There's Something Wrong With My Little White Flower - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Fallen Republican Era Young Lady X The Overseas-Educated Paternal Aunt

The seventeenth year of the Republic of China, Winter.

“Ding, Main plot of World One initiated. Corrector, please assume your position.”

When the system broadcast finally rang out, Jiang Peifeng paused the hand holding her coffee cup, then retrieved it as if nothing had happened.

Her breakfast was still laid out on the table: black coffee, golden-crisp toast, and a perfectly runny sunny-side-up egg—all looking appetizing.

But today, she was clearly not going to enjoy this fine meal slowly. Jiang Peifeng looked up at her elder brother approaching: “Are you going out?”

Jiang Zhiyu nodded in confusion: “How did you know? Father just received a telegram saying that Uncle Ruan from Nanxi passed away… I was just about to go and deliver condolences…”

Nanxi Town, Ruan family—exactly, her mission target.

Jiang Peifeng tilted her head back and downed the coffee in one gulp, already standing up: “I’ll go with you.”

Jiang Zhiyu was surprised. In his memory, his sister had never been a keen person. Although young, she possessed a strange, inexplicable cold and aloof demeanor, seeming indifferent to everything.

She actually volunteered to go out with him today?

He said doubtfully: “It’s a few hours’ drive, and that place is in the countryside. Don’t complain about being bored when we get there.”

Jiang Peifeng was already at the main door. Her beautifully contoured phoenix eyes lifted slightly: “Just relax. I remember Uncle Ruan has a daughter. It will be more convenient for me to go along.”

Jiang Zhiyu was even more astonished: “Young Mistress, did I hear that right? You actually remember someone? Rare indeed… Fine, I’ll be your chauffeur for the day and take you along.”

The dark car drove straight ahead, passing through private roads shaded by green trees, classical Western-style buildings, and clanging trams, speeding towards Nanxi Town.

Jiang Peifeng rested one hand on the car window, lost in thought as she watched the scenery outside.

After being idle for so long, her work was finally beginning.

In Nanxi Town at this moment, sixteen-year-old Ruan Jiyun was stumbling along, following the funeral procession.

Early this morning, the eldest uncle’s family marched brazenly into the third branch’s house, declaring that since she was a girl, she couldn’t manage the affairs, and forcibly took over the father’s funeral arrangements.

She was already indecisive. After being coaxed into handing over the key to the silver box, her eldest aunt even brought her youngest son, Ruan Xiaoxian, saying he would hold the ancestral tablet in her place.

“You, a girl, absolutely cannot walk in front of the coffin! That would disgrace your father and make people think his lineage is cut off,” the eldest aunt chattered. “A funeral must have a filial son leading to look decent!”

Ruan Jiyun lowered her head, feeling utterly mortified by the eldest aunt’s words. She had been used to such judgment since childhood: girls were seen as breaking the incense lineage and bringing bad luck. Therefore, even at her father’s funeral, she had no right to stand at the front.

A sharp “Clang” interrupted her thoughts.

Ruan Jiyun looked up, and at that sight, her heart severely clenched.

The cousin, whether from a loose grip or a slip of the hand, actually dropped her father’s ancestral tablet on the ground! What he did next astonished Ruan Jiyun even more: he simply picked up the tablet with one hand and casually carried it inverted, completely unashamed.

Ruan Jiyun frowned, quickly rushing a few steps to his side: “Xiaoxian… you can’t do this, you must hold it properly…”

She whispered, pulling out a handkerchief, wanting to wipe the mud off the tablet. But as soon as she touched the tablet, Ruan Xiaoxian impatiently shook his hand off and shoved her hard. Caught off guard, she staggered backward…

“Ah—”

But the expected fall didn’t happen. A figure suddenly appeared, moving quickly. Her right arm accurately circled Ruan Jiyun’s waist, pulling her slightly forcefully into her embrace, while the other hand gently and soothingly patted her back.

