"This trashy novel, that ridiculous male lead, is simply a waste of my time."
Ye Zi'an angrily threw his phone onto the sofa, causing a dramatic motion that knocked over a cup of instant noodles on the table, spilling it everywhere.
A ceramic bowl crashed to the floor with a sharp sound, shattering into pieces and splattering its contents all around.
In the midst of Ye Zi'an's fury, the innocent bowl of noodles became a silent victim, enduring the brunt of his anger.
The ending was a complete mess, and the plot was just too cliché.
After calming down, Ye Zi'an prepared to grab a mop from the balcony to clean up the mess.
Perhaps due to sitting too long on the sofa, his left foot felt numb, and he slipped on the spilled broth from the noodles on the tiled floor.
Suddenly, the world spun around him; the scene blurred, and he lost control of his body as he fell.
"Ouch."
As his surroundings shifted, Ye Zi'an found himself lying on a luxurious leather sofa in a grand villa, in stark contrast to his previously bare rental apartment.
Still shaken, he curiously surveyed his surroundings.
The opulent living room spanned at least five hundred square meters, adorned in Western-style decor with lavish decorations that screamed wealth.
"Have I transmigrated?"
Years of reading novels allowed Ye Zi'an to instantly understand what was happening. But which world was this?
Beside him lay a man who looked remarkably similar to himself, though with a slightly different demeanor—cultured and refined—who had been knocked unconscious by his arrival.
The man groaned, clutching his head, and when he looked up, he was startled to see an identical version of himself.
Trembling, he pointed at Ye Zi'an and stammered, "Who are you? Why do you look exactly like me? And how did you break into my home? I'm calling the police!"
With that, the man pulled out his phone, ready to report.
Ye Zi'an's expression darkened as he fixed his gaze on this doppelgänger. Assessing the situation, he noticed there was no one else around, and a thought crept into his mind—he could take over this person's identity.
Seizing a nearby ashtray, he swung it hard at the man's head.
Ye Zi'an had no intention of landing in jail for trespassing in this world.
Blood splattered as the man, clearly from a pampered background, was no match for Ye Zi'an, who was used to physical activity. After a few heavy strikes, the man collapsed.
As the man's breathing ceased, his body emitted a burst of white light that surged into Ye Zi'an.
In an instant, Ye Zi'an found himself flooded with memories that weren't his own.
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When he opened his eyes again, he immediately understood the world he was in. This body was still his, but he now possessed the memories of that man.
This world was none other than the cliché apocalyptic novel he had just read, and the man was a wealthy young master with the same name and appearance—Ye Zi'an—from a parallel universe.
With the original's body gone and his memories now part of him, Ye Zi'an felt a wave of relief. He could live on in this world as that person.
However, he couldn't afford to be complacent, as the apocalypse was imminent.
This world would soon be overrun by zombies and mutated beasts, alongside extreme weather phenomena like torrential rains, extreme cold and heat, and various natural disasters.
All firearms would lose their effectiveness, with bullets from sniper rifles proving less powerful than a slingshot.
Sudden electronic storms would destroy numerous electrical devices, sending human civilization back a hundred years. (Weapons wouldn't be eradicated, as zombies would seem almost comical in the face of heavy artillery.)
The original Ye Zi'an was merely a minor character who would meet his end early on, killed off by the male lead and serving as a stepping stone for the protagonist's rise.
After reviewing the book's content, Ye Zi'an began searching through the memories for a way to navigate this world.
The original Ye Zi'an lost his parents in an accident shortly after coming of age, inheriting a company worth billions and living a life of extravagance.
Ye Zi'an mused, "Without any relatives, this might save me a lot of trouble."
Although he had inherited the original's memories, his style of doing things remained true to himself. Mimicking the original's behavior from memory would be difficult, and he could easily expose himself in front of those who knew the original well.
Being an orphan worked to his advantage, allowing him to avoid detection.
After all, the original was just a spoiled rich kid who left all company affairs to the executives, only taking a share of profits at the end of the year to fund his extravagant lifestyle.
Realizing all this, Ye Zi'an thought to himself:
"The immediate priority is to figure out the current time and how much time I have left to prepare."
