"Please get in, Princess."
Lin Zhi opened her eyes to find a handsome young man standing in front of her. The sports car parked behind him was worth at least eight figures. A crowd had gathered around them, excitedly recording videos on their phones. They murmured about how this was "a novel coming to life" and a "fairytale romance." However, she could tell at a glance that although the man was smiling, his eyes held no affection. Deep down, they were filled with disgust and disdain, yet he forced himself to put on a deeply affectionate facade.
Lin Zhi lowered her gaze slightly. "System, give me the plot," she commanded inwardly. Not long ago, she had dropped dead from overworking late into the night. Unexpectedly, she was bound to a system and transmigrated into a book to save a cannon fodder character, tasked with changing the original host's tragic ending. Once she completed her mission, not only would she earn a chance to be resurrected, but the points she accumulated could also be exchanged for real-world currency. Upon hearing this, she agreed without a second thought. She had only been pulling all-nighters to make money anyway, so there was no way she'd pass up such an opportunity. The next time she opened her eyes, she was here.
"Understood, Host," System 6's voice rang out.
A flood of memories regarding the plot surged into her mind. This world was set in a forbidden romance novel about wealthy, powerful families. The male lead was Zhou Ye, the second son of the Zhou family. The female lead, Li Ruoyao, was his older brother's fiancée.
Zhou Ye had harbored a secret crush on his older neighbor, Li Ruoyao, since childhood. However, she was engaged to his older brother. The two had been betrothed since they were eighteen, and everyone knew they were meant to be a couple. Left with no other choice, Zhou Ye hid his feelings and stayed by Li Ruoyao's side as a good friend. The internal agony was unbearable, leading him to frequent bars and drag races to numb his pain. He even went so far as to find a substitute.
The girl was a student at University A who shared a sixty percent resemblance to Li Ruoyao. She was a quiet, well-behaved girl. By showering her with flowers and designer brands, Zhou Ye won her over in just a month. But a counterfeit could never compare to the real thing. Moreover, in his eyes, Lin Zhi only acted aloof and pure; in reality, she was vain and a gold-digger—completely incomparable to his goddess. Otherwise, why had she rejected everyone else who courted her, only to agree as soon as he pursued her? It was obviously because he had money.
Coincidentally, around this time, issues arose in Li Ruoyao's relationship with his brother. Zhou Ye rushed over to comfort her, leaving his substitute completely forgotten.
Li Ruoyao was a painter who longed for romance. Zhou Congli, on the other hand, was a workaholic. He rarely showed up for her birthday or any holidays, merely having his assistant buy her gifts. This was far from the love she had anticipated. Faced with her heartbroken accusations, Zhou Congli was simply bewildered. He didn't understand—was this her first day knowing what kind of person he was? Li Ruoyao was in disbelief. This sparked a cold war between the two, while Zhou Congli just continued to bury himself in his work.
Seeing the woman he loved being treated so carelessly by his older brother, Zhou Ye's desire to steal her away grew increasingly intense. He tested the waters, asking Li Ruoyao if she could ever leave his brother and choose someone else. Li Ruoyao replied that their marriage was an alliance between their families; they could never separate. Then, she smiled and wished him luck in finding a girl he loved, saying that since he was such a good guy, his girlfriend would surely be very happy.
Zhou Ye hadn't expected her to know about his substitute. He immediately claimed that the girl was the one clinging to him. Then, masking it as a joke, he asked if she would be with him instead if he were the heir to the Zhou family, waiting nervously for her answer. Slightly surprised, Li Ruoyao blushed and told him to stop messing around, saying she had always seen him as a younger brother.
That was the one phrase Zhou Ye hated more than anything. It was only because he was younger than his brother that his brother became the one in the marriage alliance, stripping him of any right to openly claim her! He blurted out the words he had buried in his heart for so long: "Ruoyao, I love you."
Li Ruoyao froze. Refusing to hold back any longer, Zhou Ye leaned in and kissed her. She slapped him across the face and fled in panic.