Ruan Jiyun was slightly dazed. Her chin was pressed against a piece of fine-quality fabric. Long hair, carrying a hint of sweet peach scent, brushed against her cheek. A fragrant breeze wafted past. She cautiously looked up, meeting a neatly contoured jawline and, immediately close, a beautifully shaped pair of thin lips.

The overly intimate distance made her heart involuntarily speed up. She instinctively tried to shrink back, attempting to quickly regain her footing, but in her anxiety, her right foot somehow got caught in her skirt hem. Staggering in panic, she fell back into the person’s arms again.

Jiang Peifeng glanced down at her, tightening the arm around her waist slightly.

“Oh dear, Yunniang, why are you so clumsy…” The eldest aunt rushed forward in a single bound, her eyes quickly sizing up Jiang Peifeng. “Miss, our Yunniang is so clumsy, did she not bump into you?”

Jiang Peifeng ignored her. She simply helped Ruan Jiyun steady herself again, then knelt down, smoothing the part of her skirt hem tangled with the mourning clothes. Only then did she look up and ask: “Are you hurt anywhere?”

Ruan Jiyun’s face felt hot. Looking into Jiang Peifeng’s clear, distinct phoenix eyes, she pursed her lips and vigorously shook her head.

After confirming she was safe, Jiang Peifeng finally looked at the plump boy in front of her: “Why did you just push her?”

“Our Xiaoxian didn’t push her! It was just a slip of the hand!” The eldest aunt saw her directly questioning her son and instantly became defensive. “Who are you? You look like a decent young woman, why are you talking nonsense as soon as you open your mouth?”

Jiang Peifeng was practically amused by her irrational fussing. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly felt a slight movement on her sleeve. She turned and saw Ruan Jiyun, full of apology and nervously holding her cuff: “…It’s my fault, Miss, please don’t be angry.”

This pitiful and delicate appearance moved Jiang Peifeng, making her feel a pang of sympathy. She instinctively reached out and stroked the other girl’s hair, saying softly: “Don’t be afraid. I’m here to stand up for you.”

She was not a native of this world. In this place called the “Little White Flower System,” the female protagonists naturally possessed “beautiful, weak, and tragic” attributes. They were either oppressed by unscrupulous relatives or facing tragic destinies. Because of this, their happiness indices were generally below average. To balance the system’s metrics, the Main Brain had to send Correctors to enhance the experience for these Little White Flowers.

Jiang Peifeng was an A-class Corrector. After her outstanding performance in the Great Female Lead System, she had just been transferred here. Ruan Jiyun was the first Little White Flower protagonist she would be responsible for.

In this world’s plot, the Ruan family, a major textile merchant in Jiangnan, and the Jiang family were old family friends. The Jiang family was aggressive and had long since moved their business to Shanghai. The Ruan family, however, had poor luck, and their business declined steadily. After Father Ruan’s death, he only left his only daughter, Ruan Jiyun.

The Jiang and Ruan families had arranged a childhood engagement years ago, so Ruan Jiyun thus entered the Jiang family’s door.

Unexpectedly, the Male Lead, Jiang Zhiyu, fundamentally disapproved of the marriage. He was a modern youth and extremely resistant to arranged marriages. He simply used the opportunity of studying abroad to bring back a “foreign wife,” and brazenly moved out of the Jiang family to live in Nanjing.

Ruan Jiyun was left in the Jiang family’s mansion as a wife in name only. Years later, on a winter night, Ruan Jiyun, living alone in the old house, died in her sleep, ending her bleak life.

The plot was currently only at the stage of Father Ruan’s death, with Ruan Jiyun about to enter the Jiang family. Thinking of this, Jiang Peifeng stood in front of the Little White Flower.

The eldest aunt saw her unpleasant expression and hesitantly defended: “Yunniang herself said she’s fine, so it’s okay, right? Don’t drag this out; it would be bad if we delay the time for the burial…”

Having said this, she reached out, intending to take the ancestral tablet from Ruan Jiyun’s hand.

