C46 Part1

Edited by Rinrin

The scene in front of him was like a hammer coming from above, thumping Shan Ziwei on the head and making stars come out. They cheered happily and formed a banner:

Congratulations, you hit the jackpot!

Though he had had a vague guess, when that guess was verified, Shan Ziwei still felt like his soul had been knocked out of his body by the revelation.

Why Snow White stowed him away in a glass coffin, why Donkeyskin fell in love with him at first sight and wanted to turn him into a wax statue, why the beautiful and kind princesses would be so passionate about “refining” his corpse….

Shan Ziwei numbly shifted his gaze onto the “System Scenarios” tab at the top left corner.

[Scenario 5: Your key belongs to Bluebeard. After you use Bluebeard’s key to open a door, if the first person to see you is female, then nothing will happen; but if they’re male, then they will develop a Frigid Desire (Active) relationship towards you.]

——Everything was answered.

Game devs: The witch can be a guy, so what’s strange about the princess being a guy~?

Shan Ziwei felt like he was about to spit out a stream of his Clubs SP (Anger). Looking back at everything he had done in this chessboard, he had basically been misled by the game to dig himself a huge pit before bowing in farewell, then painstakingly throwing himself into the pit and burying himself for good measure.

Help the princess find her true love and home? Okay, then he’ll go find the princess first. Can’t be seen by a guy when he leaves the door? Okay, then he’ll make sure the princess sees him first. That’s two birds with one stone.

And so the princess (♂) developed frigid desire for the witch (♂), how wonderful.

Shan Ziwei’s instincts had been sharp back then. They had told him he wouldn’t want to know what “frigid desire” meant, yet his target in this story had made sure this term was etched into his body and mind. Especially that disastrous skinning. Though Shan Ziwei had ingeniously thrown himself on the princess’ blade, killing himself and activating his puppet-double to get skinned in his place, just witnessing such horrific events was enough to give him nightmares! Shan Ziwei didn’t even want to recall how he had transformed into a white puff and hid in the shadows, his white fluff trembling as he watched the princess measuring the masterpiece she — or rather he — had cut out with his lips. Just thinking of it sent a blood-tinged chill down his spine, terror and cold seeping into his bones.

Shan Ziwei tensed. He suddenly remembered something: since he used the puppet-double, he was once again cursed into a small bird. When Donkeyskin had left, he had taken the chance to use Bluebeard’s key to go to Princess Rose’s location a hundred years later in time. He hadn’t thought he’d return to human form once he left the door.

Going by his previous theory, once he used the puppet-double, he either had to return to a time before he had ever used the puppet-double or meet all the requirements in Scenario 6 to change back. Right now, a hundred years had already passed, so it couldn’t be before he had activated the puppet-double, so it could only be…

[Scenario 6: Your puppet-double was carved from a juniper branch. When the puppet-double is used, you will become a small frail bird. The following two conditions must be met to restore your original body: first, the murderer is dead; second, morbidly delicious behavior occurs between you and the murderer. ]

It was quite normal for the two princesses who weren’t under enchantment to be gone a hundred years later, but there was another absolutely blood-chilling requirement!!!!

The more he thought about it the more terrifying it was. He slowly, slowly raised his head, looking at that sweetly sleeping face.

Speak! What did you all do to my body…? qaq

The black-haired princess slept with a gentle softness, her body curled like broken wings, just like that moment a hundred years ago when she fell asleep. Due to how Shan Ziwei had yanked on the other’s collar with such force just now, his head had been turned to the side, some of his black hair landing against his red lips and forming a picture of ruined beauty.

Shan Ziwei’s breath hitched. Even now, he would still be shocked by the other’s beauty, all because the way the princess looked was just far too beautiful. That was when the hypersexual finally realised how inappropriate he was being, knelt above the princess and his hand on the other’s torn open collar. He looked like he was about to take advantage of the princess or something.

Even worse, Shan Ziwei could hear footsteps coming from below. They were currently in the attic at the top of the clocktower, the spiralling stairs amplifying the sound of the footsteps as they echoed, crashing against Shan Ziwei’s heart like waves.

——Whose footsteps would appear a hundred years later in the castle Princess Rose slept in?

Anyone who had ever heard a fairy tale would know the answer. Shan Ziwei leaped up in shock, cold sweat dripping down his temples, not just because of the approaching prince, but also because of this fucked situation!

The princess had already been forced to develop frigid desire for him. Even if the prince came, it would be no use! Snow White was the most bloody and prime example. He was already married but was still set on his “step-mother”. It was clear that even if Princess Rose was kissed awake by the prince, he’d still have his heart set on searching for the “witch”… unless Princess Rose never saw him in the first place!

Shan Ziwei’s heart jumped. His breath quickened as the thought came to mind.

——What if……I went back and changed the past?

Shan Ziwei held the little golden key that brought him both disaster and hope, jamming it into the keyhole of the door.

