NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 145
Ye Jinmeng sat nearby, watching Zhao Di chatting and laughing with her friends, her whole being radiating a confident glow. She couldn't help but feel amazed, "This is how girls should be, taking control of their own lives – that's when life becomes truly exciting."
"But man, this beef noodle soup smells so good, I really want to have a taste..." Ye Jinmeng said as she swallowed her saliva.
After finishing their meal, Zhao Di and her friends bid farewell and slowly made their way towards their small rental rooms.
It was already 1 am, the streets were dark and desolate, with hardly any pedestrians around. Ye Jinmeng followed closely behind Zhao Di, worried that she might encounter some villains or molesters.
Thankfully, Zhao Di made it back to her rental room safely.
Ye Jinmeng finally let out a sigh of relief, the worry she had been holding in now released. "Phew... Zhao Di, aren't you afraid being out alone like this?"
Of course, Zhao Di could not give her a response.
As she watched Zhao Di head to the bathroom to freshen up, Ye Jinmeng took the opportunity to observe this small rental room.
It was probably only around 10 square meters in total area, with a separate partitioned bathroom with a shower.
There was a single bed, a small desk and a chair inside. Perhaps because she didn't cook, there were no pots, pans or kitchenware, only an electric kettle for boiling water.
With so few belongings, the tiny room didn't feel too cramped.
Ye Jinmeng walked over to the desk, which had a small stack of books on it, including a Xinhua dictionary and some elementary and middle school study materials.
Thinking about Zhao Di's grandmother who valued boys over girls, she probably wouldn't have let Zhao Di attend school. Ye Jinmeng couldn't help but admire Zhao Di's efforts to change her destiny.
Compared to herself, whose days were filled with laziness, food, and play – relying on her family's doting – she seemed to pale in comparison to Zhao Di.
Moreover, her comfortable life was essentially stolen, if she were to leave the Ye family, she doubted she would be as strong as Zhao Di.
At that moment, Zhao Di came out of the bathroom, sat on the chair, turned on a small desk lamp, and picked up the dictionary to start reading.
"Studying so late?"
Ye Jinmeng noticed a note stuck on the desk that said "Daily goal: Learn 20 new words, no more illiteracy!"
The handwriting was neat and tidy, clearly showing how seriously Zhao Di was taking this.
Ye Jinmeng sat on the bed, her eyes catching sight of a book beside the pillow. Upon closer look, the book seemed well-worn, as if it had been read many times before. The cover had the title 'The Happy Life of the Girls Doted on by the Whole Family' written in an artistic font.
Ye Jinmeng blew gently on the book, and it automatically opened to the synopsis page.
The synopsis was about an unfortunate girl who died in a car accident, but was reborn into a wealthy family where she was doted on by her parents, brothers and sisters. The suffering she endured in her previous life was healed by the love of this family in her new life, allowing her to live a happy life.
At the bottom of the blank space was a line written in ballpoint pen: How wonderful, if possible, I hope I can have such a family in my next life, even if I remain poor.
The handwriting was the same as before – it was Zhao Di's.
Ye Jinmeng's tears began to flow, an inexplicable sourness filling her heart.
Soon after, Zhao Di got up from the chair, stretched lazily, and lay down on the bed.
Ye Jinmeng thought she was going to sleep, wondering if she would have to spend the night watching Zhao Di slumber – how boring that would be. But the next second, Zhao Di took out her phone and started browsing short videos.
"Oh, so Zhao Di likes scrolling videos too, seems we do have something in common after all."
Ye Jinmeng sat happily on the floor, accompanying Zhao Di in a delightful late night video binge.
However, most of the videos Zhao Di watched were book recommendations, coming from accounts that promote novels. It seemed Zhao Di liked to indulge her fantasies and relieve stress through reading fiction.
"Today I'm recommending an ultra-sweet doting novel, 'Billionaire Heiress' by the author Sweet as Sugar, with zero angst from start to finish. It's super sweet, super doting – you won't be disappointed or cheated reading this one. After finishing it, you'll definitely want to eat an extra two bowls of rice!"
"Pfft~" Ye Jinmeng couldn't help but snicker at the host's over-the-top pitch.
Zhao Di seemed very interested in this book, clicking on the comments section filled with "Definitely worth reading!" "So sweet!" "It was so sweet I couldn't sleep for days!" "Not reading it means regretting it for a lifetime!" "A short read, takes just a few dozen minutes to finish – no regrets investing in this!"
Even Ye Jinmeng was intrigued after seeing all the hype. As Zhao Di exited the video app, searched for 'Billionaire Heiress' in her browser and opened the novel, Ye Jinmeng excitedly joined in reading it.
But as she read on, Ye Jinmeng felt that something was amiss.
Why were all the character names the same as the people she knew?
The female lead was named Xu Wanwan, a freshman at Hai City University, with a classmate named Ye Jinmeng – described as sharp-tongued, arrogant, and unloved by the Ye family.
Ye Jinmeng had a crush on He Junting, but He Junting liked Xu Wanwan instead, so Ye Jinmeng began bullying Xu Wanwan in various ways...
This plot was exactly the same as the past life Wanwan had described!
Ye Jinmeng's eyes widened in disbelief. Having read many novels and understanding various world views, a bold idea began to form in her mind.
Could it be that the world they were in was actually just a novel itself?
This thought sent a chill down Ye Jinmeng's spine.
So the reason she could encounter this Zhao Di was because... she had awoken to self-awareness?
Ye Jinmeng didn't understand, but in order to get to the bottom of this, she suppressed her emotions and continued reading.
Although Xu Wanwan's life was far from smooth, it was evident that she had also fallen for He Junting. The sweet innocence of a young girl's first love could melt even the coldest of hearts.
Later on, Xu Wanwan discovered she was part of the Ye family. Ye Junwen gave Ye Jinmeng guidance, convincing her to kill everyone in the Ye family except for himself. Afterwards, Ye Jinmeng was shot dead while being pursued by the police.
There was a small epilogue that revealed the reason Ye Jinmeng was unloved by the Ye family - from a young age, she had been doted on and spoiled rotten by her parents and grandparents, unable to be disciplined. Then her uncle Ye Junwen further instigated her, causing Ye Jinmeng to grow more and more twisted. By the time the Ye family tried to correct her behavior, it was too late. In the end, Ye Junwen became the ultimate winner of this novel.
After reading this book, Ye Jinmeng could not calm down for a long time. So was the tragic past life that Xu Wanwan had casually mentioned to her really that cruel?
She not only killed Xu Wanwan, but also her parents, grandparents, and elder brother. Her previous life was even more ruthless than she had imagined...
Meanwhile, Zhao Di lay on the bed, crying uncontrollably and cursing the blogger: "This is not a sweet, indulgent novel at all, but sheer torture from start to finish!"
"Wah... Ye Jinmeng had such great conditions, why didn't she cherish them properly?"
"If I were Ye Jinmeng, I would definitely be a good girl. Even if I were to be spoiled, I would keep clinging to my parents, no matter if they were not my biological parents. What's wrong with being sisters with the female lead? Wah..."