Chapter 1: Please, female lead, stay away from me
“Sorry, has the young prince… still not returned yet?”
The moon was full and the stars sparse; the Rui Prince Manor was brightly lit. A young girl sat upright in the main hall, asking the household servant with uneasy anxiety.
“Miss Bai, why don’t you head back first? Once the young master returns, I’ll let him know.”
The number one beauty of the capital—Bai Shuxi—had already been waiting here, enduring the draft that swept through the hall, for a full four hours…
Her fair skin resembled freshly bloomed jasmine; her brows were like willow leaves, her eyes like limpid springs. Graceful and slender, she possessed a beauty that could topple nations.
Even the servants of the Rui Prince Manor felt a pang of sympathy when they looked at Bai Shuxi.
“I’m sorry for lingering so long in your esteemed residence and causing disturbance. But if I wait until tomorrow, I’m afraid it really will be too late. Please, allow me to wait just a little longer—I beg you.”
The girl’s voice was sincere and humble, clear as flowing spring water, crisp and melodious, gentle yet delicate—like the elegant, sacred song of a celestial maiden, yet carrying a faint trace of allure.
“Miss Bai, you’re too polite. It’s just that if you keep waiting, the hour will grow late and it may be inconvenient for you to return. I’ll go prepare a fresh pot of tea for you—I won’t disturb you further.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
She gave a light nod in thanks, but her eyes brimmed with anxiety and helplessness. Like a child, she kept fidgeting with her slender fingers.
The Bai family was one of the five great clans of the capital, usually commanding wind and rain at will. Bai Shuxi herself was the pampered young miss adored by countless admirers.
Yet now she could only humble herself here, waiting for this notorious playboy… the eldest young master of the prince’s household—the Heir of Rui Prince, Qian Junyou.
A notorious, womanizing, tyrannical scion of nobility who, in his pursuit of Bai Shuxi, had secretly sent people to tail and investigate her…
Under normal circumstances, Bai Shuxi wouldn’t even spare him a glance.
But right now she deeply regretted her usual indifference toward this young master—regretted even the cold words she had thrown at him.
Because at this moment, the only one capable of helping the Bai family weather this crisis was the Rui Prince himself, and his only son, Qian Junyou, had become the sole point of breakthrough.
“Young Master, Miss Bai has already waited for you the entire day. Won’t you go down and see her?”
A maidservant beside him asked softly. In truth, this young master had been hiding upstairs all along.
This wasn’t some “playing hard to get” tactic or girl-chasing ploy—it came from a fear deep in his soul.
“Tell her I haven’t returned. Do whatever you’re supposed to do and stop nagging!”
The youth named Qian Junyou possessed refined features and an elegant bearing—sword-like brows slanting into his temples, eyes flowing with ink and cinnabar; skin like polished white jade, a figure straight and tall like bamboo in pine shadow. His facial features were exquisitely delicate, his jawline sharp as a brushstroke.
Yet this handsome and dashing young man was currently utterly frazzled. His legs were propped high on the desk; his whole body slumped in the chair like a worn-out rag, eyes dim and directionless.
Knowing full well how foul-tempered this noble young master could be, the maid hurriedly withdrew in fright, though her heart was filled with confusion.
Their young master had been pursuing Bai Shuxi for over a month already.
Not only was Bai Shuxi famously the ice-cold beauty of the capital, she was also the foremost talented lady—and at just eighteen years old, she had already reached the eighth layer of Foundation Establishment! A shocking feat!
Yet she was also the only woman who ever dared treat the young Rui Prince Qian Junyou with indifference.
But strangely, the young prince seemed to love exactly that treatment. Not only did he willingly become a simp, he even broke off his engagement with another stunningly beautiful fiancée.
What was utterly baffling now was that—when Miss Bai had finally come to him of her own accord, delivering herself to his door with such a golden opportunity—the young prince was acting as if he’d seen a tiger, hiding upstairs the entire day.
