After Traveling Through a Book, I Became Famous by Fortune-Telling - Chapter 1

A girl lay on a hospital bed in a pristine, empty room. Her face was pale and her lips were drained of color. Against the white sheets, her skin looked almost translucent, yet even that couldn’t hide her striking beauty.

Her lashes trembled. Half-asleep, half-awake, she blinked at the unfamiliar surroundings. Slowly, she lifted a hand to rub her eyes. When she opened them again and realized she was really in a hospital room, her brows knitted tight.

Damn capitalists! Overworked me so hard I landed in the hospital?!

“Mianmian, are you’re awake?”

The man at her bedside had refined, handsome features. Relief and excitement softened his jade-like face when he saw her open her eyes.

“Bro, who the hell are you?”

Her sudden words startled even herself. Ji Mian clutched her chest, calming her racing heart, and shot him a cold look.

“I’m your big brother. Don’t you remember?” He jumped to his feet, panic flashing across his eyes.

“My big brother? Ha! And I’m your dad! What kind of scam is this? Don’t you people know I’m an orphan?!”

Ji Feng reached out to pat her head. “I really am your brother. Mianmian, what’s wrong with you?”

Ji Mian jerked her head aside, glaring with disgust. “Men and women shouldn’t touch so casually, and did you even wash your hands before trying to paw at my face?” Still, considering he was handsome, she let the weirdo be.

“You must still be hurt. I’ll go get the doctor.”

The man muttered under his breath, dazed for a moment before hurrying out of the room.

“What the hell is wrong with everyone?” Ji Mian rolled her eyes. I just got sick, and now they’re saying I lost my memory? Please. I can still remember how many times I got caught climbing trees as a kid and got beaten by my master. I’d sooner believe I transmigrated than buy this amnesia nonsense.

News of her awakening spread fast. Soon, Madam Ji rushed in with Gu Jianzhi at her side. Letting go of Gu Jianzhi’s sleeve, she approached Ji Mian with motherly affection. “Mianmian, you’re awake?”

“Mm-hm. Pretty obvious, isn’t it?” Ji Mian bit into a banana. Seriously? Another one? How many more are going to show up?

“If you’re going to talk to me, start with an introduction.”

Ignoring the stunned looks from the two, Ji Mian spoke bluntly. The moment she’d felt that gaping wound at the back of her head, she knew something was off. And based on her years of webnovel experience, there was only one explanation—she’d transmigrated.

“I’m your mother…” Madam Ji stepped forward, disbelieving. Then her expression twisted as she whirled around to glare at Gu Jianzhi, who stood blank-faced by the door. “Gu Jianzhi! You venomous girl! This is all your fault!” She had warned her husband before. Children who weren’t raised by their own parents never bonded properly. But he refused to listen, and now look! Their precious daughter didn’t even recognize her.

Gu Jianzhi smoothed out the wrinkles Madam Ji had pulled into her blouse. Her frosty gaze flicked to the bandages on Ji Mian’s head. She let out a cold laugh. “She fell down herself. What’s that got to do with me?”

Gu Jianzhi? Ji Mian froze. Isn’t she the heroine of that fake–real daughter novel I was just reading?!

In the story, Gu Jianzhi and Ji Mian had been switched at birth. Their fates couldn’t have been more different. Gu’s parents were simple, honest village teachers who died in a car accident not long after. With no one to rely on, Gu was left to live under greedy relatives who threw her out the moment she turned eighteen and even stealing her parents’ inheritance.

At eighteen, while working at a hotel, she met Ji Father. He immediately recognized her as his child and secretly brought her home. A DNA test confirmed it. Devoted to blood ties, Ji Father announced Gu Jianzhi’s identity on the spot and wanted to make it public but the entire family opposed him.

Ji Mian, desperate to protect her identity as the Ji family’s heiress, schemed against Gu again and again. Eventually, Gu exposed her. The family lost faith in Ji Mian and sent her overseas.

Which meant… Ji Mian had transmigrated into the vicious fake daughter?!

The realization made her rub her nose. Grabbing Madam Ji’s hand, she quickly cut her off. “Actually… it really was me. I fell on my own.”

This was the part where the original Ji Mian had fallen down the stairs and tried to pin it on the real daughter. No way was she going to pick a fight with the heroine. Luckily, the plot hadn’t reached the point of no return yet.

