I Was Taken by the Female Lead After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 1

Bai Feifei awoke, but her mind was still ensnared in sleep. She was intimately familiar with this feeling; it was how she always felt after a late night. After she opened her eyes, the world would remain blurry for a long time.

Bai Feifei extended her hand to reach for her phone, as she always did. After fumbling a few times, she didn’t find her phone. Instead, she broke out in a sweat. The heat was extraordinary, as if it were a fire erupting from within her body, threatening to make her explode. She lay on the bed for a few seconds before groaning and opening her eyes again, determined to find her phone.

And that was when she knew something was wrong.

This wasn’t her room.

Her eyes met a vast expanse of ambiguous, misty light. The furniture was painted in an enchanting hue. Directly opposite the bed was a semi-transparent bathroom with a vague outline of a large, circular bathtub. The bed was surrounded by pinkish-purple curtains that were even more vibrant in the light. The bed itself was high and soft, with two heart-shaped pillows on the headboard.

She sat on the edge of the bed, her toes barely touching the carpet.

It looked like a couple’s suite at a hotel. But how did she end up here?

Bai Feifei frowned and looked around.

On the nightstand, there was a half-empty glass of red wine. Next to it, a barely visible white powder and a strange-smelling scented candle. The sign on the wall, not too far away, clearly read, “The Grand Affection Hotel welcomes you.”

The Grand Affection Hotel?

Bai Feifei’s mind snapped back. She instinctively held her forehead, mumbling, “Don’t tell me…”

Everything was frighteningly familiar.

Bai Feifei remembered.

This was the hotel from the novel, The Glittering Stardom.

The novel was a powerful, female-led story set in the entertainment industry. The female lead, Huo Wu, had made a name for herself in an era of fleeting fame and standardized acting. With her beautiful face and her acting skills, hailed as a “treasure of humanity,” she had successfully stood out and laid the foundation for her rise to the top.

She could portray a beggar or a thief just as skillfully as she could a recluse or a nobleman. Her acting was natural, her lines were superb, and after her third role, she became a household name. Everyone, from the old to the young, knew her name. The novel described how crazy her fans were for her, but it didn’t stop there. In the end, Huo Wu successfully transitioned from an actress to a director. Her realistic films cemented her place as a legend.

This novel truly dissected the glamorous and the dark sides of the entertainment industry, and it fully revealed Huo Wu as a person. As her background was revealed, readers realized that some people are born into a hard life but still manage to blossom on the steepest cliffs.

However, the author only briefly touched upon Huo Wu’s past and then never mentioned it again.

She was kidnapped as a child and was only found by her birth parents as a young adult. She had an older sister and a younger brother. Not long after, her parents passed away. She found it awkward to live with her siblings, so she chose to continue her acting career and developed in the entertainment industry. It took her over a decade to finally reach the pinnacle of her career.

She never sold her misfortune. Whenever she faced a manipulative question from a host, she would always give a clear-headed response, which made people view her as gentle and strong, and understand her true power. The entire book depicted a strong and gentle female protagonist, and this strength won her countless fans, including Bai Feifei herself.

When Bai Feifei first read the novel years ago, she fell in love with this person who didn’t seem to exist in the world. She felt that this “person” was so real, and she wanted to be a part of her life, to accompany her in her loneliness—a loneliness she never spoke of but was hidden deep in her heart—and to protect her young self.

However, the book was an unfinished story.

And she, Bai Feifei, had now, unfortunately, transmigrated into this unfinished story as the villainous female supporting character who shared her name.

And tonight, she would completely destroy herself.

The original Bai Feifei went offline very early in the story. Her demise was despised by everyone. In the first few chapters, Bai Feifei was merely a minor character mentioned in passing. But later, when her name appeared again, a few tags were enough for readers to understand her nature: chaotic private life, dissolute and debauched, and no regard for gender. These tags turned a character who had only been mentioned in a few words into a vile, disgusting cannon fodder.

The original plot flooded her mind, and combined with the hotel name, Bai Feifei finally remembered the current storyline: the original owner had arranged to spend a romantic night with someone for resources!

And that wasn’t all.

The reason the original owner got into trouble tonight was that the person she was with had secretly drugged her wine and called two other people. The reason the original owner did this was that her family’s company had gone bankrupt, her father had committed suicide, and her mother was hospitalized for depression. Finding her former wealthy friends was the fastest way to get money and resources.

So even when she discovered there were three people, she was ready to make the best of it and immerse herself in this short-lived, exciting pleasure. This led to her being blackmailed, having her reputation ruined, and ultimately, she committed suicide by jumping off a building when she had nothing left.

Bai Feifei shivered at the thought of the original owner’s ending.

She scanned her surroundings, mumbling, “It’s as if heaven wants me dead…”

She was completely naked, and the central air conditioning was blowing cold air, but she felt incredibly hot. What was worse, there wasn’t a single piece of clothing she could wear in the entire room. The only thing she could use to cover herself was the bedsheet.

She wrapped the sheet around herself like a long dress and walked shakily to the door. Her legs were weak, and every step felt like she was walking on cotton.

The door could open—but after only a very narrow crack, it wouldn’t open any further. The gap was just wide enough for her hand to squeeze through. The door had been locked from the outside. The entire floor was eerily empty.

