1 The Little One Betrayed by Her Own Mother

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"Why is she still lying on the ground? She only fell—she’s really putting on quite an act, isn’t she?"

"Don’t get too close, or you’ll never be able to shake her off. Everyone knows Yun Ran is a lunatic, jealous because the Yun family gave shares to their eldest daughter. She can’t even behave herself at the ancestral ceremony—has she forgotten she’s just a stepdaughter?"

"I really don’t understand how someone as good as Madam Yun could have such a grasping daughter."

...

Yun Ran slowly opened her eyes, her head spinning violently. A cacophony of voices buzzed in her ears, making her feel as if her skull might split open.

The onlookers watched her stir, their reactions as if they had foreseen it all along.

"See? I told you she was faking it. The Yun family’s luck really is dreadful to have ended up with someone like her."

Just then, a gentle, watery female voice, full of forbearance and pity, reached Yun Ran’s ears.

"Ran’er, I’ve told you before, you’re too aggressive. One shouldn’t be so greedy—learn to be grateful."

The crowd immediately felt even sorrier for the calm, gracious Madam Yun.

Madam Yun turned to the others, her tone tinged with apology. "I’m so sorry about today. I’ve let everyone down. I’ll have the butler send each of you a small gift as an apology."

"This isn’t your fault, Madam Yun. We all know what kind of person you are."

"Exactly, Madam Yun. You’re kind and generous. Even if Yun Ran is your daughter, what she does has nothing to do with you."

...

Everyone rushed to comfort the much-admired Madam Yun, fearing she would blame herself.

By the time Yun Ran’s mind cleared at last, her reputation had reached new lows—her bad name only worsened!

Now, Yun Ran lay on the grass, a blade of foxtail between her lips, sighing the afternoon away.

The Yun family cared deeply about appearances, so even as a stepdaughter, she’d been brought back for the ancestral rites. It was clearly Yun Wan who pushed her, but no one believed her.

She had once been an orphan, adopted by an old Taoist from Pure Breeze Temple. She had few ambitions—making ends meet by painting protective charms, reading fortunes, and dabbling in feng shui.

Who would have thought that at a scenic spot, she’d laugh too heartily at a couple’s argument, get jostled in the crowd, and fall off a cliff?

On the brink of death, she was saved by a magical artifact she’d snagged cheaply at a street stall.

Only then did she learn that the artifact was actually an intelligent system from a higher world, called Ginseng Fruit.

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When she opened her eyes again, she found herself here—in a sugary romance novel titled "Second Marriage to the Magnate."

The truly melodramatic part: the original owner of this body was also named Yun Ran—a pitiable girl doomed to die young, stabbed in the back by her own mother.

Her birth mother, Qu Ying, was the so-called "white moonlight" heroine—the one who, after countless tribulations, returned with her character and virtue unsullied.

Now, the story was nearing its end. The grand finale was the male and female leads finally overcoming a thousand chapters of obstacles and coming together in sweet bliss.

The fact that she had replaced the original Yun Ran to live on almost made her grind her teeth to dust in frustration. This web of relationships was a complete mess!

The original Yun Ran was sixteen years old, and had followed her mother Qu Ying into the wealthy Yun family in Haicheng ten years ago.

For her, those ten years had been nothing but exploitation.

Perhaps until her final breath, she had been aggrieved—her mother constantly complaining of injustice, and Yun Ran, unable to bear her mother’s suffering, always tried to fight for her.

But when she charged ahead, Qu Ying would always stab her in the back, quietly claiming she cared nothing for material things and had only married into the Yun family for love.

Her stepfather would be deeply moved, convinced of Qu Ying’s noble character, and would give away everything, deserved and undeserved, in the end.

He even pitied Qu Ying all the more, considering her daughter the only blemish on her otherwise pure life.

Finally, Qu Ying would sum it up: "My daughter is just like her birth father—the power of genetics is strong. No matter how I teach her, I can’t rid her of her innate greed."

Everything Yun Ran did for her mother became a blade turned against herself.

She was left with a reputation for being ungrateful, malicious, and greedy—and lost her life in the end.

Her death even resolved the male lead’s issue with the female lead’s previous marriage, clearing the way for their perfect union.

Yun Ran let out a long sigh. If she hadn’t been exiled to the tea plantation for reflection, she would have given Qu Ying a good slap or two.

She truly wanted to know just how thick-skinned a person had to be to climb to the top over her own daughter so shamelessly.

"System, come out!"

Sensing Yun Ran’s fury, Ginseng Fruit was indignant on her behalf and immediately opened its armory.

["Host, pick anything you like from here! Let’s go teach her a lesson tonight!"]

"Have you even looked at your armory? A single particle bomb could wipe out an entire city."

Ginseng Fruit could only sheepishly close the armory again.

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[It’s not my fault. I was supposed to be bound to a top-level war general. Fate brought me to you instead. To save you, I used up a huge amount of energy just to get you out of there! You should be nicer to me~ Oh, by the way, the original owner was fated to die young—you’ll need to accumulate merit to extend your life. And by the way, you still owe me energy for saving you, but you can pay that back with merit. No tricks, I promise!]

Yun Ran: ...

Anyone versed in the metaphysical arts knows merit is the hardest thing to accumulate. Some people never even get close in their entire lives.

Though she was resigned to life and death, if she could live, she certainly didn’t want to just wait for the end.

She began calculating with her fingers, divining where her lifeline might lie.

"Help! Someone help me!"

Halfway through her calculation, a shrill cry for help rang out.

Yun Ran closed her eyes and listened intently, quickly determining the direction of the call. She dashed off at once—anyone daring to commit evil under her nose was courting death.

In the green maze of a cornfield—

Crack! A girl whose face was beaten to a pulp had her arm broken.

Her clear eyes brimmed with despair.

A hand clamped tightly around her throat; her scream for help was strangled before it could escape. She thrashed violently.

Without warning, the girl bit down on the back of her assailant’s hand.

Blood quickly trickled from the corner of her mouth; the man’s hand was torn open, white bone faintly visible.

"You little wretch! You dare bite me? Go to hell!"

With a furious shout, the man kicked the slender figure, sending her flying. She would have crashed hard to the ground, but Yun Ran arrived just in time to catch her.

The girl’s head lolled to one side as she fainted.

Seeing the girl’s battered state, Yun Ran’s gaze turned icy. After swiftly setting the girl’s arm, she gently laid her down on the ground.