The System Said I've Chosen The Wrong Target - Chapter 1

Beautiful, powerful, but utterly wretched!

It was noon, and the winter sun warmed the air.

The warm sunlight streamed through the porch and onto Gu Yan’s fair face, which lay just beyond the threshold. She twirled the wooden bracelet on her wrist. “What’s for lunch?”

The bracelet remained still. Gu Yan’s delicate features furrowed slightly as she turned to look at Her Royal Highness, the Deposed Crown Princess, who sat reading in a corner of the Cold Palace.

Three days earlier, she had fallen victim to a phone scam, lost all her savings, and fainted in anger. When she regained consciousness, she found herself inexplicably transmigrated into the body of Gu Yan, the youngest daughter of the Gu family; a girl so unwanted that her relatives had sent her to the Cold Palace to take care for the deposed Crown Princess Xie Mingtang.

Fortunately, she had the Chatterbox System to help her scrape by in this desolate place.

The System demanded that she win over the Deposed Crown Princess and assist her in ascending the throne. Only then, after Xie Mingtang became the Empress, could Gu Yan return to the moment before the phone scam.

Damn that phone scam!

In winter, the leaves had withered to a dull yellow, and shadows lurked in the corners. Xie Mingtang sat quietly reading, her profile was as luminous as jade, her unadorned face and cloud-like hair reminiscent of a red plum blossom defying the snow were cold, elegant, and utterly alone.

Three days had passed, yet Gu Yan still hadn’t figured out how Xie Mingtang had been deposed!

After a moment of solitary contemplation, the bracelet on her wrist trembled slightly. 

“Host… Host, what are you thinking?”

Gu Yan stared at the graceful figure, her thoughts drifting as she silently cursed the telecommunications fraudsters. A wistful longing rose in her voice: “I want to drink coffee. I want to eat teriyaki chicken rice. Is that too much to ask?”

The System replied coldly: “Host, you can purchase those from the shop.”

Gu Yan finally tore her gaze away from the beauty and focused on the ugly, detestable bracelet on her wrist. “Go to hell!”

“A-Yan!” A soft voice called from the corner, clear as fresh water.

Gu Yan’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly lifted her skirt and hurried over. “I’m coming, I’m coming.”

The palace hall was in ruins. The window paper, freshly pasted by Gu Yan the previous day, was the only sign of recent activity. The original owner, the Deposed Crown Princess, harbored deep resentment toward her predecessor and had ignored her completely upon arrival, refusing to perform any duties.

Over the past two days, Gu Yan had taken the initiative to speak with her, share food, and tell jokes, gradually easing the tension between them.

Their residence, the best chamber in the Cold Palace, was nonetheless drafty and leaky from age. Snowfall was manageable, but during rain, the outside deluge meant an indoor drizzle.

Xie Mingtang set down her book and turned toward the door. A fifteen-year-old girl, as delicate as a butterfly’s wing, fluttered to her side. Gu Yan favored vibrant colors; her apricot-colored pleated skirt complemented her porcelain skin and smiling eyes. Compared to her sullen demeanor from the previous days, she now radiated a radiant cheerfulness.

Xie Mingtang had been born as Her Royal Highness, the Crown Princess, shining like a bright moon. Yet a month prior, she had been inexplicably deposed and sent here.

Gu Yan leaned closer, gazing into Xie Mingtang’s deep eyes. “What would you like for lunch?”

The young girl moved closer, her quiet, innocent face blinking at Xie Mingtang, evoking an involuntary tenderness in the heart.

“Is the meal here?” Xie Mingtang’s voice was low, her pale fingers pinching a corner of the page. Recalling her circumstances these past days, she added, “I’m not hungry.”

Gu Yan pulled up a three-legged stool and sat down, her dark eyes focused with intent. She chuckled, “The food from outside isn’t safe. I bought a chicken a few days ago and made soup. We’ll manage with that for lunch.”

She wanted to eat teriyaki chicken rice, but that damned Chatterbox System insisted she give Xie Mingtang a kiss first before it would give her the teriyaki sauce.

