I woke up inside a novel, and not even as an important character.

I became a pretty background extra in a smut novel.

My brother, however, was the only normal person in the entire story.

His character setting was the one man the soft, delicate heroine could never win over.

He was the cold, unattainable Prince Charming she could never conquer.

When the heroine cried and confessed her love, he was studying.

When she offered him her whole heart and body, he was busy starting a company.

When she spiraled into scandals and nightlife, he was already a billionaire, calm and untouchable.

I thought he would live a quiet, ascetic life forever.

Until one night, I walked in on him at midnight…

holding a piece of clothing I recognized all too well, murmuring a name over and over, a name so familiar that my scalp tingled.

My name is Jennie Dawson. I was just an ordinary college girl whose biggest achievement was pulling all-nighters to read smut novels.

Then one night I dropped dead at my desk… and woke up inside the very book I was reading, as a pretty background character who happened to share my name.

The heroine, Nancy Porter, was a transmigrator with a system.

Her mission was to seduce my brother and turn him into her devoted plaything, living a life of indulgence with her day and night until she could finally return to her world.

But my brother?

He cared about nothing but work.

No romance, no distractions.

It didn’t matter what tricks Nancy used—he rejected her every single time.

So in the original ending, she never completed the mission. She was forced to stay in this world and live out her “happy” life here.

“Sigh…”

That was the twentieth time I had sighed today.

Nancy never slept, day or night. Something about her body being engineered differently.

But I was her roommate, which meant I was the one suffering for it.

Across the dining table, my brother Travis finally frowned and asked, “What’s wrong?”

“The beds in the dorm are terrible. Can I move back home, please? Just for a while?”

His brows pulled tighter.

I could see how conflicted and unwilling he was.

I didn’t blame him.

When I arrived in this world, I inherited the original Jennie’s memories.

She had been adopted from an orphanage by Travis’s parents, but they died in a car accident soon after, leaving only the two of them.

And the original Jennie had developed… inappropriate feelings for Travis.

She had tried to seduce him several times.

She even tried drugging him once.

After that, Travis sent her away to live at school and kept his distance, only providing money when necessary.

So I widened my eyes, trying to look as innocent and pitiful as possible.

I even raised three fingers to swear, “Please, Travis? I was just dumb and impulsive before. I promise I won’t go anywhere near your bedroom or your study. Not even a step!”

He still seemed unsure, so I added quickly, “And I already like someone else now!”

Travis stared at me for a few seconds.

His eyes were dark, as if he were weighing the truth of my words.

Finally, he let out a quiet “Alright.”

I nearly cheered.

No more suffering from Nancy’s sleepless nights.

We lived in a small, somewhat run-down house far from campus.

Travis was still in the early phase of starting his company, so money was tight.

Because the house was far from the university and there were no bus stops nearby, he drove me to school every morning. College classes were scattered, so I usually went home alone in the afternoons.

Now that I wasn’t sharing a dorm with Nancy and since we weren’t even in the same major, she had no idea Travis was my brother. I didn’t run into her at school at all.

Honestly, the world seemed full of normal people as long as she wasn’t around.

My plan was simple:

Live like a slacker until Travis became a rich, successful CEO.

Then sit back and enjoy life as a pampered young lady.

During my major course, I was hiding in the back row scrolling on my phone when the original Jennie’s best friend, Linda Lander, texted me and asked if I wanted to join a mixer party.

That’s when I remembered.

In the original novel, this was the scene where Nancy flirted with three high-quality male leads at a bar.

It caused a ripple across the entire storyline.

There was no way I was missing a live broadcast like that.

The event was being held at the biggest bar in Brookshire.

A rich kid from our department, Peter Kingsworth, had booked the whole place.

He was one of the “three premium male leads,” of course.

I immediately texted Travis:

“Travis, I’m going out with friends tonight. Don’t wait up.”

He didn’t reply, but I didn’t think much of it.

Even though we had been living together for days, he barely paid attention to me.

As long as he knew I wasn’t dead, that was good enough for him.

After my only morning class, I went home to get ready.

I put on a hot girl mini-dress and did a deceptively innocent makeup look.

