I Am Not a Vicious Stepsister! - Chapter 1

The summer rain in Nanzhou was relentless. Water kicked up by the heels of passersby soaked their trouser legs; the damp fabric clinging to skin brought a bone-chilling cold.

After following her new family into the spired church, Ni Song’an did as they did, quietly taking a seat. She pretended to close her eyes in prayer, but in reality, she peeked through one eye to shift her position, trying to keep her pants from sticking to her ankles.

Once she was somewhat comfortable, Song’an looked up to take in her surroundings.

She unexpectedly locked eyes with a pair of deep blue, emotionless orbs.

This nominal stepsister of hers wasn’t pious at all. She hadn’t even bothered with the superficial effort of reciting a few prayers; instead, she had been steadily watching Song’an.

This meant that all of Song’an’s previous fidgeting had likely been caught red-handed.

Song’an calmly looked away, not paying too much attention to her stepsister, or rather, the protagonist of this smash-hit “No Romance” novel with off-the-charts popularity—Modesty Rodney.

It was the third day since Song’an had transmigrated into this novel, and her third day as Modesty’s “wicked stepsister.”

On the first day, the mother of this body married the head of the Rodney family.

On the second day, Song’an moved into Quqi Orange County, the Rodney residence, where she and Modesty would live under the same roof.

On the third day, both mothers brought their children to the Nanzhou church to pray to the gods, marking the final step of their union.

This was enough time for Song’an to pull her thoughts together and accept reality.

Though it sounded impossible, Ni Song’an had truly died from overwork during a late-night shift, only to be reborn into the world of a novel she had recently been binge-reading.

In this “face-slapping” power fantasy titled The Tycoon’s Guide to Success, the antisocial protagonist, Modesty Rodney, is bullied by her arrogant stepsister after her mother remarries. The stepsister threatens her into silence, and Modesty complies.

Thinking Modesty is a stupid pushover, the stepsister’s greed grows monstrous, and she plots to seize the entire Rodney fortune. When the mothers realize her intentions and try to intervene, she ends up causing their deaths.

While the wicked stepsister was busy framing someone else and dreaming of a bright future, the long-enduring Modesty sent her to prison with evidence of her crimes.

That wasn’t the end of the story, but rather the beginning of Modesty’s glorious life.

In the latest chapter of the serialization, Modesty Rodney owned a massive commercial empire and had successfully climbed into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest people.

***

Recalling this, Song’an let out a long breath. Compared to those wild transmigrations where one faces immediate death, her situation wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t a “dead-end” scenario.

As long as the stepsister in the book didn’t let greed turn her toward murder, the kind-hearted Modesty wouldn’t have been so ruthless.

After all, Modesty was the protagonist, a character meant to embody truth, goodness, and beauty. She was the personification of every positive adjective.

Therefore, to live peacefully in this world, Song’an just needed to live a routine life and avoid any villainous paths.

Wondering about the original soul’s whereabouts is a standard first thought after transmigrating, and Song’an was no exception. She had wondered from the start: if she had physically replaced the character, where did the original villainous stepsister go?

She found no answer. It was as if the girl had vanished into thin air.

The original owner shared the name Ni Song’an and looked exactly like her, right down to the birthmarks and scars. This made it much easier for the confused Song’an to adapt to the new world.

After her mother, Ni Tianjiao, married the family head, Orthea Rodney, Song’an was given a new name—Heloise Rodney.

Children usually took the surname of their biological mother, so why change it to Rodney now?

When Song’an asked, Ni Tianjiao explained that the Rodney name carried more weight than their old surname, and changing it would benefit Song’an’s future social life.

Besides, a name was just a label. Song’an’s official records still listed Ni Tianjiao and her former partner as her biological parents; that would never change. Now, she simply had a suffix, with her stepmother Orthea added to her file, introducing her as a member of the Rodney family.

Her original name, “Ni Song’an,” was still kept for personal use.

However, Song’an hated this new name because it was the name of the stepsister in the book, which made her instinctively repulsed.

At her strong insistence, the family still called her “Ni Song’an.”

Unfortunately, during those rare, important moments, Song’an’s personal will didn’t weigh as much as the honor of the Rodney family. She had to, and was forced to, be Heloise Rodney.

“At least change the name to something else, I don’t like this one,” she had suggested.

The mothers, who had acted first and asked later, refused her politely but firmly. They had completely forgotten to consider the child’s feelings. “Honey, that won’t do. We’ve already registered it.”

It was truly neither fish nor fowl.

Song’an grumbled to herself. Didn’t the people around them find it ridiculous?

The Rodney family had foreign blood, and their features were distinctly different from Ni Tianjiao and Song’an. Any outsider would see at a glance that they weren’t related.

While Song’an was fruitlessly protesting, Modesty Rodney was standing right there.

Her smooth golden hair and emerald eyes formed a sharp contrast with Song’an’s black hair and dark eyes.

Now we’re really sisters with the same last name, Song’an thought bitterly.

The plot of the original book began after Heloise entered Quqi Orange County.

But Song’an had already derailed the plot. She didn’t mock or bully Modesty.

A week after transmigrating, Song’an and Modesty Rodney had only met three times.

Once was at the wedding, where they shared a polite look.

The second was at the church, where Song’an thought the girl would be a devout believer, piously closing her eyes to pray, only to find she hadn’t done a thing.

The third was when Song’an suggested to Ni Tianjiao and Orthea that they change the name “Heloise,” and Modesty had quietly listened to Song’an’s one-sided rebellion.

Aside from that, they had no opportunities to interact.

Which was for the best.

Song’an was happy to have it easy, even though she had been overwhelmed by the original owner’s affairs these past few days.

