Chapter 1 Being Harassed

“Nan Shu~ heading out again?” A middle-aged woman wearing long sleeves and an apron looked kindly at Lian Nanshu, who was dressed and ready to go out. Her gaze was filled with curiosity, sympathy, and a hint of amusement.

Lian Nanshu was carrying a bag filled with thick books. She wore a plain blue top and smart trousers. Her long black straight hair was paired with neat bangs — although slightly heavy, it gave her a clean and elegant look. She also wore round black glasses.

“Mhm~ There’s something at school today. I need to head there early.”

“A new semester, a new start!” Aunt Liao looked at her with envy. Going to university was a dream that many people could never reach.

Lian Nanshu smiled and said, “Isn’t Ayu starting university this year too? Why don’t you go see her off?”

Aunt Liao waved her hand and laughed, “I’m too busy, can’t get away!”

Just as Lian Nanshu was about to say something else—

“Jie! Hurry up!” A voice called from a car parked at the end of the alley. A girl inside the vehicle waved toward Nanshu.

Lian Nanshu turned to Aunt Liao and said, “Auntie, I’ll be going now.”

“Go on!” Aunt Liao waved, watching Lian Nanshu leave the house and get into the car.

“Sigh… what a pity…!” Aunt Liao shook her head helplessly only after the car drove off.

Just then, a newly moved-in neighbor overheard and asked curiously, “Sister-in-law, what are you sighing about?”

Aunt Liao quickly smiled and shook her head.

“That girl… why is she always alone? No family around either, and she rarely leaves the house?”

The plump woman couldn’t help but ask. Talking about Lian Nanshu, Aunt Liao always showed deep sympathy in her eyes.

“That child, her life is hard!”

The woman’s interest was instantly piqued. She eagerly ran over and grabbed Aunt Liao’s arm, asking, “What do you mean? She looks well-off — better off than us! And doesn’t she have a ton of admirers?”

Aunt Liao shook her head with a sigh and said, “That girl’s been married for years! Her husband’s family doesn’t like her, and her husband hasn’t shown up in ages. She can’t get a divorce, and she can’t find anyone else — she’s just been wasted.”

“Her whole family died in a flood!”

“Ah~” The woman gasped, eyes full of shock, covering her mouth.

“That’s really pitiful!”

Every time her situation was brought up, Aunt Liao’s heart would ache.

“Isn’t it though~!” She recalled when Lian Nanshu first arrived, “She was so tiny and dark-skinned back then. Life’s better now — being a teacher pays better than what we do. But still, not having anyone by her side… it’s really heartbreaking!”

Meanwhile, in the car on the way to school—

“Nanshu-jie, here’s your payment from the club — a full eight hundred yuan!” Lin Manyin took out an envelope from her bag. Coming from a three-generation military family, her parents weren’t particularly high-ranking, but the family had a strong sense of discipline.

Lin Manyin was in her third year of university. Delicate and fair, she had become a fan of Lian Nanshu due to her talent.

Lian Nanshu took the payment and gave a faint smile. She didn’t even count it, simply putting it into her bag.

“Nanshu-jie, aren’t you going to count it?”

“I trust you,” Lian Nanshu replied. “I don’t need to count it. Once I finish my errands, I’ll treat you to a good meal.”

“Mm~” Lin Manyin shook her head, “I can’t go!”

“Why not?” Lian Nanshu asked curiously.

Lin Manyin sighed, “I have to go home later. Today is my grandpa’s birthday. A bunch of his old war buddies are coming over — he insists I be there.”

Lian Nanshu didn’t push it. “Then I’ll buy a gift for Grandpa Lin later. He’s always been kind to me.”

“You’re not coming with me?” Lin Manyin asked in surprise.

“Why should I?” Nanshu responded with confusion. “You know I don’t like crowds. I’ll visit another day with the gift.”

Lin Manyin hugged her arm and said, “Grandpa specifically asked me to bring you home. It’s his birthday — you have to come.”

Unable to refuse, Lian Nanshu finally nodded. “Alright then, I’ll wrap up my stuff quickly and we’ll go pick out a present. But you’d better be ready with your schoolwork. If Grandpa Lin questions you, I won’t cover for you!”

“Got it! Thanks, Nanshu-jie!” Lin Manyin leaned on Lian Nanshu’s shoulder, while the latter showed a helpless expression.

Soon, they arrived at the university.

The two got out at the gate. Looking up, the sign read: Beizhong University.

This was the school where Lian Nanshu once studied — and now, it was where she worked.

She had transmigrated.

She had transmigrated into the body of a side character in a novel.

Lian Nanshu’s parents were urban workers who had been sent to the countryside during the Down to the Countryside Movement. While there, she fell for Lan Xubai — the male lead, who had been assigned to the same village.

In order to get close to Lan Xubai, Lian Nanshu deliberately threw herself at him when someone happened to be passing by his house — even loosening her clothes to make it seem more scandalous. The villagers saw, and to protect his reputation, Lan Xubai was forced to marry her — she had just turned eighteen at the time.

Later, Lan Xubai returned to the military. In just a few years, he earned numerous accolades and became a regimental commander at a young age.

Lian Nanshu, on the other hand, did everything she could to hold him back. When he was about to leave for the army, she refused, even threatened suicide.

