Chapter 6

To be honest, Wen Xin was a little intimidated.

His presence was so strong that it was impossible to ignore. Just one glance from him sent chills down her spine.

According to the book’s setting, the supporting female character’s family and his indeed had some deep-rooted “grievances.”

But she had only transmigrated here later.

She was completely innocent, okay?

In four simple words: None of her business!

Truly, she felt like crying inside over how unfair this was.

Wen Xin was someone who cherished world peace. Since she was going to be living in someone else’s home for a while, it wouldn’t be wise to have a tense relationship with them. She couldn’t just throw attitude back at someone who was already giving her the cold shoulder.

Even if he was indifferent to her, she could only muster up her best service-industry smile, hoping to temporarily ease the tension. At the very least, if she had to stay here for ten days or half a month, peaceful coexistence would be preferable.

Wasn’t it said that a smile is the universal language of goodwill?

But before she could even flash her standard eight-tooth smile, the man abruptly stood up.

He cast her a condescending glance, then turned and headed upstairs, his attitude haughty and dismissive.

He just… walked away.

Wen Xin’s smile froze on her face.

Seated in the hall, Luo Juan and He Wenyen had also noticed his sudden movement, and their eyes turned toward Wen Xin. This only made the situation more awkward.

She had no choice but to pretend nothing had happened and continued toward the kitchen, discreetly rubbing her face to ease her stiffened expression.

Fine, she admitted it—Yan Zeyang was an absolute top-tier handsome man.

From head to toe, even his slightly messy strands of hair were the exact style she liked.

Even in this era with its outdated clothing, nothing could hide his flawless physique.

Not only was he tall, but from the waist down, it was all legs. The taut muscles beneath his skin, visible with every movement, exuded raw power—like a panther ready to pounce.

Every part of him fit her ideal type perfectly.

So even with his cold, tight lips and piercing gaze, even if he carried himself like he was more important than his military officer father…

She still couldn’t bring herself to dislike him.

She understood that his hatred was justified.

If she had to blame anything, she could only blame the fact that she had transmigrated into this book in the first place.

She couldn’t help but wonder—her friend Song Qian always liked those gentle, sweet-faced Korean and Japanese idol types. In real life, she also preferred warm and caring boyfriends.

So why, in this book, was the male lead exactly her type instead?

Feeling unmotivated, she stepped into the kitchen.

Honestly, there wasn’t much to see. It was fully equipped and well-maintained.

Wen Xin was actually quite good at cooking—not to the ridiculous extent that Luo Juan had bragged about, but she could make a solid home-cooked meal.

Despite her good looks, she had never been some pampered little princess.

In reality, her life had been quite rough.

Not unbearably difficult, but not something she liked talking about either.

Her parents had passed away early, and she had been raised by her aunt.

Her aunt’s family was of modest means. With two children of their own plus her, they had three kids to support. When she first entered high school, her aunt had already told her that they could only afford to support her until graduation. It wasn’t that they didn’t care—it was simply beyond their financial ability. Three children in school meant a significant expense, and no matter how kind-hearted her uncle was, it was an economic burden he couldn’t shoulder indefinitely.

She completely understood. Back then, her aunt had defied the judgmental stares of her in-laws and relatives and chose not to send the helpless, orphaned her to an orphanage. Instead, she took her in, gave her a home, provided food, and even funded her education. For that, she was deeply grateful. Throughout her three years of high school, she did everything she could to earn money. Every holiday break, she would find part-time jobs. She worked many different gigs and eventually managed to save up enough to cover her first year of college expenses while also applying for student loans.

After starting university, she continued working to support herself. Art schools were bottomless pits of expenses—there was always something new to learn, some new material to buy. Students with wealthy parents lived vibrant, carefree college lives, while those without money or connections often ended up relying on wealthy patrons. Art school students were generally attractive and pure-hearted, making them particularly appealing to wealthy businessmen.

Wen Xin was the campus beauty of her art school. Many people tried to reach out through connections, wanting to “sponsor” her. Some even sent intermediaries, telling her to name her price—offering to support her for three years, buy her an apartment, and provide her with a generous allowance and gifts.

But Wen Xin had no interest in making money by sleeping with men. Besides, with her physical constitution, she doubted she could endure such an arrangement.

So, for the first six months of college, she worked tirelessly. She took on all sorts of service jobs—modeling for online fashion stores, working as a high-end cosmetics counter assistant, and more. The store manager even let her use their sample products freely because, as long as she tried something on, customers would be eager to buy it. Her sales performance consistently topped the charts.

After a year and a half, she had saved up a substantial amount of money. She bought an apartment in S City and paid off nearly a million in mortgage debt for her aunt’s family, repaying the kindness her aunt and uncle had shown her.

Perhaps children who grow up depending on others always carry a deep-seated insecurity. They constantly strive to prove their worth, fearing abandonment.

That’s how she quickly transformed from a pampered little princess into a capable, self-sufficient Cinderella. She mastered household chores, perfected her cooking skills, and had already taken the initiative to cook for the family since elementary school. Since her younger cousins were smaller than her, she also became quite skilled at looking after children.

Her diligence and obedience ensured that her uncle never harbored resentment about taking her in.

And yet, after all that effort, she once again found herself dependent on others, reduced to doing household chores, cooking, and babysitting.

Wen Xin let out a sigh. Thinking about it all left her feeling frustrated. Spotting a cup on the table, she picked it up, planning to take a sip of water to cool down.

As she did, she absentmindedly thought of her system.

A moment later, a translucent screen appeared before her eyes—one that only she could see.

Yes, she had a secret.

Back in her final year of high school, she had unexpectedly obtained a “lottery system.” Though it was a defective version with most functions disabled, the two remaining abilities—extracting water and breaking down plants—had allowed her to amass several million yuan within a year. Otherwise, relying solely on part-time jobs, she could never have earned that much money.

She tapped on the screen a few times.

The water she drank daily wasn’t ordinary tap water. It was the purest, most pristine spring water she could extract from her surroundings and store within her system, ready for use at any time.

In an instant, a stream of cool, refreshing water filled her cup.

She took a sip. The crisp, sweet taste instantly relaxed her, washing away the summer heat.

But just as she started to enjoy this rare moment of peace, Luo Juan’s voice interrupted her.

“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and come with me to pack your things! Tonight, when Uncle Yan gets home, you need to show off your cooking skills for Aunt He and Uncle—make them a delicious meal, got it? And here you are, running to the kitchen just to drink water!” Luo Juan huffed, exasperated.

She hadn’t even had a sip of water herself.

Before Wen Xin could protest, Luo Juan had already grabbed her by the arm and dragged her out.

He Wenyan frowned at Luo Juan’s rough behavior but said nothing.

A short while later, the two of them left the compound.

…

At noon in the sweltering summer heat, Yan Zeyang came downstairs after his workout, drenched in sweat. He glanced around the living room before heading into the kitchen.

There, he noticed a cup sitting on the table. Without giving it much thought, he picked it up and downed the water in a few big gulps.

After drinking, he paused and examined the cup.

Huh?