The girl in the mirror had curves in all the right places, beautiful glowy skin, and a face that could stop traffic.

When I arrived at the bar, nearly twenty people were already there.

The moment I walked in, I caught their stunned expressions one by one.

A whole group rushed to find me a seat.

We chatted for a bit before the heroine, Nancy, finally showed up. She swayed as she walked in, her cheeks flushed, and three men trailed behind her.

One was Finn Watson, the campus heartthrob. One was Calvin Jefferson, the young finance professor everyone had a crush on. The last was Peter Kingsworth, the rich kid hosting tonight’s party.

Finn and Calvin took their seats on either side of Nancy. Peter didn’t sit next to her. He lounged across from her instead, watching the three of them pressed together like he was taking notes.

I wondered why he didn’t look jealous at all, and then I realized he was texting her under the table. They were flirting right in front of everyone.

A moment later, Nancy’s face turned bright red. That instantly drew the attention of her two “bodyguards.”

Finn leaned in, worried. “Are you not feeling well?”

Nancy lowered her head. “I feel a little… off.”

Peter smiled, slow and smug. “Come on. I’ll take you upstairs to rest.”

He stood and guided her toward the stairs.

Finn and Calvin exchanged a look. Then they followed right after them.

God, I wanted to go eavesdrop so badly.

Linda, sitting beside me, muttered under her breath, “Slutty bitch.”

That jogged my memory. There was a drugging subplot around this part of the story. If I remembered correctly, Linda was the culprit. She had been secretly in love with Calvin for years, but Calvin only had eyes for Nancy. In the original novel, she managed to drug him, but afterward he turned the tables and dosed her ten times worse, leaving her stranded with no help. She ended up with a terrible fate.

But when I thought about the real her, the girl who always saved the best snacks for me, who always shared the latest gossip first… I couldn’t just let her walk into the same misery.

I leaned over and whispered, “Honestly? Calvin is way too old. If we’re comparing, why not go after a cute younger guy?”

She blinked. “A younger guy?”

I glanced around and pointed at the sweet-looking boy sitting in the corner. He had that soft, puppy-like vibe. “See? He seems nice. There are so many guys in the world. No need to obsess over one man.”

Linda followed my gaze. To my surprise, she actually nodded. “You’re right.”

She grabbed my arm and marched toward the younger guy.

The moment we sat down, he flushed to the tips of his ears and introduced himself. “Hi, uh, I’m Caleb.”

We shook his hand. He looked like he might pass out from shyness.

Linda shot me a look and whispered so only I could hear, “When you’re young, you don’t appreciate how great younger guys are. You waste time chasing older men instead.”

I nodded, impressed. Maybe she never liked Calvin that much in the first place. With her target shifted, I finally relaxed. Caleb wasn’t even mentioned in the original storyline, so he wouldn’t fall under the heroine’s influence.

More people arrived, and someone suggested playing King’s Game.

A girl drew the King card and waved it proudly. “Whoever has cards two and six has to kiss. Full tongue.”

I had planned to play a couple of rounds, sneak away, and go upstairs to eavesdrop. Then I flipped my card.

Of course. I was six.

Caleb looked like he was about to faint. “I… I’m two.”

Absolutely not. You never mess with your friend’s new crush.

I snatched my drink. “Let’s just drink instead. Cheers!”

He nodded desperately. “Yes, cheers!”

The others booed us for being boring, but Linda looked pleased and poured our glasses to the brim.

I raised an eyebrow at her. Please. Like I would ever steal someone she liked.

What I didn’t expect was how weak this body was. Three cups in, and my head was already spinning.

Caleb was even worse. His face was so red he looked like someone had smacked him. He was adorable in a ridiculous way, and I poked his cheek without thinking.

His eyes went glossy like he might cry. Then he let out a soft, broken sound. “Jennie…”

A jolt ran through me. My whole body felt feverish. I leaned closer without meaning to.

I was overheating so badly I could barely think. I grabbed Linda’s arm. “Linda… I think I’m really drunk…”

Before she could reply, Caleb jumped in. “I… I can take you upstairs. You should rest.”

The music was pounding, and my head hurt. He was drunk too, so I figured we could wobble upstairs together. I nodded. “Okay.”

