How to Conquer the Tsundere Second Female Lead (GL) - Chapter 1

The night was deep, a shroud of black covering the entire city. The moonlight was hidden behind a thick, grey mist, allowing only a faint glimmer to pass through. It wasn’t enough; the lack of light made the air feel thin, and Chu Fan felt like she couldn’t breathe, her heart pounding faster and faster.

She looked up at her computer screen. It was past one in the morning. The office building was already dark, and only the weak blue light reflecting off her computer and her colleague’s illuminated their faces, creating a strange, almost horror-movie-like sense of déjà vu—both funny and pathetic.

September was the peak season for the company’s project. Working overtime for nearly a month had left her emotionally and physically exhausted. The sudden emergence of a new project today was the final straw. The manager had specifically ordered that a proposal had to be ready by tomorrow, which implicitly meant, “You need to work overtime again today.” After issuing the command, he promptly ordered coffee delivery for them, which seemed quite considerate.

If the overtime pay wasn’t substantial, Chu Fan would absolutely not be here at one in the morning, stuck in this sealed, dark office. “Hard worker” was her brand, but she knew most people called her a “workaholic who risked her life.” After all, she was only 26 and had been promoted to manager just four years after graduation due to her excellent work; staying up late at the office was routine.

She wanted to earn more money. In a society that hadn’t fully accepted homosexuality, she needed financial independence to first gain her family’s approval, and then have the means to support a girlfriend. Of course, because work consumed most of her time, she didn’t have a girlfriend yet.

“Manager Chu, are you alright?” Perhaps it was her breathing, which had become heavy and rapid. The department assistant who stayed to work overtime with her looked up, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Chu Fan shook her head, but her consciousness was already fading. The proposal on the computer screen became blurry, and her entire body started to feel numb.

I must take a leave of absence to rest after this overtime is done. Chu Fan thought to herself as she stood up, intending to go to the pantry to brew more coffee. However, just as she took one unsteady step, she heard a thud followed by the assistant’s scream. She lost consciousness.

She had truly become the “workaholic who risked her life.” As Chu Fan lay on the floor, images of her parents flashed through her mind, followed by the image of the girlfriend who never existed. It was like watching a life review before falling into endless darkness.

Perhaps tomorrow, the news would report: A corporate manager unexpectedly died from sudden cardiac arrest after continuous late-night overtime, followed by an appeal to all workers not to follow her example. Oh, maybe her company would even face an investigation. Never mind, none of it mattered to her anymore.

It was just a shame about the girlfriend—that was her one regret.

Her body felt like it was plunging into the ocean, unable to breathe. The surroundings were chaotic and void, as if she had arrived in some unknown dimension, and the deeper she sank, the more painful it became. Wasn’t I dead? Why could her mind still feel an explosive headache? Chu Fan let out a painful groan. Is this what death is like? But why could she still hear muffled voices?

Wait, voices? Chu Fan abruptly forced her eyes open, or rather, managed to crack them open into a small slit. She still had a headache from recovering her senses. She had expected to see a sterile white room, thinking maybe she hadn’t died but had been sent to a hospital by her assistant. But what was with this luxurious interior decoration?

“Miss Chu, are you awake? I’ll go call the Young Master immediately!” Before she could observe more, a voice came from beside her. She turned her head and saw a maid in a uniform whose voice was exactly the same as the one she had subconsciously heard moments ago.

Young Master? What Young Master? Why am I in such a luxurious room? Chu Fan sat up, holding her forehead, which throbbed again. “Wait a moment, who is the Young Master?” she called out weakly to the maid who was about to rush out of the room.

The maid was visibly stunned. “The Young Master is… Young Master Ye, Young Master Ye Minyi! Miss Chu, are you alright? I’ll go call the Young Master right now; please rest for a bit.” Perhaps the maid was also confused by her question, and after answering, she immediately left the room to summon Ye Minyi.

Ye Minyi? Chu Fan found the name very familiar but couldn’t recall knowing such a rich young master. Looking at the room’s palace-style decor, it smelled of money. Even the bed she was lying on was huge, large enough to accommodate seven or eight men—it instantly reminded her of the Mary Sue romance novels she loved to read in junior high, where the female lead would wake up in a two-hundred-square-meter bed… Wait a minute, Mary Sue romance novels!

Chu Fan suddenly froze. She finally understood why the name Ye Minyi was so familiar—it was the male lead of the Mary Sue romance novel she had written! And the interior of this room looked exactly like what she had described, even the maid’s uniform. No wonder she felt it was her style the moment she saw it.

“Woc…” Chu Fan’s eyes widened. So, she did die, but transmigrated into the melodramatic Mary Sue romance novel she wrote in junior high? Although she had always prayed in her life that she would go to an anime world after death, entering her own Mary Sue world was something she had never expected!

