Pain.
That was the first thing Lin Tao felt.
Not sharp pain, but the dull, uncomfortable kind that made her want to turn over and continue sleeping.
Unfortunately, someone nearby was shouting loudly.
"Lin Tao! Are you still sleeping?!"
A woman's voice rang out like thunder.
"If you don't get up right now, the sun will set before you even wash your face!"
Lin Tao frowned.
That sounded… very energetic.
Too energetic.
She pulled the thin blanket over her head and tried to ignore it.
Sleeping was clearly the better option.
Unfortunately, the shouting got closer.
"Lin Tao!"
The wooden door creaked open.
Heavy footsteps approached the bed.
Lin Tao felt someone tug the blanket away.
"Child, why are you sleeping like the dead?"
Lin Tao blinked slowly.
A middle-aged woman stood beside the bed, hands on her hips, staring at her with a mixture of annoyance and concern.
Lin Tao stared back.
Her brain worked very slowly.
Finally, she asked the most important question.
"…Is there food?"
The woman froze.
Then her expression softened immediately.
"Of course there's food! Your mother cooked sweet potato porridge."
Lin Tao sat up slightly.
That sounded acceptable.
The system's mechanical voice suddenly rang in her mind.
[Host has successfully entered the first mission world.]
Lin Tao ignored it.
Food first. Systems later.
She slowly looked around the room.
The house was simple and old-fashioned. The wooden furniture looked worn, and sunlight streamed through the small window.
Everything looked… very old.
Lin Tao's brain finally started working.
"…Where am I?"
The woman rolled her eyes.
"Where else would you be? At home!"
Then she added proudly,
"Even if the whole village wakes up early to work, my daughter can sleep as long as she wants."
The system spoke again.
[Host identity: Lin Tao.]
[Age: 19.]
[Reputation: Village shrew.]
Lin Tao blinked.
That sounded… familiar.
[Original character description:]
Lazy. Greedy. Bad-tempered. Frequently bullies others.
Lin Tao paused.
"…That sounds like slander."
The system continued coldly.
[The host's role in this world is cannon fodder.]
Lin Tao lay back down on the bed.
"Wake me up when that becomes important."
[Host!]
The system's voice rose in panic.
[You must change your fate!]
Lin Tao yawned.
"That sounds like a lot of work."
[According to the original plot—]
Lin Tao interrupted calmly.
"Does the original plot involve breakfast?"
The system went silent.
A few seconds later, it reluctantly continued.
[The male lead is Chen Guoqiang.]
[The female lead is Su Mei.]
[You will fall in love with the male lead and bully the female lead out of jealousy.]
Lin Tao frowned slightly.
"That sounds exhausting."
[Eventually your actions will push the male and female leads together.]
Lin Tao nodded slowly.
"Good for them."
[You will then be publicly exposed and humiliated.]
Lin Tao sat up again.
"…That part sounds less good."
[Your family will lose everything.]
Lin Tao became thoughtful.
That was slightly inconvenient.
Because according to what she had just heard…
Her parents seemed very nice.
At that moment, the woman beside the bed sighed.
"Lin Tao, your porridge will get cold if you keep sitting there."
Lin Tao immediately stood up.
"Let's not waste food."
The system watched in disbelief as its host walked toward breakfast without any concern for her tragic future.
[Host, your fate is to become cannon fodder!]
Lin Tao picked up the bowl of sweet potato porridge and took a satisfied sip.
Warm.
Sweet.
So Comforting.
She sighed happily.
Then she answered lazily in her mind.
"If I stay away from the male lead and female lead…"
"…how can I become cannon fodder?"
The system froze.
That logic was unexpectedly… reasonable.
Lin Tao took another sip of porridge.
Her plan was very simple.
Step one: Eat well.
Step two: Sleep well.
Step three: Stay far away from the plot.
As long as she avoided the story completely…
She could live peacefully as a salted fish.
Unfortunately for Lin Tao…
The heavens had other plans.
Far above the world, an unseen gaze quietly observed her.
The Lord God of this world frowned slightly.
Something about the cannon fodder he arranged…
Seemed different.
And the plot had only just begun to change.