Chapter 1: Breaking Off the Engagement

Chapter 1: Calling Off the Engagement

When Shen Yi opened her eyes, the house was in complete chaos.

Plates, dishes, and vases were flying everywhere.

She rubbed her eyes, and as she regained clarity, she remembered that just before fainting, the system had informed her that she had been transported into a dramatic, over-the-top rich family drama.

The character Shen Yi transmigrated into, Shen Nanxi, was the villainous supporting female character in the story, existing solely to enrich the plot.

In the original work, the female supporting character was arranged by her family to marry the third son of the Liang family, Liang Zeqian, in her teens. However, believing Liang Zeqian had no future, she became obsessed with the second son, Liang Zefeng, the male lead, and abandoned Liang Zeqian.

The male lead was not successfully seduced and stayed loyal to the female lead till the end, while Shen Nanxi’s reputation was ruined.

In the end, her outcome was miserable.

The system originally intended for Shen Yi, who was critically ill and near death, to pursue the male lead. Success would not only bring her money but also a chance to come back to life.

Shen Yi brushed it off; she was tired of struggling in this lifetime and truly had no desire to exert effort to pursue this man.

Besides, Liang Zefeng and Huang Rouer were deeply in love and devoted to each other, remaining completely unmoved. Shen Yi hadn’t finished reading the ending—after all, it was just a melodramatic wish-fulfillment novel for casual entertainment. She had only read up to the part where Shen Nanxi was ridiculed by high society, and the outcome didn’t seem good.

Shen Yi pushed aside the blankets and took a look at the room’s decor.

So luxurious—she had never lived in such a large room before!

The French palace-style decor, the crystal chandelier shimmering on the ceiling, and beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows was a perfectly manicured garden and a distant sea view.

The original setting was 1980s-90s Hong Kong, but this level of extravagance still exceeded her imagination.

Were people this wealthy back then?

The rich truly were different. Even during the Republican era, they probably had more money than her current broke self.

She remembered going hungry as a child!

Shen Yi quickly got into character.

She recalled that in the original story, Shen Nanxi’s father was smashing things because she wanted to break off the engagement and refused to marry Liang Zeqian, which sent him into a rage.

Shen Nanxi washed her face and looked at the person in the mirror.

The woman in the mirror appeared to be in her early twenties, with porcelain pale skin, alluring peach-blossom eyes, naturally rosy lips, and a curvaceous figure—truly fitting the book’s description of a "femme fatale."

Indeed, she was drop-dead gorgeous, with skin like smooth jade, delicate and tender. Her flirtatious looks could mesmerize men, and compared to the innocent and vulnerable description of the female lead, she certainly didn’t seem like someone who would end up losing.

It was precisely because of her beauty that tempting the male lead would highlight the affection between the male and female leads even more.

In her previous life, she was around this age too. Who wasn’t beautiful when they were young? During university, she was a popular girl with lots of suitors. Later, due to illness, she was hospitalized long-term and wasted away, never imagining she could see such beauty again.

Another wave of breaking china sounded from downstairs, accompanied by the furious roar of a middle-aged man: "This marriage is not up to her whim! What kind of family is the Liang family? For us to have this connection is already thanks to the Shen family's ancestral karma!"

Shen Nanxi: "......"

In the original work, Shen Nanxi’s father, Shen Hong, was the shipping king of Hong Kong, but the family business was already failing. The Liang family, on the other hand, were old-money real estate and finance magnates at the peak of their power.

The marriage alliance should have been a golden opportunity for the Shen family, and it was arranged many years ago when the family business was still doing well.

The problem was that Shen Nanxi was to be married off to the third son of the Liang family, Liang Zeqian. The book described him as most resembling his mother in appearance—good-looking but quiet and unexpressive, with no standing in the family.

The vicious female supporting character had big ambitions and would be criticized for it.

Shen Nanxi remembered that Liang Zeqian’s mother was a Miss Hong Kong, so her fiancé should be quite good-looking.

