Mu He still had some bloodstains on his face, which made his complexion appear extremely pale. According to the original novel’s description, he had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, with a heroic and handsome appearance. He had been famous for his looks since his youth. Shi Sui couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—the male lead truly lived up to his role; even battle-worn, he looked so good.
Mu He revealed a long-lost smile and said earnestly, “Little Princess, let me take you away. We can go anywhere. I’ll treat you like my own younger sister. Without me, what would you do?!”
Shi Sui: If I hadn’t read the script, I might have believed him. In the original book, you were the one who tormented the female lead the most. With just a few words of slander from the supporting female character, you wouldn’t trust the female lead. You were suspicious and paranoid throughout the entire book. How dare you say such things now?
However, as the female lead, she couldn’t break character.
So, how should she reject him in a way that wouldn’t seem too cruel while maintaining her elegant female lead persona?
After thinking for a moment, Shi Sui finally said, “I never said I didn’t want to marry the Crown Prince. You should leave.”
Mu He was heartbroken: “Princess! I’m only doing this for your own good!”
Shi Sui: Here we go again, the classic PUA line—”I’m only doing this for your own good.”
Just then, the youth who had remained silent for a long time let out a soft laugh, drawing the attention of both of them.
Mu He frowned slightly, somewhat puzzled, only now noticing the youth sitting leisurely in the carriage. He sized him up for a moment, seemingly finding him suspicious, and without a word, raised his sword to strike. The youth tilted his head slightly and effortlessly dodged the attack.
Mu He showed no intention of stopping and actually began exchanging blows with the youth right beside Shi Sui.
Shi Sui blinked. Did the characters in this novel act without any motive? Why did they suddenly start fighting? She couldn’t quite keep up with the plot’s pace.
But Shi Sui had always been someone with a strong sense of self-awareness and knew better than to meddle in others’ affairs. So, she didn’t show much surprise on her face. Instead, she shifted to the side to give them more space.
After a few exchanges, the youth gradually fell at a disadvantage. Mu He didn’t go all out, as if he were merely testing the youth’s skills.
The youth’s expression remained calm and composed, showing no frustration or anger despite being at a disadvantage. He used the broken arrow in his hand to block Mu He’s downward strike, then took two or three steps back, tilting his head and smiling. “Big brother, if this sister goes with you, she’ll have to live a life of constant fleeing and being hunted. Isn’t your so-called ‘for her own good’ a bit too selfish?”
Shi Sui’s gaze flickered and slowly settled on the youth. To have such insight, he surely wouldn’t be a nameless character in the original book, right? Shi Sui pondered silently, deciding to ask for his name later and see if she could match it to someone in the story.
Mu He suddenly froze, the light in his eyes dimming considerably. He seemed unwilling to answer the question, only wanting to take Shi Sui away. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Even if it’s a life of constant fleeing, it’s still better than marrying that Crown Prince! What do you know?!”
Mu He tightly gripped the hilt of his sword and swung it down once more. This time, however, the youth simply tossed the arrow aside, spread his hands, and shouted:
“I’m done fighting! You’re so unreasonable! Attacking for no reason? Hey—be careful, getting stabbed by this thing really hurts!”
Shi Sui: “…”
Hearing this, Mu He also stopped his movements, fuming. “How… how can you cheat like this?”
The act of snatching the bride was indeed impulsive on his part, not thoroughly thought through. The youth’s words just now had precisely struck his greatest concern.
Seeing Mu He sink into the male lead’s self-doubt, Shi Sui understood. Most male leads nowadays were like this—they had to maintain their saintly, perfect persona while falling in love with the female lead. Shi Sui was well aware of this, so she paused for about five minutes, giving Mu He ample time to ponder life.
Once she felt enough time had passed, Shi Sui blinked and said with great seriousness, “Mu He, if I leave, the Crown Prince will not spare my family. I cannot be so selfish. Besides, I have never said I do not wish to marry the Crown Prince.”
Shi Sui spoke with genuine emotion, pulling out every line she could recall from the female lead’s script. It was only when she needed it that she regretted not having read more novels.
