Chapter Summaries

Plot points and events

• Lu Bochen, burdened by guilt over pushing his twin sister Lu Jiaoyue, secretly cuts his arm as self-punishment. He stops before the injury becomes worse because his therapist has warned him not to hurt himself, then treats the wound and hides the scars beneath his sleeve.
• The next morning, Lu Xiaoxiao finds her parents, Song Zhilan and Lu Yuan, in a tense mood. Lu Yuan leaves without breakfast, and Song Zhilan sits down visibly upset.
• The chapter explains the misunderstanding behind their argument. Years earlier, when Lu Yuan’s company was in danger, Song Zhilan’s family refused to help and urged her to divorce him. She chose to stay with him, but never told him she had asked her uncle for support and been rejected.
• After reading Lu Yuan’s book the previous night, Song Zhilan had hoped to draw closer to him. But when she was already in his arms, Lu Yuan assumed her affection was an attempt to win his favor for her nephew’s company. Hurt, she turned away, and their renewed closeness collapsed.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Bochen is painfully self-conscious beside Jiaoyue, whom he sees as the lively, socially adept version of himself that his parents might have wanted. His guilt and emotional distress lead him to self-harm, though he also shows some restraint by remembering his therapist’s guidance.
• Song Zhilan recognizes that Lu Yuan struggles to express affection and wants to approach him gently. Her effort fails because his comment makes her feel that he still doubts her motives.
• Lu Yuan is shown as capable and devoted in his own way, but emotionally inept. His lingering resentment toward the Song Family causes him to misread his wife’s intentions.
• Lu Xiaoxiao observes the strained breakfast and, through her thoughts, worries that her parents are “calling it quits” again. Her inner commentary also reveals her sympathy for her father’s devotion to Song Zhilan.

Significant themes

• Miscommunication in marriage: The couple’s affection is undermined by unspoken history and assumptions.
• Loyalty and resentment: Song Zhilan stood by Lu Yuan when her own family rejected him, while Lu Yuan’s resentment has obscured that sacrifice.
• Guilt and self-punishment: Bochen responds to a mistake by hurting himself, illustrating the severity of his self-blame.
• Emotional isolation and self-image: Bochen compares himself unfavorably with Jiaoyue and wonders whether he can ever become “normal.”

Key plot points and events

• After breakfast, Song Zhilan asks Lu Xiaoxiao for advice, disguising her problem with Lu Yuan as a “friend’s” marital misunderstanding. She explains that the friend secretly did loving things for her husband, but he never knew, and his recent remarks hurt her.
• Lu Xiaoxiao points out that expecting someone to understand unspoken feelings is unrealistic. She also argues that openly expressing love isn’t “fishing for credit,” and that when two people love each other, what they do for one another is precious.
• Song Zhilan realizes she should speak honestly with Lu Yuan rather than worry about losing face. Encouraged, she goes to prepare to talk to him.
• The system reminds Lu Xiaoxiao that Lu Yubai’s birthday-party plot event is two days away. Since he may reject a gift from her, she is reluctant to choose one, but agrees to prepare something so she can enter the party disguised as a classmate.
• On his birthday, Lu Yubai holds a karaoke party with friends his age instead of celebrating with his family. He takes Lu Jiaoyue, whom he wants to show off to his friends, but deliberately leaves Lu Xiaoxiao behind, considering her bad luck.

Character developments

• Song Zhilan moves from hurt and uncertainty toward recognizing that honest communication matters more than pride. Her sudden lightness suggests she is eager to reconnect with Lu Yuan.
• Lu Xiaoxiao gives surprisingly perceptive relationship advice despite having little romantic experience. Her thoughts about her own volatile affection for Lu Yubai reveal a mix of irritation and tenderness.
• Lu Yubai shows his favoritism toward Lu Jiaoyue and his continuing hostility toward Lu Xiaoxiao, whom he actively excludes from his birthday.
• Lu Xunli quietly understands his parents’ enduring bond and avoids interfering in their familiar disagreements.

Significant themes

• Communication and unspoken expectations: Love cannot reliably make people understand feelings that are never shared.
• Pride versus intimacy: Being the first to speak is not a loss of dignity when affection is mutual.
• Love’s contradictions: Tenderness can coexist with anger, irritation, and resentment.
• Family dynamics and exclusion: Lu Yubai’s choice to include one sister while shutting out another highlights the family’s uneven relationships.

Character interactions

• Song Zhilan cautiously seeks Lu Xiaoxiao’s counsel, while Lu Xiaoxiao’s internal thoughts expose the “friend” as her mother and shape the advice she gives.
• Song Zhilan embraces Lu Xiaoxiao gratefully before returning to Lu Yuan, apparently ready to talk.
• The system presses Lu Xiaoxiao about the birthday plot and gift; she responds with comic threats and reluctance.
• Lu Yubai persuades Lu Jiaoyue to come to his party while ensuring Lu Xiaoxiao is left out.

