The Heroine Pays Me to Fall in Love (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 1

Jiang Zhinan gently lifted the chin of the person before her.

The girl looked to be around fourteen or fifteen, petite and a full head shorter than her. Her skin was pale to the point of fragility, her eyes lowered in silent submission, and her long lashes cast a faint shadow over her face.

Though her features were delicate and well-shaped, her thin frame and timid silence made her presence almost invisible—easy to overlook entirely.

“Your name is A’ning, isn’t it?” Jiang Zhinan asked softly.

“Yes.” The girl kept her gaze down, her voice so quiet it was barely audible, trembling as though terrified of her. “A’ning greets Miss.”

Jiang Zhinan hummed in acknowledgment. Looking at the frail figure before her, a flicker of pity rose in her chest.

It was already late autumn. Few people on the street still dressed as lightly as in summer; even beggars had wrapped themselves in extra layers.

Yet A’ning was wearing only a thin single-layer garment. The tip of her nose was red from the cold, her body shivering uncontrollably.

Pitiful hardly began to describe it.

Jiang Zhinan knew perfectly well this was deliberate—someone had arranged it that way.

The weaker and more miserable the girl looked, the stronger people’s sympathy would be. A pitiful face sold faster and for a higher price.

And indeed, while Jiang Zhinan was still sizing A’ning up, several men nearby had already turned their heads, their eyes filled with interest.

But Jiang Zhinan wasn’t about to let them take her away.

After all, this was her mission target.

With that thought, she made her decision. She drew out a gleaming silver ingot and set it on the table with a clear clink.

“I’ll buy this girl,” she said, her tone brisk and confident.

As expected—money solved everything.

In her previous life, Jiang Zhinan had died chasing after it. She’d overworked herself for a small project, staying up night after night until her old illness flared up and she drew her last breath.

Just before she died, she’d recalled what a fortune teller once told her: that her face carried the mark of poverty, destined never to know wealth, and she might as well resign herself to her fate.

But Jiang Zhinan had never been one to accept fate. She was determined to fight it with her own hands.

Only, she never got the chance.

A sigh escaped her lips at the memory.

Still, she was lucky. Because after death, she had met System 214.

The system had promised her that if she completed its assigned missions, reaching the pinnacle of life would no longer be a dream.

At first, Jiang Zhinan didn’t believe it and had asked in confusion, “Really?”

“Of course,” the system replied with a cheerful tone. “Why would I lie to you?”

Before she could ask anything else, the full mission protocol had already been transmitted directly into her mind.

The tasks seemed simple enough: help each world’s heroine change her fate and fulfill her dreams. Every successful mission came with a generous reward.

When she finally returned to her original world, those rewards would be enough for her to live out the rest of her life in comfort.

It had seemed like a great deal at the time—until she realized the system had completely tricked her.

Because not one of her mission targets turned out to be normal!

But that was for later. For now, A’ning still looked every bit the frail and pitiable girl she was meant to be.

Jiang Zhinan’s heart softened. She took off her outer cloak and draped it gently over A’ning’s shoulders.

“Miss!” her maid gasped in alarm. “It’s freezing! You’ll catch cold!”

“It’s fine.” Jiang Zhinan shook her head lightly. “I’m not that delicate.”

“But”

Before the maid could finish, Jiang Zhinan turned her gaze back to A’ning and spoke softly.

“Come with me.”

A’ning hadn’t yet recovered from the shock of what had just happened. It felt as though she’d fallen into a warm honey jar.

The cloak carried the young lady’s body heat and faint fragrance, banishing the chill that had clung to her bones.

And that gentle voice—those simple words—felt like a spring breeze blowing straight into her heart.

“Miss, are you truly willing to spend so much silver on someone like me?” she asked timidly, peeking up at Jiang Zhinan with apprehension.

“Yes,” Jiang Zhinan replied without hesitation. Her eyes were soft enough to make A’ning’s heart flutter.

“I understand.” A’ning’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment before she finally lowered her head and whispered, “I won’t disappoint you.”

