How Did the Female Lead in the Angst Novel Become My Ex-Wife’s Sister? - Chapter 1

The twelfth lunar month had just begun, but the Cen Manor was already ablaze with lanterns and festive streamers.

The Cen family was not a sprawling clan, and their estate was vast; in previous years, even the Lunar New Year warranted only modest decorations of red silks and green tapestries. Today, however, the atmosphere was grander than the Spring Festival itself. Colorful lanterns hung from every eave, and auspicious ribbons dangled from tree branches like flowers blooming in the dead of winter. Even this seemed insufficient, as swarms of servants hurried back and forth, putting the finishing touches on the meticulous arrangements.

It wasn’t some grand public holiday. It was simply the day the eldest Miss of the Cen Manor was returning to visit her parents.

In years past, the Eldest Miss, who had married “down” the social ladder, would never have received such a reception. However, fortune had favored her husband; just recently, that son-in-law had caught a lucky break and become the Emperor’s new favorite.

With the “Dragon Son-in-law” riding high on success, the Cen family felt the reflected glory. They had sent out invitations with great fanfare, requesting her return to give her the utmost “face” and prestige.

Even the servants were flushed with pride as they gossiped.

“Back when the Miss insisted on marrying the Master, everyone said she’d lost her mind,” one remarked. “A daughter of the Minister of Rites, picking a penniless scholar from a fallen family? Look at them now, who’s the crazy one?”

“The Master is young, capable, and quite handsome. I said back then the Miss had a keen eye, but none of you believed me.”

“Keen eye? She was just hopelessly in love! She didn’t mind marrying down so she could help him fulfill his lofty ambitions.”

The speakers were several maids in blue-green uniforms, clutching festive decorations as they crossed the covered walkway toward the main courtyard. They chatted about what a perfect, celestial couple the two were, their voices full of envy.

Amidst the harmony, a small, hesitant voice whispered from a corner: “But I heard they haven’t even consummated the marriage yet… that they don’t actually get along…”

The air went silent. A moment later, sharp rebukes followed.

“Don’t get along? Would he accompany her home during the busiest time of the year if they didn’t get along?”

“Exactly! And how would you know anything about what goes on in their bedchamber?”

The maid in the corner bit her lip and fell silent.

Once they had moved far enough away, Pei Linlang crept out from behind a doorway. Watching their retreating backs, she couldn’t help but sigh.

She was the only one who knew that the quiet maid was absolutely right.

The Eldest Miss and that “illustrious” son-in-law had not only failed to consummate the marriage, but that man would never show his face at this grand banquet today.

Pei Linlang’s certainty didn’t come from a gift of prophecy, but from the fact that this was the world of a novel titled The Splendid Minister.

A few days ago, Pei Linlang had transmigrated into this book.

The good news: She remembered the plot perfectly.

The bad news: While it was a Yuri novel, it was a “dog-blood” tragedy focused on the suffering of the female lead. In short, it was about a cross-dressing “Scum Alpha” who tormented her wife in every way possible while climbing the political ranks, only to regret it far too late.

Cen Xianyue, the eldest daughter of the Cen family, was the protagonist—the long-suffering, tragic wife.

In the book, Cen Xianyue was described as a gentle, traditional woman who married Shen Zhao for love and never complained. Little did she know that Shen Zhao was a cold-blooded wolf. Not only did she not love Xianyue, but after using the Cen family’s influence to become a rising star in the court, she grew to despise her wife even more out of deep-seated insecurity.

A “Scum” character is called that for a reason. Shen Zhao considered herself a person of grand ambitions and looked down on the women of the inner chambers. Combined with the fact that she already had a “true love” in her heart, she treated Cen Xianyue with cold cruelty, making her the laughingstock of the capital, a discarded wife. And Xianyue, frustratingly enough, spent the whole story playing the martyr, eventually dying to save the Scum Lead during an assassination attempt.

Her death became a “cinnabar mole” on Shen Zhao’s heart, an unforgettable mark of guilt that ruined any future happiness the Scum Lead might have had with her original crush.

It was a cliché, infuriating story that had made Pei Linlang curse the author while reading it.

The even worse news: Though Pei Linlang was also a woman dressed as a man, she wasn’t the Scum Lead, nor was she the heroine. She was merely the “tag-along” child brought into the family by a concubine. A background character who was hated by the heroine’s younger sister. Having lost her only protector when the concubine passed away, she started the story by being pushed into a frozen lake, falling deathly ill, and losing her memory.

