4 – How dare you
To be honest, this was the first time since arriving in this world as the female lead that Shi Sui couldn’t feel her Female Lead Halo at work.
Shi Sui had a bit of a headache, but she had chosen this path herself—even if she had to cry, she had to see it through. Thinking about the original plot where the female lead eloped with the male lead and lived in constant fear, sometimes starving and sometimes barely eating, not to mention the countless misunderstandings in the future, Shi Sui felt somewhat comforted.
Moreover, Wen Nian’s way of thinking was beyond ordinary comprehension. For the wedding, he insisted on wearing white robes and even skipped all the traditional ceremonies like bowing to heaven and earth and to the parents. Wen Nian simply found them troublesome and even took the opportunity to mock the outdated, cumbersome rituals and systems decreed by the emperor.
With her modern mindset, Shi Sui actually agreed with this point. Ancient systems and rituals were indeed far more complicated than modern ones, causing many inconveniences.
But the guards and servants nearby were terrified, their souls practically flying out of their bodies. This… this… to openly mock the emperor day in and day out and still remain unscathed—only His Highness could pull that off!
They could only assume the emperor had been blinded by something, for reasons unknown, allowing the young prince such leniency.
The thought of this guy inheriting the throne after the emperor’s passing made them shudder—it felt like heaven itself was dooming their dynasty.
Shi Sui had always been directionally challenged since childhood. The estate was too large, with excessive greenery that made it feel like a small maze. Distracted and not watching where she was going, she walked straight into a tree.
The maids behind her: “…”
A young maid named Zhuye hurried forward, anxiously asking, “Your Highness… are you alright?”
Shi Sui rubbed her forehead—the impact had been hard. The original body’s skin was already fair and delicate, and a small red swelling instantly appeared on her forehead. Before Shi Sui could say anything, Zhuye looked horrified, and the entire line of maids behind her knelt in unison, leaving Shi Sui utterly bewildered.
Shi Sui: What’s going on?
Zhuye trembled slightly, bowing her head as she said, “Your Highness, it was my negligence. If the young prince finds out, he will surely have us killed. Please forgive us.”
Shi Sui: “…” Damn Wen Nian effect.
Shi Sui rubbed her forehead for a while, looking at the maids trembling as if with Parkinson’s, and actually felt a bit sorry for them. Softening her tone, she said, “All of you, rise.”
After much persuasion, Shi Sui finally managed to convince the pitiful maids. Guided by Zhuye, she finally made her way out of the small backyard. Seeing that the area was sparsely populated, Shi Sui didn’t want to put on airs. She walked to the small pond by the entrance and stretched, just about to yawn when a woman in luxurious, ornate robes suddenly strode toward her with an arrogant demeanor.
Shi Sui was completely confused, sizing up the woman in front of her for a long time. Who are you?
Sigh, others who experience book transmigration get a system, complete with character introductions when needed. But she had nothing—only the stunning beauty that every female lead in novels possessed.
The woman had a striking appearance, adorned with many gold and silver accessories, including a large jade bracelet on her wrist. Shi Sui thought her outfit would definitely be considered nouveau riche in modern times—the kind that screams overnight wealth.
“So you’re the Crown Princess?”
Shi Sui: Miss Villainess, could your timing be any more perfect?
What a coincidence—she was just getting bored.
The woman only got a clear look at Shi Sui’s face when she drew closer. First, she was startled by Shi Sui’s appearance, then she gritted her teeth in anger, her brows furrowed. Shi Sui felt she was about to spit blood from rage.
Shi Sui: My god, does the female lead’s face have this effect too? Can she really anger someone to death just by existing?
The woman stomped her foot in fury and immediately raised her hand to slap her. Shi Sui was never the type to endure beatings without a word, so she instinctively grabbed the wrist of the hand swinging toward her. At the same time, her other hand wasn’t idle either—she slapped the woman hard across the cheek. The force was so strong that the woman’s face snapped to the side, and it took her a while to recover.
After the crisp sound, everyone present fell silent.
Shi Sui: “…”
The woman: “…”
It really was a reflex. How could Shi Sui possibly stand there and let someone hit her?
The woman covered half of her face, her eyes red, and shouted angrily, “How dare you hit me? You, a mere county princess, dare to hit me? Do you know who my father is?!”
This was the classic line of a malicious female supporting character—it had to be Consort Li, Li Yue, the one who was always making a fuss about dying.
But her words weren’t false. The original female lead was only a small county princess before being chosen as the crown princess, which elevated her to a princess. Her background was indeed not as strong as Li Yue’s.
This Consort Li was a master at playing the innocent victim—arrogant and domineering in front of her love rival, but in front of Wen Nian, she’d whimper, “Don’t blame Sister, she didn’t mean it.” She could easily rank among the top three most detestable characters in this novel.
Shi Sui: Little White Lotus, do you have any other lines besides this one?
Having just slapped the malicious female supporting character, Shi Sui felt refreshed and in a much better mood. If she had known hitting someone would feel so satisfying, she would have torn this white lotus apart earlier.
Little White Lotus was her source of happiness.
Seeing that Shi Sui wasn’t even listening to her, Li Yue’s face flushed red with anger, her eyes filled with rage, and her tone rose several notches. “Why should a mere county princess like you become the crown princess? In terms of looks, talent, or status, what do I lack compared to you?”
Shi Sui was particularly confident in her own face and naturally refuted the little white lotus’s words. “Consort Bai, please look at my face and repeat what you just said about ‘looks.'”
Li Yue was choked by her words. “My surname is Li!”
Shi Sui: Huh? So, you big idiot, your name isn’t White Lotus? I thought your surname was Bai. Serves you right, you little white lotus.
Li Yue was so angry at Shi Sui’s words that her teeth itched. She had long investigated the identity of this Little Princess. Rumors said she was gentle and kind, but now it seemed she was a difficult character, giving her a warning right from the start.
But the next second, Li Yue glanced into the distance and suddenly took two quick steps around Shi Sui, covering her face and sniffling as she said pitifully, “Your Highness, it’s my fault for not coming out to greet Sister. It’s only right that Sister dislikes me. This slap is what Yue’er deserves.”
As she spoke, tears fell like broken pearls, her face wet with sorrow, and her shoulders trembled continuously.
What a little two-faced creature.
Shi Sui: “…” Seriously, Little White Lotus, your level is a bit low, isn’t it? Tearing you apart doesn’t even feel satisfying.
Shi Sui felt that Li Yue’s current state was particularly reminiscent of those short videos on her phone from before, with lines like “I only feel sorry for Brother.”
But none of that mattered. Shi Sui had been reading these melodramatic Mary Sue novels for ten years. As the saying goes, to deal with a white lotus, you must become an even whiter lotus.
So Shi Sui immediately began crafting her lines, waiting for Wen Nian to approach.
The youth in white didn’t spare Li Yue a single glance. His eyes were dark, his skin pale and cool. Emerging from the dappled shadows, his gaze flickered and settled on Shi Sui’s face. He raised his brows slightly, his fingertip gently poking the fresh bruise on her forehead. “How did you get hurt?”
Shi Sui was taken aback, never expecting Wen Nian to say this.
The youth’s touch was cool as he lightly brushed the wound on her forehead. Before Shi Sui could speak, he tilted his head slightly, casting a sidelong glance at Li Yue, who was still weeping pitifully behind them. His tone hardened considerably. “You have quite the nerve.”
Shi Sui: …?
Wait, she hadn’t even started acting yet. What kind of script are you following, young man?
Why are you trying to steal my job of tearing down the white lotus?