The girl sitting next to the man I'd almost accidentally killed let out a high-pitched scream.
The young man, who appeared to be in his early twenties, looked up at me with a mix of shock and disbelief. His sleek black hair fell perfectly over his forehead, and his face had an innocence that screamed "main character's beloved sidekick." But as the legendary evil wife I now embodied, I barely cared that I had nearly crushed his skull.
If he were really my husband, I wouldn't have stopped at one teacup—I'd have thrown the whole tea set.
This, I realized, was Lang Yixin, Xiao Ren's younger brother. The kind-hearted, loyal sibling who was a fan favorite in the original comic. The man who, annoyingly, would be labeled as "too good for this world." Thankfully, his brain seemed unscathed by my accident, which was good for him but mildly disappointing for me.
In the original comic, he was one of the few who sympathized with Shuyan. But right now he is just on of my victims.
"Are you okay?" the girl beside him asked, her voice trembling.
"I think so," Lang Yixin replied, giving me a wary glance. I ignored them both. They weren't my concern.
Then, a voice from behind me—a voice I knew too well—mocked, "Were you trying to kill me?"
I froze. That tone was enough to trigger something deep within me: fury mixed with familiarity. Xiao Ren.
"Kill?" I turned slowly, meeting his gaze. "I don't waste my time on flies."
His smirk widened, but before I could walk away with what little dignity I had left, my heel betrayed me. I tripped, stumbling forward.
It was like a slow-motion scene from one of those overly dramatic romance novels. My body pitched forward, and before I could crash into the marble floor, a strong hand caught me around the waist.
Xiao Ren.
Our eyes locked.
For a moment, neither of us moved. My face was inches from his, and I could feel his breath on my skin. Was it possible for time to stop and feel like running straight into a wall all at once?
"Careful," he said, his tone dripping with amusement. "I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself before you've had a chance to try killing me again."
I pulled away from his grip, my face burning, and stammered, "As if I'd waste the effort."
He just laughed as I stormed off. But, of course, I didn't make it far before running into yet another problem.
"Excuse me, ma'am?" A man in a gray robe materialized in my path, holding a scroll like he was auditioning for Historical Drama: The Budget Version.
"Who the hell are you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Your guide on this... uh... divine journey." He paused, then dramatically unrolled the scroll like he was about to read my fortune.
I cut him off. "Look, do you think you're in a period drama? Because you're not pulling it off."
He blinked, deflated. "Uh, well... fine. Long story short, I'm here to help you get back home."
Now we were talking. I leaned forward. "Oh? How?"
He cleared his throat. "You'll have to, uh, eliminate your husband."
"Eliminate?" I repeated, trying not to laugh. "As in...?"
"Kill him. Obviously."
"Oh," I said, brightening. "That's easy."
The man blinked again, visibly startled. "...Aren't you going to cry? Say it's too cruel? Maybe tremble a little?"
"Cruel? That bastard deserves to be boiled. With potatoes."
The man froze, staring at me like I'd just confessed to a war crime. He muttered to himself, "Women really are terrifying."
I tilted my head. "You talking to yourself, buddy?"
He shook his head and muttered louder, "Nope, nope, this one's unhinged. She's definitely going to kill me next."
I smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. You'd be the third victim. First the maid, then him. Want to join them in the pot?"
"Absolutely not!" he yelped, stepping back. "Please, ma'am, save your cooking talents for someone else!"
"Sure."
After a long, exasperated sigh, he continued, "I forgot to mention—you've got 30 days to kill him, or you're stuck here forever."
"Thirty days?""Do I have to look at his stupid face every day? That's the real punishment."
"After 30 days you can't go back to your world, you have 30 chances. This is your only solution if you want to come back."
"Okay, I'll help her change things, I'll set her free and leave." I said, already imagining the satisfaction of changing the plot.
"Why are you so excited?"
"Because, look, this comic is a mess! Usually, the villain gets what's coming, or the heroine has more backbone than this, but here? The main characters are absolute disasters. Shuyan was wronged, the husband treats her like garbage, and some other woman thinks she has the right to him just because… what? He exists? No morals! They don't even deserve to be in the comic, let alone be the protagonists."
"Yeah, you're right. The writer's a mess too. Total traitor. Probably can't even keep her plants alive. I'm sure her relationships will fail. Imagine dating someone like that? 'Oh, I'm a writer!' Yeah, sure, I can picture it. 'Hi, nice to meet you! Here's my unfinished manuscript and my emotional baggage.'"
"Why are you so agitated?"
"She's my ex-girlfriend."
"Oh."
"Oh... haha."
Well, that explains a lot.
"Actually, forget about both of you. Damn you equally. Just… ugh."
"Anyway, if you want to go back, don't forget to kill him." he said
"hmm kill? Really? Ugh, fine. But honestly? I'm getting really comfortable here. Not sure I even want to go back."
"Oh my god, they gave me a stressful client this time. I'm gonna need a vacation after this."
"I get why she broke up with you now."