As she spoke, Shi Sui let out a deep sigh, filled with sorrow: “Now, you should leave quickly.”
Her tone was utterly mournful, the end of her words trembling slightly—pitiful, tragic, and resolute, as if it were truly a scene of life-and-death farewell, painting her as a poor woman oppressed by the times.
Mu He looked at Shi Sui with a complicated expression, his heart aching unbearably. But Shi Sui was determined to stay. Mu He sighed and let out a bitter laugh: “Little Princess, can you please stop being so unreasonable!”
Shi Sui: “???” Who’s being unreasonable here? Can you be a bit more logical?
“No, I think I’ve made myself clear enough,” Shi Sui said, somewhat helplessly. “You should go.”
Seeing Shi Sui so stubborn, Mu He automatically interpreted her expression as one of reluctant sorrow before a final parting. Overwhelmed by sadness, his heart heavy, he gritted his teeth and said angrily, “Little Princess, are you blaming me?”
Shi Sui looked bewildered: “Blaming you… for what?”
“For getting entangled with another girl last time. You’re blaming me, aren’t you? That’s why you won’t come with me?” Mu He said angrily.
Shi Sui: “…” Damn? There was such a thing?
“You can like whoever you want; it has nothing to do with me. Just leave quickly. Opportunities don’t wait,” Shi Sui said, exasperated and annoyed.
He said, “I never thought that even now, you would still be thinking of us. Why are you so good?”
His sudden words startled Shi Sui. She didn’t know what he was thinking, but she could almost see the glaring words in his eyes—
“Oh, this girl is so pure and unpretentious, willing to sacrifice herself for others. This must be what falling in love feels like.”
Shi Sui: “…” Can you please stop overthinking, buddy?
Shi Sui thought that if there were a system, she would probably hear the words: [Your friend, the love-struck male lead, is now online.]
Shi Sui said, “Don’t overthink it. Everything I’m doing is for the sake of my family. You should still leave quickly.”
After speaking, Shi Sui sighed and suddenly caught sight of a jade pendant hanging from Mu He’s waist.
Cliché number three in melodramatic Mary Sue idol dramas—princes who have fallen into common life always have birthmarks or ancestral jade pendants to prove their royal lineage.
Shi Sui suddenly remembered the plot in the book. It seemed Mu He had relied on this unremarkable jade pendant to restore his identity as a prince.
Wouldn’t that mean the plot was reverting back?
However, since Shi Sui was determined to change the original plot, it was best to eliminate as many hidden dangers as possible.
So, Shi Sui pointed at the jade pendant hanging from his waist and said, “This jade pendant of yours…”
The youth behind her also followed her fingertip and looked at the jade pendant on Mu He’s waist, his figure pausing slightly.
This jade pendant was a gift from his birth mother and was considered the most precious item Mu He possessed. Thinking they might not see each other again anytime soon, Mu He felt a wave of sadness. Without hesitation, he took off the jade pendant and pressed it into Shi Sui’s hand, saying earnestly, “Princess, take it!”
Shi Sui: “…” I haven’t even said anything yet.
Then Mu He added, “I will definitely come to save you in the future! Wait for me!”
Shi Sui: “No… there’s no need to come. Just leave quickly…”
In any case, the male lead had always maintained a naive and innocent image in the early stages. Though he was a bit narcissistic, he only became more composed after enduring the harsh realities of society. Shi Sui didn’t stand on ceremony with him, but the male lead had too many admirers. In the early stages, he was overly naive and love-struck, and he didn’t trust the female lead at all, tormenting her relentlessly. Just thinking about it exhausted Shi Sui.
However, having experienced her bizarre past life, Shi Sui was already numb and simply wanted to take the simplest path.
After the two finished speaking, Mu He waved to the guards behind him and whispered, “Cover my escape.”
Mu He had brought few people with him, and now they had suffered heavy losses. But with the Protagonist’s Invincible Body Law in effect, Shi Sui wasn’t too worried. As she watched them leave using qinggong, the lead guard suddenly surrounded her and questioned, “Princess, you spoke with that person in black for quite some time, yet you emerged unscathed. I’m afraid this will be difficult to explain to His Highness.”
