As Lin Xin’er let out a loud roar, the man opposite her was startled.

He hurriedly covered her mouth in panic and asked, “Eldest Miss! Why are you shouting?”

Why was she shouting?

Lin Xin’er slapped away the man’s hand and shouted angrily, “Damn it! You stabbed me and I can’t even scream?!”

The man looked at her in confusion. “But you told me to stab you.”

“I told you to stab me?” Lin Xin’er laughed in disbelief. “I’ve lived all these years and never once have I asked for something so self-abusive.”

The man grew anxious. “You said you wanted to test the dagger and told me to stab you!”

“That’s bullsh*t!” Lin Xin’er cursed. “If someone’s going to test a dagger, it should be you! I’m delicate and precious—”

Right then, Lin Xin’er finally realized something was wrong.

Hadn’t she just been sitting in front of her computer? How had a man in ancient clothing suddenly appeared and stabbed her? And more importantly— why didn’t it hurt?

“Why doesn’t it hurt?” Lin Xin’er asked, staring at her wound in confusion.

“Of course it doesn’t hurt.” The man replied. “Wasn’t it you who asked me to find a prop dagger? Look.” As he spoke, the man demonstrated the retractable blade in his hand. It shrank into the handle upon contact and even released fake blood.

Just as Lin Xin’er’s heart began to settle, it jumped again.

“Who are you?! Why are you in my house?!”

“I’m Li Li^[1]李力!”

“Lily^[2]莉莉? You’re a big, burly man and your name is Lily? All the Lilys in the world must be crying right now!”

The man paused, then corrected her, “I’m Li Li— not Lily! Eldest Miss, what’s wrong with you?”

“Wait a second!” Lin Xin’er cut him off. “Eldest Miss?”

She pointed to her nose.

Li Li nodded.

Lin Xin’er’s head spun. Just now, when she’d looked at her wound, hadn’t she been wearing…… ancient robes?

She stiffly turned her neck. All around her were antique furnishings, elegant and ornate.

In this kind of situation…… unless she had dozed off while surfing the internet, there could only be one explanation.

A line flashed through Lin Xin’er’s mind— Did I transmigrate?

Ha.

This really was an era where transmigration was as convenient as riding the subway.

Wait a minute— Li Li? That name sounded really familiar. Where had she seen it?

Lin Xin’er touched her nose. Right! 《All  Splendor Fades》!!!

She swallowed nervously and asked cautiously, “Um…… I wouldn’t happen to be called Yin Yin^[3]尹隐, would I?”

Li Li gave her a strange look. “Eldest Miss, what’s gotten into you? Even if you don’t recognize me, how could you forget your own name?”

Lin Xin’er forced a crooked smile. Damn.

So she really had transmigrated.

She took a deep breath.

F*****ck!!!

She had cast her net so wide for so long, and just when she was about to reel it in, she’d transmigrated into this stupid novel? Everything she’d worked for was now gone! Who was whose what in this damn youth story?

Lin Xin’er clenched her fists in frustration.

“Eldest Miss, what’s wrong? You look so pale.” Li Li asked with concern.

Lin Xin’er impatiently waved him off. “Let me^[4]朕; zhèn – formal first-person pronoun used exclusively by emperors be alone for a moment.”

Li Li froze.

Lin Xin’er gave two dry laughs. “Hehe, I meant— I^[5]我; wǒ need a moment alone.”

“Oh.” Li Li nodded blankly. “Then this dagger……”

Lin Xin’er frowned in thought. She remembered that this was the dagger Yin Yin used to frame Du Qianqian by faking a stabbing.

She laughed bitterly to herself. Yin Yin wanted to use a ruse to win sympathy but feared actual pain, so she even faked the dagger. Honestly, her IQ was a disaster.

“Eldest Miss?” Li Li called again when she didn’t respond.

Lin Xin’er came back to her senses. “Just leave the dagger here.”

“Yes, Eldest Miss. Then our plan……?”

“Put it on hold.”

“Put it on hold? Why?” Li Li stared at his young miss in confusion. He had gone through so much trouble to retrieve that dagger.

“I’m not interested in battling that white lotus^[6]refers to a person who appears innocent, kind, and pure on the surface, but is actually manipulative, scheming, or fake underneath.”

“White lotus?”

“Ahem, I mean Du Qianqian.”

Li Li’s eyes darted around, but he said nothing more and bowed out of the room.

Lin Xin’er sat at the table and poured herself a cup of cold tea to calm her nerves.

Since Yin Yin had already begun scheming to frame Du Qianqian, that meant Ling Long had arrived at Yin Manor.

