I'm competing with the male lead for a woman (GL) - Chapter 5
Having endured ultimate torment, Xiao Jin finally established an alliance with Chu Shao.
To ensure her safety, she proposed sleeping in separate rooms, to which Chu Shao readily agreed.
However, the process of returning to her room was not so simple.
Although the female lead’s thought patterns were unconventional, Xiao Jin’s legs were visibly impaired, so Chu Shao very considerately pushed Xiao Jin back to her room.
Once alone in the room, Xiao Jin spread out the plain handkerchief Chu Shao had given her earlier.
The edges of the silk handkerchief were stained with bl00d, resembling Chu Shao’s smooth, slender fingers, but stained with crimson.
Xiao Jin instantly felt that the handkerchief had become frightening.
A chill ran down her spine, and just as Xiao Jin was about to put the handkerchief away, she suddenly noticed that there seemed to be an embroidered pattern on the back of the handkerchief.
Flipping the handkerchief over, the pattern embroidered on the other side was clearly visible.
It was unmistakably the ice lotus flower from Chu Shao’s shoes.
System: “Congratulations, host, you have collected the key item [Ice Lotus Flower Handkerchief] x1.”
The sudden mechanical voice startled Xiao Jin.
After recovering, Xiao Jin asked expressionlessly, “What are key items for?”
“Key items can be used to unlock side hidden storylines. The host can only return to the original world after completing both the main and side missions and meeting the departure conditions.”
Xiao Jin: “The main mission is already so difficult, and I have to do side missions?”
“Whether it’s the main mission or the side mission, the host can receive generous lifespan rewards upon completion.”
“Moreover, the system will issue rewards of varying degrees depending on your completion.”
If there were rewards, it was barely acceptable.
Xiao Jin: “How much lifespan reward can I get this time?”
“Detecting that the host has completed Mission 1 ‘Bride Snatching’, given the host’s low completion rate, the system will only issue a 24-hour lifespan reward. Please keep up the good work!”
Listening to the system’s kind voice, Xiao Jin felt she might need to redefine the meaning of “generous.”
Having finally escaped the yandere female lead and returned to the original owner’s room, Xiao Jin should have had a good night’s sleep.
But in the quiet of the night, she pondered with dread: how did Chu Shao know she lived in this room?
As a result, nightmares plagued her all night.
Waking up the next day, Xiao Jin remembered the cluster of ice lotus flowers splattered with bl00d in her dream, and remained silent for a long time.
Resigned to her fate, she coughed for a while and asked the system, “Can’t we fast-forward? I feel like I can’t go on anymore.”
“No, host.”
Once Xiao Jin got out of bed, the system issued her second main mission.
“Please prepare, host, the palace is about to issue an imperial decree to summon you and the female lead.”
“Mission location: Imperial Study. Mission difficulty: Medium.”
“Friendly reminder, host, you currently possess the item ‘Ice Lotus Flower Handkerchief’, which meets the conditions for conducting side mission one, so you can look for clues for the side mission while completing the main mission.”
Xiao Jin was overwhelmed: “What are the clues for the side mission?”
“Having three or more conversations with the Grand Princess Zhaoyang has a 60% chance of obtaining them.”
The Imperial Study was definitely where the emperor handled political affairs.
As for Grand Princess Zhaoyang, Xiao Shuang, she seemed to be Emperor Qi’s elder sister in the original story.
Xiao Jin now had only one question: “What does Chu Shao’s handkerchief have to do with the Grand Princess?”
“Host, no comment at this time, please keep up the good work.”
Faced with the system, this useless cheering machine, Xiao Jin regretted opening this dog-bl00d novel in the first place.
••••
The imperial decree soon arrived from the palace.
Everyone in the mansion knelt to listen, except for Xiao Jin, who, relying on her leg disability, calmly sat in her wheelchair, exempt from bowing to the emperor.
This was probably the only benefit of transmigrating into the original owner.
Today, Chu Shao took off her wedding gown and wore a wide-sleeved white robe, with a silver-blue floral ornament on her forehead, shaped like an ice lotus flower.
With a faint smile on her lips, if Xiao Jin didn’t know the female lead was seriously ill, she might have thought she was a celestial being descended to earth.
Having learned the female lead’s true nature, even if Chu Shao was as beautiful as a fairy, Xiao Jin only felt goosebumps.
The original owner, with her legs completely disabled, found it difficult to dress.
So Xiao Jin only had time to bind her chest with white cloth, put on a middle garment inside, and throw on a cloak before hurriedly going out to receive the decree.
