Chapter 1 Cigarette Butt Burns Abdomen

--First published on Jinjiang

"Brother Lu Ran, are you really going to abandon me?"

The cold rain lashed against the girl's pale face. Pei Ci's lips trembled, her eyes red-rimmed, and she knelt on the ground, pleading with the black-haired boy in the villa, shouting hoarsely, "Lu Ran, after more than ten years of relationship, do you really not love me anymore?!"

Lu Ran, who was watching coldly from the third-floor villa, stubbed out his cigarette and casually tossed an umbrella aside. The umbrella rolled in the mud and came to rest next to Pei Ci's swollen knee.

Pei Ci trembled and looked up to see a beautiful figure being gently embraced by a young man. Lu Ran raised his chin and said in an icy tone, "Pei Ci, don't be so shameless. Go home right now."

"Brother Lu Ran, I..."

"You're not even as good as one of Qingqing's fingers." Lu Ran said expressionlessly.

Ironically, Lu Ran said the same thing half a year ago. At that time, Pei Ci was still Lu Ran's white moonlight, and Lu Ran said that no woman could compare to a strand of Pei Ci's hair.

The air was still and suffocating. Rain streamed into the girl's eyes. Pei Ci bit her lip. "Fine, Lu Ran. I'll take the initiative to annul the engagement. I'll personally teach those who bullied your lover a lesson. Please, for the sake of our past acquaintance, spare the Pei family."

"Smack—"

The window is closed.

The only warm light of the rainy night disappeared.

The light in Pei Ci's eyes slowly faded. After a long silence, she got up from the mud and suddenly started calling Lu Ran's name through the closed window. Just as Lu Ran impatiently opened the window, Pei Ci bumped her head against the wall.

With a "bang," a red begonia bloomed from the girl's body.

She was using this action to tell Lu Ran not to involve the Pei family, and that she would bear all the trouble caused to him alone.

...

…………

"Miss Pei Ci, Miss Pei Ci?"

On the private jet, the girl lying on the bed was pale, with a layer of sweat on her forehead. The butler next to her took off his gloves and wiped her sweat with a scented handkerchief while gently and patiently calling the girl's name.

The drowsy, restless girl frowned and raised her hand. Noticing this movement, the butler Anderson immediately leaned closer.

"Smack—"

A slap landed on Anderson's face, not too hard, leaving a red handprint. Anderson, a handsome mixed-race man, remained expressionless, as did the servants standing by behind him, their gazes all fixed on the girl on the white bed.

Her long, jet-black hair cascaded down her back; her skin was pale and translucent; her eyelashes were long and thick; and a red mole adorned her delicate nose. Every part of the girl's body was a display of ultimate beauty. With her eyes closed, she appeared both beautiful and weary, and the slight upturn of her lips was gone, giving her a somewhat aloof air.

Some people's gazes are woven into spider webs.

Some people's breathing gradually softened.

Finally, the girl trapped in the nightmare opened her eyes. They were light to transparent eyes, with the translucent texture of a jellyfish, which refracted different colors under the light.

The eyes swept around casually as usual before settling on Anderson, who was kneeling by the bed.

Specifically, it's on his face.

A brief pause of a few seconds.

Pei Ci lowered her eyes and said in a flat voice, "I'm sorry, Anderson."

“Miss,” Anderson said meekly, his voice deep and magnetic, “this is not your fault.”

After he finished speaking, his short-haired, smart female assistant carefully took out a syringe and a red reagent tube from a pink and white box. After a simple procedure, the transparent syringe filled with a pale pink, dreamlike liquid. The assistant handed the items to another doctor in a white coat, who had black hair. At that moment, Anderson considerately rolled up Pei Ci's sleeve, exposing the girl's porcelain-white, flawless skin to the air, which was slightly bumpy.

Anderson: "Miss, please bear with it."

Pei Ci frowned slightly as the needle pierced her skin, slowly introducing a nerve-soothing medication.

"..."

A white cotton swab pressed against the wound. Anderson's voice was hoarse. "Miss, we won't arrive at Lida Island for another three hours. You can rest a bit more."

"Um."

The medication contained sleep-inducing ingredients, and under the watchful eyes of Anderson, the female assistant, and the doctor, Pei Ci calmly fell asleep.

*

"Do you want to apply some medicine?"

In the staff break room, the female assistant looked at the mark on Anderson's face and made a suggestion.

“No need.” Anderson’s fingers twirled around his sleeve, a perfectly elegant and refined smile on his face. “It won’t hurt.”

The female assistant clicked her tongue, her expression displeased. "Miss's hands smell so good, it must have pleased you, you wretched dog." If she weren't a girl, she wouldn't have gotten such a good deal. Suppressing her resentment, she tried to elicit information: "Miss's illness seems to be getting worse."

