A Background Character in an Old-School Novel, but All I Do Is Roast Everyone

[This novel has been completely rewritten, with some adjustments to the premise. It has been restarted under the title The Original Novel's Heroine, but Just an Ordinary Office Worker. See the blurb below.]

Everyone knows that in an old-school romance novel, there's an indispensable group of background characters who pile on when the heroine is framed, praise her when she pulls a face-slapping comeback against the villainess, express shock when the protagonists turn their lives around, and show envy or ship the couple when the hero and heroine have a sweet moment.

This is a key part of highlighting the story's sweet and satisfying moments, and an important part of the protagonists' romantic playacting.

After ascending to immortality, Xu Mingxin was terribly bored. At last, a junior employee from the neighboring Mission Management Bureau found her an opportunity to transmigrate into the role of an inconspicuous background character in an old-school romance novel.

The junior employee told her that her task was to show up whenever the leads went through an old-school plot point, and to speak whenever the other background characters spoke.

Xu Mingxin asked, "Besides showing up and speaking, is there anything I'm required to say?"

The junior employee shook their head. "No, you're just there to make up the numbers. Say whatever you want, as long as the plot... Oh, never mind the plot, either. Let it break if it breaks. If it does, we can get off work early. Anyway, do whatever."

And so Xu Mingxin went ahead and casually... complained about everything.

At work, the heroine got a call from the hospital where her mother was admitted, and her supervisor mocked her in front of everyone.

The background characters around them all joined in: "She's from the countryside, no wonder she doesn't know the rules. She's secretly making calls during work hours." "Exactly, she's a disgrace to the rest of us waitresses!" They eagerly piled on with their taunts.

Xu Mingxin (subway, old man, phone): "You guys don't slack off at work?"

Silence fell.

Then a timid voice rose from the crowd: "Slack off... what's that? I'm allergic to seafood, so how could I touch fish?"

Xu Mingxin: "...Is it possible that a seafood allergy means you have to eat it?"

Later, Xu Mingxin taught everyone what it meant to slack off at work.

Everyone began apologizing to the heroine.

The heroine had the courage to slack off at work. What an admirable spirit! How could they have scolded her?

Everyone also began thanking Xu Mingxin.

This mysterious expert had taught them how to slack off at work!

Xu Mingxin: "..."

Had she really done something extraordinary?

But that couldn't be right. All she'd done was complain a little, hadn't she?

Revised blurb:

Xu Mingxin, an ordinary office worker, transmigrated into an old-school romance novel.

The bad news: she had no idea what role she'd transmigrated into.

The good news: it was an old-school romance novel set in a modern city, so at least she knew this person was an office worker, too.

Well, Xu Mingxin could still be an office worker.

At work, Xu Mingxin slacked off as usual. Her colleague from the next desk sidled over with a malicious smile. "Oh, Xu Mingxin, what are you looking at...?"

The colleague meant to play the role of a vicious supporting character bullying the innocent heroine.

But Xu Mingxin was so focused on slacking off that she didn't notice her colleague's expression.

"Shh, keep your voice down! Don't let the boss hear!"

Making a shushing gesture, Xu Mingxin shared with her colleague, "Listen, the clothes in this livestream are so cheap, and they're all pure cotton. They're only a little over ten yuan each. I'm waiting for the sale to start. If you want anything, hurry up and get in there..."

When one ordinary office worker asks another what they're looking at, it's usually because they want to slack off together.

And Xu Mingxin was an ordinary office worker.

Her colleague froze.

Her colleague was tempted.

Later, the colleague learned how to slack off, and learned how to enjoy slacking off with Xu Mingxin.

One day, a new colleague joined Xu Mingxin's company.

This colleague was actually the vicious second female lead, there to compete with the heroine for both a man and a job.

She immediately provoked Xu Mingxin. "Xu Mingxin, I'm telling you, the person Bo Jinlu loves most is..."

Xu Mingxin knew that Bo Jinlu was the boss of their company, and her eyes immediately lit up with the glow of gossip.

She quickly pulled out her phone. "Come on, come join our gossip group! A huge scoop like this is something everyone should enjoy together!"

The vicious second female lead joined the group, confused.

She had been about to continue acting wicked, but the moment she entered the group, dozens of gossip messages flooded the screen.

Later, the vicious second female lead became the group's biggest chatterbox. As the daughter of the boss's family friend, she often shared incredible scoops that nobody else could get, and even earned the group's nickname of "war correspondent."

Only later did Xu Mingxin find out that she had actually transmigrated as the heroine of the old-school romance novel.

An old-school romance novel...

She looked at her colleagues slacking off at work, and the villainess having lunch with her and chatting about gossip...

Well, where was this old-school romance novel supposed to be?

Theme: There is warmth everywhere in the world.