I started watching this show because of the female lead, Esther Yu, who also played in "Love Between Fairy and Devil." Initially, I thought the show would be silly, but as I got more into it, I realized it was actually quite good.
The story opens with the protagonist, Ling Miao Miao, a modern city girl working in a busy company. On her Saturday off, she plans to relax by reading or listening to her favorite fantasy novel. However, she finds herself disappointed by the novel and decides to write a scathing review about it.
Suddenly, she is pulled into the world of the novel she criticized. To her surprise, she doesn't find herself in the role of the novel's heroine but in the body of a minor villainous supporting character named Lin Yu.
A voice or system addresses her, informing her that she must complete certain tasks in this world if she wants to return to her original reality.
The first task serves as a sort of tutorial: she must go through a "fake marriage" with the male lead, Liu Fu Yi (portrayed by Yang Shi Ze), and consummate it. This marriage is designed to trigger or lure a demon.
Reluctantly, Ling Miao Miao, now inhabiting Lin Yu's body, tries to resist but is struck by lightning when she attempts to escape the marriage ritual, leaving her with no choice but to proceed.
The demon in question is a “mirror demon” that has a tendency to harm grooms on their wedding night. During the ritual, the mirror demon appears behind her reflection, manifesting its power. Liu Fu Yi, Lin Yu (Ling Miao Miao), and the female lead’s adoptive sister, Mu Yao, find themselves drawn into the mirror world, where they must defeat the demon.
Using her prior knowledge of the novel—since she had read it in her original world—Ling Miao Miao guides them to locate the real demon among the mirrors. Despite being in the body of a villain, she is determined not to trigger the “bad ending” of that character.
The episode culminates in a dramatic battle within the mirror realm. Just as the demon is about to slaughter them, a blinding sword energy appears, saving them—for now. Ling Miao Miao realizes that she is truly in the world of the game/novel and that her survival depends on completing the tasks assigned to her.
Suddenly, she is pulled into the world of the novel she criticized. To her surprise, she doesn't find herself in the role of the novel's heroine but in the body of a minor villainous supporting character named Lin Yu.
A voice or system addresses her, informing her that she must complete certain tasks in this world if she wants to return to her original reality.
The first task serves as a sort of tutorial: she must go through a "fake marriage" with the male lead, Liu Fu Yi (portrayed by Yang Shi Ze), and consummate it. This marriage is designed to trigger or lure a demon.
Reluctantly, Ling Miao Miao, now inhabiting Lin Yu's body, tries to resist but is struck by lightning when she attempts to escape the marriage ritual, leaving her with no choice but to proceed.
The demon in question is a “mirror demon” that has a tendency to harm grooms on their wedding night. During the ritual, the mirror demon appears behind her reflection, manifesting its power. Liu Fu Yi, Lin Yu (Ling Miao Miao), and the female lead’s adoptive sister, Mu Yao, find themselves drawn into the mirror world, where they must defeat the demon.
Using her prior knowledge of the novel—since she had read it in her original world—Ling Miao Miao guides them to locate the real demon among the mirrors. Despite being in the body of a villain, she is determined not to trigger the “bad ending” of that character.
The episode culminates in a dramatic battle within the mirror realm. Just as the demon is about to slaughter them, a blinding sword energy appears, saving them—for now. Ling Miao Miao realizes that she is truly in the world of the game/novel and that her survival depends on completing the tasks assigned to her.
After the dramatic ending of Episode 1, Ling Miao Miao tries to adjust to her new identity as Lin Yu in the novel world. She is still grappling with the fact that she has become a supporting antagonist character whose fate she already knows, since she has read the novel.
She encounters the demon-hunter team, Liu Fu Yi and Mu Yao, who are members of the "human side" fighting against demons. Ling Miao Miao must play along with the marriage role, but she tries to maintain a distance because she does not want to fall into the original tragic storyline of Lin Yu, which does not end well for her character.
Tension arises as Ling Miao Miao’s modern mindset clashes with the expected behavior of her novel character, who is scheming, making her feel awkward. At the same time, the system reminds her of her tasks and warns her about the consequences of failure.