But Zhou Ye wasn't willing to give up. Starting the very next day, he cornered her everywhere she went, pouring out the love he had harbored for years. Li Ruoyao tried to reject him, but every time he kissed her, her legs would go weak, leaving her powerless to resist. From then on, the two became hopelessly entangled. Sometimes, when the elders of both families gathered for dinner, the group would be in the dining room while Zhou Ye pinned Li Ruoyao against a corner by her waist, kissing her passionately. She would try to struggle, but she slowly lost herself in his fiery affections.
Still, their relationship could never see the light of day. Li Ruoyao had an official fiancé, and their families had already set a date for the wedding. Zhou Ye cornered Li Ruoyao, forcing her to choose between him and his older brother. When she hesitated, Zhou Ye flew into a rage. Leaving behind the words, "I'll show you who truly loves you," he turned and stormed off.
A few days later, at the wedding, just as Li Ruoyao and Zhou Congli finished exchanging rings, the large screen started playing a video of Zhou Congli sleeping with another woman. Zhou Ye even publicly claimed that the woman in the video was his girlfriend. The entire venue erupted in shock. The wedding ended abruptly in a disaster. The scandal of the eldest son of the Zhou family having an affair with his younger brother's girlfriend became known to everyone. the Li Family demanded an explanation from the Zhou family, but Zhou Congli himself was completely bewildered.
He had indeed gotten drunk after a business dinner and accidentally slept with someone, but at the time, he assumed it was someone arranged by a business partner. Since his wedding was fast approaching, he simply had his assistant handle the aftermath. How could it have been his brother's girlfriend? Faced with his brother's furious accusations and his fiancée's heartbroken interrogations, he was left speechless. He resolved to uncover the truth, but right at that moment, a crisis erupted at the branch office in S City, requiring his personal attention.
Left with no choice, Zhou Congli headed to S City first. Tragically, he was involved in a car accident on the way and died after rescue efforts failed. The Zhou family couldn't believe it. Upon investigation, they discovered that a drunk truck driver coming from the opposite direction had caused the tragedy. Even through their agonizing grief, the accident had already happened, and they had no choice but to accept it.
The Zhou family only had two sons. With the eldest dead, Zhou Ye became the new heir. He quickly entered the family company and took his seat as the CEO. For the sake of the ongoing partnership between their families, the Li Family proceeded with the marriage alliance with the Zhou family—only this time, the groom was changed to Zhou Ye. Zhou Ye was finally able to be with Li Ruoyao. Li Ruoyao mourned for a time, but prioritizing her family's interests, she eventually accepted Zhou Ye. The two got married, had children, and lived happily ever after.
...And Lin Zhi's current identity was that of the scheming, gold-digging substitute.
The original host had been a well-behaved girl since childhood. After getting into college, she focused earnestly on her studies. Though she had suitors, she had never considered dating—until Zhou Ye confessed to her in a highly public manner. Factoring in that he claimed to have a blank slate of a romantic history, having never dated before, she finally agreed to be his girlfriend amidst the teasing encouragement of her roommates. With her naive personality, even though she felt there was something off about the way Zhou Ye looked at her, and despite his habit of frequently disappearing, she still thought he was a decent person and gradually fell for him.
Therefore, when he asked her to meet him at a hotel on Valentine's Day, she decided to go despite her hesitation, swayed by his previous promise that they would get married after graduation. However, the very next day, Zhou Ye acted like a typical scumbag who discarded what he had just conquered. He blocked and deleted her contact information, claiming that he wasn't even the man from that night.
She was beyond devastated. Then, suddenly, explicit photos of her were leaked on the university's anonymous confession board. Citing negative influence on the institution, the university forced her to graduate early. Back in her hometown, her mother got into a heated argument with someone over the rumors, accidentally fell down a flight of stairs, and ended up in a vegetative state. She had no choice but to return home to care for her mother, only to discover she was pregnant. Before she could figure out what to do, she was harassed by a vagrant while walking down a dark street at night. During her struggle, she was strangled to death, killing both her and her unborn child.
[Mission 1: Expose the illicit affair between Zhou Ye and Li Ruoyao, ensuring they are punished (200 points).]
[Mission 2: Change her mother's fate (200 points).]
[Mission 3: Give birth to the child in her womb and raise him in a healthy, loving family (500 points).]