Pei Ci, the eldest daughter of the Pei family, caused a sensation the moment her appearance appeared in the public eye. Aesthetic standards are diverse, but no one could find any flaws in her perfect face.

Unfortunately, the eldest daughter of the Pei family suffers from congenital heart disease and was diagnosed with multiple illnesses, including bipolar disorder, during high school, and has a physiological tendency toward violence.

One night, the ailing eldest daughter burned Young Master Lu's abdomen with a burning cigarette butt, causing extensive burns. The eldest son of the Pei family suppressed the matter, and overnight, Pei Ci was packed up and sent abroad to continue her studies while receiving medical treatment. Three years passed in this manner.

Over the course of three years, Pei Cipeng has been equipped with a top-notch medical team, a considerate blonde butler, and a female assistant who is a former special forces soldier.

But Pei Ci's illness did not improve.

Pei Ci is usually gentle, reserved, and quiet, like a pure white begonia in the stillness of time. Anyone who sees her feels refreshed and happy, as if all negative emotions disappear, which keeps her popular.

But suddenly, her delicate hand would slap someone.

Logically, she should have continued to receive treatment abroad.

But suddenly, the girl, who had always been indifferent to worldly desires, said, "Anderson, tell my brother that I want to go back to China."

Returning to China?

Why return to China?

...Isn't it better to stay here?

Everyone who heard the girl's words thought the same thing.

But despite her thoughts, no one could question the girl's decision. Contrary to her delicate appearance, she was quite opinionated. She would never change her mind because of others. And her own thoughts were confined to this frail body, leaving others to guess.

The butler is the one who takes care of the young lady's daily life, and may know the reason why she returned to her country.

After the female assistant intentionally mentioned the young lady's illness, Anderson immediately sensed her thoughts. This was also what puzzled him; his smile deepened, "The young lady slapped me very lightly."

Lightness meant weakness. The female assistant's pupils widened slightly. "Then what exactly is the reason, Miss..."

"Shhh."

With his white-gloved index finger pressed against his lips, Anderson's pale green eyes deepened slightly. "Miss Shao Ying, you should know whether there are things you should or shouldn't say after being here for so long."

Shao Ying's expression changed.

"..."

After a long silence, she left in anger.

Anderson, having removed his gloves, repeatedly rubbed the faint marks on his face. The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of a young girl. He slowly entered the restroom and let out a sigh.

*

On the other side.

[Host? Host?]

【Host? 】

Pei Ci's eyelashes trembled slightly on the hospital bed, but she didn't open her eyes. She silently hummed in response to the system.

[Host, your illness is way too severe.]

Pei Ci: "Mm."

Don't worry, you'll have a healthy body once you complete the task!

Pei Ci: "Mm."

[...]

Can't you be a little more enthusiastic?! Don't you want to complete the task?!

Pei Ci: "I want to."

The mood fluctuation value is zero.

[...]

The system's task for her was to protect the female lead and bring the male and female leads together.

This story begins a month ago.

At that time, Pei Ci continued reading, studying, and trying various treatment plans tailored for her, just like always. After a high fever, a system suddenly appeared in her mind.

From the system, Pei Ci learned that the world she had transmigrated into was a melodramatic novel. The novel was set in a prestigious academy and told the story of a specially admitted female protagonist's love-hate entanglements with four princes. The novel was essentially a stock market romance.

She was the white moonlight of Lu Ran, the male protagonist who won the stock-buying novel, but in the end, she became a mosquito bite.

At first, the return of the "white moonlight" (the male lead's romantic interest) dealt a devastating blow to the female lead. However, as his feelings for the male lead deepened, the "white moonlight" lost to the female lead and ended his life by hitting his head against a wall.

Pei Ci laughed when she heard this plot. She loved her life more than anyone else; how could she commit suicide just because she couldn't win a man's heart?

So no matter how much the system acted up, Pei Ci simply ignored it.

But gradually, Pei Ci began to have frequent dreams. In her dreams, she was healthier and, after returning to China, would revolve around the male lead. However, the male lead's gaze slowly turned to the girl who was as tenacious as a weed. His jealousy, fueled by his "white moonlight" feelings, led him to target the female lead. In the end, his schemes were exposed, and he was abandoned by the male lead. His family went bankrupt, and he committed suicide by crashing into a wall.

This feeling is so real, it's like it actually happened.

Pei Ci then believed what the system said.

"So what do you want from me?" Pei Ci asked.

She only cared whether this would affect her life.

