THD Chapter 18

The Real and Fake Heiresses: The Real Heiress Wants to Sit on the Judges' Panel (Part 1)

[Memory Imprint]

4888 points, equivalent to over 480,000 in real currency.

Ye Xiqing was only pleased at first, but after doing the math and realizing just how expensive it was, she couldn't help feeling a pang of regret.

She looked at her remaining 31,901 points several times and secretly vowed never to spend them so recklessly again.

In the real world, she wasn't the rich woman she played in the "game." Every penny was precious. Like a beast of burden working far from home, Ye Xiqing carefully calculated how much of her hard-earned wages she had left. Deeply affected, she remained silent for a long time.

Finally, the system adjusted its state and appeared in the system space.

"Host, you can start the next world now."

The system space served as a resting area between mission worlds, and conversations there wouldn't be broadcast. Ye Xiqing had enjoyed a very relaxing vacation and was already preparing to return to work.

However, before leaving, she turned back and smiled at the system.

"System, you won't retaliate against me by sending me to a particularly terrible world, will you?"

The system forced a smile.

"Host, you're overthinking it. Because of you, revenue skyrocketed even during the off-season in the last world. I'm grateful to you. Why would I retaliate?"

"Oh."

Ye Xiqing nodded, then asked, "Since you're so grateful, what tangible reward do you have for me?"

System: ...

Before Ye Xiqing could press further, the system expressionlessly reached out and slapped her into the next world.

---

When Ye Xiqing arrived, she looked around, stretched her legs, and immediately confirmed that the system was indeed retaliating against her.

After all—

"In this era, I'm still wearing shoes that expose my toes. Isn't that a bit too much?"

The system smiled flawlessly.

"Host, don't misunderstand. This is only a preliminary stage. Your wealthy biological parents will be coming to pick you up soon."

It then began transmitting the plot.

As the memories flowed into her mind, Ye Xiqing quickly realized this was another True and Fake Heiress story. Unlike before, however, she wasn't the female lead this time.

She was a supporting character. The true female lead was the fake heiress, Ye Xueli.

---

The story began eighteen years ago.

A wealthy Mrs. Ye and an ordinary woman gave birth in the same hospital on the same day. Both gave birth to daughters. Mrs. Ye collapsed from exhaustion after delivery, and due to a series of circumstances, only her six-year-old third son remained at her bedside.

Children are often at their most innocent and also, at their most dangerous.

Because his newborn sister cried too much, the little boy secretly swapped her with another sleeping baby nearby. That quiet baby was Ye Xueli. As a result, the lives of two girls were exchanged for eighteen years.

Ye Xueli, who entered the wealthy Ye family, grew up like a princess, cherished by her parents and adored by her three older brothers. Meanwhile, the swapped "Ye Xiqing" was taken home by a family that favored sons over daughters. When she was only three years old, they abandoned her again.

The little girl stood by the roadside crying until a lonely old woman who survived by collecting scraps found her and took her home. The old woman raised her with great difficulty. Just when life finally seemed to be improving, her grandmother passed away when "Ye Xiqing" turned eighteen, the very age when she had hoped to repay her kindness.

Ye Xiqing tearfully saw her grandmother off. And at that very moment, her biological parents appeared.

At the time, "Ye Xiqing" believed her grandmother was watching over her from heaven and had helped her find her true family.

Little did she know that returning home would mark the beginning of her nightmare.

---

After eighteen years of careful upbringing, the fake heiress, Ye Xueli, had become a dazzling swan.

The real heiress, "Ye Xiqing," however, had been worn down by hardship into a timid, insecure, and unremarkable ugly duckling. She was so ashamed of herself that she barely dared raise her head in public.

The more brilliant Ye Xueli appeared, the more pitiful "Ye Xiqing" seemed in comparison.

At first, the Ye family felt guilty and genuinely tried to make up for lost time.

But gradually, their guilt faded.

What replaced it was disappointment.

Then disgust.

Eventually, a car accident occurred.

The Ye family anxiously gathered around Ye Xueli, who had suffered only minor injuries.

Meanwhile, "Ye Xiqing," who was suffering from internal bleeding, died quietly nearby, ignored and alone and in despair.

---

Then she was reborn.

Only after her rebirth did she discover that she lived inside a romance novel titled Nian Nian Xue Li.

The novel told the bittersweet love story between the fake heiress Ye Xueli and Qin Nian, heir to the Qin family.

As for herself?

She was merely cannon fodder.

A tool used to advance the relationship between the protagonists.

Heartbroken by this revelation, "Ye Xiqing" no longer wanted anything to do with the main couple in this life.

She simply wanted to survive.

Unexpectedly, however, something changed.

For reasons unknown, her parents, her three older brothers, and even the male lead Qin Nian could all hear her inner thoughts.

---

"So this is why the world is called After Having My Heart Heard, I Was Spoiled by My Whole Family?"

After transmitting the entire plot in one breath, the system answered expressionlessly:

"Yes, Host. Do you have any questions?"

Ye Xiqing rubbed her temples.

Her head was buzzing from the nested layers of plot:

Female supporting character becomes female lead.

Female lead becomes female supporting character.

Female supporting character becomes female lead again.

After a long moment, she finally recovered from the shock.

Turning to the system, she asked:

"So my cheat ability in this life is that all the important characters, except the original female lead who is now the supporting characters, can hear my thoughts, right?"

"Yes."

"Then here's my question."

Ye Xiqing narrowed her eyes.

"Is this cheat ability something I already had because of the original plot, or is it something you gave me?"

System: ...

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters."

