Luo Yan sat back in the car, opened the thermos, and poured out a small bowl of black chicken soup.
Tonight’s plan required staying up late, so the black chicken soup would serve as a midnight snack to replenish her energy.
She needed to cherish this healthy body she had now.
In her original world, Luo Yan had grown up in an orphanage.
Later, she learned a few things from her adoptive father and became a member of the hacker group Hongyan, usually taking on part-time work in cybersecurity.
Due to staying up late for years and having extremely irregular eating habits, she developed cancer and was hospitalized at just twenty-three.
Before surgery, to relax, she read a novel called Guide to the White Moonlight’s Substitute Rising to the Top.
She was so infuriated by the series of idiotic actions of the female supporting character who shared her name that she nearly vomited blood, and she tossed the book aside before finishing it.
Who would have thought that when she opened her eyes again, she had become a character in the book?
Everything she felt here was vividly real, and she wanted to enjoy life in whatever way felt comfortable to her.
After finishing the chicken soup, Luo Yan called Yan Jun’s mother, Mrs. Yan.
Mrs. Yan’s sleep quality had not been good these past two years.
In the middle of the night, the buzzing vibration of the phone against the wooden cabinet woke her.
When she answered, Luo Yan suddenly wailed on the other end like she was mourning: “Auntie!”
It gave Mrs. Yan such a fright that a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out all over her body.
Irritated beyond measure, she roared back: “Are you dying?!”
“Wuwuwu, Auntie! Yan Jun has wronged me!”
Luo Yan poured out a torrent of complaints and grievances, not giving Mrs. Yan any chance to interrupt.
“Tonight he rolled around in bed with his company assistant, and I caught them! That assistant looks a lot like Lu Zhiyun.”
“We’re about to get married, and he’s still fooling around with women outside!”
“He didn’t use protection. If he ends up with an illegitimate child, will your Yan family take the child and discard the mother?”
“The Yan family letting a new bride become a mother the moment she steps through the door! Aren’t you afraid people will laugh at you if word gets out?”
Mrs. Yan’s head throbbed from Luo Yan’s wailing.
But that did not stop her from grasping the general situation.
From the very beginning, Mrs. Yan had not liked Luo Yan.
She thought Luo Yan’s seductive looks were not dignified or elegant enough, completely failing to meet her standards for a daughter-in-law, and unworthy of her son.
Second, Luo Yan had been chosen for Yan Jun by Elder Yan before he passed away, and at the time, no one had asked for her opinion at all.
Now, when something happened, she was shrieking as if the house were on fire. What kind of behavior was that?
“Men just play around outside. What’s there to be nervous about?”
“He wasn’t just playing around! They were rolling around in bed!”
“So what? Men want novelty. It’s just for fun.”
Mrs. Yan disapproved. She had heard rumors that Yan Jun had kept women before.
But hadn’t he sent them all away later?
Besides, if Luo Yan could not hold on to Yan Jun’s heart or keep him by her side, she should also look for the reason in herself.
If she were gentle enough, understanding, feminine, and catered to Yan Jun’s likes, would she fail to attract him?
“Auntie! If Uncle were cheating outside and you caught him red-handed, wouldn’t you be angry and sad?”
Mrs. Yan’s bottomless defense of Yan Jun infuriated Luo Yan so much that she lost control of her words.
“I heard Uncle fooled around when he was young and caused you to get a serious gynecological disease.
Aren’t you afraid Yan Jun will catch something too? Syphilis or AIDS! It shortens your life and it’s contagious! You may not be afraid, but I am!”
“Shut up! You! Are you cursing A-Jun?”
Mrs. Yan's face burned with embarrassment, and she was furious.
How did Luo Yan know she had gynecological problems?
When and through which channel had such a private matter leaked out?
She even dared to say it out loud to mock her—was she not afraid of offending her future mother-in-law?
The topic Luo Yan brought up touched Mrs. Yan's sore spot, and even more so, her reverse scale.
When she angrily blamed Yan Jun a few times, Mrs. Yan had tolerated it.
But if she cursed her son and touched her son's interests, Mrs. Yan would absolutely not allow it.
The two women, whose relationship was never close to begin with, each held their own views over the phone, and the conversation turned unpleasant.
Luo Yan's unreasonable, shrewish, market-vendor-like behavior refreshed the degree of Mrs. Yan's disgust toward her.
She even felt sympathy for her son—with such a revolting fiancée, no wonder Yan Jun cheated.
Having angered her future mother-in-law thoroughly, while the latter was sharply criticizing her with biting words, before she had even finished speaking, Luo Yan abruptly hung up the phone.