Plot points and events

• Disguised as a glamorous stranger, Lu Xiaoxiao goes to the Phantom Club to make sure Lu Jiaoyue and Gu Sipei meet, as instructed by her system.
• She learns that Gu Sipei is heading to the club’s restricted sixth floor, while Lu Jiaoyue is at Lu Yubai’s crowded birthday party on the fifth.
• Lu Xiaoxiao decides to make Jiaoyue appear ill so staff will escort her upstairs, planning to use a system drug to cause dizziness and fever.
• She enters the party by pretending to be one of Lu Yubai’s classmates. After fending off several men’s advances with playful excuses—including “Thanks, but I’ll pass—I’m a lesbian”—she finds Jiaoyue at the bar.
• Jiaoyue is speaking with Qi Yin, who is asking about Lu Yubai because she likes him. Hearing Lu Xiaoxiao’s thoughts, Jiaoyue realizes her sister has arrived and eagerly looks for her.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao is resourceful and committed to following the system’s romantic plot, but her plan relies on drugging Jiaoyue and she rationalizes this as necessary. Her jokes and tiredness also reveal a more worldly, irreverent side.
• Lu Jiaoyue feels out of place at the party and misses her sister’s company. She finds Lu Xiaoxiao reassuring and is delighted by the possibility of seeing her.
• Lu Yubai is busy hosting and has left Jiaoyue largely to herself; he also told Jiaoyue that Lu Xiaoxiao would arrive, despite not having invited her.
• Gu Sipei remains distant and unaware of Lu Xiaoxiao, while heading to the VIP floor.
• Qi Yin approaches Jiaoyue and reveals her interest in Lu Yubai through her questions.

Significant themes

• Manipulation in service of romance: Lu Xiaoxiao treats engineering a meeting between the presumed leads as her mission, even when it means deceiving and endangering Jiaoyue.
• Sibling comfort and attachment: Jiaoyue’s excitement at finding Lu Xiaoxiao highlights the emotional security she feels with her sister.
• Comedy and social performance: Xiaoxiao’s disguise and improvised rejections contrast with her discomfort at the party and her scheming purpose.

Key events

• Lu Jiaoyue looks for her sister, Lu Xiaoxiao, but can’t find her. Qi Yin asks for help with Lu Yubai; when Jiaoyue says she barely knows him, Qi Yin accuses her of making excuses and walks away.
• A disguised Lu Xiaoxiao sits beside Jiaoyue. Using a system-provided voice-changing item, she disguises her voice and pretends to be a stranger.
• Jiaoyue recognizes Xiaoxiao from her inner thoughts and mannerisms, but keeps up the pretense. Xiaoxiao asks what Jiaoyue thinks of her, then repeats rumors that Xiaoxiao is secretly unkind.
• Jiaoyue passionately defends her sister, describing her as kind and generous despite her difficulty expressing herself. Xiaoxiao is stunned by Jiaoyue’s loyalty.
• Abandoning the conversation, Xiaoxiao urges Jiaoyue to drink the juice she secretly laced with system-provided powder and plans to take her to the sixth floor.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Jiaoyue remains good-tempered and becomes fiercely protective of Xiaoxiao, interpreting the disguised woman’s criticism as a test of her loyalty.
• Lu Xiaoxiao tries to understand Jiaoyue’s affection and test her opinion of her, but is baffled that Jiaoyue sees her as a good sister. She then turns to carrying out her plan.
• Qi Yin reacts impatiently to Jiaoyue’s honest uncertainty and ends their interaction abruptly.
• Jiaoyue and disguised Xiaoxiao share an ironic exchange: Xiaoxiao intends to warn her, while Jiaoyue reads the conversation as a test and responds with wholehearted praise.

Significant themes

• Loyalty and family belonging: Jiaoyue firmly accepts Xiaoxiao as family and defends her despite rumors and past mistreatment.
• Miscommunication and conflicting perceptions: Xiaoxiao sees herself as harsh, while Jiaoyue interprets her behavior generously.
• Dramatic irony and disguise: Readers know the stranger is Xiaoxiao, and Jiaoyue recognizes her, while Xiaoxiao believes her disguise is convincing.

Key plot points

• Lu Xiaoxiao tricks her younger sister, Lu Jiaoyue, into drinking a juice that causes temporary dizziness. She tells Jiaoyue the drink is drugged, but Jiaoyue trusts her and drinks it anyway.
• Xiaoxiao pretends to help the dizzy Jiaoyue and enjoys the closeness when Jiaoyue leans against her. Jiaoyue, though only mildly affected, plays up her weakness so she can cuddle her distant older sister.
• Xiaoxiao takes Jiaoyue to the sixth floor of Phantom, ostensibly to find a quiet place to rest. After a staff member warns her not to enter lounge eight, Gu Sipei’s private room, Xiaoxiao deliberately brings Jiaoyue there and leaves her to sleep.
• Xiaoxiao checks with her system that the encounter will not lead to anything between Gu Sipei and Jiaoyue yet, then removes her uncomfortable makeup and false eyelashes.
• On her way out, Xiaoxiao collides with Ji Yunhuai. He recognizes her and assumes she is working part-time at the venue; she quickly agrees.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Jiaoyue is trusting and affectionate beneath her cool exterior. She knows the juice is drugged but accepts it because she trusts Xiaoxiao, and exaggerates her dizziness to enjoy physical closeness with her sister.
• Lu Xiaoxiao is scheming but protective and fond of Jiaoyue. She worries about Jiaoyue’s naivety, yet deliberately engineers a meeting with Gu Sipei as part of her plan.
• Ji Yunhuai recognizes Xiaoxiao from an earlier encounter and teases her about being at Phantom instead of cleaning toilets. Xiaoxiao is startled and anxious, but accepts his convenient assumption that she works there.
• The sisters’ interaction mixes Xiaoxiao’s hidden intentions with Jiaoyue’s sincere trust and desire for affection. The system reassures Xiaoxiao that Gu Sipei and Jiaoyue’s relationship will not progress yet.