“This is Uncle Ruan’s ancestral tablet. Why can’t she hold it?” Jiang Peifeng immediately questioned, seeing her overbearing nature.

The eldest aunt’s eyes widened in astonishment: “She’s a girl; what right does she have to hold the tablet? That’s why I sacrificed my own son to help. Funerals… have many strict rules. How would young girls like you understand…”

Jiang Peifeng scoffed: “But I see this little boy doesn’t walk steadily, and I’m afraid he can’t hold this tablet, can he?”

Her beautiful long eyebrows arched, and her gaze instantly became serious. Staring at Ruan Xiaoxian, she asked: “Little brother, did you just drop the tablet on the ground? I heard that the deceased’s soul is attached to this tablet, and it must not be offended.”

Ruan Xiaoxian shivered, startled by her gaze, and stammered: “…I didn’t do it on purpose. It’s just a wooden plaque. Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Oh? I thought you had sensed it…” Jiang Peifeng’s deep gaze firmly locked onto him, her tone becoming even softer. “The soul of the deceased sits on the tablet, which is why it feels so heavy. Did your arm feel very sore just now?”

“Nonsense… Nonsense!” Ruan Xiaoxian’s face turned pale with fright. He couldn’t recall what he was feeling, but he sensed a chilling wind around him, as if someone was genuinely whispering “woo-woo” in his ear. Cold sweat broke out, and he shivered.

Jiang Peifeng smiled at him: “Do you still want to hold this tablet?”

Ruan Xiaoxian retreated three steps as if he had seen something terrifying. Suddenly, he burst into loud wails: “So scary! Waaah… I quit—I want to go home!”

The eldest aunt, unprepared for Jiang Peifeng frightening her son with just a few words, quickly grabbed Ruan Xiaoxian and coaxed: “She’s teasing you! There are no ghosts in this world…”

As if to echo her words, the north wind suddenly intensified, swirling up the ground full of ghost money (joss paper). Jiang Peifeng’s icy voice sounded again: “This aunt is right. As long as you don’t do anything shameful, why would you be afraid of a midnight—ghost knocking at your door?”

Just then, a piece of ghost money happened to float over and land on Ruan Xiaoxian’s hand. He couldn’t bear it anymore, let out a scream, broke free from his mother’s grasp, and ran off without looking back.

The eldest aunt couldn’t hold onto her son and stomped her foot in anger, turning her malicious gaze toward Jiang Peifeng: “How dare you…”

“Stop at once!” Suddenly, a powerful shout rang out. An elderly man in a long gown chased up from the back of the procession. Ignoring everything else, he respectfully cupped his hands toward Jiang Peifeng: “I am the Clan Head of the Ruan family. Young Mistress Jiang, a distinguished guest, has graced us with her presence. Please forgive our discourtesy.”

Jiang Peifeng slightly nodded as a greeting, then glanced at her panting brother catching up—So slow. At least the matter is settled.

Jiang Zhiyu, who was being scorned by his sister: “…” After being kicked out of the car by Jiang Peifeng, he had already gone to summon this person as fast as possible, alright?

The eldest aunt’s face completely darkened, but the elder didn’t even look at her, continuing: “Don’t stand around, let the funeral proceedings continue. The dead are paramount, but where did the filial son go—”

“He ran off, indicating they have no affinity. Then let Miss Ruan lead the way,” Jiang Peifeng interjected. “Clan Head Grandfather, isn’t that right?”

The Clan Head had been startled upon receiving Jiang Zhiyu’s name card, unexpected that the Jiang family still remembered their connection with Old Third Ruan, sending both son and daughter to attend the funeral. The Jiang family was a prominent merchant in Shanghai. Now that they wanted to stand up for Yunniang, he certainly couldn’t object: “That is the proper rationale.”

Jiang Peifeng turned and pulled Ruan Jiyun forward: “Did you hear that? You walk right in front. Just hold your head high and send your father off properly for the last time!”

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