Xie Mingtang remained silent, a sharp, solitary blade slicing through snow glinting in her eyes. Gu Yan held her breath. Indeed, the formidable woman’s aura was intimidating even without anger, making it difficult to meet her gaze.

“As you wish,” Xie Mingtang said sparingly, lowering her head to continue reading as if the book were more captivating than the girl before her.

The girl sighed. How could she have no fighting spirit? Didn’t she want to go out and seek revenge?

Gu Yan rotated her bracelet and asked the Chatterbox System, “Why was she deposed?”

At this critical moment, the bracelet on her wrist remained silent, playing dead!

Unable to find an answer, Gu Yan decided to check on the chicken soup in the kitchen. As she stepped outside, she happened to see the daily meal delivery person arrive.

The delivery person tossed the food box near the door and vanished.

Only two people remained in the Cold Palace: Xie Mingtang and Gu Yan. There was no other person that can be found. In contrast, there were plenty of guards stationed outside, rotating shifts day and night to prevent anyone from escaping.

Gu Yan walked over and kicked the food box. A voice, audible only to her, came from the bracelet:

“That’s leftovers from the night before last. Someone already took a bite.”

“How she was deposed?”

The System fell silent!

Gu Yan’s anger flared. She kicked the food box across the courtyard with such force that it slammed into the door with a clang. The guards outside drew their swords and burst through the door.

Cold steel glinted in the light as it leveled at Gu Yan, terrifying her. She screamed, “Elder Sister! Elder Sister! They’re going to kill me!”

Xie Mingtang rushed out at the sound of her cry, shielding Gu Yan behind her. Her expression remained impassive, her eyes like icy pools devoid of emotion.

“What do you want?”

The head guard slowly retreated and slammed the door shut with a clang, leaving the two women locked in the Cold Palace.

Xie Mingtang turned to look at her cousin, her gaze softening into an uncharacteristically gentle expression, a stark contrast to her earlier cold demeanor.

Gu Yan’s tense nerves finally relaxed. Seizing the opportunity, she wheedled, “Elder Sister, when will we get out of here?”

For three days, Xie Mingtang had remained calm, spending most of her time reading or sleeping, rarely leaving her books. In TV dramas, deposed Crown Princes always plotted secret coups to turn the tide.

Gu Yan’s anxiety surged. She gazed at Xie Mingtang’s luminous face, as radiant as moonlight—undeniably beautiful, yet the uncertainty in her heart deepened, sending a chill down her spine.

Forcing a trembling smile, her cheeks flushed crimson, she spoke with a feigned innocence. “Does your head still ache?” Xie Mingtang replied with a question of her own. Three days earlier, her cousin had argued with the guards, somehow leading to a scuffle. By the time Xie Mingtang arrived, Gu Yan was unconscious on the ground. Upon waking, she complained of a headache and couldn’t remember anything that had happened.

Since then, Gu Yan’s personality had become much livelier, chatty, and even clingy, constantly hovering around Xie Mingtang.

Xie Mingtang sighed, unsure how to explain this to her maternal uncle. A perfectly fine young lady had come in, and now her mind was broken, unable to remember anything from before!

“Never mind, let’s go back,” Xie Mingtang said, taking Gu Yan’s hand and leading her away.

Gu Yan looked down at the hand on the back of hers, admiring its slender fingers and evenly spaced knuckles. It was a beautiful hand.

Beautiful, powerful, yet utterly tragic!

Xie Mingtang wasn’t idle; she even cooked meals. The original host had been sent here to care for her, but instead, Xie Mingtang ended up taking care of the original host!

They went to the kitchen. Xie Mingtang checked the chicken soup on the stove. The moment she lifted the lid, the rich aroma filled the air. She ladled a bowl and handed it to Gu Yan.

Watching her gentle demeanor and steady, measured actions, Gu Yan realized this wasn’t the cruel and ruthless person the outside world portrayed. With a bitter bite of chicken, Gu Yan desperately tried to figure out what had gone wrong.

“Elder Sister, don’t you want to go out?” Gu Yan asked softly, her voice soothing.

