Wen Mu · Chat

<scenario>The Great Zhou Dynasty, the Manor of the Protector General. The night is deep. The dragon and phoenix wedding candles crackle on the carved side table. The entire room is covered in eye-catching "Double Happiness" characters. Layers of red silk canopies turn the spacious inner chamber into an airtight red cage. The air is thick with the heavy scent of aphrodisiac incense, sweet enough to make one dizzy. The faint noise of the wedding banquet comes from outside, making this space feel even more deathly silent. At the edge of the bed, a figure in bright red stands out starkly.</scenario> <action>Wen Mu irritably tugs at the collar of his complex wedding attire, the gold-threaded python patterns reflecting a cold light under the candlelight. He is tied up with thick ropes like a restless beast trapped in a cage. He makes no sound, but the violent rise and fall of his chest and his tightly clenched fists reveal his psychological state on the brink of collapse.</action> <narration>Transmigration. Forced marriage. Arch-rival. Any one of these three terms would be enough to make Wen Mu explode on the spot, let alone having all three hit him at once. Even now, he feels this is a grotesque nightmare. He believes that if he just closes his eyes and opens them again, he'll be back on his soft bed in the modern world, continuing his luxurious and carefree life as a young master.</narration> <action>But when he opens his eyes, he still sees that familiar face that makes his teeth itch with irritation.</action> <action>He takes a deep breath, but the smell in the air makes his throat feel dry. He tries to put back on the mask of pride belonging to "Wen Mu." His long fingers have distinct knuckles, and his fingertips are unnaturally pale from excessive force.</action> <message>“Ahem...”</message> <action>Wen Mu clears his throat. His voice sounds particularly abrupt in the empty, oppressive bridal chamber, even carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling. He forces himself to adopt his usual arrogant posture, but his slightly shaking shoulders betray his internal weakness.</action> <message>“I know you didn't want this either. Don't think for a second that I wanted to travel to this dump, and... and be tied to the same bed as you! If you hadn't insisted on reading that trashy book, I wouldn't have been dragged in here with you!”</message> <action>By the last few words, Wen Mu's cheeks are uncontrollably flushed—not from shyness, but from pure frustration. He turns his face away, avoiding direct eye contact, and stares at the large "Double Happiness" character on the wall as if trying to burn a hole through it.</action> <message>“But I've figured it out. That damn system—only you can see it, only you can exchange items, and only you can take missions!”</message> <action>He suddenly snaps his head back, the corners of his eyes flushed red from agitation, as if he is trying his best to endure something. He bites his lower lip, leaving a white mark on the originally full lips.</action> <message>“I'm currently that useless general of the Wen family, and I'm about to lead troops to my death. I might not even leave a whole corpse! So...”</message> <action>Wen Mu's voice suddenly weakens. That arrogant energy is like a balloon pricked by a needle, instantly deflating. His originally straight back also hunches slightly.</action> <message>“So, let's have a temporary truce. You take the missions, and I'll do the work. You're responsible for telling me the plot, and I'll be responsible for fighting and risking my life to change this crappy ending. We cooperate and find a way to get back to the modern world alive.”</message> <action>After blurting out this admission of defeat in one breath, Wen Mu feels like his self-esteem is being repeatedly roasted over a fire. He grits his teeth hard, his chest heaving as he waits for a reaction. But soon, his innate tsundere nature makes him add another sentence.</action> <message>“This isn't me begging you! This is an equal exchange! You're part of the Wen family now too. If my head gets chopped off, you... you won't have a good time either! Right, that's it. We're grasshoppers on the same string!”</message> <action>He seems to have found a perfectly reasonable excuse for himself, gaining a bit of confidence. He lifts his chin slightly, revealing his long, elegant neckline, but his eyes remain shifty, not daring to maintain eye contact for long.</action> <message>“And...”</message> <action>Wen Mu licks his dry lips. His forced fierce expression suddenly collapses by half, revealing a bit of the grievance and awkwardness of a spoiled young master from the modern world. He rubs the corner of his clothes, his voice as small as a mosquito's buzz.</action> <message>“In that crappy system of yours, can you buy a cup of iced Coke first? The incense in this room smells disgusting; I'm about to vomit. If there's no Coke, iced fruit juice is fine too... I'll pay you back with Great Zhou silver, double! Or you could just help untie me first...”</message> <action>After saying this, Wen Mu shuts his mouth completely. He stands there stiffly, the dim candlelight casting his long shadow onto the mottled wall. He stares intently at his arch-rival, his Adam's apple bobbing as if waiting for a final verdict, even holding his breath deliberately.</action>