Chapter Fourteen
The last remnants of Lin Xi's drowsiness vanished the moment she read the message. She leapt out of bed, threw on the cotton clothes, down jacket, and pants piled at the foot of the bed, grabbed her keys, and rushed out the door.
She didn’t care for snacks or leftovers, so she only cooked enough for one meal at a time. Her rented apartment had little food stocked, but at the intersection near her place stood a 24-hour convenience store, and right next to it, an all-night pharmacy.
She sprinted down the street, thick snowflakes drifting onto her like goose feathers. The first snow of winter 2020 arrived right on schedule in mid-November.
The convenience store was warm as spring. The clerk, a burly man, was slumped over the counter playing games. The aroma of oden simmering in its broth was especially tantalizing in the dead of night. Next to the oden sat a steaming cabinet, its transparent lid revealing buns, steamed bread, and corn inside.
Lin Xi picked out a serving of oden with hot broth, grabbed a corn cob and two buns, paid, then hurried next door to the pharmacy. There, she bought a box of strong emergency contraceptive pills. As she stepped outside, she recalled the domineering CEO novels she’d read—stories where the villainesses met tragic fates, half of them inevitably subjected to assault.
Lin Xi hadn’t read the novel set in Ye Bingbing’s domineering CEO world, nor did she know how far along the plot had progressed there. But she believed it was better to be safe than sorry.
"Boss, could I also get a bottle of PEP?" she asked. In those CEO novels, after being violated, the villainesses not only risked pregnancy but also disease. So post-exposure prophylaxis was a must.
In a dark, secluded corner, Lin Xi opened her private chat with Ye Bingbing and sent the items over.
In the domineering CEO’s world, inside a third-floor master bedroom of a remote mountain villa, Ye Bingbing received the package. Huddled at the foot of the bed, she mechanically ate the oden, bite by bite, her face expressionless.
The warm oden heated her stomach, spreading warmth through her body. After a few bites to settle her hunger, she tore open the contraceptive pills and swallowed them without hesitation. When she noticed the PEP bottle and its instructions, she picked it up, hesitated for a moment, then took the medication as well.
The pills left a bitter taste in her mouth—or maybe it was just her mind playing tricks, but the bitterness seeped into her heart too. She finished the oden, broth and all, but couldn’t stomach the buns or corn, so she hid them away.
After stashing the food, she pressed a red mole on her wrist, summoning a translucent panel floating before her.
On it was Lin Xi’s latest message: [Earth Girl Lin Xi: Bingbing, if it’s inconvenient there, just send the plastic bags and stuff back to me.]
A hint of warmth flickered in Ye Bingbing’s frosty eyes. Without hesitation, she turned her wrist toward the trash bag on the floor and selected "send back." Lin Xi, now home, received the garbage and tossed it into the bin.
As she unwound her scarf and headed to bed, Ye Bingbing’s reply came swiftly.
[Domineering CEO Villainess Ye Bingbing: I underestimated this CEO world. I thought if I didn’t court death, I’d survive. I thought if I hid, the plot would leave me alone. But I never imagined that no matter what I did, I’d keep crossing paths with the female lead. Order takeout? The delivery girl is her. Go shopping? The sales clerk is her. Stay home and do nothing? The blame for her misfortunes still lands on me.]
[I’d resigned myself—no outings, no deliveries, just lurking online. But fate wouldn’t let me off the hook. That lunatic CEO Gong Jiuyi decided I’d “changed” and started having second thoughts about calling off our engagement.]
[His hesitation sent his precious “sweetheart” into a spiral. She drank herself into a stupor, and her loyal lapdog—the second male lead, heir to the underworld—kidnapped me.]
[That underworld boss, Leng Mingchen, is a psychopath among psychopaths. A week ago, he dragged me here and raped me. Now he plans to knock me up, then leak the scandal to clear the way for his sweetheart.]
[What I don’t get is—if he’s bold enough to kidnap me, why not just kidnap her instead? Tie her up, knock her up, and be done with it! Can’t I just opt out of their twisted love story?]
Her tone shifted from calm to frantic as she typed, her lips pressed tight, tears welling but refusing to fall.
