I Don’t Want to Be the Heroine Anymore - Chapter 1

The lakeside villa was adorned with golden ginkgo trees, painting the autumn in hues of gold.

Mang Ke sat by the half-open window, gazing at the distant avenue blanketed with ginkgo leaves.

In the empty, silent room, only her own sigh lingered.

She had transmigrated.

Resting her cheek on her hand, Mang Ke still remembered the phone call she received a month ago when she was struggling to make ends meet—from a company called the Female Lead Committee.

“You’re the one we’ve been searching for—the most perfect candidate to be the female lead!”

The person on the other end had said.

Mang Ke assumed it was a scam and hung up three times.

By the fourth call, the other party was clearly desperate: “I’m telling the truth, please don’t hang up again—thud thud thud—”

She could practically hear them kowtowing on the other end.

“Fine then,” Mang Ke relented. “What exactly does your company want me to do?”

“Do you read novels?”

“I do when I have free time.”

“Have you read any domineering CEO stories?”

“…If this is a sales pitch, don’t bother. I can just watch TV.”

Despite her skepticism, the person on the phone remained patient and calmly explained, “Your job is to become the female lead and follow the story’s plot until the ending.”

“Ah…” Mang Ke suddenly understood. “So you’re a publishing company looking for proofreaders?”

“???”

“As long as the pay is good, I can handle proofreading too.”

“I don’t really get what you’re saying, but as long as you agree, that’s fine.”

And just like that, Mang Ke received a contract via express delivery, signed her name, and—before she knew it—found herself dizzy and disoriented, waking up in this world. Only then did she realize what they meant by “follow the story’s plot until the ending.”

It was exactly as it sounded—acting it out until the ending.

Mang Ke sighed deeply, running her fingers through her long hair as she turned her gaze away from the ginkgo-lined avenue. She had no mood to appreciate the romantic scenery now—all she wanted was to figure out what she was supposed to do next.

This was a substitute romance novel, titled The Substitute Bride: CEO Xun’s Beloved Darling.

Just from the name, it was clearly not a serious piece of literature.

The plot was straightforward. As an orphan, Mang Ke grew up in an orphanage before being adopted by a wealthy family in her youth. The family also had a spoiled daughter, whom Mang Ke called her “younger sister.”

This spoiled sister had an arranged marriage, but she didn’t want to go through with it—she wanted to chase her true love in some far-off place, so she ran away… just like that.

She was gone, but the wedding still had to happen.

With no other choice, Mang Ke, as the adopted daughter, naturally took her place and married the other female lead in the story—Xun Fangyun.

Mang Ke’s heart was full of bitterness. The phrase “too many complaints to even speak” probably best described her current state of mind.

She pulled out her phone and casually scrolled through it, only to find that news of her impending marriage to Xun Fangyun had spread to every corner of the city.

Fortunately, privacy measures were tight, so no one actually knew what the CEO’s fiancée looked like.

The most frustrating part? She had only met Xun Fangyun twice in total.

The first time they met for a meal to set the wedding date, Xun Fangyun sat there expressionless in a black dress, looking as if she was owed millions.

The second time was when they moved into this house. Xun Fangyun wore a white dress, her face still blank, as if a mannequin had just moved into her home.

After just a month in this world, Mang Ke had already concluded that this woman, Xun Fangyun, was anything but ordinary.

“Miss Mang Ke, it’s time for lunch.”

Aunt Liu, the housekeeper, pushed the door open and said to Mang Ke, “Should I bring it up for you, or will you come down to eat?”

“I’ll go downstairs,” Mang Ke replied. “Staying in the room too long gets boring.”

Aunt Liu, assuming Mang Ke was just feeling lonely, smiled and said, “Miss Xun is very busy with work and often stays at the company. She doesn’t come home much.”

Mang Ke nodded. She didn’t care whether Xun Fangyun came or not—if she didn’t, all the better for her peace of mind.

Aunt Liu’s cooking was exceptional. Her braised pork was sweet but not greasy, leaving a lingering deliciousness in the mouth.

If not for her current… unique circumstances, Mang Ke would have seriously considered marrying Aunt Liu just for her cooking.

With nothing to do after lunch, Mang Ke decided to go out for a stroll.

“The sun is strong outside. Take a parasol with you,” Aunt Liu advised.

Mang Ke nodded, hoisting a small floral parasol over her shoulder as she stepped out.

There wasn’t much to see outside. In the half-month since she’d moved in, she’d already explored every corner of the neighborhood. Apart from mountains, rivers, flowers, and grass, there was hardly anyone around—not even a single dancing auntie in the evenings, which made life far less entertaining.

Following the ginkgo-lined path she’d just admired, she soon reached the entrance of the residential area.

Just as she arrived at the gate, Mang Ke spotted a red Ferrari parked across the street.

The sleek, vibrant red sports car had black-and-gold accents on its headlights and front grille, giving it a more luxurious feel than ordinary cars. But…

Mang Ke’s gaze shifted to the two women standing beside the car.

