The Second Female Lead's Guide to Surviving as a Couch Potato

Cui Yizhi, one of the modern world's carefree layabouts who loved lounging around, transmigrated into the body of a noblewoman from one of the Five Great Clans and Seven Houses. She thought that from then on, she'd have a life of fine clothes, fine food, and carefree leisure.

But the truth was... she had transmigrated into a story about a concubine winning favor and rising in status. Yes, she was the highborn fiancee of the male lead, doomed to a tragic end.

The delicate, innocent heroine had lofty ambitions. She and the male lead kept breaking up and getting back together. She ran, he chased, and she could never escape him, acting out a classic domineering CEO romance in ancient times. As for Cui Yizhi, she could only become a laughingstock in other people's eyes. In the end, she would shut herself away, remain unmarried, and die young.

Honestly, Cui Yizhi thought that sounded pretty good. With the Cui family's status, they would never mistreat her.

Just as Cui Yizhi had worked herself up and prepared to follow the plot obediently, playing her role as a mere prop, she realized something was off.

Was there a girl at the Imperial Academy next door disguised as a boy? Was her own half-sister reciting poems from Dream of the Red Chamber? And had her cousin, thousands of miles away, written to say that a male guest named Zhang Sheng was staying with her family...?

Even more alarming, Cui Yizhi seemed to have accidentally witnessed a refined gentleman famous throughout Chang'an kill someone without even blinking.

His sword was still dripping with blood, yet he turned back and smiled gently at Cui Yizhi. If they hadn't been in such an unsuitable place, she would have praised his elegance and peerless bearing.

What Cui Yizhi found even harder to believe was that this man seemed to have latched onto her. He sent her gifts every day, treated her with tender affection in public, and even sneaked into her bedroom at night, insisting on calling her "darling."

"Darling, my love." He smiled warmly, his gaze growing gentler still. "Even if you die, you will still be my wife, Pei Heng's."

Cui Yizhi pressed a hand to her chest. What a shameless man. All she'd done was stumble upon his secret, and now he frightened her every day, watching her for the rest of her life.

Note:

The male lead is a gentleman on the surface and ruthless behind closed doors. He's plotting to claim the throne and is the original story's biggest villain.

The female lead...

Oh, she just lounges around, wins without lifting a finger, and enjoys the gossip while spotting trouble ahead:

1. This is a bit of a transmigration mash-up. Alongside familiar plotlines like a concubine rising in status and a girl dressing as a boy to attend school, there will also be stories resembling traditional dramas. These plots will probably be treated with a little irreverent commentary and won't be particularly rigorous. (And scumbags will get what they deserve.)

2. The story is set in the Tang Dynasty, but in an alternate world.

No historical figures will appear, though there may be some references and historical details. The author will do their best to avoid mistakes. For instance, characters probably won't casually address each other as "Sir." Styles of makeup and clothing popular in the early Tang may appear alongside those popular in the late Tang, so please don't mind if you care about historical accuracy. (That said, the author probably won't go into much detail. And since this is an alternate world borrowing the Tang Dynasty setting, there won't be a specific year.)

3. The style is lighthearted and cozy, and the story develops slowly, so it may occasionally seem a little drawn out. If that's not your thing, feel free to decide whether you want to give it a try.

Theme: No matter where you are or what your circumstances may be, live well.