Yet Lin Xi could feel the suffocating despair between the lines. Being trapped in a world full of lunatics was misery enough, but to endure this?
Just imagining it made Lin Xi’s heart ache. Only women could truly understand another woman’s pain. She replied: [Is there anything I can do to help?]
Ye Bingbing’s original link to the chat group had been her phone in this world. After Leng Mingchen abducted her, he confiscated it and stripped her of everything, even her clothes. A man who planned three steps ahead, he’d installed signal jammers throughout the villa. Even if she found a phone, it’d be useless.
Calling the police? A joke. The cops—or the military—would never arrive before Leng Mingchen’s gang.
The master bedroom spanned over fifty square meters, empty except for a bed and a carpet. The attached bathroom had even had its mirror removed, leaving only a sink, faucet, and toilet.
For days, Leng Mingchen denied her food and water. When thirst drove her to drink from the faucet, the metallic, rusty taste made her gag with every sip.
Today, exhaustion had nearly overtaken her. Every few minutes, her vision darkened—a sign of potassium deficiency. Without nourishment soon, she’d die. She didn’t want to die. She wanted to live, to escape, to make these so-called “protagonists” pay. So she bit her own arm, jolting herself awake.
The metallic taste of blood in her mouth made Ye Bingbing feel slightly less dizzy. When she looked up again, a transparent floating screen appeared before her eyes, displaying a familiar chat group interface. Alongside the group chat, there was also a private message from Lin Xi, a girl from Earth.
Without hesitation, Ye Bingbing felt as if she had witnessed a divine intervention at that moment.
She knew Lin Xi was the only one who could help her, and she immediately reached out for assistance. While waiting for Lin Xi to send her food that day, Ye Bingbing scrolled through the messages in the chat group. Each mention of her name filled her with warmth.
After eating, she felt thirsty and took out the small bottle of water Lin Xi had sent. It had no strange odor, and she drank it as if it were the sweetest nectar. Staring at the dark, oppressive sky outside, Ye Bingbing swore in her heart that one day, she would make those brain-dead protagonists suffer everything she had endured these past few days.
She went to the bathroom and returned to her spot, then sent Lin Xi another message: "Xi, I need a full set of clothes. Also, weapons for self-defense—knives, ropes, and survival gear for the wilderness."
A gust of wind rustled the trees outside, casting eerie shadows through the window. During the day, Ye Bingbing had looked out and confirmed that this was a villa deep in the mountains, surrounded by dense forests. In the distance, a highway bridge stretched across the horizon, with cars streaming past like flowing water.
Before her transmigration, Ye Bingbing had been a wealthy young woman, sheltered by her parents and untouched by the darker side of society. But now, she realized this was no ordinary world—here, domineering CEOs held power above the law, and underground syndicates lurked everywhere.
Ye Bingbing had naively believed that staying out of the original plot would keep her safe, but she had been wrong.
Now, she understood—she couldn’t escape this storyline. As Gong Jiuyi’s fiancée, her mere existence was a thorn in Su Rou’s side. All it took was a single pout from Su Rou, a few vague words, and her legion of simps would rush to make Ye Bingbing’s life hell.
Take that mafia prince Leng Mingchen, for example. The moment Su Rou gave him teary eyes and softly called him "Ah Chen," he was ready to kill just to see her smile again.
Ye Bingbing wrapped herself in a carpet, hugging her knees. This world was disgusting—so, so disgusting.
She glanced toward the locked door. Only Leng Mingchen had the key. The room had a single window where sunlight filtered in during the day. Across from the villa stood a small building guarded by several burly men, all armed with guns.
Before reconnecting with the chat group, despair had consumed her. When Leng Mingchen violated her, she had been too broken to resist. But now, with the chat group back, she no longer felt as helpless.
...
In the real world, dawn had yet to break. The room was chilly as the heater struggled against the cold seeping through the window. Lin Xi typed a reply to Ye Bingbing’s message.
She had already checked with Ah Shuishui and Lin Duxi—private trades between group members weren’t allowed. The item exchange was limited to one per day, and they had already used today’s quota.
