The scent of sandalwood and old silk, rich and heavy, was the first thing to truly register. Not the sterile tang of a hospital, or the faint, familiar aroma of his own apartment. This was… different. Li Fang blinked, the ornate canopy of a bed, gilded with dragons and phoenixes, slowly resolving above him. Sunlight, softened by paper screens, painted the chamber in hues of gold and amber.
His mind, usually a chaotic whirlwind of overdue bills and project deadlines, felt strangely calm. Or perhaps, it was simply stunned into silence. He reached a hand out, a hand that was decidedly not his own – slender, pale, and remarkably uncalloused. A quick glance down confirmed the new reality: silken robes, far too luxurious for his taste, swathed a body that felt both alien and strangely familiar.
Then the memories hit, a tidal wave of court etiquette, ancient teachings, and a deep, simmering resentment. This wasn't his life. This was the life of Li Fang, the crown prince of the Hong Dynasty, a character he knew, a villain he'd read about. And the worst part? This Li Fang was destined for a rather messy, undignified end, courtesy of the novel's shining protagonist.
A faint, ethereal chime echoed in the newly spacious confines of his skull.
[
Welcome, Host, to the Destiny System. Your mission: Seize opportunities, claim rewards, and rewrite your fate.]
Li Fang let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. A system. Of course. Because transmigration wasn't enough, he needed a game interface to go with it. He was a destined villain, sure, but he also held the title of Crown Prince, revered and respected, and, oh right, engaged to the Prime Minister's daughter, one of the novel's heroines. The irony was almost palatable.
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, the heavy silk rustling. A servant, a young eunuch, instantly materialized, bowing low. "Your Royal Highness, are you well? Shall I summon the physicians?"
Li Fang waved a dismissive hand, a gesture that felt oddly natural on this new body. "No, I am merely... reflecting."
The eunuch retreated, his steps silent. Li Fang stood, walking to the large, polished mirror. The face staring back wasn't his, but it was handsome, arrogant, and undeniably princely. The smirk that curved his new lips, however, was entirely his own. This wasn't just about survival anymore. This was about turning the tables. The protagonist had better watch his back.
Ding!
[Destiny System Notification]
Host, welcome to the Hong Dynasty! To ensure a smooth transition and empower your journey as the destined villain, the System proudly presents your inaugural Starter Pack!
[Starter Pack Contents:]
* Skills Granted:
* Martial Arts: [Divine Shadow Fist Mastery]
* Description: A comprehensive and profound martial art, allowing for swift, devastating strikes and precise defense. Grants intuitive understanding of advanced combat techniques, internal energy manipulation, and body control. You will recall every stance, every counter, every principle as if you've trained for decades.
* God-Level Poet Skill: [Celestial Ink & Verse]
* Description: Elevates your poetic prowess to an unprecedented height. You will possess an innate understanding of rhyme, rhythm, imagery, and emotional resonance. Inspiration will flow like a river, allowing you to compose verses that move mountains, sway hearts, and earn profound admiration. Your words will possess an almost magical allure, capable of stirring deep emotions and leaving an indelible mark.
* Financial Resources:
* Gold: 200,000,000 Taels
* Description: This immense sum of wealth has been subtly integrated into your personal accounts and hidden reserves as the Crown Prince. It is untraceable and beyond suspicion, providing you with unparalleled financial leverage to acquire resources, influence officials, and outmaneuver your adversaries.
[System Note:]
* All granted skills and resources are seamlessly integrated into your current identity and memories, ensuring no discrepancy or suspicion arises.
* Your first 'Opportunity' will be revealed shortly. Prepare yourself, Host. The game has truly begun.
Li Fang felt a surge, not just of knowledge, but of raw power. His muscles twitched, not from exertion, but from a sudden, intimate familiarity with intricate combat forms. He knew, with absolute certainty, how to disarm an assailant with a flick of the wrist, how to channel internal energy into a devastating blow. And the poetry… verses, complex and beautiful, already began to form effortlessly in his mind, complete with profound imagery and perfect meter. Two hundred million taels. The number alone was staggering, opening up possibilities he hadn't even dared to dream of on Earth.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile touched his lips. This villain gig, he might just enjoy it after all.Ding!
[Destiny System Notification]
First Opportunity Detected!
* Objective: Prevent your fiancée, Su Lihua, the Prime Minister's daughter, from leaving her manor and meeting the protagonist, Long Min.
