The Cannon Fodder Crazy Beauty Has Awakened [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 48.1

Congratulations, you’ve gained the ability to read minds!

When Jiang Mengyu opened her eyes again, she found herself in an extravagantly decorated restaurant.

She was still holding a knife and fork meant for cutting steak. Jiang Mengyu set down the knife and glanced across the table, where a young man was seated.

He was absentmindedly cutting his steak, so distracted that he didn’t even notice Jiang Mengyu looking at him.

In her mind, System No. 031 swiftly transmitted the background information of this world.

[Host, unlike the previous world, the original story here is a typical modern romance novel. The female lead is Zhou Xinying, the second daughter of the Zhou family, while the male lead is the man sitting across from you, Xu Zeyan.]

Zhou Xinying had once saved Xu Zeyan when they were children. However, due to the overwhelming trauma she suffered afterward, she completely forgot about the incident.

As an adult, Xu Zeyan desperately searched for his savior but found no leads—until one day, he accidentally spotted the golden locket he had given his savior as a child on the villainess, Jiang Mengyu.

Overjoyed, Xu Zeyan began openly courting Jiang Mengyu. After spending time with her, he found her gentle and beautiful, perfectly matching his idealized image of his savior. Thus, he naturally started dating her.

Of course, the golden locket didn’t belong to Jiang Mengyu.

She had forcibly taken it from Zhou Xinying.

In this world, Jiang Mengyu’s identity was the female lead’s wicked stepsister.

Zhou Xinying’s biological mother had passed away from illness when she was just a child. Only a few months after her death, Zhou Xinying’s father hastily remarried his long-cherished “white moonlight,” while Jiang Mengyu was the child from the woman’s previous marriage.

Perhaps out of love for the mother, the father extended his affection to the daughter. Despite having no blood relation to him, Jiang Mengyu received far more love from Zhou Xinying’s father than Zhou Xinying ever did.

Growing up without a mother and neglected by her father, Zhou Xinying became deeply sensitive and starved for affection in such an environment.

As an adult, she became Xu Zeyan’s junior at university. After he unintentionally helped her once, she fell hopelessly in love with him, seeing him as the only light in her life.

Unfortunately, Xu Zeyan had mistaken the villainess Jiang Mengyu for his savior, forcing Zhou Xinying to bury her feelings and never voice them.

But as the female lead, no matter how much Jiang Mengyu suppressed her, Zhou Xinying’s innate kindness eventually drew Xu Zeyan’s attention.

Now, the plot had progressed to the point where the villainess, leveraging her father’s influence and her own silver tongue, had successfully become Xu Zeyan’s fiancée.

In this world, Jiang Mengyu had already graduated from university and was now a moderately renowned painter, having held several solo exhibitions.

Meanwhile, the female lead, Zhou Xinying, had joined the male lead’s company as his assistant, an arrangement made by her father, who claimed it was to let the “future brother-in-law” mentor his “hopeless younger sister.”

The absurdity was too much to unpack, and Jiang Mengyu chose not to comment.

System No. 031: [Host, your mission in this world is to accumulate a total of ≥300 favorability points from key plot characters and change your fate of being universally despised.]

Favorability points from key plot characters?

[There are four mission targets.] Number 031 displayed the profiles of the individuals on the panel, along with their current favorability ratings toward Jiang Mengyu.

[Zhou Xinying: 20]

[Xu Zeyan: 70]

[Gu Lanqiu: 0]

[Zhou Xiang: 80]

The identities of the first two were self-explanatory. As for Gu Lanqiu, she was Xu Zeyan’s aunt. His biological parents had passed away early, and he had essentially been raised by her.

However, his grandparents were already quite old when they had Gu Lanqiu. Though she was his aunt, she was only ten years older than Xu Zeyan.

Zhou Xiang was Zhou Xinying’s father.

Number 031 was brimming with confidence about this mission!

It had finally gotten lucky, the task world it drew happened to be one its host excelled in. Hehe.

Manipulating people’s hearts?

For its host, it was as easy as pie!

Number 031: [Host, you currently have a total of 170 favorability points. You still need 130 more to complete the mission.]

[Based on my projections, I recommend raising Zhou Xinying’s favorability to 60, Xu Zeyan’s to 100, Gu Lanqiu’s to 40, and Zhou Xiang’s to 100.]

The male lead and Zhou Xiang already had high initial favorability toward the host, so raising theirs to 100 wouldn’t be too difficult. The real challenge lay with the female lead and Gu Lanqiu.

But Number 031 believed its host could do it!

The system’s projections?

Jiang Mengyu cast a cold glance at the man across from her.

Dressed in a crisp suit, he looked the part of a respectable gentleman, who would have guessed he was actually a bona fide scumbag?

He had taken a liking to the female supporting character because of a gold locket and even made her his fiancée, all while harboring pity for the pitiful female lead, torn between the two sisters in a constant tug-of-war.

Like right now, though he sat across from Jiang Mengyu, his mind was preoccupied with Zhou Xinying, who had accidentally twisted her ankle on her way home from work.

Increase the favorability of a two-timing scumbag like him?

Jiang Mengyu abruptly stood up, startling the man opposite her. He looked up at her, suppressing the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind, and flashed her a smile. “Mengyu, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Mengyu had no patience for idle chatter. She grabbed her bag and strode toward the exit.