Lin Xi sighed, scrolling through the chat group’s messages. "Can’t you be a little smarter?" she muttered to the system. "Detect the members’ situations and adjust the rules accordingly?"
The chat group remained silent, unchanged.
Returning to the private chat, she typed: "The item transfer has a cooldown. The next one won’t be until after midnight. I’ll prepare everything you need today, but… can you hold on until then?"
Her heart ached. The frustration of being unable to help someone suffering was unbearable. Every extra second Ye Bingbing spent in that place meant more torment.
Ye Bingbing had been active in the group chat, discussing everything except personal secrets. She knew about the transfer cooldown.
Her reply came quickly: "Domineering CEO’s Villainess Fiancée Ye Bingbing: I can hold on. As long as there’s hope of escape, I can endure anything."
Her earlier despair had stemmed from seeing no way out. But now that hope existed, she could wait. If Goujian could endure hardship for his kingdom’s revival, what was this compared to that?
Lin Xi took a sip of water, still uneasy. "What’s your plan after this?"
After a pause, Ye Bingbing responded: "Before transmigrating, I read this novel. It’s set in a world where chaebols and mafia rule over nations."
"The book claims the male lead, Gong Jiuyi, and the second male lead, Leng Mingchen, control both the legal and underground factions. Their influence is so vast they even have a say in international affairs."
"But I think that’s nonsense. The novel’s version of China shares the same historical background as our world. I refuse to believe the government would let a businessman and a gangster run wild like this."
After realizing how deranged this world was, Ye Bingbing had researched its setting. As a proud Young Pioneer and Communist Youth League member, she couldn’t accept such a weak portrayal of her country.
She had pondered over it and concluded that this world was incomplete—after all, the story’s focus was romance. The author had sidelined the nation entirely. Out of a million-word novel, 990,000 words were dedicated to the female lead’s harem and their petty dramas, while 50,000 words described how cannon fodders were crushed by her simps.
The parts about the country? Probably less than 2,000 words—and 80% of those were just city names.
After the incident at the villa, Ye Bingbing was absolutely certain that the plot could be changed—otherwise, how could she have been kidnapped by Leng Mingchen? In the original novel, Ye Bingbing's fate was far worse: after her family went bankrupt, her obsessive older brother married her off to an older man with disturbing fetishes. After that marriage, the original Ye Bingbing grew even more resentful of the female lead. When her schemes to frame the female lead failed, she was thrown into the red-light district and forced into prostitution.
Back then, Leng Mingchen wouldn’t have even glanced at her, let alone gotten her pregnant—he’d have considered it a stain on his eyes just to look at her.
[Ye Bingbing, the Villainess in a Domineering CEO Novel: I heard there’s a military outpost stationed in these mountains. I plan to head deeper in and seek their protection. These past few months in this godforsaken novel world haven’t been a complete waste.]
[Gong Jiuyi is an arrogant bastard. He’s committed plenty of crimes, and he’s so confident in himself that he doesn’t even bother hiding them. He might as well have half the penal code tattooed on his back.]
[I figure a scumbag like him is bound to face divine retribution sooner or later, so I’ve gathered evidence—archived everything, even compiled victim testimonies—and stored it all on a private webpage only I can access. My plan is to turn to the authorities.]
Though Ye Bingbing had grown up sheltered, she was far from naive. And because these so-called "elites" were so brazen, their misdeeds were easy to uncover. Collecting evidence had been almost laughably simple, so much so that she sometimes doubted herself.
The reason she hadn’t gone to the authorities yet was because she was investigating a mass arson case from five years ago. Records showed that the fire had killed 300 people, left 500 severely injured, and caused minor injuries to over a thousand others.
No matter the era, those numbers were horrifying. Yet back then, the victims and their families had nowhere to turn for justice. To this day, they still hadn’t received the compensation they deserved. The site of the fire had since been jointly acquired by the Gong and Leng families and turned into a dockyard.
Ye Bingbing had looked into the case because, later in the novel, the female lead, Su Rou, had a major falling-out with the male lead, Gong Jiuyi—over this very incident.
