The Extravagant A of the Scheming Empress - Chapter 1

Withered leaves drifted across the river’s surface, reflecting the dim yellow glow of the streetlights. Beneath the bridge, a woman sat on the brick steps, the light from her phone screen illuminating her gaunt face.

“Sigh…”

Bai Nian let out her fourth long sigh of the night, her eyes fixed on the six-figure balance on her bank card, her expression heavy with worry.

Half an hour earlier, she had transmigrated into an ABO Lily novel, becoming the cannon fodder female supporting character who shared her name. Unluckily, she was also the Scum Alpha who had forced her way into the heroine Chen Qingying’s life, ruining her reputation.

Skipping over the tangled web of love, hate, and revenge, the original character’s villainous deeds were exposed in the end, leading to her imprisonment and a happy ending for everyone else.

Before transmigrating, Bai Nian had been showering when she heard this part of the story. In the cramped space, she shouted, “Satisfying!” Then she stepped out of the bathroom and walked to the sink to choose another book to listen to.

Her hands were still wet when she accidentally touched the charger adapter. Suddenly, an electric current surged from her fingertips to her spine, the searing pain momentarily shutting down her brain. When she regained consciousness, she found herself staring up at a pure white ceiling.

Her head swam, and the air was thick with a lingering, bitter-sweet scent. She gasped, cradling the back of her head as she sat up in bed.

Huh?

The unsettling lightness and dryness of her body made her instinctively reach out. Her hand brushed against something icy cold, sending a shiver through her.

What’s going on?

She hurriedly threw back the covers, letting a rush of cold air envelop her. Apart from the thin, revealing fabric of her clothes, nothing seemed amiss.

Bai Nian breathed a sigh of relief, but her hand froze completely when it touched a slight bulge in the bedding beside her.

Slowly turning her head, she was confronted by an unfamiliar face.

The woman’s eyebrows were long and curved, her fox-like eyes tilted upward at the corners, and her bone structure was strikingly refined. She lay with her hand pressed against her temple, her breathing even, seemingly asleep.

Bai Nian couldn’t help but tremble. Realizing her current predicament and recalling her half-naked state, the situation became horrifyingly clear.

Unable to find any clothes to cover herself, she wrapped the blanket tightly around herself and scrambled to the edge of the bed, not even bothering with shoes. But her body felt numb and weak, her bones half-soft as she leaned against the bedside table.

The movement startled the woman awake. Her slightly narrow eyelids fluttered open, her brow furrowed as she stared directly into the corner. Though her expression remained subtly unchanged, Bai Nian felt an inexplicable chill run down her spine.

Struck by the woman’s palpable hostility, Bai Nian clutched the blanket tighter around herself and stammered, “You… you stay away!”

The warning had no effect whatsoever. Instead, her opponent seemed to find it amusing, a mocking smile spreading across her face.

“Bai Nian, must you resort to such underhanded tactics?”

How does she know my name? What underhanded tactics?

Bai Nian’s rusty mind slowly began to whir back to life. Her gaze darted around the room until she noticed a glaringly red bite mark on the woman’s exposed shoulder.

Wait, something’s not right here.

She scanned the surroundings again. The decor was minimalist and austere, the glass of the walk-in closet reflecting the light, revealing unfamiliar high-end streetwear. The clothes hanging on the racks looked expensive at a glance.

Apart from the bed and vanity, there was no other furniture in the room.

The vague impression solidified into a concrete realization. Suddenly, Bai Nian’s face drained of color, turning as pale as paper. The ABO Lily novel she had just finished reading before being electrocuted flashed through her mind.

There was a scene in the book where the Scum Alpha Bai Nian, after repeatedly hinting at wanting to take over the Chen Family’s business and being subtly rebuffed by Chen Qingying, grew desperate.

Despite being married for days, the two had never consummated their union. Bai Nian was merely a pawn Chen Qingying had used to fend off an arranged marriage. Once the crisis passed, if they divorced, Bai Nian would end up with nothing.

In a panic, she resorted to drastic measures, forcing herself on Chen Qingying to make their relationship irreversible.

The tragic fate that would befall the female lead, Chen Qingying, began to unfold right here.

Bai Nian never imagined she would transmigrate into a novel, let alone as the villainous female supporting character destined for a miserable end. Even more chilling was that Chen Qingying had already seen through her scheme.

Logically, the original character should have succeeded, but now Bai Nian found herself at a disadvantage.

Though the situation deviated slightly from the original plot, it didn’t change the fact that Chen Qingying already harbored resentment toward her.

Help me, help me, help me…

Bai Nian wanted to cry but no tears would come. Under Chen Qingying’s oppressive gaze, she recalled her earlier attempt to turn the tables, and her confidence faltered.

“Um… I… I’ll take responsibility for you!”

Chen Qingying chuckled softly, but the sound held no warmth. She stepped barefoot off the bed and stumbled as she moved toward the corner.

Bai Nian could sense that Chen Qingying was in a precarious state. Perhaps it was the room’s suffocatingly strong pheromone mixture, or perhaps the drug’s effects hadn’t fully worn off. Her face was as dark and still as water.

“Responsibility?” Chen Qingying pressed her temple, repeating the word. “Bai Nian, I never realized you were such a hypocrite.”

“Exposed, and still trying to play innocent?” Omega panted, forcing herself to walk up to Bai Nian and crouch down to meet her gaze.

Even in this dire situation, Bai Nian’s heart fluttered at being so close to such a beautiful face. It wasn’t until the strong, slightly bitter scent of rosemary filled her nostrils that her mind began to clear.

“I’m not—” Bai Nian hurriedly tried to explain, but Omega cut her off.

