Chapter 2: Transmigration

Pavilions, waterside structures, and winding corridors. This was the scene the woman on the ground saw upon opening her eyes.

As she looked around, the look of astonishment in her eyes grew increasingly obvious. She remembered that while filming earlier, her wire had come loose, and she had fallen from a great height. Logically speaking, shouldn't she be in a hospital right now? Why was she here?

Indeed, at this moment, the body of Meng Juese had already been inhabited by a different soul—a Golden Horse Award-winning actress from the twenty-first century.

Meng Juese narrowed her eyes slightly, intending to investigate further, when a surge of intense pain struck her head. Simultaneously, waves of strange sensations surged through her body, crashing against her brain.

This feeling... Her expression changed drastically. When her gaze caught the silver light reflecting off the nearby lake, she moved toward the water with all her might.

Her consciousness was already gradually dissipating. She bit the tip of her tongue hard, attempting to use the pain to stimulate her nerves and keep her mind clear. Exhausting all her strength, she reached the lakeside. Just as she was about to jump in, a crisp, clear voice sounded from behind her.

"Being so filthy, don't go polluting this clear lake—" At the same time, her entire body fell directly into an embrace.

"Ngh—who—" The angry shout she had intended to let out instead became a low moan. Leaning lightly into that embrace, she actually felt waves of coolness.

The fresh scent of the man combined with the heat within her body struck her brain in waves; her consciousness had long since completely dissipated.

As if sensing the source of the coolness, her hands began to incessantly caress the man's face.

"To think that the esteemed daughter of the Prime Minister's manor could be so wanton!?" A clear voice, tinged with a hint of playfulness and even disdain, rang out.

Juese could no longer think; she merely curled her body in his arms, attempting to make herself more comfortable.

But this was not enough. In the next moment, she directly hooked her arms around the man's neck and kissed him...

As expected... it feels so good...

"Woman, do you want it that badly? Then I shall fulfill your wish—" In the darkness, the man's expression was indiscernible, but he suddenly rolled over, pinning the woman in his arms beneath him...

The feverish woman let out a soft, whimpering cry. A hand with well-defined knuckles slid across her face, finally stopping at that red scar, stroking it gently.

The man's narrow eyes narrowed slightly, and a cold arc slowly curled at the corner of his lips. "Meng Juese? Prime Minister Meng's most beloved daughter?"

"Hot—" She tossed and turned in agony, crying out.

Looking at the woman beneath him, the arc of the man's lips deepened, yet his dark eyes remained devoid of even a shred of warmth. "Be good—I will help you—" As he spoke, wherever his hands passed, clothing fluttered and fell...

The early summer wind blew slowly; the night was eerily quiet.

Under the moonlight, the woman's clothes lay discarded haphazardly at her feet, and the hairpins in her hair had long since scattered to one side. A tall, white figure stood to the side, watching the person lying on the ground, an infinite coldness flashing through his eyes. Only when he sensed the woman showed signs of waking did he casually tear something from her body and fly away.

After an unknown amount of time, Juese slowly opened her eyes. She thought she had merely had a dream, but when she looked down and her gaze landed on her own body, she let out a cry of shock. No, it wasn't a dream. At this moment, she was left with nothing but her undergarments and camisole, which should never have belonged to her. Under the moonlight, obvious bruises and purple marks were exposed on her snow-white skin. On her legs, there were even traces of blood that had not yet dried.

Not far away, the sound of footsteps approached. She suppressed all emotion and pulled on her clothes, intending to hide first. Everything around her was too bizarre; even someone as self-assured as her felt a faint sense of panic this time.

"Who? Who is there?" A slightly low voice rang out, startling her into hiding backward. However, after only retreating two steps, a dark shadow flew forward and captured her directly.

"What are you doing here, acting so sneakily?" His strength was great; one hand gripped her arm tightly.

In pain, Juese frowned slightly and then extended her leg, kicking directly at the person behind her.

Perhaps not expecting the woman to have such a move, the man was startled and loosened his grip slightly. Taking advantage of this gap, the woman in his hands tried to escape, only to be violently yanked back by him in the next moment.