He put an arm around me, both of us unsteady, and slowly helped me up the stairs.

We had made it halfway up the stairs when my heel slipped. My body tipped backward, and just when I thought I was going to tumble down the steps, I fell straight into a pair of warm, familiar arms.

Everything felt unbearably hot.

But why was Caleb’s body so cool?

I couldn’t stop myself. I kept burrowing closer, chasing his chill like it was the only relief I could find.

Caleb shifted his grip and lifted me into his arms. Heat radiated through his clothes, outlining every firm line of muscle. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was something else, but I couldn’t stay still. My hands dangled uselessly at my sides instead of holding onto him.

He freed one arm just long enough to guide my hands around his neck.

“Hold on.”

I tilted my head up, and my lips stopped a breath from his.

The alcohol hit me all at once. Before I could think, I leaned in and kissed him.

His lips were cool against mine. The touch lasted only a second before he jerked away, but my head was swimming, and the world kept tilting.

He carried me into a car. In the cramped space, the heat felt even thicker. I pushed against him, restless, but he pinned me gently, refusing to let me move. His breathing was fast, almost ragged.

I thought he might have asthma. What a hypocrite.

His breathing grew heavier, and he pulled me tighter against him.

His voice sounded strained. “You’re going to be the death of me, Jennie.”

Then he lowered his head and kissed me again.

Our lips brushed, our breaths tangled. I wanted to respond, but he suddenly pulled back. When I blinked up at him, ready to chase his mouth again, a cold gust hit my cheek.

He had opened the car door.

He moved fast. I leaned toward him on instinct, but he pressed my head into his chest and muttered, “Don’t move.”

His tone was sharp enough to frighten me into stillness.

A moment later, I heard a door slam.

Then my back hit a surface. He had me pinned against it. His mouth returned to mine with a force that left me breathless, like a drowning fish with no strength to fight back.

For a split second, the face in front of me blurred, and I thought it was Travis.

“Trav…”

He exhaled sharply, almost like he was grinding his teeth. “You’re killing me.”

…

I slept past noon. When I tried to stretch, a bolt of soreness shot through every muscle in my body.

I lay in my bed, staring at the ceiling, piecing together fragments of last night. My face burned.

I could guess what happened. Linda must have skipped drugging Calvin and, thanks to my earlier “advice,” decided to dose me and Caleb instead.

I never would have expected that sweet, shy boy to be that two-faced. Thinking back on the night made my ears heat up. No wonder this world was based on a smutty novel.

But I brought a man home. Travis was probably going to throw me out for good. He had extreme cleanliness standards. The fact that he didn’t kick us out last night was already miraculous.

I changed into the most conservative outfit I owned and tiptoed out of my room. Travis was sitting on the couch, expression unreadable. The place was spotless. Caleb was gone.

I was still debating what to say when Travis called out, “Come here.”

I took a long breath and walked over.

“Does your body hurt?”

My face turned scarlet. “I feel better now…”

“Breakfast is on the table. Go eat something.”

I hesitated. “You’re… not mad at me?”

Travis seemed almost amused. The corners of his mouth lifted. “No more drinking outside. And from now on, I’ll accompany you to gatherings.”

He really didn’t seem angry, so I went to eat.

The moment I turned on my phone, I saw a flood of messages from Linda. Travis had even called me several times last night. And there was a friend request from Caleb.

I replied to Linda, then accepted Caleb’s request.

His message popped up instantly.

“Sorry, Jennie. I didn’t expect my tolerance to be this bad. I blacked out way too fast. Can I take you out to apologize today?”

This puppy had a serious split personality. Last night he forced me to call him “Daddy” and murmured “baby” against my lips. Today he switched right back to “Jennie.”

“Take you out…?”

I froze. I hadn’t noticed Travis standing behind me.

His voice was tight. “That’s the boy you like?”

He must have seen Caleb last night. He already knew I brought him home. If I denied it, I’d look like trash. And honestly, I did want to see where things went. So I nodded.

“Jennie.”

He took a long breath, the muscle in his jaw tightening.

“The man you were with last night. Who was he?”