Chapter 28 – Learning the Plot on the Train to the Countryside

“Clunk-clunk~ Vroom~ Vroom~”

The green-skinned train slowly chugged into the station, letting out a long whistle.

As soon as the train arrived, the crowd waiting on the platform—each carrying bundles big and small—rushed forward, scrambling to board.

“Hey, move aside, let me through!”

“Zhiqi, you stepped on my foot! Can’t you push slower?!”

“What do you want me to do if the train leaves without me? I can’t help it, there are people shoving me from behind!”

…

Not far away, Song Kexing stood quietly watching the scene.

Beside her feet sat a wooden crate and a large netted bag.

【Boss, aren’t you going to squeeze in with the others?】

The fluffy little Maruko suddenly popped up on Song Kexing’s shoulder.

Seeing the people getting squashed until their faces nearly deformed, she shook her head: 【Not going.】

【What if we miss the train…】 the little guy worried aloud.

Song Kexing scanned her surroundings, then noticed a young man deftly climbing in through a window.

Her lips curved into a smile: 【Got a plan.】

She picked up the wooden crate, grabbed the netted bag, and strode over.

Reaching a window, she peeked inside and saw a young girl volunteer seated by the window.

Song Kexing spoke up, “Comrade, could I trouble you to help me take in my luggage?”

The girl had been spacing out. Hearing someone call her, she quickly snapped back to reality and replied, “Oh, yes, sure.”

She stood up and took the crate and netted bag from Song Kexing, placing them to the side.

As she turned back around, she saw a figure flip in through the window.

The motion was smooth and clean—very cool—and the girl was momentarily stunned.

Song Kexing smiled slightly at her. “Thank you. I’m Song Kexing. What’s your name, comrade?”

The girl blushed and whispered, “I… I’m Song Tian.”

Song Tian? That’s a nice name, though she seemed really shy.

【Boss, that’s the name of the novel’s female lead! The person in front of you is the female lead!】

Maruko’s voice suddenly rang out.

Song Kexing froze: 【Wasn’t the plot supposed to start after going to the countryside?】

Maruko chuckled: 【You’re already on the train to the countryside now, so technically it’s started. Don’t sweat the details~】

Song Kexing’s assigned seat was right next to the female lead.

After tidying up her luggage, she sat down and said to Maruko:

【Maruko, transmit the novel’s plot to me. I need to get up to speed on the situation.】

【Got it!】 Maruko flapped his wings joyfully.

Finally starting a mission—so exciting!

…

The novel’s title was The Seven Years We Missed.

Just from the title, it was clear it was a tragic love story—and one that spanned seven years.

The male lead, Han Che, was the only son of the Han family, a third-generation member of a prestigious military compound. His grandfather was an old general.

The female lead, Song Tian, had a father who was Han Senior’s driver, and her mother worked as a maid in the Han household.

In other words, the entire family of the female lead depended on the male lead’s family to survive.

So when it came to Han Che, the female lead was extremely insecure and sensitive. She never dared refuse his requests or go against him.

That’s the story background. Now for the main plot.

Due to the Han family’s prominent status, they had many hidden enemies lying in wait, and it happened to be a sensitive period.

To protect Han Che, the family arranged for him to lay low in the countryside for a while.

But Han Che was a pampered princeling who had never lifted a finger—there was no way he could survive rural labor alone. Someone had to go with him.

Upon hearing the news, the female lead’s mother—who worked as a maid in the Han household—immediately suggested sending her own daughter along to take care of him.

The Han family gladly accepted the offer and even gave her family 200 yuan in compensation.

Of that money, the female lead didn’t see a single cent.

She was the eldest child, unloved by her parents, and was originally named Song Zhaodi.

It was only because Han Senior thought the name was unpleasant that he recently changed it to Song Tian.

On the surface, she was going to the countryside to help with rural development, but in truth, she was just the male lead’s invisible nanny.

Yet she never complained.

Without the Han family, she wouldn’t even have a proper name.

Her mother had already been secretly scouting out marriage matches for her, hoping to trade her for a hefty bride price.

Now, the Han family had given her a real way out, and she was too grateful to say no.

Besides, she had fallen in love at first sight with the handsome, cold male lead, and was completely willing to stay by his side.

“Sunlight streamed through the window. Sitting in the noisy train compartment, Song Zhaodi—

Oh no, Song Tian—felt relaxed for the first time.

She had finally escaped the suffocating home…

Oh heavens, she was finally free!”

That was a scene from the start of the novel.

It just so happened to be during the moment Song Kexing asked the female lead for help with her luggage.

If Song Kexing hadn’t appeared, the female lead’s story would’ve gone like this:

Accompanying the leads to the countryside was another girl from the compound, Girl A, who also liked the male lead.

Coming from a wealthy family, Girl A looked down on the female lead’s shabby appearance and how she clung to the male lead, so she constantly gave her a hard time.

She deliberately tossed the female lead’s clothes into the water on rainy days and even fed her food rations to the dogs.

Since she did all these things behind the male lead’s back, he remained unaware.

And the female lead, unwilling to complain, could only swallow her grievances in silence.

Only much later, when the male lead developed feelings for the female lead, did he accidentally discover all the terrible things Girl A had done.

Enraged, he slapped Girl A across the face. Girl A ran off in a huff, was assaulted by local thugs, and ultimately committed suicide by drowning.

After that, the male lead finally realized his true feelings for the female lead and was just about to confess—when Girl B showed up.

Girl B was a high-level manipulative green tea type who also liked the male lead.

To get close to him, she cozied up to the female lead, pretending to be her best friend.

Then she used the female lead to create all sorts of trouble and blamed her for everything, ruining her reputation.

She often whispered bad things about the female lead in the male lead’s ear, fueling misunderstandings.

Believing Girl B’s words, the male lead thought the female lead had ulterior motives and began to deeply resent her, doing many hurtful things.

Later, by coincidence, he discovered the truth and rushed to apologize and make amends.

This is how tragedy romance novels go—once the male lead apologizes, the female lead softens and forgives him.

Then they dive right into the next round of misunderstandings-hurt-reconciliation-and-repeat.

It wasn’t unusual for the female lead to be tortured hundreds or thousands of times.

One really had to wonder what kind of mindset the readers of these novels had.

As for Song Kexing, this kind of story was her least favorite.

Life was hard enough already—why not read something sweet and satisfying instead of actively seeking suffering?

If not for the mission, she wouldn’t have touched this stinky, melodramatic title with a ten-foot pole.

The later plot of this novel got even more dog-blood and cliché.

After the couple made up, Girls C, D, E, F, and so on all showed up to stir more trouble.

The female lead was endlessly tolerant. No matter how badly she was bullied, she never spoke up or explained herself.

The male lead was also an idiot, falling for the side girls’ tricks again and again, hurting the female lead until she was covered in wounds—emotionally and physically.

Thus, the relationship was full of twists and turns, dragged out over seven years of intermittent misunderstandings before they finally got together in the end.

One of the novel’s most popular tags was: Tenacious Girl & Cold Young Master.

Song Kexing snorted.

What a load of crap.

It was clearly: Mute Fool & Dumbass! A match made in hell!