Transmigrated into a Scummy Alpha Playboy in Ancient Times (GL) - Chapter 1

When Shen Xingyue woke up, her head throbbed dully, and her body felt limp and weak. She slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself in a setting completely unlike her own bedroom—more like something straight out of a historical drama.

Propping herself up, she pressed a hand to her aching forehead and glanced around. The first thing that caught her eye was the bed she was currently lying on: a large, ornately carved wooden canopy bed, with gauzy curtains draped over it. It looked expensive. She reached out to lift the curtain and finally took in the full view of the room.

It was a traditionally decorated space, furnished with an elegant vanity, table, and chairs—everything one might expect in a refined ancient setting, and all crafted with exquisite detail. After resting for a while, once her headache eased a bit, Shen Xingyue got up to put on her shoes. Only then did she realize she was dressed in what looked like a period-style inner robe.

Without time to dwell on it, she slipped on her shoes and hurried over to the bronze mirror in the room. But the moment she caught sight of her reflection, she froze.

The woman in the mirror looked exactly like her—but dressed like someone from ancient times. Her hair was tied up in a simple bun at the top of her head, with long locks cascading down her back. A strip of gauze was wrapped across her forehead—likely due to the injury that explained the pain she’d felt earlier.

Still in a daze, Shen Xingyue was jolted by a few soft knocks at the door. It opened from the outside, and four young maidservants stepped in.

The one in front gasped the moment she saw Shen Xingyue standing on the floor in just her inner robe, and immediately dropped to her knees. “Your Highness, if you need anything, please let us handle it! How could you get up in only your undergarments? Please, return to bed—if anything happens, we wouldn’t be able to atone for it even with a hundred lives!”

Seeing the girl nearly in tears, Shen Xingyue quickly suppressed her shock and confusion. Feigning calm, she returned to the bed and leaned against the soft cushion. Only then did the maids get up and begin moving.

One carried a small basin, another brought a tray with cloths, a third held a bowl of medicine, and the last brought snacks. The lead maid gave a respectful bow. “Your Highness, it’s time for your medicine.”

Shen Xingyue furrowed her brows at the bowl of thick, black decoction. Just the sight of it nearly made her gag. But she desperately needed some time alone to figure things out, so she grit her teeth, picked up the bowl, and drank it all in one go. She then grabbed the teacup nearby to wash the taste down and nibbled a bit of pastry to soften the bitterness.

The maids attentively brought over the basin for her to wash her hands. Once she finished and dried them, Shen Xingyue quickly dismissed them. “You may all go now. I’d like to rest a little longer.”

“We will wait just outside, Your Highness. Call us if you need anything.” The lead maid bowed again before exiting with the others.

Shen Xingyue barely noticed their departure. Her mind was still reeling. Where exactly was she? She was trying to think clearly when a sudden “ding” rang in her head, making her flinch.

After all, she was just a third-year university student. Holding it together without exposing herself earlier had already drained her.

“System No. 01 now binding to host. Merit transmission channel initializing. Beep—binding successful!”

The voice was metallic and tinged with a mischievous tone, which only made it more grating to her ears.

“What are you? And what the hell is going on? I was studying for my Literature Theory exam last night—how did I end up here? I still have finals coming up. I don’t want to fail!”

Though Shen Xingyue often read webnovels from Lüjiang, and was no stranger to the concept of “systems,” she’d never imagined she’d actually get stuck with one.

“No need to worry about failing, Host. You already failed—in that world, anyway~” the system chirped with unsettling cheer.

Shen Xingyue didn’t find that funny in the slightest. What was there to be happy about if she was already dead?

Sensing her reaction, the system shifted to a more serious tone.

“Because you were an orphan in that world and had few emotional ties, our Merit System selected you for transfer into this novel’s micro-world. Your task is to dispel the grievances of the female lead and accumulate merit.”

Shen Xingyue frowned. She still didn’t fully get it. “Speak plainly.”

“In simple terms, you need to earn the affection of this world’s female lead—Su Muyu—within one year. Her favorability equals your merit. Once her affection score reaches 100 or higher, you’ll have earned enough merit to either stay and live on in this world, or return to the one you came from.”

Shen Xingyue nervously pressed her lips together. “And… what happens if I don’t manage to earn enough goodwill in a year?”

“If you fail, all your accumulated merit will be confiscated by the system. At the same time, your existence will be erased from this world. You’ll die—completely,” the system explained.

A cold sweat broke out across Shen Xingyue’s forehead.

So basically, her life now depended entirely on the female lead?

She gulped. “Then… what’s the relationship between me—this body—and the female lead?”

