“Your Highness, please be cautious~”

“Xue Chen is, after all, a hostage prince from the Heavenly Phoenix Nation. If you beat him to death, what are we to do!”

Hm?

So noisy.

Ning Shengsheng opened her eyes.

She saw many eunuchs and palace maids kneeling at her feet.

Before she could clearly see who was speaking, a strange, mechanical voice sounded in her mind.

【…Binding successful】

【Welcome, Host, to the cliché-ridden, angsty xuanhuan romance novel, “Chains of Clouded Joy.”】

【Congratulations, Host, you have received the “Ning An” character experience.】

【Beep…】

【Mission interface loading complete…】

Chains… of Clouded Joy?

Wasn’t this the novel she’d been obsessed with recently?

So, she had transmigrated into the book?

She remembered that before transmigrating, despite usually being stingy, she had topped up two hundred and fifty yuan on a shady website just to unlock Xue Chen’s extra chapters!

She had just bought the last few chapters, ordered takeout, and was ready to curl up on the sofa to properly savor it.

And the result was transmigrating directly into the novel?

Wait! The Ning An character experience?

If she remembered correctly, that was a vicious side character who dies an early death.

She had finally managed to transmigrate, but instead of becoming the female lead, Yun Huaiyue, who becomes the number one cultivator and has three great immortal lords fawning over her, she’d become cannon fodder?

And it was congratulating her?

Whoever wanted this “good fortune” could have it.

Ning Shengsheng wanted to cry but had no tears.

【Host, please complete the mission. Say the key line: “Beat him viciously for me!”】

The system interrupted her thoughts.

Ning Shengsheng came back to her senses, lifted her eyelids, and saw the person kneeling in the center of the grand hall.

The young man had red lips and white teeth and was exceptionally handsome. The red mole between his eyebrows, in particular, made his features even more striking.

It was just that his handsome face was bruised.

Seeing that mole, Ning Shengsheng was quite excited.

This was Xue Chen!

Just as she was about to run over for a closer look, the system in her mind urged her, 【Host, please complete the mission to whip Xue Chen and say those five words.】

Beat Xue Chen?

“Chains of Clouded Joy” was as cliché as a novel could get, and the only character in the entire book with a brain was Xue Chen. Ning Shengsheng actually had a pretty good impression of this character.

Ning Shengsheng: 【What happens if I don’t say it?】

System: 【Since the Host refuses, this system will reclaim control of the character to speak the line.】

Ning Shengsheng, half-believing, said: 【Then go ahead and reclaim…】

System: 【Host, allow me a friendly reminder. You have already died of sudden cardiac arrest in the modern world. Reclaiming control of the character means your consciousness will be completely dissipated.】

Ning Shengsheng shot to her feet with a whoosh, frightening the eunuchs and palace maids into a huddle.

The young man in the center of the hall lifted his gaze to glance at Ning Shengsheng, his dark eyes shifting slightly, making it impossible to see the expression within.

【…How did I die so suddenly?】

System: 【You topped up 250 yuan. When you opened the extra chapters, you were overly excited, and then…】

【…You died suddenly.】

Ning Shengsheng could even detect a hint of mockery in the system’s mechanical voice.

She had thought she could still return to the modern world, but she’d never expected to have already kicked the bucket.

Didn’t that mean the small apartment she scrimped and saved so much money for was also gone?

I could just die crying.

The others saw the princess with teary eyes one moment and looking lost and dejected the next.

Could she have gone mad?

The palace maids and eunuchs lowered their heads even further.

System: 【Host, please carry out the mission immediately, or character control will be reclaimed at once.】

The emotionless voice continued: 【Please say the key line “Beat him viciously for me” within three seconds.】

【Three】

【Two】

【One】

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

The eunuch holding the whip stood beside Xue Chen.

Ning Shengsheng glanced guiltily at the young man, quickly apologized in her heart, squeezed her eyes shut, and in a tone of complete desperation, said: “Beat him viciously for me.”

“This slave obeys.”

The eunuch raised the whip.

Ning Shengsheng’s eyes slowly moved over, and she suddenly met a pair of black pupils.

A terrifying, dead silence.

How could someone’s eyes hold such utter despair?

She didn’t dare to look again.

The novel rarely described Xue Chen’s youth. What she had seen was his later self—ruthless, slaughtering all in his path, becoming a fearsome figure whose name alone struck terror in the cultivation world.

After twenty lashes, Ning Shengsheng immediately stopped him: “That’s… that’s enough…”

Stop! Oh, my god!

If you keep beating him, I’m the one who’s going to die.

Who was this? This was the person who would seize power in the Heavenly Phoenix Nation in the middle of the novel, then lead an army to crush the Great Ning Dynasty. The very first person to die would be the “Princess Ning An” who had bullied him.

Princess Ning An’s head was lopped off by Xue Chen with a single sword stroke.

It was hung on the city wall for three years.

Three years. Nothing but a skull left, still suffering under the wind and sun.

But thinking about it, “Princess Ning An” got what she deserved. When Xue Chen was a hostage prince in the Great Ning Dynasty, she had used every method imaginable to humiliate and bully him.

The villain didn’t die from the torture; he lived on hatred.

“Sigh…” She couldn’t help but let out a sigh.

“Your Highness, why the sigh? He’s just a hostage prince from a vassal state. Beating him is no big deal.” The round-faced young eunuch walked up with the whip, fawningly trying to curry favor. “As long as he doesn’t die, it’s fine.”

Ning Shengsheng glanced at the young eunuch with a heavy heart, thinking to herself: You must be eager to get killed by the villain right alongside me.

【Plot point complete. Dispensing one Health Recovery Pill.】

A red pill with a lustrous sheen spun in the air before flying into Ning Shengsheng’s sleeve. Only she could see all this.

Seeing the princess didn’t react, the young eunuch asked again, “Your Highness, how should we deal with him?”

Ning Shengsheng thought for a moment. The deed was done; she’d find a chance to make it up to him later.

In any case, she absolutely could not oppose Xue Chen, and she was determined not to have her head lopped off by a sword.

“Take him away. This princess is tired.”

She put on a calm facade, but her heart was pounding uncontrollably.

Knowing she was in the wrong, she guiltily snuck a glance at Xue Chen. The young man was dressed in dark robes, which were wrinkled and even torn in several places, revealing the white undergarment.

Such a pitiful villain.

Just as she was about to look away, her gaze happened to meet Xue Chen’s. The young man’s deep black eyes were bloodshot, and his lips were an unnatural pale from the recent whipping.

His eyes held no joy or sorrow as he looked at her. His dark pupils were as calm as still water.

For no reason, her heart tightened, and the hairs on her arms stood on end. She silently chanted, Amitabha, Buddha Gautama.

After a long moment, the young man’s clear voice, completely at odds with his aura, rang out in the empty hall.

“Xue Chen thanks Princess Ning An for the gift of the whip. This subject takes his leave.”

The young man bowed his thanks, his expression calm, showing not the slightest hint of displeasure.

Damn! It’s the lack of displeasure that’s terrifying.

Only after Xue Chen had left did Ning Shengsheng’s heartbeat begin to slow. Seeing him reminded her of “Princess Ning An’s” head hanging on the city wall, exposed to the elements for three years.

For all she knew, it would be her head getting baked in the sun.

“Your Highness?” the young eunuch raised his voice.

“Clang—”

Startled, Ning Shengsheng slid off her chair. “Laicai, are you trying to scare this princess to death?”

“Thump—” The young eunuch fell to his knees, wailing dramatically. “This slave wouldn’t dare! Your Highness, please see clearly! This slave would rather swallow a fierce beast whole than dare to frighten you!”