Chapter 1: I Will Marry No One But Him

“Master, please forgive my incompetence, but I fear the Second Miss is beyond saving…”

At the end of the sixteenth year of the Yuanchang era, within the Second Miss’s chamber of the Chen residence, the atmosphere hung heavy and somber, mirroring the weighty darkness outside the window.

Today was the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, a time when the Chen household would ordinarily be ablaze with lanterns, filled with the laughter and warmth of family reunion, voices echoing through the courtyard.

Yet now, everyone wore sorrowful expressions as they gathered around the bedside, tears streaming silently, eyes filled with grief directed at the pale-faced young lady lying there.

“Xiao Miao, it’s my fault—I didn’t take good care of you! It’s all my fault!”

A girl of about fifteen or sixteen wept most bitterly, her body curled at the bed’s edge, tears like broken pearls endlessly falling, soaking the bedsheets.

“Xiao Wan, death is final; you shouldn’t grieve too deeply.”

“Alas, why can’t the Second Miss see reason? That young master Xiao is handsome and from the Xiao family. If you leave like this, what will Master do?”

Murmurs and fragmented voices floated faintly, overlapping and indistinct.

“Must you make so much noise even when someone’s trying to rest?”

A sharp voice suddenly broke through, causing those speaking moments before to fall silent and turn their eyes almost in unison toward the girl in bed.

Chen Xingmiao turned over and pulled the quilt up over her ears.

“Xiao Miao! You—you really…”

The girl who had cried the hardest was the quickest to react, rushing to the bedside. Trembling, she grasped her hand tightly, words caught in her throat, unable to utter a single syllable.

“Enough already!”

Chen Xingmiao suddenly sat up with a jerk.

She felt tears welling up.

Today, she had the rare chance to sleep in without any filming schedules, so why were so many people in her room?

Wait—why were there people in her room at all?

Suddenly fully alert, her gaze swept around.

The first to meet her eyes was the little girl still clutching her hand, tears streaming down her cheeks. Next to the bed stood a middle-aged man and woman, along with an old man carrying a medicine box.

What was going on?

Who were these people dressed in ancient clothing?

God, she was sure she had no filming scheduled today!

“Bringing back from the brink of death, it’s a medical miracle!”

The doctor who had just stepped away hurried forward again, repeatedly checking her pulse in amazement, eyes wide with disbelief.

---

Chen Xingmiao felt like crying but had no tears left.

She had only wanted to enjoy a comfortable lazy morning, and now, upon waking, she found herself trapped in this confusion.

“Second Miss, I’m not saying this to be harsh, but Xiao Ziyu is still from the Xiao family. The engagement is set. No matter how unwilling you are, you can’t just bring this on yourself. If you cause such a scene, how will outsiders view our Chen household?”

The speaker was a middle-aged woman heavily made up, her face etched with worry and indecision, her gaze darting toward the middle-aged man beside her.

“That’s right! Aunt Zhou is right—you're being so foolish!” the middle-aged man said with furrowed brows. Though his tone carried reproach, it was filled with concern.

As the head of the family, he struggled to restrain his emotions, yet tears still escaped uncontrollably.

What nonsense were these people spouting?

Chen Xingmiao listened in a haze, her head buzzing.

And… why did the name Xiao Ziyu sound so familiar?

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed her head, and it took a while before she recovered.

Her eyes widened in shock—wasn’t that the role she had just taken on in a drama a few days ago?

No way…

In novels, people only ever transmigrate into books, but now she had somehow slipped into a script?

More importantly, she had only read the opening of this script; she had no idea how the story would unfold, not even who the male lead was!

But now, though uncertain of the male lead, she recognized Xiao Ziyu’s name.

Xiao Ziyu, the illegitimate son of the Xiao family, had suffered oppression since childhood, twisted in darkness until he became a ruthless killer—the story’s chief antagonist.

And the girl by the bedside was the heroine’s elder sister, Chen Shuwan, the legitimate daughter of the Chen household.

Though the heroine was a concubine’s daughter and had lost her mother early, she was fortunately cared for by her father Chen Jinzhou and this elder sister, so life wasn’t too harsh.

As for Aunt Zhou, she was neither the matriarch nor the heroine’s birth mother; yet she had allied with Xiao Ziyu to stir up trouble, causing the heroine’s family to fall apart right at the beginning for the sake of inheritance.

Thinking of this sent a chill through Chen Xingmiao.

But the script’s opening didn’t say the heroine would wed the villain!

[Congratulations, host, you have triggered the main storyline: Marry the Xiao family’s illegitimate son as soon as possible.]

“What is this? Who are you?”

Chen Xingmiao’s heart jolted. She instinctively looked around, only to find that everyone in the room had vanished without a trace. Not a soul remained; only a voice echoed in her mind.

[Hello, host, I am your transmigration system. You can call me Xiao Liu.]

---

That voice spoke again, cold and mechanical.

“I think you’re a fraud. I’ve only heard of book transmigration systems and quick transmigration systems. What kind of nonsense is a drama transmigration system?”

Suspicion laced her tone, wary and cautious.

[That’s because I am the newly derived system! The elder brothers are the book and quick transmigration systems.]

Upon hearing this, the robotic voice grew agitated.

Though she hadn’t yet grasped the situation fully, it seemed there was no better choice than to trust this strange system.

“Fine, how do I get back to my world?”

[The host earns points for completing tasks. When the points reach ten thousand, the host gains a wish opportunity.]

“Then… what kind of support do I have?”

At this, a flicker of hope stirred within her—at least some aid.

[The host has no special powers but can purchase items with points. Friendly reminder: the script contains many dangerous plots. To survive, the host should maintain good relations with the antagonist.]

As the voice finished, Chen Xingmiao felt the surroundings return to normal.

Others who transmigrate usually have cheat spaces or special abilities; she had nothing. How unfair!

But who was Chen Xingmiao? She would surely gather enough points and return home safely!

“Who said I won’t marry?”

With a calm yet resolute voice, Chen Xingmiao fixed a piercing gaze on the so-called Aunt Zhou.

“What? You’ve agreed to marry?” Aunt Zhou’s brows knotted, the candlelight reflecting off her heavy makeup in a harsh glare.

Chen Xingmiao curled her lips in disdain—her face reflected light more than any greasy makeup could.

“Xiao Miao, are you still feeling unwell?” Chen Shuwan asked with concern, reaching out to check her forehead but detecting nothing amiss.

Chen Jinzhou stood with his hands behind his back, expression unreadable. After a long silence, he slowly spoke, “Have you made up your mind?”

“Of course. Not only will I marry, I will marry him and no one else!”