“Lies! How could I have been so blind to your hidden malice?” Chen Qingying’s voice was like honey-soaked strings, each vibration carrying a sticky, cloying quality.

An inexplicable heat surged through Bai Nian’s body. Realizing the drug’s effects were still lingering, she forcibly suppressed them.

She remembered that the original Bai Nian had met Chen Qingying at a bar. According to the story, Chen Qingying had been pressured by her family to marry. Her friends were urging her to find a way out, while the original Bai Nian worked as a waitress at the bar.

That day, Bai Nian had overheard their conversation outside the door and boldly entered to offer a fruit platter. Through repeated interactions, combined with her attractive appearance and seemingly clean background, Chen Qingying signed a contract with her and took her home to meet her parents, effectively thwarting their marriage plans.

Little did they know they were bringing home a viper.

Reflecting on this plot point, Bai Nian couldn’t help but wonder: how could they have been so blind to the original Bai Nian’s ulterior motives?

Now, however, she needed to sever ties and convince Chen Qingying of her innocence.

“Um…” she began softly, like a student knocking on a teacher’s office door. “If I were to say… I mean, just hypothetically,” she racked her brain, carefully selecting from her limited vocabulary to form a sentence. “If I said I’m not actually the Bai Nian you know, would you believe me?”

After she spoke, the two stared at each other in silence, the air thick with awkwardness. Chen Qingying’s expression darkened further, her gaze fixed on Bai Nian as if she were looking at a fool.

“Actually, I transmigrated into this book!” Bai Nian blurted out everything in one breath, throwing caution to the wind.

Honesty truly was a double-edged sword—one she had just plunged into her own heart.

The moment the words left her lips, Chen Qingying lunged forward, grabbing the blanket wrapped around Bai Nian’s neck. Their faces were now inches apart, their breaths mingling in the confined space.

Chen Qingying opened her mouth to speak, her eyes reflecting Bai Nian’s terrified expression.

This is really the end.

Remembering the original Bai Nian’s tragic fate, Bai Nian’s heart trembled.

In her previous life, she had always been a law-abiding citizen. Could she really be saddled with a false accusation so soon after transmigrating, destined to weep tears of regret behind bars?

No!

As the silent scream echoed in her mind, the pressure around her neck suddenly eased. Chen Qingying leaned back, clutching her head and groaning in pain. Reluctantly, she looked up at Bai Nian and finally stood.

Before her stretched a pair of slender, toned legs. Chen Qingying swallowed hard and hissed, “Get out.”

That single, casually uttered word felt like a pardon from death for Bai Nian, who stood shrouded in the shadows cast by the lamp. The thousand ways she had imagined dying vanished in an instant.

She scrambled to her feet, seizing the opportunity to play innocent. First, she turned her head and let out a couple of silly “heh-heh” laughs. Then, keeping a safe distance, she quickly grabbed the crumpled white shirt from under the bed.

The woman crossed her arms, watching Bai Nian fumble with her things. The lingering flush at the corners of her upturned eyes hadn’t fully faded. She blinked twice and quickly closed her eyes again.

Bai Nian’s legs felt as heavy as lead, as if filled with molten metal. She draped the shirt over her shoulders and stepped out the door. Behind her, a bang echoed as the only source of light was completely cut off.

It was the height of summer, the humid, sweltering August air thick with the scent of densely packed flowerbeds in the courtyard. Mosquitoes and other insects swarmed beneath the lamp, their buzzing a constant drone.

This was a small Western-style villa, surrounded by lush greenery that stretched as far as the eye could see. The two villas were set far apart, with the neighbor’s cream-colored roof peeking through the gaps in the foliage, creating a perfect setting for relaxation.

Bai Nian walked along the sidewalk, her hand clutching her phone in her shirt pocket, her mind adrift in confusion.

Having been kicked out of her home, where else could she go?

As far as she remembered, the original owner of her body had always lived in Chen Qingying’s villa, having already canceled the lease on her previous apartment. She opened her phone and scrolled through her contacts, realizing she barely recognized any of the names.

Of course, she thought. Bai Nian was just a minor character in the novel. The author wouldn’t have bothered expanding her social circle.

Even in bustling S City, the streets fell silent by 2 AM. The lights in skyscrapers went out, and traffic dwindled to a trickle. Aside from homeless people sleeping on the sidewalks and 24-hour convenience stores, there was hardly a soul in sight.

Finding a quiet spot beneath an overpass, Bai Nian hiked up her pants leg and sat down.

The chirping of insects rang loudly from the bushes, while a bright moon hung in the darkening night sky. Feeling temporarily safe, she let out a long sigh, worrying about how she would get through the night.

Then, her hand accidentally slipped onto the banking app, and an idea struck her.

Right, since the original owner was Chen Qingying’s live-in A, she wouldn’t have been mistreated. There must be some balance left in the wallet, right?

Her heart pounded as she nervously tapped the app. After unlocking it with her fingerprint, she instantly saw the six-figure balance on the screen.

!

Even after the original owner had squandered most of it, the remaining sum was a fortune to Bai Nian, a hardworking office worker who toiled from dawn till dusk.

But as her initial excitement faded, she remembered she had just angered Chen Qingying. Taking both food and money now seemed… inappropriate.

Two tiny figures appeared in her mind, arguing and tugging at her rationality. Bai Nian stared fixedly at the six-figure balance, her heart torn.

A few minutes later, at the Intercontinental Hotel.

“One night in a one-bedroom lake-view suite,” Bai Nian said smoothly, proudly reciting her card number after settling the deposit and room type with the hotel receptionist.

As the receptionist bent over the keyboard, Bai Nian’s feet had already shifted toward the elevators.

Then came the devastating news.

“I’m sorry, ma’am, but this bank card has been frozen. You’ll need to choose another payment method.”