* Time Limit: 30 minutes (before she departs).
* Reward: [Charm +5], [Minor Fortune Boost (Luck)], [100,000 Taels Gold]
* Failure Consequence: Loss of initial influence over a key heroine, increased difficulty in future interactions.
A fresh jolt of urgency shot through Li Fang. Su Lihua. Right, the frosty beauty. He cast a glance at the opulent robes he was still wearing. Too leisurely. He needed something befitting a sudden, urgent visit from the Crown Prince.
"Eunuch Li!" he called, his voice clear and resonant. The young eunuch, who had been hovering patiently, immediately scurried forward. "Prepare my carriage. I am going to the Prime Minister's manor. Immediately."
The eunuch bowed deeply. "At once, Your Royal Highness!"
As he waited, Li Fang's mind raced. He knew Su Lihua. The novel had painted her as a woman of unparalleled beauty, sharp intellect, and a heart as cold as winter frost. She possessed a quiet dignity that kept suitors at bay, and even as the Crown Prince's fiancée, she maintained a polite, almost clinical distance. Her admiration for him was a thin veneer of respect for his status, not for the man himself. This was going to be a delicate dance.
The Frost Orchid's Beauty
Moments later, Li Fang was ushered into a reception hall in the Prime Minister's sprawling estate, a place of refined elegance and understated luxury. A servant announced his arrival, and then she entered.
Su Lihua.
Even knowing what to expect from the novel's descriptions, the reality was breathtaking. She moved with the grace of a willow in a gentle breeze, every silken rustle of her robes a whisper. Her hair, the color of rich raven's wings, was intricately coiled and adorned with a single, exquisite jade hairpin shaped like a blossoming plum. It was a stark contrast to the effortless flow of her simple, yet exquisitely tailored, lavender gown.
Her face was a masterpiece of delicate features: eyes like polished obsidian, framed by long, dark lashes, held a quiet depth. Her nose was slender, her lips a soft, muted rose, currently unsmiling. There was an ethereal quality to her beauty, like a rare, perfectly formed frost orchid, blooming pristine and untouched in the biting cold. She possessed an undeniable elegance, refined and distant, without an ounce of overt flirtation.
She stopped a respectful distance away, offering a low, practiced curtsy, her movements fluid and economical. "Your Royal Highness. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Her voice was smooth, cool, and perfectly modulated, betraying not a hint of warmth or surprise. Her gaze met his for a fleeting moment, a brief flicker of acknowledgement, perhaps even a hint of the slight admiration the System had mentioned – not for him, but for the position he held – before settling on a point just past his shoulder. It was a clear, subtle boundary.
Li Fang knew he couldn't simply command her. He needed to be subtle, persuasive, and perhaps, a little bit cunning.
"Lady Su," he began, letting his voice carry just the right amount of princely authority mixed with a hint of genuine concern.
"I heard... unsettling news regarding a matter that could affect the prestige of both our houses, and indeed, the Imperial family." He paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "I felt it my duty to personally address it before any... unfortunate misunderstandings could arise."
He had her attention now, a faint, almost imperceptible tilt of her head. Her expression remained neutral, but the obsidian eyes, for the first time, held a sliver of genuine curiosity.
Li Fang met her cool gaze, allowing a subtle shift in his expression, a softening of his usual princely hauteur into something genuinely concerned. He maintained a respectful distance, his posture conveying deference as much as authority.
"Lady Su," he reiterated, his voice dropping slightly, imbued with a gravity that demanded attention without being overbearing. "The news I speak of is not for general consumption, and certainly not for public discourse. It involves a shadow that has fallen over the capital, a particularly insidious and distasteful matter that preys upon women of noble standing."
He paused, letting his words sink in, observing the barely perceptible change in her posture, the slight tightening around her elegant eyes. "There is a man, a master of deception, who has been quietly orchestrating encounters. He possesses a perverse talent for drawing others into his schemes. He identifies ladies of beauty, grace, and, forgive my bluntness, significant dowries, and ensnares them in a web of fabricated danger and contrived rescue."
Li Fang leaned forward almost imperceptibly, his tone becoming more hushed, more intimate, as if sharing a grave secret. "He employs confederates, lesser men, to create situations – a staged bandit attack on a secluded path, a 'chance' encounter with a seemingly desperate plea for aid, even the sudden appearance of a 'distressed' animal, leading a lady into a compromised position. Then, this man, with practiced heroism, arrives to 'save' the day."
