The Shop Assistant and the Great Deviless - Chapter 1

Summer in Shanghai was truly sweltering. When Fu Yunmo stepped out of the bookstore, she felt as if she had plunged headfirst into a furnace. In her hand, she clutched a copy of the recent bestseller, The Wind and Cloud Chronicles.

Despite the title, the book had nothing to do with the classic legends of Wind and Cloud. It was simply a cliché story about a male protagonist whose family is massacred, leading him on a quest for a secret manual to seek revenge and, ultimately, win the heart of a beautiful woman.

Fu Yunmo was a second-tier actress. Her name, Yunmo, had been given to her by her grandfather, a professor of Chinese Literature at a prestigious university in Shanghai who placed immense value on education. Yun was derived from “Yunxiang grass” (rue), a fragrant herb used by the ancients to protect books from pests; Mo (ink) represented his hope that she would be well-read and scholarly. In short, her grandfather had envisioned her as a gentle, refined academic.

However, Yunmo had no interest in classical prose. Rebellious by nature, she insisted on attending film school after high school, nearly giving her grandfather a stroke. He often claimed that “actors are heartless” and despised the profession. According to her father, this bitterness stemmed from the grandfather being swindled by his first love—an actress—many years ago.

Regardless, Yunmo graduated successfully. She chose not to dwell on how many times her grandfather had protested. Relying on her beauty and talent, she landed her first commercial, followed by a film role. Although her screen time was brief, she stunned both the industry and the audience, leading to consistent work in television dramas. Because she refused to flatter lecherous producers, her career had stagnated somewhat, preventing her from landing leading roles. She supposed this was the “scholar’s pride” inherited from her grandfather’s bloodline. She didn’t mind, believing that gold would eventually shine.

Since her parents were also educators—her father a professor and her mother a high school teacher—family gatherings were dominated by talk of literature and pedagogy. Being lively and extroverted, Yunmo had moved out after her first commercial to enjoy her independence and ensure her lifestyle didn’t disrupt her family.

Disguised in sunglasses and a mask, she made her way back to the parking lot. Only after getting into her car did she breathe a sigh of relief. Once, she had gone out without a disguise and was recognized twenty times in ten minutes, spending the next half hour taking photos. She didn’t dare repeat the mistake. While only “second-tier,” her acting skills and high “visual value” had earned her critical acclaim and a loyal fanbase who appreciated her blunt, authentic personality.

She glanced at The Wind and Cloud Chronicles. Knowing how domestic adaptations often butchered original novels, she had bought the book to see exactly what “monstrosity” the screenwriters had turned it into. She had already finished the script; now it was time for the source material. With one month left before filming began, she intended to go into “seclusion” to study.

As she drove, a news report on the radio caught her ear. It was a weather forecast predicting a violent storm. Yunmo looked up at the azure, cloudless sky. It was baking hot. A storm? How ridiculous, she thought. Weather forecasts these days are such a scam.

Back at her apartment, she flopped lazily onto the sofa and held up the book. I wonder what the male lead’s younger martial sister—the one who starts as a “sweet simpleton” and later turns “blackened” (villainous)—is like in the original?

Yunmo had been cast as this character, Ning Min’er. In the story, the male lead starts as a shop assistant at Si Hai House before joining the Cangyun Sect, one of the three great cultivation sects, where he meets Ning Min’er. She begins as an innocent girl, but after her unrequited love turns to hatred, she becomes a villain hell-bent on killing the protagonists. It was a role with a massive emotional arc; if played poorly, it would be cringeworthy and invite a “dog’s blood” lashing from critics. The plot was cliché, but online readers called Ning Min’er their “eternal heartbreak,” which prompted Yunmo to read the source material.

She brewed a cup of coffee and settled in. She had told her manager she was “retreating” for a month to practice her “inner arts” and wouldn’t be taking any jobs. Knowing her temperament, her manager obliged.

From 10:00 AM, she sat motionless like a jade statue, savoring every word. Thanks to her genes, she had a near-photographic memory. The book was actually quite good, and she lost track of time until the sound of a gale slamming against the windows pulled her back to reality.

Her curtains were whipped upward by the wind. She looked toward the window of her small apartment; the sky had turned a bruised grey. It was only 3:00 PM, yet it looked like dusk. The rhythm of a coming storm…

“I guess the forecast was right,” she muttered with a wry smile. Who could have guessed the clear sky would turn into a tempest so suddenly? It felt like a movie scene.

