Mu Yanxi felt as if she were sometimes bewitched and out of control, but she never expected to be a cannon fodder NPC in a novel.
Having experienced such a bizarre and fantastical event, Mu Yanxi thought she would spend the rest of her life in that white, otherworldly space, but she never imagined she would one day be reborn.
“Yanxi? Yanxi?”
“Yanxi, are you listening to me?”
“I know you don’t want to marry Yi Wulan. How could a person with crippled legs like her possibly be worthy of you? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely…”
Mu Yanxi’s eyes flew open.
The fresh, damp air rushed to meet her. The meticulously designed garden around her was exquisite and lush, and the smooth pebbles underfoot formed a winding path that led to a luxurious white villa in the distance.
As if influenced by the surrounding plants and trees, the vibrant breath of life gradually warmed Mu Yanxi’s fingertips.
Mu Yanxi lifted her head slightly, and when she saw the person in front of her clearly, she was momentarily dazed.
The man wore a white shirt. He had delicate features and a clean-cut air, looking much more boyish than she remembered.
Mu Yanxi stared blankly as he drew closer, a hundred different feelings flashing through her heart.
This was Yi Jingming, the man she had madly pursued in her past life as if under a spell. It was a pity that only at the very end did she discover it was all a scam.
Yi Jingming’s deep affection was fake, his vows of eternal love were fake, and even his sexual orientation was fake.
Mu Yanxi would never forget the look of utter defeat and wretchedness on Yi Jingming’s face when his conspiracy was exposed in her past life, nor… his ruthless cruelty as he tried to silence her for good.
But who would have thought that she, an NPC, would break free from the world’s consciousness at the final moment?
After long and careful planning, his meticulous scheme finally had one flaw: her. In the end, she was able to turn the tables. Not only did Yi Jingming fail to get the shares and partnerships he wanted, but before he could even begin his protagonist’s glorious life, he plunged off the highway with her…
“Yanxi, today is the day our two families are renegotiating your marriage to Yi Wulan. Why didn’t you tell me about something so important sooner?”
Yi Jingming’s gaze was gentle, filled with concern for her.
Seeing this, Mu Yanxi found it utterly laughable.
As Yi Wulan’s younger brother and the second-in-line heir of the Yi family, even if Yi Jingming had no real power, it was impossible for him not to know about something as major as the discussion of the marriage alliance between their two families.
He had waited until today to show up, and the moment he did, he went to great lengths to propose an escape plan to her, his future ‘sister-in-law.’
In her past life, she had planned to wait in the garden for her sister to arrive before going in together. Who knew she would run into Yi Jingming and be persuaded by a few words to leave with him, abandoning everything.
The events of her past life replayed in her mind, especially how, whenever she hesitated, her mind would suggest that she liked Yi Jingming.
Everything was because she ‘should’ like Yi Jingming, ‘should’ give everything for Yi Jingming. It was truly ridiculous.
There were some things Mu Yanxi only learned after she died.
For instance, that she was actually in the world of a book, and that she was just a cannon fodder NPC.
After her death, in a white, otherworldly space, Mu Yanxi obtained a novel titled After Transmigrating, I Became the Group’s Favorite Heartthrob.
With nothing else to do, she read the novel over and over, and the more she read, the more she wanted to curse.
In the novel, she was the younger daughter of the wealthy Mu family, spoiled by her older sister as she grew up. She got whatever she wanted, becoming arrogant and willful—a malicious cannon fodder character who constantly hindered the protagonist’s relationship.
Her entire purpose was to fall head over heels for the protagonist, Yi Jingming, use the vast financial power of the Mu family’s Xinyu Bank to build his career, and simultaneously anger Yi Jingming’s biggest obstacle, Yi Wulan, to death, ultimately paving the way for the protagonist’s glorious life.
Of course, that was only the ending in the book. In her past life, Mu Yanxi had actually dragged Yi Jingming down with her to their mutual destruction.
At that time, Yi Wulan had not yet suffered from the aftereffects of her car accident, triggered by a broken capital chain and problems with cooperative projects, as described in the novel.
Many things in the book were different from what Mu Yanxi had experienced, but one point was not wrong: Yi Jingming did indeed have an officially paired true love.
And he was a man.
Since she had been given a second chance, and he had delivered himself right to her, she had no intention of playing the saint and letting him go.
The thought that Yi Jingming was a shameless gay man who deceived people’s feelings made Mu Yanxi feel sick to her stomach. Any last shred of hesitation she had about him vanished.
Mu Yanxi only lost her composure for a moment before quickly masking her expression.
