Five Big Bosses are Too Clingy After Transmigrating into a Book - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Marriage-Phobe Faces Five Husbands

“I am not the Main Husband, so I am not worthy of this celebratory red. Why did Your Highness the Crown Princess bother with this show?”

A deep voice reached her ears. Chu Xingchen opened her eyes to a sea of red. Her hands clenched. The current situation did not look like the aftermath of a car accident.

A ceremonial scepter lifted the red veil. Chu Xingchen looked up. The man who met her eyes was dressed entirely in white, a sharp contrast to the red she wore. He exuded scholarly air and noble, gentlemanly grace, making him seem untouchable.

The gentleman was humble and gentle as jade, yet his eyes were cold, showing no trace of joy. Just as Chu Xingchen was about to examine him closely, the lifted red veil dropped back down.

“Settle down,” the low voice sounded again. The next second, Chu Xingchen was pushed onto the bed. The red veil still covered her eyes. Startled, she reached out to pull the veil off, but her hand was caught. “Don’t move.”

The red veil was pressed tighter against her face. Everything before her was red, and in her ear was the man’s deep, husky voice, “Tonight, it will be as you wish, Chu Xingchen.”

Hearing the name, Chu Xingchen shuddered. A flood of memories suddenly surged into her mind, giving her an instant, splitting headache.

She had transmigrated. She was now inside a female-supremacy, sweet-romance novel she had read two days ago. The female lead, Chen Ruoshui, was a charismatic darling whom countless men adored. Chu Xingchen, who shared the same name, was the cannon-fodder Crown Princess of the book.

The Crown Princess loved Xie Ziqing, but Xie Ziqing loved the female lead, Chen Ruoshui. He never explicitly rejected the Crown Princess nor expressed his feelings, because Chen Ruoshui was the Crown Princess’s study companion, and Chen Ruoshui feared the Crown Princess would trouble her.

Xie Ziqing, fearing his beloved would be implicated, had constantly indulged the Crown Princess. He accepted her favors but never returned her affection.

Later, when Chen Ruoshui became engaged, he participated in the “Gentlemen’s Selection” for the Crown Princess’s husbands in a fit of pique. The Crown Princess took it seriously and insisted on making Xie Ziqing the Main Husband. The Empress disagreed, but he was eventually brought into the palace, becoming one of the Side Consorts of the Eastern Palace.

However, Xie Ziqing regretted it as soon as he reconciled with Chen Ruoshui. Citing his desire for a lifelong monogamous relationship, he treated the Crown Princess coldly. Although he willingly participated in the selection, he acted as if he were deeply wronged, refusing to accept the Crown Princess and keeping his body pure for Chen Ruoshui.

A month after his entrance into the palace, the Crown Princess was still a virgin. Xie Ziqing wouldn’t touch her, and she refused to touch anyone else.

The reason Xie Ziqing suddenly changed his mind and decided to “touch” the Crown Princess was because she had previously whipped Chen Ruoshui. He sought revenge for his beloved and ultimately decided to sacrifice himself by compromising his body for the Crown Princess.

Starting this night, Xie Ziqing would begin his ‘male fox-spirit’ career, gradually manipulating the Crown Princess and launching her tragic life.

The Crown Princess, completely unaware of any of this, only thought her sincere love had finally moved Xie Ziqing. She promised to recognize only him as the Main Husband for life, even specially having celebratory robes made and completing the wedding ceremony with him.

Xie Ziqing hated the Crown Princess and naturally refused to wear the red wedding attire or touch her. So, this was his only attempt at intimacy, for which he had even lit a specially formulated incense to help him through it.

But disgust was disgust. Fearing the Crown Princess would see the hatred on his face, and fearing his own nausea, he used the red veil to cover her face and convinced himself in his mind that she was Chen Ruoshui, thus completing the act.