Ye Xiqing folded her arms.

"If it already existed in the original plot, then doesn't that mean you've gone through two entire worlds without giving me a proper cheat ability?"

"You call yourself a Female Lead System in a wish-fulfillment novel, but you're basically getting credit for free."

"A wish-fulfillment novel Female Lead System that contributes nothing."

System: ...

"Host, I gave you a Beauty Pill in your first world..."

"But I didn't use it on myself."

"Was that because I wouldn't let you use it?"

Ye Xiqing: ...

Well.

That was true.

"But in this world, System, you haven't given me anything new."

"Even if I perfectly clear this mission, it has nothing to do with you."

"Don't add it to your performance record without my permission."

"I don't agree."

System: ...

After a long silence, it finally said:

"Then how about I reward you with another lottery draw?"

Ye Xiqing smiled immediately.

"No."

"What if I end up drawing another useless Beauty Pill?"

"How about a compromise?"

"If I perfectly clear this world, then when I return to my original world, you can permanently equip me with this cheat."

"That way, I won't receive any extra help in future mission worlds, and you won't lose anything either."

She smiled brightly.

"It's a win-win situation. What do you think?"

System: ...

It really wanted to ask when the host's petty-bourgeois habits would ever change, but it had no desire to argue with her like an auntie haggling over vegetables at the market.

In the end, it could only say helplessly,

"Fine, Host. If you can achieve an A-rank evaluation or higher in this world, the system will equip you with the [Heart-to-Heart] cheat after you return to your original world. You'll be able to choose the targets yourself."

"Now can you please focus on the mission?"

Ye Xiqing smiled and nodded.

After all, even a mosquito's leg was still meat.

Getting something for free always felt wonderful.

---

Although she had promised to do the mission properly, Ye Xiqing wasn't in any hurry to go outside.

Whether appearing in late autumn wearing shoes with exposed toes would earn sympathy from the Ye family was one thing.

Who would willingly suffer freezing feet?

She slowly tidied up her appearance, then lay down on the table and pretended to be asleep.

---

Outside, the Ye family had already been waiting for quite some time.

Their initial anticipation gradually turned into anxiety as Ye Xiqing stubbornly refused to come out.

The fake heiress, Ye Xueli, even had tears gathering in her eyes as she asked pitifully,

"Sister... do you not want to see me?"

Having raised her as their own daughter for eighteen years, the Ye couple immediately softened.

Ye's mother patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"Of course not. You're both our daughters. We'll make sure the two of you get along."

Ye Xueli sniffled and buried herself in her mother's embrace.

Meanwhile, Ye San, standing nearby, became increasingly irritated.

Ever since the truth about the switched sisters had been exposed, he had been scolded nonstop by everyone around him.

The anger in his chest had already reached its limit.

Now, seeing Ye Xiqing hiding inside and assuming she was deliberately making things difficult, he became even more annoyed.

He had never felt guilty about switching the babies all those years ago.

In his eyes, this sister had been troublesome from the moment she was born.

Now she was even more irritating.

No matter what happened, Li'er would always be his real sister.

As for Ye Xiqing?

He had no intention of acknowledging her.

---

After waiting much longer without seeing any movement, Ye San finally lost his patience.

He raised his foot and kicked the dilapidated wooden door.

"Open up!"

His parents were startled and tried to stop him.

But with Ye Xiqing refusing to respond and their own anxiety mounting, their objections lacked conviction.

With a loud bang, the old wooden door—already fragile from years of neglect—was kicked open.

Everyone rushed inside.

The moment they entered, however, they were greeted by the overwhelming stench of accumulated scrap and garbage.

These wealthy people, accustomed to luxury and expensive perfumes, nearly gagged.

Holding their noses, they looked around the tiny room.

Then they saw Ye Xiqing.

She was lying on the table, sleeping soundly.

The group exchanged glances.

In the end, Ye's mother stepped forward first.

Forcing a gentle smile, she said,

"Qingqing... I'm your mother..."

---

At that moment, Ye Xiqing slowly opened her eyes.

She stared blankly at Ye's mother's face.

For a long while, she said nothing.

Then she suddenly raised a hand and covered her forehead.

She never opened her mouth.

Yet a voice echoed clearly beside her.

[Am I still half asleep?]

[Why do I see my mother's face?]

Ye's mother froze.

A surge of excitement immediately rushed through her.

After all, this was her biological daughter.

Without thinking further, she hurried forward.

"It's me!"

"I'm your mother!"

"I'm your biological mother!"

Yet Ye Xiqing merely continued holding her forehead.

The voice rang out once more.

[Impossible.]

[My mother is already dead.]

Ye's mother froze again.

Did she mistake her for her adoptive mother?

Just as she was about to explain, the voice continued.

[That's right. Mom is dead.]

[She died together with Dad.]

[Both of them were killed by my brothers.]

[I must be mentally unstable.]

[I'm hallucinating.]

---

The room instantly fell silent.

---

Meanwhile, the system was thrilled.

Had the host finally decided to take the mission seriously?

That line—

"Mom and Dad are already dead."

—was absolutely vicious.

A direct critical hit.

Knowing that the Ye couple would eventually die because of the fake heiress, even if they adored Ye Xueli, hearing such words would inevitably plant seeds of doubt.

The system became increasingly excited.

For once, the host seemed prepared to launch a ruthless attack against the fake heiress.

Then it heard the next sentence.

"Both of them were killed by my brothers."

System: ...

The system's brain instantly short-circuited.

It stared blankly at its host.

A long moment passed before it finally processed what it had just heard.

...Huh?

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