He watched her closely. Her expression remained composed, but a flicker of something, perhaps mild distaste or curiosity, passed through her eyes.
"The gratitude, the shared peril, the false sense of protection… it's all part of his elaborate design," Li Fang continued, his voice laced with an undeniable undercurrent of worry that felt surprisingly natural. "He uses flowery words, honeyed promises, and a manufactured air of nobility to slowly, painstakingly, gain their trust. And once he has it, once their hearts are swayed by his 'heroics' and their minds clouded by his false charm, he fleeces them of their wealth, leaving their families in ruin and their reputations tarnished."
He finally met her gaze directly, his own eyes conveying an earnestness that was far removed from the cold ambition of the original Crown Prince. "The capital, normally a bastion of order, has become a hunting ground for this viper. And knowing your customary routes, your preference for quiet contemplation... the thought fills me with genuine unease. As your betrothed, Lady Su, and as one responsible for the well-being of the Imperial family and its extended kin, I would be remiss if I did not caution you. Your safety, and the esteemed reputation of the Su family, are of paramount importance. I felt it my duty to ensure you are fully aware of this lurking danger before you embark on any journeys outside the manor."
He offered a subtle, respectful bow of his head, allowing the implications of his words to settle. He had painted a picture of a protagonist-like figure, but twisted into a villain, preying on exactly the kind of noble, independent woman Su Lihua was. He hadn't commanded, but he had presented a compelling reason for caution, wrapped in concern.
Ding!
[Destiny System Notification]
First Opportunity Detected!
* Objective: Prevent your fiancée, Su Lihua, the Prime Minister's daughter, from leaving her manor and meeting the protagonist, Long Min.
* Time Limit: 30 minutes (before she departs).
* Reward: [Charm +5], [Minor Fortune Boost (Luck)], [100,000 Taels Gold]
* Failure Consequence: Loss of initial influence over a key heroine, increased difficulty in future interactions.
A fresh jolt of urgency shot through Li Fang. Su Lihua. Right, the frosty beauty. He cast a glance at the opulent robes he was still wearing. Too leisurely. He needed something befitting a sudden, urgent visit from the Crown Prince.
"Eunuch Li!" he called, his voice clear and resonant. The young eunuch, who had been hovering patiently, immediately scurried forward. "Prepare my carriage. I am going to the Prime Minister's manor. Immediately."
The eunuch bowed deeply. "At once, Your Royal Highness!"
As he waited, Li Fang's mind raced. He knew Su Lihua. The novel had painted her as a woman of unparalleled beauty, sharp intellect, and a heart as cold as winter frost. She possessed a quiet dignity that kept suitors at bay, and even as the Crown Prince's fiancée, she maintained a polite, almost clinical distance. Her admiration for him was a thin veneer of respect for his status, not for the man himself. This was going to be a delicate dance.
The Frost Orchid's Beauty
Moments later, Li Fang was ushered into a reception hall in the Prime Minister's sprawling estate, a place of refined elegance and understated luxury. A servant announced his arrival, and then she entered.
Su Lihua.
Even knowing what to expect from the novel's descriptions, the reality was breathtaking. She moved with the grace of a willow in a gentle breeze, every silken rustle of her robes a whisper. Her hair, the color of rich raven's wings, was intricately coiled and adorned with a single, exquisite jade hairpin shaped like a blossoming plum. It was a stark contrast to the effortless flow of her simple, yet exquisitely tailored, lavender gown.
Her face was a masterpiece of delicate features: eyes like polished obsidian, framed by long, dark lashes, held a quiet depth. Her nose was slender, her lips a soft, muted rose, currently unsmiling. There was an ethereal quality to her beauty, like a rare, perfectly formed frost orchid, blooming pristine and untouched in the biting cold. She possessed an undeniable elegance, refined and distant, without an ounce of overt flirtation.
She stopped a respectful distance away, offering a low, practiced curtsy, her movements fluid and economical. "Your Royal Highness. To what do I owe this unexpected visit?" Her voice was smooth, cool, and perfectly modulated, betraying not a hint of warmth or surprise. Her gaze met his for a fleeting moment, a brief flicker of acknowledgement, perhaps even a hint of the slight admiration the System had mentioned – not for him, but for the position he held – before settling on a point just past his shoulder. It was a clear, subtle boundary.
Li Fang knew he couldn't simply command her. He needed to be subtle, persuasive, and perhaps, a little bit cunning.