After receiving the decree, she had to return to her room to change into formal attire before properly entering the palace to meet the emperor.
Xiao Jin already felt uncomfortable having servants help her put on shoes and fasten her belt, but then Chu Shao suddenly appeared.
Xiao Jin looked at the female lead standing in front of her, and then at the servants who immediately put down the comb and retreated to the side.
The little girl didn’t even have time to comb Xiao Jin’s hair before she curtsied and bowed deeply to Chu Shao: “This servant greets the Princess Consort.”
At that moment, Xiao Jin felt the entire dog-bl00d world had become extremely unreal.
In the original story, the female lead was humiliated and bullied by everyone in the early stages, and even a cannon fodder without a name could step on her.
Now Xiao Jin felt she was probably transmigrated into a strong female lead’s power fantasy novel.
Xiao Jin didn’t know that due to the bride snatching incident yesterday, and her classic domineering president-style confession, the entire capital was now spreading rumors of “Lord Yan risking everything for a beauty.”
There were even discussions of shocking speculations, saying that Lord Yan scolded the fourth prince for his beloved, and even conquered the Yao Country for her.
A generation of killing gods had finally fallen under the pomegranate skirt, surrendering to beauty.
The absurdity was second only to Chu Shao’s treason theory.
And these unfounded rumors naturally spread into Lord Yan’s Mansion.
Therefore, even though Chu Shao was someone Xiao Jin had snatched, and had not been granted a title, no one in Lord Yan’s Mansion dared to offend Chu Shao, and could only respectfully address her as Princess Consort.
Xiao Jin was still unable to accept the divine development of the plot.
But Chu Shao entered the role with remarkable speed, only slightly surprised, and then gently said to the servant, “Rise.”
Her eyebrows and eyes were filled with gentleness, acting as if it were real.
Admittedly, Xiao Jin felt Chu Shao’s dedication to the performance, but she didn’t expect her to be so dedicated as to walk to her side.
Picking up the wooden comb, she said with a smile, “Your Highness, let me arrange your hair for you.”
“…”
Having Chu Shao arrange her hair made Xiao Jin feel a little dangerous, but the most dangerous thing was refusing a yandere’s request.
Chu Shao, holding the comb, saw that Xiao Jin didn’t speak for a long time, and said softly, “Your Highness seems unwilling to let me arrange your hair.”
Xiao Jin stared at Chu Shao, thinking, no way, you can tell?
Before she could say anything, she heard Chu Shao say, “Indeed, I was rash.”
In fact, she didn’t really want to arrange Xiao Jin’s hair, she just wanted to find some fun.
Anyway, after Xiao Jin lost the bet, all parts of her body would belong to her, and she could slowly comb Xiao Jin’s hair then.
Thinking of this, Chu Shao suddenly found a logical loophole and couldn’t help frowning.
If Xiao Jin became a corpse, her body wouldn’t have that faint mint scent, and her fingers would become stiff, without the soft touch of living skin.
Then this bet would lose its meaning.
Chu Shao slightly widened her eyes, realizing that she had been tricked by Xiao Jin.
But she had drunk wedding wine with Xiao Jin, and they were now accomplices connected by fate.
Chu Shao sighed softly.
Next time, she would think more carefully before agreeing to anyone’s alliance.
Xiao Jin watched the changes in Chu Shao’s expression. She didn’t know that the other person’s psychological activities had gone through many twists and turns, and even had the idea of breaking the alliance.
But she had a feeling that Chu Shao was definitely not thinking about anything good.
Although Xiao Jin had always been arrogant and didn’t care about anything, Chu Shao’s mood was related to her plan to return home, so she could only make concessions.
Looking at the comb in Chu Shao’s hand, she said indifferently, “I’m not unwilling to let the Princess arrange my hair, I’m just afraid the Princess will be tired. Since the Princess has this intention, then I’ll trouble you.”
Hearing this, Chu Shao’s face regained its smile: “Okay.”
Chu Shao picked up the comb and gently combed Xiao Jin’s hair, her mood Chu Shao picked up the comb and gently combed Xiao Jin’s hair, her mood becoming extremely pleasant.
She completely forgot that she had just been fantasizing about Xiao Jin’s corpse.
Chu Shao reached out, stroked Xiao Jin’s smooth black hair, then picked up a strand and combed it carefully with the dense teeth of the comb.
As she combed, the thin mist in the courtyard dissipated.
