What the heck is this?
Aren't top-notch villains naturally incompatible with protagonists!
Tian Xiang was both anxious and angry.
Seeing this, Lu Feng gave her a deep look and tactfully left.
Hu Honglian said to her daughter, "Did you eat firecrackers today? Why are you so fierce?"
Look, you've scared Lu Feng away, he's already left.
Tian Xiang was speechless, and was about to open her heart to talk with her mother, but found that the label on Hu Honglian's forehead had unknowingly changed.
The original "Top-notch Villain 1" had switched to "Supporting Role 8 (Protective of kids)".
Eh???
What's going on?
Tian Xiang was dumbfounded.
A simple supporting role with a number indicates the person's stance in the book is positive, either neutral or part of the protagonist's camp.
The number 8 suggests the character has a significant role in the book with quite a lot of scenes.
Earlier in the interrogation room at the police station's backyard, Tian Xiang witnessed Tian Chuying transform from the female lead to a supporting character.
Now she sees her mom change from a villain to a hero!
What's going on?
Tian Chuying turning into a supporting character made sense; today's drama meant that her wish to marry Lu Feng was mostly impossible.
But her mother didn't do anything, just said a few words to Lu Feng, and then???
Tian Xiang wasn't relieved that Hu Honglian got rid of the top-notch villain label.
She was uneasy, feeling that something wasn't quite right.
The label change felt too random.
Tian Xiang gobbled down her food and dragged Hu Honglian back home.
Along the way, she said everything that needed to be said, warning that Lu Feng was a big scumbag, secretly messing around with relationships.
He appeared friendly on the surface but was actually nasty inside, absolutely should not be interacted with, as he could deceive and confuse her at any time.
Hu Honglian thought her daughter was too sensitive.
"He didn't know about yesterday's events; it was all Tian Chuying's fault. He came to apologize earlier and said that if we had any demands, we could freely say, and he'd find a way to compensate us. I was thinking, maybe you two could..."
"Mom, no! Absolutely not!! Never!!!"
Tian Xiang was almost going crazy.
With the label changed, even her mother started siding with him.
Thinking of Lu Feng's persona made Tian Xiang feel nauseous, disgusted to the extreme.
"Mom, stop that thought; I'd rather become a nun in a temple than date someone like that."
Hu Honglian clicked her tongue.
This child, how did she become so stubborn?
"Fine, fine, let's not talk about this anymore."
With her daughter in a bad mood, she'd refrain from mentioning it for now and discuss it later.
The mother and daughter returned to the courtyard.
At the gate of the courtyard, Pan Yuzhen was eagerly waiting, and upon seeing Hu Honglian, she dragged her aside.
"What's the situation? Is Xiangxiang okay? Just now, Tian Chuying came back, looking quite upset; has there been trouble again with the Lu Family? Did they look down on her for substituting?"
This matter!
Hu Honglian smiled smugly, about to say, indeed.
Lu Feng in front of the factory leaders and the police station denied their relationship, clearly looking down on her.
But Hu Honglian didn't get a chance to say a word before hearing a scream from Tian Xiang inside the house.
"Ah!!!"
Tian Xiang's voice was so loud as if she had seen a ghost.
Hu Honglian was startled, quickly returning the bicycle to Pan Yuzhen, and rushed back in big strides to check what was going on.
"Xiangxiang, Xiangxiang, what happened? Did a mouse get into the house?"
Her daughter feared nothing except those dirty, fluffy mice.
Hu Honglian grabbed a stick and rushed in, only to see her daughter clutching the mirror against the wall, flustered and frantic, her eyes almost popping out.
"Sweet girl! What's the matter, what's the matter?"
This child, clinging to the mirror like she's about to cry.
"Xiangxiang?"
Hu Honglian patted her daughter's shoulder.
What's wrong? She wasn't possessed, was she?
If given a choice, Tian Xiang wished it was just possession.
But now...
She scratched her forehead, confirming she hadn't seen wrong.
Yes, her character label had changed, from a silly white miss to the lead of a harem novel.
Harem novel lead:
Commonly known as the main wife or official match. In harem novels filled with female supporting characters, the lead's status is somewhat special; she often holds the position of wife, unmatched by other supporting females. This role not only requires being smart and capable, able to be the male lead's virtuous helper, but also being magnanimous and forgiving in relationships, coordinating the male lead with his harem of female supports, assisting him in succeeding both in his career and life in...
It's beyond insane, isn't this just like the Empress managing the Emperor's concubines in old society?
And it had to be the Empress of such a worthless Emperor.
Reacting to the words related to harem lead in her mind, Tian Xiang wanted nothing more than to take a fork and throw out this disgusting thing.
It's utterly revolting; she felt as if her brain had been tainted.
"Xiangxiang, don't scare Mom! What's the matter?"
Seeing her daughter grabbing her head and rubbing her face, Hu Honglian was also frightened.
"It's okay, it's okay, Mom."
Tian Xiang took a deep breath, finally realizing what was wrong.
Why her heart was racing, why her mother changed from a villain to a support character, everything stemmed from her own character change.
Actually, she wanted to check back at the police station, but she didn't have a mirror.
She thought her character might change, given the major drama today.
But she never expected the transformation to be so substantial.
All she did was slap Lu Feng!
How did she become the lead character?
Could it be that he liked girls who slapped him?
This is way too bizarre.
Tian Xiang took a while to accept the fact.
Beside her, Hu Honglian quietly stayed by her side.
Once her daughter let go of the mirror, she helped her onto a small chair to rest.
"Are you okay?"
Tian Xiang: "Nothing much. Mom, you should go to work."
It was already quite late; if she didn't go, she'd be late.
Hu Honglian worked as a cleaner at the street's barber shop.
Nowadays, barber shops were state-run, and she was an official worker.
"I don't feel comfortable with how you look. I'll take off for the afternoon and stay at home with you."
Tian Xiang shook her head, "Mom, really, there's no need. I was just terrified seeing dark circles under my eyes."
Dark circles?
Hu Honglian seriously examined her daughter's face.
Skin like creamy jade, brows and eyes like a painting.
Where were the dark circles? She was still the prettiest flower of the Sanli Lane Courtyard.
"It's alright, looking beautiful, why don't you take a nap?"
Her daughter was surely exhausted from worrying over these matters.
Tian Xiang nodded, "Mom, quickly go to work."
"Alright, remember to take a nap!"
Hu Honglian didn't want to take off, otherwise, her chance at being the month's outstanding worker would be jeopardized.
Hu Honglian left, and when she went out, she saw Pan Yuzhen peeking around the courtyard gate.
Aunt Pan transferred her job to her son two years ago, now having nothing to do all day, wandering around the lane eating gossip.
Pan Yuzhen: "Everything okay with Xiangxiang?"
"Nothing happened, a mouse came into the house, the child was frightened..."
Inside the room, Tian Xiang furrowed her brows, her fingers tapping the table.
The label on her forehead had to be removed, and it must be done quickly.
Every day with it, the more uncomfortable she felt internally.
Moreover, observations showed that character settings also somewhat influenced roles.
Now, her heart was like a rock, her aversion to Lu Feng growing deeper, so there wasn't any change due to the character tag.
But other aspects were uncertain.
"I need to change my character setting quickly!"
Tian Xiang rubbed her chin and squinted her eyes.