She stood up to close the window, but the wind caught the pages of the book, making them flip rhythmically with a sharp shasha sound. As she turned back toward the book, a deafening crack of thunder exploded right beside her ear. Her heart vibrated with the force of it. Before she could recover, a bolt of lightning flashed—a blinding white light that seared her vision. Her strength vanished. She felt nothing as she collapsed, her fingers brushing the pages of The Wind and Cloud Chronicles one last time.

She lost consciousness.

Her final thought before the void took her: No way… this is too cliché… Am I being struck dead by lightning? I haven’t even done anything wrong!

Wuwu… Heavens, I only gossip about actors and occasionally watch “NSFW” videos… Why kill me for that?!

Then, there was only darkness. Endless, boundaryless darkness.

Dad… Mom… Grandpa… I don’t want to die…

Light slowly filtered into her vision. As her eyes adjusted, she began to take in her surroundings.

She was on a crude wooden bed. Above her was a roof made of straw topped with tiles. She turned her head: a wooden table stood nearby, its uneven legs propped up by flat pebbles. On the table sat a simple teapot and four cups. There were wooden chairs, an old door with paper screens, and an antique wardrobe in the corner.

The air carried the faint, elegant scent of pearwood.

Which film set is this? Why am I at a film set?

She pushed herself up. She was still wearing her deep blue jeans and black T-shirt, but someone had draped an outer robe over her. It was a very traditional, ancient-style robe—originally blue, perhaps, but faded to a near-white from repeated washing. The color coordination is terrible, she thought, shaking her head to clear the fog.

Where was she supposed to be?

She had been at home reading… right, The Wind and Cloud Chronicles… and then the storm…

She had been struck by lightning! That was it!

But why was she on a film set? Was it a dream? No, she had definitely bought the book…

Just then, hurried footsteps approached—not the frantic pace of an emergency, but the habitual hustle of someone used to a fast-paced life. After years in the city, Yunmo found she could distinguish the nuances of a person’s gait.

A girl pushed open the door. Seeing Yunmo awake, she ran over excitedly. “You’re awake!”

“No… I’m still sleeping,” Yunmo deadpanned, rolling her eyes. It was obvious she was awake; why state the unnecessary?

The girl was short, maybe 1.58 meters, with two small braids. She was a bit plump and not conventionally beautiful—small nose, small eyes, and a few freckles—but she had a lovely smile that revealed tiny dimples. She wore a simple ancient-style tunic and an apron; her hands bore the faint marks of oil splatters.

The girl wasn’t offended by Yunmo’s sarcasm. She laughed. “You talk in such an interesting way.”

“By the way, which film set is this? Why am I here?” Yunmo sat on the edge of the bed and stretched. She felt as though she hadn’t slept this well in years; her life had always been too busy or too stressful for quality rest.

“Miss, what… what is a ‘film set’? Yesterday the lightning was fierce. It was the most terrifying storm I’ve seen since I was four…” The girl looked up, recalling the event. “A massive bolt of lightning flashed, and everyone at Si Hai House was stunned. And then… you appeared in the small courtyard in front of our kitchen.”

The girl, Xiao Yu’er, still felt a lingering fear. This person’s clothes were strange, and she had golden-blonde hair. The experienced manager had taken one look and declared her a “Westerner” from the Western Regions. However, they found no record of any Westerners staying at the inn. Not knowing where Yunmo came from, they had Xiao Yu’er carry her to this vacant room.

Si Hai House…?

Si Hai House?!

Yunmo’s eyes snapped wide. Her heart throbbed. she looked around frantically—no cameras.

“You… say that again. Where is this?” Yunmo swallowed hard, hoping the girl was joking.

“This is Si Hai House in Tianji City, the place known as the ‘Martial Arts Inn’!”

Xiao Yu’er finished speaking and then looked enlightened. Of course, she’s a Westerner; she wouldn’t know about the famous inns of the Central Plains’ martial arts world.

Yunmo scrambled out of bed. Fortunately, her slippers from home were by the bedside. Her legs felt like jelly as she stumbled to the door and threw it open.

Before her was a rustic courtyard bathed in warm sunlight. Birds sang, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. A large tree stood in the yard, its leaves fluttering down onto a stone table. Sunlight filtered through the branches like shimmering strands of golden hair. It was a picturesque, tranquil scene under a vast blue sky.

The air smelled of fresh, crisp greenery—a scent and a view impossible to find in the city.

She… she had transmigrated. She had actually transmigrated! Oh, my God! And of all things, she had landed inside The Wind and Cloud Chronicles!

If you’re going to send me into the book, at least let me finish reading it first! I haven’t even reached the halfway point! Without the ending, how am I supposed to use my “cheat code” knowledge?!