Significant themes

• Trust and vulnerability: Jiaoyue’s faith in her sister makes her unusually easy to deceive, even as it reveals their bond.
• Affection beneath emotional distance: Jiaoyue seeks closeness that Xiaoxiao rarely offers openly.
• Scheming and romantic “fate”: Xiaoxiao attempts to arrange a meeting between the future leads, while the chapter’s title humorously contrasts expected romance with her own unsettling encounters.

Key plot points and events

• Ji Yunhuai tells Lu Xiaoxiao to join him for drinks, and she follows despite her misgivings because she fears his unpredictable temper.
• In a private room, Lu Xiaoxiao sees Young Master Lei singing badly while women lavish him with praise. Lei rewards them by tossing cash, briefly turning the room into a scramble for money.
• Hoping for a tip, Lu Xiaoxiao eagerly agrees when Ji hints she should try to please him.
• Ji’s wealthy friends tease him for bringing a woman, but he says Lu is merely an old acquaintance he brought along to broaden her horizons.
• After Lu pours his wine and waits expectantly, Ji gives her a single one-yuan coin as a tip. Humiliated and furious, she asks the system when he dies in the original novel; it says he survives to the end.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao is wary of Ji but pragmatic about earning money. Her hopeful response to the prospect of tips turns to indignation when Ji gives her almost nothing; she privately adds his friends’ insults to her mental ledger as well.
• Ji Yunhuai remains composed, domineering, and mischievous. He brings Lu along, dismisses suggestions that she is his romantic interest, and deliberately needles her with a stingy “tip.”
• Young Master Lei enjoys exaggerated praise and pays the women entertaining him, while Red Hair and Diamond Studs tease Ji about Lu’s presence and appearance.
• Lu and Ji’s interaction centers on a comic mismatch: she tries to treat the outing as a chance to make money, while he toys with her expectations.

Significant themes

• Power and intimidation: Lu complies because Ji’s unpredictable reputation makes refusal feel risky.
• Money and pragmatism: Lu is willing to tolerate the company if there is a chance to earn tips.
• Appearance versus reality: The women’s lavish praise of Lei is transparently transactional, and Lu recognizes that flattery can be purchased.
• Comic injustice: Lu’s final thought—that good people die young while villains live forever—captures her frustration with Ji’s survival and behavior.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Xiaoxiao retaliates when Ji Yunhuai gives her only a small payment for pouring his wine: she pours most of it back into the bottle. Ji is amused rather than angry.
• Young Master Lei asks whether Ji truly wants him to compete with Ji’s father, Ji Cheng, for land in the south of the city. Ji approves, saying he enjoys making his father unhappy.
• When Ji presses Lu to sing, she performs “My Motherland and I,” transforming the lounge’s decadent mood into a conspicuously patriotic one. Ji gives her faint praise but tells her not to sing again.
• Lu’s stiletto slips as she approaches Ji, and she falls hard onto her knees, injuring her foot. Unable to stand, she is taken from the gathering by Ji—slung over his shoulder rather than carried bridal-style.
• Ji’s companions speculate about Lu’s identity and Ji’s unusual tolerance of her. They also mention Miss Cui, who may target Lu because of her connection to Ji’s mother.
• In the lounge, Ji gives Lu a first-aid kit and asks why she brought the Lu family’s daughter into Gu Sipei’s private lounge, warning that Gu might retaliate after throwing her out.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao is cheeky and defiant despite knowing she cannot openly challenge Ji. She also eavesdrops on the men’s business talk and keeps up her sarcastic inner commentary. Her fall leaves her vulnerable, though she refuses to ask Ji for help.
• Ji Yunhuai remains domineering and blunt, but his amusement at Lu’s defiance and his decision to take her away suggest an unusual interest or concern. He insists on control, even in how he carries her.
• Young Master Lei readily agrees to oppose Ji Cheng, apparently confident that Ji’s approval makes the risky move acceptable.
• Ji’s companions are surprised by his leniency toward Lu and wonder whether she is his lover. Their conversation hints that her association with him could attract Miss Cui’s attention.

Significant themes

• Defiance and power: Lu pushes back against Ji in small, humorous ways despite the imbalance between them.
• Contradictions and comedy: The patriotic song clashes absurdly with the lounge’s indulgent atmosphere, while Lu’s hoped-for romantic carry becomes an awkward shoulder sling.
• Family conflict and intrigue: Ji’s willingness to undermine his father suggests serious tension within the wealthy Ji family.
• Care expressed through control: Ji helps Lu after her fall, but does so in a brusque, commanding manner rather than tenderly.

Plot and key events

• Ji Yunhuai reveals that he owns Phantom nightclub and confronts Lu Xiaoxiao about her suspicious stories: she previously claimed to clean toilets at a restaurant and now says she works part-time at the club.
• He correctly identifies her as Lu Xiaoxiao, the Lu Family’s adopted daughter, and implies he learned this by investigating her.
• Lu Xiaoxiao admits who she is and theatrically braces for punishment, but Ji Yunhuai assures her he does not intend to harm her.
• Instead, he offers to keep her past actions secret in exchange for her help whenever he summons her. He says she can refuse—but threatens to reveal what she has done to the Lu Family if she does.
• His proposed requests sound relatively harmless: accompanying him for entertainment or acting as his date at events. He explains that he picked her because he finds her entertaining.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao is unsettled by Ji Yunhuai’s repeated appearances and surprised to learn he owns the club. Though outwardly she plays dumb and then pretends to surrender, she remains defiant and privately prepared to fight back. She reluctantly recognizes that Ji has uncovered her identity and that his offer is really a threat.
• Ji Yunhuai shows himself to be perceptive, well-informed, and fond of controlling the situation. He toys with Lu Xiaoxiao and briefly considers frightening her, but holds back. Rather than punish her, he turns her secret into leverage and frames their arrangement as paid work.
• Their interaction is a contest of suspicion and bluff: Ji calmly exposes Lu Xiaoxiao’s lies, while she tries to conceal her motives and maintain her nerve. His casual tone contrasts with the coercive nature of his proposal.

