Chapter 3: He Almost Killed Me

Su Xiangwan walked through the corridor and paused as she spotted a woman in a pink dress in the distance, slightly shaking her head.

Jiang Huaiyue rushed over excitedly and called out:

“Did the crow fly the plane?”

“Coordinates: Hotel 801,” Su Xiangwan replied in a tone that was both disgusted and helpless—their secret code.

Hearing that, Jiang Huaiyue knew it was really her. Overjoyed, she moved in for a hug.

But Su Xiangwan took a step back. Seeing Qiu Chan standing behind her and a few servants passing by in the courtyard, she said in a low voice:

“This isn’t the place to talk. Princess, please follow this humble wife.”

Seeing her like this, Jiang Huaiyue calmed down and lifted her chin haughtily:

“Then let the General’s wife lead the way!”

She winked at Su Xiangwan as she spoke, flashing a beautiful smile.

Su Xiangwan curled her lips slightly and replied gently:

“This way, Princess.”

The two walked side by side along the corridor. Qiu Chan followed behind, puzzled as she watched the interaction between the princess and the general’s wife.

When did the princess become so close to the general’s wife? As far as I remember, they barely ever spoke to each other before…

Finally reunited with her best friend, Jiang Huaiyue was in a great mood. Thankfully, in this strange world full of unfamiliar people, she still had Wanwan.

Su Xiangwan led her to the study. At the door, Jiang Huaiyue turned to Qiu Chan and said:

“Wait here. I have something to discuss with the General’s wife.”

“Yes, Princess.” Qiu Chan nodded and stood to the side obediently.

Once the door was shut, Jiang Huaiyue walked up to Su Xiangwan.

“Wanwan, when did you get here?”

“I woke up last night. Are you alright? Was everything okay last night?”

Su Xiangwan sounded anxious as she asked, recalling everything the script said the princess would endure on her wedding night.

Actually, as soon as she woke up last night, she had gone straight to the Prince Regent’s residence. But the place was heavily guarded, and she couldn’t get in. After pacing back and forth for a long time, she finally returned home.

She figured that if Yueya had arrived too, with her intelligence and her god’s-eye-view of the story, she’d probably be fine.

But at the mention of last night, Jiang Huaiyue’s chest started to ache again.

Furious, she said:

“Don’t even bring it up. That bastard Pei Ji nearly killed me! I barely made it out alive.”

“Wait—you… you slept with him?” Su Xiangwan asked in shock.

She couldn’t help thinking that way—after all, the phrase “nearly killed me” really painted a vivid picture.

“What are you thinking? I had just woken up when that dog of a man forced spiked wine on me, then even kicked me! He said he was going to bring me a man, so I spent the entire night soaking in cold water just to avoid ending up like the character in the script.”

As she spoke, Jiang Huaiyue felt more and more wronged. When had she ever suffered like this in her life?

Su Xiangwan reached out and held her hand.

“It’s good you’re alright. Yueya, in the script, the princess was assaulted on her wedding night. But you weren’t. That means everything can be changed.”

Yueya was Jiang Huaiyue’s nickname. She and Su Xiangwan had known each other since middle school, then went to the same high school, college, and even ended up working together after graduation.

In the modern world, Su Xiangwan was a master of intangible cultural heritage crafts. She had over ten million followers online and was an expert in everything from ice sculpting and papermaking to wood carving—she could do it all.

Back then, Jiang Huaiyue often said that if Su Xiangwan ever transmigrated into a book, with her skills, she’d definitely thrive.

Looks like that prophecy had now come true.

“Let’s sort out the plot properly and figure out a plan—what we should do next,” Su Xiangwan said, pursing her lips.

Jiang Huaiyue looked into her calm and steady eyes, and her anxious heart began to settle. She nodded. “Right now, the most pressing issue is dealing with Pei Ji. He really doesn’t play by the rules.”

The plot had always revolved around the male lead, Jiang Jingchen, and the female lead, Chu Nanxi. It was mostly centered on romance.

The career arc was minimal—just Jiang Jingchen taking down Pei Ji to seize full power.

“Pei Ji is unpredictable, ruthless, and cunning. He knows you were sent by the male lead. He’s just waiting for you to slip up,” Su Xiangwan said with a frown.

She tried to recall the drama’s description of Pei Ji, but suddenly realized how thinly written he was.

His background, childhood, and family were all just glossed over.

Which meant he was completely unpredictable—after all, they were now dealing with real, living people, not characters on a script.

“Exactly. And the male lead even asked me to spy on Pei Ji and report his every move. He knows full well how dangerous Pei Ji is and still made me marry him. I’m supposed to be his adopted sister or whatever—it’s just too cruel.”

Jiang Huaiyue rested her chin on her hand, her face full of worry. When she was just watching the drama, it had seemed interesting, and since the role was small, she’d taken it. Who would have thought things would turn out like this?

Su Xiangwan tapped her finger lightly on the table’s edge as she thought aloud. “In that case, we’ll have to play both sides.”

“Play both sides? You mean I pretend to follow orders but secretly go against them?” Jiang Huaiyue twirled the ribbon on her sleeve with her delicate fingers.

“Exactly. Send Jiang Jingchen reports on schedule, but fill them with useless information. As for Pei Ji, be careful and avoid confronting him directly.”

They were now in a strange world, untrained in martial arts, and had no safety net. A misstep could cost them their lives.

Especially Jiang Huaiyue’s identity as a princess consort—that was even trickier. All Su Xiangwan could do was hope she stayed safe.

Seeing how serious she looked, Jiang Huaiyue smiled lightly. “Don’t worry, I get it. I’ll make sure to protect myself.”

She used to daydream while reading novels or watching costume dramas, imagining how fun it’d be to transmigrate to another world and live an ancient life. Now that it had actually happened, she was just afraid of dying a sudden death.

“Good. I still have some freedom in my current identity. Over the next few days, I’ll try to find ways to earn money,” Su Xiangwan said decisively. She always understood the importance of money—no matter where or when, wealth was the foundation of survival.

Especially now, when according to the plot, the world was heading into chaos. It wouldn’t be long before even the capital became unstable.

They had to have silver—only with financial security could they plan anything else.

“You take care of yourself too. Don’t worry about me. I’m tough—I can handle pressure,” Jiang Huaiyue tilted her head, looking relaxed.

Su Xiangwan’s brows smoothed out, and she teased, “I know, you’re like a cockroach that won’t die. Once I make some money, let’s find a chance to leave the capital. The world is wide—we can go wherever we want.”

Since this world revolved around the male and female leads, the best thing they could do was stay away from them. As long as they didn’t get involved, the events of the plot likely wouldn’t affect them.

Hearing this, Jiang Huaiyue pictured her and Su Xiangwan wandering the martial world together—fine wine and delicious food wherever they went. How carefree that would be.

“Then I’d better find time to learn how to ride a horse,” she mused.

She realized that travel in ancient times was pretty limited—it was either horseback or by carriage. She definitely needed to learn.

“Sounds good,” Su Xiangwan nodded.

The two chatted for a long while. Jiang Huaiyue had lost track of time entirely until Qiuchan gently knocked at the door and reminded her, “Princess Consort, we should head back now.”