“What are you trying to do!”
A hoarse male voice suddenly came from in front of her, and Qing Wu abruptly came back to her senses.
What entered her sight was an old fashioned bed. A man was lying on it, his face as exquisite as carved jade, his long phoenix eyes slightly reddened, and his brows high and sharply defined. The collar of his upper garment had been pulled slightly open, revealing the firm lines of his abdominal muscles.
“Sister in law, please show some restraint!”
The man noticed her unabashed gaze sweeping over him. His cold eyes narrowed, and his sharp gaze shot toward her like a blade. Overcome with embarrassment and anger, he used all his strength to try to get out of bed and retrieve the quilt scattered on the floor so he could cover himself.
Before Qing Wu could figure out what was happening, a cold mechanical voice suddenly rang inside her mind.
「Host, you have now been bound to this system. The original host’s memories will now be transferred to you.」
The world around her plunged into chaos as memories that did not belong to her began flooding into Qing Wu’s mind.
After a while, she finally recovered her senses.
She had once had a happy family, but several years ago, her parents had died in a car accident, leaving her alone in this world. With no one to rely on, she could only numb herself by staying up late to work. In the end, she died suddenly from overwork.
After her death, she had only felt her wandering soul trapped in an endless night. It was not until this moment that her mind finally became clear again.
She realized that she had actually transmigrated into this sweet romance novel with adult content, and had become Qing Wu, the village bully, who happened to have the same name as her in her previous life.
Qing Wu desperately tried to digest the original host’s memories, and countless scenes flashed through her mind.
The original host had taken a fancy to Xiao Yan. When he went to the river to wash clothes, she had pulled him into the water with her.
After Xiao Yan rescued her from the water, she had instead accused him of seeing her naked body and forced him to marry her.
Unexpectedly, Xiao Yan died suddenly on their wedding night.
Then, during the year she spent observing mourning for him, she set her sights on his younger brother, Xiao Xu. However, Xiao Xu was completely different from Xiao Yan.
Xiao Yan had been frail since childhood. His temperament was gentle and reserved, and although he was handsome and refined, there was always a trace of illness about him. Xiao Xu, on the other hand, had been doing more than ten different kinds of work by himself since childhood. His body was lean and upright, his temperament aloof and pure, and his facial features were somewhat cold and hard. His dark eyes were especially sharp.
Xiao Yan was slender and easy to overpower, but when faced with Xiao Xu’s strong physique, the original host did not dare to act recklessly. She could only watch him from afar without daring to lay a hand on him.
Half a month ago, Xiao Xu had gone into the mountains to hunt when he suddenly encountered a heavy rainstorm. He accidentally rolled down the mountain and broke his leg, and it had still not healed.
The original host thought her opportunity had finally arrived. Taking advantage of his injury, she planned to have her way with him, so she drugged him.
Although Xiao Xu had been drugged, he was still much stronger than the original host. She could not succeed, and fearing that Xiao Xu would expose her, she picked up a stone and planned to kill him before fleeing.
Unfortunately, the clan leader happened to see her while coming to look for Xiao Xu.
As a result, the original host was captured and drowned in the village pond.
Thus, the cannon fodder character had met her end.
Qing Wu was still digesting the memories of the original host’s entire life when hurried footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.
She abruptly came back to her senses.
The clan leader had arrived!
In the novel, it was precisely at this moment that the clan leader discovered her attempt to kill the male lead, tied her up, and took her to be drowned in the pond.
At this critical moment, countless ways to deal with the situation flashed rapidly through Qing Wu’s mind.
“Second son!”
The clan leader pushed the door open and hurried inside. He was just about to speak when he saw Qing Wu in Xiao Xu’s room and abruptly stopped.
Qing Wu was slightly stunned. She turned her head as though surprised.
“Clan leader, what brings you here?”
“Oh, I…”
The clan leader was quick to speak and was about to explain when he suddenly sensed that something was wrong. He turned the question back on her.
“Wu girl, it is so late. What are you doing in your second son’s room?”
Qing Wu rolled her bright black eyes and immediately replied, “I just saw a thief dressed in black enter Second Son’s room. He seemed to be rummaging around on the table. I thought that my Second Son was injured, and if that man hurt him, what would I do? So I carried a stone in from the courtyard. I had only just entered when you arrived!”