Bai Feifei walked to the window and looked down. Her vision went black. The room was extremely high up. The few pedestrians below looked like tiny ants. She could scream until her throat was raw, but no one would hear her. Even if they did, it would all be over. This would definitely make it to the front page of the news.

“B-list actress found half-naked late at night, screaming for help: a twisting of human nature or a degradation of morality? Who is the hidden murderer, and will the deepest secrets of the entertainment industry be exposed?”

Bai Feifei: “…”

She absolutely could not be discovered.

Just then, she heard a commotion outside the door. The room was too soundproof, but she could hear that it was a loud mix of male and female voices. Then something slammed against the door, accompanied by a buzzing, sawing sound.

Bai Feifei was filled with shock and anger. She backed away in a panic, trying to find something to defend herself. She had only ever read about such horrifying headlines in novels and on the news, and she had never imagined she would face a similar situation. She had no idea what to do.

The noise grew louder. Bai Feifei retreated to the bed. She could barely handle one person, but three? She didn’t know if she could escape safely tonight.

There were no tools in the room to defend herself with. The only sharp object was the half-empty wine glass. Bai Feifei gritted her teeth, broke the glass, tore a piece of the bedsheet to wrap around her hand, and clutched the stem of the glass. She cautiously made her way to the door.

As she got closer, she heard a final groan from the lock on the door. The chain rattled against the door, and the door was pushed open from the outside.

The moment the door opened, Bai Feifei lunged from behind it, gritting her teeth and putting all her strength into her arm, raising it high, ready to strike.

But when she saw the person, she froze.

It wasn’t the person she expected.

The person was wearing a navy blue dress that fell to the floor, perfectly accentuating her graceful figure. Her waist was incredibly slender, so small that it could be encircled by one arm. Her collarbone was prominent and beautiful. Below her collarbone, a cutout revealed a small patch of her beautiful skin, shaped like a floral net. A shimmering blue butterfly was painted on her skin. The color of the butterfly matched the dress, but it was so vibrant it looked as if it would come to life at any second, fluttering just above her collarbone as if to kiss it.

This outfit immediately matched a memory in Bai Feifei’s mind: the dress Huo Wu wore to an awards ceremony.

Bai Feifei was stunned. She called out, “A-ah Wu?”

The entrance fell silent.

Bai Feifei was in the room, unable to see clearly outside, but she could vaguely hear a conversation not far away. It was a woman’s voice. “Keep tonight’s events a secret. Don’t spread anything. Keep your mouth shut. You know what you should and shouldn’t say.”

The voice was interrupted by Huo Wu.

“Jing Meng, talk outside. Keep an eye on this place for me.” Huo Wu said, her eyes fixed on Bai Feifei. She didn’t look away.

Jing Meng replied, “Understood.”

Footsteps receded, and Bai Feifei heard the sound of the elevator. The footsteps disappeared, and silence returned.

Bai Feifei couldn’t withstand Huo Wu’s cool yet undeniable gaze and took two steps back.

“I’m surprised you still remember my name,” Huo Wu said, her lips curling into a sarcastic smile.

Bai Feifei’s lips moved, but she couldn’t say anything.

Her hand fumbled with the cheap lock on the door. When she looked up, her eyes were filled with an unnamable emotion. Huo Wu’s voice was frigid. “Bai Feifei, it’s been years. The first time we meet, and you give me such a grand welcome.”

Huo Wu stepped inside and sized her up. Seeing the obvious blush on Bai Feifei’s face, the coldness in her expression intensified. “A couple’s suite. You certainly know how to pick a place.”

“I…” Bai Feifei hid the hand that was clutching the broken wine glass behind her back. Her head was spinning, but her mind was barely clear enough to think, but she didn’t know what to say.

“You what?” Huo Wu asked.

She walked closer, her steps small. But as she got nearer, the pressure became more and more intense. Bai Feifei held her breath in anticipation, and her head spun even more. She didn’t dare to look at Huo Wu’s face, only lowered her head to avoid her gaze. Her mind was a mess. It’s so hot, my brain is turning into mush. I’m going to fall.

“If you don’t know what to say, I’ll speak for you,” Huo Wu said.

Huo Wu lifted Bai Feifei’s face. Bai Feifei could feel Huo Wu’s thumb rubbing the area between her chin and lower lip, slowly moving to her neck where the jugular vein pulsed.

She couldn’t control her body’s reaction. Her body grew even hotter, and her lips parted slightly, her tongue peeking out. With Huo Wu so close, she felt like a prey animal held in the mouth of a leopard. In a moment, the leopard’s teeth would pierce her neck and sink into her flesh.

Bai Feifei looked up nervously. What she saw was a smile on Huo Wu’s face, but her eyes were full of ice.

She mumbled Huo Wu’s name, stumbled twice, and finally collapsed into Huo Wu’s soft embrace. As if she had finally found a safe harbor, she looked up and called out again, “Ah Wu…”

The smile on Huo Wu’s face disappeared, along with the ice in her eyes and the sarcasm in her expression. She looked down and smelled the rich, mellow scent of red wine on Bai Feifei’s breath.

Huo Wu closed her eyes and slowly exhaled. Her voice was hoarse. She locked the door behind her with her free hand, wrapped her other arm around Bai Feifei’s waist, and whispered, “Why did you come back?”