THD - Chapter 1

A Vicious Man Tries to Steal My Luck (Part 1)

Like a wooden telephone pole from the last century, it leaned crookedly against the mud wall. In the very center was a black-tiled house with exposed old red bricks, which looked barely taller than a person. The weathered wooden door was wide open, and the stove inside could be seen at a glance. The color of the window frame was strange. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered to be not glass, but a layer of murky plastic sheeting. Only that dilapidated telephone pole offered a semblance of modernity; all other details clearly told Ye Xiqing that even a remote mountain village in the present world couldn’t possibly be this place. She had definitely traveled back in time.

Sure enough, a voice rang in her mind. “Congratulations, host, you have been bound to the ‘Refreshing Novel Female Protagonist System’. 7418 is at your service.”

Ye Xiqing slowly turned her eyes. Before transmigrating, she was a senior high school student preparing for the college entrance examination. As someone who excelled at reading comprehension, Ye Xiqing grasped the key points almost immediately.

“Congratulations?” she asked flatly.

“That’s right.” The system’s voice was an exceptionally gentle male voice, speaking in her mind like a whisper in her ear, carrying a lazy ambiguity. However, although it congratulated Ye Xiqing with a gentle tone and even used honorifics, Ye Xiqing always felt that it was not as humble as its words suggested.

As a female-oriented wish-fulfillment novel system, 7418’s job is to select lucky individuals from various worlds, take them on journeys through them, give them cheat codes, create dreams for them, and let them experience a perfect life. At its inception, as an unknowing and unfeeling intelligent life form, it had no likes, dislikes, or biases. But as it experienced more of the world and its “personality” became richer, it began to develop its own “humanity”—which is to say: it felt that its hosts were not worthy of respect.

If one had to use one word to describe them, it would be “undeserving of their positions.” In countless timelines, they are loved by all the outstanding men in the story, making all women jealous. Even the most powerful male protagonist will cry and beg for their affections in what are known as “wife-chasing stories”—narratives where the husband desperately pursues his wife’s forgiveness. They appear glamorous and charming. But in reality, they possess all of this entirely because of the system. Without its blessing, would anyone really like them? They are ordinary and despicable.

At the end of every happy ending story, the system would always ask itself a question, and naturally it would receive only contempt as an answer. Over time, it developed only contempt for its hosts. The current host is no different, of course, but out of professional ethics, 7418 would never reveal these things in front of the host, so it still spoke politely.

“That’s right, you have been selected by the ‘Female Lead of a Refreshing Novel’ system. From now on, you will travel through various book worlds and become the only female lead in each one. Once you have perfectly completed all the worlds, you can choose any world you like and keep it for life. It could be a sweet campus romance world, an ancient power struggle world, or a fantasy world…”

“That’s enough,” Ye Xiqing interrupted. She is a very quiet person. Because of this quietness, others always think that she has a good personality, but in fact, the opposite is true. Not hearing the answer she wanted, her anger rose more quickly than her patience. Her voice was flat as she said: “I mean, what are you congratulating me on? When did I allow you to bind yourself to me?”

The system paused. It didn’t expect Ye Xiqing to ask this question. Generally speaking, the first host to be bound to the system would be more interested in knowing what kind of system it is. After all, for ordinary girls, being able to become the heroine in a story is such a great fortune. Who wouldn’t want such an opportunity? It seems that there were previous hosts who made a fuss about unbinding themselves, but in the end, they were just girls who said one thing but meant another. After becoming the heroine of a wish-fulfillment novel and enjoying the benefits, they never said a word of unwillingness again.

Therefore, the system continued to speak gently with an extremely inclusive attitude. “It is your heart that is calling me. I know you. Your family background is very ordinary. The only thing you can be proud of is your studies, but you should know in your heart that you are just hardworking, not talented. You have no charm, no friends, and during the most restless time of adolescence, no one noticed you in the corner. Like a shadow lurking in the darkness, have you ever envied those geniuses who can easily achieve success without effort? Have you ever envied beautiful girls who are always surrounded by people fawning over them? Have you ever longed to be the center of a story yourself? I came because of this desire, and in the future, you will also achieve everything you hope for.”

