CPS Chapter 1: Lou Guanxue
The Palace of Chu Kingdom, Zhaixing Tower.
The moon hung brightly in the sparse night sky, its light reflecting off the copper bells swaying gently at the eaves, their chimes resonating softly. At the highest point of the palace, a luminous pearl shone like a second moon, casting its glow over the magnificently carved beams and painted rafters, showcasing unparalleled opulence.
The music and singing were intoxicating.
Dancers moved gracefully, their white jade-like feet gliding across a floor polished to mirror-like perfection.
Scarlet sashes adorned their ankles, and their flirtatious gazes were like hooks, carrying a charm so profound it seemed to seep into one’s very bones, tempting even the most aloof observer seated high upon the dais to fall into the mundane world of desire.
But it wasn’t just the dancers.
Even the elderly eunuch standing by with a whisk in hand was sweating profusely, stealing glances at the man on the throne as he stammered out, "Y-Your Majesty... These dancers are gifts from the Eastern Continent. Not only are their dance skills unparalleled, but their... ahem... talents in bed are said to be... exceptional."
The young emperor of the Chu Kingdom, who had ascended the throne at a mere sixteen years of age, leaned languidly against the throne, showing no interest. Yet, he gave a faint, lazy response.
"Hmm."
His voice was light, playful, and tinged with nonchalance.
Draped in a luxurious white robe, embroidered at the cuffs and collar with intricate black cloud patterns, his appearance was nothing short of extraordinary. With a face that earned him the nickname "Jewel of Lingguang," his features were both alluring and exquisite—deep red lips, a high-bridged nose, and a beauty that was both otherworldly and dangerous.
Casually observing the seductive dance before him, Lou Guanxue murmured, "From the Eastern Continent?"
The eunuch, trembling, quickly replied, "Y-Yes, Your Majesty."
Lou Guanxue tilted his head slightly, strands of his ink-black hair brushing against his porcelain cheek. His expression remained innocently curious as he continued, "I’ve heard that women from the Eastern Continent are known for their slender waists. They take pride in fasting, are light as swallows, and quite... delicate. Is that true?"
The eunuch faltered, his face growing pale. "I... believe so."
At this point, the music had ceased. The dancers bowed gracefully, then knelt on the floor.
Lou Guanxue chuckled softly. His bare feet stepped down from the throne. He was thin, his skin unnaturally pale, with blue veins faintly visible beneath.
As he approached, the dancers froze, their bodies stiff with tension.
Rumors of this tyrant flooded their minds. One of them, barely managing to suppress her panic, recalled the empress dowager's instructions and forced herself to remain calm.
She was sent by the empress dowager. Everything would be fine… everything would be fine…
But then, she heard the young emperor’s cold voice, spoken slowly and deliberately:
"If you truly are light as a swallow, this place is a hundred feet high. Why don’t you perform a dance of flight for me?"
The eunuch’s face turned ashen, and he raised his head in shock.
The dancer was petrified, panic overwhelming her. She looked up in desperation, her alluring face now full of terror. "Your Majesty..."
Lou Guanxue smiled but said nothing more.
At that moment, a gust of wind surged, and suddenly, a flock of small birds with blue feathers and yellow tails flew into the Zhaixing Tower, circling the dancer in a surreal, almost reverent display. It resembled a scene of "a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix," but in the eerie silence of the palace, it felt far more ominous.
The dancer, still in a daze, suddenly felt her hair being tugged by the birds' beaks, and the red sashes on her wrists were caught by their claws. Fear overwhelmed her, and she cried out, "Your Majesty! No, Your Majesty!"
She tried to crawl forward to grab the emperor’s pristine robes, but as she moved, a sharp pain exploded in her eyes. Her vision turned crimson as one of the birds gouged out her eye.
"Ah—!" The dancer clutched her bloodied face, her screams echoing alongside the jingling of the palace bells.
She stumbled through the flock of birds, frantically running toward the outside. But the doors and windows were tightly shut, leaving only the open terrace bathed in moonlight.
Lou Guanxue glanced aside indifferently and remarked with a faint smile, "Play some music."
The terrified musicians snapped back to reality and, with trembling hands, resumed their playing. The clear and melodious notes of zithers and flutes filled the air.
The dancer, now driven mad, ran out to the terrace. A hundred feet high, the tower offered no railings for protection.
She turned back, her face as pale as a sheet. The circling birds overhead transformed into ferocious, open-mawed specters. She took one step back and plunged.
"Ahhh—!" Her despairing scream tore through the silent night.
The music and bird calls continued as if nothing had happened. Her descent, hair streaming and crimson robes billowing, resembled a true "dance of flight."
Lou Guanxue smiled nonchalantly and turned to the eunuch. "Tell the empress dowager I am very pleased."
