The scent of sandalwood clung to the air, thick and cloying. Golden sunlight streamed across the patterned silk screens, casting lattice shadows onto the polished wooden floors. Xia Luo awoke not to the sound of medical machines, but to the rustling of silk and the muffled voices of palace maids whispering beyond a sliding door.
Her lashes fluttered open. Her head ached, and her chest felt tight, like she had been holding her breath for too long.
But the room wasn't hers.
Neither was the body.
And the sharp pain in her ribs wasn't from a crash.
It was from this body's former owner—a young noble lady who had been pushed to her breaking point after being publicly rejected by the man she was once promised to marry.
*System initializing...*
*Binding complete.*
*Host: Xia Luo. World 1. Identity: Lady Luo Ziyan, eldest daughter of Prime Minister Luo.*
*Current Status: Publicly shamed noblewoman. Mission: Win the affection of Male Lead — His Highness, Prince Jin Wei.*
Xia Luo closed her eyes again and allowed the flood of memories to hit her.
She moved toward the polished bronze mirror. A new face stared back at her. Slender and elegant, with graceful brows and full lips. The face of someone who should have been adored — and instead had been discarded like waste.
A knock at the door.
One of the maids peeked in timidly. "My lady… His Highness has arrived."
Already?
Her pulse quickened.
She wasn't ready to see him. But then again — he wasn't ready for her, either.
---
The door opened. He didn't wait for permission.
Jin Wei.
He wore ink-black robes embroidered with golden threads, his long dark hair tied back with a jade crown. His presence was sharp, like a blade left half-drawn. His expression was neutral — cold, unreadable — but Xia Luo felt it immediately.
That undercurrent of authority.
Power.
And disgust.
She felt the original Luo Ziyan's rage bubble beneath her skin, but Xia Luo held it down. Her face remained calm.
He didn't bow. Didn't greet her.
"I came to make something clear," he said. "This engagement was made by your father, not by me. I've already informed the emperor of my refusal. You and I will not be married."
She rose slowly, her posture regal, silk sleeves trailing softly.
"I see."
Two words. Delivered with elegance, not a trace of pleading.
Jin Wei's brows furrowed slightly.
*System Update: +3 Interest Points. Current Affection Level: 3/100.*
*Prompt: Maintain composed expression. Continue passive resistance.*
He studied her longer than necessary.
"You don't seem surprised."
She tilted her head slightly, the edge of a smirk just barely reaching her lips. "Surprise would imply expectation."
Something flickered in his gaze.
She could tell — he had expected tears, anger, or desperation.
Instead, she gave him silence laced with dignity. It threw him off.
"I misjudged you," he said after a beat.
"You still do."
He said nothing to that. And yet, he didn't leave.
*System Notice: Micro-expressions detected. Male Lead's interest increased.*
*New Expression Unlocked: 'Subtle Defiance with Elegant Restraint.'*
After a few moments, he finally turned toward the door.
"I'll take my leave. Do not expect visits."
"I don't," she replied simply.
He paused.
Then left.
---
Silence fell like snow after he disappeared.
Xia Luo exhaled slowly, tension leaving her spine.
*"System,"* she whispered. "What's his problem?"
*Personality Analysis: Prince Jin Wei is cold, disciplined, and distrustful. Past trauma. Suppressed desires. Susceptible to subtle emotional shifts.*
"Right. So basically, he needs a therapist."
*Correction: He needs the Host.*
Xia Luo chuckled.
----