“You…”
Xiao Xu, lying on the bed, stared at her. His gaze was like an arrow, as though he wanted to pierce straight through her.
Only then did Qing Wu turn her attention to Xiao Xu’s face. She showed a trace of concern.
“Second Son, are you all right? Could it be that you drank the sleeping medicine the man in black gave you? He must have wanted to wait until you were asleep before coming into your room to steal your silver!”
She took a step forward and hurriedly bent down, intending to check Xiao Xu’s condition.
I am sorry, male lead. I do not want to be drowned in the village pond!
The moment the clan leader heard Qing Wu mention money, he remembered the urgent matter that had brought him there. He no longer had the time or inclination to determine whether her words were true.
“Was the money stolen? Second Son, are you all right? Should we report it to the authorities?”
Qing Wu immediately responded, “It should not have been stolen. I saw him search around the room but failed to find anything. He should have already left.”
Xiao Xu suppressed his anger and said in a deep voice, “Sister in law, you certainly have a silver tongue.”
Qing Wu turned to the clan leader and said, “It should be fine now, Clan leader. Even if we report it to the authorities, I am afraid they may not take it seriously since nothing was stolen.”
“That is true. That is true.”
The clan leader repeated himself several times. He wanted to speak, but after what had just happened with the theft, he felt embarrassed to bring up borrowing money.
Xiao Xu felt increasingly uncomfortable. If this continued, it would not benefit him either.
“Clan leader, you came here so late at night. Is there something important?”
Only then did the clan leader finally speak.
“My Jiang’s illness has become worse again. I spent all the money I had on winter provisions, so I cannot come up with any extra silver to treat him. I came to ask if I could borrow some money from you. Would that be possible?”
“…The third drawer in the wardrobe. Open it and take what you need. Jiang’s illness cannot be delayed.”
“Second Son, do not worry. I will repay you next spring.”
Gratitude filled the clan leader’s eyes, bringing tears to them. He turned around, took the money, and left.
Only the two of them remained in the room, and it suddenly became much quieter.
Only a low, hoarse sound could be heard.
“Sister in law, do you still have something to say?”
The cold voice came from behind her.
Qing Wu shuddered and turned around. Her face was full of apology, and her voice became much softer. She no longer had the quick wit she had displayed earlier.
“Second Son, everything I just said was true. Do you believe me?”
“When you did this, did you have even the slightest thought for my elder brother?”
His voice was as cold as icy jade, making her feel a chill.
“How could you think of me that way? I had only just married into the family when your elder brother died. I faithfully observed mourning for him for an entire year!”
Qing Wu covered her face with her hands and pretended to wipe away tears as she cried.
Seeing her putting on such an act without shedding a single tear, Xiao Xu was almost angered into laughter.
“You were very good at acting just now. What happened? You cannot even shed a single tear now?”
Qing Wu twisted her sleeve and wiped the corners of her eyes.
“Second Son, you know how much I loved your elder brother. How could I lie to you?”
“Loved?”
Xiao Xu gave a cold laugh.
“You know perfectly well how you married my elder brother. Do you still intend to use the same tricks on me?”
“I did not!”
Qing Wu shook her head vigorously. Thinking back to the original host’s tragic fate, she refused to admit anything.
“It really was not me who drugged you. I really did see a man in black enter your room just now! Second Son, I carried the stone in because I wanted to save you!”
“Save me? Then why did you pull at my clothes?”
Xiao Xu sneered inwardly. There was no man in black at all. Everything she had said was a fabrication. When this woman had rushed into the room earlier, she had immediately started tearing at his clothes. Unexpectedly, he could feel his blood surging throughout his body.
He had once overheard this wicked woman secretly discussing her plan with her father. They had intended to drug him and force herself upon him.
He had thought she would never dare actually carry out such a thing, but he had not expected her to truly drug him.
Xiao Xu raised his head and saw that she had lowered hers. Fine strands of hair clung to either side of her face, her earlobes were slightly red, and her dark eyes like black jade kept shifting as though she were thinking of a way to respond.
Sure enough, her eyes soon lit up.