According to the plot, she would continue to be bullied in creative ways until she quietly died of illness in the Cen Manor. When the heroine eventually found out, she’d already be in a grave. Even then, when the heroine tried to offer incense at her tomb, she’d be framed for “clandestine meetings with a lover,” leading to more suffering.

That was Pei Linlang’s only purpose: to be a tool for more tragedy.

In her previous life, Pei Linlang had died of late-stage stomach cancer. She knew exactly what it felt like to wait for death. Having been given a second chance, she was damned if she was going to go through that again.

Since the novel’s plot was just beginning, she had to cling to the female lead’s leg and convince her to take her away from the Cen Manor. That was why, despite having just recovered from her illness, she had “escaped” her room to intercept the heroine.

The reason it was an “escape” became clear very quickly.

Before she could get far, Pei Linlang’s eyes locked with someone across the courtyard. The person froze, pointed a finger at her, and screamed, “Pei Linlang!”

The girl, sporting an intricate hairstyle and a gown embroidered with gold and silver thread, was Cen Juexing, the heroine’s younger sister. Fearing that Linlang would tell the heroine about the lake incident, Juexing had kept her under constant watch since the day she fell ill.

Today’s chaos was the only reason Linlang had managed to slip out.

Terrified, Pei Linlang spun around and bolted.

“You brat! Stand still!” Cen Juexing roared, chasing after her.

But Linlang didn’t get far before Juexing’s maid cut her off from the other side. Original Pei Linlang’s body was far too frail; weakened by illness and lack of rest, she was soon gasping for air, her vision swimming. She had no choice but to let herself be caught.

The maid was only sixteen or seventeen, but she had a grip like iron. She twisted Linlang’s arms behind her back, making her feel like her bones were about to pop. “Ow, ow, ow! Have some mercy on a sick person!”

Cen Juexing caught up, panting for a moment before stepping up to her with a smug look. “Oh, you’re quite the runner, aren’t you? Now you know how to scream ‘ouch’?”

The maid chimed in, “Miss has been feeding and housing you through your recovery, and instead of being grateful, you try to cause trouble? Where do you get the nerve!”

Fueled by the maid’s words, Cen Juexing’s temper flared. She kicked Linlang a few times. “Try to run! Go ahead, try!”

Pei Linlang squirmed to avoid the blows. “You’ve already caught me; why are you still hitting me? And what do you mean ‘feeding and housing’ me? I’m practically starving to death here!”

“That’s your own fault!” Cen Juexing brushed off her dress and signaled the maid. “Jixiang, take him back.”

And so, Pei Linlang was dragged back toward the desolate, remote courtyard of the manor, her heart heavy with gloom.

Just as they reached the gate, another maid named Ruyi, whom Juexing had sent out earlier, came rushing toward them, completely out of breath.

“Miss… Miss… the Eldest Miss… she’s already…” She pointed toward the main courtyard, unable to finish her sentence through her gasping.

Cen Juexing’s face lit up. “Is my sister here?”

“She’s here, but…” Ruyi nodded, her expression flickering with hesitation.

“But what? Spit it out!”

Pei Linlang caught the maid’s look and already knew what she was going to say. She spoke up nonchalantly: “But the Eldest Miss came alone. The Master didn’t come with her.”

Cen Juexing whirled around in a rage. “Who gave you permission to speak?”

She raised a hand, ready to deliver a sharp smack to the back of Linlang’s head.

Pei Linlang skillfully dodged the blow. “If you don’t believe me, ask Ruyi!”

Cen Juexing opened her mouth to argue, but she saw Ruyi nodding with a complicated expression. “It’s not just that; Eldest Miss didn’t even bring any maids or servants. She arrived in a single carriage with nothing but a driver. They… they’re all saying…”

“Saying what?”

“That the Master would rather stay cooped up in his study reading than deign to set foot in our manor…” The last few words were as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz.

Cen Juexing’s fury boiled over. “That bastard Shen Zhao! How dare he! If it weren’t for my sister helping him and my father promoting him, does he think he’d be where he is today?”

Pei Linlang chimed in casually, “Well, there’s nothing to be done about it. Your sister likes him, after all. Sigh, love is such a strange thing.”

“Love my foot! My sister’s just been blinded by Shen Zhao’s face. He’s all glitter on the outside and rotten on the inside! What use is he?”

“True enough. Why don’t you try to talk some sense into her?”

“You think I haven’t? I told her back then, don’t marry him, don’t marry him! She just wouldn’t listen! Besides, I don’t even think Shen Zhao is that good-looking! He’s not even as handsome as you!”

