Chapter 1: Transmigrating into the Book

Chapter 1: Transmigrating into the Book

"Did you hear? That Young Master Liu from the Listening Bamboo Pavilion was coughing up blood last night..."

"What a pity. His back is all rotten like that, and they won't even call a doctor. How many days can he hold on?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! If His Highness hears, we'll lose our heads!"

"Ah, His Highness might not even wake up today, so why would he care about a dying male favorite?"

"Tsk, true. But seriously, hasn't His Highness been... a bit too much lately? I was on duty yesterday and saw three carried out, all dead."

"Haven't you noticed how steward Fu rushed to call the imperial physician before dawn today? I reckon... it's overindulgence. His body's drained."

"Eh... kidney deficiency!"

The whispers, like fine needles, pierced through the drowsy, sticky darkness into Xiao Yan's ears.

Prince Yu? Male favorite? Coughing blood? Imperial physician?

What nonsense was this?

He remembered being on a cruise ship in international waters, pushed into the sea, the icy water suffocating him instantly, sharp pain, then endless darkness.

Now this... was he rescued? In a hospital?

But the voices around him were clearly low, fearful, ancient dialogues.

The air wasn't filled with disinfectant, but with a cloyingly sweet incense, mingling with stale wine and an indescribable decadent scent.

Xiao Yan struggled to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like lead.

Overindulgence? Kidney deficiency?

What a joke! He, Xiao Yan, had been single his whole life, never even held hands with anyone, male or female. His health checkups were all excellent! How could he have anything to do with "kidney deficiency"?!

"Your Highness?" an old, trembling voice sounded very close. "This old minister... has finished the diagnosis..."

Xiao Yan finally gathered enough strength and snapped his eyes open.

His vision went from blurry to clear.

First, he saw an extravagant bed canopy, exuding a heavy, decadent air.

Looking down, an old man with white hair and beard was kneeling on the footrest by the bed. He was wearing ancient clothes, cold sweat dripping from his forehead, wiping it frantically with his sleeve.

He himself was lying in an absurdly large carved canopy bed, covered with a smooth satin quilt.

"Your Highness's pulse is weak and floating, a sign of depleted essence..." Seeing him open his eyes, the old man trembled in fear, bowed lower, his voice shaking even more. "You, you should rest quietly, abstain... from bedroom matters, and take warming tonics. You may slowly recover..."

Xiao Yan stared at the canopy, his mind blank for a moment.

Just then—

"Ding! The plot KPI assistant detects host's consciousness is clear. Identity binding confirmed! (◕ᴗ◕)✧"

A round, pixelated smiley face, flashing cold blue light, popped abruptly in the center of his mind.

Xiao Yan's pupils contracted.

"Hi~ Welcome to the world of 'Dominating the Realm: The Prince's Captive Love'. I'm your exclusive system. Call me Little K~" A sweet electronic voice, with an inhuman mechanical tone.

[Next, I will guide you to complete the plot tasks for the cannon fodder villain Prince Yu, Xiao Yan~ Complete the tasks to earn a chance at rebirth and return to freedom! Failure will result in soul eradication. Please do your best!]

'Dominating the Realm: The Prince's Captive Love'... That ancient, melodramatic, forced-love danmei novel he'd skimmed through on the cruise last night!

He immediately recalled the plot.

The protagonist, Liu Qingci, was framed by his white moonlight, the Sixth Prince Xiao Jing, and sent into the hands of the cruel Prince Yu as a pawn. He suffered torture, eventually turned dark and returned, teaming up with Xiao Jing to kill Prince Yu. Then Liu Qingci learns the truth and turns against Xiao Jing. By then, Xiao Jing already holds great power and begins the forced-love storyline, leading to the main bittersweet romance.

And Prince Yu Xiao Yan was the cannon fodder villain providing all the early abuse, the tool character, dying miserably!

Great Qing dynasty, Seventh Prince, Prince Yu, Xiao Yan.

Handsome, violent, indulgent in wine and women, unlearned and incapable.

So, he had now transmigrated into this same-named, kidney-deficient, cannon-fodder scumbag who would eventually be shot dead by arrows?!

"Little K?"

Xiao Yan tried to communicate with the so-called system in his mind.

Little K: "Host, I'm here~"

Xiao Yan asked: "Is the original dead?"

"Yes, he died from exhaustion of his essence!"

Xiao Yan was speechless.

Then what about me? Do I inherit his kidney-deficient body?

Before he could ask, Little K answered his doubt.

"Host, rest assured. When you transmigrated into the book, it became your own body, just with some changes in hairstyle and clothing. As for kidney deficiency, it's just a persona, a persona!"

Xiao Yan felt carefully.

Apart from still feeling a bit dizzy, there wasn't that sensation of being drained.

Alright, that was still acceptable.

Seeing that Xiao Yan was adapting well, Little K quickly pressed on.

"Host, host, the first plot is about to start!"

"Current progress: Three days ago, the original forcefully kidnapped Liu Qingci into the mansion. Because Liu Qingci resisted, the original whipped him, abandoned him in the cold, remote Listening Bamboo Pavilion, and cut off his medicine."

The original was promiscuous, with a harem full of concubines and male favorites.

But even though the original had seen many people, the moment he saw the down-and-out Liu Qingci, he was captivated by his looks and directly kidnapped him into the mansion.

However, Liu Qingci in the mansion swore he would rather die than submit. The original was so angry that he beat him up and threw him aside to break his stubbornness.

The original owner couldn't get enough; he had summoned countless concubines over the past few days, turning the bedchamber into a non-stop party every night, until today his body finally gave out.

Xiao Yan: "What happens next in the story?"

[Key story trigger "First Night" triggered! Mission requirements: Immediately go to Listening Bamboo Courtyard, complete the "forced consummation" plot tonight, and completely destroy Liu Qingci's mental defenses. Mission failure: Elimination!]

Xiao Yan's eyes widened.

First night?!

Just then, a muffled ruckus came from outside the bedchamber.

It sounded like guards were holding someone back, mixed with the tearful pleading of a young servant:

"Please, let me see the prince! Young Master Liu... he's burning up with fever, he's about to die! Please, Your Highness, show mercy and send for a doctor!"