Chapter 1

Zhao Mingzhu groggily opened her eyes, glancing around in confusion, staring at her perfectly intact hands. Everywhere she looked was red silk and the character for “double happiness.”

Scenes from a plot began flashing through her mind. Within seconds, she realized she had transmigrated. And not just into any role—she was now the cannon-fodder female supporting character in the old-school novel titled Infinite Sweet Pampering. The heroine, Su Lu, was beloved by all, charming countless noble young men. Among them, the most popular was Crown Prince Gu Qingheng—refined and noble, like a gentleman untouched by worldly dust. And right on cue, the one who always showed up to ruin things was the self-destructive supporting character: Zhao Mingzhu, eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhen.

Zhao Mingzhu’s mind exploded with panic. Heavens!

After working overtime for a full day and night, her heartless boss had given her two boxes of mooncakes as compensation. Furious, she’d stormed up to the rooftop—not to actually die—but now she was dead. And she’d transmigrated into a cannon-fodder character destined to die again? What kind of twisted joke was this?

Still dazed, she suddenly heard a voice in front of her, “Crown Princess, what are you thinking about?”

Zhao Mingzhu reflexively blurted out, “Thinking about dying immediately.”

Then her eyes widened as she looked ahead.

At the moment the golden candleholder burst into flame, the hem of the ceremonial robe—embroidered with waves and cliffs—suddenly surged. The golden thread on the cresting waves skimmed across the blue bricks beneath her feet. The man speaking had phoenix eyes slightly lowered and lips curled in a faint smile—like spring wind cracking thin ice. His bright red wedding robes, embroidered with dragons and phoenixes, didn’t make him look feminine at all. Instead, they gave him an indescribable allure.

“Today is an auspicious day for our wedding. Why would you want to die?” he asked gently, seemingly puzzled.

Zhao Mingzhu felt his hand resting on her shoulder. Her mind was stuck on the final moment of the original plot—when her neck was twisted.

Gentle nobleman? That was a lie.

She shrank her neck and subtly shifted sideways. “Because I… I suddenly got married, and I’m feeling a bit nostalgic for people from my past.”

Her boss and coworkers could go to hell.

Gu Qingheng didn’t respond. But the woman before him had suddenly become wary and fearful of him—how curious.

Zhao Mingzhu quickly composed herself. She understood now: the original character’s sole purpose was to stir up trouble, cling to the Crown Prince by scheming her way into marriage, and then get strangled to death—achieving her cannon-fodder destiny. Now that she’d ended up here by accident, she just wanted to live a good life. No more picking fights with the heroine. And definitely no interfering with the main couple’s romantic harmony.

“Your Highness.” Zhao Mingzhu dropped to her knees swiftly and said sincerely, “I… I’ve done many wrong things before. The worst was overestimating myself and ruining your marriage prospects like a brainless fool. Now I’ve reflected deeply and decided to turn over a new leaf and become a better person!”

She felt sorry for the original character. She had wealth and power—her father was a high-ranking duke. But she insisted on clashing with the heroine and stealing her man. She used every trick to marry into the Eastern Palace. And look—she didn’t survive a single night before getting her neck snapped and reincarnated.

Zhao Mingzhu, oh Zhao Mingzhu—you’re rich and beautiful, so why insist on hanging yourself from this particular tree?

Three-legged toads may be rare, but two-legged men are everywhere—a message to herself.

Gu Qingheng lowered his gaze, watching her kneel with perfect posture, her face full of sorrow, as if she’d truly had a moment of enlightenment.

“Crown Princess, please rise. The early spring ground is cold.” He gestured gently for her to stand.

Only then did Zhao Mingzhu feel the ache in her knees. Should she prepare a kneeling cushion for the future? If she had to kneel like this every day, her legs would be ruined. Her thoughts wandered, but she reached out naturally and took Gu Qingheng’s hand to stand.

Gu Qingheng looked slightly surprised, his eyes falling on the hand she was still holding. “Crown Princess, you may let go now.”

Zhao Mingzhu snapped back to herself and quickly released his hand, awkwardly saying, “Sorry, I forgot.”

Then she earnestly declared again, “Your Highness, I know you don’t like me. After all, I’m arrogant, uncultured, and nothing more than a shallow, decorative beauty with no substance!”

“Rest assured, from now on I’ll behave myself—eat, sleep, repeat—and absolutely won’t stir up trouble.”

She’d humbled herself this much—surely he wouldn’t still want to kill her, right? Hopefully, he wouldn’t smile in her face and then quietly plot her death behind her back.

