The author who wrote this book must be insane!

Absolutely insane!

Qiao Chuchu stood on top of the high-rise building, trembling with fear, her calves spasming uncontrollably.

The System excitedly said: [Jump down, host! Jump down and everything will end! End your fate as the villainous supporting character, and receive billions in after-tax assets instantly, with a luxurious mansion on the Bund waiting for you!]

Qiao Chuchu's inner fear was instantly overwhelmed by the dazzling prospect of immense wealth.

Yes!

She would be rich!

Rich enough to even keep handsome men as her sugar babies!

Qiao Chuchu looked toward the rooftop entrance.

Seven handsome men slowly approached her, their expressions grave with a hint of disgust, afraid of provoking her to jump.

The man at the front exuded an imposing aura and spoke coldly: "Qiao Chuchu, get down here. Stop making a spectacle of yourself."

Qiao Chuchu: "?"

Although she had done many terrible things, she was about to die, yet he told her to get down?

Qiao Chuchu feigned anguish: "I'm about to die and you're still so cold to me, big brother, you're heartless!"

Pei Yuan looked at her coldly, his dark eyes filled with ominous gleams: "This isn't your first suicide attempt. Us being here is already giving you face."

Qiao Chuchu was stunned.

Indeed.

In real life, she was an orphan born with a genetic disease and abandoned at an orphanage.

Despite living optimistically and saving money for treatment, she still died.

The System gave her a chance to transmigrate into this world of one woman and multiple men.

She transmigrated into this novel world when this body was three years old.

On her first day after transmigrating, her birth parents died.

But her adoptive mother, who was also the mother of Pei Yuan and his brothers, adopted her.

Her adoptive mother was her birth mother's best friend. After her parents' death, the adoptive mother, grief-stricken, raised her to adulthood.

In her previous life, she had never experienced what having a family felt like.

But here, she was the precious pearl of the Pei family.

Just as the novel described, her seven brothers doted on her immensely!

Though they had no blood ties, their relationship was stronger than blood.

She was truly happy.

When she was ten, her adoptive parents died in a plane crash.

Her eldest brother Pei Yuan, not yet of age, became the Pei family's successor candidate. All her brothers carried heavy burdens, yet she remained their precious pearl.

She was willing to share their joys and sorrows.

But she was merely a bound tool.

If she didn't comply, she would die, and suffer all sorts of punishments.

She had to drive her brothers to become dark and sensitive towards all women, paving the way for the female lead.

She didn't know what kind of novel she had transmigrated into, but she felt the author must be seriously ill!!

Weren't supporting characters' lives worth anything?

Her brothers would become twisted because of her, both loving and tormenting the female lead, dying in the grand finale.

And she was destined to die today.

The System urged: [Host, say your lines, quickly say your lines!]

A sudden feeling of reluctance rose in Qiao Chuchu's heart as she gazed deeply at the seven men before her.

After being bound by the System, she had always acted against her will.

Trampling their gifts underfoot, turning like into dislike, deliberately making them despise her.

But that was never truly her.

Today, she could finally make her own choice.

Qiao Chuchu felt relieved as she looked up at the starry sky: "Brothers, I'm sorry, but after this, you'll never see me again."

Pei Yuan's expression gradually turned to astonishment.

Qiao Chuchu suppressed the sourness in her throat and forced her professional, grotesque smile: "You'll always be my brothers. I'll die before your eyes, so you'll never forget me for all eternity."

She looked back at the "endless abyss" behind her.

[Holy crap, it's so high! I don't want to jump! Will I be splattered all over?!]

[But after I jump, I'll become a billionaire in another world! Just endure it!!!]

Pei Yuan: "?"

What did he just hear?

The third brother beside him shook his head in confusion: "Am I hearing things? I thought I heard Qiao Chuchu's voice in my head."

Pei Yuan looked at him in shock.

The seventh brother was stunned: "I heard it too, something about becoming a billionaire!"

Standing at the height, Qiao Chuchu couldn't hear their discussion due to the strong wind. She shouted: "I'm leaving, brothers!"

The seven men watched her in shock.

For some reason, she felt their expressions seemed to contain something else.

She smiled tearfully with reluctance: "Goodbye forever."

