The cameras hadn't started rolling yet as not all guest have arrived. The courtyard was quiet except for a few crew members bustling in the distance, adjusting lights and giving equipment a final check. An Ning decided to retreat to a quiet corner, her back against a pastel coloured lounge chair, and take a moment to think.
Panic wasn't her style. She had never been the type to let fear or chaos overtake her - years as an A-lister trained her to stay composed no matter how intense the spotlight or how unpredictable the situation. Slowly, her racing thoughts began to organise themselves.
She thought about how things should go - not to tiptoe around others or avoid every conflict, but to assert herself and make it clear that she was not someone to be crossed. After all, pretending to be someone she wasn't would be far too exhausting to maintain in a live-streamed environment where every word and gesture was being watched.
An Ning knew she wasn't universally liked - even in her past life as a superstar, she had her share of haters. But that didn't bother her. She focused on cherishing the people who genuinely loved her and refused to give unnecessary attention to those who didn't. It was a lesson hard-earned from years in the public eye, and one that would serve her well in the unpredictable chaos of _Heartbeat Cottage_.
A soft chime suddenly rang in her head.
"System detected. Identity confirmed: An Ning. Role: Cannon-fodder. Skill unlocked: Melon-Eating System."
A cheerful holographic little melon with a a little crown on his head floated before her eyes.
Honestly, she wasn't even surprised. If she could transmigrated into this novel, a bizarre system like this was the least of her surprises. An Ning pinched the bridge of her nose and then smirked. Ridiculous as it sounded, this was another tool she could use to assert herself and stay a step ahead.
"So tell me, what can you do for me?" An Ning asked, her tone calm but carrying a subtle edge that made it clear she wasn't someone to be underestimated.
The little holographic melon bobbed cheerfully in front of her, its tiny crown gleaming.
"Host, whenever you consume a melon, I can increase your luck," the system replied. "Strategically consumed, melons help you avoid drama and influence minor events in your favour."
"So does this mean someone has been siphoning my luck?" An Ning asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at the floating melon. "Or rather, not me - siphoning the original An Ning's luck."
The little melon suddenly paused for a seconds before continuing, "Of course not - "
"So who's the god's favorite daughter? Let's me guess…Sun Qiaolian?" An Ning didn't cut him off before he could finish. "Does me transmigrating here have something to do with you guys?"
"W-well…" the little melon stammered, wobbling slightly. No one told him that his host was this sharp. "W-well…"
"Where is the original An Ning?" She continued asking, knowing that she couldn't an answer to her previous question.
"She…didn't want this second chance in life." The little melon replied sadly.
An Ning didn't say anything for a while, her gaze distant as she recalled the fate of the original An Ning. The dating show had been just the tip of the iceberg. She remembered how, in the novel, the original An Ning's parents were dead, her older brother crippled, and her younger brother sent to jail.
All of these tragedies had crushed her spirit until, in the end, she couldn't take it anymore. One lonely night, with no one by her side, the original An Ning quietly ended her own life.
While reading through the novel, An Ning did found it odd that whoever Sun Qiaolian disliked would inevitably removed from her life. Safe to say, her life is extremely smooth sailing - she seemed to get whatever she wanted, effortlessly.
No doubt, this is could also be because she was the main heroine in the original novel. Yet, strangely, An Ning couldn't bring herself to like her - and it was this very dislike that had led her to write the short essay criticising the story.
An Ning didn't think that it was wrong to want to climb higher - after all, everyone wanted to be at the top. But no one should achieve it at the expense of hurting and harming another person.
"She felt that she is the one who brought on the family's downfall because they take her back," the little melon said after a pause.
As in the novel, both An Nings were orphans, but their personalities were very different. The original An Ning had eventually managed to reconnect with her family but she hadn't.
"She felt that, with her personality, even if she were given a second chance, she still wouldn't be able to change her family's fate." The little melon continued on. "So she requested to find someone to take over her life for her."
"And where do I come in this?" An Ning asked, furrowing her brows.
"You do know that you were in a car accident, right?" The little melon asked.
"I…was in an accident?" An Ning repeated, and as his words sank in, memories of her previous world finally came flooding back. No wonder she felt that something was off. She realised, with a chill, that she had actually died in her previous life.
An Ning sank into the pastel coloured lounge chair, letting the truth settle. Dead. She really died. And yet here she was, conscious, standing in a world she only thought she had read about.
A part of her heart twisted at the thought of the original An Ning - the one who had suffered so much, only to give up entirely. But another part stirred, familiar and fierce: the An Ning who had once been an A-lister, a woman who didn't bow to fear or misfortune.
She took a deep breath and straightened, a spark of determination in her eyes. This is a second chance. Not just for me but for her.
The little melon bobbed before her as if sensing her resolve. It wasn't much, but it was a start.