Transmigrated as the Heroine’s Perfect Alpha - Chapter 7

After watching the surveillance footage, Xie Ling turned off her low-battery phone. Leaning against a cushion, she casually skewered a piece of white fruit pulp and popped it into her mouth.

She gazed out the window, but the moment she took the first bite, she froze. The delicate, refreshing scent of peach instantly bloomed in her mouth. It was actually a peach?

There were peaches available in this season?

The lives of the wealthy were truly extravagant!

Xie Ling berated herself inwardly while putting down the fork. Her current physical condition simply would not allow it; otherwise, she could have finished not just the small plate in front of her, but an entire crate as well.

With a sigh and a heavy heart, she waved her hand, signaling for the fruit to be taken away and replaced with warm water.

She looked up at the IV drip bag ticking away above her head and could not help but sigh again.

Customer Service Xiao Fan seemed to have eavesdropped on her thoughts again. It made a sound in her ear and reminded her, “Hey, you loser, have you forgotten something?”

Xie Ling, who still had not fully adapted to being bound to a system, jumped in shock at the sudden voice.

Xiao Fan let out a mocking, unhidden scoff. “You are so timid, yet you dared to write such a miserable villain? Truly, the way of heaven is a cycle of reincarnation.”

Xie Ling pressed her right hand to her chest, rubbing it repeatedly. Realizing the system was mocking her, she rolled her eyes. “You stupid system, you are getting more and more out of line! Did you just call me a loser?”

“No, that is not an insult; it is a fact.”

” “

Xie Ling took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the indignation in her heart, and began to silently recite a mantra to stay calm.

However, Xiao Fan did not give her the time or opportunity to soothe herself. It spoke again. “I told you earlier that the plot has accelerated. Why did you not have a reaction?”

“Why should I have a reaction?” Xie Ling was very confused by the nature of this system; why was it always making such a fuss all day long?

Xiao Fan: “The Lin family and the Xie family are about to have a falling out!”

“Let them fall out. Is that not going to happen sooner or later? Does it make a difference if it is early or late?” Xie Ling spread her hands.

Xiao Fan: “If you really think that way, then it is my fault for talking too much. Goodbye.”

Xie Ling snorted unpleasantly. “Of course you are talking too much! Goodbye? Goodbye to what? I hope I never see you again.”

However, she regretted her words before she had even finished speaking.

Having already acquired memories of the main plotline, Xie Ling remembered the original text: after the Lin and Xie families fell out, the things Lin Man did to the Xie family.

Xie Ling froze instantly, her heart filled with shock. That is right, how did this plot arrive so quickly? Should this not be a plot point that appears six months from now? How did it get advanced by so much?

In the original plot, the falling out between the Xie and Lin families was indeed because of Xie Ling, but that was the Xie Ling from six months later.

At that time, Lin Man and Ji Xue were holding their engagement ceremony. The original Xie Ling had a few too many drinks at the banquet, lost control, and caused a scene, leading Lin Man to kick her out.

The protective Xie family found out the cause and effect, immediately severed ties with the Lin family, and began a business campaign to encircle and suppress them. Just as the scales of victory were tipping toward the Xie family, Lin Man used a crude beauty trap to successfully confuse Xie Ling, obtain the Xie family’s trump cards, and launch a desperate counterattack, causing the Xie family to suffer a crushing defeat and end up on the verge of bankruptcy.

Was her life of wealth about to end? But her life as a wealthy young lady had only just begun!

“What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?” Xie Ling hammered the system.

Xiao Fan replied lazily, “What do you mean what do you do? Did you not just say it does not matter if it comes early or late?”

“I…” Xie Ling was choked up, feeling a bit embarrassed. Thinking about the plot being advanced by nearly half a year, she questioned again, “That is not right. This is a plot for six months later. Why is it advanced so much? And does it really not matter if the plot’s timeline is chaotic?”

“What does it matter? This system only cares about the completeness of the Xie Ling plot. Regarding the timeline, I hold an attitude of tolerance.”

Xie Ling was speechless. This crappy system’s tolerance was far too high! She was simply beyond words.

Xiao Fan likely sensed the despair growing in Xie Ling’s heart. After a moment of silence, it explained, “The close relationship between the Xie and Lin families was built on Xie Ling’s admiration for Lin Man. You have no feelings for Lin Man, losing that crucial emotional support; of course the relationship between the two families will break.”

“Was it like that in the original text?” Xie Ling was a bit suspicious. Although the explanation Xiao Fan gave sounded reasonable at first glance, a closer look revealed many loopholes.

