Chapter 001: Eleven Years After Death
Lin Rong died at eighteen.
Her car's brakes failed on an overpass. To avoid hitting pedestrians, she swerved into the river.
As the river submerged the car, her dying mind dreamed:
This world is a novel. Her three younger brothers are the villains.
Second Brother: CEO Shen Yihan, ruthless with prayer beads. Loves the female lead, opposes the male lead. Ultimately bankrupt.
Third Brother: Shen Yao, scandal-plagued celebrity who bullies the award-winning actor on shows. Dies by suicide after cyberbullying.
Fourth Brother: Shen Li, school bully who hospitalizes the male lead’s honor-roll brother. Ends in prison.
And her? Just the male lead’s dead high-school crush—existing only to create misunderstandings for the protagonists.
The revelation made Lin Rong return from death.
She opened her eyes to find herself before a luxury mall. A sign proclaimed:
"LUCKY YEAR OF THE SNAKE: 2025"
Lin Rong realized: She had been reborn eleven years after death, at the novel’s c****x.
She rushed into the mall restroom. The mirror showed her unchanged eighteen-year-old face, still wearing the black dress for that doomed date.
Still eighteen. Penniless. No phone.
Of course it’s the Snake Year—already suffocating.
Icy water from the faucet steadied her. Lin Rong had always adapted quickly. When her parents died, leaving three brothers (the youngest only two), she accepted it.
As she dried her hands, two salesgirls entered whispering:
"Did you hear? They’re clearing the mall in thirty minutes!"
"CEO Shen must be here for her again!"
Lin Rong’s ears perked up. Shutting a premium mall at noon? Only in novels do CEOs act so wastefully.
"Lu Huanyu’s coming! He funded a movie for her!"
"Will Gu Jingchuan regret it? Burning ex-boyfriend trope incoming!"
Lin Rong froze. Lu Huanyu—the female lead. Gu Jingchuan—the male lead. That brainless CEO? Her second brother.
Target found.
She smiled at the salesgirls. "Where’s the Seven Wolves store?"
"Second floor," one answered, staring at her face. "Buying for your father?"
"Need a belt to discipline someone."
The salesgirls fell silent as Lin Rong walked out.
Financial suicide. Closing at peak hour would ruin customer loyalty. No wonder Second Brother goes bankrupt.
Memories surfaced: Fifteen-year-old Shen Yihan flipping game consoles to buy her a designer bag. This mall was their parents’ legacy—but not his current stupidity.
A security guard approached. "Ma’am, we’re closing. Please leave."
"Call your manager," Lin Rong said calmly. "Tell him Shen Yihan’s sister is here."