However, in the book, the storyline between Shen Nanxi and Liang Zeqian was just a side plot, with no decisive impact on the relationship between the male and female leads. At most, it served as a lesson in poetic justice.

"Miss Nanxi, the master asks you to come down immediately." A nervous voice came from outside the door—it was the maid.

Shen Nanxi slipped into her role, dressed, and walked downstairs. She looked at Shen Nanxi’s father in the book, Shen Hong, this shipping tycoon who was about to be bought out by the male lead, still having tantrums and putting on airs.

The male lead is coming for you soon. You’re about to go bankrupt, so stop acting high and mighty.

"Nanxi! Get down here!" A furious shout came from downstairs, making Shen Nanxi’s ears ring.

Why all the yelling? I’m coming down, aren’t I?

Just as she reached the staircase, a blue-and-white porcelain vase shattered at her feet, pieces flying everywhere.

"System?" Shen Nanxi called out tentatively, but there was no response.

It seemed the one who had thrown her into this world had already done its job and left.

Shen Nanxi: "Dad, are you trying to wreck the house?"

In the living room, Shen Hong, in his fifties, was red-faced. His suit jacket had been taken off and thrown aside, and his tie was loose. Standing beside him was a woman with flawless makeup, clearly Shen Nanxi’s mother, Wen Yi.

The book didn’t mention Wen Yi’s age, only that she was the third concubine, who dropped out of university to marry the shipping king. She was probably around forty years old, given that the female lead was only twenty-two.

Several servants huddled in the corner, not daring to make a sound.

"How dare you say that!" Shen Hong pointed at her, his finger trembling with anger. "Liang Furong has already called. Do you know what situation our family is in now? The bank is breathing down my neck about loans at my office! My dear daughter, see what you’ve done!"

Shen Nanxi walked downstairs slowly, her mind racing.

In the original work, Shen Nanxi’s refusal to marry caused a public scandal. Later, she tried to seduce the second son of the Liang family, Liang Zefeng, the male lead, and ended up with a ruined reputation.

The point at which she had transmigrated was precisely this critical turning point.

"Dad, I’ve changed my mind." Shen Nanxi stood firmly in front of Shen Hong, looking him straight in the eye. "I’m willing to marry Liang Zeqian."

Her words silenced everyone—the entire living room fell silent instantly.

Wen Yi was so overjoyed she nearly cried, stepping forward to grab Shen Nanxi’s hand. "Nanxi, you’ve finally seen reason!"

"What did you say?" Shen Hong wondered if he had misheard.

Shen Nanxi was the most outstanding-looking among Shen Hong’s three daughters, but she also had the worst temper—the most irritable and arrogant. It was likely she relied on her beauty to act recklessly. Liang Zeqian’s stepmother, Chen Wenbi, probably wanted to stick him with such a troublesome wife to eliminate any possibility of him competing for the family inheritance.

"I said, I’m willing to accept this marriage." Shen Nanxi repeated, word by word. "However, I have one condition."

Shen Hong narrowed his eyes. "What condition?"

"I want to meet Liang Zeqian first." Shen Nanxi said. "A formal meeting, not just a formality at the engagement banquet."

She was willing to marry, but the original work had so few descriptions of Liang Zeqian, with most of the praise lavished on his second brother. Since Shen Nanxi was so beautiful, she at least needed to get a good look at her future husband.

Shen Hong: "......"

It seemed he was about to start throwing things again.

Shen Nanxi quickly ducked away: "Dad, what do you think you're doing? If you hit me again, I’m calling the police!"

Shen Hong said, "Are you stupid or something? You've barely even met Liang Zeqian! Cut the crap! I’m telling you, don't you dare try any of your half-baked schemes!"

Shen Nanxi ignored him. Since she was already spoiled by nature, she decided to lean into the brattiness: "If you can’t even do this one thing for me, then forget about the wedding."

She turned around, pretending to leave.

"Wait!" Shen Hong hurriedly called out to her.

