Chapter 1: Crossing into a Book

“09…17…” Jiang Mingyue sat on the sofa, her eyes darting back and forth between the lottery ticket and her phone.

“…12, 15!!! Ah, ah, ah, I won! 50,000,000… hahahaha—”

Jiang Mingyue jumped up in joy, but before she could celebrate, her feet slipped, and she instantly lost consciousness.

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“Min… Mingyue, wake up quickly, the teacher wants you to answer the question!”

In her dazed state, Jiang Mingyue felt someone gently pushing her arm while softly speaking in her ear.

She slowly opened her eyes; it was blurry at first, and then she saw a cute girl anxiously nudging her arm.

She was momentarily stunned.

The sunlight outside the window was a little blinding, so she raised her hand to shield her eyes, only to realize she was in a spacious classroom.

In front of her were a group of students dressed in blue short-sleeve shirts with white collars. At the front, an old man with a small stature, whose hair was standing up as though a storm had just passed, was glaring at her with fiery eyes.

In an instant, the terror of facing a high school physics teacher overtook her. Her brain hadn’t fully processed what was happening, but her body had already stood up instinctively.

The chair behind her screeched loudly as it was pushed back with too much force.

“Jiang Mingyue, do you know how poorly you did in this month’s exam? Second to last in the grade! And you still have the nerve to sleep!” The old man angrily slapped the book in his hands down onto the podium.

Jiang Mingyue’s first reaction was—I’m not last? 

Thinking this, she subconsciously blurted it out.

The old man instantly became even angrier: “You, go stand outside!”

As the words left his mouth, a piece of chalk flew toward her.

She immediately tilted her head to avoid it, then ran toward the door.

The classroom fell quiet again, and the old man resumed lecturing on chemical formulas.

After Jiang Mingyue stepped outside, she leaned against the wall, looking around at everything. Her mind slowly caught up, and she realized something was off.

Was this a dream? But everything looked so real; it didn’t feel like one.

With that thought, she pinched her thigh.

It hurt!

Definitely not a dream.

How did she suddenly end up here?

This was clearly a high school classroom, but she was already in her second year of college!

She remembered she had just been… sitting on the sofa at home, watching the lottery!

Right!

The lottery!!

50,000,000!!!

Where’s my 50,000,000?

Ding—

A crisp electronic sound rang in her mind, followed by a cute female voice saying, 【Sorry, Host, I’m late. I am your System—118.】 

“System? So, did I… cross into a book?”

【Yes, you’ve crossed into the world of “The Blooming Rose. You…】 

Jiang Mingyue was speechless.

“Are you serious? Why did you bring me here? Did I agree to this? Get me out of here, I still haven’t gotten my fifty million!”

118 was caught off guard by her barrage of questions. After a brief silence, it replied: 【There’s no way to send you back. Don’t you remember? After you won, you got so excited that you fell, hit your head on the coffee table, and died on the spot.】 

“What?!”

Jiang Mingyue was stunned on the spot.

“Money’s here, but I’m gone! What kind of human suffering is this? Wuwuwu…”

【…You’re still here, though.】 

“……”

“Still alive, but no money! This is even worse! Wuwuwu…”

118 sounded a bit anxious.【Host, don’t be upset. Although you’ve lost your fifty million, your current identity is that of a wealthy person too.】 

【You’ve crossed into the world of The Blooming Rose, where you play the Female Supporting Character named Jiang Mingyue.】 

Jiang Mingyue froze. The vicious third female lead?

Well, she was indeed a wealthy person.

Jiang Mingyue had always believed in going with the flow.

After thinking for a while, she straightened up: “It’s my luck if I get it, and my fate if I lose it. I accept it.”

Then she asked: “So, according to the usual plot, I have to complete a mission, right?”

She had just finished reading The Blooming Rose a couple of days ago. It was a story about deep, tragic love and eventual reconciliation.

The male lead, Qi Moyang, was the young master of a prestigious family in Beijing.

The female lead, Qiang Wei, came from a scholarly family and a middle-class household. Her parents, wanting to provide her with better educational resources, sent her to a famous elite school in Beijing.

The female lead was fair-skinned, beautiful, pure, and intelligent. She was well-liked in school, and soon after meeting the male lead, they began a relationship.

The two eventually parted ways due to various misunderstandings, but after graduating from university, they reunited and fell in love again.

Along the way, there were various characters who tried to obstruct them, including the Villainous Second Male Lead, the Gentle Third Male Lead, the White Lotus Second Female Lead, and the Vicious Third Female Lead.

Among these characters, the Villainous Second Male Lead was Jiang Mingyue’s favorite, though unfortunately, he died in the final chapters.

118’s clear electronic voice rang in her mind:【Yes, your task is to—conquer the Villainous Second Male Lead, help him experience real human emotions, and reduce his darkening tendencies…】 

“I won’t do it!” Jiang Mingyue squatted down, having stood for too long.

118 became a little urgent: 【Why not? Don’t you like Qi Ze?】 

“You’re asking a 20-year-old aunt to deceive the emotions of a 17-year-old boy? Is that something a person should do?”

118: 【…Based on our previous evaluation, your psychological age is at most 15, and you’re currently 17.】 

Jiang Mingyue: “…”

【Our main task is to help him open up, experience real human emotions, and heal him with sincerity. It’s not necessary for him to fall in love with you. You can just be his good friend. Keep your thoughts pure, Host.】 

Jiang Mingyue: “…”

Jiang Mingyue’s parents had divorced when she was very young. Her mother was a celebrity who returned to the entertainment industry after the divorce. She provided the alimony but hardly cared for her.

Her father, also a wealthy man with some status in Beijing, quickly remarried. He too only provided money and barely paid attention to her, leaving her in the care of nannies.

Growing up without proper guidance, she developed a rebellious and vicious personality.

As a child, she often hurt herself in attempts to gain her parents’ attention.

Although she stopped self-harming as she grew older, she lacked a proper sense of values, frequently using harsh words toward others, and had few friends.

Her only close connection was with Lin Shuangshuang, the white lotus second female lead, but even Lin Shuangshuang only saw her as a tool to deal with the female lead.

In short, she was both pitiable and detestable.

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Lucia: Do you know that the female lead, Jiang Mingyue, has a name that literally means Bright Moon?

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