Cut me

What the hell? Wasn't he supposed to be beaten to death?

You're breaking your word again!

Shen Yangge wanted nothing more than to push his luck and punch the man before him, to show him exactly why pandas had such black eyes.

System 615 couldn't help reminding him: [Host, there are still several years before the male lead ascends the throne. You needn't be so impatient.]

How could he not be impatient? Who in their right mind would want to stay in this godforsaken place?

It had absolutely nothing he wanted.

And he had to deal with a bunch of insufferable people every day. It was boring as hell.

Shen Yangge missed everything about his original world.

"Very well."

The crown prince curled a finger and tapped the tabletop. Two maidservants hurried over and knelt, bowing low as they raised their hands, each holding something in her palms.

"You wish to atone for your offense through service. I shall give you that chance. If you fail..."

What happens if I fail?

Shen Yangge waited for the crown prince to finish, but the man merely drew out his words without giving a definite answer.

He only let his unruffled gaze linger on Shen Yangge's neck for a few seconds.

Got it. If I fail, you'll have me publicly beheaded.

Shen Yangge hurriedly suppressed the delight about to spill from his almond-shaped eyes. He cupped his hands and said with an outwardly solemn expression, "Rest assured, Your Highness. I shall not disappoint you, even if I must climb a mountain of blades or plunge into a sea of fire."

I'll certainly "do my best." If I fail, just take my head off. I won't mind in the slightest. In fact, I'll thank your entire family.

The crown prince lifted his chin slightly. His broad sleeves shifted as he rose, his well-defined hand passing before Shen Yangge's eyes to pick up what the two maidservants were holding.

He offered it to him.

It was a dagger the dark green of a gemstone, with an exceedingly sharp tip. Ancient script was carved into its hilt, which was also set with green and blue diamonds.

"This...?"

The crown prince's lashes fluttered. To Shen Yangge, his robes with their white cloud-patterned sleeves looked so refined and elegant, his bearing as upright as a pine.

Yet the words he spoke made Shen Yangge's expression crack for an instant, despite his usual steady exterior and wildly restless mind.

The crown prince was succinct. "Cut me."

Shen Yangge: *?*

He immediately dropped to his knees with a thud and cried, "I-I wouldn't dare!"

What the fuck? If you want to die, do it yourself! I'm a law-abiding citizen. Forgive me, but helping someone end their life is out of the question.

The crown prince was still not normal today.

No normal person would ask someone else to cut him. Shen Yangge truly couldn't fathom why he was doing this.

Unable to make sense of it for the moment, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on it.

In any case, if the crown prince ever became normal, this world would be in for trouble.

He was even more terrifying when he wasn't acting crazy.

The crown prince narrowed his sinister eyes, danger seeping into his voice. "Is this what you meant by climbing a mountain of blades or plunging into a sea of fire, Scribe Shen?"

Shen Yangge answered hesitantly, "Your Highness is the future sovereign of Great Chu. Your person is far too precious. I would not dare."

I'd love to agree. After all... if I cut you, it'd be no different from harming an imperial descendant. I'd immediately be dragged off to the criminal justice bureau and dealt with on the spot.

Then, because that contradicted the original owner's fear of death and broke character, System 615 would punish him with an electric shock.

Just thinking about it was so...

The crown prince said, "What wouldn't you dare do?"

"I think you are quite daring, Scribe Shen."

His tone was full of certainty.

Shen Yangge spoke again, his eyes pleading. "I would never dare harm Your Highness. Please rescind your command."

System 615: [Your mouth says you wouldn't dare, Host, but your heart is much more honest.]

Shen Yangge: I'm not you. Don't talk nonsense.

The crown prince held the dagger lightly, pressed its sharpest tip against Shen Yangge's chin, and forced it upward, his voice cold and stern:

"If you refuse to obey my command, Scribe Shen, I may not kill you, but there is no reason I cannot use my methods of torture on you."

You won't kill me, but you'll torture me? What breed of pervert are you? Is torturing people really that entertaining? Is it?

The dagger's tip was hard and icy against his chin. It seemed that the slightest pressure would send the blade slicing through his jade-white skin, spilling a swath of crimson.

Is he really not going to kill me, System? How about you bring up that pain-free button now, so I don't hit it too late and end up in agony?

System 615: [Rest assured, Host. When your life is threatened, everything in this world will freeze. It will only resume once you have chosen whether to press the button.]

That sounded a little like a powerful male lead equipped with a cheat ability.

Unfortunately, he wasn't the male lead, and the system wasn't a cheat ability. What kind of cheat ability made someone court death...?

"Your Highness, I..."

"Hss..."

The blade opened a thin cut beneath his chin, and beads of blood slowly welled up. Shen Yangge couldn't help pressing his tongue harder against the roof of his mouth. His face went deathly pale, his breathing shallow, and he didn't dare move.

Whether from nerves or something else, a faint flush spread at the corners of his almond-shaped eyes. The graceful curve of his upturned neck resembled a white swan drifting over a stream. Paired with his gray-blue robes, he looked remarkably like...

The crown prince unconsciously tightened his grip on the dagger. His eyes darkened slightly, though even he failed to notice.

"Are you very afraid of pain, Scribe Shen?"

Of course I am!

How could he not be? Everyone feared pain, didn't they? Besides, this body had always been pampered, fussed over by maids and its mother.

Whenever the original owner accidentally bumped into something or scraped himself, his mother would be upset for ages and apply salve to his injuries.

Who isn't afraid of pain? As long as I'm not afraid of death, that's all that matters.

Shen Yangge didn't dare lower his head. Keeping his chin raised, he opened his mouth to answer, "Please rescind your command, Your Highness. I would not dare."

Given the original owner's personality, he truly wouldn't have dared.

After all, he feared death. He might still have a chance of surviving a punishment, but if he cut the crown prince, there would be no chance at all.

The system didn't pop up to object, which meant it tacitly approved.

"Rescind my command?"

The crown prince tapped Shen Yangge's chin twice with the dagger. "Shen Zhuanxie, have you ever seen paper burned to ashes return to its original state?"

He had made himself perfectly clear. He would not rescind his command.

Perfect!

Without waiting for the crown prince to continue, Shen Yangge moved the hands he had been keeping obediently on his knees. In one fluid motion, he snatched the dark green dagger and said, "Forgive my offense, Your Highness."

His almond-shaped eyes narrowed like those of a sly fox, and he made to slash the crown prince's arm. Before he could strike, however, a hidden guard appeared from nowhere and forcibly pinned his shoulder.

The force was so great that Shen Yangge's brows knitted in pain. The dagger fell from his hand and hit the floor with a clatter.

His body had only just recovered, and on top of that, he had been punished by being made to "pay his respects" to the ancestors in the ancestral hall the previous night. Dizziness overwhelmed him, and he couldn't help coughing up a mouthful of blood. His body pitched forward, collapsing toward the crown prince.