“Oh my, why are you suddenly leaving?”
“I’ve been volunteering here for quite a while. It’s time for me to go back and look for a job.”
Amid the hazy morning mist, the deep tolling of a bell drifted faintly through the air. Zhang Xiyue set down her teacup and answered the chubby old woman.
Today was May 20, the fourteenth day since she had transmigrated into the novel Preferential Treatment for Cinderella.
Fourteen days ago, she had been taking the subway to work as usual when, the moment she stepped into the station, everything around her suddenly changed.
Before she could react, a message appeared before her eyes, informing her that she had transmigrated into a novel called Preferential Treatment for Cinderella.
Only by helping the obsessive male supporting character let go of his fixation on the female lead and become an optimistic, ambitious person who worked hard could she take the one-hundred-million-yuan prize money and return to the real world.
If she failed, she would have to remain here forever.
The message disappeared after three seconds. She stood rooted to the spot for a long while before finally confirming that she had indeed transmigrated into a novel.
And not just any novel—it was one she had read ten years ago.
The male and female leads in Preferential Treatment for Cinderella were a classic pairing: a wealthy, domineering CEO and a poor, innocent girl. At first, the two followed an antagonistic path. They clearly liked each other, yet neither was willing to be the first to admit it.
It was only after the innocent girl became entangled with someone and the domineering CEO came to her rescue that their relationship made any real progress.
The person who harassed the female lead was the only obsessive male supporting character in the entire novel.
So much time had passed that Zhang Xiyue’s memories of the book had grown hazy. She couldn’t even remember the male supporting character’s name clearly. She only recalled that it contained the character “Jiao.”
Although she couldn’t remember his name, Zhang Xiyue did remember that he went to Yunxi Temple outside the city every month to visit his grandmother, who lived there year-round. So she had come to the temple to volunteer that very day.
Yunxi Temple had a pleasant environment, and many elderly people from the city liked to stay there for extended periods.
Finding the male supporting character’s grandmother among all those old people wasn’t easy.
She had simply been lucky. On her second day there, she overheard the elderly residents chatting.
The moment she heard an old woman mention the three words “Cheng Mingjiao,” she suddenly remembered—
That was the male supporting character’s name!
“Xiyue… Xiyue?”
Zhang Xiyue paused and met Qian Xiulan’s smiling eyes.
She apologized, “I’m sorry. I got distracted.”
Qian Xiulan didn’t mind and continued with their previous topic. “What kind of job are you looking for?”
Zhang Xiyue thought for a moment. “Something like an assistant or secretary.”
In the original novel, the male supporting character made his first appearance around August or September. It was only late May now, so according to the timeline, the male and female leads had just met.
The Cheng Mingjiao mentioned by Grandma Qian was the president of an intelligent equipment company—a textbook example of a successful professional.
Yet in the original story, from the moment he first appeared, the male supporting character was portrayed as gloomy and listless, spending all day shut inside his home.
Based on her hazy memories, the male supporting character met the female lead at the end of August, while it was only late May now.
There were just three months between May and August.
Something major must have happened for him to go from a successful professional to a socially useless shut-in in such a short time.
A yandere shut-in, at that.
So, in order to complete her mission, she would have to…
First, help him resolve this unknown “major incident.”
Second, prevent him from meeting the female lead.
Third, persuade him to become positive and ambitious—to become a good, productive member of society.
…Well, it sounded difficult. And it certainly wouldn’t be easy to accomplish.
What was more, before she could complete the mission, she first had to successfully get close to Cheng Mingjiao and earn his trust.
There was no job more suitable for that than becoming his assistant or secretary.
During this time, she had been keeping an eye on the recruitment news from Cheng Mingjiao’s company. However, a high-level position like executive assistant clearly wasn’t something they advertised publicly.
So she planned to go to the company and try her luck. If that didn’t work, she would think of another way.
“I’ll return to the city after breakfast,” Zhang Xiyue said goodbye to Qian Xiulan, her face full of reluctance.
Qian Xiulan was reluctant to part with her as well. “Do you already have a company in mind?”
“Yes.”
“Which one?”
“Yuhuang Intelligent.”
Qian Xiulan froze.
Zhang Xiyue nodded. “That’s right. Mr. Cheng’s company.”
Putting aside her ulterior motive of gathering information about the male supporting character, Zhang Xiyue had grown quite fond of the old woman after spending so much time with her.
Because she liked her, she respected her—and did her best to be honest with her.
The old woman clearly liked her too. Once she recovered from her surprise, she immediately smiled. “You want to go to Yuhuang? Why didn’t you say so earlier? Mingjiao will be here in a little while. I can arrange it for you.”