[With billions in assets, I'll be a happy rich lady, never having to be controlled by others. Although my brothers will meet tragic ends... well... it won't be my concern anymore. Goodbye, this novel world.]

Qiao Chuchu closed her eyes and gently leaned backward.

Memories flooded her mind like a slideshow.

She remembered running toward her seven brothers with open arms on tiny legs.

Now she was falling from the rooftop.

She would never see them again.

Qiao Chuchu closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek as her body fell backward, experiencing free fall.

Suddenly, her falling body jerked to a stop, both arms seized by powerful grips!

She opened her eyes in pain, meeting Pei Yuan and her other brothers' somewhat maniacal expressions!

"Tell us more about how we'll meet tragic ends?"

Qiao Chuchu: "?"

[Did I accidentally say my thoughts out loud?]

Pei Yuan raised an eyebrow sharply.

Inner thoughts?

These were her inner thoughts?

He exchanged glances with his brothers as they deliberately pulled her up.

The System urgently said: [Host, struggle! If you miss this timing, you won't be able to return!]

Qiao Chuchu came to her senses and tried to slap Pei Yuan's face: "Let me die!"

Pei Yuan ignored her as he and his brothers carefully pulled her up.

[What's wrong with these people?! I've been so horrible yet they still want to save me?]

[Although I'm reluctant to leave, I want those billions more!!!]

For some reason, she felt their grip on her tighten even more!

Qiao Chuchu was pulled up looking ashen-faced.

She knelt on the ground, looking at their immaculate leather shoes before raising her head in a daze: "You saved me, you must care about me, you love me, you want to marry me."

Pei Yuan frowned in disgust: "Say more and I'll shut your mouth."

Qiao Chuchu retorted: "How will you shut it? With your sexy lips?"

Pei Yuan: "...Go ahead and jump."

Qiao Chuchu: "Gladly!!"

She immediately made a flying leap toward the stairs!

Pei Xun reacted quickly, pouncing to catch her and pinning her to the ground!

She was pressed down like a ball under him!!

Qiao Chuchu wailed in despair: "Help! Please just let me die!"

[If I don't die now, I won't be able to return! How can I survive in this world if I can't go back! I've offended all of them beyond redemption!]

Qiao Chuchu opened her eyes in despair and thought to herself: "System, are you there? This isn't going according to plan!"

The original script was supposed to go like this: she would jump down, and before anyone could react to grab her, she would fall to her death.

Because these people all thought she wouldn't dare to die.

After all, the old her often used suicide attempts to get their attention.

But what happened this time?

[Weren't you supposed to let me fall to my death?! Why did these people manage to grab me?]

[System, why aren't you responding? Don't tell me you're trying to back out of our deal? No way, right? No way?]

No one answered her.

She heard the system's voice coming through intermittently, then suddenly, it went silent.

Qiao Chuchu: "..."

Ten years.

Her mind had never been this quiet before.

She awkwardly looked at the man pinning her down.

Pei Yuan looked down at her, his gaze full of meaning.

The other brothers also watched her vigilantly.

Suddenly, Qiao Chuchu felt overwhelmed with grief and burst into tears!

[It's over, the system malfunctioned. If I can't go back, the Pei family will go bankrupt in a year! These seven men will meet terrible ends, and so will I!!]

The seven men: "????"

Fourth Pei couldn't hold back and wanted to question Qiao Chuchu.

The eldest, Pei Yuan, quickly grabbed him and pulled him aside: "Stay calm."

Fourth Pei anxiously said: "Big brother, this girl says we'll meet terrible ends and that we'll go bankrupt. Shouldn't we get to the bottom of this?"

Pei Yuan looked at the distraught Qiao Chuchu and warned in a low voice: "Don't forget, we're hearing her inner thoughts, and she's bound to a system. We don't know what consequences there might be if we question her about it."

Seventh Pei said: "I know about systems, I read novels all the time."

All the brothers turned to look at him in unison.

Seventh Pei explained: "In novels, systems bind themselves to protagonists, making them do various tasks. Once the tasks are completed, they can receive their promised rewards. If we interfere with the system, it might cause this world to collapse, and then we'd all be done for."

He paused: "Qiao Chuchu's reward must be returning to her original world as a trillion-dollar heiress."