Significant themes

• Secrets and surveillance: Lu Xiaoxiao’s false identities do not protect her from Ji Yunhuai’s investigation.
• Power and leverage: Ji’s wealth, ownership of the club, and knowledge of her identity give him control over the negotiation.
• Humor as both defense and vulnerability: Lu Xiaoxiao’s sarcastic inner commentary helps her cope, but Ji’s amusement at her makes her humor the very reason he draws her into his orbit.
• Control versus resistance: Ji sets the terms, while Lu Xiaoxiao inwardly resists even as she faces limited choices.

Key plot points and events

• After treating Lu Xiaoxiao’s injured ankle and knee, Ji Yunhuai lends her fashionable flats. She leaves, still angry at him, and hurries home before her family discovers she went out, hoping Lu Jiaoyue’s meeting with Gu Sipei is going well.
• Gu Sipei concludes a lucrative overseas investment deal, improving his standing within the Gu Corporation. He also turns a spy planted by his older brother, Gu Sijing, into a source of misleading information.
• Exhausted, Gu Sipei retreats to his private lounge to sleep. He reflects that he must keep rising in the ruthless Gu family struggle if he is to avoid being used and ultimately defeat Gu Sijing.
• Unaware that someone is in the bed, Gu Sipei is pulled down and embraced by a woman who mistakes him for her sister. He turns on the lamp and discovers that the woman is Lu Jiaoyue.

Character developments

• Lu Xiaoxiao remains resentful of Ji Yunhuai’s controlling behavior, even while accepting his practical help. Her concern about getting home unnoticed shows she is trying to manage the family’s expectations.
• Ji Yunhuai has secured Lu Xiaoxiao’s contact information and lets her go once he has achieved his aim; her sarcastic “Young Master Ji” does not seem to bother him.
• Gu Sipei is shown as a strategic, highly capable executive who has built power despite his brother’s influence. His ambition is driven by the need to survive the Gu family’s ruthless competition.
• Assistant Lin has moved from doubting Gu Sipei to admiring and trusting him, having witnessed his decisiveness and punishing work ethic.
• Lu Jiaoyue appears unexpectedly in Gu Sipei’s bed, initially believing he is her sister.

Significant themes

• Power and survival: Gu Sipei sees domination as necessary protection in a family where weakness invites exploitation.
• Deception and strategy: He manipulates Gu Sijing’s planted spy, feeding his brother information he wants him to believe.
• Ambition and exhaustion: Gu Sipei’s professional success comes at the cost of relentless work and little rest.
• Misunderstanding and comic reversal: The chapter ends with Gu Sipei baffled by being called “Sis,” before recognizing Jiaoyue.

Character interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao and Ji Yunhuai’s exchange remains tense: he offers shoes, while she accepts them without gratitude and leaves angrily.
• Gu Sipei and Assistant Lin share a relationship built on growing respect and loyalty.
• Gu Sipei’s encounter with Lu Jiaoyue abruptly shifts from an unwanted, confusing embrace to surprise when he recognizes her.

Key plot points

• Gu Sipei wakes to find Lu Jiaoyue beside him in bed, apparently drowsy and touching him. He restrains her hand and wakes her, unsure whether she was set up or deliberately approached him.
• Lu Jiaoyue recognizes him as the man her sister wanted her to meet—and the handsome stranger she once encountered at the mall. She says she was waiting for him to introduce himself.
• Gu questions how she got there and whether someone sent her. Jiaoyue explains that she came to her younger brother’s birthday party, drank too much, and was taken upstairs to rest. She had been dreaming about her sister.
• Jiaoyue says someone predicted she would meet her destined partner that day and advised her to get to know him, though she did not know in advance that it would be Gu.
• Gu’s suspicion eases somewhat, but he remains wary of unpredictable distractions while pursuing control of the Gu company. He dismisses her and tells her to return to where she belongs.

Character developments

• Gu Sipei shifts from suspicion to cautious reassessment when Jiaoyue’s explanations seem sincere. Despite finding her cute and softening toward her, he stays guarded and prioritizes his business ambitions.
• Lu Jiaoyue appears innocent, direct, and unconcerned by the awkward situation. She takes the fortune-teller’s prediction seriously and openly expresses her affection for her sister.

Significant themes

• Trust versus suspicion: Gu’s business experience makes him doubt innocent explanations, even when his instincts suggest Jiaoyue is sincere.
• Fate versus control: Jiaoyue treats their meeting as destiny; Gu rejects divination and tries to keep his life—and ambitions—under control.
• Innocence and misunderstanding: Their encounter is shaped by Jiaoyue’s confused circumstances and Gu’s assumptions about her motives.

Character interactions

• Gu gently restrains and wakes Jiaoyue, then questions her about her presence and intentions.
• Jiaoyue’s earnest answers repeatedly clash with Gu’s suspicions, while her blunt request for an introduction leaves him baffled.
• Gu ultimately draws a boundary, saying he will not hold the incident against her but wants her to leave.

