Chapter 1

When Sheng Xia woke up, she found herself lying in a luxurious hospital room.

The clean and tidy room, the subtle fragrance, and the exceptionally soft and comfortable bed beneath her hinted that she was no longer in the post-apocalyptic world.

“Hello, host. I am the system bound to you. I now need the host to confirm the plot of this world.”

A polite mechanical voice suddenly echoed in her mind.

Before Sheng Xia could respond, she was immersed in the plot of a sweet stepmother novel.

The female lead in this story was her step-sister, Sheng Lanqiu. With her gentle and lively personality, as well as her sweet-talking skills, she gained the utmost favor from Sheng Xia’s father after their mother entered the Sheng family.

Due to intense jealousy, the original host, Sheng Xia, wanted to take everything away from her step-sister, regardless of what she possessed. As a result of feeling neglected, she developed a twisted and melodramatic character, often feigning illness to seek attention.

Sheng Lanqiu, showered with love from her parents, tried to gain her father’s attention by pretending to be sick but ended up pushing him further away. Later, Sheng Lanqiu entered the entertainment industry and became famous, while Sheng Xia, due to her unlikable character, remained an obscure figure and was disliked by many.

When Sheng Lanqiu successfully married into a wealthy family,

Sheng Xia set her sights on the person her mother had once saved—the heir to the powerful Feng family. Using various schemes such as acting victim and exploiting her mother’s favor, she successfully married Feng Yan.

As Sheng Lanqiu gained the affection of the Shi family,

Sheng Xia would cry every day, attempting to use her supposed illness to win the care of everyone in the Feng family, only to push them further away.

Amidst this negative contrast, the original host’s thoughts gradually warped. Not only did she sulk and cry at home, but she also couldn’t resist mistreating her timid and introverted younger sister and the naive twin siblings.

Upon hearing that Sheng Lanqiu and her stepson would participate in a parent-child variety show, Sheng Xia insisted on joining as well.

Later, Sheng Lanqiu skyrocketed to fame with her perfect stepmother image, while Sheng Xia, due to her unpleasant personality and the discovery of her mistreatment of the twins, was scorned by everyone as a “malicious stepmother.”

Eventually, what started as habitual feigned illness turned into genuine mental instability, leading her wealthy husband to discover the truth and send her to a mental hospital, resulting in a tragic fate.

Sheng Xia, focusing on the key points: Got it. I just need to avoid participating in the variety show.

Apart from her shy younger sister and the twins who feared her absence, the members of the Feng family rarely came home. In other words, in the vast mansion, everyone practically followed her orders and served her!

Sheng Xia’s eyes sparkled with excitement. This was exactly the retirement life she had dreamed of!

Just as she was satisfied and ready to enjoy her laid-back life, the system’s cold voice echoed again:

“Because the absence of crucial characters can lead to the collapse of the world, the purpose of the system binding to you is for you to maintain the character settings and drive the plot forward.”

“The variety show is a crucial point where the female lead becomes famous, so you must participate. You have no right to refuse.”

Following that, Sheng Xia learned about the original host’s unexpectedly awakened consciousness, her refusal to accept it, and the argument with her stepson, Feng Jingxu, on the way home, leading to a car accident.

So, in the midst of fighting zombies and facing imminent death, Sheng Xia was chosen to come to this world.

Sheng Xia: ?

Although she should be grateful for escaping the post-apocalyptic world, the tragic ending of the original host didn’t seem like much of an improvement.

Adjusting her posture, clearing her throat, Sheng Xia earnestly asked, “Can I just not do it?”

The system remained polite: “I’m sorry, that’s not possible. If the host abandons this task, the system can only send your soul back to the original world, but at that point, you would already be dead.”

Sheng Xia: …

Finally escaping the apocalypse to enjoy a beautiful life, and now they wanted to send her back. How could this be?

But if she had to maintain the original character settings and end up being confined to a mental hospital…

Her eyes rolled, and suddenly she laid back down, crossing her hands on her abdomen, adopting a peaceful appearance as if waiting for death: “Well, then, system, please just send me back. After all, sooner or later, I will die. Let me die now.”

“…But you’re already dead in that world, turned into a zombie.”

“Take it easy.” Sheng Xia still had her eyes closed, encouragingly saying, “Maybe I can do something great as a zombie. Become the Zombie Queen or something!”

System: …

Seeing her seriousness, the initially persistent system suddenly choked and fell silent for a while before taking a step back: “How about this, as long as you maintain the original character settings and ensure the progression of each plot point, we’ll allow minor changes to your ending.”

In her mind, the original host’s bank balance and the Feng family’s billions in assets appeared. Sheng Xia opened her eyes brightly. She desperately suppressed the corners of her lips that wanted to curl up, and her tone was reluctantly forced: “Well, it’s not impossible, actually.”

Maintaining the original character settings? She could do that!

A retirement life where she was well taken care of, enjoying good food and drinks. Oh, she was ready for it!

The system, with an ominous premonition: “…Shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“Before starting the task, I need to remind the host that deviating from the character setting will result in punishment, depending on the degree of deviation…”

Before it could finish mentioning the punishment, the door of the hospital room was violently pushed open.

“Sheng Xia, are you really sick? If you really want to die, don’t involve me!!”

The system, at the right moment,

Reminder: “Host, this is your eldest son, Feng Jingxu.”

“You should maintain the original owner’s identity now, trying to gain Feng Jingxu’s comfort and care.”

Sheng Xia suddenly realized that this was her eldest son, the unfortunate guy who almost lost his life due to the original owner’s involvement.