Su Rou’s parents and siblings had been among the victims. The argument ended with Gong Jiuyi forcing himself on her, and in the aftermath, he "apologized" with empty promises to treat her better.
At the thought, Ye Bingbing curled her lips in a sneer, disgust twisting her stomach. No sane person could ever understand—let alone empathize with—this kind of deranged world.
She couldn’t fathom how Su Rou could possibly end up with the man responsible for her family’s deaths. Which, of course, led her to reflect on how she’d ended up transmigrated into this novel in the first place.
In her past life, she’d loved reading novels and scrolling through short videos. One day, she stumbled upon a story titled Cherish You 99 Times: The CEO’s Runaway Sweetheart.
The opening was so absurdly melodramatic that she’d fallen right into the rabbit hole. That night, she’d read on, cursing under her breath, until she reached that plot point—the one that made her want to strangle both the characters and the author. Furious, she’d left a thousand-word rant in the comments section. The next thing she knew, she’d woken up as the ill-fated Ye Bingbing.
Lin Xi hadn’t slept at all, chatting idly with Ye Bingbing until dawn. When she pulled back the curtains, the world outside was blanketed in white. Aunt Wang, their landlady, was sweeping snow from the courtyard with a broom.
Noticing Lin Xi, Aunt Wang waved her over. Lin Xi knew exactly what that meant—she flashed an OK sign, threw on her coat, and grabbed her phone before heading downstairs.
Lin Xi had lived here for four years, and every first snowfall, Aunt Wang made savory glutinous rice dumplings for all the tenants.
Stuffed with dried tofu, radish, chives, scallions, and minced meat, the dumplings were boiled until tender. By the time Lin Xi arrived, the first batch was ready. Uncle Li, Aunt Wang’s husband, ladled a bowl for her.
"Up early, aren’t you, Xiao Lin?" Uncle Li chuckled, pouring himself a small glass of liquor.
Aunt Wang stepped inside, snowflakes still clinging to her clothes. "Early risers catch the worm—or in our case, the money!"
"Went to bed too early last night, so I couldn’t sleep in," Lin Xi replied with a smile.
Aunt Wang and Uncle Li were kind souls. Their children had moved abroad years ago and rarely visited. While they’d been busy with work, the house hadn’t felt so empty, but after retirement, the silence grew unbearable.
So they’d renovated, dividing the upstairs and downstairs into rental units.
Lin Xi had been one of their first tenants. In all these years, they’d never raised her rent. When she was short on cash, they never pressed her for payment, even offering to defer it until she was back on her feet.
Grateful, Lin Xi always brought gifts during holidays. Over time, they’d grown close.
"Xiao Lin, you’re really leaving?" Aunt Wang asked, sitting beside her with her own bowl of dumplings. She stirred in a spoonful of chili oil.
The tradition of eating these dumplings on the first snowfall went back generations in Aunt Wang’s family. As a child in leaner times, she’d thought them the most delicious thing in the world. After marriage, she’d carried on the custom.
Lin Xi took a bite of the soft, chewy dumpling and nodded. "Yeah. My grandmother’s getting older, and her health isn’t great. If I don’t go back to spend time with her now, I’ll regret it forever."
Aunt Wang and Uncle Li exchanged a glance. With a sigh, Aunt Wang said, "That’s fair. Stay as long as you need. Don’t worry about the rent."
Money wasn’t an issue for them—both were retired civil servants with pensions over 10,000 yuan a month, plus rental income.
Lin Xi didn’t stand on ceremony with them and simply planned to treat them to a meal before heading home, during which she would add a drop of genetic repair serum. Lin Duxi had mentioned that just one drop would be enough to repair most of the physical damage in elderly bodies. However, for complete recovery and a permanent cure, continuous treatment for six months—once a month—was necessary.
Lin Xi had checked—the bottle of repair serum was enough for her grandmother’s six-month treatment, with some leftover. She intended to distribute the remainder among those who had been kind to her over the years.
Just as she was about to speak, a family of three walked in—tenants from the first floor who had been renting for quite some time. Lin Xi was familiar with them, seeing them frequently. Their four-year-old child was sweet-mouthed, running over to Aunt Wang and calling out "Grandma Wang" and "Grandpa Li," quickly livening up the room.