"Lady Su," he began, letting his voice carry just the right amount of princely authority mixed with a hint of genuine concern. "I heard... unsettling news regarding a matter that could affect the prestige of both our houses, and indeed, the Imperial family." He paused, letting the implication hang in the air. "I felt it my duty to personally address it before any... unfortunate misunderstandings could arise."
He had her attention now, a faint, almost imperceptible tilt of her head. Her expression remained neutral, but the obsidian eyes, for the first time, held a sliver of genuine curiosity.
Li Fang watched from a discreet distance, perched high on a secluded ridge overlooking the winding road. He hadn't sent the bandits himself – that would be far too crude for his new princely persona. No, he'd merely known they would appear. The protagonist, Long Min, had a flair for dramatic entrances, and what better stage than a seemingly random act of heroism?
Below, Su Lihua's carriage, a magnificent vehicle adorned with the Prime Minister's insignia, had indeed been waylaid. Seven rough-looking figures, their faces obscured by grimy cloths, swarmed around it. The four guards, though brave, were quickly overwhelmed, their blades clashing with the bandits' crude weapons. The maids inside shrieked, a high-pitched chorus of terror.
"Gold is one thing, pretty bird," one bandit snarled, grabbing at the carriage door. "But a noble lady like you? Worth more than all the gold in the capital!"
Just as the situation teetered on the brink, a flash of movement, a blur of indigo robes. Long Min. He moved like a whirlwind, each strike precise, powerful. He disarmed one bandit with a swift kick, sent another sprawling with a well-placed punch, and quickly had three of them groveling in the dust. The remaining four, seeing their comrades so effortlessly subdued, exchanged panicked glances and bolted into the undergrowth, disappearing as quickly as they'd appeared.
Long Min stood over the remaining bandits, his chest heaving slightly, his stance radiating an aura of righteous power. He looked up at the carriage, concern etched on his handsome face. He was the picture of a virtuous hero.
Su Lihua's Reaction
The carriage door slowly opened, and Su Lihua emerged, her lavender robes surprisingly unruffled. Her eyes, however, held a flicker of genuine shock, a rare sight on her composed features. She surveyed the scene: her guards bruised but alive, the bandits groaning on the ground, and then, her gaze settled on Long Min.
A ripple of emotions crossed her face – relief, certainly, but also a hint of something else. Was it admiration? Perhaps. The conventional heroine would have been overcome with gratitude, falling at the hero's feet. But Su Lihua wasn't conventional.
Her words, when they came, were measured, her voice still smooth, though a touch softer than usual. "Honorable sir, I am indebted to you. Your timely intervention saved us from a dire predicament."
She didn't gush, didn't fawn. There was a dignified acknowledgement of his heroism, but her earlier conversation with Li Fang, the Crown Prince's solemn warning, was clearly weighing on her mind. Her brow furrowed almost imperceptibly as she studied Long Min. His swift, almost too-perfect arrival. The way the bandits, though seemingly fierce, had been dispatched with such… theatricality.
The pieces clicked. The sudden, dangerous encounter. The lone hero appearing out of nowhere. It fit the description Li Fang had given her with chilling accuracy.
She offered Long Min another formal bow, her expression still unreadable, but the subtle shift in her eyes was clear to Li Fang, even from his vantage point. That hint of admiration was there, yes, but it was now laced with a newly cultivated caution, a subtle suspicion. She hadn't fallen blindly into the protagonist's heroic narrative. She was observing, analyzing, and remembering.
Ding!
[Destiny System Notification]
* [Su Lihua's Impression of Li Fang +5]
* Note: Her trust in your warning has deepened. Your foresight has proven accurate, reinforcing her perception of your genuine concern and intelligence.
* [Charm +5] Reward Claimed!
* [Minor Fortune Boost (Luck)] Reward Claimed!
* [100,000 Taels Gold] Reward Claimed!
Li Fang allowed a slow, triumphant smile to spread across his face. The bait had been taken, but the trap hadn't sprung as the protagonist had intended. Su Lihua, his cold, calculating fiancée, had seen through the thinly veiled performance. His words, infused with genuine concern, had planted a powerful seed of doubt.
He had not just stopped her from meeting the protagonist; he had twisted the protagonist's very first 'heroic' act into something suspicious in her eyes. This was far better than simply preventing a meeting. This was turning the hero's strength into a weakness.
The game had indeed begun.