"Niannian."
The little baby slightly opened her mouth and accepted a spoonful of egg custard, swallowing it while simultaneously communicating with the system in her mind.
The Emotion System, which used to babble nonsense, had now been formally named: Xia Youyu!
Nickname: Niannian.
The moment it received its official name, the display screen lit up with virtual fireworks, transforming into hearts and roses in sync with cheerful music. It was ecstatic!
So ecstatic, in fact, that—
They were instantly transmitted into the mission world!
And they didn't even get the chance to review the system's carefully prepared guides like "30 Things to Know Before Entering a Mission", "100 Mission-Clearing Tips", and so on.
Heavens!
During the dizzying moment of transmission,
Xia Youmi had only one last question:
"Niannian, will my disappearance affect the life trajectory of my parents and friends?"
"It won't! Their lives won't go off course!" the system answered, trying hard to maintain its smile.
Upon hearing this confirmation,
And knowing that in a future without her involvement, the people she cared about would still live healthy, full lives,
She felt at ease letting go.
Thus, Xia Youmi of her original world ceased to exist.
A fresh scent of grass and trees lingered at the tip of her nose,
Along with an ever-present milky fragrance.
Currently one year old, Xia Youmi was nestled in the arms of her mother, Wang Xiu, staring blankly at a big yellow dog.
As she quietly digested the egg custard, she was also mentally processing the information just received from System Niannian about this small world.
The Datang Dynasty — a fictional realm.
In the original novel, there weren't any detailed settings about the world's background.
However, once a world was selected as a mission site, and both host and system successfully arrived, all rules and order would automatically be filled in.
Books extracted from databases of various eras transformed into living, breathing worlds that could hold all things.
As for Xia Youmi's so-called transformation,
It didn't involve taking over someone else's body.
The world's rules would create a new identity for her—one that would allow her to interact with the protagonists.
The level of connection could vary. It might be a mere passerby encounter, or it could be a close familial bond or even a deep-seated blood feud.
At the moment, she was still swaddled in baby blankets.
The emperor who founded this glorious era had just "successfully" ascended the throne.
He was now vigorously reforming the government with thunderous authority—reducing taxes, pardoning criminals, and restoring order.
But no matter how legendary he was,
He barely got any narrative attention in the original novel. He was merely a plot device to create obstacles and rewards for the protagonist group.
The original story was a vintage-style romance—full of angst and sweetness, enough to make readers claw at their hearts.
The male lead was a mighty general, born of nobility, who had a firm moral compass and spent his life on the battlefield, earning great military merit and caring deeply for the nation.
The female lead was a Mulan-like character who mistakenly entered the army camp, was appreciated by a military doctor, and through talent and hard work, became a renowned physician known for saving lives.
Their fates were tightly bound—seemingly a match made in heaven, yet worlds apart.
They went through life-and-death situations multiple times, trusted each other with their backs, but each had their own burdens.
He had a bright and lively noblewoman, a childhood friend, who adored him passionately.
She had a loyal and scheming childhood companion who protected her like flowing water.
...
And then there was her—Xia Youmi.
Biologically female, but in the future of this world, she was destined to become an unlucky—
Hooligan.
A professional street thug!
Her entire purpose was to be a scapegoat for a rival gang.
Her alleged crime? Molesting the female lead!
What!?
When she was killed by the male lead's blade, she didn't even get the chance to explain her gender!
And when the male supporting character took revenge by wiping out her entire family, even the loyal old yellow dog guarding the gate wasn't spared!
How unjust!
She was just a background character muddling through life, yet she was slandered and executed, dragging down her entire family—what could be more tragic?
According to the timeline, the female lead Liu Yiqing was probably just born around now.
Her childhood wasn't covered much in the story. All that was mentioned was that she grew up with the male supporting character, which once made the male lead incredibly jealous.
The male lead's family…
They were practically legends in the Datang Dynasty. He was proud and arrogant in youth, later taking up responsibilities for his ideals and family.
He had always been a trusted general of the emperor.
Xia Youmi's first instinct was to avoid them—stay far away from the emotional whirlwind between the male and female leads. Trying to intercept some plot points herself was not a wise move.
After all, she didn't even know how to flirt.
Besides, her identity was restricted.
She was basically at others' mercy, and her knowledge of the future could very well bring disaster.
If everyone behaved normally, any deviation in her behavior would quickly be noticed and rejected.
So—
Xia Youmi furrowed her brows and bargained with the system in her mind:
"Do I get a cheat?"
Usually, the protagonist receives a big starter pack, or at least some seed capital.
From what she could tell,
She was really poor in this life.
Xia Youmi had no intention of working hard to climb the ladder.
In ancient society, a common girl couldn't take the imperial exams, nor did she want to get married.
Her fate was essentially out of her control.
Even with a lifetime of prior experience, not much of it was practically applicable here.
"Ahem,"
"According to this system's scan, among the 20,000 words of mission guidelines, there's no mention of any cheat… And it specifically states that no order-breaking items will be provided to the host."
Niannian's tone carried a trace of apology, but it was quickly replaced by an overwhelming wave of positivity.
"Youmi, stay strong! We can overcome any hardship!"
"As long as you put in effort, you'll be rewarded!"
"Heaven bestows great responsibility upon—"
"This system has graduated from countless knowledge repositories! I'm sure I can find a way to improve your situation!"
"Oh?"
Xia Youmi suddenly perked up, sensing a ray of hope.
"So what you're saying is…"
"Even if I don't get a cheat, everything stored in your original database is still usable, right?"
Beep—
The system seemed to freeze momentarily.
Xia Youmi had a bad feeling. Could it be that she was under real-time surveillance? If any anomaly was detected, the difficulty level might spike.
Ding—
"Youmi, I was just rebooted."
As expected.
"Other than the factory default settings and my ideological constraints, all I have left is the data we brought with us upon entering the transfer space."
A silent sigh passed between girl and system.
"Fortunately, the important guides like the '30 Tips' and '100 Mission Rules' that I compiled for you were successfully transferred."
"And I'll do my best to decipher the program of the original novel!"
"Please trust me, Comrade Xia Youmi!"
Xia Youmi sighed helplessly. The tiny baby turned over and muttered,
"I believe in Niannian!"
The system's energy level instantly maxed out. It tied on a red headband and made a fist-pump gesture, launching itself into high-intensity work mode.
Peace temporarily returned to her mind.
Xia Youmi cooed back at her mother's teasing.
Then she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore and drifted off to sleep.
In her dreams—
She was the chicken pecking at rice on Mount Mi.
Then the dog licking flour on Mount Mian.
Then the golden lock singed by firelight.
Throughout history, there had always been cases where one person's crime punished an entire city.
Now, it was the opposite—yet her situation felt oddly similar.
Perhaps the solution wasn't endless resistance.
But rather, bowing her head early and recognizing reality—
And finding a stronger backer.
Let me know if you'd like this in a more concise version or broken up by sections (dialogue, narration, etc.).