Xiao Fan naturally understood what Xie Ling was thinking. Its tone shifted. “That is the superficial meaning. Believe it if you want, or do not. It is embarrassing enough that as the original author, you cannot remember what you wrote, and now you have to ask the system to analyze the plot? Bah! You little loser!”

” “

Damn! This system is really something! Xie Ling wanted nothing more than to drag it out and have a fight!

Xiao Fan was fearless. “If you really want to, I can temporarily possess Lin Man and practice with you.”

Xie Ling pinched the bridge of her nose, roaring in her heart: “Goodbye and do not come back!!!”

She was truly close to being annoyed to death by this crappy system.

As time slipped away, Xie Ling pulled out the needle, drank half a bowl of soft, mushy green vegetable porridge, and, upon confirming that her stomach had stopped rumbling, wrapped herself in a thick wool scarf and a heavy padded jacket to go out.

She sat by the slowly flowing fountain pool and shook her gloved hand. Upon receiving the signal, the worker immediately turned off the fountain’s main switch.

The temperature was still below freezing today. Xie Ling was bundled up so only the upper half of her face was exposed. She stared down at the spot where the small black object might have fallen, occasionally taking a break to remove her phone and snap blind photos using the zoom function.

She searched for over two hours but failed to find it.

Her bottom was frozen stiff. She stood up, phone in hand, and moved to a hanging chair brought over by a servant who did not understand the situation but was quite attentive. She started lazily scrolling through her social media feed.

Speaking of her social media, Xie Ling truly had to sigh. As a daughter of a wealthy family, Xie Ling’s feed was entirely composed of people selling things, from houses and cars to various handmade snacks; everything was available.

However, she had more than one account; each account involved different people and circles.

Xie Ling’s finger clicked on a photo of a dessert and scrolled twice before she suddenly froze.

Why does this girl standing in front of the counter look so much like Ji Xue? Is she working part-time at a dessert shop? Is she not supposed to be tutoring middle school students?

The thick-skinned Xiao Fan appeared again: “In order to build a basic persona of self-reliance for the female lead, you made her work at least two jobs every winter and summer vacation. Have you forgotten that too?”

Xie Ling clutched her forehead. She truly had forgotten.

But why did the word “too” sound so harsh?

Forget it, stop looking, and keep searching.

Xie Ling turned off her phone. Because her clothing was too bulky, she tripped while getting off the hanging chair and nearly fell into the fountain pool.

It was fortunate that she tripped, as it finally allowed her to catch a glimpse of that small black object.

Xie Ling crouched down at the edge of the flower bed across from her and pinched that small black cloth bag out from the gap in the flower pot.

The bag was about the size of a finger and felt hard. She curiously loosened the drawstring and saw a pink USB drive inside. On the back, there was a sticky note with the word “Thesis” written on it.

Xie Ling was stunned. There were many times when she had to admire the female lead’s train of thought; it was truly too baffling.

Not to mention labeling the USB drive as “Thesis,” she even carried it with her. This kind of self-confidence is truly moving.

Having just mocked Ji Xue, Xie Ling was surprised again. Thesis? What does that mean? Is the controversy over Ji Xue’s thesis about to begin?

How did all of this happen at once?

The elusive Xiao Fan spoke again: “I already told you that the timeline does not matter.”

Xie Ling could not be bothered to respond to it. She furrowed her brows and began to recall the specific details of the thesis controversy, as well as what Madam He had told her at her grandmother’s house last time, that after the vacation, she would be going to the family company for an internship.

Of the three Xie children, two had already expressed that they were unwilling to take over the business. Only Xie Ling, who lacked any specialized skills, did not dare to speak up yet. If all went as expected, Xie Hongfei intended to focus on cultivating his youngest daughter.

As a child of a wealthy family, whether or not one knew how to make money was unimportant. As long as she did not recklessly develop new industries, given their substantial family assets, they would be wealthy for another two generations without any problems.

The original Xie Ling was an ambitious person who was never satisfied with what she had, but the current Xie Ling was quite content.

For her, having her future path arranged, not needing to worry about money, and even being able to start her retirement mode early, it simply could not be better.

Just as she was letting her mind wander, the sound of car engines reached her from the entrance. Xie Ling hurried to compose herself and tucked the object in her hand into her pocket.

The electric gate of the villa slowly opened and then slowly closed. Xie Ling watched as the housekeeper’s passenger window slowly rolled down.

Madam He poked her head out of the window and waved happily at Xie Ling: “Mom is back! Today, Mom also brought you a gift. Guess what it is!”

