This Little Lady is Quite Extraordinary

Zhao Xiaotang, a modern corporate worker, transmigrates into the body of a tragic cannon fodder character in an ancient novel. The original owner was a poor bun shop vendor who supported her boyfriend, Chu Moran, and his family for ten years, only to be abandoned when he became a general and chose to marry a prefect's daughter. The story begins with Zhao Xiaotang waking up in a dilapidated room, where a loan shark's henchman is attempting to assault her. She fights back, using a sewing needle to incapacitate him, and learns she is being forced into a debt of six hundred taels orchestrated by her cruel aunt and the loan shark, Qian Ge.

Determined to change her fate, Zhao Xiaotang confronts the scoundrel and extracts a confession that reveals the debt was inflated from the original fifty taels. She then travels to the Chu residence to demand repayment of the thousand taels she spent supporting his family. Chu Moran and his mother attempt to gaslight her, claiming she is greedy and shameless. Zhao Xiaotang calmly lists every expense, exposing that the family's wealth came from her labor. When Chu Moran throws six hundred taels at her feet as charity, she accepts the money but leaves the remaining four hundred taels unpaid, severing all ties with him. She also discovers that her bloodsucking uncle and aunt had been stealing her parents' remittances while feeding her scraps.

After leaving the abusive relative's home, Zhao Xiaotang rents a small courtyard and opens her bun shop. During this time, she rescues a starving, dirty man who had fainted after stealing buns from her shop. After cleaning him, she discovers he is exceptionally handsome and skilled in combat. He introduces himself as Tan Jingchen, claiming to be a lost traveler named Tan Jiu. Despite her suspicions, she allows him to stay in her home. Unbeknownst to her, Tan Jingchen is actually a high-ranking noble and the Emperor's son, who is secretly investigating the disappearance of General Zhao, her original host's father.

The conflict escalates when Jin Jingshu, Chu Moran's fiancée, learns of Zhao Xiaotang's existence and her refusal to submit. She conspires with Qian Ge to destroy Zhao Xiaotang's livelihood. Qian Ge's men smash her bun shop and present a forged debt slip for six million taels, threatening to sell her into a brothel if she cannot pay within three days. Zhao Xiaotang attempts to seek justice at the county office, but the corrupt magistrate refuses to hear her case due to Qian Ge's influence. Cornered by the gang in an alley, she is rescued by Tan Jingchen, who displays formidable martial arts skills to defeat the thugs.

Tan Jingchen carries the injured Zhao Xiaotang back to her home and tends to her wounds, revealing a softer side beneath his cold exterior. As Zhao Xiaotang recovers, she begins to rebuild her life, no longer the submissive victim of the original story. The narrative sets the stage for her to navigate the dangers posed by her former family and the powerful figures seeking her destruction, while her relationship with Tan Jingchen deepens amidst political intrigue and personal growth.