“What good would telling you sooner have done? Would you have been willing to give up everything in the Yi family to leave with me?” After speaking, Mu Yanxi looked at him with great interest.
Her features were naturally rich and striking, born with a beautiful face that seemed to invite trouble.
A strand of hair drifted past the tip of her nose and was gently twirled around her fingertip. Her nonchalant eyes held a hint of a cunning smile.
Yi Jingming was silent for a moment before saying in a tone that was part indulgent, part helpless, “Yanxi, of course I’ll help you. Don’t you trust me?”
Without needing to dig deep, Mu Yanxi could guess Yi Jingming’s thoughts.
Yi Jingming’s father had been a philanderer in his youth, so he and Yi Wulan did not share the same mother. In terms of ability and methods, Yi Jingming had lived in Yi Wulan’s shadow for years and could only seek breakthroughs elsewhere.
If she ran away just like that, the marriage negotiations between her and Yi Wulan would surely fall through. Yi Jingming could not only humiliate Yi Wulan but also find other ways to secure the Mu family’s support in private.
Of course, Yi Jingming was only capable of using underhanded methods, like hiding his sexual orientation and relying on his protagonist’s halo to deceive and use a girl’s feelings.
If he had been the least bit capable, Mu Yanxi wouldn’t have had to be controlled by the world’s consciousness in her past life, racking her brains and doing so many things against her will for his sake.
“So, how do you plan to help me?” Mu Yanxi rested her chin on her wrist, tilting her head slightly.
Yi Jingming felt that something was off about Mu Yanxi today. In the past, she would always go along with him, and a few words were enough to make her follow him. Today, however, she kept putting him in a difficult position.
He just assumed she was in a bad mood and continued to comfort her softly, “I’ll take you out through the back door. Your sister spoils you so much anyway. Once this blows over and you come back, she definitely won’t blame you.”
Yi Jingming was suppressed by Yi Wulan at every turn. Wherever Yi Wulan was, people’s gazes would always be on her. Now that he finally had a chance to make Yi Wulan lose face, he certainly wouldn’t let it go.
Mu Yanxi sat on an intricately carved stone bench, surrounded by a sea of green trees and flowers. The sunlight sprinkled over her, shimmering brightly.
Watching her, Yi Jingming couldn’t help but take a step forward, reaching out to touch that radiant face.
Mu Yanxi tilted her head slightly, dodging his hand.
Yi Jingming froze for a second, then plucked a willow catkin from Mu Yanxi’s shoulder and casually withdrew his hand.
An awkward silence fell between them.
To be precise, it was Yi Jingming’s awkwardness.
Mu Yanxi didn’t feel awkward at all.
Dodging Yi Jingming’s touch was a completely subconscious action. She had dodged it, and that was that. She couldn’t be bothered to guess what he was thinking.
The first person she met after being reborn was Yi Jingming. Her luck was truly terrible. The little bit of leisurely mood she had for appreciating the world again was completely gone.
The book wasn’t wrong about one thing: she, Mu Yanxi, was indeed someone who had been spoiled rotten by her family. Now that her good mood was ruined, she certainly didn’t mind making the culprit who ruined it feel even worse.
She looked up at Yi Jingming, the words “pretentious” and “utterly hypocritical” rolling on the tip of her tongue, but in the end, she didn’t say them out loud.
Mu Yanxi’s eyes darted around, and an idea suddenly popped into her head. She curled her red lips into a slight smile:
“But then again, I don’t think marrying Yi Wulan is so bad. I heard that after her car accident, she still has an inoperable, life-threatening blood clot in her brain. If some accident were to happen in the future, the entire Yi family would be mine. Don’t you think so?”
Her voice was soft, laced with a teasing, light laugh.
Mu Yanxi said this deliberately for Yi Jingming to hear, her gaze fixed on his face the entire time.
Whatever Yi Jingming cared about most, she would poke at it.
Sure enough, by the time she was halfway through her sentence, his expression had already darkened, and she could see the traces of anger he was desperately trying to hide.
Yi Jingming didn’t want to lose Mu Yanxi’s support, so he suppressed his anger:
“I know you’re just saying this to spite me. You don’t want to marry Yi Wulan voluntarily. Let me take you away. No matter what, I’ll never leave you. Let me take care of you and be with you, okay?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Yi Jingming squatted down and tried to take Mu Yanxi’s hand again, only to be dodged without hesitation once more.
In her past life, Mu Yanxi had dealt with Yi Jingming for so many years that she could be said to know him well.