The pair—Liu Fu Yi and Lin Yu—proceed with the fake marriage ritual. Liu Fu Yi is revealed to be a noble demon-hunter with a serious mission, rather than just a romantic interest. Ling Miao Miao is surprised by his competence and wariness.
Ling Miao Miao overhears that the demon they caught, a mirror demon, had deeper ties; it was motivated by betrayal and resentment towards unfaithful grooms, which adds complexity to the demon’s backstory. The marriage ritual is part of the plan to lure this demon.
Ling Miao Miao tries to help avoid the worst outcome by altering small behaviors; for example, she subtly warns Liu Fu Yi of potential danger, although she struggles to convincingly act within her character’s role.
She encounters the demon-hunter team, Liu Fu Yi and Mu Yao, who are members of the "human side" fighting against demons. Ling Miao Miao must play along with the marriage role, but she tries to maintain a distance because she does not want to fall into the original tragic storyline of Lin Yu, which does not end well for her character.
Tension arises as Ling Miao Miao’s modern mindset clashes with the expected behavior of her novel character, who is scheming, making her feel awkward. At the same time, the system reminds her of her tasks and warns her about the consequences of failure.
The pair—Liu Fu Yi and Lin Yu—proceed with the fake marriage ritual. Liu Fu Yi is revealed to be a noble demon-hunter with a serious mission, rather than just a romantic interest. Ling Miao Miao is surprised by his competence and wariness.
Ling Miao Miao overhears that the demon they caught, a mirror demon, had deeper ties; it was motivated by betrayal and resentment towards unfaithful grooms, which adds complexity to the demon’s backstory. The marriage ritual is part of the plan to lure this demon.
Ling Miao Miao tries to help avoid the worst outcome by altering small behaviors; for example, she subtly warns Liu Fu Yi of potential danger, although she struggles to convincingly act within her character’s role.
In Episode 3, the story further develops as we get a deeper introduction to the male supporting character, Mu Sheng, played by Ding Yu Xi. Mu Sheng is a half-demon with demon heritage and has been adopted by the Mu family. His relationship with his sister, Mu Yao, is protective yet troubled.
Ling Miao Miao, played by Lin Yu, interacts with Mu Sheng, and the tension between demons and humans becomes more prominent. Mu Sheng harbors resentment, which is evident both in the novel and within the world around him. His attitude toward demons is conflicted. In contrast, Ling Miao Miao’s modern perspective leads her to question the ongoing hostilities and provocations between humans and demons.
The system and tasks assigned to Ling Miao Miao become clearer. In addition to her fake marriage and the task of defeating demons, she learns that part of her mission is to capture Mu Sheng's heart—a hidden sub-task that she was not informed about initially. If she fails to succeed in this, it may prevent her from returning to the real world.
Ling Miao Miao realizes that although she is familiar with the storyline of the novel, she does not have complete control over the events; there are characters and occurrences that she cannot predict. She begins to fear that the original tragic fate of her character, Lin Yu, may be looming. As a result, she starts to make small choices to deviate from the established plot.
Ling Miao Miao, played by Lin Yu, interacts with Mu Sheng, and the tension between demons and humans becomes more prominent. Mu Sheng harbors resentment, which is evident both in the novel and within the world around him. His attitude toward demons is conflicted. In contrast, Ling Miao Miao’s modern perspective leads her to question the ongoing hostilities and provocations between humans and demons.
The system and tasks assigned to Ling Miao Miao become clearer. In addition to her fake marriage and the task of defeating demons, she learns that part of her mission is to capture Mu Sheng's heart—a hidden sub-task that she was not informed about initially. If she fails to succeed in this, it may prevent her from returning to the real world.
Ling Miao Miao realizes that although she is familiar with the storyline of the novel, she does not have complete control over the events; there are characters and occurrences that she cannot predict. She begins to fear that the original tragic fate of her character, Lin Yu, may be looming. As a result, she starts to make small choices to deviate from the established plot.