Chapter 1: The CEO’s Side Dish (Part One)
◎ Alternate universe? What alternate universe?! ◎
“Bang!”
Glug glug glug.
That was Ming Ming’s last memory.
She jolted awake, sitting up with a start like a startled fish.
Ah, she was in bed, under a blanket. Phew. Just a dream.
False alarm.
Ming Ming had just exhaled in relief when a glance around the room sent a chill down her spine.
Unfamiliar surroundings. A strange room. A foreign layout.
Where was this?
This wasn’t her home. It wasn’t her dorm.
Where was she???
Ming Ming started retracing her memory. What had happened?
I… I think I…
“BEEP—” Just as the answer was about to surface, a piercing screech, like a microphone too close to a speaker, made her clutch her ears in pain.
A strange, gleeful voice echoed from above:
“Ha—ha—ha! You’re dead!”
Ming Ming looked up blankly.
The room around her collapsed into nothingness, dissolving into darkness, leaving her stunned and sitting in bed alone.
Ah. Now she remembered.
She had been in a car accident.
She had just finished her part-time job and was waiting at a crosswalk when she saw a super hot guy. While she was drooling over him, a car plowed into her.
Was that a natural disaster or a man-made tragedy?
It was the driver’s fault—but what did that matter? She was an orphan anyway. Who would even handle her affairs? Let alone mourn her?
Defeated, Ming Ming lay back down and pulled the blanket over her head.
How. Embarrassing.
If this made the news, what would the headline say?
“College Girl So Distracted by Handsome Man She Gets Hit by Car and Dies”?
Damn it, sounds about right.
The weird void thing was annoyed by her reaction.
“Hey, you’re dead, you know! Didn’t you hear? Don’t you want to live again?”
Its voice grew sly, seductive.
“I can bring you back to life~”
Under the blanket, Ming Ming thought, If I come back to life, the headline will just change to:
“College Girl So Distracted by Handsome Man She Gets Hit by Car”
Still humiliating.
She asked dully, “When do I drink the forget-my-life soup?”
Void voice:?
Wait, how can she not want to live? How am I supposed to continue with the plan?!
It flipped through Ming Ming’s life file and, after a moment, chuckled with confidence.
“Cleared your browsing history?”
“Got any chat logs you wouldn’t want people to see?”
Ming Ming:!
She immediately shot upright like a spring-loaded toy, kneeling on the bed with hands obediently placed on her knees, and cried out toward the void, “Oh Great Spirit! Spare my pitiful life!”
Void voice: Ha! Thought I couldn’t handle you?
It cleared its throat and began its monologue. With dramatic flair, it introduced itself as a being from another planet, sent to Earth to assess the purity of human souls. It would now guide Ming Ming through several parallel worlds. If she completed her missions, she could return to life.
“Quick transmigration? A system?” asked Ming Ming, a seasoned reader of spicy web novels.
System, with a plastic smile: “…Wow, you’re sharp.”
It looked down its non-existent nose and said, “We tailor each world based on the host’s nature. In your case… while you look like a pure, innocent college girl, your mind is filthy. The main AI has determined you need punishment to cleanse your soul.”
“Oh Great Spirit, please speak human,” Ming Ming muttered awkwardly.
Two glowing eyes suddenly appeared in the void, making her flinch. The eyes looked at her with scorn.
Ming Ming: …
“To put it simply: you’ll be playing the vicious supporting female. You’ll get repeatedly humiliated by the male and female leads, and through experiencing the heroine’s purity and strength, your soul will be purified.”
Ming Ming hesitated. “Huh? I have to get tortured…?”
“Ahem?” The system made a threatening noise.
Suddenly, a projection of her browsing and chat history popped up.
Ming Ming was extremely nearsighted, but even she could tell what it was. She felt very threatened.
She said earnestly, “Getting tortured is great! That’s my thing! I’m already a side character in real life!”
The system was satisfied.
“Time is tight, the mission is urgent. Off you go, Pikachu!”
As soon as the words fell, Ming Ming felt a sudden wave of vertigo and weightlessness. When she opened her eyes again, she was wearing a fancy gown in the middle of a lavish banquet.
“…Wow.” Ming Ming felt like she was playing real-life VR. Only problem: no glasses. She couldn’t see a thing.
She was surrounded by well-dressed men and women. A massive crystal chandelier above sparkled across the golden decor.
Ming Ming squinted. Her astigmatism had never felt worse.
“Can I go get glasses first? I’m at 800 degrees, man!”
The system coldly rejected her request.
“So? What’s my role here?” she asked.
The system chuckled gleefully. “Can’t you tell, my dear? You’re here to gold-dig~”
Ming Ming: “…” Oh, screw off.
“This banquet is filled with S City’s elite. And you, Chu Yun, a vain and shallow girl from a poor background, schemed your way in just to find a sugar daddy.”
“Sure, most of the men here are… seasoned, but hey, you’re not picky.”
Ming Ming: Who told you I wasn’t picky? If I weren’t, would I have gotten hit by a car staring at a handsome guy?
She looked down at her white dress. Even without a mirror, she could tell it was flattering—likely her body was still her own. White only worked if your skin was light enough; otherwise, it just made you look sallow. She glanced at her arms and legs. Yep, she could pull off the delicate and beautiful look.
But up close, the dress was clearly cheaply made. Anyone discerning would spot that it was all for show. She might’ve gotten into this elite banquet, but she definitely didn’t belong.
“See the woman at your eleven o’clock?”
“Huh?” Ming Ming squinted.
“That’s the female lead, Ye Weiran. Like you, she’s from a poor background…”
“Oh,” Ming Ming nodded knowingly. “She’s here to sell too.”
“Nonsense!” the system sneered. “She’s the female lead. She’s here for noble reasons. Her family’s poor, but she’s hardworking. She uses her spare time to make money.”
Ming Ming grumbled, “How’s she any different from me? Why is she the heroine and I’m the side character?”
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152