Nina Donovan hid around the corner of an alley, furtively watching a group of people beat up a young man. As she watched, she couldn't help but click her tongue. 'What a poor soul. Are we sure he's the male lead?'
A moment later, an excited, mechanical voice echoed in her mind. [That's right. He's the male lead of this tropey, angsty novel, Jasper Sherwood. There's no need to pity him. Your role in this book is the vicious female side character. Infatuated with the villainous second male lead, Leon Grant, you do his bidding and humiliate Jasper Sherwood at every turn. You're the one who called this mob here. When you go out there, you need to humiliate him first, then kick him to deepen his hatred for you.]
Nina Donovan rubbed her hands together in glee. "You got it, boss."
'Time to get rich!'
To be honest, Nina Donovan had no idea how she'd transmigrated into a book.
She had been a corporate drone, trapped in the grueling 996 work culture. Because she was outspoken and brutally honest, she managed to offend her boss about eight hundred times a day. Finally, the boss couldn't take it anymore and fired her. As Nina Donovan left the office, clutching her personal belongings, she thought that her next boss had better be someone who actually listened to reason. But then, while crossing the street, she wasn't paying attention and got hit by a car. The next thing she knew, she had woken up as the vicious female side character in some tropey, Mary Sue campus novel, and she was bound to a "Villainess System."
The system required her to follow the plot. She had to play the part of the arrogant, selfish, and villainous female side character—a rich idiot who, through her evil deeds, unwittingly pushed the angsty main couple together, only to die a miserable death in the end. If she completed the entire storyline, the system would reward her with ten billion yuan and allow her to return to her own world.
On the other hand, if she broke character or refused to cooperate, she would be obliterated.
Are you kidding? Of course she'd cooperate! Only a fool would turn down that kind of money. She knew a person couldn't be unlucky forever. This ten billion was a reward from the heavens, and she deserved it. To show her sincerity, Nina Donovan practically did a 360-degree kowtow as she wholeheartedly accepted the deal.
The only problem was, she had never read this book and had no idea what the hell the plot was about. She was relying entirely on the system to feed her the general storyline.
As far as she knew, the current situation was this: the body's original owner was in love with the second male lead, Leon Grant. However, Leon had fallen for the novel's female lead, Vivian Sterling, who had come from a small town to live with his family three years ago. But Vivian was in love with the male lead, Jasper Sherwood, who had once saved her life. To complete the chaotic love quadrangle, the original owner adored her childhood friend, Leon. At this point in the story, the original owner was unaware of Leon's feelings, but she still despised Vivian for always being around him and was constantly at odds with her.
Meanwhile, Leon Grant, knowing that Vivian Sterling liked Jasper Sherwood, used the original owner as his weapon while he happily stayed hidden in the shadows. He lied to the original owner, claiming that Jasper was too good of a student and had stolen his spot in an academic competition. The brainless original owner bought it completely. It never occurred to her that Leon's grades were just as terrible as hers—both of them scraping the bottom of the school's rankings. And so, for a whole year, she subjected the male lead to endless humiliation and bullying.
Now, it was her turn to take the stage. This was a major turning point. She was supposed to brutally insult Jasper Sherwood, then threaten him to drop out of school. Afterward, Vivian Sterling would show up and help him. Upon learning the truth, Vivian would sever all ties with Leon Grant. Consumed by jealousy, Leon would then use the original owner even more ruthlessly to target the male lead. This chain of events was the very trigger that would lead to the original owner's tragic death.
After absorbing the general plot, Nina Donovan finally stepped out.
Seeing her emerge, the lackey called Blondie immediately came forward, trying to curry favor. "Nina," he said respectfully, "we've beaten him half to death, just like you ordered. Is there anything else you need us to do?"
Nina Donovan waved her hand. It was her showtime. She couldn't have any stragglers getting close; it might divert the target's hatred.
Nina Donovan did her best to look fierce as her gaze fell upon Jasper Sherwood, who was lying on the ground, staring back at her with impassive eyes.
Just one look, and Nina Donovan was momentarily stunned by his appearance. 'As expected of the male lead, he's blessed with incredible looks.' His short black hair was messy, his skin a cool-toned pale. His features were distant yet handsome, and his pitch-black eyes were deep and bottomless, giving off a sharp intensity. His charming, almond-shaped eyes curved up slightly at the corners, with a single beauty mark just below one of them. Paired with his bruised face and thin, red lips, it created a strangely bewitching allure.
Neither of them spoke, and the scene grew awkward.
The system, Misty, chimed in. [Host, say something! Insult him! Say something vicious to make him hate you! Hurry up!]
Nina Donovan frowned, stumped. 'How can I insult him effectively?'
After Misty's repeated urging, she spoke in a contemptuous, nasty tone, "Just look at you. You look like a catfish that's been dead for three months. How ugly."
The lackeys standing around: "..."
Jasper Sherwood remained on the ground, his gaze landing lightly on her. His voice was cold. "Oh, is that so."
Nina Donovan choked. 'He really is the male lead. Look at that mental fortitude. I call him a dead catfish and he just calmly asks, 'Is that so?' I'm seriously impressed!'
She remembered getting fired for using a similar line on her boss's grim face.
Nina Donovan thought for a moment and decided to say something even more hateful. "You're a useless piece of trash. Look at how weak you are. What could you possibly protect? You're just like a dog."
His gaze fell upon Nina Donovan. She wore a spotless white princess dress and polished little leather shoes. Her long, slightly curled black hair was tied up high, revealing a stunningly beautiful face that still held a hint of baby fat. Her skin was fair with a rosy blush, and she had a delicate nose and cherry-red lips. Beneath her curved brows, a pair of doe-like eyes shimmered, looking completely innocent and making one's heart soften.
Only Jasper Sherwood knew that beneath the girl's exceedingly beautiful exterior lay a heart steeped in poison. The very sight of her made him want to retch.
Instead of getting angry, Jasper Sherwood laughed. The smile was radiant and breathtaking, yet utterly cold. "So I'm a dog, am I? What does that make you? Aren't you just Leon Grant's lapdog, coming whenever he beckons and leaving when he dismisses you?"
Nina Donovan sniffled. "..."
'I've been insulted. How heartbreaking.'
Misty: [...]
For a moment, it was hard to tell who the real villain was.
'System, what's next? What should I say? His comeback game is too strong. I feel like he could lie there and trade insults with me for three days and nights straight.'
Misty: [...You're the vicious female side character and you're admiring him? Does that seem right to you?!]
Nina Donovan: "..."
'Making money really is hard.'
Misty facepalmed. What was the point of saying anything now? Her words had zero impact!
It was heartbroken. This was truly the worst host it had ever had to mentor.
But they were already bound together, so it had to find a way to get the plot back on track.
Misty: [Kick him first. Then threaten him with his family's lives to make him drop out and get the hell out of Aldoria.]
Kick him? 'Easy enough. I can do that.'
Nina Donovan scuffed her little leather shoe on the ground, gathering her strength to kick him right in the kidney—a move guaranteed to be both painful and memorable.
Before kicking, she delivered a threat. "You've really done it now. You're finished."
But what Nina Donovan didn't expect was that there was a pebble under her other foot. As she kicked out, she lost her balance completely and performed a perfect slide tackle, ending up lying side-by-side with Jasper Sherwood. The scene was, for some reason, strangely serene.