She rarely had such a great opportunity—this was her first time attending a large-scale commercial event like this—so she immediately shared the good news with her family. She even urged them to come cheer her on.
Who could have predicted such an accident? And to make matters worse, Lin Sisi actually showed up!
"I don’t need your fake concern!" she snapped coldly.
She had never liked Lin Sisi, and seeing her like this only deepened her dislike.
Lin Sisi bit her lip hesitantly and looked at her helplessly. "I’m not pretending to care. I’m genuinely worried about you. I only came over because I heard the commotion and found out you weren’t feeling well. I’m not trying to steal your spotlight."
Her words were tactful, but the anxious director immediately caught the key point.
"You speak English?"
Lin Sisi nodded gracefully. "A little. I used to work at their company for a while. If you don’t mind, I can help."
The director was overjoyed. "That’s perfect! Here’s the speech script. You have ten minutes before going on stage. If you can memorize it, great. If not, just take the script with you. At this point, we have no other choice."
He was ready to accept any outcome—after all, having no one deliver the speech would be the worst-case scenario.
Lin Sisi exhaled in relief and agreed.
Fu Qianqian was extremely reluctant, but in her current state, even standing was a struggle, let alone giving a speech. If Lin Sisi didn’t step up, she would be responsible for their company and colleagues facing criticism.
She had no other options left.
Seeing Fu Qianqian remain silent, Lin Sisi relaxed and began practicing the speech earnestly.
Her pronunciation was far from perfect, and she enunciated each word carefully, but the moment she spoke, everyone was stunned.
Since Lin Sisi had previously worked at their company for a short time, many had heard rumors about her complicated background—how she was supposedly from the countryside. No one expected her to actually know English.
It was truly astonishing.
In that moment, everyone couldn’t help but regard Lin Sisi with newfound respect. Even the colleagues who had been scolded earlier looked at her gratefully—after all, if not for her stepping in, they would still be getting berated by the director.
Though many harbored resentment toward Fu Qianqian, none dared to openly antagonize her. They simply kept their thoughts to themselves.
Now, with Lin Sisi’s appearance, everyone eagerly approached her to chat.
Lin Sisi beamed at the admiring and praising expressions around her. She was thrilled!
Truthfully, she had known about this speech for a long time.
Because this school was where she and Fu Yang had first met in her past life.
It was also where she had first encountered the Si family.
And it was during this encounter that she gradually discovered she wasn’t the biological daughter of the Lin family.
Back then, Si Nian was the beloved daughter of the Si family. It was her first time participating in a commercial speech, so both the Si and Fu families had attended—even Fu Yang had been dragged along.
After this speech, Fu Yang, who had always dismissed Si Nian as nothing more than a pretty face, saw her in a new light for the first time.
His attitude began to shift.
That was why Lin Sisi had come today—she wanted this opportunity for herself.
She knew that if Fu Yang saw her on stage, witnessed her uniqueness and brilliance, he would undoubtedly fall for her.
This was a crucial turning point.
So she had secretly studied hard in advance, waiting for this very day—her chance to turn the tables.
Lin Sisi’s heart swelled with excitement. But just as she was joyfully preparing to go on stage, Sister Chen returned.
Her smile froze when she saw the familiar face following behind Sister Chen.
Upon spotting Lin Sisi, Si Nian raised a brow slightly.
What a small world.
Yet this scene unexpectedly triggered her memory of the novel’s plot.
In summary, the original Si Nian, upon hearing that Lin Sisi had taken her job and was even invited to give a speech, secretly went to the venue out of spite. There, she saw someone else standing on the stage that should have been hers, shining brilliantly, and was consumed by jealousy.
In the end, Fu Yang, protecting the female lead, lashed out at her.
Not only did she fail to cause trouble, but she inadvertently accelerated the development of the male and female leads’ relationship.
Tsk, tsk. So, by sheer coincidence, she was still following the plot?
Even though her transmigration had altered the original Si Nian’s path, the main storyline seemed to be progressing as usual.
And the original villainess was merely a stepping stone to advance the plot.
Even without her, someone else would have filled that role.