[Something's wrong! Something's wrong!!] The system sped up its speech: [What you dreamed about was what was supposed to happen in the world, the original plot. But for some reason, after the female lead entered the school, she didn't develop romantic relationships with the male leads. Instead, she angered the male lead, Lu Ran, and was bullied to the point of suicide! The male and female leads in this book have a tragic ending, and then the world collapsed!!]

[This is a rebooted world, and the world can only reboot a maximum of three times! I'm here specifically to save your world! Your mission is to protect the female lead and bring the male and female leads together! That is, Lu Ran! According to database analysis, you are the best savior host I've bound to. Host, I need your help!!!]

The female lead died?

Pei Ci's eyelids twitched. Recalling what the male leads had done to the female lead in the story, she felt that it was reasonable for the female lead not to develop feelings for him.

However, Pei Ci didn't react much. The female lead was indeed pitiful, and the world collapsing was a huge event, but what did it have to do with her? Everyone dies eventually, and a sickly person like her would die even faster.

Just as Pei Ci was considering the possibility of handing the system over to the government, the system finally got to the point:

Don't worry!! If you save the world, you'll get a lot of credit. After it's done, you can open the shop and exchange for god-tier items!!

Pei Ci then became somewhat interested, "Can I get a healthy body instead?"

In her past life, Pei Ci died young due to illness and lack of money for treatment. In this life, she was reborn into a wealthy family but contracted an incurable disease despite her wealth. Burdened by her illness, Pei Ci spends most of her time in her house or hospital room. In both lives, she has never been able to run, jump, play, or chase freely like a normal person.

Pei Ci dreams of having a healthy body. What would she do then? Pei Ci can't imagine it for now; she has little interest in anything. But that doesn't stop her from looking forward to it.

Of course! As long as you complete the mission to save the world, you can have any body you want!

“Okay,” Pei Ci said.

Only then did Pei Ci focus her attention on the male and female leads.

The female protagonist could not see clearly; she was always covered in wounds and had her head tucked in.

As for the male lead...

Whether it's the bullying of the female lead in the storyline or the bullying of her after the collapse, it can only be described as lawless and appalling.

To be honest, the Lu Ran in her dream was different from the Lu Ran she knew.

The Lu Ran she encountered was aloof and taciturn, always appearing impatient, but possessed excellent aristocratic manners. He could do anything she asked of him.

Pei Ci still remembers the smoke rising from the burning red-hot cigarette butt that was scalding his firm abdomen.

That was during the worst of her bipolar disorder episode; she just wanted to vent, so she took his cigarette and asked, "Is it okay?"

She had anticipated being rejected, but after understanding what she was going to do, the tall and handsome young man simply frowned, lifted his hem, and revealed his neatly arranged thin skin.

"For the sake of the Pei family," he said.

A note from the author:

----------------------

Warning: This story features a large number of male protagonists who are Celestial Dragons, are mentally unstable, and have questionable morals. It is not suitable for viewers who have high moral standards for the main characters and their romantic partners.

Mary Sue's aristocratic academy is far removed from reality; it contains exaggerated and fictional elements. The setting serves the characters and plot, so please don't project it onto reality!

And why write about an annoying Celestial Dragon male protagonist? Because while healthy relationships are perfect, deformed ones... [Let me see]

Please add this to your reading list: The ordinary girl has regained consciousness, and the Celestial Dragons have gone mad!

He You is an ordinary girl with average looks, average intelligence, and a bland personality.

But unlike other ordinary girls, she was always surrounded by all sorts of handsome men.

Her childhood sweetheart is a high-achieving athlete who participated in the Olympics.

My deskmate is a poor but brilliant young man.

The person he hit on the bike was a runaway young master worth hundreds of millions.

There are also domineering CEOs, cunning doctors, and arrogant rivals...

Because she was surrounded by all sorts of handsome and high-quality men who were on good terms with her, He You developed the idea of ​​marrying one of them.

She decided to confess her feelings to her childhood sweetheart.

The childhood sweetheart stood there, hesitating for a moment, "Youyou, I like you a lot, but I'm not good enough to take you out in public?"

That night, He You fell seriously ill.

When she woke up, she realized something—

This world is a giant otome game, and she is just an ordinary NPC who connects the male protagonist and the newbie guide. These handsome men are all waiting for their heroine.

He You finally realized her place in the world. After completing the NPC-guided storyline, He You fell in love with an ordinary boy like herself. Her relationship with her boyfriend was sweet until the moment of their engagement, when she was suddenly drugged.

When she woke up, the Celestial Dragons who should have been surrounding the heroine were all standing by her bedside.

"What does this mean, Youyou?"

Her childhood sweetheart grinned and scratched her fiancé's face in their wedding photo.

P.S.: She's an ordinary girl, a normal girl, but she has her shining points. She's always paired with male protagonists who are mentally unstable, like the Celestial Dragons.