Shi Sui: …Weren’t they supposed to be mindless NPCs? Brother, do you know that knowing too much can get you silenced?
Before Shi Sui could figure out how to explain, the lead guards suddenly knelt down with a thud, trembling all over as if a great disaster were approaching. Their voices quivered, “Princess, please calm your anger. We dare not speak out of turn again.”
Shi Sui blinked and instinctively let out an “ah.” She clearly hadn’t done anything, so why were they so afraid?
Could it be… the Female Lead Halo?
If that were the case, it would make sense.
Yet Shi Sui felt something was off. She tilted her head slightly to look behind her, where only the youth in white stood. The youth had pitch-black pupils, narrow eyes, and delicate features. He had been toying with an arrow in his hand and only looked up when Shi Sui’s gaze swept over him, offering her a faint smile.
Shi Sui was growing increasingly convinced that the youth she had picked up was not ordinary.
A strange feeling grew stronger and stronger, and an idea surfaced in Shi Sui’s mind, making her temples throb.
Shi Sui asked, “Do you have something to say to me?”
“Will Sister silence me?” the youth said with a smile. “I didn’t see anything.”
For some reason, even though the youth’s words were filled with the meaning of “I’m scared” and “don’t silence me,” his tone and expression seemed more like—
Say two more words and I might just silence you.
Thus, Shi Sui, with her strong survival instincts, decisively shut her mouth. After arriving in this world where killing wasn’t a crime, even with the Female Lead Halo, Shi Sui valued her life immensely. She would take it one day at a time. After all, no matter who this youth was, if he wanted to kill her, couldn’t he have done so long ago?
Thus, for the remainder of the journey, the carriage was unusually quiet. The coachman and guards outside dared not utter an extra word, and even the planned stop in the capital to drop off the Youth was skipped. They proceeded unimpeded all the way to the young prince’s residence.
To be honest, Shi Sui was quite adaptable—specifically, she could adjust to any situation with ease. So, even in that strange atmosphere, she managed to doze off again in the carriage. The Youth remained silent the whole time, occasionally staring at her face for a while or gazing into the distance to take in the scenery.
When Shi Sui first arrived here, she had been filled with anxiety. But after catching a glimpse of herself in a mirror, much of her unease instantly faded away.
Because the original body was a stunning beauty.
Her almond-shaped eyes sparkled like stars, her features were breathtakingly exquisite yet not overly striking, leaning more toward a youthful, delicate charm. She looked pure and lovely, like a little fairy, and when she smiled, two small dimples appeared, making her look both sweet and ethereal.
And most importantly, the original heroine truly had an abundance of hair. Despite wearing such heavy hair accessories every day, her hairline remained low—ancient women really had it tough.
After sleeping for a long while, the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt halt, nearly sending Shi Sui tumbling into the Youth’s lap. He gently raised a hand to steady her.
Without giving it much thought, Shi Sui gathered her skirts and hurriedly stepped out of the carriage. Outside, dozens of guards had already gathered, and upon seeing Shi Sui emerge, they all knelt in unison, proclaiming, “We welcome Your Highness.”
Shi Sui was momentarily stunned, her sense of foreboding growing stronger by the second. Sure enough, the next moment, a voice drifted from behind her: “Rise.”
Shi Sui froze for a moment before slowly turning around, her gaze meeting the Youth’s. His eyes held a hint of amusement, and their eyes locked, neither looking away first.
Though it wasn’t the first time she had seen this Youth, it felt like the first time Shi Sui was facing him in her role as the “Crown Princess.”
It was a rather peculiar feeling.
Noticing Shi Sui’s silence, the Youth drawled, “Have you forgotten me already after such a short time?”
Even though she had already guessed the outcome, Shi Sui couldn’t help but be startled, standing rooted to the spot.
As she recalled what she had said and done in front of the Youth earlier, particularly regarding the male lead Mu He, Shi Sui slowly let her smile fade.
Shi Sui thought: Damn, why does this feel so much like getting caught red-handed while trying to cheat on someone?