Shen Zhiyi had gone hungry for two days. Just when she felt she was about to ascend to heaven, she actually got hit by a car, and a kind stranger called an ambulance to take her to the hospital.
She had gone hungry for two days to save money, only to wake up in the hospital and discover that she had to pay not just the medical bills, but the ambulance fee too. Her face was calm, but inside, she was cursing up a storm.
The driver who had hit her had fled the scene, and the police were still looking for them. For now, she had to cover all the costs herself. Only after the doctor and nurses left did she have time to think about her situation.
Just now, she had spent all her savings on her medical bills. Noticing that she had not eaten for a long time, the doctor had kindly given her a glucose drip, so this medication was all that was keeping her going!
Information was flooding into her head, sometimes as text, sometimes as images of turning pages. After reading it all, she sneered repeatedly. She had never expected to encounter anything so bizarre in her twenty-odd years of life.
The world she lived in was a novel. Its male and female leads were the world's darlings, and the entire world existed to serve their romance.
After the male and female leads met, there followed a series of her running and him chasing, with no escape for her even if she grew wings. He loved her, she misunderstood him, and neither said a word. She got pregnant, while he swallowed his suffering and entered a fake marriage as part of a collaboration, driving her away in anger. Then came the dazzling debut of their twins.
In short, this world was one giant old-school domineering-CEO romance novel, and Shen Zhiyi actually had a part in it: she was cannon fodder mentioned in passing, appearing only in the first chapter and never again.
After reading it all, Shen Zhiyi had only two words: Utter insanity.
Her injuries were not too serious, and she could go home once her drip was finished. After picking up her medication, she walked out of the hospital, her gaze landing on the alley across the street.
This was the very beginning of the novel. It was also at this point that the male lead rescued the female lead from being bullied in an alley near the hospital, beginning their lifetime of entanglement.
She walked slowly with her medication in hand. Her home was not very far from the hospital either. She planned to take the bus, but the bus stop was still some distance away.
With her mind blank, she did not notice at all that, as the leads met, her own one-sentence plotline had begun too.
So when she sank into unconsciousness again, another thought popped into her head: This deranged plot! Hitting me in the back of the head-are you afraid I won't die?
After knocking Shen Zhiyi unconscious, the group openly carried her into a car and left.
The people in the car glanced at the unconscious Shen Zhiyi, then began chatting without any reservations. Although Shen Zhiyi was unconscious, for some reason, she could hear their conversation clearly.
"Boss, are you sure we didn't grab the wrong person?"
The man addressed as their boss held up a photograph and compared it with her. Aside from a somewhat similar air about them, the person in the photo and the person in the car did not look the slightest bit alike. He had no idea why his employer had told them to knock her out and take her away.
Their boss pondered for a moment before speaking.
"No mistake. She's Shen Zhiyi. Our employer has dealt with her before. There's no way he's wrong."
At that, Shen Zhiyi racked her brains but could not think who this employer they mentioned might be. Lately, she had been too poor to put food on the table. Who else wanted to set her up?
Come on, I'm just cannon fodder. Is this really necessary?
Their boss continued.
"I heard the person Mr. Chi from Blazing Fire Group likes is more or less like her. Who knows if that's true? Whatever. Our employer pays us, and we do the job. The rest depends on her luck."
His words finally reminded Shen Zhiyi of her plotline. A world in a book with a male and female lead would also have a villain, and this Mr. Chi they were talking about was the biggest villain in the novel.
Only this villain was different. He was passionate about his career and all sorts of showing off. As for the female lead, he might have regarded her a little differently because she had a decent talent for computers.
As for why he became the villain, it was merely to showcase the male lead's abilities and give him a chance to accomplish something. So, in the business world, that highly capable Mr. Chi naturally became the one pitted against the male lead.
Then someone spread a rumor that Mr. Chi had feelings for the female lead, and people actually believed it. One particular boss who wanted to establish ties with the villain decided to find him a stand-in.
Now Shen Zhiyi was that cannon fodder, the one who was briefly mentioned being given to the villain before he sent her off somewhere unknown.
This world was always insane in ways she could not understand.
First of all, the female lead was described in the book as tenacious and unyielding in the face of trouble, with the appearance of a classic innocent, delicate heroine.
And she, Shen Zhiyi, had nothing in common with the female lead apart from their sex. If she could lie down, she would not sit; if she could sit, she would not stand. She backed down whenever trouble arose. She could not solve big problems, and small problems were big problems to her, which left her even less capable of solving them.
So which eye did their employer use to decide I was like the female lead? Seriously, I'm speechless!
The world in the book never had any logic. For instance, she actually made it into the villain's villa without anyone stopping them.
Even more absurdly, she was placed on a bed, and, honestly, it was so soft and comfortable. Before long, her thoughts grew hazy, and the sounds around her began to fade. She truly sank into unconsciousness.
Chi Ye had been annoyed beyond belief today. He had turned down this prospective business partner many times, but somehow, the man had gotten to the old man, forcing him to make time for a meeting.
The other party had booked the hotel for dinner. Its surroundings were not exactly nice, but he had never liked these business engagements anyway, so his expression had been grim all evening.
Then he saw the other company's boss, with his mouthful of yellow teeth and his whole body reeking of alcohol. The stench nearly left him unable to breathe. He had said he did not want to attend. What benefits had the old man received to be able to put up with this?
At the table, the man bragged so much that the enormous private room could barely contain his boasts. In the end, he even ordered women to drink with them. Unable to stand it anymore, Chi Ye slammed down his wineglass and looked at him with a sneer.
"Boss Zhao, there's no need to call these people in, is there?"
Boss Zhao had just reached out to pull a woman by the waist. Interrupted, his hand froze in midair. A moment later, he withdrew it with an awkward smile and told the manager to take them away.
Seeing Chi Ye's disgust, he thought of the task he had hired people to carry out, unsure whether it would work. Still, Mr. Chi probably had no interest in the women at the hotel, whereas the one he had found was a real beauty. He refused to believe Mr. Chi would not be tempted when he saw her.
Besides, he had heard that the person Mr. Chi liked was just that type. It did not matter if they could not secure a partnership now, as long as they could later. If he could establish ties with Blazing Fire Technology in this lifetime, wealth and glory would be waiting down the line. None of this mattered now.
Having reassured himself, Boss Zhao plastered on a smile and addressed Chi Ye.
"Mr. Chi, if you don't like them, I'll tell them to leave. It's fine that we couldn't reach a deal this time. At least we've gotten acquainted. If you ever need anything in the future, just remember me, old Zhao.
"Besides, none of this tonight is the big gift. I've already prepared your big gift for you."
Then he gave a suggestive smile, raised his glass, and casually clinked it against the wineglass Chi Ye had slammed onto the table before drinking.
Chi Ye frowned, not understanding what he meant by a big gift. Perhaps it was something the old man had received. He did not dwell on it. Since the man knew when to back off, he reluctantly picked up his glass and took a sip.
Then he found an excuse and hurriedly ended this baffling business engagement. After leaving the hotel, he stood by the roadside, waiting for his bodyguard to drive over and pick him up.
The night was not yet deep. As the bustle of the day faded, the night breeze brushed gently across his face, dispelling the frustration bottled up inside him.
Before you continue