Just two days ago, his daughter was swearing up and down she'd rather die than marry the "useless third son" of the Liang family. Why the sudden change?

There was no time to dwell on it.

Although the third son of the Liang family kept a low profile and rarely appeared in public—likely because Liang Furong wasn't too fond of him either—he was still the son of Liang’s first wife. It wasn’t as if you could call off the engagement and then just pick it back up whenever you wanted!

Who knew if the Liang family would even want her now?

Shen Hong walked up to her and asked, "First, promise me—is this for real this time? Are you going to cause more trouble? I can’t humble myself and call Liang Furong only for you to get cold feet the second I hang up."

Shen Nanxi smiled sweetly, putting on a sweet act: "Dad, how could that be? I’ve grown up now."

Wen Yi looked puzzled. Had their daughter really changed?

Shen Nanxi had her own thoughts: romancing the male lead wasn't happening—the system had probably gotten too busy and abandoned her.

She really just wanted to enjoy a healthy body and the life of the wealthy. So what if Liang Zeqian didn’t inherit the company? The original author had described the Liang family as extravagantly rich, practically the wealthiest in Hong Kong, with connections spanning business and politics. Marrying a block of wood was whatever.

She had no intention of striving for anything—she was just in it for the good times, to eat everything everywhere, and travel everywhere. If the system remembered her someday, she could die without regrets.

Being Liang Zeqian’s wife was no problem. She had never been married or in love before. As long as he was passable, she could accept her fate.

If the villainess died and her family went bankrupt, suffering would follow—it just wasn’t worth it.

Shen Nanxi wandered around the mansion. It was really nice—even though they were about to go bankrupt, they were still so wealthy. The kitchen was at least five times bigger than her rented apartment, the yard was spacious, and the pool water was clean as a whistle.

Just as she was happily fantasizing, Shen Hong came storming over. "You’re going to be the death of me! They're not having it!"

He raised his hand as if to hit her.

Shen Hong’s palm whistled past Shen Nanxi’s ear. She sidestepped, nearly crashing into the rockery behind her.

"Are you crazy? Planning to commit domestic violence?" Shen Nanxi widened her eyes. Her previous sickly body couldn’t have handled such a scare. She instinctively touched her now healthy and strong arm, feeling relieved.

"Crazy? I think you’re the crazy one!" Shen Hong’s face was livid, a vein throbbing in his forehead. "Liang Furong said his third son has broken off the engagement with you. Do you know what the newspapers are writing? 'The Shen family’s daughter was returned by the Liang family!'"

Shen Nanxi argued, "Wasn’t I the one who called off the engagement? How did it become him rejecting me?"

Wen Yi hurried forward to hold her husband back: "Hong, don’t be like this. Nanxi has already agreed to marry him. Go and talk to them."

"Agreeing means nothing! They don’t want her!" Shen Hong shook off his wife’s hand and pointed at Shen Nanxi’s nose, scolding, "It’s all because you threw a fit and called off the engagement before. Now look—the Liang family beat us to the punch! You’ve completely humiliated me!"

Shen Nanxi thought about the plot. Why did it feel like things were going off-script? In the original story, Shen Nanxi was the one who absolutely refused to marry him. How did it become Liang Zeqian rejecting her?

"Dad, what if I can make Liang Zeqian change his mind?"

Shen Hong’s angry expression froze, then turned dismissive. "You? What could you possibly do?"

He clearly had no faith in his airhead daughter’s ability to fix this mess.

"Exactly what I said," Shen Nanxi smoothed her disheveled hair. "I’ll go see Liang Zeqian, persuade him, and we’ll get married as planned."

"You?" Shen Hong was even more incredulous. "What makes you think you can pull that off?"

"Guess we'll find out," Shen Nanxi turned and headed upstairs. "I’ll change clothes and go to the Liang family right now."

Time to go meet the Liang family’s third son—the one who stayed out of the power struggles in the book—her fiancé.