The second brother pondered: "So what has Qiao Chuchu done?"

The seven brothers lowered their heads in thought, remembering all of Qiao Chuchu's outrageous actions in the past, their faces gradually darkening.

If they were to count, there were too many instances to keep track of.

"I don't believe it!!" Sixth Pei objected: "Qiao Chuchu wanted to have all seven of us to herself. She's had ulterior motives towards us since puberty. I just don't believe she acted this way because of some system's control."

Pei Yuan thought for a moment, his eyes flashing with insight: "Let's test it then."

Qiao Chuchu's legs were too weak to stand, so she crawled toward the edge of the building.

She had to get down today, even if she had to crawl!

Suddenly, someone grabbed her ankle.

Qiao Chuchu turned back in despair, meeting Pei Yuan's deep gaze.

He held onto her ankle, looking at her seriously: "Do you really like us that much?"

Qiao Chuchu: "?"

Pei Yuan glanced at his six brothers behind him: "If you really like us that much, choose one of us seven brothers. Let's see who you want to marry, how about that?"

Qiao Chuchu: "Huh?"

Huh??

HUH???!

She gaped, stammering and unable to speak, her gaze sweeping across the faces of the seven brothers as she mumbled in shock: "Whoever I choose will marry me?"

Pei Yuan nodded.

The six brothers behind him reluctantly nodded as well.

Qiao Chuchu felt her mouth twitching as she pointed at Pei Yuan: "Then... if I choose you, would you be willing?"

Pei Yuan's eyes darkened: "I'll take you to look at engagement rings and wedding dresses right now."

Qiao Chuchu froze.

Qiao Chuchu turned around.

Qiao Chuchu leaped down like she was flying!

[Ahhhhhhhhhhh I don't want to get married! I'd rather die than marry any of them!!!]

Pei Yuan, like a predator waiting to strike, pounced and pinned Qiao Chuchu down again!

Qiao Chuchu felt the male force restraining her and screamed in panic!

"Don't touch me!!!"

Pei Yuan effortlessly held her down, cradling her head: "Calm down, Qiao Chuchu!"

Qiao Chuchu ignored him and slapped Pei Yuan hard across the face!

"SLAP!!!"

The other six Pei brothers were stunned.

Qiao Chuchu was also shocked, staring in disbelief at the red handprint forming on Pei Yuan's face.

Pei Yuan's facial muscles twitched, his eyes looking like they could tear her apart.

"Have you calmed down now?"

Qiao Chuchu's lips trembled, her throat letting out a whimper like a small animal.

[I'm done for, I hit Big Brother, he's going to chop me into pieces!]

[No, wait, he was trying to force me, why should I let him chop me up? I should be the one chopping up his little birdie, that shameless jerk!]

Pei Yuan: "?"

Suppressed laughter sounded from behind him.

He turned back warily.

All six brothers were covering their mouths, their shoulders shaking violently.

Seventh Pei cheekily mouthed: "Big brother, do you have a little birdie?"

Pei Yuan: "I do not!!"

Qiao Chuchu came to her senses, looking at Pei Yuan in shock.

Pei Yuan's face gradually darkened as he pressed down on her: "Qiao Chuchu, I was just testing you earlier. Of course I don't want to and won't marry you. Now I know you don't actually want to marry me, you're just being unreasonable. From now on, no more acting out. Stay with us, and I'll continue to take care of you."

Qiao Chuchu was stunned: "Why?"

Pei Yuan's eyes darkened as he looked at her with exasperation: "Because you're our family."

[But they're about to go bankrupt, aren't they? In a year, they'll all die on the streets. They can barely take care of themselves, yet they still want to take care of me?]

Pei Yuan's expression grew even more severe as he pulled her up from the ground: "Don't worry, our family won't go bankrupt. I can take care of you until death."

Qiao Chuchu: "?"

[Can Pei Yuan hear my thoughts? How did he know I was thinking about bankruptcy?]

Pei Yuan looked down at her coldly and snorted.

As for the bankruptcy matter, he would find a solution from her inner thoughts.

He would absolutely protect the entire Pei family.

Pei Yuan grabbed her arm: "Come on, let's go home."