Helo—Song’an decided to call the little villainous stepsister from the book by this nickname to avoid confusion when she herself was addressed as “Heloise.”

The sixteen-year-old Modesty was about to enter high school, while at this stage, Helo was a twenty-year-old student about to start her second year of university.

This meant that Song’an, who had been a working professional for over a year, had to drag herself back to college and endure the academic torture of an undergraduate life all over again.

Thankfully, after checking the information for Nanzhou University, Song’an was thrilled to find that the dorms were single rooms! For someone used to living alone, this was probably the best news she had heard lately.

The original Helo had abandoned her studies to indulge in a life of luxury after moving in with the Rodneys. Since Ni Tianjiao and Orthea were often away, they had no idea their daughter’s personality had taken such a turn.

With a week left before school started, Song’an immersed herself in reviewing general courses she had long forgotten. She spent her days in her bedroom, rarely stepping foot into other areas.

A rich scent of gardenia filled every corner of the house, refreshing Song’an after her days of seclusion.

The servants at Quqi Orange County followed her orders and left her meals at her bedroom door, and there was a water dispenser inside. However, Song’an couldn’t quit certain “pleasure drinks,” like cola.

She had brought a few cans when she first arrived, but at the time, she forgot to tell anyone to put them in her bedroom fridge. When she asked later, it turned out the servants had put them in the kitchen.

During the day, Song’an suddenly had a craving, but she learned that other members of the Rodney family living nearby had come to the main house for a gathering.

Not wanting to face a group of strangers, Song’an suppressed her craving and waited until their party was over.

As she stepped out, she noticed that gardenias had been placed in many parts of the main house.

This could only be the work of Modesty Rodney, as only the two of them, the butler, and some servants lived in this house.

Song’an loved gardenias. After arriving, she spent a few days in a daze, but once she pulled herself together, she quickly replaced the original owner’s fragrances with gardenia scents.

No matter the circumstances, she believed that only by learning to enjoy life could one find the courage to face difficulties.

The first step was making herself love something.

After careful selection, Song’an had chosen gardenia as her anchor.

Unexpectedly, it seemed Modesty Rodney also preferred this scent.

Many people found the smell of gardenias too intense, enough to make one’s head spin.

Song’an didn’t want to judge, but regarding Modesty, who shared her hobby, she offered a sincere compliment: What great taste!

After her silent praise, the elevator arrived. She brushed aside her wandering thoughts and began calculating whether she should have one can of cola tonight, or two.

The metallic doors opened again. The first floor, where the party had just ended, likely still had the doors to the garden open. A cool night breeze drifted in through the gap of the elevator doors.

Song’an, dressed in light clothes, got goosebumps, and then she jumped out of her skin at the sight of someone standing right by the door.

“Sister.”

The person spoke in a ghostly tone.

The lights on the first floor weren’t on; only the moonlight from outside seeped through the hazy curtains.

This faint, cold light made Song’an’s scalp tingle for no reason.

Song’an pressed the button to keep the elevator doors open. Using the brighter light from inside the elevator car, she managed to recognize the other person: “Modesty?”

While Modesty could calmly call her “Sister,” Song’an couldn’t bring herself to call her “Little Sister” so easily, so she awkwardly used her name.

In this situation, she couldn’t just leave. She forced herself to ask, “It’s the middle of the night, why are you standing here?”

Modesty just stared at Song’an with a look of pure innocence, offering no answer.

Thinking she hadn’t been heard, Song’an opened her mouth to repeat herself, but then she remembered her mother telling her to get along with Modesty. She recalled being told that Modesty’s native language was foreign and that she wasn’t good at the local Nanzhou language, knowing only a few simple words and phrases.

So, did Modesty not understand what she just said?

Song’an quickly switched languages.

Sure enough, once she found the right “remedy,” Modesty’s eyes flickered, and she spoke: “I can’t sleep.”

The atmosphere of the fourth meeting between Ni Song’an and Modesty Rodney fell into a strange sort of tranquility.

Song’an, who had originally planned to finish two cans of cola by herself, played the part of the generous elder and gave one to Modesty, even helping her pop the tab.

Otherwise, seeing how intently Modesty was studying the can, Song’an suspected the girl might try to poke a hole in it with a knife.

She’s just a kid, after all.

A hint of softness entered Song’an’s gaze as she looked at her. She now truly realized that Modesty was a real person. No matter how the novel described her as kind and gentle, or how decisive and ruthless she would become as an adult, right now, she was just a teenager.

Song’an’s firm resolve began to waver.

Was she really going to keep this growing child at arm’s length forever? To always stand by coldly as she struggled on her path, hitting dead ends until she was bruised and battered?

Since she was here, perhaps she could help her favorite character avoid some obstacles and hardships…

After Song’an left, Modesty smoothed out the slight wrinkles on her nightgown from sitting. The cola her stepsister had shoved into her hand was still mostly full.

Modesty curled her lips and poured the dark, sickly sweet liquid into a potted spider plant in the corner.

“System, is she really that wicked?” Modesty asked casually. After their brief interaction, she didn’t feel any hostility from her stepsister.

A voice that had lived in her head for six months answered anxiously, “You can’t judge a book by its cover! Don’t let her trick you!”

Modesty pursed her lips. “Fine. I was just acting anyway. How could I possibly not understand Chinese?”

She certainly hadn’t let her guard down. After observing Ni Tianjiao and her daughter from the shadows for nearly half a year, Modesty had manipulated things behind the scenes to bring them before her.

But it wasn’t because she wanted to be close to the so-called “wicked stepsister.” Modesty just wanted to see how the “fate” the system spoke of would try to make a fool of her.

Bullied by a mere stepsister?

How absolutely ridiculous.

Support I Am Not a Vicious Stepsister!