Yi Jingming had always had a high opinion of himself and was bent on taking down Yi Wulan. The one thing he couldn’t tolerate was others praising Yi Wulan in front of him.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush with you anymore. Who said I’m not willing?”
Mu Yanxi’s slightly upturned, fox-like eyes gazed at the distant villa. The sunlight glinted on her eyelashes, and the smile on her lips deepened. “Elder Sister Yi is beautiful and capable. I couldn’t ask for more than to be with her. Why would I be unwilling?”
Having been publicly rebuffed one after another, Yi Jingming’s expression grew even uglier.
He hadn’t come looking for Mu Yanxi to draw a line between them. He had intended to add fuel to the fire, take her away, and pull her completely into his camp.
He never expected Mu Yanxi to be so difficult today, a complete departure from her previous self.
A series of expressions—embarrassment, shock, anger—flashed across Yi Jingming’s face, but he ultimately suppressed them all. “Yanxi, must you be like this?”
Mu Yanxi glanced at her watch. She wondered if, after so much time had passed, her older sister, Mu Yanqing, would cancel the engagement on her behalf, just like in her past life.
Her interest in bantering with Yi Jingming faded, and she wiped the smile from her face:
“How I am is none of your business. Your sister and I are about to get married, so it’s best we keep our distance from now on. Oh, and from now on, call me by my full name when you see me. Or, you could follow the family hierarchy on Yi Wulan’s side and call me ‘Elder Sister.’”
Yi Jingming was two years older than Mu Yanxi. Hearing this form of address, the frustration in his heart intensified. “Yanxi, no, Mu Yanxi, Miss Mu, are you trying to cut ties with me?”
“I suppose so.” Mu Yanxi stood up, putting on a troubled expression, and said meaningfully, “But I think it’s better if you don’t look into it too deeply.”
The wind blew across the nearby lake, creating ripples on the surface. It caught Mu Yanxi’s red dress, making it flutter like a blazing flame, as if she might truly vanish from his life in the next moment.
Yi Jingming stood up anxiously. “What on earth do you mean?”
“You and Yi Wulan are of different genders, but you do have some similarities.” Mu Yanxi tilted her head slightly, sized up Yi Jingming for a few moments, and sighed softly.
“Ever since Yi Wulan’s car accident half a year ago, I haven’t been able to see her… If I couldn’t find a trace of Yi Wulan’s shadow in you, why would I have bothered with you before?”
Mu Yanxi said this on purpose. Although the Mu and Yi families often had business dealings, that was her sister’s affair. She hadn’t had much contact with Yi Wulan, let alone developed deep feelings for her.
Yet, the innocent expression on her face right now—as if to say, ‘You’re the one who insisted on hearing this, it’s not my fault’—made her fabricated words seem much more real.
Mu Yanxi straightened her skirt, her expression so sincere it didn’t seem fake. “Now you know what I think, and you know I’m going to marry your sister, so between us…”
She licked her lips, smiling like a little fox that had just stolen the cream. “It’s best if a third person doesn’t find out.”
Yi Jingming was so angry he almost fainted.
Mu Yanxi didn’t even mind that Yi Wulan had crippled legs from a car accident; she was still this eager to marry her.
Then what did that make him?
Did Mu Yanxi associate with him just to, just to… use him as a substitute for Yi Wulan?
Yi Jingming tried hard to calm himself down. After taking two deep breaths, he found he couldn’t calm down at all. “Are you doing this on purpose because you’re angry with me? Are you blaming me for not planning sooner, for not being able to secure this marriage for myself?”
Mu Yanxi interrupted impatiently, “What reason do I have to do this on purpose? With Xinyu Bank behind me, there are plenty of people who want to get close to me. You have no real power in the Yi family. Why do you think I was nice to you and catered to your every whim?”
Mu Yanxi wasn’t wrong. The Mu family was a conglomerate built over several generations, and they later established Xinyu, a commercial bank with immense capital. Countless enterprises wanted to partner with them.
The current head of the family, Mu Yanqing, was busy with official matters, and everything required an appointment.
Thus, the only way to get to Xinyu was through Mu Yanxi. Who didn’t know that Mu Yanqing valued her younger sister, Mu Yanxi, more than anyone else?
Whoever could win over Mu Yanxi would essentially have Xinyu Bank as their private bank, wouldn’t they?
The more Yi Jingming thought about it, the more alarmed he became. So many people were fawning over Mu Yanxi, so why was he the only one who had caught her eye?
He was unwilling to believe this fact, but once Mu Yanxi pointed it out, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to be true.
So… so, in Mu Yanxi’s eyes, he was just a substitute for Yi Wulan?