After sending the maid away, Qian Junyou folded his arms and fell deep into thought inside the room. On the paper on the desk, written in simplified Chinese characters, were the words:
“Eighth loop, test, read the diary from back to front”
This should be something he himself had written. On the other side lay the diary that had been burned to ashes—this was already the eighth time he had read it.
Eighth loop! He had already died seven times.
The burning pain still lingered in his chest, as though he had just been torn into by evil spirits. It felt as if something unclean had been constantly circling around him—the aftereffects of reading the diary.
“Damn it, how the hell am I supposed to play this…”
His original name was Qian Anhao. After transmigrating into this world, he faced one very serious problem—he had inherited none of the original body owner’s memories.
The only thing he could rely on was this diary written by “Qian Junyou”.
But every time he finished reading it, a violent headache would strike, the diary would spontaneously combust, and he would forget everything written in it completely.
He let out a long, deep sigh and gazed at the night scenery outside the window. He could no longer remember exactly how long he had been in this world.
Because of his ability to reset time upon death and revive, by this world’s reckoning, it was still only the third day.
The third day of the eighth loop…
From the window he caught a distant glimpse of Bai Shuxi’s figure. Was he really going to have to hide indoors for the rest of his life? What he feared most right now was that Miss Bai would charge straight upstairs…
“…Finally made it to the third day, little ancestor, please just go home already!”
Just as the thought crossed his mind, a commotion sounded outside. A familiar figure entered the Rui Prince Manor.
“The Prince has returned!”
The servants began calling out from all directions. Qian Junyou took one look—“Dad” was back—and sucked in a cold breath. Somehow, he had a very bad premonition.
Escorted attentively by the household servants, the Rui Prince arrived in the main hall and immediately spotted the young miss of the Bai family, Bai Shuxi.
“Bai Shuxi pays respects to Your Highness.”
Seeing the Prince return, Miss Bai hurriedly stepped forward and curtsied. After all, the one who could ultimately help was still this prince.
“Miss Bai? This is truly a rare guest!”
The Rui Prince smiled and returned the courtesy politely, but the smile quickly faded.
“Miss Bai personally gracing our humble residence—surely this is about matters concerning your family?”
Bai Shuxi lowered her head, not daring to speak. Her hands and feet were ice-cold and trembling nonstop.
The Rui Prince sighed helplessly, looked away, and continued:
“You came to the manor not to seek out this old man, right? …Where has that rotten brat Junyou run off to play this time?”
The Rui Prince turned and asked the nearby servants, but everyone stammered and dared not answer.
They had lied to Miss Bai saying the young master wasn’t here at his own instruction—but they didn’t dare lie to the Prince!
“I’m asking you—where is that boy?”
The Prince raised his voice, his tone carrying a hint of anger. This major case had shaken the entire court; he had only returned late because of it. And with an outsider present, he had to display some authority.
Only then did a nearby maid hurriedly trot over and quietly explain the situation regarding Qian Junyou.
Though the Rui Prince doted endlessly on this precious son, the family rules were still very strict—after all, they were of the imperial bloodline.
Qian Junyou’s grandfather was the Emperor Emeritus’s own elder brother, enfeoffed as Prince Rui.
Qian Junyou’s father—the current Prince Rui—was the one who had supported and assisted the present emperor in successfully ascending the throne.
Thus the Rui Prince household enjoyed an extraordinary status in the capital—second to none. All five great families hoped to climb into their good graces.
The imperial princes still had to restrain themselves somewhat under the Emperor’s watchful eye, but Qian Junyou had no such concerns. He spent every day eating, drinking, whoring, and gambling—infamous across the capital for his arrogance and tyranny.
“What a disgrace! Is this any way to treat a guest? Immediately summon that rotten boy and have him—”
“Junyou respectfully welcomes Father Prince back to the residence!”
The Prince had been about to order them to drag Qian Junyou down, but before he could finish speaking, the boy himself came running over with a cheeky grin, putting on an exaggerated show of cupping his hands in salute.
“Father has labored day and night over the affairs of state—truly exhausting work. I only just returned myself. Why don’t you go rest first, Father? I’ll take care of Miss Bai.”