——Why couldn’t he? After all, he had the fourth dimensional key, he could freely travel back and forwards in time, why couldn’t he go back and change that mistake of a first meeting?

——That’s right, I can.

Because he was too excited, the ancient door shattered with a “puff” under Shan Ziwei’s strength. Shan Ziwei merely glanced at it before quickly heading through the mercury barrier. He first went back to his “headquarters” a hundred years ago before returning to the white-haired form of the witch, dressed in a blue dress, then he once again used Bluebeard’s key to head to the celebration of Princess Rose’s birth.

He naturally chose the women’s bathroom as his arrival point. This time, Shan Ziwei’s mood soared. He didn’t care about feeling embarrassed, barrelling into the women’s restroom without a care. There was a lady guest fixing up her makeup in the restroom. She glanced uncaringly at Shan Ziwei before continuing to put on her powder.

Once he was certain he was seen by a woman, Shan Ziwei quickly headed out of the restroom. Though he found that guest a little familiar, his head was filled with the thought of being able to change history. He didn’t care about these details.

The celebration held for the birth of the princess was immense. Shan Ziwei originally wanted to follow his memory to the place he had appeared “the first time”, yet the moment he entered the venue, he instantly saw the royal family of three: the king was glowing, the queen’s expression was filled with joy, and Princess Rose was in his mother’s arms, quiet and cute. They stood at the entrance of the venue, seeming to be waiting for someone.

Seeing Shan Ziwei, the king and queen cheerfully welcomed him.

“We welcome your arrival, Lady Witch.” The king introduced Rose, still in his mother’s arms, to Shan Ziwei. The joy on his face was unmistakable. “This is our little princess, Rose. Please, bestow upon her with a kind, good blessing.”

Shan Ziwei watched as the queen held out the child, smiling, like he was seeing a bomb being handed to him. Shan Ziwei reacted swiftly in the face of such a situation. He reached out, but didn’t accept the little princess, but instead pretended to draw a symbol in the air right above the princess’ forehead.

“Beauty. This is the gift I will bestow upon them.”

“We are very grateful for your blessing.” The king and queen were satisfied and hailed over a servant to lead Shan Ziwei inside the venue. “We hope you have a great time here.”

Shan Ziwei soon sent the servant off after they got far enough from the king and queen. He made a round of the venue before confirming the place he had appeared “last time”. Shan Ziwei poured some water there, making sure that it would ripple when someone stepped in it, before he laid there in wait.

Shan Ziwei thought that he could do as he did before in the cabin in the woods and immediately speak out to warn the other when his past “self” arrived.

——Something seems off—

A thought slipped through Shan Ziwei’s mind too fast to grasp. A commotion seemed to have occurred. Shan Ziwei originally didn’t want to care, but everyone was heading to the middle, disrupting his plans.

So, Shan Ziwei stepped to the side to avoid the other people. That was when a beam of sunlight reflected off of a lady’s gemstone earring, blinding him momentarily. Shan Ziwei subconsciously raised his hand to block the light out. Before he even put down his hand, he heard a cry.

“Ah….”

Shan Ziwei opened his eyes, putting his hand back down and stared dumbly at the gentleman guest that had fallen to the floor. It felt like his blood had frozen.

——There really was something off. He’d forgotten that he’d been bumped into last time and so had immediately used the AOE sleep skill!

“Who poured a pool of water here?” The guest soon stood back up unhappily with the help of some servants. “I think I bumped into someone just now…..”

Shan Ziwei only listened to half of what was said before he darted towards the middle of the venue. Unfortunately, the further he got to the middle, the denser the crowd became. The hypersexual paled, staring at the wall of people squeezed together. He and his 3 percent of Hearts SP (Joy) didn’t have the courage to head inside there. Then he heard a cry of surprise.

“My child!”

Shan Ziwei knew that it was all too late. He had already been put to sleep by the AoE sleep spell cast by his past self. It had just been a moment, and he had missed everything.

It’s alright. Shan Ziwei gripped Bluebeard’s key, turned around and left. He could still redo it from the start!

Shan Ziwei once again stood in the stall of the women’s restroom. He was about to go out when he heard someone in the neighbouring stall grit out, “……goddamn banana peel….”

Shan Ziwei was stunned for a moment, uncertain if he had heard wrong. He couldn’t help but press his ear against the wall between them before he heard a knock from the other side.

“You—ah no, ‘I’m’ here right?”

Shan Ziwei responded in affirmation, stunned. He heard his own voice, sounding harried, from the other side.

“Listen to me, when you act be careful of the king and queen. One of them is a player, I don’t know which——he didn’t tell me——anyways, ‘we’ would be best off if we go by the script of ‘Princess Rose’, don’t appear at the same place and time, and also…..holy fuck!!”

Rinrin: Nearing the end of this accursed arc…(although I did enjoy the fairytale elements, they were very nostalgic)…. I miss host

Joui: My brain is fried…. @[email protected] Heheh evil cliffhangers