By seven o'clock, the early-rising tenants heading to work had arrived, making the place even livelier. After finishing her meal, Lin Xi went upstairs to feed Cao’er, stroking its soft fur and hugging it tightly for a few moments before leaving.
The snow continued to drift down, and the sidewalks were already lined with several snow piles, now covered with another fresh layer.
Snowy days were exceptionally cold, and despite being bundled up, Lin Xi still felt the chill biting into her bones. At the bus stop, she found a sheltered spot and pulled out her phone to check.
Ye Bingbing had sent a message saying she was going to take a nap to rest up for her escape attempt that night.
Lin Xi didn’t disturb her further and instead updated the group chat to let everyone know she was safe. She also mentioned being kidnapped by the son of a mafia boss.
Everyone in the group was a transmigrator—who among them hadn’t read a few novels before crossing over? They could easily imagine what might happen to someone abducted by the mafia.
Though the group members rarely discussed personal matters openly, privately, each of them reached out to Lin Xi with offers of help.
[Ancient World – Xu Huanhuan: Xiao Xi, I just had my maid buy some knockout drugs. Can you pass them to Ye Bingbing? A single packet of this can knock out five bulls. I’ve also included the antidote—tell her to take it before using the knockout powder.]
Xu Huanhuan’s ancient world was full of wonders, with all sorts of bizarre and potent concoctions available at any pharmacy—though at a steep price.
But now that she no longer had to financially support Wei Mingye’s family, Xu Huanhuan had money to spare. If she wanted, she could afford to buy knockout drugs just to throw them away.
Lin Xi accepted the transfer, and soon, both the knockout powder and antidote appeared in her bag.
Before she could reply to Xu Huanhuan, a message from Ah Huahua arrived:
[Primitive World – Ah Huahua: Xiao Xi, during my recent trip with Ah Shuishui, we found this plant. Its seeds explode with an intensely spicy scent—strong enough to make even a wild beast tear up instantly. Please send it to Ye Bingbing and tell her to stay strong. No hardship lasts forever.]
The seeds Ah Huahua sent weren’t large, resembling foxtails, and were carefully wrapped in broad leaves. Even from a slight distance, their pungent spiciness was overwhelming.
Before Lin Xi could respond, Lin Duxi’s message popped up:
[Post-Apocalyptic Wasteland – Lin Duxi: What I’m sending is a bit… questionable. Let me know when you’re ready to transfer items to Ye Bingbing, and I’ll send it to you first.]
Lin Duxi’s post-apocalyptic world had no shortage of weapons. Just from his tone, Lin Xi could guess what he intended to send.
The warmth of having everyone rally to help in times of need filled Lin Xi’s heart. She squeezed onto the bus and made her way to the back. The snow kept falling heavily, but it did nothing to deter the working class from their daily grind.
The slippery roads delayed Lin Xi’s arrival at the building materials market, but since everyone else was running late too, no one commented on it.
She had barely changed into her work clothes when a client called, throwing her straight into a busy morning. By noon, she finally had a moment to sit down for lunch in the break room, with He Chun following closely behind.
"Xiao Xi-jie, what’s in your locker? It smells so pungent," He Chun complained, pinching her nose and raising her pinky in distaste.
Brother Feng walked in and shot her a look. "How would you even smell it unless you were snooping around her locker? Care to explain why you were sticking your nose in there?"
He didn’t spare her any dignity, and He Chun’s face turned green with anger. She just had a sensitive nose! Besides, what could someone as poor as Lin Xi—who couldn’t even afford a taxi—possibly have in her locker that was worth coveting? But she couldn’t say that out loud. Brother Feng was a top performer, and rumors were swirling that Sister Xiu would soon be transferred, leaving him as the new store manager.
Sister Xiu was easygoing, but Brother Feng? Not so much. If she talked back now, she’d risk retaliation later. Even though she didn’t put much effort into her job, this place still gave her a base salary for doing nothing. Where else could she find such an easy gig?
Lin Xi unwrapped her chopsticks and smiled faintly at her.
