Hua Jing returned to her chambers with a much different demeanor than when she had left the dining hall. The smug grin she'd worn after flustering the prince had faded, replaced by a pensive frown.
The door shut behind her with a dull thud, and she leaned against it, staring blankly at the wooden floor. The silence in the room seemed louder now, pressing in on her from all sides.
Her usual humor was gone.
She pressed a hand to her chest, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions threatening to overwhelm her.
She hadn't wanted to admit it—not to herself, not to anyone—but everything felt so painfully real now.
The cold air against her skin, the weight of the clothes she wore, the voices of those around her.
This wasn't a dream, nor some fleeting nightmare she could wake up from.
This was her reality.
The thought sent a chill through her. It wasn't just the fact that she was in a strange new world—it was the realization that she might never return to the life she had known. She was Hua Jing here, in this unfamiliar universe. Not the celebrated actress from her original world, but someone else entirely.
The name was the same. The face was the same. But the life? Completely different.
She exhaled shakily. The first thing she had to do now was survive. She needed to learn how to live in this world, how to navigate its customs and relationships, and most importantly, how to protect herself.
She turned her gaze to Xia Lin, who had followed her in and now stood wringing her hands nervously.
"Young Madam," Xia Lin began, her voice tense, "you shouldn't have behaved like that."
Hua Jing blinked, her thoughts still clouded. "What?"
"At breakfast," Xia Lin clarified, her tone rising slightly. "Do you realize how much you've angered His Highness? Your behavior was… was completely inappropriate!"
Hua Jing crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Was it?"
"Yes!" Xia Lin exclaimed. "You embarrassed him in front of Master Wei Ling! That's not something a consort should do, especially not the seventh consort of the crown prince."
"The seventh consort," Hua Jing repeated under her breath, the title feeling foreign and strange on her tongue.
"You must understand," Xia Lin continued, stepping closer. "Your actions don't just reflect on you—they reflect on His Highness as well. If you act out of line, people will judge him for choosing you. And…" She hesitated, her voice dropping slightly. "And it could ruin your chances."
"Chances for what?" Hua Jing asked, genuinely curious.
"To become the empress, of course!" Xia Lin said, as if the answer were obvious.
Hua Jing stared at her, her expression blank. The empress? The very idea made her want to laugh. Why would she care about becoming the empress of a world she didn't belong to?
Xia Lin, unaware of Hua Jing's inner turmoil, pressed on. "One day, His Highness will have to choose one of his consorts to become the empress of the kingdom. Your behavior today… it could ruin any chance you have of being chosen."
Hua Jing's lips twitched into a humorless smile. As if I care about being empress, she thought. There were far more important things to worry about. Survival, for one. Understanding this world, for another.
But she didn't voice any of this. Xia Lin wouldn't understand. The maid looked at her with such earnestness, such conviction—it was clear she believed Hua Jing to be the same person she had always known.
How could Xia Lin know the truth? That the Hua Jing standing before her wasn't the same woman she had grown up serving? That Hua Jing's very presence here was an anomaly, an impossibility?
Hua Jing turned away, walking to the window and gazing out at the snow-covered estate. Her thoughts churned relentlessly.
I need to figure out who Hua Jing was in this world, she thought. What she knew, what she did, how she lived.
Her survival depended on it.
"Young Madam," Xia Lin said hesitantly, breaking her train of thought.
Hua Jing glanced over her shoulder, raising an eyebrow. "What is it now?"
Xia Lin hesitated, her hands fidgeting with the edge of her apron. "You might have angered the prince too much," she said finally.
"So?" Hua Jing said dismissively, turning back to the window. "Let him be angry. It's not like I care."
"But… if he's too upset, he might not come to your chambers tonight," Xia Lin blurted out.
Hua Jing froze. "What?" she said sharply, spinning around to face her.
Xia Lin looked at her nervously. "Tonight… it's…" She trailed off, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"It's what?" Hua Jing demanded, narrowing her eyes.
"Your wedding night," Xia Lin said quietly.
The words hit Hua Jing like a slap. Her mouth fell open, and for a moment, she couldn't speak. "Excuse me?" she finally managed to say.
"Your wedding night," Xia Lin repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "It was supposed to happen on your wedding day, but because of your accident, it was postponed. Tonight, His Highness is supposed to…"
"Stop," Hua Jing said, holding up a hand. "I get it. I don't need the details."
She could not believe the turn of events!
She had thought that she only needed to deal with that insufferable man at breakfast.
Who knew she had to deal with him at night too!
Hua Jing felt like throwing herself on the wall!
Xia Lin fidgeted nervously. "That's why it's so important for you to stay in his good graces. If he's too angry to come to your chambers tonight, it would be…" She hesitated, her voice faltering. "It would be humiliating for you."
If the prince refuses to come to her chambers then the rumors would start.
"For me?" Hua Jing said dryly. "Why not for him?"
"Because you're the consort," Xia Lin said emphatically. "If the prince refuses to consummate the marriage, people will think it's your fault. They'll say you failed to please him."
Hua Jing thought that this was not a bad outcome at all!
Angering the prince was something she found quite easy to do. It was like a second nature.
If she angered him until he refused to consummate the marriage...
She could deal with the rumors later!
Her mind churned brightly!
Eureka!