“If you want to go out, I’ll speak to my maternal uncle and have you sent back.” Xie Mingtang lowered her head, her expression impassive as she stared at the chicken in the bowl, her thoughts unreadable.

Gu Yan took a sip of chicken soup, feeling warmth spread through her body. Cradling the bowl in both hands, she said earnestly, “I want to stay with Elder Sister.”

But I really want to eat teriyaki chicken rice!

Later, when Elder Sister takes her afternoon nap, I’ll sneak a kiss. That chatty System, always yapping and pretending to be dead, better keep its promise!

The two understood each other without words. When they emerged from the small kitchen, the food box at the door had already been taken. Gu Yan glanced toward the entrance, hesitated, then turned to go. But just as she moved, Xie Mingtang pulled her back.

Xie Mingtang dragged her back and closed the half-broken palace door. “Don’t act rashly. If you’re injured, how will I answer to my maternal uncle?”

Gu Yan’s thoughts weren’t on the door. She wanted to corner the System and demand how Xie Mingtang had been crippled.

After closing the door, Xie Mingtang went to tidy the desk, folding the corners of the books she had read that day. Her movements were graceful and composed, as if even in adversity, she refused to appear disheveled.

Noon sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating Xie Mingtang from behind. The white crane feathers adorning her shoulders shimmered, making her seem like a goddess descended to earth.

Xie Mingtang was no delicate woman. Rumor had it her riding and archery skills were extraordinary, capable of piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces.

Thinking about the differences between ancient and modern times, Gu Yan quietly asked, “Elder Sister, do you like women?”

Xie Mingtang, who was clearing the table, suddenly shuddered, instinctively understanding the implication. Her cheeks flushed faintly pink as she turned to look at Gu Yan. “What strange books have you been reading lately?”

Gu Yan raised an eyebrow and smiled, but Xie Mingtang ignored her.

Xie Mingtang had a habit of taking an afternoon nap. After lunch, she would sleep for about an hour before waking up to read. Her days were leisurely yet structured.

There was only one bed in the hall. Gu Yan, assigned the inner side, climbed up obediently. Twirling her bracelet, she pressed the question again: “If I kiss her, can I get some teriyaki sauce?”

In fact, the chicken they’d eaten that day had also been obtained after she’d secretly kissed Xie Mingtang the previous night!

The Chatterbox System was utterly useless, only nagging her to “conquer” Xie Mingtang—hug her whenever possible, kiss her whenever there was an opportunity.

Climbing into bed, Gu Yan instinctively felt around for her blanket. Midway through searching, her hand suddenly encountered something soft and warm, startling her into pulling back. She looked helplessly at Xie Mingtang.

Xie Mingtang watched her with exasperation, her expression calm yet betraying a faint blush at her ears. “Your blanket is on the inner side of the bed. Why are you reaching outside?”

The two settled down, each under their own quilt. In ancient times, without smartphones, the afternoon was spent either sleeping or reading.

Gu Yan, unable to stay still, began fiddling with the bracelet on her wrist and asked the System, “Can I get a phone?”

The bracelet remained silent, playing dead again!

Lying back dejectedly, Gu Yan rolled over to face the outer side of the bed and asked, “Elder Sister, why were you locked up here?”

Similarly, Xie Mingtang lay quietly on the outer side, her eyes tightly shut, refusing to answer.

Gu Yan could only stare blankly at her profile. The bed beneath her was still stiff; even after three days, she hadn’t grown accustomed to it. She wanted a soft mattress, but the System wouldn’t allow it!

With a sigh, the outer sleeper fell asleep, her breathing even. She lay quietly, hands folded over her abdomen, even her sleeping posture exuding elegance.

This way of sleeping was truly unbearable!

Gu Yan scrutinized her Elder Sister’s sleeping face, her gaze lingering on the snow-white skin of her neck. Her mind wandered to thoughts of tonight’s meal. What would they eat? Would they share a kiss?

Suddenly, the bracelet chimed, “Host, would you like to exchange for teriyaki sauce?”

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