Key plot points and events

• After being dismissed from Gu Sipei’s lounge, Lu Jiaoyue considers her attempt to get to know him a failure. She resolves to contact him through WeChat and learn more about him.
• She discovers many missed calls from her brother, Lu Yubai. He was worried after losing track of her and rushes to collect her.
• Yubai panics when he learns she met Gu Sipei, whom their father has warned him to avoid. He repeats rumors that Gu’s business rivals have vanished, but Jiaoyue doubts the claims and agrees to be careful only to reassure him.
• On their way back, Yubai complains about an anonymous gift of scratch-off tickets. Jiaoyue suspects Lu Xiaoxiao gave them and encourages him to try them. He wins 50,000 yuan and becomes delighted with the gift.
• Meanwhile, Gu Sipei requests the lounge’s surveillance footage to check Jiaoyue’s story, but the cameras were under maintenance. Reasoning that the Ji Family would have no motive to help the Lu Family deceive him, he concludes their meeting was probably coincidental.
• Back at home, Xiaoxiao sneezes and jokingly suspects Ji Yunhuai is thinking about—or “haunting”—her.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Jiaoyue shifts from discouragement to determination about pursuing a connection with Gu Sipei. She is protective of Xiaoxiao, quietly defending her anonymous gift.
• Lu Yubai shows strong concern for his sister, though his fear of Gu Sipei is based on hearsay. His mood quickly brightens when the tickets yield a prize.
• Gu Sipei remains suspicious and cautious, but the missing footage and his assessment of the families’ motives lead him to accept Jiaoyue’s explanation.
• Lu Xiaoxiao remains offstage for most of the chapter, but her thoughtful, anonymous present benefits Yubai and hints at her continued ties to the family.

Significant themes

• Trust versus suspicion: Jiaoyue sees Gu as reasonable, while Yubai fears him and Gu himself investigates whether she deceived him.
• Family care and loyalty: Yubai’s frantic search reflects his concern for Jiaoyue, and Jiaoyue protects Xiaoxiao’s identity and gesture.
• Rumor versus reality: Gu’s fearsome reputation contrasts with Jiaoyue’s firsthand impression of him.
• Small surprises and generosity: The anonymous tickets turn Yubai’s irritation into gratitude and excitement.

Key plot points and events

• After a successful day that increased the bond between the story’s leads, Lu Xiaoxiao receives reward points from the system but cannot sleep.
• She chats with the system, learns its designation is 037, and asks whether it is human-like. It says she can think of it as a human-like life-form.
• Lu Xiaoxiao discovers that the original Lu Xiaoxiao had died by suicide after taking sleeping pills shortly before the transmigration. She is not displacing the original owner’s soul; she is living on in her place.
• System 037 explains that novels generate small worlds, which can begin to collapse when their stories become incomplete or a crucial character dies. Systems recruit transmigrators to revive these worlds by advancing their plots and producing stories compelling enough to sustain them.
• 037 recommends following the original novel’s major events, warning that improvisation carries risks. Lu Xiaoxiao questions the logic of both the original plot and the system’s approach.
• Before falling asleep, she asks why she was chosen. The system answers, “Perhaps because… she and you shared the same pain,” hinting at a connection it does not explain.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao is unusually calm and curious, seeking a personal conversation rather than discussing the mission. The revelation about the original owner deeply shocks her, though she later grows tired before exploring what it means.
• System 037 shifts from cautious formality to greater openness, sharing its designation and explaining the transmigration system’s purpose. Its final answer suggests it knows more about Lu Xiaoxiao’s past or emotional history than it has revealed.
• Their exchange feels increasingly personal: Lu Xiaoxiao treats 037 as a conversational companion, while 037 answers with growing candor.

Significant themes

• Identity and survival: Lu Xiaoxiao’s presence is framed not as stealing another person’s life, but as continuing it after the original owner’s death.
• Storytelling and reality: The chapter presents fictional worlds as living systems sustained by narrative, with transmigrators acting as performers whose stories can keep those worlds alive.
• Choice versus certainty: Following the original plot is safer, but Lu Xiaoxiao questions whether that plot is sensible or worth preserving.
• Shared pain and hidden connection: The system’s explanation for choosing Lu Xiaoxiao introduces an unresolved emotional parallel between her and the original Lu Xiaoxiao.

Plot points and events

• Lu Shiyan, Lu Xiaoxiao’s second brother and a famous actor, returns home just before a desert-island survival variety show.
• Lu Xiaoxiao is struck by his beauty and privately imagines seeing him dressed in women’s clothes. Lu Shiyan mysteriously hears her thoughts, though no one speaks aloud.
• He invites her to join him on the show, explaining he can bring someone outside the entertainment industry. Xiaoxiao declines and suggests Lu Jiaoyue instead, assuming the opportunity would ultimately go to her.
• Lu Shiyan, who had planned to take Xiaoxiao from the start, reassures her that the invitation is genuinely hers. Jiaoyue also says she has no interest in going.
• Lu Shiyan gently coaxes Xiaoxiao to accept, while their mother, Song Zhilan, recognizes her insecurity and worries that she feels undeserving of good opportunities.

Character developments

• Lu Xiaoxiao admires Shiyan openly in her thoughts but reveals deep insecurity by giving up an opportunity before anyone can take it from her.
• Lu Shiyan is unexpectedly able to hear Xiaoxiao’s inner voice. He remains composed, remembers that she supported his acting career, and shows her warmth by standing by his original invitation.
• Song Zhilan responds with concern and self-blame, interpreting Xiaoxiao’s reluctance as a sign that she does not believe she deserves good things.
• Lu Yuan still disapproves of the entertainment industry and strongly rejects the idea of Shiyan wearing women’s clothes. However, the former tension between him and Shiyan has eased enough for them to share a peaceful meal.
• Lu Jiaoyue declines the show opportunity herself, helping clear the way for Xiaoxiao.