"It's you?" There was a hint of surprise in Qiao Chufan's tone. The hall had been stifling, so he had come out for some air; he hadn't expected to encounter this vulgar and shameless Meng Juese here! As his gaze swept over her exposed neck, which was covered in hickeys, a flash of disgust passed through Qiao Chufan's eyes. "Heh, I thought the weather was just getting more feverish, and that the cats and dogs in this palace were all in heat."

Juese also looked at the man before her in surprise. He wore a black brocade robe, his jet-black hair was tied high, and his eyes were like stars. In the next moment, after hearing his words, her surprise gradually faded, replaced by a hint of rage. "Shut up!" How could she not understand the implication of his words? With her eyes glaring angrily, her red clothes, black hair, and the red mark on the left side of her face, the woman appeared somewhat terrifying at this moment.

Qiao Chufan's eyes narrowed slightly, and the corner of his mouth curled. "What? Did I hit the mark? I say, Meng Juese, haven't you been pestering the Crown Prince incessantly? Why are you so impatient to have a secret tryst with someone else in the Imperial Palace, to the point of being so famished that you'll eat anything?" He remembered that the Crown Prince had been in the hall the entire time and had not come out!

Hearing his words, the woman's brow furrowed slightly. Meng Juese? Was there a character with this name in the play she had accepted?

No! Suddenly, she shuddered. She remembered; just now, someone seemed to have called her by this name. A sharp pain struck her head. She looked toward Qiao Chufan, intending to ask, but a sharp, piercing voice rang out.

"Heavens, Sister—Third Prince, you—you actually—"

Looking toward the sound, she saw three or five women holding lanterns standing not far away. The pink-clad woman in the lead was full of shock, her beautiful eyes filled with disbelief. The palace maids following her swept their gazes over the disheveled Meng Juese; though they did not speak, the disdain in their eyes was plain to see.

Qiao Chufan's expression changed slightly. Only then did he realize he was still holding Meng Juese's arm. He immediately flung her hand away as if he had touched something filthy. "This Prince was merely passing by..."

Before Qiao Chufan could finish, the pink-clad woman seemed to understand something. She covered her mouth with her hand and then cried out, "I know now! So, the person Sister likes is the Prince!"

Listening to their conversation, Juese's eyes grew wider and wider, her astonishment deepening. She turned abruptly and grabbed Qiao Chufan's arm. "Tell me, who am I?"

The woman, who was already in a somewhat disheveled state, became even more dramatic with this movement. A few looks of realization flashed through the eyes of the palace maids nearby.

"Let go! You damn, ugly woman!" Qiao Chufan gritted his teeth. Was it not chaotic enough at this critical moment?

"Where is this? Who am I exactly?"

"Third Prince, please don't provoke Sister. You two are now... how could you abandon Sister?" Meng Juemei continued to add fuel to the fire from the side. Although she was surprised by Qiao Chufan's appearance, seeing Meng Juese in this state, it seemed something had truly happened. As long as she could ruin Meng Juese's reputation, her goal would be achieved.

Qiao Chufan's expression grew increasingly grim. He was now completely certain that this woman was intentionally clinging to him like this. In the past, this was exactly how Meng Juese had pestered the Crown Prince! His eyes, burning with rage, looked at the person who was still gripping him tightly. "Meng Juese, if you don't let go, do you believe this Prince will kill you?" As he spoke, he pushed her back.

Caught completely off guard, Meng Juese was pushed to the ground. The wound on her head flared up, and her already weakened body could no longer hold on. Juese felt her vision go black, and before losing consciousness, countless fragments of memories that did not belong to her flashed through her mind.

"Ah! Sister has fainted..." Meng Juemei cried out, and for a moment, everyone became flustered.

Looking at the person collapsed on the ground, a deep disgust flashed through Qiao Chufan's eyes. He finally understood; he should never have struck up a conversation with her, nor should he have gotten involved with this woman! His cold gaze swept over the people nearby. "Regarding today's events, if anyone dares to leak even a shred of it, this Prince will kill them!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve and left in a hurry with a grim face, not daring to stay a moment longer.