The Crown Princess became pregnant on this single encounter. On the day she gave birth, Xie Ziqing launched a coup. He used a sword to kill the daughter the Crown Princess had laboriously given birth to and hadn’t even opened her eyes yet. He replaced her with Chen Ruoshui’s previously born daughter, a classic ‘Prince for a Fox-Cat’ scheme. In this way, the State of Chu was quietly stolen.

Remembering the events of the book, Chu Xingchen regained her composure, just as she felt a pair of hands undoing her sash. A wave of fury rushed to her head.

If you don’t want to sleep with me, then don’t. But covering my face? Do you think you’re Yin Zhiping? [A notorious villain in martial arts novels who sexually assaulted a character while she was veiled.]

To sleep with someone and then take no responsibility, a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs, yet he personally killed his own child, deeming the child a source of shame—worse than a beast.

This was the part Chu Xingchen found most unacceptable when reading the novel. Xie Ziqing killed his wife and daughter to complete his love story, showing heartless cruelty to his own child, yet held Chen Ruoshui’s non-bl00d-related daughter in his palm, raising her to the highest throne, simply because she was the child of his beloved; he loved the house and the crow in it.

This love, devoid of humanity, did not move her; it terrified her.

Chu Xingchen broke free from the hand Xie Ziqing was holding, tore off the red headscarf, and immediately saw the hint of disgust and unwillingness on Xie Ziqing’s flushed face.

Xie Ziqing frowned, just about to speak, when he met Chu Xingchen’s icy gaze. He paused slightly; before, Chu Xingchen always looked at him with overflowing affection.

Chu Xingchen gave Xie Ziqing no time to react. She lifted her foot and kicked him directly off the bed.

“Since you are so unwilling, why bother humiliating yourself? Get out.”

Xie Ziqing was caught off guard, landing heavily and miserably on the floor, his chest aching. Lying on the ground, he hadn’t even fully registered what happened, staring at Chu Xingchen in shock, a shadow of malice and panic flashing in his eyes.

He realized Chu Xingchen had seen his unwillingness. Xie Ziqing’s heart sank, and he quickly spoke, attempting to coax her, “Xingchen, you…”

Chu Xingchen stood up, firmly retightening her slightly loosened sash, and glanced at Xie Ziqing. “Is ‘Xingchen’ a name you are worthy of calling?”

Her voice was cool and devoid of emotion. Xie Ziqing froze completely, staring at Chu Xingchen’s elegant, cold profile, utterly speechless.

In the past, she had always asked him not to call her ‘Your Highness the Crown Princess,’ telling him to call her ‘Xingchen,’ but now she was saying he was unworthy of the name.

Dressed in red, Chu Xingchen’s slender waist was cinched tightly by the sash, her crimson skirt pooling on the floor. Her dark, inky hair cascaded over her shoulders, and the red huadian [forehead ornament] against her flawless skin made her dazzling and instantly seemed unattainable.

She was breathtakingly beautiful, yet her eyes were deep and cold—truly a contrast of ice and fire. This contrast was reflected in Xie Ziqing’s body; his heart felt chilled, but his body involuntarily heated up, his throat bobbing, his whole body becoming stiffer.

Outsiders often spoke of the Crown Princess having beauty but lacking substance, usually with a tone of pity, but they indirectly affirmed her beauty. Xie Ziqing had never paid attention, but looking at the stunning, intimidating Chu Xingchen now, a flicker of desire rose in his heart.

He thought, since Chu Xingchen was unhappy with her face being covered and saw his expression, he would just explain properly, and not cover her face. He could tolerate it for the sake of the plan.

Xie Ziqing stiffly stood up and reached out to embrace Chu Xingchen.

Chu Xingchen, who was completely unprepared for this transmigration, was busy sorting out the plot and her identity. Overall, the plot was about the ‘dog-lover’ Crown Princess, who gained nothing from her devotion. She had five husbands but devoted herself exclusively to…

Wait a minute, now that she was Chu Xingchen, that meant she had five husbands.

She, a marriage-phobe, had transmigrated and instantly become married! Even more exaggerated, five husbands?!