Chapter 1: Unreliable

Tonight was the monthly aristocratic yacht ball in Huacheng.

It used to be a simple dance party, but now it had turned into something more like a selection event for consorts. At some point, celebrities from the entertainment industry began attending, hoping to catch the eye of a powerful patron and skyrocket to fame.

But this time, there was an unexpected guest.

Dressed in an elegant white gown, with a slender waist and delicate features so stunning they were hard to look away from, she stood under the soft glow of the lights. Her expression was calm—almost indifferent.

But inside, she was bursting with frustration.

“System, which one is the male lead?! You’ve been identifying him for an entire day! Can you be a little more reliable?” Ji Xueli grumbled impatiently.

That’s right—she had transmigrated into a novel.

Transmigrating into a book was already bad.

But what was even worse was landing inside a book she didn’t even know the title of. And the most terrifying part? The system bound to her was just as clueless…

It didn’t even know who the male lead was!

The original character she replaced was named Ji Xueli, the only daughter of the Ji family—one of the four major aristocratic families in Huacheng. Yet, she had entered the entertainment industry and, in the story, was the male lead’s “white moonlight.”

She became his unforgettable love because, at the height of his affection for her, she abandoned him.

The system she was bound to was called the “Villainess System.” Its purpose? To climb the social ladder. The mission was as cliché as it got.

But this system… seemed like it was on its first day at work. Other than Ji Xueli’s name, it knew absolutely nothing—not even the male lead’s name or appearance.

In the novel, after she left, the male lead met the heroine. Like every CEO romance, the female lead was a tenacious and pure “white lotus,” with a humble family background. Step by step, she won over the male lead.

Of course, in CEO romances, the leads never get together smoothly. That’s where she came in—as the male lead’s “white moonlight” villainess.

“Hold on, let me scan the scene.” The system sounded flustered. The system world had experienced some kind of malfunction, and most of its data had been wiped.

The reason it picked Ji Xueli? Well… because she was already dead, making her easy to control.

“Found him! Look up to the second floor, the man in the middle wearing the black suit. He’s definitely the male lead!” The system’s voice was filled with excitement.

Ji Xueli followed its instructions and looked up.

Among the crowd, the man’s height and looks were so exceptional that he was impossible to miss. He stood there, holding a wine glass in one hand.

His face was breathtaking—cold yet elegant, exuding an aristocratic aura. His gaze was slightly lowered as he looked down at the people below, carrying the demeanor of a king surveying his subjects.

“That noble presence—he’s definitely the male lead.” The system confirmed confidently.

Ji Xueli found herself unable to look away.

But perhaps she had been staring for too long. The man on the second floor seemed to notice her gaze. His eyes, filled with the natural indifference of someone in power, casually swept in her direction.

“Are you sure he’s the male lead? Then why is he looking at me with such a cold gaze…” Ji Xueli instinctively averted her eyes, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy.

“You abandoned him. That’s normal! This is just the classic ‘chasing the wife in the crematorium’ trope. Trust me, when has this system ever been wrong?” The system reassured her.

“…”

It didn’t even know the male lead’s name—how could she trust it?

But at this point, she had no choice but to follow the system’s orders.

—

Meanwhile, on the second floor—

“Qingyu, what are you looking at?”

A man beside him followed his gaze downward. When he saw the woman, his eyes widened slightly.

“Whoa! Ji Xueli! When did she come back?” Cheng Du exclaimed in surprise, recognizing her familiar yet stunning face.

Ji Xueli…

Duan Qingyu tapped his fingers lightly against the railing, the name sounding vaguely familiar.

Cheng Du, thinking he had forgotten, explained, “Ji family’s only daughter. We used to play together when we were kids, though we stopped later… But she’s Ji Yanzhou’s ex-girlfriend. Now you definitely remember, right?”

Three years had passed. She finally decided to return.

Cheng Du chuckled, then suddenly raised his voice.

“Ji Xueli!”

His loud call made heads turn.

After all, everyone here knew the reputation of the Ji family. On top of that, Ji Xueli had once been a popular actress at the peak of her career before she left the entertainment industry to study abroad.

But why was she here now…?

—

Ji Xueli, who was still contemplating how to approach the male lead, suddenly heard someone call her name loudly.

She looked up. It was the man beside the supposed “male lead.”

“Come up here.” Cheng Du gestured at her.

Well, that saved her some trouble.

Without hesitation, Ji Xueli lifted the hem of her dress and made her way to the second floor.

She had made it up there—but now came the real problem.

Who exactly was that man?