The eunuch, trembling uncontrollably, could barely form a response. He stammered, "Y-Yes, Your Majesty... I shall take my leave."
As the Zhaixing Hall fell into sudden silence, Lou Guanxue’s smile faded. His expression turned cold and distant. Barefoot, he walked further into the palace chambers.
"She... she’s dead?"
In the now-empty hall, only Xia Qing, a wandering soul, remained to mutter in shock.
The system chimed in brightly, "Yep, dead."
Xia Qing’s voice was dry as he regained some composure. "He killed someone just like that? For no reason?"
The system replied matter-of-factly, "Of course. Lou Guanxue is a tyrant, after all. Killing people on a whim is entirely in character."
"..."
The system, sensing Xia Qing’s growing unease, tried to console him. "Don’t worry, host. That dancer wasn’t a good person either. She enjoyed disfiguring and skinning others for sport. She was the empress dowager’s chosen venomous beauty—a case of evil meeting its own demise."
Still, Xia Qing didn’t speak. He had arrived just in time to see a crimson-clad figure fall to her death, instantly snapping him awake. Suppressing his growing frustration, he muttered, "So you're telling me I need to accumulate virtue and earn rebirth... by inhabiting the body of a tyrant?"
"Uh..." The system faltered, realizing the absurdity of the situation, and fell silent.
Xia Qing chuckled bitterly. "And you think this is a path to redemption? This is more like a ticket to the eighteenth level of hell."
The flickering candlelight illuminated his delicate brows and eyes. Just from his looks and demeanor, one might mistake him for an elegant and refined nobleman from a distinguished family.
After entering the room, Xia Qing glanced around and, finding no other available seats, hesitated before finally sitting across from Lou Guanxue.
Though Lou Guanxue was notorious for his unpredictability and ruthlessness, Xia Qing didn’t really care. After all, he wasn’t human, and he felt no sense of belonging in this world. From the moment he arrived, he had encountered nothing but death, with misfortune seemingly pouring down on him.
The system instinctively trembled with fear at the sight of this tyrant, its voice shaky as it said, "Host, c-can we change places?"
Xia Qing pressed it down on the table. "Where else would you have me go? Besides, why are you such a coward? He can’t even see us. Sit still."
The system’s flame flickered pitifully, replying with resignation, "Okay."
It turned its little fiery body away, facing its back toward Lou Guanxue. Only then did it feel a bit more at ease, avoiding looking at the man’s face.
Xia Qing, however, was entirely unbothered. Upon entering this world, his appearance had already been transformed into traditional attire, with long black hair cascading messily onto the table. A few strands stuck up awkwardly because he hadn’t bothered to tidy it.
Lying on the table with his pale, delicate wrist draped casually over his arm, he looked just like a student dozing off in a classroom.
He was in a foul mood and planned to sleep. If only he could close his eyes and wake up in the afterlife, sparing himself the misery of living in this feudal kingdom. "Fine," he said dismissively. "Start talking."
The system replied, "Alright, I’ll begin. Actually, the world-building and all that doesn’t matter much. I’m not entirely clear on it myself. You just need to know that this is a super cliché and melodramatic BL novel."
Xia Qing chuckled softly, his eyes still closed. "Oh, so it’s a BL novel."
Ignoring his sarcasm, the system continued, "Right now, you're in the Kingdom of Chu, the most powerful nation in the world. A year ago, the previous emperor conquered the Liang Kingdom and massacred its royal family, leaving only one young prince alive—our protagonist, Wen Jiao. The previous emperor spared him because he planned to make him a concubine. But before he could, he died. The new emperor then ascended the throne—and that's the man sitting across from you."
Hearing this, Xia Qing peeked up and glanced at the person before him.
Lou Guanxue, oblivious to their presence, sat propping his head on one hand, reading a book, his black hair cascading around him.
The bright lamplight shone on his jade-like face, and Xia Qing noticed a faint mole near the corner of his eye.
When Lou Guanxue wasn’t smiling, he exuded an aura as pure as ice and snow. His relaxed posture as he turned the pages of his book radiated a casual elegance.
The new emperor.
The tyrant.
The madman.
Xia Qing labeled him internally with these words, his expression cold and irritated, before lying back down to chat with the system. "So, the protagonist blackens? Endures years of humiliation and hardship, waits for his time, and then takes the throne to avenge his family and restore his kingdom?"
The system hesitated. "Uh, no. That’s more of a male-oriented storyline. But I did emphasize this is a super melodramatic Danmei (Bl) novel. The protagonist’s character is actually a carefree and naïve fool." It then awkwardly added, "Otherwise, there’s no way the story could end happily."
Xia Qing didn’t care about the protagonist’s characterization and only responded dismissively, "Oh."