Character interactions

• Xiaoxiao and Shiyan share a warm reunion: she praises him internally, while he invites her onto the show and later reassures her with gentle affection.
• Lu Yubai backs Xiaoxiao’s suggestion that Jiaoyue go, but his comment about Jiaoyue gaining fans irritates Lu Yuan, who reprimands him.
• Song Zhilan and Shiyan both encourage Xiaoxiao to accept the invitation; Jiaoyue supports them by confirming she does not want to go.

Significant themes

• Insecurity and self-worth: Xiaoxiao’s instinct to surrender the opportunity shows how little she trusts that good things will remain hers.
• Family affection and reconciliation: Shiyan’s remembered gratitude and gentle support reflect improving family bonds, while Lu Yuan’s restraint suggests a gradual easing of conflict.
• Appearance, fame, and entertainment: Shiyan’s celebrity looks and Lu Yuan’s discomfort with show business highlight differing views of fame and public attention.
• Hidden thoughts and misunderstandings: Shiyan’s unexplained ability to hear Xiaoxiao’s thoughts adds humor and creates a new layer of intimacy between them.

Key events

• Lu Xiaoxiao knows Lu Jiaoyue must still appear on the variety show, so she decides to recreate the original owner’s scheme of making her fall down the stairs.
• On the way upstairs, Jiaoyue excitedly tells Xiaoxiao about Lu Yubai winning 50,000 yuan on scratch tickets. Xiaoxiao realizes the tickets were the ones she gave him as a prank and struggles to hide her jealousy.
• At the top of the stairs, Xiaoxiao asks Jiaoyue to straighten her hair clip, then deliberately falls. She pretends to be injured and tells the family Jiaoyue probably did not push her on purpose, implying that she did.
• The Lu family rushes to Xiaoxiao’s side. Jiaoyue is shocked and begins to explain, but Xiaoxiao’s accusation leaves her stunned and in tears.
• Xiaoxiao privately reveals that she is unharmed because she used system points to block the pain. She hopes the family will check their hidden cameras, expose her deception, and give Jiaoyue her place on the show. She also admits that being fussed over feels comforting.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao tries to act like a villain to steer the story back on course, but her jealousy over Lu Yubai’s lucky win and her unexpected enjoyment of family affection reveal her emotional vulnerability.
• Lu Jiaoyue remains affectionate and trusting toward Xiaoxiao, happily sharing personal news and hoping to grow closer to her. The staged fall abruptly turns that trust into shock and distress.
• Lu Yuan hears Xiaoxiao’s private thoughts and recognizes that the family has hidden cameras, though he wonders how she knows about them. His suspicions are left unresolved.
• The Lu family responds protectively to Xiaoxiao’s apparent injury, while Jiaoyue is left trying to defend herself.

Significant themes

• Jealousy and insecurity: Xiaoxiao’s reaction to the prize exposes how easily envy can overwhelm her.
• Affection and belonging: Beneath her scheme, Xiaoxiao longs for the warmth and attention she has never felt before.
• Trust and manipulation: Jiaoyue’s sincere closeness contrasts with Xiaoxiao’s deliberate deception.
• Performance versus truth: Xiaoxiao acts hurt, while her private thoughts reveal both her real motives and her lack of physical injury.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Xiaoxiao deliberately falls down the stairs and pretends Lu Jiaoyue pushed her, hoping to create an opportunity for Jiaoyue to appear on a variety show.
• Jiaoyue mistakenly believes Xiaoxiao sacrificed herself for her. Afraid their father will check the security footage and blame Xiaoxiao, Jiaoyue sincerely confesses to the push and apologizes.
• Lu Yubai comforts Jiaoyue and tells Xiaoxiao to get up and try walking, prompting Xiaoxiao to privately curse him. Her thoughts reveal that she gave him the scratch cards he received for his birthday.
• Lu Yuan and Song Zhilan, who can hear the family’s thoughts, realize that the sisters’ spoken accounts conflict with what they know. Unsure how to respond without exposing their ability, Lu Yuan avoids assigning blame and sends Xiaoxiao to rest.
• Lu Shiyan escorts Xiaoxiao back to her room. Xiaoxiao is puzzled that no one seems to recognize her supposed scheme and wonders whether she is really suited to being a villain.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Xiaoxiao shows concern for Jiaoyue despite her manipulative staging, and her thoughts reveal unexpected generosity toward Yubai. She remains frustrated that her plan is not working as intended.
• Lu Jiaoyue responds with genuine worry and guilt, misreading Xiaoxiao’s deception as self-sacrifice and protecting her from blame.
• Lu Yubai begins to reconsider his behavior toward Xiaoxiao after learning she secretly gave him a birthday gift. His concern for Jiaoyue also indirectly supports Xiaoxiao.
• Lu Yuan and Song Zhilan are caught between what they hear in the sisters’ thoughts and what the sisters say aloud. Lu Yuan chooses a cautious, neutral resolution.
• Lu Shiyan stays quiet and follows his father’s instruction, though his fading smile suggests unease.

