A Rose With Thorns (Transmigration Into A Book)

Blood seeped through Zhong Zhaojun’s fingers. Her gaunt hands could never stem the gaping wound in Mu Xiyun’s chest, the other’s life slipped away along with her fading warmth.

The once-haughty Mu Xiyun looked almost at peace, her stunning features turning pale and cold, a rose stripped of its thorns, soon to wither away.

Zhong Zhaojun, her own face drained of color, suddenly heard a voice ring in her mind:

“Ding. The death of the heroine has caused the world of A Rose With Thorns to collapse. You must re-enter the story, eliminate the anomaly, the other soul from Earth inhabiting the male lead Fang Jingtian, and guide the heroine to her destined peak. Confirm or decline. Declining will result in immediate termination.”

I thought this was just a random transmigration… turns out I’m in a novel? And a Western fantasy one at that… plus this title doesn’t fit my standards at all, I’d never have clicked on it back home… Zhong Zhaojun muttered to steady her racing heart, selected Confirm as it’s her only option, then asked belatedly: “Do I need to romance the heroine or the male lead?”

The System replied in flat, mechanical tones: “Host, this is a no-CP novel. Your objective is to ensure the heroine’s survival and success. No relationship metrics are tracked.”

Fine… the sight of Mu Xiyun dying had broken her. She would stop the engagement to that scoundrel, and make sure this rose never loses its thorns.

After rebirth, her strength grew, yet so did her awareness of Mu Xiyun’s shifting demeanor. Although the System didn’t give her any romantic strategies, her actions were clearly being misread. It felt as if the already-not-straight heroine was falling for her harder by the day.

Time and again, Zhong Zhaojun brainwash herself into thinking she was straight.

She let that belief guide her, showing the female lead only gentle, careful kindness.

But she was wrong this time. Faced with someone impervious to all hints, Mu Xiyun threw caution to the wind and confessed outright.

No more lies to herself, Zhong Zhaojun closed her eyes and fell silent. Should I abandon everything I knew, and stay here when the mission ends?

Silence said it all.

Unwilling to break down before the one she loved, Mu Xiyun wiped her tears and fled. While Zhong Zhaojun embarked on a journey to find the answer.

If Mu Xiyun never forgives me… I deserve it.

She could not bear a world without her.

In the end, she realized she never had a choice—at the start, or at the end: “It’s you!”