Chapter 1 A High-Energy Start?

Mingmei never imagined Guigui's words would come true so quickly. No sooner had she entered the game than she found herself surrounded by a group of "people" in early Republican attire, their faces pale.

Well, they obviously weren't human, were they?

A high-energy start right out of the gate?

"Don't let her run! Master Zhang said that if we kill her, there's still hope for our Baisui Village!"

Mingmei: ??? What the heck are they talking about?

Why do they want to kill her?!

Someone in the crowd let out a venomous cry. Before the group could pounce on her, Mingmei turned and ran!

[Guigui! What's going on?! This—this is the newbie village, right?!]

[That's right, Host, this is the newbie village.]

[Then who is Master Zhang? Why does he want me dead?!]

[Master Zhang is the father of the villainous Young Master Zhang, Host, have you forgotten?]

Guigui's reminder jogged Mingmei's memory of Master Zhang, who served as a tool for Mu Chen in the newbie village.

[Woah, what's up with this NPC? Has he turned evil?!]

Realizing this, Mingmei almost choked. As she ran, she ducked just in time to avoid a withered, black claw reaching for her!

[Damn it! These unlucky paper dolls aren't even pretending anymore! They're blatantly telling me they're not human?!]

Mingmei spun around and landed a roundhouse kick on the chest of the person closest to her, creating a concave dent. The sound of tearing paper sent shivers down her spine!

[What the hell am I, an NPC, doing? What are these NPCs up to?!]

[It's because you're a different kind of NPC. But it also proves that the Zerg did come to this game.]

Guigui's words made Mingmei's heart sink. This Zerg was something else!

Not only had it escaped the constraints of the original game, but it had also infiltrated another game and tampered with the data, doing a thorough job!

However, Mingmei soon had no time to worry about the Zerg. Because—she was lost.

Lost in the overly realistic water town alleys of Jiangnan.

[Guigui, am I human?]

Guigui: [???]

Why was she suddenly cursing herself?

[Host, don't feel bad because you're not smart enough.]

Mingmei: ???

[I mean, is it possible that I'm not human in this setting? Come to think of it, can I still fly?!]

At this moment, Mingmei had plunged into a narrow alley, and the end of the alley was a dead end. The phrase "no escape" popped into her head!

So, Mingmei wanted to fly _(:3」∠)_

[If I could fly, I wouldn't be trapped!]

Hoping for a miracle from the game settings again, Mingmei was met with Guigui's sudden silence.

[Say something~]

[Host, this is the newbie village.]

[So?]

Mingmei didn't understand what Guigui meant by saying it was the newbie village. Did Guigui not know that?

[I mean, there aren't that many weird settings in this game. You sell boxed lunches, so just sell boxed lunches. Don't think too much! Stop trying to fly, and think of another way. Be down-to-earth, okay?]

Mingmei: !!!

That was too much!

While arguing with Guigui in her mind, Mingmei honestly grabbed the bamboo pole in the alley. Without continuing to communicate with Guigui, she stared at the NPCs who wanted her life with a frosty expression.

"Are you all so obedient to Master Zhang?"

Mingmei tried to communicate one last time.

"Otherwise what? Master Zhang is the richest man in our town!"

"What about Young Master Zhang? Don't you listen to him?"

As soon as Mingmei mentioned Young Master Zhang, she clearly saw some of the paper dolls tremble, while others showed no fear.

It seemed that this group wasn't united after all.

"I'll ask one more question. Why do you want to kill me?"

"Master Zhang said you seduced his son. Only by getting rid of you will Young Master Zhang marry Miss Bai. Then our Baisui Town will prosper again!"

"Oh, really?" Mingmei's face was filled with disbelief. Then she said, "If your wife died, would you immediately marry a new one?"

"Yes, I would."

Mingmei: ??? Was that really the answer you were supposed to give me?

Faced with such an honest answer from the paper doll, Mingmei could only say—it's a good thing you're not human!

"If I die, Young Master Zhang likes me so much. What if he doesn't want to marry Miss Bai and instead wants to die for me?

And what if he wants to kill someone to avenge me? Who—who will pay with their life for me, huh?"

As she spoke, Mingmei tentatively took a step forward, and the crowd, which had been about to attack her, stepped back.

Afraid of hurting her.

"H-how can you be like this, woman?!"

Some of the paper dolls never expected Mingmei to act like this.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with Young Master Zhang and I truly loving each other? Master Zhang is playing matchmaker, and you're acting as accomplices? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution?!"

After Mingmei shouted, a loud noise suddenly came from the alley entrance, startling everyone!

One would have thought divine retribution had really arrived!

"Damn it! You bunch of bad people, I just won't marry him! I hope you all die!"

Mingmei heard a very familiar voice from the alley entrance.

Mingmei looked up and saw Lu Xiaoyao holding up her skirt, her little leather shoes gone. Barefoot, with her hands on her hips, she was shouting fiercely in another direction: "The current Miss Bai is not the Miss Bai of the newbie village back then! I spit on you, a bunch of hypocrites!"

Mingmei: "..."

So, the current Miss Bai had evolved into a shrew?

Lu Xiaoyao never expected that she would be back in the newbie village and that she would still be Miss Bai.

Because of the changes in the game, the game no longer suppressed the players' memories. After all, the game was completely different now =.=

Her past memories and her knowledge of the plot, both inside and outside the game, immediately set off alarm bells in Lu Xiaoyao's mind when she saw the Bai family couple coming to pick her up.

Her worries soon came true. The Bai family couple didn't even bother with pretenses this time and took her straight to the Zhang family. Lu Xiaoyao, sitting in the rickshaw, wasn't having it. She kicked over the coolie pulling the cart and jumped out to escape.

Turning back as she ran, she saw the group chasing after her, the Bai family couple leading the way with undisguised, ferocious expressions. Lu Xiaoyao then began her crazy barrage of words.

She ran and cursed at the same time. What lung capacity!

That was how Lu Xiaoyao ended up passing by the alley, standing at the entrance, and ranting at the people who couldn't catch up to her.

However, as soon as she finished venting, she felt countless eyes staring at her. When she turned her head, it was like turning a corner and finding love. She blurted out, "What the motherf—!"