Qiao Chuchu followed behind him in a daze, while the other brothers naturally surrounded her, watching her from the corners of their eyes.

She was surrounded in the center, staring at Pei Yuan's straight back.

She felt something had changed.

But somehow, some things hadn't changed at all.

Only their gazes toward her had less disgust and more suspicion and wariness.

Could it be... they had forgiven her unreasonable behavior once again?

[No, no, that's not the point. The point is, does my trillion-dollar assets deal still count?!]

[If I can't go back, what was the point of all my years of effort? After all, I worked hard to give up on love, studied all sorts of self-defense techniques that a single wealthy woman should know... Was it all for nothing?!!]

The seven brothers' eyelids twitched as they wordlessly took out their phones.

Qiao Chuchu hung her head pitifully, wearing an expression of 'having lost trillion-dollar assets' dejection.

Suddenly, her phone rang.

She picked up her phone and saw a transfer notification message.

Then her phone chimed seven more times in succession.

[User Pei Yuan has transferred 500,000,000 yuan to you.]

[User Pei Si has transferred 500,000,000 yuan to you.]

[User Pei...]

Each of the seven brothers had transferred her five hundred million?!

She looked at them in shock: "You all?"

Pei Yuan led her into the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor: "As long as you stay alive and behave yourself, we'll give you money every month."

Second brother Pei Che gave her a disdainful look: "So you don't need to keep trying to die. As long as you're obedient, you'll become a trillion-dollar heiress eventually."

Qiao Chuchu held her phone, her mouth slightly open, and suddenly felt a lump in her throat.

[The brothers are so handsome!!]

[They look so cool giving me pocket money!]

[Wuwuwuwu... even though I have such good brothers, I have to hurt them. I'm really sorry.]

Her inner voice even had a crying tone: [They are the family members who love me the most.]

The group felt a twinge of sadness as their gazes met.

If Qiao Chuchu was really being controlled by the system to do those things...

They would forgive her.

[If I can't go back and the system stops coming for me, I'll stay with them through thick and thin. We can convert this money into gold bars. After our family goes bankrupt in a year, we'll still have some money. With my brothers' money-making skills, it's possible to make a comeback. After all, they're very smart and know how to earn money.]

The brothers' lips curved slightly upward.

They had thought she was heartless, but hearing this, she seemed quite conscientious.

[But— after everything I've done to them, they're still giving me money?]

Qiao Chuchu had a sudden revelation: "Did you buy insurance for me?"

The brothers: "?"

Qiao Chuchu grew increasingly paranoid: "You're not planning to have me die in an accident, are you? Is that why you're being so nice to me?"

Pei Yuan: "..."

The others: "..."

Indeed, years of estrangement couldn't be fixed overnight.

Third Pei brother, Pei Youchuan, knocked her head hard: "Shut up, you idiot!"

Finally, the elevator reached the first floor.

Pei Yuan dragged her out of the elevator.

She struggled: "I can walk by myself!"

Pei Yuan ignored her: "Aren't you worried we'll kill you? If I hold onto you, I can protect you if anything happens, then you won't die."

Without thinking, Qiao Chuchu asked: "Then did you buy insurance for yourself?"

Pei Yuan: "?"

The others: "?"

Just how obsessed is she with insurance!

Pei Yuan was furious and forcefully kept her by his side: "We haven't looked after you for so many years, and you've grown up so strangely. When we get back, I need to thoroughly examine what kind of twisted person you've become."

Qiao Chuchu: "..."

Because of her many questionable actions, she and her brothers no longer lived together.

In recent years, they had even stopped giving her money.

It was because during New Year's, she had worn a sexy spaghetti strap dress and acted flirtatiously in front of them, angering them so much that they cut off her living expenses and never spent New Year's with her again.

So she only appeared before them when her presence was required.

Because in their eyes, she was a psychotic yandere, they were reluctant to meet with her.

She didn't think she was psychotic; rather, she thought herself clever for gradually understanding the seven brothers' preferences and temperaments under the system's commands.

Whenever it was their birthday, she would precisely give them gifts they liked.

The seven brothers' only reaction to receiving these gifts was being thoroughly creeped out.

Qiao Chuchu anxiously followed Pei Yuan out of the lobby.

