Shen Residence.
Shen Yuling lay on the Meiren couch, her posture graceful and alluring, like a leisurely springtime painting.
It was the season of blooming flowers. Outside the window, a riot of colorful blossoms competed in splendor, their rich fragrance drifting into the room with the gentle spring breeze, permeating every inch of the air.
The soft spring wind stirred Shen Yuling’s black hair, strands of ink-dark locks dancing in the breeze, occasionally brushing lightly against her face, which was more delicate and radiant than any flower.
This added a touch of captivating charm to her.
Sixteen years had already passed since she arrived in this world.
Recalling the events that took place yesterday at the Temple of Sacred Sound, the corners of her lips lifted. This was the first step in completing her mission, and the most crucial one at that.
Originally, she was an actress who had traveled from the modern era.
No, to be precise, she was an actress who had struggled her way through the entertainment industry entirely on her own efforts, talent, and looks, without any background or connections to rely on.
The day before she encountered the system, she had just been nominated for Best Actress.
In the modern world, Shen Yuling had both popularity and acting skills. She focused on her career and had no scandals, making her a breath of fresh air in the entertainment industry.
She had thought that the Best Actress award this year would surely fall into her hands, but who could have imagined that, in the end, it slipped away once again.
This was already the third time she had been nominated for Best Actress, and the third time she had ended up as a mere runner-up.
Shen Yuling couldn’t help but feel both helpless and amused.
The fame and fortune circles of Beijing and Shanghai were indeed intricate and difficult to break through.
The Best Actress trophy had slipped past Shen Yuling, but she was carefree and didn’t dwell on it too much.
Nighttime.
She returned to her spacious and comfortable 300-square-meter apartment, its interior decorated simply yet tastefully.
After a quick wash, Shen Yuling lay down on her soft, large bed.
Soon, she drifted peacefully into slumber.
However, this sleep was anything but ordinary.
After falling asleep, she felt a dizzying sensation, followed by an inexplicable pull from a powerful force, as if she had been dragged into an endless vortex.
When she regained her senses, she found herself in a strange space.
The surroundings were a vast expanse of white, with no end in sight. Only in front of her was a virtual screen emitting a soft glow, displaying flickering characters and patterns she couldn’t understand.
To this day, she still vividly remembered the conversation she had with the so-called Galaxy System back then.
Perhaps this was the professional habit she had developed over years as an actress—always remembering the details of her experiences with precision.
“Dear Miss Shen, the Galaxy System is at your service!”
A clear, sweet, and adorable young girl’s voice echoed in the silent space.
The screen also displayed subtitles—a thoughtful touch.
“Galaxy System? What, am I about to travel through time?”
Shen Yuling joked.
Having studied countless scripts and selected a variety of roles over the years, and having read plenty of novels, she was somewhat familiar with the common trope of systems in stories.
At that moment, she simply assumed she was dreaming.
Since it was a dream, she decided to follow the story unfolding in it and see what would happen next.
Upon hearing her calm response, the Galaxy System paused for a moment, clearly taken aback.
Then, it asked in surprise, “How did you know! Are you agreeing?!”
She had been mentally calculating how to persuade this Miss Shen.
“Agree to what?”
“Agree to go to another world and become the great hero who saves it!”
Shen Yuling couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth.
She thought to herself: What a chuunibyou system… Even if this is a dream, she would absolutely never agree to such an absurd thing.
“No.”
“Huh?”
“Please don’t say no, Host. As long as you complete the tasks, this system can grant you three wishes.”
Shen Yuling merely smiled and shook her head.
“What a pity. I want to fulfill my own wishes, because what I enjoy most is that moment of ultimate satisfaction when a goal is achieved.”
Shen Yuling scoffed lightly and said proudly, “Having others fulfill my wishes for me wouldn’t give me that satisfaction.”
The system wilted, its voice losing all vitality.
Suddenly, the system seemed to have thought of something!
“Miss Shen, do you like acting? How about I take you for an immersive acting experience?”
“Not interested. Do I look that easy to fool? Making me work for free?”
“Then what would it take for you to go?”
The system was utterly helpless.