“Hm?” Jiang Zhinan blinked, not quite understanding her meaning. But she didn’t press the question. Instead, she instructed her servants to help A’ning into the carriage, then followed herself.

“Back to the manor,” she said, leaning back and closing her eyes to rest.

Seeing her appear tired, A’ning dared not speak further. Even as the carriage rattled along the road, she held her breath, afraid of disturbing her benefactor’s rest.

Yet her eyes—nervous and uncertain—kept darting toward Jiang Zhinan from time to time.

In this world, Jiang Zhinan’s identity was that of Jiang Yu’an, the beloved eldest daughter of the Jiang family, favored by the powerful Governor Jiang himself.

Jiang Yu’an was known for being willful and arrogant. If she said “one,” no one in the household dared to say “two.”

So, when she suddenly brought home an unfamiliar girl, no one dared to ask where she came from or why the young lady had bought her.

“Chuyun,” Jiang Zhinan said as she entered her chamber, warming her hands around a cup of hot tea. “Come here for a moment.”

“Yes, Miss.” The maid named Chuyun hurried forward and bowed. “What are your orders?”

“Clean up the room next to mine,” Jiang Zhinan said. “Prepare some warm clothes and whatever daily necessities are needed.”

“Yes, Miss.” Chuyun bowed again and left to make the arrangements.

Once the room was empty, Jiang Zhinan dismissed the remaining servants until only she and the girl waiting nervously outside remained.

Perhaps because the concept of hierarchy was too deeply ingrained, A’ning didn’t dare step into such a luxurious chamber. She stood at the doorway, her head lowered, looking like a frightened little quail.

“Come in,” Jiang Zhinan said with a sigh, already thinking she would need to correct this meekness eventually. “Why are you still standing there?”

“I” A’ning bit her lip, unsure what to say.

“Come in,” Jiang Zhinan repeated more gently. “I have something to tell you.”

“Alright.” After a pause, A’ning finally moved, still hesitant but willing.

“Close the door,” Jiang Zhinan said.

She didn’t want anyone overhearing what she was about to say.

“Yes.” A’ning turned, closed the door softly, and then walked toward her. Just as she reached Jiang Zhinan, her knees began to bend, as though preparing to kneel.

Startled, Jiang Zhinan hurried forward to stop her.

If the story followed its original trajectory, A’ning would indeed be bought by Jiang Yu’an.

But Jiang Yu’an had never treated her kindly. She never taught A’ning how to live with dignity, never protected her from the cruelty of others. In the end, the poor girl was bullied, trampled on, and died alone of illness before she even turned twenty.

That fate would not repeat itself.

Because now, standing before her, was not Jiang Yu’an—but Jiang Zhinan.

Since she had come here, she was determined to rewrite A’ning’s ending.

“I bought you, yes, but that means I’ll treat you well,” Jiang Zhinan said softly, deliberately making her tone gentle. “At least when it’s just the two of us, you don’t need to bow or kneel to me. Do you understand?”

A’ning was silent for a long while, then nodded faintly.

Seeing that she’d accepted it, Jiang Zhinan took the opportunity to plant more positive, self-respecting ideas in her mind.

A’ning nodded obediently to each one.

Satisfied, Jiang Zhinan patted her head with a small smile. “Good girl.”

Time passed quickly, and night soon fell.

After washing up, Jiang Zhinan lay down, feeling exhausted.

Normally, her system would be gone by now—it had a “family” of its own and was always ordered to go home at night.

Without its chatter to accompany her, the quiet felt heavier, and she quickly drifted into sleep.

A cool breeze slipped through the crack of the window, stirring her hair and rustling the edge of her blanket—until suddenly, it lifted the quilt completely.

Startled by the chill, Jiang Zhinan snapped her eyes open—only to freeze at the sight before her.

A’ning was in her room.

Not only that—she had climbed onto the bed.

“Miss” A’ning whispered, her small hand clutching Jiang Zhinan’s tightly. Her face was flushed, and she stammered, “The night is long and lonely, let me keep you company.”

Jiang Zhinan: “…”

And just like that—she finally understood what A’ning had meant earlier by “I won’t disappoint you.”