Zhao Mingzhu remained suspicious. After all, the man she married was likely a black sesame dumpling—sweet on the outside, dark and dangerous within. He’d let his bride drop dead on their wedding night without a care for consequences. Yet she couldn’t find a single crack in Gu Qingheng’s expression. He sat upright like a pine tree, as if he’d heard her words—or perhaps hadn’t.

Zhao Mingzhu’s heart thudded nervously. Then Gu Qingheng spoke, “Crown Princess, no need to belittle yourself. You are the eldest daughter of the Duke of Zhen. Our marriage is heaven’s will. No one dares speak against you lightly.”

At that, Zhao Mingzhu knew her life was temporarily safe—he’d mentioned her powerful family.

“However, Crown Princess must not act so recklessly again.” A faint smile played at the corners of Gu Qingheng’s lips as he continued, “The Duke of Zhen is already graying. You should consider his well-being more carefully.”

Zhao Mingzhu nodded like a pecking chick, catching the subtle undertone in his words. And he wasn’t wrong. From now on, she’d live quietly and responsibly—embracing a peaceful retirement life.

As the dragon-phoenix candles crackled and popped, the two seemed to have had a heartfelt exchange. After that, silence fell.

Zhao Mingzhu awkwardly fiddled with the corner of her robe. What was she supposed to do next?

“Your Highness.”

“Crown Princess.”

They spoke in unison. Gu Qingheng gave a slight nod, signaling her to speak first.

“If Your Highness has no other matters, may I go sleep elsewhere tonight?”

Gu Qingheng glanced at the brightening sky outside. He rose and picked up two cups of clear wine from the Eight Immortals table, handing one to Zhao Mingzhu.

“Now that we’re married, we should still drink the nuptial wine. I know you’re not as sentimental as before, so let’s just drink and be done with the ritual.”

With that, he raised his cup to drink first. Zhao Mingzhu didn’t hesitate—she snatched the cup and downed it in one gulp.

“I was thirsty. I drank first.”

Then she grabbed the second cup and drank that too, gulping it down so fast she choked, her eyes brimming with tears. A flush crept up her cheeks and brows, giving her a startling, luminous beauty.

Gu Qingheng watched casually. Her earlier self-deprecating remark about being a decorative vase of a woman wasn’t entirely off the mark.

After a bout of gut-wrenching coughing, Zhao Mingzhu finally regained her composure. She stared at the two empty cups in her hands. Don’t think she knew how these novels worked—there was definitely something drugged in that wine. If a man and woman drank it together, it would spark thunder and fire, and they’d forget the heavens and earth. And when Gu Qingheng sobered up and got angry, her little life would be over!

Fine, let her suffer now—there’d be blessings waiting for her later.

“Well then, Crown Princess, rest well. I have state affairs to attend to and will head to the study.”

Zhao Mingzhu clutched her chest and weakly waved him off. Go, go—this six-foot bed was meant to be enjoyed solo.

The door creaked shut. Zhao Mingzhu braced herself for the rumored aphrodisiac to kick in—when she heard someone approaching.

“Crown Princess, why did His Highness leave? It’s your wedding night, and he abandoned you alone. People will gossip tomorrow.”

The maid Qiao’er grumbled softly, clearly displeased but not daring to speak too loudly.

Zhao Mingzhu’s eyes darted around. She stood and looked at the twin-bunned girl before her, cleared her throat, and said, “His Highness has state affairs to handle. National matters take precedence over personal feelings.”

This noble-sounding line clearly didn’t match the original character’s style, but Zhao Mingzhu couldn’t mimic her anyway, so she opted for authoritative posturing.

To her surprise, Qiao’er blinked and praised, “Crown Princess is so clever. I never would’ve thought of that.”

Not the slightest suspicion that the soul inside had been swapped.

Zhao Mingzhu choked, swallowing the urge to say, “One more word and I’ll dock your pay.”

So just saying something lofty made her seem smart now? How foolish had the original been?

Watching Qiao’er collect the empty wine cups, Zhao Mingzhu casually asked, “Was there an aphrodisiac in that?”

Qiao’er turned her head, puzzled. “No, the aphrodisiac is in the incense burner. Oh, strange, why didn’t it work?”

Those words were music to Zhao Mingzhu’s ears. No aphrodisiac in the wine—no effect—perfect.

Just as she was about to relax, she heard Qiao’er mutter, “But the wine was drunk, so the gu poison was successfully administered.”