“Oh.” Ye Xiqing smiled. Sometimes people can actually laugh when they’re in a state of utter speechlessness. Ye Xiqing looked at the system with a cold smile. “So, I invited you here after all?”

Ye Xiqing’s sarcastic and unpredictable manner was somewhat beyond the system’s expectations. But it didn’t matter—the system was still confident, because soon Ye Xiqing’s attention would no longer be on it.

Sure enough, a group of people poured out of the dilapidated brick house shortly afterward. The person in front was a very beautiful but inexplicably gaudy young woman. Her expression immediately changed when she saw Ye Xiqing. After a few moments of turmoil, she suddenly turned around, grabbed a man’s hand, and pulled him out the door. In an instant, she began to feign sadness and shed tears in a contrived manner towards Ye Xiqing.

“Sister, I know you’re the one engaged to Pengfei, but we truly love each other. Please, please, give him to me, okay?”

The man she had pulled looked extremely embarrassed but secretly glanced at Ye Xiqing before finally lowering his head and remaining silent without refutation.

The system watched from the sidelines, a smile playing on its lips. Nothing attracts a woman’s attention more than “beating up a rival.” Which woman wouldn’t instantly fly into a rage if she saw a “green tea bitch” pulling a man who was “presumably her fiancé” in front of her and provoking her? Surely Ye Xiqing would soon get into her role.

But Ye Xiqing only looked at the person in front of her and slowly asked something unexpected. The system took the opportunity to transmit the plot to Ye Xiqing.

This is a period novel called “Swapping Marriage in the ’90s,” and Miao Shuangshuang is the villainous female supporting character in the story. She was born during the strictest period of the one-child policy, so she could have been an only child showered with love. But she never expected that her mother’s youngest sister would become pregnant out of wedlock, give birth to a daughter, and then her boyfriend would run away. The girl was Ye Xiqing, and Miao Shuangshuang's mother (Ye Xiqing’s aunt) took the girl home to raise herself out of kindness.

Children at this age are possessive. Miao Shuangshuang disliked Ye Xiqing since childhood. If she ate half a bowl of rice, she wouldn’t allow Ye Xiqing to eat a whole bowl. If she fell down, she wouldn’t allow Ye Xiqing to just stand by and watch; she would run over crying and beat her too. This hatred, accumulated since childhood, may seem light and fragile, but it is deep and enduring.

In short, no matter what it was, Miao Shuangshuang would not allow Ye Xiqing to have anything better than her. Ye Xiqing, having long understood the meaning of being dependent on others, silently accepted whatever came her way.

So when it came time for their marriages, faced with two marriage proposals, Miao Shuangshuang unhesitatingly chose Lu Jing’an, the son of the local richest man. She left Gu Pengfei, a poor college graduate divorced with a child, to her disliked cousin, Ye Xiqing.

The Lu family, whom Miao Shuangshuang married into, owned a winery. Back in the 1990s, when having ten thousand yuan was a remarkable achievement, the Lu family had already built a two-story villa of 300 square meters, and drove luxury cars that would be considered impressive even by today’s standards. Their wine had even been featured on the Spring Festival Gala.

Naturally, Miao Shuangshuang was very proud of marrying into such a family, content to be a wealthy socialite, spending her days shopping and having her husband spend money on her “dream of pursuing an acting career.” However, she never expected that the Lu family would go bankrupt shortly after her marriage.

The Lu family’s liquor was once nationally renowned, but like many companies that fade into obscurity over time, a significant portion of the Lu family’s top management was a makeshift team that rose to power through personal connections. They acted on whims and lacked respect for brand quality control. To cut costs, some executives began mixing grain liquor with industrial alcohol, and finding it more profitable, they expanded the practice. They initially thought it wouldn’t cause any problems, but reputation is something that crumbles faster than it’s built. Orders dried up. As sales plummeted, one day an unexpected incident triggered a terrifying chain reaction, exposing all the hidden problems. Not only did the Lu family’s liquor declare bankruptcy, but Miao Shuangshuang’s father-in-law was also arrested.

If that were all, it wouldn’t have been so bad; after all, even a weakened giant is still powerful, and even with the Lu family bankrupt, Miao Shuangshuang could still live better than the average person thanks to their accumulated wealth. But she never expected that Lu Jing’an was such a heartless man. After the Lu family’s downfall, sensing the situation was dire, she quickly acted, pulling Lu Jing’an away to live separately, avoiding any trouble for herself.