Meanwhile, Lin Sisi, as per the story, had still arrived at this place.
In the novel, Fu Yang hadn’t liked Lin Sisi at first either—though not as much as he disliked the original Si Nian, he certainly hadn’t been fond of her.
His change in attitude stemmed from this very moment—when he saw the brilliance of this girl from the countryside.
One glance was all it took to shift his perspective.
And honestly, a rural girl who could stand fearlessly on stage delivering a speech in English—in this era, that was enough to earn anyone’s admiration.
Naturally, the male lead, who appreciated strong-willed individuals, was drawn to her.
What a shame. This time around, she wouldn’t be foolish enough to act out of jealousy.
When Si Nian had chosen to leave for the countryside, she hadn’t intended to disrupt the plot. She believed that those who opposed the male and female leads always met terrible ends, so it was better to go with the flow.
After all, the leads’ affairs had nothing to do with her.
But now, she had a different idea.
"What are you doing here?" Sister Chen frowned upon seeing Lin Sisi.
Lin Sisi’s heart sank the moment she saw Si Nian.
Why was Si Nian here? Shouldn’t she be in the remote Happy Village right now?
Cornered by Sister Chen’s question, she panicked but forced herself to stay calm. "Sister Chen, I saw Fu Qianqian wasn’t feeling well and came to check on her. Then I heard she couldn’t deliver the speech, so I offered to help. The director agreed." She quickly glanced at the director for support.
Sister Chen frowned and turned to the director.
The director, still irritated, said gruffly, "You were the ones who couldn’t find a replacement in time. We’re about to start, so I had to take a gamble. This girl’s English isn’t bad, so I let her do it."
Si Nian watched the scene unfold, her eyes glinting.
Just as in the novel, the female lead had initially faced hostility at the company—even Sister Chen had looked down on her, believing she had gotten the job through connections.
But today’s speech was the turning point.
In desperation, Sister Chen had taken a chance, and not only did Lin Sisi save the company, but her background as a hardworking rural girl also earned her widespread acclaim.
Everyone’s perception of her changed.
And thus began the female lead’s rise to success...
"You know English?" Sure enough, Sister Chen looked astonished.
She had always assumed Lin Sisi, being from the countryside, was unremarkable. She never expected her to speak English.
Lin Sisi nodded modestly, "I know a little."
Though surprised, Sister Chen still disagreed, "If it's just 'a little,' how can I let you go? Si Nian is here now—she should do it. She was our top broadcaster before, and her English is the best."
Hearing this, the director immediately turned to Si Nian.
Sure enough, she was strikingly beautiful, with an exceptional aura.
A look of amazement flashed across the director’s face.
No wonder even Sister Chen praised her—she really stood out!
She’d surely dazzle the entire audience and dominate the stage!
The director was about to agree when Lin Sisi hesitantly interjected, "There are only three minutes left before the speech. It’s not that I don’t want to let Si Nian take over, but in such a short time, she won’t memorize the script, will she? I’ve already memorized it."
Sure enough, at these words, the director and Sister Chen’s expressions changed.
Right—she couldn’t just go up there holding the script. That would be embarrassing.
The director sighed regretfully. "You have a point."
Lin Sisi relaxed.
Fu Qianqian’s face twisted in frustration.
Sister Chen sighed...
Earlier, Si Nian wouldn’t have cared—she didn’t want to meddle.
But now, seeing Lin Sisi’s pretentious act, Fu Qianqian’s resentment, and Sister Chen’s helplessness, she fell silent. What kind of cliché plot was this? The female lead stealing the spotlight while the supporting character was sacrificed to highlight her superiority—what a slap in the face.
Honestly, it was unbearable. What kind of storyline was this? What kind of protagonists? If Lin Sisi hadn’t provoked her before, Si Nian might not have even glanced her way. But after dealing with these people and realizing Lin Sisi was no saint—sorry, she’d been annoyed with her for a while now.
So Si Nian spoke up: "Sorry, but I have a photographic memory."
The typos here are truly cringe-worthy~ Fewer and fewer people are supporting out of love—what, no affection left? Not even a half-hearted "for the love of it" for me?