“You flatter me, you flatter me.” The original owner of this body was indeed quite good-looking, with fair skin and bright red lips. Her eyes were particularly striking, and when she frowned, her naturally sharp brows gave her an air of stubborn defiance. She’s just a bit short, though. Tsk.

Cen Juexing stamped her feet in frustration. She was about to say more when she caught Pei Linlang’s eye and suddenly snapped back to reality. “Flatter you? Who gave you permission to talk!”

“I—”

“Lock him up! Lock him in right now! Throw a bolt on the door; I’m sick of looking at him!”

“Yes, Miss!”

This time, even Ruyi stepped in to help.

Pei Linlang couldn’t break free. Hearing that she was about to be locked away, she realized she was truly in trouble and began to plead. “Second Miss, have mercy! I swear I won’t tell on you, okay?”

“You think I’m an idiot? I don’t know how many times you’ve played me before. You say all the right things to my face, then the moment my back is turned, you’re clinging to my sister’s robes and playing the victim!”

Playing the victim? Was that in the book?

Before Linlang could think it through, she was shoved through the door.

She let out a sharp “Oof!” as she tumbled onto her backside. She looked up to find Cen Juexing standing there with her hands on her hips, acting every bit the spoiled tyrant. “You stay right here. You think you’re worthy of attending my sister’s homecoming feast? Dream on!”

The doors slammed shut, followed by the unmistakable clink-clank of metal hitting metal.

The door was locked. The trio sauntered away.

Aching all over, Pei Linlang stood up and rolled her shoulders and neck. “What a piece of work!”

Some people were just born under a bad star. Looking back at her previous life, kidnapped as a child and getting cancer as an adult. She thought death would be an escape. Instead, she transmigrates and, wouldn’t you know it, she’s dealt another trash hand.

As they say, if you’re capable of enduring hardship, life will make sure you have plenty of it. What a disaster.

But wallowing was useless. Fate was rarely reasonable; you just had to grit your teeth and swallow the bitterness.

Pei Linlang walked to the door and pushed. A narrow sliver of light appeared between the panels, a bronze lock hanging in the center.

It was a simple triple-spring lock. All it took was a long, thin object to enter the mechanism and a horizontal scrape against the springs to pop it open.

To anyone else, this would be a major hurdle. But as luck would have it, in her modern life, she had been a mechanical watch restorer. Precision handiwork was her specialty.

In less than fifteen minutes, Pei Linlang was once again walking along the covered corridors leading to the main courtyard.

Cen Juexing had already gone to find her sister, so there was no need for Linlang to be overly stealthy. She walked openly and smoothly and arrived at the moon gate of the main courtyard.

Two maids were standing by the gate, still holding their festive decorations. They were peering inside and whispering, seemingly unsure if they should continue decorating given the news about the Eldest Miss.

Pei Linlang walked up with a friendly smile. “Excuse me, sisters, could I ask you something?”

They turned to look at her. The taller one gasped. “Young Master Pei? You’re awake!”

Pei Linlang gave a sheepish laugh. “Yes, yes, just woke up…”

The shorter one asked, “What did you want to know?”

“I saw how lively things were and wondered what happened. Just thought I’d check it out.”

“Oh, that…”

The two hesitated for a moment before recounting the recent drama. They explained that the Madam had gone out to greet her, but when the Eldest Miss arrived alone, the Madam’s face fell. When asked where Shen Zhao was, the Eldest Miss ignored the question entirely. Instead, she asked directly: “Where is Linlang? Mother, I heard she fell into the water. Is it true?”

At this point, the maids’ expressions turned strange, and they both looked at Pei Linlang simultaneously.

Pei Linlang was lost in thought. I don’t remember any scenes involving me at the start of the book. Did I skip over it because it was a passing mention?

She paused, then asked, “And then?”

“The Madam was about to lose her temper, but luckily the Second Miss arrived just in time and managed to calm her down. Right now, the Second Miss is with the Eldest Miss, keeping her company.”

“It was a close call. I thought the Madam was going to kick the Eldest Miss out right then and there!”

The two went back and forth, sighing in relief.

“By the way—” One of them started to turn back, only to find that Pei Linlang had tossed out a quick “Thanks!” and was already hurrying away.

The two maids exchanged a look and lowered their voices.

“Hey, do you think those rumors from two years ago were true? Everyone said there was… something between that Pei fellow and the Eldest Miss.”

“I didn’t believe it before, but after today? It might actually be possible!”

“If that’s the case, then why was the Eldest Miss so adamant about marrying Shen Zhao?”

“How should I know?”

“…”

“I heard the Pei kid lost his memory. Maybe it’s for the best. Otherwise, the whole house would be in an uproar.”

“True…”

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