She looked at him with interest. As a rising star in the entertainment industry, Feng Jingxu indeed had an outstanding appearance. Even with a few layers of bandages on his head, it couldn’t hide his inherent handsome and rebellious aura.

At this moment, his face was full of disgust and irritability, glaring at her fiercely as if he was about to push her off the bed in the next second.

Wow, he looks really fierce.

Sheng Xia sighed softly. She raised her pale face and skillfully put on a delicate expression. Just as she was about to speak, her tongue suddenly hurt, accidentally biting it.

Oh no, did she catch a fever?

She hissed, subconsciously touching the corner of her mouth, only to find blood on her fingertips.

Sheng Xia, already impeccably beautiful, with her fair complexion exuding a fragile beauty like delicate ice, looked even more stunning with a faint trace of blood on her lips and a teary gaze.

The housekeeper gasped, alarmed, “Madam is spitting blood! Quickly, call the doctor!”

Sheng Xia raised her hand to stop, “No need, I’m just—”

“Hmph, why call a doctor? Didn’t we check before?” Amidst the chaos, Feng Jingxu coldly snorted, still glaring at her with hostility. “This is not a TV drama. Spit blood? She must be faking it to avoid questioning!”

The housekeeper, worried, said, “Maybe there’s an undiscovered complication…”

Feng Jingxu sneered, “A mental illness?”

“Sheng Xia, stop pretending. When you deliberately picked a fight with me in the car, you weren’t this weak!” He covered his still dizzy head, speaking fiercely, “The results are out; you only have a fracture, no other complications!”

“Sheng Xia, you’re just crazy! Truly sick!”

The original owner pretended to be delicate, making herself appear frail and constantly suffering from various ailments. Aside from minor issues, she had poor appetite, leading to anemia and malnutrition. However, apart from the leg’s minor fracture from the car accident, it wasn’t as serious as Feng Jingxu’s concussion.

Hmm, this won’t be easy to handle.

Sheng Xia quickly withdrew her hand, coughed lightly, and, facing Feng Jingxu’s resentful gaze, put on a pitiful expression, “I’m fine, just accidentally bit my tongue. Nobody cares anyway, don’t bother the innocent doctors.”

Although she said so, her voice was weak, her long eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings, and her pale face, now with a touch of red from the coughing, looked even more heart-wrenching.

The housekeeper urgently said, “Miss, just had a checkup; the doctor advised Mr. Feng not to get too emotional.”

Feng Jingxu coldly sneered, rolling his eyes, “She’s intentionally fooling you. Just a fracture, and she’s making a fuss. Probably planning some mischief.”

The housekeeper was concerned, “Mr. Feng, your injuries are serious; maybe you should go back to the ward and rest.”

“I won’t. I want to see what else this woman can do.”

“Ahem, I said I accidentally bit my tongue. You don’t have to believe me.” Sheng Xia coughed at the right moment, her face pale, and she covered her chest with a worried look, “Yes, I only have a leg injury. Even if I become disabled in the future, it won’t be as severe as Jingxu’s.”

Feng Jingxu: “What nonsense is she talking about?”

He was about to confront her, but Sheng Xia suddenly clutched her chest, looking like she could barely breathe. He stiffened.

The housekeeper panicked, “Quick, call the doctor! Madam seems to have a heart problem. Get the medicine!”

Feng Jingxu stood there, watching the chaos in the ward, doctors checking and administering medicine as if Sheng Xia was genuinely unwell.

He frowned, recalling that Sheng Xia did seem to have a slight heart problem. Was she really scared by him just now, causing an actual episode?

…

When the chaos in the ward finally settled, and the medical staff left, Feng Jingxu approached Sheng Xia.

After everything calmed down, Sheng Xia discreetly opened one eye. Seeing her eldest son still stubbornly standing in the middle of the room, wearing a complex expression that questioned life, she cleared her throat.

Fortunately, it seemed like she had managed to pull it off.

Feng Jingxu immediately turned his head like a fierce hunting dog with pricked ears.

“Oh my, what happened to me just now?” Sheng Xia feigned a recently awakened, bewildered look. With the help of her caregiver, she sat up, innocently asking, “Why does it feel like someone made me faint? Am I dreaming?”

Servants: …

Feng Jingxu: …

“Sheng Xia, you—” Feng Jingxu’s temple twitched uncontrollably again. Suppressing the desire to vomit from dizziness, he coldly snorted at her and decided not to argue.

This woman is simply unreasonable!

“Sigh, even in this condition, someone doesn’t even bother to apologize.” Sheng Xia pretended to touch her immobile legs, wearing a melancholic expression. “Indeed, Jingxu is still resentful of me, right?”

“You—” Feng Jingxu couldn’t hold back the throbbing in his temples. Suppressing the urge to vomit, he sneered at her again, choosing not to engage.

“I guess I’ll just lose my legs; I can’t stand up anymore.” Without waiting for Feng Jingxu to speak, Sheng Xia sighed softly. “But Jingxu, you only lose some working hours; I’m really sorry. It’s all my fault.”

“Enough, stop talking. Just shut up!” Feng Jingxu was on the verge of a breakdown. His temples were throbbing, and he gritted his teeth, speaking each word slowly, “What do you want?”

Sheng Xia looked up at him, suddenly showing an innocent and expectant smile. “As a caring son, shouldn’t you express concern for your injured mother? How about calling me ‘Mom’ and see how it sounds?”

Feng Jingxu: ?

Feng Jingxu’s face instantly changed colors like a traffic light, blinking repeatedly. Then it gradually twisted, and he couldn’t hold back his anger, shouting, “Sheng Xia, you’ve gone too far!”

…He might as well jump out of the window than ever call this woman ‘mom’!