Ling Long^[7]灵珑 – Jade Spirit was the male protagonist of 《All  Splendor Fades》. Just like his name, he was exquisitely refined, flawless like white jade.

But that was only on the surface.

In truth, Ling Long was the head of the largest intelligence network in the Jianghu^[8]a loose, often dangerous society of martial artists, assassins, wanderers, sect members, and cultivators, ‘Zhuwang^[9]Spider Web.’ He had an extremely indifferent personality, which was why Yin Yin could repeatedly frame Du Qianqian.

With Ling Long’s intellect, there was no way he hadn’t noticed Yin Yin’s clumsy schemes, yet he never exposed her.

Although he had no emotional attachment to the female protagonist in the early plot, Lin Xin’er thought the real reason was…… he just couldn’t be bothered.

Ling Long came to Yin Manor because he had been entrusted by Prince Luo to investigate the whereabouts of his long-lost daughter, and the trail had led him there. That missing young princess was none other than Du Qianqian.

Back then, Du Qianqian had been abducted as a newborn and vanished without a trace. Later, Yin Yin’s father, Yin Dongjiang, found her and took her in as a firewood girl.

Ling Long, under the alias Lin Yuqi, disguised himself as a traveling merchant and arrived at the manor.

As soon as he arrived, his exceptional looks and unique aura captivated both Du Qianqian and Yin Yin.

Ling Long, needing to investigate whether Du Qianqian was the missing princess, spent a lot of time with her. This incited Yin Yin’s jealousy, triggering her white-lotus-bullying mode.

Thinking of that, Lin Xin’er couldn’t help sighing again.

Why? Why did she have to transmigrate into this stupid novel?

Was it because she’d complained about the author too many times and finally triggered the author’s wrath?

Lin Xin’er felt utterly miserable. It wasn’t just transmigration— it was into a cannon fodder female side character!

Still, it was better than ending up in Du Qianqian’s shoes. At least Yin Yin was the rich and powerful eldest miss of Yin Manor.

Eh? That’s right! Her pride and joy!

Lin Xin’er clapped her hands. She remembered 《All  Splendor Fades》 mentioned that Yin Yin was an exceptionally rare beauty. Well, that was a basic requirement for a villainess character.

She walked up to the mirror with great excitement and began examining herself.

Although ancient bronze mirrors were nowhere near as clear as modern ones, the beauty reflected within still made Lin Xin’er’s eyes light up.

Her lips were red, her teeth white, with arched brows and almond-shaped eyes. Her skin was so delicate and smooth it looked as if water might drip from it.

Her jet-black hair only accentuated the fairness of her complexion.

Lin Xin’er couldn’t help but smile at her reflection.

“Oh!” She clutched her chest, intoxicated by her own charm. “I’ve shocked myself with my own beauty.”

After happily admiring her own looks, Lin Xin’er suddenly remembered that the novel 《All  Splendor Fades》 had mentioned that Yin Yin practiced martial arts from a young age.

Though her skills weren’t particularly impressive, she was still more than capable of dealing with common thugs and ruffians.

That meant she might also be able to leap across rooftops like a heroine from the Jianghu!

Lin Xin’er grew eager to test it out.

She pushed the door open and stepped outside.

It was early spring, the sun was warm and the breeze gentle. The comforting sunlight bathed her body, making her feel so relaxed she almost wanted to curl up and nap on the spot.

But she didn’t linger to admire the ancient scenery. Instead, she looked up at the roof, took a deep breath, then leaped into the air. The wind howled past her ears, and when she opened her eyes again, she was already standing on the rooftop.

“I made it up?! I actually made it up!” Lin Xin’er exclaimed, her voice full of exhilaration, like someone shouting ‘I’m out of jail!’

The feeling of having qinggong^[10]a training technique in Chinese martial arts that emphasizes agility, speed, and the ability to move with seemingly supernatural lightness and grace, often depicted as feats of jumping, climbing, and … Continue reading was just so damn exhilarating! She danced with joy on the rooftop, waving her arms and kicking her feet in celebration.

Then, in a careless moment, her foot slipped. The world spun before her eyes, and she screamed in panic.

Just as she thought she was about to crash, a pair of strong arms caught her securely. A pair of amber-colored eyes suddenly broke into her line of sight, locking her in place and making her unable to look away.

Lin Xin’er stared blankly at the man before her. He was so breathtakingly beautiful it was almost unreal. She thought that he had got to be that source of calamity, Ling Long.

Ling Long’s eyes were extraordinarily clear, as if they could see right into one’s soul.