Significant themes

• Misunderstanding and dramatic irony: The family’s knowledge of one another’s thoughts makes the conflicting accounts more confusing, not less.
• Hidden kindness beneath deception: Xiaoxiao’s staged fall is manipulative, yet motivated by a wish to help Jiaoyue; her gift to Yubai further complicates her villainous image.
• Guilt and changing perceptions: Yubai’s discovery leads him to question his past treatment of Xiaoxiao.
• Family communication: Everyone conceals what they know, so the truth remains unresolved and the incident is handled through avoidance rather than open discussion.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Xiaoxiao is upset about the variety show, but Lu Shiyan comforts her and offers to ask the director for an extra place so both she and Lu Jiaoyue can join.
• He says he will present Xiaoxiao as his sister on the show, while keeping his connection to Jiaoyue private to avoid revealing his ties to the Lu family. After the system confirms the change is safe, Xiaoxiao agrees.
• Shiyan promises to arrange everything and tucks Xiaoxiao into bed. He becomes newly enthusiastic about the show, expecting it to be more entertaining with her involved.
• The next day, Xiaoxiao wakes at noon and learns the family is mostly out. Song Zhilan has taken Jiaoyue to a tea party; Xiaoxiao doesn’t take this personally, seeing it as consistent with the original story.
• While Xiaoxiao is about to eat, Lu Yubai calls from school. He asks her to come because a teacher wants a parent, and he doesn’t want to tell their parents.

Character developments and interactions

• Xiaoxiao is openly starstruck by Shiyan in her thoughts but performs polite self-sacrifice aloud. She accepts his offer once reassured, and their exchange leaves her feeling safe and supported.
• Shiyan shows growing affection and protectiveness toward Xiaoxiao. He notices her contrast between sweet outward manners and candid inner thoughts, and considers that she might thrive in entertainment with his support.
• Yubai and Xiaoxiao begin their interaction with irritation: he asks for Jiaoyue, while Xiaoxiao resents the interruption. His hesitant request reveals that, despite their prickly dynamic, he is willing to rely on her.

Significant themes

• Public persona versus private thoughts: Xiaoxiao’s sugary politeness contrasts with her blunt inner commentary; Shiyan also recognizes that his gentle image conceals a rebellious side.
• Sibling loyalty and support: Shiyan offers practical help and reassurance, while Yubai turns to Xiaoxiao rather than his parents.
• Changing the story: Xiaoxiao and the system evaluate deviations from the original plot, with the system approving the change as harmless and potentially more compelling.

Key plot points and events

• Lu Yubai calls his sister, Lu Xiaoxiao, for help after being accused of something at school. He insists he is innocent but will not explain over the phone.
• Lu Xiaoxiao agrees to come only if he calls her “sis.” Embarrassed, he eventually does—and repeats it once she threatens to hang up.
• At school, Lu Xiaoxiao finds Lu Yubai in a teacher’s office with parents, teachers, and several students. His homeroom teacher, Teacher Zhu, explains that Fan Chiran was locked in a sports equipment room for over four hours and later found in shock from severe gastric bleeding. He is now out of danger.
• Lu Xiaoxiao asks Lu Yubai directly whether he locked Fan Chiran in. He denies it.
• Two classmates accuse Lu Yubai of having asked them to teach Fan Chiran a lesson because he suspected him of stealing something. The chapter ends with the accusation unresolved.

Character developments

• Lu Xiaoxiao is confident and teasing, but becomes serious when she learns the incident may have endangered a student’s life. She gives Lu Yubai a chance to explain rather than immediately assuming his guilt.
• Lu Yubai is proud and embarrassed about calling Xiaoxiao “sis,” yet quickly embraces the relationship once she arrives and treats her as his ally. His innocence is now in doubt after his classmates’ claims.
• Teacher Zhu presents the incident as grave and insists it must be investigated and addressed.
• The classmates appear nervous and guilty, then shift blame onto Lu Yubai.

Significant themes

• Family rivalry and loyalty: Lu Yubai resists acknowledging Xiaoxiao as his sister, but turns to her for help when he needs it.
• Accountability and truth: The students’ conflicting claims leave open who is responsible for the bullying and its dangerous consequences.
• Seriousness of bullying: The school treats the incident as a matter of student safety, not a minor prank.

Character interactions

• Xiaoxiao uses teasing and negotiation to get Lu Yubai to call her “sis,” then agrees to help.
• Lu Yubai eagerly introduces her as his sister, showing that his earlier reluctance gives way when he needs her support.
• Teacher Zhu explains the circumstances to Xiaoxiao, who then questions Lu Yubai.
• Lu Yubai denies involvement, while two classmates claim they acted on his request, setting up a dispute over responsibility.

Plot and events

• Lu Yubai denies telling his friends to lock up Fan Chiran. The buzz-cut boy and the timid curly-haired boy blame him, with the curly-haired boy claiming they had agreed to stand by one another.
• Their mothers pressure Teacher Zhu to treat their sons as followers rather than responsible actors. Lu Xiaoxiao challenges that argument, pointing out that the boys are nearly adults and should be accountable for their choices.
• The short boy’s mother breaks ranks, acknowledges that the boys hurt Fan, and suggests visiting him in hospital and contributing to his medical costs. Her son resents her willingness to accept responsibility.
• The curly-haired boy’s mother rejects any responsibility for Fan’s stomach bleeding, calling it a coincidence. The buzz-cut boy’s mother argues that the incident was only a prank, shifts blame to the school, and urges everyone to move on because her son is preparing for university entrance exams.
• After a teacher explains why Fan’s absence went unnoticed, Lu Xiaoxiao invokes the buzz-cut boy’s mother’s own demand to “get to the root” of the matter, setting up a pointed response.