Lu Jing’an, however, resented her greed, her drama, her inhumanity, and her annoying talk, arguing with her constantly, until he was rarely home. Miao Shuangshuang knew he was having an affair and, in despair, threatened him with divorce, only to receive a curt “Fine, let’s divorce,” leaving her completely stunned.

Initially, she stubbornly insisted that she could marry someone better even without Lu Jing’an. But time waits for no one; she was no longer the beautiful young woman who, even with her sharp tongue, could be forgiven for her beauty. The wealthy husband she desired didn’t reciprocate her feelings. She considered acting and making big money, but her entry into the entertainment industry was all thanks to the Lu family. So many others had entered this glamorous circle with unrealistic fantasies, constantly changing; what was she compared to them?

She hated the Lu family, hated everything about them, but after leaving them, she realized she was nothing. After the divorce, she was left with nothing, a failure in her life. Maintaining a facade of dignity, carrying a fake bag and wearing fake jewelry, she returned to her long-lost home, only to witness an unexpected scene. Her cousin, dressed impeccably, was being helped out of a luxury car by a gentle-looking man, her demeanor elegant, like a true socialite.

It was then that she realized the poor boy she had once looked down upon, Gu Pengfei, was no longer the same. Since Ye Xiqing married him, Gu Pengfei had worked tirelessly for his wife and children, quitting his comfortable job to start a business. After years of hard work, he had built a fortune from scratch, becoming a new billionaire. His ex-wife’s children, raised by Ye Xiqing, had also grown up well, treating her like their own mother, and they had even had their own children.

Miao Shuangshuang was stung by the scene before her. Why! Why! Why was Ye Xiqing living a better life than her! Filled with intense hatred, she never imagined she would be reborn! This time, she was reborn before she even made a choice. When she saw the marriage proposal offered again, Miao Shuangshuang made her choice without hesitation—this time, it was her turn to marry Gu Pengfei!

Ye Xiqing endured the onslaught of information flooding her mind. Truly, the technology was unimaginable; she felt as if she were truly experiencing the love-hate entanglement between the sisters, Miao Shuangshuang and Ye Xiqing. After understanding everything, Ye Xiqing looked at Miao Shuangshuang and naturally asked, “What is the meaning of her rebirth?”

“Heh,” the system chuckled. “Some people are reborn to succeed, others are reborn perhaps just to prove why they failed so badly. Miao Shuangshuang blames all her misfortunes on choosing the wrong person, but is it possible that it wasn’t others who brought her misfortune, but rather she who brought misfortune to others? Whoever chooses her will become unfortunate.”

“Character determines destiny. One can only be responsible for one’s own destiny, and you…” The system whispered gently in Ye Xiqing’s ear—“Whoever you choose will become lucky! In both lives, whoever chose Miao Shuangshuang became unfortunate, and whoever chose you became lucky. What does this mean?”

Rarely did this artificial, seemingly incapable system try to interact with her. Ye Xiqing turned her gaze forward. In the midst of the commotion, another male protagonist appeared. Lu Jing’an, disliked by Miao Shuangshuang, watched the farce unfold indifferently, as if it had nothing to do with him. The setting sun shone on his handsome face, giving his roguish charm a touch of mystery. As if drawn by fate, Lu Jing’an’s gaze fell directly on Ye Xiqing.

Ye Xiqing wasn’t naive; when she was stressed from studying, she would read various novels to relax. So she immediately knew that her cousin, whose emotions were constantly on display like a clown, was probably just seasoning. The “winner from a past life” standing beside her with her head down, and this nonchalant “loser from a present life,” were the main course.

Ye Xiqing’s gaze lingered on the two men for a while, comparing them, and pondering for a moment, when suddenly a flash of inspiration struck her. “This proves that both of these men are unlucky. I’m such a fool; they’ve sucked away my luck for two lifetimes.”

The system originally didn’t want to gossip like a gossipy woman and argue with its host. But the fastest way to get closer to a girl is, of course, to gossip with her, so the system echoed, “Yes…” As soon as it finished speaking, it realized what Ye Xiqing had said, and its mainframe crashed for a moment. “Wait… what are you saying?”

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