“I only did that because you were injured, Second Son. I was afraid you would get hurt, so I wanted to lift your quilt and see whether you were all right. Second Son, my feelings for you are sincere.”
The strange sensation in Xiao Xu’s lower abdomen grew increasingly intense. His eyes were filled with disgust, and he did not want to argue with her anymore.
“Get out!”
Those words sounded like a pardon to Qing Wu.
“Then, Second Son, rest well. Call me if you need anything!”
Her voice carried concern, but she quickly turned and walked toward the door. Even after stepping outside, she glanced back into the room. Seeing Xiao Xu seemingly about to raise his head and look at her, she quickly closed the door.
There was an open window in the main room. A cool breeze poured through the window lattice and struck her face, making her instinctively lift her eyes.
She looked at the clear moon and sparse stars in the sky, and a wave of relief washed over her at having survived a disaster.
First, she died suddenly from overwork in her previous life and somehow came back to life. Second, she had temporarily avoided the danger of being drowned in the pond.
But now that she had arrived, where had the original host gone?
As though it knew what she was thinking, the system’s mechanical voice rang in her mind.
「The original host was allergic to alcohol and has already died.」
“But she never drank any alcohol?”
Qing Wu was puzzled. She had the original host’s memories, so naturally she knew there was no memory of her drinking alcohol.
「The story of this world is already halfway through. Due to an unexpected incident involving the original female lead, the world’s magnetic field became unstable, causing the plot to spiral out of control and many cannon fodder characters to die for inexplicable reasons. Therefore, you were brought here to stabilize the magnetic field. As long as you complete the tasks assigned by this system, you will receive a super reward.」
Qing Wu frowned slightly, puzzled.
“Why me? Can I really stabilize the magnetic field?”
The system had no intention of answering her question and replied coldly.
「Host, please choose whether to accept the mission or refuse the mission.
The death countdown is beginning. Ten, nine, eight…」
“I, I accept!”
Qing Wu had no time to think. She gritted her teeth and agreed.
「Female lead successfully bound. First mission loading…」
“What is the mission?”
Qing Wu wrapped her arms around herself and hesitated for a moment.
“I am a proper woman!”
This was an adult romance novel, after all. Surely the system would not assign her some outrageous mission.
「Ultimate mission: The host must marry the male lead and consummate the marriage. The mission will be considered successful upon completion.
The available male leads are as follows: One, Xiao Xu. Two, Lu Xun you. The host must make a choice within ten seconds. Otherwise, the mission will be deemed a failure. If the mission fails, the host will die immediately. In addition, please note that Xiao Xu is the original male lead of this world. The host is advised to choose carefully. You alone will bear all consequences.」
She would die if the mission failed, and she was only given ten seconds to choose?!
Then what else could she choose?
Qing Wu remembered Xiao Xu’s face, which had been filled with disgust toward her, and decisively chose the latter.
「The male lead of this world has been successfully bound to the host.
Please complete the daily missions issued by the system on time.」
Qing Wu had only just calmed down when the system struck her with another bolt from the blue.
“Are there daily missions too?”
「Heaven’s secrets cannot be revealed.」
After answering this sentence, the system hurriedly went offline.
Just then, another cold breeze swept over, making her shiver.
“Forget it.”
Since she had already come here, she might as well accept it.
In her previous life, after she died, her soul had fallen into chaos and seemed to be wrapped in endless cold darkness. She did not want to experience that again. Having been given another chance at life was already something she should be grateful for.
The system had just said that the ultimate mission was to consummate the marriage after getting married. In an adult romance novel, that was already a very minor scene. Surely those daily missions would not be too outrageous.
After thinking it over, she felt much more at ease. She stopped dwelling on it, turned around, and returned to the original host’s room. She took off her shoes with great familiarity and climbed into bed. The moment she touched the bed, sleepiness overwhelmed her, and she soon fell asleep.
The next morning, the sky was already bright.
Qing Wu slept until she naturally woke up before getting out of bed. When she walked out of the room, she was greeted by a bleak mountain landscape as winter approached. A few evergreen trees were scattered across the mountains, adding a touch of vitality to the otherwise desolate scenery.