The system continued, "The protagonist is a pampered and delicate young man who has completely lost the ability to fend for himself. When life in the palace became unbearable after the previous emperor’s death, he decided one day—after crying his heart out while washing clothes in the cold until his hands cracked and bled—that to live a better life, he would... climb into the new emperor's bed."
Xia Qing nearly choked on his own spit.
Lou Guanxue turned another page, the soft sound echoing in the quiet room.
Xia Qing glanced at him again and saw him smile faintly, seemingly amused by whatever he was reading.
Xia Qing wanted to call it quits.
Not only was this story frustrating, but it was also inappropriate for younger audiences!
But the system couldn’t stop itself. "The protagonist eventually succeeded after many trials and tribulations. But on the first night, he regretted it. Lou Guanxue wasn’t just a pervert in personality; he was also extremely sadistic in bed. The protagonist's first experience left him half-dead, with injuries all over his body. According to the original text, the next day he was covered in suggestive marks, aching all over, and unable to get out of bed."
What the hell?! Xia Qing held back a string of curses. "Shut up. I don’t want to hear this."
The system replied pitifully, "I was just trying to make it more vivid for you to immerse yourself in the story."
Xia Qing was speechless. "immerse myself? Who am I supposed to relate to? Lou Guanxue? No, thank you. I’m not into this kind of twisted stuff."
The system thought for a moment. "Perhaps you could relate to the protagonist?"
"…"
Damn it.
Smack! Xia Qing slammed the table, sitting up straight.
With his hair disheveled and his light brown eyes filled with rage, he looked as if he was ready to strangle the system.
The system, terrified by his fierce demeanor, shrank back, trembling. "I’m sorry, don’t be angry. How about I tell you about someone else instead?"
Xia Qing was impatient. "Get lost."
The system started to act cute. "Oh, come on! You won’t know how juicy it gets if you don’t listen. There are all kinds of clichés like mistaken identities and substitute lovers."
Xia Qing, coldly: "Tell me how to shut you up."
Ignoring him, the system enthusiastically continued, "And this novel is full of the trending ‘chasing the wife after divorce’ trope! There’s the loyal general from the fallen kingdom, the mysterious and aloof high priest of Chu, and the carefree and flirtatious playboy from the capital—all of them disdain the protagonist at first, treating him cruelly both physically and emotionally. But later, without exception, they all fall madly in love and beg for forgiveness. It’s so satisfying."
Xia Qing grabbed it, trying to locate its mouth. "Where’s your mouth? I’ll shut it for you."
The system squirmed to escape. "What are you doing?! Why are you suddenly getting physical? I’m just trying to give you a sneak peek of the future."
Xia Qing: "Can’t I just be a wandering spirit in peace?"
The system, still shaped like a flame, revealed a small button-like feature in its center. "This is a love-triangle novel! Knowing the ending helps you choose the right CP. Don’t you want to know what happens to the tyrant sitting across from you?"
Xia Qing rolled his eyes. "Not at all."
The system persisted, "I’ll tell you secretly: Lou Guanxue falls the hardest for the protagonist and gets hurt the most later on. But he deserves it, for all the torment he put the protagonist through in the beginning. He’s cruel and twisted at first, treating the protagonist horribly, but isn’t it satisfying to see him suffer later as he tries to win him back?"
Xia Qing sneered. "Not interested. Besides, wasn’t it your protagonist who climbed into his bed in the first place? With a plot like this, spare me the insult to my intelligence. Wait—is this your mouth?"
Finally, Xia Qing located a tiny vibrating button in the center of the writhing flame.
The system froze.
Xia Qing used his finger to press down on it.
The system made muffled noises, unable to speak, trembling in frustration.
"You should’ve shut up sooner to avoid this," Xia Qing said with a smirk, sitting back casually. He flicked the system's flame, causing it to wobble. "I don’t care about this world, and I’m not the least bit interested in Lou Guanxue’s fate."
"But I am."
A soft chuckle came from across the table.
"Huh?" Xia Qing looked suspiciously at the system. "You can still talk?"
The system: "Mmph mmph mmph!"
Xia Qing raised an eyebrow. "Not you? Then—"
Wait.
If it wasn’t the system, then that means…
The room fell deathly silent.
Xia Qing froze, still holding the system in his arms.
Slowly, he looked up.
The young emperor, who had been quietly flipping through his book this entire time, finally set it down.
His jet-black hair flowed like a waterfall, his snow-white robes pristine.
Lou Guanxue rested his chin on his hand and lightly tapped the table with a finger.
He smiled at Xia Qing, a faint, sensual curve to his lips, his voice soft and intimate like a lover’s whisper.
"Go on. Let him continue. I’d like to hear how my story ends as well."
Yet his tone was icy, sharp enough to shatter moonlight.
Comments
Post a Comment