Chapter 3: The Yandere, Obsessive Male Lead from the Original Novel Was Actually Imprisoned and Tortured in the Inner Service Directorate Because of Her!
The System collected its thoughts and then retorted, [Host, what if A San whipped you every day, abused you, deprived you of food and clothing, and even incited a bunch of powerful ministers and nobles to kick and beat you?]
[Over time, even the maids and eunuchs around you would learn that you’re an easy target to bully and join in tormenting and humiliating you. For years, you’d endure this daily treatment.]
The System continued, [Then suddenly one day, after beating you black and blue, that guy starts speaking softly, asking if you’re cold or warm, showing excessive care and concern. Would you be overwhelmed with gratitude toward him? Is that even possible?]
Upon hearing this, Zhang Susu pondered briefly before angrily snapping at the System, [That guy A San, I’m your Host! How could you treat me like that? If you dare do such things, I’ll dismantle and smash you to pieces before letting you succeed in bullying me!]
The System replied, [Exactly. Since you can’t forgive me when putting yourself in my shoes, why does the Host think Chu Xingchen should forgive you? Why should he forget all the abuse and harm you inflicted just because you’ve now changed and stopped hurting him? Should he be overwhelmed with gratitude toward you?]
The System pressed, [Host, you know very well—by what right?]
The System added, [Host, do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.]
The System concluded, [If even you, Host, can’t do it, why expect the male lead to? Stop dreaming unrealistically. Be practical and start acting early.]
After ending the conversation with the System, Zhang Susu realized that her consciousness had seemingly entered a space-like realm, while everyone around her appeared frozen in time.
Having roughly reviewed and organized the information about this Otherworld that the System transmitted to her mind, Zhang Susu gained some understanding. She sorted out her thoughts and decided to do three things:
Treat the male lead well and protect him from bullying and humiliation, hoping to atone for past wrongs. She asked for nothing else, only that when the male lead eventually returns to his country, seizes power, and marches back to the Da Sheng Kingdom, he might spare her life or grant her some time to complete her tasks.
Be kind to everyone around her, avoiding the arrogance, extravagance, willfulness, and domineering behavior of the Original Host in the novel, thereby making fewer enemies.
Get to know the second male lead before the female lead does, aggressively making her presence known to increase her Favorability Value early on. Complete the tasks as soon as possible, aiming solely to earn money and return to the modern world.
With her priorities clear, Zhang Susu felt enlightened. She looked at the several maids surrounding her and the visible prompters above their heads, suddenly smiling.
Before encountering the System, these women had no prompters above their heads. But now, their names and a brief introductory sentence floated there. How wonderful—with these, she no longer feared being exposed or mistaking identities.
“Eldest Princess, you’re finally awake!” Chunfeng rushed forward, grasping her hands with tear-filled eyes. “That blind, black-hearted Da Qi hostage prince actually pushed you off the bridge! Even if he hypocritically rescued you in the end, his intention to harm the Eldest Princess is utterly condemnable!”
“Who knows if he only saved the Eldest Princess because he saw the guards attracted by her cries for help and had no other choice,” Xiahe added scornfully.
“Everyone knows the entire Great Qi Dynasty’s imperial family looks down on this Hostage Prince. I heard he was conceived when the King of Qi got drunk and was seduced by a palace maid. He’s been raised in the Dasheng Royal Palace since he was five. After all these years of nurturing him, this ungrateful wolf cub actually took advantage of Her Highness the Eldest Princess being alone while feeding the koi fish to commit such disrespectful acts!”
Upon hearing this, Qiushuang slightly furrowed her brows. “Chunfeng, Xiahe, mind your words!” Qiushuang, who had always been steady, reminded them in a low voice, “Even if the Hostage Prince is despised and holds low status in Qi State, we shouldn’t comment on neighboring countries’ political affairs. Moreover, this matter is still under investigation by Eunuch Shen at the Inner Eunuch Directorate, with no conclusion yet. We must not make reckless remarks to avoid giving others grounds for criticism.”
“That Inner Eunuch Directorate is no ordinary place. Any palace servant who’s sent there accused of crimes, under Eunuch Shen’s thunderous methods, never enters whole and comes out without losing a layer of skin.”
Dongxue couldn’t help chiming in, “Besides, that little hostage has been imprisoned there for a full day and night. Her Highness the Eldest Princess has always disliked him, frequently beating, scolding, and flogging him. Over the past two years, even servants from various palaces, following her lead and currying favor, have openly and covertly set traps for him, beating and humiliating him. He’s probably half-dead by now.”
“What did you say?” Zhang Susu exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this. She hastily grabbed Dongxue’s hand and urgently repeated her question, “Dongxue, who did you say was taken to the Inner Eunuch Directorate?”
Dongxue was somewhat surprised by this reaction. Wasn’t the Eldest Princess usually the one who despised that neighboring Hostage Prince the most? Two years ago, in front of all the palace servants, she had said that despite his handsome, ascetic appearance, she wanted to take him as her male consort to serve in the palace.
But that wolf cub stubbornly refused. Since then, the Eldest Princess had become almost possessed, finding excuses every few days to flog and abuse him, saying she wanted to teach the little hostage a lesson. She claimed that after enough beatings, when he understood the consequences, he would learn how to serve properly.
Why was it that today, upon hearing the little hostage had been beaten half to death, the Eldest Princess showed no joy but instead expressed concern for him? No, no, today’s Eldest Princess was very strange.
“It’s… it’s the little hostage Chu Xingchen. He pushed you off the stone bridge into the lake. Although the guards later saw him carrying you as he swam to shore, there was a maid in the Imperial Garden who said she witnessed Chu Xingchen pushing you into the lake!”
Dongxue then said softly, “Your Highness the Eldest Princess, didn’t you always hate that little hostage the most? You said he was an ungrateful wolf cub, as stubborn and unyielding as a stinky rock at the bottom of a well, clumsy, rigid, stubborn, and inflexible. How could…”
Dongxue thought to herself, how could the Eldest Princess possibly care about that little wolf cub? She couldn’t understand it. She must be foolish, misunderstanding the Eldest Princess’s meaning.
“You’re saying that after I fell into the lake and slept for a day and night, that Chu Xingchen has been beaten in the Inner Service Directorate for a full day and night?”
Upon hearing this, Zhang Susu’s face changed dramatically. She had originally planned to treat this Chu Xingchen well, after all, he would eventually return to the Great Qi Dynasty, seize power, and become the youngest ruler of the Great Qi Dynasty. In the future, he would even lead the Qi Iron Cavalry to trample the gates of the Dasheng Kingdom.
The original work clearly stated that she had once found the character Chu Xingchen overly sinister, yandere, cold-blooded, and ruthless. After breaching the Dasheng Royal Palace, his first act was to personally go to the Eldest Princess’s palace, capture her, and order four guards to pin her down while she was still alive. He then performed Flaying and Grass-Stuffing on her while she breathed, hanging her remains at the city gate as a warning to the world.
At that time, Zhang Susu had wondered what kind of national vendetta or personal hatred could make Chu Xingchen despise Su Yingxue so deeply.
Yet Chu Xingchen only targeted Su Yingxue alone. He also set fire to the entire Eldest Princess’s palace and the whole Dasheng Royal Palace, exterminating only the maids and servants who attended the Eldest Princess.