Character developments and interactions

• Lu Yubai is furious and hurt as his friends betray him to avoid punishment.
• Lu Xiaoxiao stays composed and steps in to defend her brother, challenging the parents’ excuses rather than letting him argue with them.
• The curly-haired boy and the buzz-cut boy protect themselves by accusing Lu Yubai; their mothers reinforce this strategy.
• The short boy’s mother shows unusual honesty and concern for Fan, while her son reacts with resentment.
• Teacher Zhu and the other teachers face mounting pressure as the parents dispute responsibility and criticize the school.

Significant themes

• Responsibility and accountability: The chapter questions whether peer influence excuses deliberate wrongdoing.
• Loyalty and betrayal: Lu Yubai discovers that supposed friends will shift blame when consequences arrive.
• Parental favoritism and integrity: Some parents defend their children at any cost, while the short boy’s mother accepts a share of responsibility.
• Blame-shifting and fairness: The argument moves between the students, their families, and the school, with Lu Xiaoxiao challenging the inconsistency in the adults’ claims.

Plot points and events

• Lu Xiaoxiao asks Lu Yubai what he lost, revealing that it was a scratch-off ticket worth 50,000 yuan. Teacher Zhu is shocked that he concealed the loss.
• Xiaoxiao challenges the boys who claimed they locked Fan Chiran up to defend Yubai: if they were truly trying to recover the ticket, why haven’t they found it? She warns that theft, like bullying, is serious.
• Her pointed questions unsettle the buzz-cut boy. The narration reveals that he stole the ticket, hoping to sell it to fund a game console, and hid it away from the classroom. He had joined in bullying Fan Chiran even though the theft had nothing to do with him.
• Xiaoxiao proposes searching the classroom. The buzz-cut boy confidently agrees, knowing the ticket is elsewhere.
• Teacher Zhu organizes a search of desks, bags, classroom corners, and pockets. Nothing is found. The boy takes this as proof of his innocence and suggests Fan Chiran may have hidden the ticket.

Character developments

• Lu Xiaoxiao is perceptive and strategic: she uses the boys’ own stated motives to expose inconsistencies, while carefully presenting her suspicion as a possibility rather than an accusation.
• Lu Yubai is careless and secretive. He hid his winnings from his family, then lost the ticket; despite being let down by his friends, he initially struggles to believe they might be responsible.
• The buzz-cut boy is revealed as the thief and a habitual bully. He shows little remorse, worries mainly about punishment and losing access to gaming, and becomes confident when the classroom search turns up nothing.
• Teacher Zhu takes the missing ticket seriously and helps investigate, though the search does not resolve the matter.

Character interactions

• Xiaoxiao questions Yubai about the loss, then confronts the boys who used him as an excuse to bully Fan Chiran.
• The buzz-cut boy defensively rejects her implication, then agrees to a search to appear unafraid.
• Yubai silently hopes Xiaoxiao is wrong, while Teacher Zhu directs the class search.

Significant themes

• Carelessness and its consequences: Yubai’s decision to hide the ticket leaves him vulnerable to losing it and fuels the conflict.
• Bullying and scapegoating: The boys have repeatedly targeted Fan Chiran, even when there was no real provocation.
• Truth, evidence, and manipulation: Xiaoxiao’s probing exposes the possibility of theft, but the boys exploit the lack of evidence to deflect suspicion.
• Self-interest and lack of remorse: The thief is more concerned about his console and punishment than the harm done to Yubai or Fan Chiran.

Key plot points and events

• After no evidence is found in class, Jiang Haoxin’s mother demands that Lu Xiaoxiao apologize for accusing her son.
• Qi Yin interrupts, saying she saw Jiang hide something near the sports field. She leads the group to a loose brick and retrieves Lu Yubai’s missing scratch-off ticket.
• Lu Yubai confirms the ticket is his and confronts Jiang, whose guilt becomes obvious. Jiang’s mother, who had defended him, slaps him and admits he was wrong.
• Teacher Zhu says Jiang’s theft and his role in bullying Fan Chiran could bring severe discipline, potentially expulsion. His mother argues that the harms were limited and begs the teacher to spare him.
• She then appeals directly to Lu Yubai, asking him to forgive Jiang and intercede.

Character developments

• Lu Xiaoxiao stays calm while her earlier accusation is challenged. She already knows through the system where the ticket is hidden, and Qi Yin’s testimony conveniently confirms it.
• Qi Yin proves more loyal and courageous than Lu Xiaoxiao had assumed: despite her feelings for Lu Yubai, she speaks up when she realizes he does not know the truth. Her manner softens noticeably around him.
• Lu Yubai is relieved to recover the ticket but feels betrayed by Jiang and openly condemns him.
• Jiang Haoxin moves from denial to panic once Qi Yin’s evidence is verified.
• Jiang’s mother shifts from confident defense to shame, anger, and desperate pleading when the truth emerges.

Significant themes

• Truth and accountability: A confident denial cannot withstand concrete evidence.
• The consequences of wrongdoing: Jiang’s theft is considered alongside his participation in bullying, raising the possibility of serious punishment.
• Loyalty and courage: Qi Yin risks being accused of bias to stand up for Lu Yubai.
• Selective concern and self-interest: Jiang’s mother initially demands fairness for her son, then minimizes his actions and asks Lu Yubai to help protect him.

Character interactions

• Jiang’s mother confronts Lu Xiaoxiao, but Qi Yin’s testimony redirects the investigation toward Jiang.
• Jiang tries to discredit Qi Yin by pointing to her affection for Lu Yubai; she remains firm and produces the ticket.
• Lu Yubai confronts Jiang after confirming the evidence.
• Jiang’s mother first punishes her son, then pleads with Teacher Zhu and Lu Yubai to prevent his expulsion.