Why was Miss Shen so stubborn?
Why did Miss Shen seem to have no desires?
Was she even human?
Three wishes could be granted, and she could actually refuse!
The white space suddenly fell silent.
Shen Yuling casually looked around, curiously walking about.
Unfortunately, the pure white space offered nothing else to explore except the screen in front of her.
Shen Yuling and the Galaxy System were at a stalemate.
Why wasn’t this dream ending yet? It was getting a bit boring; this system was like a naive fool.
“System, let me talk to her.”
Just then, a soft, delicate voice drifted over.
Shen Yuling paused for a moment.
Her gaze turned toward the direction of the voice.
A woman dressed in attire resembling ancient Warring States robes appeared before her.
Her figure was graceful, her sleeves fluttering lightly. Every movement carried an air of cool elegance, yet her face was bright and delicately beautiful.
What an absolutely stunning beauty!
Shen Yuling tilted her head, her eyes fixed on the woman before her.
She stared unblinkingly, her gaze filled with curiosity and appreciation.
She loved beautiful women!
But why was this dream so realistic? She could see the face of someone she didn’t know at all so clearly.
How strange.
“And who are you?”
“My name is also Shen Yuling, from the Qian Dynasty.”
The woman gave a slight bow, performing a polite gesture.
A faint trace of sorrow always lingered in her expression.
“My story is a long one. Would Miss Shen be willing to listen to me slowly?”
She looked up at Shen Yuling, her eyes full of hope.
Seeing her like this, Shen Yuling felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
She immediately nodded, signaling for her to continue.
Might as well listen to a story in this dream.
After the “Shen Yuling” from the Qian Dynasty finished narrating her story, Shen Yuling actually became somewhat interested.
“Shen Yuling” was the daughter of Shen Yuan, the Grand Protector of the Qian Dynasty, a person of noble status.
At the age of sixteen, she was betrothed by the Qian Yuan Emperor, Quan Minghe, to Feng Moheng, the Prince of Lingyang and son of the eldest princess.
According to her, the system had told her that in the original world setting, Feng Moheng and “Shen Yuling” were meant to be a heaven-sent match, composing a beautiful tale, and were even the male and female protagonists of that world.
Yet fate is unpredictable. Due to a temporal vortex, Liu Jingyi, a modern-day wealthy heiress, found herself transported to the Qian Dynasty.
The novel Liu Jingyi had read in the modern era happened to detail the complete romantic storyline between the male lead, Feng Moheng, and the female lead, “Shen Yuling,” revealing everything that would unfold between them.
Thus, before Feng Moheng ever encountered “Shen Yuling,” she leveraged her knowledge of the plot to secure a place in his heart ahead of time.
After “Shen Yuling” was betrothed to Feng Moheng by imperial decree, the situation grew increasingly dire.
Due to Liu Jingyi’s influence, Feng Moheng began to neglect his legitimate wife.
Yet the workings of fate can be truly remarkable.
Feng Moheng and “Shen Yuling” proved worthy of their roles as protagonists. Even though Feng Moheng initially neglected her, he gradually grew to love her.
However, this affection only hastened “Shen Yuling’s” demise.
To maintain her position in Feng Moheng’s heart, Liu Jingyi resorted to ruthless measures against “Shen Yuling.”
Through meticulous scheming and covert manipulation,
she not only turned Feng Moheng against “Shen Yuling” but also subjected her to immense suffering within the commandery prince’s residence, ultimately leading to a tragic end—the death of both mother and unborn child.
Liu Jingyi’s ability to wield such influence stemmed not only from her knowledge of the plot but also from another crucial factor.
She had an elder sister who constantly aided her—Liu Zhaoyi.
Liu Zhaoyi held absolute power within the inner palace of the Qian Yuan Emperor.
She had given birth to two princes, one of whom, The First Prince, had been designated as the Crown Prince.
After the Qian Yuan Emperor passed away, Liu Zhaoyi, leveraging her authority in the inner palace and her son’s status, directly incited the new emperor to ruthlessly eliminate the Shen family.
The Shen family was executed to the last member—an act of extreme cruelty.