Zhang Xiyue had only told the truth because she didn’t want to hide anything from her. She hadn’t expected such an unexpected benefit.
Having gained an advantage, she put on a reserved expression. “Wouldn’t that be inappropriate?”
Grandma Qian said, “Is it inappropriate? Then forget it.”
Zhang Xiyue: “…”
Seeing the stunned look on her face, Qian Xiulan couldn’t help laughing.
The young woman had fair skin, gentle features, and a mild temperament. She was emotionally steady, too. Even when visitors who came to offer incense occasionally gave her a hard time, she would patiently reason with them, quietly guiding them into calming down without them even realizing it.
In all the time they had known each other, this was the first time Qian Xiulan had seen her eyes open so wide.
The more she looked at her, the more she wanted to laugh. Her round body rocked back and forth, like a bottom-heavy roly-poly toy that could never be knocked over.
Only when she saw the old woman laughing so heartily did Zhang Xiyue realize she was being teased. She could only look helplessly at her. “Grandma Qian…”
“Don’t worry. There’s nothing inappropriate about it. Just wait for my good news.” Qian Xiulan stopped teasing her and chatted with her for a few more minutes before leaving.
Zhang Xiyue finished the remaining half cup of water and returned to her room to wait.
She waited for two hours.
Two hours later, a short, thin man in a suit appeared at her door.
“Hello. May I ask if you’re Ms. Zhang?” The man in the suit pushed up his glasses. “The old madam would like to see you.”
“All right.”
Zhang Xiyue picked up the résumé she had prepared in advance and followed him out.
The volunteers’ dormitory was some distance from the residences where the temple’s lay practitioners stayed. Between them stood two temple buildings and a winding corridor lined on both sides with rows of round-trimmed cypress trees.
On a weekday morning, there weren’t many visitors at the temple. As Zhang Xiyue walked along the corridor, the only sound she could hear was the rustling of the cypress leaves in the wind.
Just as she was wondering whether she should make some small talk with the man in the suit, he suddenly stopped.
“Ms. Zhang, we’re here.”
Zhang Xiyue looked up. Before her was a pavilion in the temple courtyard.
Thin curtains embroidered with sutras hung from the eaves, swaying in the breeze to reveal Qian Xiulan’s smiling face and a blurred figure beside her.
“Xiyue, come over here,” Qian Xiulan called, beckoning her with a smile.
Without time to think, Zhang Xiyue immediately walked toward her.
“Let me introduce you. This is Xiyue, one of the temple volunteers. She’s an exceptionally capable young woman.” Qian Xiulan pulled her to her side and beamed at the man across from them. “And this is Mingjiao, my eldest grandson. Xiyue, I’ve told you about him.”
Following her gaze, Zhang Xiyue unexpectedly met a pair of slightly severe eyes.
She was taken aback for a moment, sensing something that didn’t quite fit.
By any objective standard, the man before her was extremely handsome. He had a high, straight nose and slender, elegant eyes that carried a sharp, aristocratic air.
But he was quite different from what she had imagined.
Before seeing him in person, she had always imagined he would be the thin, frail, gloomy, and cold type.
The man standing before her, however…
Well, he wasn’t.
And for some reason, she had expected him to be younger—rather than appearing to be about her age.
With a calm expression, Zhang Xiyue smiled at Cheng Mingjiao. “Hello, Mr. Cheng.”
Cheng Mingjiao glanced at the résumé in her hand, a trace of displeasure flashing through his eyes. “Grandma, don’t keep sending people my way.”
Qian Xiulan remained perfectly composed. “You’re overthinking it. Xiyue is the assistant I picked for Xiaoxue, not for you.”
Zhang Xiyue’s eyes flickered, and she turned to look at Qian Xiulan.
Qian Xiulan winked at her.
Zhang Xiyue was no longer sure what she meant.
In the original novel, Falling for Cinderella, there had been no mention of the male supporting character’s family background.
She had learned what little she knew about Cheng Mingjiao’s family from Grandma Qian.
Cheng Mingjiao had a maternal aunt, and his aunt had two daughters. The “Xiaoxue” Grandma Qian had mentioned was his aunt’s elder daughter, making her Cheng Mingjiao’s cousin. The two of them had never gotten along since childhood.
So… was Grandma Qian suddenly saying this to help her find another way out, or was she deliberately provoking Cheng Mingjiao?
If it was the former, it would run completely counter to her plans.
But if it was the latter, Cheng Mingjiao wasn’t a three-year-old child. How could he possibly…
While Zhang Xiyue was lost in thought, she suddenly felt the weight leave her hand.
She came back to herself and saw that the résumé she had been holding a moment ago was now in Cheng Mingjiao’s hands.