Both were slender with long, flowing hair. The one with her back turned wore a black jacket and pants, her waistline delicate, her glossy black hair cascading down her back. A light breeze swept through, giving her the aura of a mysterious beauty.

The woman facing Mang Ke, however, was someone she recognized.

Her name was Yue Yin—Xun Fangyun’s “white moonlight” in the original story. Xun Fangyun had fought with her, the female lead, over Yue Yin multiple times, nearly costing Mang Ke her life in the end.

If Yue Yin was here, then the woman in black had to be…

Before Mang Ke could finish her thought, Xun Fangyun turned her head, and their eyes met.

DANGER!!!!

Mang Ke immediately yanked the parasol down to cover her face, deciding this was not the place to linger. A woman as dangerous as Xun Fangyun couldn’t be given any leverage.

She wondered if the police would even take her case if she reported it in advance.

Just imagining being locked in a dark room by this woman, pinned to the bed and bitten, sent a shiver down Mang Ke’s spine.

Good grief, this woman was a total psycho!

Mang Ke stared at the ground, standing frozen for a few seconds before cautiously lifting the parasol for another peek.

Somehow, Xun Fangyun had already crossed the street and was now standing just a short distance away.

“……”

Mang Ke gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and hoisted the umbrella onto her shoulder, ready to turn and leave. If she didn’t run now, who knew what would happen if she got caught!

But before she could turn around, a cool, composed woman’s voice came from behind her: “What are you doing here?”

Mang Ke could only shrink her neck slightly and turn to look at Xun Fangyun, forcing a smile. “Just finished eating, thought I’d take a walk to digest. Didn’t expect you back so early.”

She glanced at the woman standing beside the Ferrari. Yue Yin was staring at them with a resentful gaze, her eyes filled with hostility toward Mang Ke.

“Aren’t you going to keep her company?” Mang Ke said to Xun Fangyun. “Miss Yue Yin seems to be waiting for you.”

Xun Fangyun was slightly surprised that Mang Ke knew Yue Yin, but she didn’t comment. Instead, she reached out and took the umbrella from Mang Ke’s arms, leaning in closer to say, “No need to worry about her.”

Mang Ke was about to say something else when she felt Xun Fangyun’s arm wrap around her waist. Before she could react, she was being led toward home.

The piercing gaze from behind made Mang Ke uncomfortable. She squirmed slightly but found she couldn’t shake off Xun Fangyun’s grip. Helpless, she asked, “Are we… really going back like this?”

Xun Fangyun gave her a puzzled look.

Mang Ke pointed behind them. “The Ferrari—such a nice car, just left outside the neighborhood?”

Xun Fangyun hadn’t expected Mang Ke to be concerned about the car. The corner of her lips twitched as she suppressed a smile. “It’s fine outside. It’s not like it’s anything valuable.”

Listen to that. Is this even something a human would say?

Damn capitalism.

They had barely stepped out for two minutes before returning, and they even brought back someone who rarely came home. When Aunt Liu opened the door and saw Xun Fangyun with Mang Ke, she was visibly surprised.

“Miss Xun?” Aunt Liu held the door open for them. “Weren’t you supposed to work overtime today?”

Xun Fangyun slipped off her shoes and walked barefoot across the floor, placing her belongings aside. “Pretty much finished everything, so I came back.”

Aunt Liu dutifully took her things and hung Xun Fangyun’s bag and coat on the rack by the door.

Mang Ke watched as the woman padded barefoot around the living room. After a long moment, she finally asked, “Aren’t your feet cold?”

Xun Fangyun glanced back at her.

Mang Ke turned to the shoe cabinet, pulled out a pair of fluffy slippers, and walked over to Xun Fangyun. “Put these on. It’s already autumn—it’s only going to get colder.”

Aunt Liu couldn’t help but stifle a chuckle before quickly retreating to the kitchen with the items.

Xun Fangyun watched Aunt Liu’s retreating figure with mild exasperation but didn’t refuse Mang Ke’s kindness. She slipped on the pink-and-white fluffy slippers right in front of her.

The pastel colors looked starkly out of place against Xun Fangyun’s all-black attire, yet there was an undeniable charm to it—a hint of unexpected cuteness.

Even the coolest, most beautiful sister would look less appealing if she kept frowning all the time.

Mang Ke couldn’t help but laugh. “Are you going out again tonight?”

“No.”

Xun Fangyun turned back to her own affairs but seemed to remember something. She turned to Mang Ke and said, “You have evening wear, right? I remember buying you a few sets when we ordered the wedding dress.”

Mang Ke nodded.

“Good,” Xun Fangyun said. “There’s a banquet tomorrow night. You’re coming with me.”

Mang Ke’s eyes widened—she had never attended a party before.

Xun Fangyun, seeing her expression, said, “It’s just an ordinary dinner party. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow. All you need to do is dress yourself up beautifully.”

Mang Ke thought for a moment, then nodded. “Understood.”

Being a pretty vase was something she could definitely manage!