“Yan Yuan! Wake up! We’ve arrived—what’s the point of clinging to the car like this?”
“Just give up the struggle. Starting today, you’ll have to stay in this remote little county town!”
“Unless the master and mistress ever forgive you, you’ll be stuck here for the rest of your life!”
“Instead of clinging on like this, you’d be better off getting used to life here and praying that the young lady will forgive you…”
The chattering voices buzzed in her ears. Even with her eyes closed, Yan Yuan found the noise unbearable. Combined with the splitting headache tormenting her, she snapped irritably, her voice icy: “Shut up! If you keep making noise, I’ll throw you out!”
Her attitude seemed to further enrage the speakers: “You really don’t know what’s good for you! We escorted you here, but from now on, your affairs are none of our concern… We don’t care whether you live or die. You’re on your own!”
Amid the intense, nerve-wracking pain, Yan Yuan finally regained a sliver of rationality and slowly opened her eyes.
They were a pair of exceptionally cold and sharp phoenix eyes, utterly mismatched with her vibrant, youthful face.
Soon, she was dragged out of the luxury car worth millions by the bodyguards who had escorted her. Her pristine, spotless leather shoes sank directly into a large patch of gray mud.
The luxury car sped away, leaving only exhaust fumes behind.
Beside her feet lay the suitcase the bodyguards had tossed out. Yan Yuan narrowed her eyes slowly, surveying the rather plain school gate before her.
She finally pieced together her thoughts, realizing she was now living inside a book.
Her original name was also Yan Yuan, hailing from a higher-dimensional civilization, where she had been the most brilliant and glorious all-around genius.
But that very brilliance had made her the target of jealousy and scheming, leading to her demise in an “accident.”
Yet fate had other plans. The AI program she had personally designed activated at the moment of her death, transporting her consciousness into a world formed from a book.
So, she lived again, becoming the unpopular, troublesome antagonist of this story.
In the Yan family, a prominent wealthy clan in the capital, the current favorite was the family head’s daughter, Yan Lin’er. Yan Yuan was Yan Lin’er’s cousin, born to serve as a contrast to the gentle, kind, and pure Yan Lin’er.
In the book, Yan Yuan was spoiled, willful, and utterly insufferable—a textbook princess. Just days ago, she had even colluded with troublemakers from outside the school in an attempt to bully Yan Lin’er.
Naturally, her scheme was exposed, enraging the family head. As punishment, she was exiled to the “frontier”—sent to this place called Yunshan County to attend her final year of high school.
Yunshan County was located in a remote mountainous area with poor educational quality. Being sent here for her senior year essentially dashed any hope of Yan Yuan getting into a good university.
And that was exactly how the original plot unfolded. After Yan Yuan was sent to Yunshan County, her parents, powerless to help and unwilling to abandon the Yan family’s wealth and status, simply cut ties with her, leaving her to fend for herself.
Yan Yuan, a pampered young lady who had never known hardship, couldn’t possibly adapt to life in such a remote county. In her desperation to live comfortably, she was quickly deceived into doing some unsavory things.
From then on, she fell into a living hell, never to rise again, soon becoming a joke and a stain the Yan family refused to acknowledge.
In contrast, the female lead, Yan Lin’er, was doted on by her parents and surrounded by haloed characters like the domineering male lead and the gentle second male lead. Her path was bright and smooth—a true winner in life.
“I can let you live in my stead, but I have one condition: you must go back and make everyone acknowledge that even as a drama queen, I can lead a different life!!”
The bizarre obsession that surfaced in Yan Yuan’s consciousness just before it faded completely sparked a glimmer of keen interest in her eyes.
She loved a challenging life, and she would fulfill this request for her.
However—
The moment Yan Yuan took a step forward and saw the filthy mud caked on her shoe, she instantly felt she didn’t need to act—she could easily be dramatic in such conditions. Was this even a place fit for humans?
Having once traveled only in curvature-speed spacecraft or with flying robots, Yan Yuan was deeply dissatisfied with her current surroundings.
Her delicate, finely arched brows were raised high, etched with disdain and disgust. The discomfort in her doe-like eyes was palpable, and the hem of her skirt was already speckled with mud.
Her skin was excessively fair, starkly out of place in this perpetually gray, grimy, and backward small town.
The pampered little princess clearly despised this place.
“Need any help?”
A lazy inquiry drew Yan Yuan’s attention toward the source of the voice.
By the school gate stood a makeshift stall cluttered with all sorts of items—from nail clippers and ear picks to school supplies, pots, and pans—occupying a corner near the entrance, piled high and overflowing.
Beside the stall, a worn-out recliner held a languid young man with strikingly handsome yet pallid features.
He was slender, wearing a long-sleeved jacket despite the sweltering heat, which partially concealed his sharp jawline.
His innate nobility clashed starkly with the surroundings.
To Yan Yuan, he seemed rather peculiar.
From their first exchanged glance, she couldn’t discern any emotion in his pitch-black eyes, which seemed devoid of light.
This man felt somewhat dangerous. Yan Yuan’s intuition had always been sharp—otherwise, she wouldn’t have seized a sliver of survival at the brink of death and escaped into this realm of consciousness.
“—Sure. Carry all my things into the school. It’s the first day of term, and I can’t be bothered to move.”
Yan Yuan tilted her chin arrogantly, like the most beautiful lark in the forest, yet utterly spoiled.
Taking it for granted to order around this volunteer helper, she simply released her suitcase and crossed her arms, waiting for him to act.
It suddenly occurred to her that this man had appeared in the original host’s memories.
All her recollections came from the original host’s perspective. In the original storyline, the host had also encountered such a person.
But back then, the host had been in a foul mood and impatiently snapped, “Get lost,” hurling a stream of harsh insults.
After that, the man hadn’t bothered to approach her again and never reappeared.
As a proper drama queen, she naturally accepted others’ help with ease, considering it their privilege.
“Hurry up! What are you standing around for? If you’re any slower, I’ll miss registration!”
Though Yan Yuan’s tone was impatient, her voice remained clear, melodious, and crisp.
Feng Xiao, who had only intended to offer a perfunctory inquiry before ignoring his nominally betrothed, suddenly felt a flicker of interest.
He wanted to see how this drama queen would fare in such a remote, godforsaken town.
Slowly rising from the chair, he picked up Yan Yuan’s luggage and followed her into the school.
…
Far away in the capital.
A group of wealthy second-generation heirs created a social app called “Noble Gate,” which could only be accessed with an invitation code from their exclusive circle.
At that moment, these young masters and ladies of high society were watching a live stream on “Noble Gate” that had captured their keen interest.
[The trash discarded by the Yan family will spend the rest of her tragic life in a remote mountain village.]