The author set the apocalypse to break out on January 1st, 2050—an easy-to-remember date—allowing Ye Zi'an, who was used to skimming through books, to clearly recall when the calamity would strike.
Fortunately, although the body had disappeared, his phone and other personal belongings remained on the sofa.
Just as Ye Zi'an was about to check the time on his phone, the villa's front door was suddenly pushed open.
A tall, stunning woman in a black and gold qipao appeared before him.
She gracefully walked over to Ye Zi'an, who was still seated on the sofa, looking down at him from her elevated position.
Ye Zi'an carefully scrutinized the visitor's features.
The woman appeared to be around twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with skin as fair as snow and delicate features that resembled a painting. The black and gold qipao accentuated her exquisite curves, making her beauty captivating—she rivaled many famous actresses Ye Zi'an had seen on television.
However, there was an indescribable glint in her eyes.
"Ye Zi'an, my father wants me to go with you to the civil affairs bureau tomorrow to get our marriage certificate and discuss the details of the wedding next week."
While she spoke about their upcoming marriage, a subtle mocking glint flickered in her gaze.
This was Liu Sisi, Ye Zi'an's nominal fiancée.
Yet, this news made Ye Zi'an acutely aware of the current timeline.
In the original story, the two were preparing to wed on New Year's Day, with guests from both families trapped in a banquet hall.
Which meant he had a week to prepare.
However, knowing the subsequent plot made Ye Zi'an's gaze toward Liu Sisi turn icy.
In the novel, the original character would die at the hands of the male lead, Su Chen, and the Liu family was the one pulling strings behind the scenes.
Moreover, the marriage was merely a scheme by the Liu family to seize control of the Ye Corporation under Ye Zi'an's name.
After getting the marriage certificate, the Liu family would secretly send someone to kill Ye Zi'an, allowing Liu Sisi to inherit all his assets as his lawful wife.
The original character's status as an orphan made him a prime target in the eyes of the Liu family.
Ye Zi'an's cold expression made Liu Sisi feel a twinge of unease.
Could it be that he had discovered something?
No, this plan hadn't been set in motion yet; only her father and younger brother knew about it. There was no way he could have found out.
Reassuring herself with this thought, Liu Sisi forced herself to maintain her usual icy tone.
"Why are you staring at me like that? Do you still want to get married?"
Upon hearing Liu Sisi's words, Ye Zi'an withdrew his murderous gaze and replied:
"Nothing much, just remembering some unfinished business."
Internally, he couldn't help but smirk—he was no longer the submissive Ye Zi'an who would cater to her every whim.
Ye Zi'an stood up and approached Liu Sisi, towering over her at a height of 1.8 meters, gazing down at her delicate features just as she had done moments before.
A strong masculine aura radiated from him, causing Liu Sisi to instinctively attempt to push him away.
However, before her hand could reach him, Ye Zi'an firmly grasped her wrist.
Feeling the grip tighten, Liu Sisi immediately sensed danger, her voice trembling.
"W-What are you doing? Let go of me, you're hurting me."
In the year they had spent together, they had never been this physically close. Previously, if she showed any sign of weakness, Ye Zi'an would pamper her like a devoted servant.
But she never expected that the current Ye Zi'an was a completely different person.
Ye Zi'an thought, "This world's Ye Zi'an truly is a fool. With such a good background, he chooses to be a doormat, and now it's benefiting me."
Some things, if you don't cherish them yourself, you can't blame others.
With a cold gaze, Ye Zi'an looked at Liu Sisi and said slowly, "I'm teaching you how to fulfill your duties as my fiancée."
Liu Sisi's panic-stricken eyes widened as she looked at Ye Zi'an, unable to comprehend how the once-gentle Ye Zi'an now seemed like a different person.
"Let go of me, or the Liu family won't let you off easily."
Seeing Ye Zi'an's reddened gaze, Liu Sisi realized that her resistance was futile. She resorted to threatening him with the Liu family's name.
"You are my fiancée; what does it matter if the Liu family finds out?"
•---•---•---•---•
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