Still, the male lead filed for divorce and resolutely returned to the city to serve.

On the day he left, Lian Nanshu jumped into a lake, trying to make him stay.

It was during a heavy rainstorm — a flood followed, and she was swept away…

After her father pulled her original body from the water and realized she had no breath, he gently placed her body somewhere safe. Then, seeing someone else further upstream fall into the river, the female lead’s father selflessly jumped in to save that child — and heroically lost his life in the process.

The family was left with two younger siblings. On her way back to find them, their mother encountered a falling tree. A large, broken trunk was about to crush the two children crying beneath it. To save them, the mother shielded them and was killed by the impact.

When the flood finally subsided, the two siblings were nowhere to be found. Everyone believed they had been swept away and were likely dead.

As for Lian Nanshu, the original host of the body had also drowned — and this was when she transmigrated into her.

In the second year after transmigrating into the book, the national college entrance examination (gaokao) was reinstated. She took the test and scored first place in the liberal arts category for the entire province, earning her a place at a university in Beicheng.

During her four years of study, she not only excelled academically but also taught herself more than a dozen languages. Even before graduating, she had already become a teaching assistant. Upon graduation, she was promoted and officially became a lecturer.

At present, she earned 80 yuan a month — a remarkably high salary for that era.

She also frequently submitted literary fiction to newspapers and quickly rose to fame.

Later, jealousy and schemes from others led to a rumor that she had come between a married couple. In order to protect her talent, the university chose to investigate and gave her justice. Fortunately, she met Lin Manyin’s grandfather, who stood up for her and helped clear her name.

Afterward, Lian Nanshu lost her glamorous appearance and began living a low-key life. Her clothes became simple, and she grew quiet and withdrawn.

The appearance of Lin Manyin became a ray of light in her life, and the Lin family treated her with kindness.

She had once been a modern, capable woman — fluent in over a dozen languages, working as an elite translator — but a car accident had brought her into this world. Though she worked hard and shone brightly again, she encountered many unfamiliar things and eventually came to understand: without the protection of her parents, she was nothing.

“Today is the first day of the new semester. Go back, prepare your studies well, and clean up the dorm. I’m heading off,” Lian Nanshu instructed Lin Manyin before walking toward the teaching building.

She wore plain, simple clothes and carried a slightly worn-out cloth bag. Yet even so, her fair and beautiful features couldn’t be hidden. With her glasses, she exuded the charm of a mature woman.

“Nan Shu?”

At the foot of the teaching building, she spotted a man holding a bouquet of flowers.

The moment Lian Nanshu saw him, she turned around, intending to leave.

“Nan Shu, don’t go! Please, listen to me!” The man ran up and grabbed her hand, his face full of desperation. “I’ve divorced her. I’m a free man now. We can finally be together.”

Lian Nanshu frowned, anger welling up inside. She forcefully shook off his hand.

“Wang Jinming, I’ve already made it clear — I don’t love you. Please stop bothering me!”

Wang Jinming was someone she had met on a train. They had chatted casually and discovered they were attending the same university. At the time, she hadn’t known he liked her, nor that he was already married in the countryside.

Even after she rejected his confession, he had persistently pursued her. This led to his rural wife confronting her publicly, nearly ruining her reputation.

On top of that, her divorce with the male lead, Lan Xubai, had never gone through. It had been eight years since they lost contact, and legally, she was still married.

“Nan Shu, I know you had concerns before. But now I’m free — we can finally be together,” Wang Jinming said.

Lian Nanshu couldn’t hide the murderous glint in her eyes. If not for the fact that she was a teacher, she would’ve kicked him right there.

“Let go. If you don’t, I’ll call the police and report you for harassment!”

It was the first time she had dealt with such a persistent, greasy man.

“You love me, don’t you?” Wang Jinming refused to give up. His face was filled with fake affection. “I know you’re hurt because I lied. But I had no choice. From now on, I’ll only love you. Please give me a chance, okay?”

Lian Nanshu looked around. Though no one was nearby, she was genuinely scared.

She forcefully pulled her hand away again. “Are you mentally ill? The hospital should have a psychiatric department — go check yourself in!”

In her heart, she wished she could kill him a thousand times.

She straightened her clothes. “Wang Jinming, if you continue to pester me, don’t blame me for getting rough!”

It was a warning. His repeated harassment had made her afraid to go out alone. The whispers and judgment from others weighed heavily on her.

She pointed at him sternly, but to her disgust, it only seemed to excite him.

“Nan Shu, I’m not angry. And I won’t give up pursuing you!” Wang Jinming reached out and grabbed the very hand she had pointed at him with.

SMACK —

A loud slap landed on Wang Jinming’s face.

Lian Nanshu immediately felt relief — her chest felt lighter. “God, that felt good.”

She had wanted to do that for so long and finally couldn’t hold back.

Afterward, her palm felt greasy.

Wang Jinming was stunned.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Lian Nanshu turned and walked away.

Unbeknownst to her, Wang Jinming’s twisted, ugly expression surfaced. He tossed aside the flowers and quickly followed, reaching out as if to grab her from behind.

Sensing something was off, Lian Nanshu turned around — only to find a tall figure standing protectively in front of her.