“She’s mine now.” Cheng Mingjiao leaned back in his chair, his raised chin carrying a hint of arrogance.
Qian Xiulan frowned at just the right moment. “How am I supposed to explain this to Xiaoxue?”
“First come, first served. If she doesn’t like it, she can call the police.” The corners of Cheng Mingjiao’s lips lifted slightly.
Now there was more than just arrogance in his expression. There was even a hint of smugness.
Qian Xiulan sighed and winked at Zhang Xiyue again.
Zhang Xiyue: “…”
She silently turned her gaze toward Cheng Mingjiao.
His head lowered as he seriously flipped through her résumé. His lowered lashes cast a small shadow across his face, making his features appear even more sharply defined.
He looked focused and earnest, completely unaware that he had fallen into his own grandmother’s trap.
Strange.
It was very strange, but no matter what, she had completed the first step toward getting close to the yandere male supporting character.
Zhang Xiyue let out a quiet breath of relief, only to hear Qian Xiulan invite her to stay for lunch.
Before she could say anything, Cheng Mingjiao objected first. “I’m not eating with a stranger.”
“Then don’t eat. Get lost.” Qian Xiulan’s voice was icy.
The words were so blunt that Zhang Xiyue’s heart jolted. She waited for the yandere to lash out.
Sure enough, Cheng Mingjiao’s expression darkened. Sitting there, he was a large, hulking presence, radiating an unmistakable air of danger.
Wait… would a yandere hit his own grandmother when he got angry?
Zhang Xiyue silently stepped forward, just about to shield Qian Xiulan behind her, when Cheng Mingjiao merely snorted, turned his face away, and stopped talking.
…That was it?
…Was this really a yandere?
Zhang Xiyue couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
Lunch ended in silence. Qian Xiulan then asked Cheng Mingjiao to give Zhang Xiyue a ride back to the city.
Cheng Mingjiao’s brows drew together again.
Qian Xiulan ignored him and took Zhang Xiyue’s hand. “Or you could leave tonight. Xiaoxue is coming over to have dinner with me. She can give you a ride then…”
“Hey, we’re leaving.” Cheng Mingjiao turned and walked away, motioning for Zhang Xiyue to hurry up and follow.
Zhang Xiyue looked at Qian Xiulan.
“Bye-bye!” Qian Xiulan waved vigorously, looking as benevolent as a plump Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Zhang Xiyue laughed and waved the same way, promising to visit whenever she had time. Then she quickly picked up her backpack and left.
By the time she reached the parking lot, Cheng Mingjiao was already in the car. The man in the suit from earlier was sitting in the driver’s seat and gestured for her to get in.
Zhang Xiyue greeted Cheng Mingjiao in the back seat, then sensibly took the front passenger seat.
The somewhat flashy business vehicle slowly left the parking lot and headed down the mountain.
The atmosphere inside the car was far too silent. Hugging her backpack, Zhang Xiyue sat ramrod straight and sneaked glances at Cheng Mingjiao through the rearview mirror.
She still felt that something was off.
The stereotypical image of a yandere was pale, fragile, and sickly. But this man…
Well, he was healthy.
Exactly. Healthy.
Extremely healthy.
His skin was indeed quite fair, but it wasn’t the pallor of someone who never saw sunlight. It was the kind of whiteness that came with robust health.
His eyes were bright, his build tall, and his shoulders broad. Even through his dress shirt and suit, she could see signs that he worked out.
At lunch, he had claimed he had no appetite, yet he had angrily devoured two bowls of rice.
…Who had ever heard of a yandere with no appetite eating that much?
Could she have mistaken him for someone else?
Even if he had only become a yandere after suffering some tremendous emotional blow, he would have needed to possess at least some yandere potential to begin with.
After all, when ordinary people suffered a devastating shock, they might cry and meow pitifully, but they wouldn’t suddenly turn into yanderes.
But the male supporting character was definitely named Cheng Mingjiao.
Zhang Xiyue once again began doubting herself. Before she could reach any conclusion, the car suddenly braked hard.
She lurched forward from the force of inertia. After steadying herself, she turned to look at the man in the suit.
He wore a troubled expression. “Mr. Cheng, that old woman is back again.”
Three meters in front of the car, a skinny old woman stood clutching two lumps of black mud, her face stern as she stared fixedly at the people inside.
“What should we do now?” the man in the suit asked again.
Zhang Xiyue looked straight ahead at the old woman, waiting for Cheng Mingjiao’s answer.
Cheng Mingjiao said, “Take aim.”
Zhang Xiyue: “?”
Cheng Mingjiao said, “Run her over.”
Zhang Xiyue: “!!!”
To be continued…