Soon, Sister Xiu and Sister Fang joined them. The snowy weather meant most clients weren’t venturing out, so the team stayed in the warmth of the store, treating it as a chance to bond.
At their custom furniture store, employees received a daily meal allowance of 15 yuan, adjusted at month-end based on how many meals they ate in-store.
The lunchboxes contained two meat dishes and one vegetable—modest portions but enough to fill an adult.
Between bites, Sister Fang brought up a topic. "Remember that news from half a month ago? About the person who died from overworking?"
Lin Xi looked up. Sister Xiu picked out the ginger slices from her braised chicken and laid them on a tissue spread over the table. "Yeah, I remember. Any updates on that?"
Lin Xi pulled out her phone to search. There was no way she could forget—after all, the deceased had transmigrated to another world and become a member of their group chat.
"There is. I saw it in the news this morning. Apparently, Liu Hua’s parents still refuse to cremate their child. The body’s been kept at the mortuary all this time."
"They keep protesting outside the company, demanding a million in compensation. It’s made headlines multiple times. But the company isn’t backing down—they’re only offering 200,000. The two sides have been fighting it out, and things have gotten ugly. Online, screenshots of Liu Hua’s brother, Liu Bao, chatting with others have been leaked."
"In Liu Bao's chat records with others, he mentioned that he had already set his sights on a 600,000-yuan BMW. As soon as his sister's compensation money came through, he could drive it off the lot immediately. He even told his long-distance girlfriend that after buying the car, the remaining money would go toward building a house for her parents."
The sudden death of Ah Huahua had caused quite a stir, especially given how pervasive the internet is nowadays, where everyone acts as their own media outlet. The Liu family had plenty of sensational angles to exploit, with the most glaring one being their blatant favoritism toward sons over daughters.
This bias was evident just from the names they gave their children—the boy was their "treasure" (Bao), while the girl was treated like mere "flowers and grass" (Huahua).
Lin Xi had heard about this from the proprietress of the courier station across from Ah Huahua’s home before, so she wasn’t surprised. Just like the comments she’d seen online, not every parent knows how to love their child.
This truth applied to her just as much as it did to Ah Huahua. She had once suffered from her parents’ neglect, but as she grew older, she learned to love herself.
She was no longer the kind of child who tormented herself over her parents’ lack of affection. Neither was Ah Huahua.
"I heard her younger brother is deep in online loans and even got involved in internet gambling," Lin Xi chimed in, instantly drawing disgust from the group.
Sister Xiu: "Disgusting. I heard before that her parents were demanding repayment for all the years they spent raising her. What, do they only keep tabs on their daughter and not their son?"
"Exactly! And that brother of hers is something else—online loans are bad enough, but online gambling? How old is he even?"
Brother Feng, who had both a son and a daughter, felt a pang of frustration at the thought: "If my son ever turned out like that, I’d beat him to death."
This sentiment earned nods of agreement from Sister Fang and Sister Xiu. He Chun slammed her cup onto the table with a loud thud. "You all talk big now, but if it really happened to you, you’d just obediently clean up your son’s mess without a word."
Her expression dark, she tossed her chopsticks down and stormed off.
Sister Fang, Sister Xiu, and Lin Xi exchanged awkward glances. Brother Feng sighed. "He Chun has a brother just like Liu Bao, a younger brother just as bad, and parents just the same. Hearing this must’ve struck a nerve. Just leave her be."
They dropped the subject and circled back to Ah Huahua.
Lin Xi searched for updates on the situation and found a video posted half an hour earlier—the Liu family’s home had been targeted. An elderly woman had dumped a bucket of urine on their front door, while others pelted it with rotten vegetables.
The Liu family had no idea who was behind it—except for the old woman, who was a familiar face. But at seventy years old, frail and unsteady on her feet, they didn’t dare retaliate. If she collapsed on the spot, who would take the blame?
In one of the videos Lin Xi watched, the old woman stood with her hands on her hips, berating Ah Huahua’s parents: "I’ve had enough of you two for a long time. Ah Huahua was such a good girl, and you drove her to ruin."