Xie Ling watched He Rong’s radiant smile and grinned, making an exaggerated expression: “Wow, I have a gift too! Thank you, Mom! No matter what you send me, I will like it!”

She often felt that she was like an actress; except when she was writing, she found it very easy to get into character at other times.

The car stopped. He Rong stepped out, carrying a long, narrow pink briefcase. Wearing high heels, she raised a hand, wanting to drape it over Xie Ling’s shoulder. She tried once, but the height difference of a full head forced her to give up and switch to holding her daughter’s arm instead.

“Come, let us go inside and open it. Mom thinks you will definitely like it.” He Rong’s smile only grew wider; she looked quite confident.

Xie Ling was infected by it a little, and she could not help but start looking forward to it. She took the initiative to reach out and take the heavy-looking case. She looked down at it, feeling that the logo on the case looked vaguely familiar.

He Rong put on powder-purple cotton slippers and ran to the living room to sit down, staring with great anticipation at Xie Ling, who was about to unwrap the gift, fearing she would miss even a trace of an expression on her youngest daughter’s face.

Xie Ling felt immense pressure under her gaze. Her hands trembled slightly as she tried to open the latch, and she had to try twice before it popped open.

The case opened, and a completely pink keyboard lay quietly inside. Xie Ling was stunned for a moment, and then she laughed.

She stood up, walked to Madam He, leaned over, and gave this ten-thousand-point mother a tight hug.

One had to admit that the Xie Ling in the original work was indeed a spoiled young lady.

Her willfulness came largely from her confidence and assurance. Before Ji Xue appeared, she was the most eye-catching light, the brightest moon among the stars.

Come to think of it, it was no wonder.

“Thank you, Mom,” Xie Ling said softly. The tip of her nose was filled with the faint scent of gardenias. She took a deep breath; it smelled so good; sure enough, a mother’s scent was the most soothing to the soul.

He Rong hummed, reached out, patted Xie Ling’s back, and laughed: “Your mouth is getting sweeter and sweeter.”

“Is that not how it should be?” At He Rong’s signal, Xie Ling stood up and held the keyboard, ready to go upstairs, but was stopped by He Rong.

“Wait, are you not taking the case? I thought the case was the soul of the gift.” He Rong glanced at the coffee table and then looked at Xie Ling.

Xie Ling hurriedly smiled and said she forgot, then turned back to get the case.

He Rong: “Your father will be back in a while. Do not be sluggish; watch the time and come down for dinner.”

Xie Ling chirped an “Okay” and dashed back to her bedroom like the wind.

The display cabinet in the bedroom was almost full. Xie Ling stood in front of it, frowning as she looked.

She was actually a bit skeptical about the shelf’s load-bearing capacity. After thinking for a while, she felt uneasy and decided to put the one from her computer desk back, placing the one Madam He sent on the table instead.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, she remembered the USB drive in her pocket and casually took it out, throwing it into the storage box by the computer desk.

By the time she went downstairs again, it was two hours later. Xie Ling’s timing was very precise.

The head of the family, Xie Hongfei, had not only returned but was also sitting at the head of the dining table, looking at the dishes on the table in a daze.

“Dad.” Xie Ling came down from the stairs and proactively greeted him.

Xie Hongfei responded. After a brief silence, he said: “Your mother has already told me about the Lin Man matter. As long as you have thought it through, it is fine. Just rest well these two days, get your health back as soon as possible, and try to talk less. Listen to your throat; it sounds even more unpleasant than the Psyduck your mother keeps in the backyard.”

” “

Xie Ling, who had originally wanted to open her mouth to reply, had no choice but to nod forcefully.

After dinner, Xie Ling returned to her room, carrying a heart shattered by her father. She sat at the computer, pouting, and tried out the keyboard her mother gave her. The feel was indeed quite good; as she typed, her fingers got a bit itchy, and she could not help but open the search engine.

Well, she could not search for anything. Not only were there none of the rambling accounts she had written herself, but she could not even find the works of several big-name authors she liked.

Xie Ling let out a breath. She could not tell if it was disappointment or something else. In any case, she looked like a withered rain lily, disheartened and wilted.

She leaned back in her chair and stared blankly at the tabletop. The small black cloth bag and the pink USB drive were now standing diagonally in a transparent box next to the mouse.

Xie Ling squinted and looked at it for a while, her heart filled with complex emotions.

Although she had not copied her classmates’ homework much less when she was in school, copying homework was obviously different from copying a thesis, not to mention copying and pasting the original version. This truly put her humanity to the test!

As she thought about it, Xie Ling’s fingers, which were resting on the desktop, could not help but start moving again.