Sunlight shone through the red wooden window lattices, leaking in lightly and gracefully.
Chu Shao watched as the sunlight entered the room, and Xiao Jin’s hair was also coated with a layer of warm gold, like gold foil scattered all over the ground.
She was a little curious, reaching out her fingertips to touch the hair ribbon, a very soft touch.
Chu Shao suddenly realized that Xiao Jin’s hair was gently winding around her fingers, so she carefully savored this unfamiliar feeling.
It was slightly itchy, a very strange feeling.
Anyway, it wasn’t unpleasant.
Before long, Chu Shao had tied Xiao Jin’s jade crown.
Xiao Jin still felt a little strange. The female lead seemed quite quiet when she combed her hair, her eyebrows and eyes gentle, and she didn’t have an episode.
After combing her hair, Chu Shao put the jade crown on Xiao Jin, the corners of her mouth curving into a satisfied smile, as if it were a masterpiece she had created.
Xiao Jin didn’t feel much, after all, she wasn’t an ancient person and couldn’t tell the difference.
She was about to enter the palace to meet the emperor when Chu Shao stood still, smiling lightly at her, seemingly not intending to leave.
Xiao Jin reasonably guessed that Chu Shao had probably forgotten that she was completely disabled and needed someone to push her wheelchair to walk.
But it didn’t matter. There were hundreds of people in Lord Yan’s Mansion, and there was always someone who could push a wheelchair.
Even when the person to push the wheelchair arrived, Chu Shao still stood under the window, smiling at Xiao Jin, and didn’t put down the comb in her hand.
After a long while, her smile faded a little, and she asked puzzledly, “Your Highness, is it not good-looking?”
Xiao Jin didn’t know what Chu Shao was asking about.
But seeing Chu Shao standing under the window bathed in sunlight, her clothes fluttering, like snow falling from the clouds, she felt it was indeed very beautiful.
So she nodded, sincerely praising, “Good-looking.”
Having received a positive answer, Chu Shao put down the comb and smiled with her eyebrows curved: “I’m glad you like it.”
••••
Snow began to fall in the capital.
Fine snow fluttered down, landing on the yellow tiles on the top of the palace, soon melting into water, leaving a scar-like dark mark.
The wheelchair rolled over the thin snow, and the wheel tracks spread along the ground.
Another pair of shallow footprints followed closely behind.
Winter was indeed a freezing season. To keep warm, Xiao Jin had put on the original owner’s standard black fur coat.
But she didn’t expect that even with the fur collar tightly fastened, she was still blown by the oncoming cold wind and coughed from time to time.
Since Emperor Qi had specifically named her and the female lead to meet, Xiao Jin couldn’t bring anyone else besides Chu Shao.
Therefore, at this moment, it was Chu Shao who was pushing her wheelchair and Chu Shao who was holding the umbrella to block the snow.
Xiao Jin sat in the wheelchair, letting Chu Shao push her forward, feeling that she probably wouldn’t have to walk on her own feet for the entire year.
The snow was getting heavier and heavier, almost dyeing the umbrella surface pure white.
Chu Shao pushed the wheelchair with one hand and held the umbrella with the other, quite enjoying this novel feeling she had never experienced.
The eunuchs and palace servants all knelt on the ground, waiting for the two to go far away.
Only when they couldn’t see anyone even by looking far away did they dare to get up and discuss in a low voice the two figures hidden between the white snow and the red walls.
“I didn’t understand why Lord Yan personally destroyed the Yao Country before, but now I understand.”
“If I were Lord Yan, knowing that there was such a beautiful woman in the Yao Country, I would also send troops thousands of miles away to see the beauty.”
••••
Xiao Jin had no idea that the original owner’s reputation had gone from one extreme to another.
At this moment, she was expressionlessly waiting outside the Imperial Study, listening to the pipa music and giggles coming from inside, like listening to the sound of a fallen country.
Looking at Chu Shao, she still had a smile on her lips.
But she was probably also wondering why the Yao Country fell, not the Qi Country.
In fact, Xiao Jin could also understand Emperor Qi’s incompetence. After all, in the original story, if the emperor had worked hard to govern, there would have been no role for the male lead, the crown prince.
But this didn’t mean that Xiao Jin could tolerate such an emperor leaving her out in the cold.
Either don’t summon her, or hurry up.
Xiao Jin decided to remind Emperor Qi that his filial son was still waiting outside.
So she cleared her throat and shouted loudly with all her strength, “Your son Xiao Jin—greets Father Emperor!”