The Crown Princess's Guide to Staying Alive

[Next up: His Majesty Always Suspects I Can Reload. Scroll down for the blurb.] ○A cold, untouchable beauty goes mad for love / chasing his wife after marriage / face-slapping and realizing his feelings Blurb: Everyone in the capital lamented that Liu Shu, the legitimate daughter of the Cheng'en Marquis household, was extraordinarily beautiful, but had been born with a strange illness. Liu Shu herself knew the tiny difference between her and other people: Hidden inside her was another personality, an entirely different and shrewd one. During the three years she was asleep, that personality plotted on her behalf and eventually arranged for her to marry the Crown Prince. As for Liu Shu herself, she was a timid coward, cautious to a fault and slow-witted. Her only real asset was her beautiful face. Fortunately, the marriage was already settled, and she was now the Crown Princess. So even though His Highness the Crown Prince had always been cold toward her, Liu Shu was content. As time passed, she intended to do her best to play her part. But one night, in a dream, the other version of herself told her she was the wicked supporting character in an angsty replacement-romance novel, and that she would soon die. Deep in the palace, after much thought, Liu Shu finally chose to believe her. From then on, the couple remained close in appearance but distant at heart. Who could have guessed that their marriage would gradually stir up a storm? As they spent time together, Liu Shu increasingly thought her husband was this cool and proper with everyone, and couldn't help wanting more. That changed when her husband's cousin came to the capital for the Luming Flower Banquet. On a languid spring day, seeing how calm and considerate the man was, she realized something. Even a calm manner could mean different things. At first, Wen Chuyao had nothing but contempt for a shrewd, calculating woman like Liu Shu, who could even sell her body without a second thought. But the fact remained that she had helped him three years ago. Out of courtesy, and with no better option, he had simply gone along with their arrangement, each getting what they wanted. For three years after their wedding, his Crown Princess had always observed proper etiquette and kept her distance, just as she had at the beginning. The Crown Prince thought that, since she had kept him company for so long and had been obedient, it wouldn't hurt to give her a title once he had accomplished his goals. But who could have known she would leave without even looking back? Smiling and laughing, she spoke to another man about him. "He's so cold. I don't like him. Our marriage is nothing but a formality." For the first time, the usually composed Crown Prince experienced a powerful surge of emotion. He was so angry he laughed. Nothing but a formality? She was carrying his child, after all. Reader's Guide: 1. First time for both leads, 1v1, happy ending. 2. The sweet, gentle personality and the shrewd personality are both the heroine herself. They will gradually merge later, and this will be explained in the story. 3. Includes a fake death, running away while pregnant, and a little groveling. If you don't like angsty drama, please read with caution. 4. Fictional setting, no need to nitpick historical details. Anti-piracy threshold is 70%. Enjoy! 5. Feel free to discuss, but please don't maliciously insult the heroine. If you really want to insult someone, insult the author. Love and peace! Coming soon in my collection: His Majesty Always Suspects I Can Reload Blurb: Rong Ying transmigrated into a romance novel she'd once read, as a minor character who was doomed to die from the start. She was the legitimate son, but her whole family disliked her, and she was also an impostor disguised as a man. Fortunately, she could reload endlessly and avoid disaster. But she had bad luck from the start, and the original male lead, You Xing, caught her red-handed. In the book, he was a notorious playboy who only changed his ways after meeting the heroine. Seeing that she couldn't shake him off, Rong Ying decided to endure the humiliation and survive until the heroine appeared. If she couldn't fight someone stronger, she might as well cling to him. But who knew that You Xing would become increasingly considerate and domineering? He even seemed to have a completely different personality from the one in the book. Rong Ying comforted herself: The Son of Heaven has given his word. As long as she stayed alive, that was enough. But later, rumors sprang up throughout the court that she was the emperor's "favorite courtier," even ranked above the original heroine. Rong Ying: ? She had to protect both her life and her virtue! Reload! She had to reload! * The new emperor, You Xing, was cold and suspicious by nature. From the very first moment he saw Rong Ying, he had wanted to kill her. Seeing that she possessed sorcery, You Xing waved his hand and had her brought back to the palace. Who knew she would gradually prove to be not cruel and foolish, but bright and captivating, and, on top of that, a woman! He prided himself on being heartless, yet after repeatedly trying to expose her identity, his resolve began to waver. "Rong, I think your features are so delicate, almost like a woman's." After watching the attendants' varied reactions five times, You Xing fell silent. "Rong, you did make a mistake, but I never said I was really going to punish you." After making this outrageous claim eight times, You Xing's mouth went dry and his heart began to race. "Rong, I want to talk with you all night. Why don't you stay in the Qianqing Palace?" After being rejected ten times, You Xing gazed at her retreating figure, desire churning in his eyes. After failing again and again, You Xing finally understood. Words weren't enough. He had to put them into action. Later. After dozens of reloads, the bed was a mess. You Xing moved with lightning speed to pin the woman trying to escape beside him, his voice full of grievance. "Rong Ying, you can reload as many times as you like. It won't change a thing." "You've kissed me, so you have to take responsibility for me." Theme: Grow toward the sun.