This adult romance novel was set in a fictional dynasty. It was currently the thirty sixth year of the Zhengyuan era of the Great Wei Dynasty.
The village where she lived was called Bishui Village, located in a prosperous county under Nanxiang.
It was not very far from Bishui Village to Nanxiang either.
Although the village had beautiful scenery, Qing Wu did not want to remain here. She wanted to go to prosperous streets, to Nanxiang, and to the capital city. She wanted to earn money, buy houses, and enjoy life. That was what made life interesting.
Because she had been too narrow minded in her previous life, working herself to death after earning money instead of spending it, she only wanted to earn money and enjoy herself in this life.
“Sister Wu!”
Qing Wu was lost in thought when a woman in a yellow shirt waved at her from a distance. She was also carrying a basket.
Qing Xiang jogged over and stopped beside her. She glanced into the house and, seeing no sign of that fiend Xiao Xu, finally opened the cloth covering the basket. Inside were several large, oily meat buns still steaming with heat.
“I knew you would only be getting up now. My father made these big meat buns. Try one!”
Qing Wu had a memory of this young woman in her mind. She was the original host’s cousin, and the two had grown up together with a close relationship.
“Thank you.”
Qing Wu had not eaten anything all day and was starving. She picked one up and took a large bite.
Qing Xiang leaned closer to her ear.
“That cripple Xiao Xu went out again?”
At the mention of this, Qing Wu was stunned. She did not know how Xiao Xu was doing either. The aphrodisiac she had given him had been quite potent. If he had not relieved its effects, he might suffer permanent damage.
Could it be that he had taken care of it himself yesterday?
“Look at that entire family of sickly people. Xiao Yan died and still has to keep you from marrying someone else, while Xiao Xu insists on waiting until the three year mourning period is over before letting you leave! By the time you are older, it will probably be difficult for you to find another husband.”
Qing Xiang felt that it was unfair to her.
“It is fine. Three years is three years. The laws of Great Wei state that when a husband dies, his widow must observe mourning for three years before she can request a separation from her husband’s family. One year has already passed anyway, so it is not a big deal.”
Qing Wu threw all those inappropriate thoughts out of her mind.
She still had the energy to think about other things!
The most important thing now was to build a good relationship with Xiao Xu. What if the three year mourning period ended and he refused to let her leave? Would she have to remain trapped in this village until she died?
There was also that ridiculous mission. In the end, she had to marry the male lead. If Xiao Xu refused to let her leave, how could she marry someone else?
Qing Xiang pouted.
“Your father also said that he found a good match for you and wanted you to meet him today.”
“I did not know that my Sister in law was also planning to remarry.”
A cold and indifferent voice came from behind the two of them.
“Ah!”
Qing Xiang jumped in fright. When she turned around and saw Xiao Xu, she patted her chest and quickly defended herself.
“It is me who is looking for a husband. I want to ask my sister to go and have a look. You, you misunderstood.”
Xiao Xu was wearing a coarse cloth shirt that had been washed so many times that it had faded white. He leaned on a walking stick and looked poor and shabby, yet his jade-like face and cold eyes made him look like a fiend.
Qing Xiang was frightened by his imposing presence every time she encountered him.
He was clearly nothing more than a poor scholar!
“You have only just reached adulthood this year. Is Physician Qing really in such a hurry to marry you off?”
Xiao Xu gave a cold snort, obviously not believing her.
Qing Wu pulled Qing Xiang behind her and smiled warmly.
“She was only joking with me. You know what she is like. She has loved making jokes since she was little.”
“Heh.”
Remembering what had happened the previous day, Xiao Xu had even less patience for her.
“My family does not welcome outsiders.”
“I will leave then! If Sister Wu had not married into your family, do you think I would even want to come here?”
Qing Xiang handed the basket in her hands to Qing Wu before turning around and running away angrily.
After seeing her leave, Xiao Xu leaned on his walking stick and headed toward the house.
Qing Wu hurried after him. After struggling with herself for a moment, she asked,
“How are you feeling down there after yesterday?”
In her previous life, she had been a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner, so she knew how potent that aphrodisiac was. If it was not dealt with properly, it could cause permanent damage. From a doctor’s perspective, she had asked the question.