Her head throbbed painfully.
Wen Lingrao opened her eyes to a room full of piercing red.
Red curtains, red quilts, and red candles burning brightly.
She propped herself up and looked around.
The room was furnished in an antique style, covered in “Double Happiness” characters—it was a bridal chamber.
Yet, it was empty; she was the only one there.
Something was wrong.
She distinctly remembered being backstage at a film festival after just receiving an award for Best Actress when the massive crystal chandelier overhead came crashing down.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying here.
Before she could think it through, a flood of unfamiliar memories rushed into her mind.
Wen Lingrao, the only daughter of the Grand General of the Western Jin Kingdom and the Eldest Princess, and the Emperor’s own cousin.
Her status was prestigious enough, but unfortunately, she was a stubborn, lovesick fool. She had been infatuated with Chu Qirui, the Heir of the Marquis of Changning, for years. Despite her family’s opposition, she had brought a generous dowry and married into the Marquis’s estate.
And the result?
On their wedding night, before he even lifted her veil, the groom, Chu Qirui, made an excuse and left, not returning all night.
The original owner waited like a fool until dawn, only to receive the news that the man she loved had brought a mistress, You Yuyan, back to the estate.
Unable to catch her breath, she was quite literally angered to death on her new bed.
And she—a dual-award-winning actress from the 21st century—had become the new owner of this body.
“A lovesick woman and a heartless man. How cliché,” Wen Lingrao rubbed her temples and let out a cold laugh.
Having acted in so many dramas, she never expected to experience one for real.
Just as she was thinking this, the door was pushed open with a “bang,” and a young maid rushed in, looking flustered.
“Young Lady! You’re finally awake!” The maid threw herself at the bedside, sobbing, “You scared me to death!”
This was Banxia, the original owner’s personal maid.
Wen Lingrao quickly got into character, frowning and pressing her forehead, her voice weak: “Banxia? What happened to me… my head hurts so much.”
“You were fainted with anger!” Banxia’s tears fell again, her tone a mix of urgency and hatred, “The Heir is simply not human! On your wedding night, he ran off to a private residence in the west of the city to see that mistress, and only just returned this morning! Now he has taken that woman directly to the main hall! The Old Madame has sent people to demand you go over immediately!”
Wen Lingrao’s gaze turned icy.
Leaving his wife on their wedding night for a mistress, and bringing her home the very next day?
He was taking the original owner’s dignity, as well as the dignity of the Wen family and the Imperial family, and trampling them all into the dirt.
“The Old Madame also said,” Banxia stammered, her face full of indignation, “that you are jealous and cannot tolerate others, and that she will invoke the family discipline upon you!”
Jealous? Family discipline?
Wen Lingrao almost laughed out loud.
The skill of shifting the blame was perfected in the Marquis’s estate. With the original owner’s personality, she would probably just weep, accept the false accusation, and be slowly tortured to death.
Unfortunately, the one in this body now was her.
At that moment, a cold electronic voice suddenly rang in her head:
[Detected that the host’s resentment value has reached zero. The original owner’s obsession has dissipated. The ‘Drama Queen Life Assistant System’ is activated.]
[Novice quest issued. Facing the mother-in-law’s provocation and the mistress’s challenge, please choose:]
[Option A: Swallow your pride, accept the charge of being jealous, and obediently accept the family discipline. Reward: Title ‘Ninja Turtle’ (Effect: Reduced presence, increased tolerance, comes with negative states like chest tightness and shortness of breath).]
[Option B: Go crazy and fight back; don’t take any abuse. Reward: ‘Born Divine Strength’ (Temporary, one hour), one ‘Truth Charm’ (forces the target to speak the truth for a quarter of an hour).]
Wen Lingrao: “…”
A system? A “Drama Queen System”?
Fine, the transmigrator’s perks had arrived.
Option A? Swallow her pride and be a turtle? Wen Lingrao didn’t survive in the entertainment industry in her past life by being a pushover.
Without hesitation, she whispered in her heart: “I choose B.”
[Selection confirmed. Reward distribution in progress…]
A warm current instantly flooded her body. Wen Lingrao felt a surge of strength, feeling as if she could easily crush anything.
At the same time, a yellow talisman flashed in her consciousness.
“Young Lady, let’s get dressed and groomed quickly; the Old Madame is in a rush,” Banxia wiped her tears, reaching out to help her up.
