By a twist of fate, Li Cizhao awakens to find she has been born into a web novel, becoming the vicious female supporting character in the cultivation novel Immortal Path.
The male lead is Ji Xuanzheng, the story’s one and only chosen one. After her father uses underhanded means to force him into a humiliating blood pact, he lies low and endures for years. Then, when his moment comes, he rises up and slaughters everyone who ever bullied him, eventually retiring from the world with a bevy of beautiful wives and concubines.
Unluckily, the first person he deals with is Li Cizhao.
*
To survive, Li Cizhao accepts the System’s missions: taking over the roles of various vicious supporting characters.
The System tells her to act out the plot of the first vicious female supporting character, beating and humiliating Ji Xuanzheng to help the chosen one grow.
Li Cizhao diligently follows the plot, but Ji Xuanzheng is astonishingly good at putting up with it.
She insults him, and he never talks back.
She hits him, but he’s completely unharmed, while her own palm hurts.
She makes him serve her tea, massage her shoulders, and rub her legs, and he never complains. Even when she humiliates him by ordering him to wash her underwear, Ji Xuanzheng remains unmoved.
One day, another slap sends Ji Xuanzheng’s head snapping to the side. The handprint stands out against his pale cheek. His light golden eyes stare fixedly at her, his expression so sinister it looks as if he wants to devour her alive.
Li Cizhao looks calm, but is panicking inside. “Y-you dare look at me, miss?!”
Ji Xuanzheng bends his back low, damp strands of hair clinging to his forehead. “Please, please, miss…”
He grabs her hand, his dragon tail swishing behind him in an excited blur. “Please take pity on this servant and hit me here again.”
Li Cizhao’s eyes widen in shock.
Good heavens, has she tortured the chosen one into madness?!
*
When the chosen one meets his destined heroine, the System tells Li Cizhao to take over the role of the nth vicious male supporting character: drug Ji Xuanzheng so his destined heroine will have to stay close and serve as his antidote, bringing them together.
But the heroine vanishes without a trace. Instead, Li Cizhao ends up tangled with Ji Xuanzheng, lost in a world of their own.
When she wakes, Li Cizhao cries for help. As soon as the System announces that the mission is complete, she fakes her death and makes a quick getaway.
One day, Li Cizhao is kissed awake in a hazy dream. She suddenly catches sight of a familiar handsome face above her. As her expression grows more and more horrified, Ji Xuanzheng gently smooths her disheveled hair. “Miss, are you going to run away again?”
As luck would have it, Li Cizhao really does nod without thinking.
Later, Ji Xuanzheng learns the whole truth and demonstrates firsthand what it means to take someone else’s role. His blue-green dragon tail coils tightly around her ankle. Pointing to a scene in the book where the lovers tumble into bed, he kisses away her tears and chuckles. “You acted that part so well. Why don’t we act this one out too?”
Li Cizhao is on the verge of tears.
Taking over the vicious supporting characters’ scenes is one thing, but why did nobody tell her she’d have to take over the scenes with the chosen one’s harem too?!
【A few things to know before reading】
1. One-on-one romance, happy ending. Not a powerful heroine story or a wish-fulfillment novel. See the author’s note in Chapter One for more content warnings.
2. Spoiled, headstrong young miss x cool-faced, capable (especially capable) chosen one.
3. Everything in the plot serves the romance. This is my own take on cultivation, with lots of original worldbuilding. The leads aren’t perfect and have flaws. Thanks for your support, sending hearts.
Coming soon: The Wicked Stepmother in a Tearjerker Novel
Please add it to your favorites ww
Cui Suyi transmigrates into a melodramatic romance game…
as the heroine’s awful stepmother.
She acts one way in public and another in private. The heroine grows up deeply insecure and starved of affection, then falls hopelessly in love with the male leads who offer her the tiniest scraps of love. After a string of physically and emotionally painful ordeals, she gets her happy ending.
As for Cui Suyi, naturally, her suitors grind her bones to dust. She doesn’t even get to keep her whole body. But fortunately, the System tells her she can switch to raising-a-child mode.
Cui Suyi: Hooray! Mommy loves you, sweetie. Just wait for me.
*
Cui Suyi takes every blow for the girl and does everything she can to keep her safe, anxiously steering the young heroine away from plot points so she won’t fall into anyone’s clutches.
Whenever the girl feels lost, she takes her out to look at the stars and the moon, caring for and comforting her with all her heart.
Even in the bitter depths of winter, when someone pushes the young heroine into an icy lake, Cui Suyi defies the plot’s warning and jumps in to save her on the spot.
Under Cui Suyi’s care, the young heroine grows confident and radiant, gradually becoming the most talked-about young lady in the capital.
Meanwhile, the original novel’s various twisted, obsessive male leads make their entrances. Cui Suyi grits her teeth and takes them on one by one, or two at a time, using schemes to help the girl evade all kinds of lunatic suitors.
Looking at the birthday gift the young heroine made for her with her own hands, Cui Suyi sighs in contentment and wipes away a tear.
What a good kid. All that raising paid off.
One day, the young heroine points at the man in the kitchen, busy washing his hands before preparing a meal. Her eyes sparkle with anticipation. “Mother, when are you and Father going to have a little brother or sister for me to play with?”
Cui Suyi: ???
Who’s been putting ideas in my kid’s head?! How did she turn bad?!
*
Yan Wenyu rose from humble beginnings to pass the civil service exams. He keeps his troops in strict order and is known as a scholar-general. To show his consideration, the emperor personally arranges his marriage to the eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites.
He thinks that as long as this highborn young lady treats Yan Dai well, he will certainly treat her well in return.
Then a secret letter from home arrives, accusing Cui Suyi of all kinds of misdeeds. Her neglect of Yan Dai is described as the most appalling of them all.
But somehow, things seem a little different?
The Cui Suyi he sees when he returns home is nothing like the woman in the letter. She doesn’t ignore Yan Dai at all. On the contrary, she treats her like a precious jewel, as if she might melt away.
But with him, she gives orders without the slightest courtesy, nothing like the gentle tenderness she shows Yan Dai.
Yan Wenyu falls silent.
Actually… isn’t she the one neglecting him?
Theme: Live positively and face challenges bravely.
Isn't it the last step yet? [Loading]
[Purple sugar]kswl[Purple sugar]kswl
I work diligently to get online on time every day. . . . Why do you always lock it on the day when I have something to do? JJ I really hate it.
Damn it, I'm late and locked up [crying]
[Orange Candy] Actually, Mei Youchun is quite fun when you try it, hehe.