She remembered the novel was titled The Rich Young Master Dotes on Me Alone. Thinking about it now, even the title was embarrassing, and the plot was utterly ridiculous! As a lesbian, was she really going to get entangled with Ye Minyi here? Just as she was recalling the plot, the room door opened, and a tall, handsome man walked in. Unsurprisingly, it was Ye Minyi.

Seeing a character she had written face-to-face for the first time, Chu Fan was momentarily stunned. The deep-set eyes, the high nose bridge, and the thin lips perfectly showcased her excellent aesthetics. What a pity she didn’t like men; otherwise, she would definitely pursue a passionate romance with Ye Minyi.

“What were you thinking? My mother told you to work overtime for a week, and you actually did it? Are you trying to die?” Ye Minyi looked very angry, scolding her the moment he walked in, but worry was also visible in his eyes. He sighed, then slowly sat on the edge of the bed and looked at Chu Fan. “Fanfan, I know you want my mother to accept you, but you can’t neglect your health like this.”

What? Overtime for one week? Chu Fan really wanted to tell him her personal record was one month of overtime, though the ending wasn’t great. However, Ye Minyi’s words reminded her of the current progress of the novel.

Because she was just an ordinary secretary, Ye Minyi’s mother strongly disapproved of their relationship and went to great lengths to make things difficult for her—for example, making her work overtime for a week, which led to her collapse. She’s a bit weak, she thought. No comparison to the real me.

But what was with “Fanfan”? Chu Fan got goosebumps. In her real life, only her close girlfriends called her that, and now a grown man calling her “Fanfan” felt strange. She had used her own name for the female protagonist for convenience; she never expected it would give everyone the chance to call her “Fanfan.”

“I… won’t do that again.” Chu Fan lowered her head, thinking about how to reply. In any case, after experiencing death once, she understood the preciousness of life and would definitely not work herself to death again!

“Good girl. I’ll figure things out with my parents. They’re away on a business trip for a few days, so you should rest well here. Don’t suddenly faint again; I couldn’t handle it.” Ye Minyi said this with a slight frown and a low, deep voice.

I couldn’t handle it either, Chu Fan pursed her lips. She really couldn’t get used to the way people talked in this Mary Sue world. It might be because she was too straightforward—oh no, that didn’t sound right either. Although in the novel she had only recently graduated and was 23, the same age as Ye Minyi, her real age was 26. Being treated this way by a rich younger man made her a little uncomfortable.

“You should rest for a while longer. I have to go to the company to handle some things. We’ll go to work together after you’re fully rested.” With that, Ye Minyi stroked her head, smiled, and left.

…This would make any girl’s heart flutter. What a pity she was an older woman who liked girls. Chu Fan looked regretfully at the door, then got out of bed, intending to explore the mansion.

The young maid from earlier, whom Ye Minyi had assigned to look after her, accompanied her. The exterior of the mansion was ancient, giving the impression it had been preserved since the last century, but the interior was very modern and clearly luxurious. The mansion had three floors, with several guest rooms on each floor. The stair railings were made of mahogany, and it even had an elevator. Ye Minyi lived on the second floor, his parents on the first, and the housekeeper and servants lived in the guest rooms on the first floor. Their treatment was excellent, but the two elders were notoriously harsh.

After all, having harsh parents was a prerequisite for the original romance novel.

“Miss Chu, please sit and have some refreshments. The Young Master specifically instructed the head chef to prepare them before he left,” the maid ushered Chu Fan into the main hall. Exquisite and delicate pastries were already arranged on the table, looking very tempting.

Might as well eat, she thought. I traded my life for this new existence. Even in this paper world, I’m going to live comfortably. Chu Fan sat down without hesitation and picked up a piece of mung bean cake, not forgetting to chat with the maid as she ate. “What’s your name? How long have you worked here?”

The maid looked a little shy, her face blushing as she replied, “Miss Chu, you can call me Xiao Que. I just started recently and am still getting familiar with things.”

“Xiao Que? The ‘que’ from sparrow ($麻雀$)? That’s cute. How about I call you Little Sparrow?” Chu Fan smiled, picking up a small cake and handing it to Xiao Que. “You eat some too.”

Xiao Que, who was used to diligent work in the lower ranks, was so gently addressed and treated that her eyes instantly welled up. However, she didn’t take the cake Chu Fan offered, waving her hand instead. “Miss Chu, please enjoy it yourself. I… I’ll go tidy up the guest rooms first.”

However, Chu Fan held Xiao Que’s hand and made her sit down. “Hurry and eat. Am I not a guest? Shouldn’t you listen to me?”

“A guest? Did you really think of yourself as a guest?” Unexpectedly, the door to the main hall was suddenly pushed open, and a graceful figure appeared at the entrance, accompanied by a sweet scent of citrus.

Chu Fan looked intently. It was a beautiful woman with long, wavy hair, but her expression was anything but beautiful; it radiated anger and jealousy.

Based on her memory, she recognized this person as the second female lead, He Yujuan—her love rival in the novel she wrote.