"Liu Qiangfa, I remember your parents weren’t the type to favor sons over daughters. How did you turn out like this? If your parents knew what you’ve become, they’d rise from their graves just to strangle you."
After her tirade, the old woman picked up her bucket and left. The comments under the video were flooded with praise for her actions.
Lin Xi forwarded the clip to Ah Huahua, who had just returned from gathering firewood and was boiling water. After watching, Ah Huahua replied with a smile.
[Primitive World Ah Huahua: That’s Granny Bai from our village. She’s a state-supported elderly with no family, and a family of martyrs. Her husband and all three of her children died as soldiers for the country. She used to be a Women’s Federation cadre when she was younger.]
[Primitive World Ah Huahua: She helped me apply for my student loan. She’s always looked out for kids like me.]
Ah Huahua was deeply grateful to Granny Bai, and the two chatted for a while.
By 3 p.m., the building materials market closed early due to the heavy snowfall. Snowplows scattered salt on the roads as Lin Xi waited for the bus at the station.
The wind howled, whipping snowflakes through the air. A black BMW pulled up in front of her, and the window rolled down to reveal He Chun’s grinning face. "Sister Xi, where are you headed? We can give you a ride."
In the driver’s seat, the balding Manager Wang eyed Lin Xi up and down with a suggestive smirk. "Yeah, beautiful, the buses will take forever in this weather. We’re heading the same way—might as well ride with us."
Lin Xi knew exactly what these two were scheming. She forced a tight smile. "No need. The bus is here. I’ll be going now. Take your time, Manager Wang."
She boarded the bus without another glance. Manager Wang’s smile twisted into a scowl. "Ungrateful bitch."
He Chun’s grin widened at his irritation. "Isn’t that better for you, Manager Wang? Gives you more to… mold later."
Pleased, Manager Wang glanced at the retreating bus, then grabbed He Chun’s chest with a rough squeeze. "You always know what to say, Chun’er. Come on, I’ll take you somewhere special today—guaranteed you’ll love it."
At the mention of his "special place," He Chun’s face paled momentarily.
Lin Xi picked up groceries she’d ordered online from a shop at the alley entrance before heading home to cook.
Just as she finished preparing dinner, a message from Ye Bingbing arrived.
[Villainess CEO Ye Bingbing: Leng Mingchen just came. With him was this body’s biological brother, Ye Xuheng.]
Ye Bingbing’s hands trembled as she typed.
Lin Xi’s spatula clattered to the floor. She unplugged the electric wok and sat on the bed. [Did he do anything to you?]
Ye Bingbing shook her head, then remembered Lin Xi couldn’t see her. She quickly typed back: [No, he waited outside. After Leng Mingchen finished… with me, I overheard him talking to Leng Mingchen.]
[He told Leng Mingchen that I’m vicious and spoiled, and that after this incident, I’d only become more relentless in targeting Su Rou. He said there’s no point in guarding against a thief forever, so he suggested Leng Mingchen keep me under house arrest—never let me out.]
[He also said that once we return home, he’d announce that I ran off with a lover abroad. From then on, the Ye family would act as if I never existed.]
In her previous life, Ye Bingbing had parents and siblings who adored her. After transmigrating into this world, having read the novel, she knew that the original Ye Bingbing’s parents and elder brother didn’t love her—but she wasn’t heartbroken over it.
What she hadn’t expected was for Ye Xuheng to be so utterly deranged! Ye Xuheng kept insisting that the original host had mistreated the female lead, Su Rou, but if you traced it back to the root, this was essentially a case of the farmer and the viper!
During their second year of high school, Su Rou—a top student from a poor family—transferred into their private school. There was bound to be a gap between scholarship students and the children of wealthy families, especially since Su Rou, as the female lead, embodied all the classic traits of a Cinderella protagonist: fiercely proud and resilient.
On the very first day of school, she clashed with the troublemakers in class who didn’t care about studying, delivering the iconic line: "We’re all equal as human beings. Just because you have money, does that make you superior?"
The moment those words left her mouth, she instantly captured the attention of every boy in class—especially Ye Bingbing’s fiancé, Gong Jiuyi, who saw Su Rou as a dazzling firework unlike anyone else.