She had zero tolerance for men especially ones like Tang An.

Number 031 had planned everything perfectly, but it had overlooked one crucial detail: Jiang Mengyu harbored an instinctive aversion and disgust toward men.

Xu Zeyan was taken aback. Jiang Mengyu had always been gentle and elegant in front of him. Even when she occasionally turned him down out of reserve, it was always with the calm composure of moonlight. When had she ever been this cold and distant?

“Mengyu?”

He reached out to grab her hand, but Jiang Mengyu dodged. Frowning, she instead pressed her hand against his neck.

Xu Zeyan felt a slight chill against his skin something sharp and unyielding pressed against his artery.

Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced down and realized the steak knife was missing from the table.

Xu Zeyan was startled, but he managed to maintain his composure. He didn’t actually believe Jiang Mengyu would hurt him, though he couldn’t help feeling a mix of anger and surprise.

Jiang Mengyu’s approach was crude but effective, Xu Zeyan made no further attempts to stop her.

“What’s gotten into you?” Xu Zeyan frowned deeply.

Jiang Mengyu’s gaze was icy. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

She paused, her voice dropping even softer, “Next time we meet, I won’t hold back.”

With that, Jiang Mengyu set down her knife and left, leaving Xu Zeyan staring at her retreating figure with a dark, puzzled expression.

Had Jiang Mengyu lost her mind?

Or was the pressure from her recent painting projects getting to her?

Why did she seem like a completely different person?

[Target Xu Zeyan’s favorability -5. Current cumulative favorability: 165.]

After walking a short distance, Jiang Mengyu gradually slowed to a stop.

The screaming of System No. 031 in her ears finally faded.

[Host! I know you’re eager, but don’t act rashly!]

Killing the male lead was absolutely out of the question!

No. 031 was so shocked that even the initial -5 favorability couldn’t faze it.

Just now, detecting the host’s dangerously high murderous intent, No. 031 had forcibly activated a protective protocol, playing a calming mantra in her mind.

Jiang Mengyu glanced over her shoulder, her dark eyes devoid of emotion. “I wasn’t planning to kill him.”

No. 031: […]

Like I’d believe that!

It hadn’t expected the host to despise the male lead so much.

In the last world, she had been quite amiable toward the protagonists!

[Think about our mission!] No. 031 pleaded earnestly.

[We can take our time with this. The starting point here is much better than the last world!]

In the previous world, the host had been isolated and desperate, forced to take extreme risks. But in this world, her circumstances were even better than the female lead’s!

They were bound to complete the mission smoothly!

Jiang Mengyu curled her lips slightly. Instead of continuing forward, she leaned against the corridor railing, her silhouette elongated by the light, the hem of her white dress fluttering gently in the breeze.

As the villainess, she had always maintained this pristine, saintly facade in front of the male lead. Fortunately, to preserve her aloof and untouchable image in his eyes, she had consistently rejected his attempts at intimacy something Jiang Mengyu found somewhat tolerable.

Seeing her stop, No. 031 cautiously asked, [Host, are you waiting for the male lead?]

Had the host finally taken its advice to heart, realizing her attitude had been too harsh, and was now planning to make amends?

Jiang Mengyu ignored the question. “I remember there was still an unopened reward package from the last world.”

No. 031: [That’s right!]

Jiang Mengyu currently had 5,000 points. She had already browsed the system’s store, where items often cost tens of thousands. The things she could afford with 5,000 didn’t interest her.

She opened the panel, and sure enough, a small gift box sat in her inventory, familiar yellow-and-red packaging. Last time, she had drawn an “Information Enhancer” from it. What would it be this time?

As she opened the package, a shower of confetti burst across the screen, accompanied by the system’s cheerful jingle. The contents of the package finally appeared before her.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You’ve obtained a limited-time golden finger: Mind Reading ×1!]

No. 031’s voice was noticeably stunned. [Host, how are you this lucky?]

Mind Reading was also available in the system store for 20,000 points. In other words, Jiang Mengyu would have needed to complete three or four missions to afford it.

Though this ability was only usable in the current world, its potential impact was still immense.

No. 031 immediately let out a villainous cackle.

Mind Reading + the host’s acting skills—this world is practically easier than a beginner’s mission!!

What a steal!!

Yet, Jiang Mengyu showed little joy. A thoughtful look flickered in her eyes as she asked, “This mind-reading ability only works on supporting characters and has no effect on the protagonists?”

System 031 explained: [Yes, Host. This cheat can only be used on supporting characters, and you can only see their thoughts.]

But the host herself is a supporting character! Among their mission targets, two are also supporting roles, and of the two protagonists, one already has high favorability toward the host. That meant the only real challenge was the female lead, Zhou Xinying.

Jiang Mengyu neither confirmed nor denied it. “What about other supporting characters? Can it be used on them too?”

System 031 was taken aback. [Huh?]

[You mean, giving this cheat to someone else?!]

Jiang Mengyu remained silent. Seeing this, System 031 could only murmur cautiously: [Theoretically, it’s possible.]

But who would give their cheat to someone else?!

System 031 grew wary. [Host, you’re not planning something again, are you?]

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