Thinking her daughter had come to her senses, Madam Ji brushed off her earlier odd behavior and gripped her hand tightly. “Mianmian, Mommy knows—you just can’t be too kind-hearted!”

Lady, what are you even talking about?! Ji Mian wanted to cry. She couldn’t just blurt out, Yeah, I fell but blamed your real daughter for it. That was the original’s mess, not hers. Why should she take the fall?

Her lips twitched. She squeezed Madam Ji’s hand and repeated firmly, “No, you don’t understand. It really was me. I fell on my own.”

Her serious expression didn’t look like a lie. Madam Ji hesitated, wondering if she’d really misjudged Gu Jianzhi.

“Mianmian, you don’t have to cover for someone like her. Gu Jianzhi, I’m warning you—the Ji family will never accept you!” Ji Feng stormed in with the doctor just in time to hear his supposedly obedient little sister speaking up for Gu Jianzhi. His face darkened instantly.

Wait… isn’t this the useless big brother from the novel? The one who blindly doted on the fake daughter, only to end up destroyed by Gu Jianzhi?

Ji Mian glanced at Gu Jianzhi, who had been silent this whole time.

Gu had clearly inherited the Ji family’s fine genes—her features were delicate, her bearing elegant. You would never guess she’d grown up in poverty for eighteen years.

Ji Mian’s gaze lingered for a moment on the string of prayer beads around her wrist before she smiled at the group watching her intently. “It really wasn’t her. You’ve misunderstood.”

“Mianmian…”

“Can you shut up for once?” Ji Mian gritted her teeth and glared at Ji Feng.

Everyone stared, stunned. The usually sweet, obedient Ji Mian had completely changed.

“I already said it was me. How many times do you want me to repeat myself?” Irritation bled into her tone. Then she looked at Gu Jianzhi, her eyes carrying a hint of appeasement. “She really didn’t do anything to me, big sis.” Heroine, I swear I’m not trying to frame you.

Gu Jianzhi’s calm eyes flickered with surprise. Leaning lazily against the doorframe, she curved her lips. “That’s a title I don’t deserve.”

“Gu Jianzhi, don’t push your luck! My Ji family took you in out of kindness, and now you’ve hurt my sister!” Ji Feng finally recovered from his shock, refusing to admit Gu was his real sister. In his mind, a proper sister was supposed to be sweet and gentle like Ji Mian, not defiant and unruly like Gu Jianzhi, who barely spared him a glance.

Ji Mian sighed inwardly. Some people just can’t help but dig their own graves. She shot him a sharp look. “Shut. Up.”

Ji Feng wilted, hanging his head.

“This is supposed to be the cold, domineering CEO type? With a glass heart like that?!”

Ji Mian pushed herself up, brushing off Madam Ji’s support. She bowed deeply. “Thank you for raising me all these years, but I’m not the Ji family’s daughter. I can’t shamelessly enjoy what doesn’t belong to me. I’ll leave soon, and whatever money was spent on me, please tally it up. I’ll find a way to repay it.”

She wasn’t the original. She couldn’t live guilt-free off what wasn’t hers. Since she was here now, leaving the Ji family might be the best way to escape the novel’s tragic ending. Besides, pretending to be someone else just wasn’t in her skill set.

“Mianmian!” Madam Ji and Ji Feng shouted in unison. Off to the side, Gu Jianzhi’s cool gaze never left her.

Ji Mian lowered her eyes, refusing to look at them, her resolve unshaken.

After a long silence, Madam Ji finally said, “What nonsense are you spouting? You’re my daughter.” She didn’t spare Gu Jianzhi a glance.

“Madam Ji, I mean it.” Ji Mian turned her face away from her teary “mother.” Her steps were unsteady as she walked toward the door. Pausing beside Gu Jianzhi, she lowered her voice. “Taking your place as the Ji family’s daughter was an accident. What happened before was my fault. I’m sorry. If you ever need help, you can come to me.”

With that, she brushed past everyone, ignoring their protests, and left without looking back.

Gu Jianzhi’s eyes narrowed in thought. Watching Ji Mian’s retreating figure, she rubbed her thumb over the prayer beads on her wrist, the faintest smile curling her lips.

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