Chapter 1

It was the tenth year of my mission as the heroine.

The male lead’s affection finally reached 100 percent.

The System said:

[Congratulations on completing your mission, Host.]

[You may now remain in this world or move to a randomly selected novel world.]

I had nothing tying me to this world.

But would a random one be any better?

[Host, times have changed. It’s 2036 now. Novels for women are completely different.]

[I recommend a random world.]

The System and I had been partners for ten years.

I was willing to trust its judgment.

When I arrived in the new world,

the first thing I noticed was how I looked.

I wore a plain black tank top and cargo pants. My fingers were long and strong, but a little rough.

Apparently, I wasn’t rich in this life either.

Back in the mission world, the male lead had looked down on me for having rough fingers.

I might have been that world’s heroine,

but its wealthy male lead despised me. He didn’t respect me, thought his affection was a gift, and believed taking a poor girl like me out would embarrass him.

After ten years of being put down,

I instinctively curled my hands into fists when I noticed they weren’t smooth.

According to my ID,

I was already twenty-eight.

I felt lost again.

In the mission world,

the male lead had first cheated on me when I was twenty-eight.

He said I wasn’t young anymore.

Looking at those young girls was like looking at the old me.

At twenty-eight, I was dull and dreary. I no longer had the spark that had attracted him.

Still, however well he treated other women, he always came back to me.

Those women got his lovely money. I got his lousy company.

After taking stock of my situation, I slowly tilted my head.

So I was still poor in this new world, and still twenty-eight.

Life seemed just as rotten.

The System flickered before my eyes one last time.

[Host, I have to go.]

[Please enjoy all of this.]

[You should have had it long ago.]

I didn’t understand what the System meant.

But with so little money on me, finding a job seemed more urgent than enjoying myself.

I walked down the street, looking at the shops.

I wanted to ask a restaurant about part-time work.

As soon as I reached one entrance, a handsome young man with fair, delicate skin opened the door for me. He smelled fresh, and his clothes had pretty lace trim.

He looked like a sweet, soft little cupcake.

An old-fashioned woman like me had never seen anything like it. I stood there for a moment before the cupcake spoke.

“Welcome.”

I glanced to the side. All the other servers were little cupcakes too.

I quickly lowered my head and backed out.

“Sorry. Wrong place.”

Was this some sort of hostess club—except with men?

They probably wouldn’t hire someone like me.

I kept walking.

At last, I came across an auto repair shop full of women.

They wore simple, practical clothes, with neat short hair or ponytails.

They had a vibrant energy I wasn’t used to seeing.

I couldn’t help stopping outside.

The manager noticed me. She seemed to understand my predicament and came over, pulling off her gloves.

“Looking for work?”

“We’re short-handed.”

I lowered my head.

“But I don’t know how to do anything.”

The manager smiled.

“Then learn from us. What’s so difficult about that?”