“This is a body transmigration. We made a few subtle modifications, but it’s essentially your original body, so you don’t have to worry about any inconsistencies.”

The system paused for a second, then added sheepishly,

“As for your current identity’s relationship with the female lead… well, let’s just say it’s not great. In fact, you’ve been solely responsible for tormenting her. There’s no time for the full backstory—Su Muyu is just outside. You’ll understand when you see the goodwill meter above her head.”

Shen Xingyue threw on a thick cloak trimmed with fur before opening the door.

A sharp, frigid wind greeted her. The courtyard outside was blanketed in snow, and just a few steps away knelt a woman in a thin inner robe. Her posture was upright despite the cold, her back as straight as a pine tree under heavy snow—unbowed and unbroken.

Even in her disheveled state, Su Muyu’s beauty remained striking. Her lashes, dark as crow feathers, were dusted with frost. Her skin was pale enough to blend into the snowy background, save for the vivid peach-colored flush on her lips, like a plum blossom blooming against the winter white—delicate and arresting.

Shen Xingyue stood frozen. Now she understood exactly what the system meant—”bad” didn’t even begin to describe her relationship with Su Muyu. It was abysmal. She had been physically and emotionally abusing the female lead. And then she saw it—hovering above Su Muyu’s head was a glowing red -200.

Her voice trembled as she spoke internally to the system:
“Maybe… maybe I should just shut my eyes and die now? A favorability score of -200? That feels beyond saving.”

“Aww, don’t be such a pessimist, sweetie! You’ve still got a whole year, haven’t you? And look—Su Muyu is such a beautiful and pitiful young lady. You wouldn’t really let her kneel out here in the snow for much longer, would you?”

The system’s cajoling was shameless, but at least it gave Shen Xingyue a sliver of motivation.

Right. A whole year. It can’t stay at -200 forever… right?

Her gaze shifted again to Su Muyu. Not far from her, a raggedly dressed maid was being blocked by two more finely dressed ones, clearly not allowed to approach.

Shen Xingyue didn’t hesitate any longer. In weather like this, someone could literally freeze to death. Without another thought, she rushed through the snow toward Su Muyu. Reaching her, she shed her own heavy cloak and wrapped it tightly around her. One arm slipped around Su Muyu’s waist, the other beneath her knees—Shen Xingyue prepared to carry her inside. If she couldn’t manage on her own, she’d order someone nearby to help.

But to her surprise, Su Muyu was lighter than she expected. With a firm heave, Shen Xingyue lifted her in a bridal carry.

The surrounding maids hurried forward, one holding an umbrella over Shen Xingyue with trembling hands, terrified even a single snowflake might land on her.

“Forget about me. Can’t you see she’s freezing? Keep the umbrella on her,” Shen Xingyue barked, her brows furrowing as she guided the maid’s hand over Su Muyu.

Their eyes met—Su Muyu’s gaze was unfocused, dazed. Shen Xingyue wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination, but she could’ve sworn Su Muyu gave her a faint, mocking smile before closing her eyes.

No time to dwell on it.

Holding her close, Shen Xingyue strode quickly toward the room, giving orders as she went:
“Go fetch a doctor immediately. Prepare clean clothes. Help her change out of these wet ones.”

She paused, suddenly remembering the maid who had been blocked earlier. Turning to the nearest servant, she pointed. “Who’s that over there? Why are you keeping her away?”

One of the maids quickly stepped forward and answered respectfully,
“Your Highness, have you forgotten? That’s the Princess Consort’s maid. You ordered us to stop her from approaching. You said the Princess Consort needed to kneel longer this time—to teach her a lesson about rules.”

Shen Xingyue was thrown by the titles: “Your Highness,” “Princess Consort”—they didn’t match the way she remembered ancient novels working. But this wasn’t the time to figure out the social structure. Since the maid was Su Muyu’s, Shen Xingyue decided to show her some mercy.

“You,” she pointed at the maid who had just spoken. “Take her to change into clean clothes and assign her proper quarters.”

“Your Highness, a lowborn maid like her has no place in your residence,” the maid objected, her tone bordering on insubordinate. She clearly expected Shen Xingyue to reconsider.

But Shen Xingyue had no patience to argue, not while Su Muyu was unconscious in her arms. Thankfully, her identity held weight, and no one could overrule her. She immediately snapped:

“Oh? And since when do you make the decisions around here?”

The maid—Lotus Fragrance—immediately dropped into a bow, terrified.
“N-no, Your Highness! I wouldn’t dare! I’ll do as you say right away.”

But as she turned to carry out the order, her expression soured. Under her breath, she muttered,
“A maid like that thinks she deserves to live in Snowfall Courtyard? Dream on.”