheng rushed toward the administrative offices of the steel factory.
As she ran, she couldn’t help but admire the original owner’s body.
The girl clearly exercised regularly.
She burst into the office building.
The reception room was empty.
Today was New Year’s Day, a holiday.
The other offices were deserted as well.
Only Tong Jiahui was there because she had been assigned to prepare two bulletin boards with slogans and illustrations to welcome workers back after the holiday.
The arrangement had been made the day before.
Her classmate, Fan Yaqing, had invited her out to play, but she had declined and explained that she needed to help her mother.
Which meant—
This entire situation had been arranged by the Fan family.
And Fan Yaqing had played a key role.
After inheriting the original owner’s memories, Tong Yuheng suddenly remembered something.
The thug who had ambushed her—Wu Zhigang—was one of Fan Yaqing’s admirers.
She had even beaten him up once for harassing Fan Yaqing near their school.
Damn it!
She thought she had been standing up for justice.
Turns out those two had long since been involved with each other.
Otherwise, how could he have dared smash a brick into her head?
Fine.
Fan Yaqing, just you wait.
I don’t care what kind of heroine’s halo protects you.
I’m going to make you pay.
On the second floor, Tong Jiahui’s office was located midway down the hall on the left side of the staircase.
Through the glass window, Tong Yuheng saw her mother drawing colorful illustrations on the bulletin board with chalk.
And inside the room stood Fan Eryong.
He was holding a kettle and preparing to pour water into Tong Jiahui’s enamel mug.
“Master Fan, I still have work to do. If you don’t have anything important, please leave.”
Tong Jiahui already found him somewhat unpleasant.
He was constantly appearing in front of her.
Did she really not know what he was after?
“I’m not disturbing you. Go ahead and work. I’ll just pour you a cup of water,” Fan Eryong said shamelessly.
“No need. I’m not thirsty.”
Seeing that he refused to leave, Tong Jiahui decided to step outside.
Her eldest daughter should be arriving soon anyway.
“Hey, don’t go. I saw the whole building was empty and worried you’d be scared. I just wanted to keep you company. Why don’t you appreciate that?”
“Master Fan, this is inappropriate. My daughter will be here soon. I don’t need company. A man and a woman alone together—I’d rather not give people a reason to gossip.”
“Look at you, raising so many children all by yourself. It can’t be easy…”
As he spoke, Fan Eryong reached out and grabbed her arm.
Tong Yuheng had been looking for an outlet for her anger.
She charged into the room and immediately kicked him.
The kick landed squarely in his stomach.
Fan Eryong collapsed to the floor, howling in pain.
“Ow! Ow!”
Tong Yuheng casually grabbed a filthy rag used for wiping tables and stuffed it into his mouth.
“Mom, do you have any rope?”
“I do. But… isn’t this a little inappropriate?”
Though she said so, Tong Jiahui’s actions told a different story.
She immediately opened her desk drawer and pulled out a roll of rope.
Tong Yuheng tied Fan Eryong up tightly and dragged him outside.
Near the restroom was a small storage room.
She knocked him unconscious and shoved him into the deepest corner.
Then she piled mops, brooms, and cleaning supplies on top of him, completely hiding him from view.
Mother and daughter then calmly returned to the office as though nothing had happened.
The blood on Tong Yuheng’s neck soon caught Tong Jiahui’s attention.
Alarmed, she asked what had happened.
Tong Yuheng shared her suspicions with her mother.
Fan Eryong had deliberately chosen a time when the office building was empty to show up.
He was absolutely up to no good.