WORLD 3: THE POWERFUL PRIME MINISTER

CHAPTER 31

Shi Li stared blankly at the stiff, iron-like blanket covering her. Then she glanced up at the ceiling, which had several large holes that let the cold wind in. It took her a long moment to register that she had successfully completed her mission in the previous world.

She glanced down at her wrist—sure enough, another petal had appeared. Even though the emotions she had developed for the previous male lead had vanished, leaving a hollow feeling in her heart, she still let out a sigh.

If she had known the mission would be completed overnight, she wouldn’t have gone to sleep. At least then, she could have properly said goodbye to him.

Shaking her head slightly, she refocused her attention on this world.

She examined the coarse hemp clothing she was wearing, then walked over to a bronze mirror to check her hairstyle. With that, she confirmed that she had entered the world of an ancient novel—Deep, Devoted Love.

And when she thought about her past entanglements with the male lead of this story, she couldn’t help but sigh again.

The male lead of this story was originally an upright and incorruptible official. Because he refused to engage in political factions, he offended many powerful people. In the end, he was framed and exiled, suffering a miserable fate.

As for Shi Li’s role in this world—she was his wife.

The male lead had lived in poverty all his life. Before he had earned any scholarly titles, Shi Li had married him and devoted herself to managing their household, ensuring that he wouldn’t be burdened by daily chores. He, in turn, worked hard to achieve academic success, treating her as his life’s pillar, loving and relying on her wholeheartedly.

…And then, of course, that pillar completely betrayed him.

Thinking of what happened under the control of the “villainous wife” script, Shi Li sighed again.

After the male lead was exiled, she had initially packed her bags, ready to follow him. But the next second, the script took control, and instead, she turned around and ran off to find a woodcutter who had always harbored impure thoughts toward her.

To avoid suffering in a bitterly cold land, she had taken all their gold and silver and begged the woodcutter to take her away. However, while the woodcutter was indeed a lecher, he loved money even more. When he saw how much wealth she had, he immediately plotted to keep it for himself.

Feigning agreement, he led her into the mountains—only to rob her blind the moment they reached a desolate place.

After Shi Li left that world, the rest of the events were only transmitted into her mind by the system. Through the system’s input, she learned that after being robbed of her silver and money, her character was later pursued by the authorities. To survive, she had to flee to the countryside and live under a false identity, enduring an even harsher life than she would have had if she had followed the male supporting character.

As for the male supporting character, when he first heard that she had eloped with another man, he refused to believe it. Risking his life, he tried to find her multiple times, only to be captured by the authorities and eventually escorted under strict supervision to his place of exile. It was only when the male lead, his former friend, visited him before his departure and presented the captured woodcutter before him that he finally believed the truth.

With his heart dead to the world, the male supporting character said just one sentence to the male lead: “Please, brother, spare his life. When I return to the capital, I will take my own revenge.”

The male lead naturally agreed and later helped him clear his name. However, the male supporting character had already undergone a drastic change in personality. Upon returning to the capital, he began committing dark deeds under the guise of a righteous official, climbing his way to the peak of power. Eventually, he was brought down by the male lead after being exposed in a corruption case.

As for the woodcutter, he was already dead by the time the male supporting character returned to the capital. Before dying, he was tortured for more than ten days, meeting a miserable end. However, the novel never detailed what happened to Shi Li’s character—it was as if the author had simply forgotten about her.

Shi Li reread the later events multiple times. Every time she reached the part about the woodcutter’s torment, she couldn’t help but feel a chill run through her entire body, as if she were seeing her own impending fate. Though the male supporting character had once been upright and gentle, treating her like a docile lamb, he was now the most powerful and treacherous official in the Rin Dynasty. Shi Li could no longer see him as warm and harmless.

Feeling a headache coming on, Shi Li had no idea how to face him and quickly entertained the idea of hiding for a few months. However, just as that thought surfaced, a line of text appeared in her mind—

The male supporting character has already surrounded this area with his men. In half an hour, he will arrive at your doorstep.

Shi Li: “…Couldn’t you have told me this sooner?!”

—You didn’t ask. This is a proactive system alert.

Shi Li’s lips twitched. She couldn’t be bothered to argue with the system and instead quickly racked her brain for an escape plan. But no matter how hard she thought, she couldn’t come up with a reason that would make him spare her. After all, there were both witnesses and evidence proving her “elopement.” Even if she wanted to lie, there was no way to deny it.

On the other hand, the one who originally planned the escape wasn’t her. The one who ran off with all the household valuables wasn’t her either. Yet now, she had to face his overwhelming hatred. What kind of terrible luck was this? Every single time, she was forced by the “villainess script” to push a perfectly good male supporting character into the dark, and then she had to clean up the mess afterward.

Just as she was feeling wronged on her own behalf, the sound of heavy cavalry suddenly rumbled outside the house. Shi Li froze, realizing that the male supporting character had arrived.