Wen Lingrao kicked off the quilt and stepped onto the floor barefoot. She was still wearing the red wedding dress, which was wrinkled, and her hair was a mess.
Her eyes scanned the room and stopped at a bronze candle stand in the corner. The stand was thick and heavy.
That would do.
Wen Lingrao walked over and gripped the candle stand with one hand. Under the effect of the “Born Divine Strength,” the heavy stand felt as light as a chopstick.
“Young Lady! What are you doing with that?” Banxia was stunned.
Wen Lingrao didn’t answer, carrying the candle stand as she walked out.
“Young Lady! Your shoes! Your cloak!” Banxia grabbed an outer garment and chased after her.
Wen Lingrao didn’t look back: “No need. This is fine.”
Disheveled hair, messy clothes, and barefoot while holding a weapon. It was the perfect image of someone “driven to madness.”
When it came to acting, she was a professional.
Relying on memory, she navigated the corridors toward the main hall.
The servants she passed on the way were so terrified by the bronze candle stand in her hand that they didn’t dare to make a sound and hid far away.
In the main hall, the air was stagnant.
The Old Madame Chu sat on a grand armchair, clutching prayer beads.
Her face was as dark as water, staring fixedly at the barefoot, disheveled bride at the entrance.
Below, Chu Qirui had already released You Yuyan from his embrace and stood straight, his face looking ugly.
Facing Wen Lingrao’s gaze, he looked somewhat annoyed and somewhat embarrassed.
You Yuyan, having knelt on the ground at some point, was covering her face with a handkerchief, crying softly.
She trembled as she wept, saying between sobs:
“Old Madame… Heir… it is all Yan’er’s fault… it is Yan’er who shouldn’t have had such delusions… Yan’er knows her status is low, not even worthy of tying the sister’s shoes…”
She raised her tearful eyes, stole a timid glance at Wen Lingrao, and quickly lowered her head again.
“Yan’er doesn’t dare to ask for a title, only to stay in the estate, even if it is as a lowly maid. If I can work every day and occasionally see from afar that the Heir is well, I shall be content. Please, Princess, be merciful; don’t ruin your health because of Yan’er. If the little heir in my belly is harmed by the anger, Yan’er’s death ten thousand times would not be enough.”
The tea-smell (pretense of innocence) was off the charts.
Chu Qirui frowned upon hearing this and instinctively looked at You Yuyan’s lower abdomen.
The Old Madame Chu, who had been twisting her prayer beads, stopped as well, her eyes scanning sharply: “What did you just say? The little heir?”
You Yuyan acted as if she had let something slip, shaking her head in a panic, her tears falling even more heavily: “No… Yan’er was just babbling…”
Wen Lingrao watched this scene coldly, feeling not a ripple in her heart.
She had seen this level of acting countless times on film sets. It was just a bit noisy; her ears were buzzing.
The Old Madame Chu couldn’t even bother with the candle stand in Wen Lingrao’s hand anymore, her voice urgent: “Get up and speak. Is it true or not? This is the bloodline of the Marquis’s estate; we cannot be careless!”
Only then did You Yuyan, supported by a maid, tremble as she stood up, her voice as quiet as a mosquito: “Returning to the Old Madame, my monthly cycle is over half a month late. Recently, I have felt weak, nauseous, and prone to vomiting. I haven’t asked a doctor to check yet, so I didn’t dare to speak rashly.”
“Bang!” Chu Qirui slammed his fist onto the small side table, a flash of joy in his eyes.
He looked at Wen Lingrao, his confidence seeming to return, even tinged with provocation.
The Old Madame Chu let out a long breath. When she looked at Wen Lingrao again, her gaze was even more oppressive: “Lady Wen, you heard it all. Yuyan’s background is not high, but now that she is likely carrying Qirui’s child, she is a contributor to the Marquis’s estate. You are the legal wife; you should be more generous and think of your husband.
As for last night, Qirui was in the wrong, but men are men, and there are times when they are distracted. What does it look like for you to make such a scene? If you frighten Yuyan and she suffers a miscarriage, can you bear the responsibility?”
“Put that thing down and apologize to Yuyan. In the future, address each other as sisters and get along well. Today, considering your maternal family, the family discipline can be carried out lightly.”