A coquettish crying voice came from another direction: "I said I don't want money! I just want dignity!!!"

Qiao Chuchu's ears perked up!

[Could this be the female lead who has my seven brothers head over heels?!]

The seven men paused their steps and uniformly looked at Qiao Chuchu.

Female lead?

Qiao Chuchu excitedly peered toward the source of the voice. She wanted to run over but noticed her brothers were still beside her, and immediately lost interest.

She had just made a suicide attempt, so they probably wouldn't let her wander off, right?

What if she used her old method?

Qiao Chuchu's eyes darted around, and she coquettishly clung to Pei Yuan's arm: "Gege~ Let me sit with you later!~ Let's get close close close!~"

Pei Yuan's face turned ashen as he quickly pulled his arm away: "What are you doing?!"

Qiao Chuchu couldn't hide the glee in her eyes: "Oh my, since brother doesn't like me touching him, let's go our separate ways then!"

[Hahahahaha I knew this trick would work every time!~]

Pei Yuan: "?"

Qiao Chuchu ran towards the voice!

[Off to find the female lead!~]

Pei Yuan: "???"

Second Pei stood beside Pei Yuan, unable to resist teasing: "Brother, she really has you figured out."

Pei Yuan glared at him with a dark face: "Don't pretend, I don't believe you're not disgusted."

Second Pei shrugged: "I actually don't mind it. I quite like it when little sister acts cute with her brothers, but that's acting cute, not deliberately seducing."

Pei Yuan: "..."

Qiao Chuchu was definitely trying to seduce just now!

The worst part was that she thought seducing him would help her avoid him!

Pei Yuan's gaze grew sharp: "Come on, let's follow her and see."

The brothers walked a few steps and found Qiao Chuchu eavesdropping.

Qiao Chuchu was sneakily pressed against the wall, looking like a big toad.

The seven: "...That pose is really unsightly."

[So this is the woman who has my seven brothers completely enchanted?]

The seven: "?"

They decisively joined Qiao Chuchu in being big toads.

What entered their sight was a playful ponytailed girl, defiantly raising her head to confront a man in a black coat.

The man was quite handsome, surrounded by an unapproachable coldness as he looked down at the female lead condescendingly.

[Looks like this man is the male lead of this novel.]

The seven brothers followed her gaze and were somewhat surprised.

It was actually Ji Yanchuan?

He was an acquaintance of theirs.

Qiao Chuchu pouted: [So the male lead looks like this? Not as handsome as my brothers.]

The seven men behind her were stunned, their lips curving slightly upward.

[Now I'm just waiting for the female lead to turn around so I can see what she looks like. That's the face my brothers fell in love with at first sight!]

The men's expressions grew serious as they watched intently.

Finally, the high-ponytailed girl turned her head tearfully, revealing her true appearance.

The girl was quite cute, with tears in her eyes as she bit her lower lip, seemingly trying to swallow her grievances.

But—

The seven: "?"

Is that all?

This type of girl that you can find anywhere on TV made them fall in love at first sight?

This appearance wasn't even half as good as Qiao Chuchu's.

When Qiao Chuchu was in school, she was the acknowledged school beauty.

With such a gem before them, how could they possibly fall for the female lead's ordinary looks?

Sixth brother Pei Mu whispered: "This female lead just has a typical cute Japanese girl look, while Qiao Chuchu is a beauty who perfectly combines sweetness and allure. What was the author thinking, choosing this ordinary girl as the female lead instead of our sister?"

Fifth brother Pei Ci said with disdain: "How could Ji Yanchuan possibly be worthy of Qiao Chuchu? Unless I'm dead, Ji Yanchuan won't get to marry my sister!"

The others nodded.

Qiao Chuchu also nodded: [This female lead has a quality that makes people want to protect and bully her, and her cute sweet appearance is exactly my brothers' type. No wonder they fell in love at first sight.]

The seven men looked at the back of Qiao Chuchu's head with extreme absurdity.

They did not fall in love at first sight, okay?!

They didn't!!!

Qiao Chuchu poked her head out a bit further, her eyes lighting up with excitement!

[Oh! The female supporting character is here! My favorite Lin Qing is here!!]

The seven: "?"

There's also a female supporting character?

And it's Lin Qing?