Later, when Su Rou couldn’t afford meals, the original host—still naive back then—started helping her out, sharing everything from food to daily necessities. But Su Rou’s pride wouldn’t allow her to accept handouts.
So instead, she became Ye Bingbing’s personal bag carrier. During visits to the Ye household, she played the sympathy card and eventually landed a job as a maid in the family. That was how she caught Ye Xuheng’s eye.
Because of past incidents, Ye Xuheng had always believed that the original host bullied and oppressed Su Rou. Since transmigrating, Ye Bingbing had received countless warnings from him—both in person and via text.
This world is full of lunatics, Ye Bingbing was sick of saying. To distract herself, she started explaining the world’s background to Lin Xi.
Lin Xi was so engrossed she even forgot to stir-fry the vegetables, her expression twisted in disbelief: "Your family doesn’t have any other servants?"
[Villainess Ye Bingbing]: "Of course we do. Plenty of them."
Lin Xi clicked her tongue: "Your idiot brother isn’t making sense. If they’re all maids, why is it bullying when you order Su Rou around but not when you ask anyone else? The double standards are insane."
Ye Bingbing smirked, wincing as it tugged at the wound on her face: [Villainess Ye Bingbing]: "Exactly. The hypocrisy is crystal clear."
The two of them took turns roasting the absurdity of this brain-dead world, carefully avoiding any mention of Ye Bingbing’s current predicament. Meanwhile, their group chat buzzed to life.
Time ticked by until, at ten o’clock that night, Lin Xi received a private message from Ye Bingbing:
[Villainess Ye Bingbing]: "The two psychos are back. Ye Xuheng said that to make me obedient, it’d be best to sever my Achilles tendons."
"Leng Mingchen brought a woman with him. They’re right outside, discussing how to deal with me. Xi, I feel like meat on a chopping block, a fish on a cutting board."
The conversation outside continued, and fear pooled in Ye Bingbing’s eyes, tears welling up. She had never seen someone with severed tendons, but she’d watched enough TV to know—once those tendons were cut, she’d be crippled for life.
Every counterattack she had planned would be ruined.
Ye Bingbing was terrified. Her mother from her past life had once told her: "In life, hardship isn’t the worst thing. What’s truly unbearable is seeing the light of victory ahead, only to have your wings broken before you can reach it."
The doorknob turned. Ye Bingbing scrambled up from the floor and bolted to the bathroom, locking herself inside just as footsteps entered the room.
A soft, almost gentle voice followed the sound of steps: "Miss Ye? Miss Ye, where are you? I’m Dr. Lin Minru from the affiliated hospital. Manager Leng and Manager Ye told me you’re unwell. I’m here to examine you."
Every word from Lin Minru’s mouth struck Ye Bingbing’s heart like a hammer. She didn’t believe a single syllable—because Lin Minru was Su Rou’s best friend. And not only that, Lin Minru harbored twisted feelings for Su Rou.
The novel had made it clear: every time Su Rou slept over at Lin Minru’s place, the cunning doctor would drug her and do unspeakable things.
Of course, Lin Minru’s fate in the end was grim—once her crimes came to light, she had her eyes gouged out, her hands chopped off, and was left as a human stump in the jungles of Thailand. But before her evil was exposed, she used inhumane methods to destroy every woman who crossed Su Rou.
Falling into this woman’s hands would mean death or mutilation. The book explicitly described how, back in middle school, when a girl had said something rude to Su Rou, Lin Minru stalked her, waited until she was alone, and then skinned her alive, piece by piece. The case remained unsolved to this day.
In Ye Bingbing’s eyes, Lin Minru was far more dangerous than all those brain-dead simp boys combined!!!!
As the footsteps drew closer, Ye Bingbing could only beg Lin Xi, who was worlds away: "Xi, save me."
Hope was slim. The moment the bathroom doorknob rattled, Ye Bingbing’s pupils dilated, her chest tight with terror.
The instant her distress signal was sent, a system notification popped up on Lin Xi’s phone:
[System Alert]: "Received distress call from Villainess Ye Bingbing. Activate emergency shelter to provide refuge?"