By the time Lin Xin’er came back to her senses, both she and Ling Long had already landed safely on the ground.

“Miss Yin, are you alright?” Even Ling Long’s voice was crystal-clear and melodious. Lin Xin’er almost wanted to slap a label on him— ‘Precious Item. Handle with Care.’

Lin Xin’er straightened her clothes and replied, somewhat theatrically, “I’m fine. Many thanks to Young Master Lin for your assistance.”

Ling Long gave a gentle nod. Only then did Lin Xin’er notice the maid standing quietly behind him.

The other party wasn’t stunningly beautiful, but she had a fresh and delicate aura. Her figure was a bit petite, carrying a trace of fragility— especially those large, watery eyes, which instantly stirred a protective instinct in others.

Particularly in men.

Lin Xin’er figured this must be the female protagonist, Du Qianqian.

Du Qianqian had been staring at Lin Xin’er’s abdomen. Lin Xin’er instinctively looked down at her own belly. There were still traces of blood on her outer robe.

On the pure white fabric, the glaring crimson stain stood out starkly, and a sudden stab of pain shot through Lin Xin’er’s head.

The scene gave her a strong sense of déjà vu, though she couldn’t recall where she had seen it before.

“Eldest Miss, you’re injured?!”

Du Qianqian’s startled cry snapped Lin Xin’er out of her daze.

Although Du Qianqian sounded worried and looked genuinely concerned, Lin Xin’er, with her years of experience in the ‘entertainment industry’, could tell at once that this girl was acting.

What’s this white lotus up to now, suddenly becoming an actress too?

Anyway, the top priority was to explain away the bloodstain.

“This?” Lin Xin’er pointed to her abdomen. “It’s probably from when I was killing a chicken earlier. It must have splashed on me.”

She remembered clearly that the dagger had been filled with chicken blood.

Ling Long scraped off some of the dried blood with his index finger and brought it to his nose. “It is indeed chicken blood.”

Du Qianqian, however, refused to let it go. “If Eldest Miss wanted to kill a chicken, you only had to instruct a servant. Why do it yourself?”

Lin Xin’er let out a sigh. “My father told me he hasn’t been feeling well lately. As his only daughter, I should show some filial piety. How could I let someone else do it?”

Ling Long gave her a thoughtful look. “Miss Yin is truly devoted.”

Lin Xin’er cupped her fists toward him. “You flatter me.”

Du Qianqian shot her a venomous glare but said nothing more.

Lin Xin’er grew a bit uneasy. What’s up with this white lotus? Did she take the wrong medicine?

“If Young Master Lin has no further matters, I’ll return to my room to change clothes.”

Ling Long nodded and stepped aside.

Lin Xin’er darted back to her room, called for a maid, and after taking a long, relaxing bath, changed into a fresh outfit.

She checked herself in the mirror over and over again, admiring how lovely she looked from every angle.

No— starting now, she was no longer Lin Xin’er. Her name was Yin Yin, Yin Manor’s eldest miss.

Yin Yin was very satisfied with her new identity.

The door creaked open and Du Qianqian walked in with a teapot in hand.

The moment Yin Yin saw the other party, her brow furrowed instinctively.

Du Qianqian placed the teapot on the table and looked at her. “Eldest Miss, I just asked the kitchen staff. You didn’t kill any chicken today.”

Yin Yin’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained calm. “And so?”

Du Qianqian continued to stare at Yin Yin, and the hatred brimming in her eyes sent a chill down Yin Yin’s spine.

“I don’t know what scheme you’re cooking up this time, but I’m no longer the same Du Qianqian you used to bully.”

Yin Yin’s frown deepened. “What are you trying to say?”

Du Qianqian merely smiled and said, “Has Eldest Miss ever heard of a phoenix? They say that after being consumed by fire, it can be reborn.”

The word ‘reborn’ struck a nerve. Yin Yin couldn’t help but shiver.

So now, in addition to transmigration, rebirth was trending too, huh?

So this white lotus was telling Yin Yin she’s been reborn?

“I’ve said all I need to say. Eldest Miss, I hope you take care of yourself.”

With that, Du Qianqian turned and walked away, her departure both elegant and arrogant.

Yin Yin was left behind. Slumping into a chair, she clutched her aching forehead.

What the hell?!!!

Author, are you messing with me? I only complained about your writing a few times, and now you’re doing me dirty like this?!

Yin Yin let out another sigh.

Everyone said people were reborn to take revenge— and without a doubt, Du Qianqian’s target was Yin Yin.

It seemed that, even if she didn’t want to fight with Du Qianqian, the girl had no intention of letting her go.