When Mrs. Yan called again, she switched it to silent mode, letting the caller know the line could get through, but she simply would not answer.
In the book, Mrs. Yan is described as a major help—a great help—for the male and female leads getting together.
When she learned of Chen Jiaying's existence, Chen Jiaying already had a bun in the oven.
Mrs. Yan, eager to enjoy the joy of grandchildren around her knees as soon as possible, could not bear to let her abort the child; on the contrary, she was very much looking forward to it.
With Mrs. Yan's support, the male lead, who already had deep feelings for the female lead, smoothly dissolved the engagement with "Luo Yan."
She hoped Mrs. Yan would be just as helpful now, and help her shed the title of Yan Jun's fiancée as soon as possible.
She wanted the freedom of being single—she could not wait until the time when the female lead got pregnant.
Mrs. Yan, whose words had been interrupted halfway, was so angry she was about to go crazy, completely sleepless, and immediately called Yan Jun back with a phone call.
Late at night, his mother sat upright on the living room sofa, fully dressed, her expression grim.
Yan Jun did not need to guess to know what was going on.
"Mom, it's so late—why aren't you resting? Whatever it is can wait until tomorrow. Your health matters most."
Yes, it was so late, and Luo Yan had still woken her up—where was the slightest respect for her future mother-in-law?
Utterly improper. Before even entering the family, she had angered her until her chest hurt—what would happen once she did enter?
She feared she would be angered to death by Luo Yan.
"I heard there's an assistant at your company who looks like Lu Zhiyun?"
"There is some resemblance, more than several people I dated before."
Mrs. Yan's expression softened.
Her outstanding son appeared calm and steady, with the bearing of a superior, and was very candid with her, his mother.
No excuses, no evasion—Mrs. Yan was extremely gratified.
"So you played around, but how could you be so careless as to be caught on the spot by Luo Yan."
"With her impatient, spoiled temperament, she simply won't be considerate of you or take your dignity into account."
"If you truly don't like her, then dissolve the engagement with her, and I'll find you another well-bred, sensible heiress or socialite."
"So that Luo Yan, being immature, won't make our household restless in the future."
Mrs. Yan had several candidates for daughter-in-law in mind; in terms of family background and character, every one of them was better than Luo Yan.
He had not expected that his mother calling him back in the middle of the night would say such things.
Her words were entirely accusations and dissatisfaction toward Luo Yan.
His sleeping with Chen Jiaying had instead become the most insignificant detail—Yan Jun was unexpectedly stunned.
He had intended to apologize to Luo Yan; after all, she was his fiancée, and cheating before marriage was indeed his mistake.
Before this, he had never even thought about breaking off the engagement.
"What happened tonight was an accident. I suspect there was something wrong with the drinks. I've already sent people to investigate."
This conspiracy theory immediately put Mrs. Yan on alert.
"Could it be that assistant who's behind this?"
Using a face that resembles the CEO's first love to find an opportunity to climb the ladder and marry into a wealthy family—such things weren't impossible.
"Mom, before the matter is investigated clearly, it's not good to make wild guesses."
Yan Jun frowned. He didn't quite believe that pure, innocent girl who had cried so pitifully could have such intentions and abilities.
Mrs. Yan looked at him disapprovingly.
"The fact that your first instinct was to believe she's innocent—that alone shows she's no simple person."
Don't underestimate a woman with ambition. To achieve her goals, she would stop at nothing, disguising herself as the victim when in fact she—the one who stands to gain the most—is the mastermind behind it all.
"After something like this, you're not still thinking of keeping her at the company, are you?"
"I'll give her a sum of money and let her go."
At this point, Yan Jun thought of the plastic surgery hospital advertisement.
Driven by his chauvinistic mindset, he believed himself to be Chen Jiaying's first man.
If Chen Jiaying were to get reconstructive surgery in order to meet new men, that would make him uncomfortable.
Territory he had set foot in should belong to him forever—there should be no one after him.
Thinking about it now, he hadn't gone all the way, having held back midway. He hadn't even enjoyed it properly, and he always felt somewhat regretful.
If Luo Yan knew what he was thinking, she might offer him a few words of comfort in her heart.
Even if they were interrupted tonight, according to the law of mutual attraction between male and female leads, they would always have a chance to continue their little make-out sessions.
Luo Yan didn't plan to go to the scene and interfere every time. This one time was enough.
The "Luo Yan" in the book only learned of the female lead's existence long after the fact, once the male and female leads' feelings had deepened.
The current her had the advantage of knowing the early plot, and she had to make use of it.
Waking up Mrs. Yan wasn't enough. Next, she was going to wake up another person.