Transmigrate into a book to save the paranoid tyrant

"Beat that bastard to death!"

"Beat him to death!"

A child's shrill, piercing voice echoed in her ears, giving Gu Yunyao a splitting headache. She struggled to open her eyes.

It was late February, a chilly spring breeze still lingering. What came into view were pavilions with blue tiles, courtyards, and lakes. In the distance, rockery rose in layers, and winding paths evoked an ancient, elegant courtyard—not ornate, but exquisite.

Gu Yunyao's eyes widened, bewildered.

She was clearly on a set filming a TV series; how could this be...

Before she could react, a chubby little boy darted out from behind her, patting her on the back with a fat hand and scolding in a muffled voice, "Gu Yunyao, what's wrong with you? Didn't you hear what I said? Beat that bastard Gu Yanzhi to death, or I won't play with you anymore!"

The little boy, dressed in a silk, cross-collared gown, his face so thick that his eyes were squeezed to slits. He looked no more than twelve or thirteen, yet he acted like an adult, bossing her around. Behind him stood several boys, about the same age, all dressed in ancient clothing, though not as ornate as the fat boy's.

After hearing the fat boy's words, Gu Yunyao finally noticed a boy standing before her. He was no more than thirteen, his tattered gray shirt covered in patches and dirt. His long sideburns obscured his eyes, revealing only the sleek lines of his jaw.

Behind the boy was a lake in the courtyard. He stood by the lake, only half a step away from the water behind him.

He must be the Gu Yanzhi the fat boy had mentioned.

Gu Yunyao felt a flash of thought in her mind, but before she could process it, the fat boy and his group took two steps closer. The little fat man snorted, "Gu Yunyao, what are you dawdling about? You bully that little bastard all the time. Today, I just asked him to stay in the lake for an hour, and you're already feeling bad?"

"Think carefully. If you choose him today, who will want to play with you in the future?!"

Spending an hour in the lake in this weather?! Gu Yunyao glanced at Gu Yanzhi's thin clothes, stunned. This could be fatal!

When Gu Yunyao didn't respond, the little fat man blushed, puzzled. In the past, he said one thing, and Gu Yunyao didn't dare to say another. What happened today? He threatened again and again, and Gu Yunyao ignored him?

Looking at the gang of minions behind him, the little fat man gritted his teeth. He had to teach Gu Yunyao and that bastard a lesson, or how could he survive!

Determined, the little fat man snorted coldly, exerting all his strength, and shoved Gu Yunyao's back with both hands!

His original intention was simply to teach Gu Yunyao a lesson, to make her fall and lose face. However, Gu Yunyao was already standing by the pool, and he had used all his strength. With one push, she stumbled, lost her balance, and tumbled into the lake!

The little fat man panicked, and his younger brother behind him also panicked, anxiously asking, "What should we do? Will Gu Yunyao drown?"

"How could she drown in such a shallow pool? She'll be able to climb out in no time!" the little fat man shouted angrily.

However, after half a cup of tea, the ripples on the water gradually subsided. Gu Yunyao's figure swayed, as if...slowly sinking.

The little fat man and his group panicked instantly, shouting timidly, "Gu Yunyao is dead! She's dead!"

They were only twelve or thirteen years old, and seeing Gu Yunyao sink into the lake, they were terrified and scattered. In a moment, there was no one else by the lake except Gu Yanzhi. In the water.

Gu Yunyao was indeed in trouble.

She wasn't panicked when she was first pushed into the lake. She could swim, and besides, a garden lake like this couldn't be that deep.

However, the moment she entered the water, she sensed something was wrong. It was the end of winter, the chill of spring, and the water was icy cold, making her shiver uncontrollably. Her soaked jacket instantly felt like a thousand pounds, weighing her down.

Gu Yunyao tried to move her legs, but at that moment, they convulsed and refused to move.

Oh no! Gu Yunyao cried inwardly. This was the worst possible situation. This was the most common danger of winter swimming: the extremely cold water caused her leg muscles to cramp. If no one rescued her, she would likely perish at the bottom of the lake!

Someone, please save her!

Suddenly, ripples rippled across the surface of the lake, and a tall, powerful figure leaped into the water, swimming towards Gu Yunyao. Sensing the shift in the current, Gu Yunyao suddenly looked up, just in time to see Gu Yanzhi leap into the lake. The water gently brushed aside Gu Yanzhi's hair, revealing a face of unparalleled beauty.

Gu Yunyao's heart trembled.

What a face! Eyebrows like blades, a nose like a cantilever, a pair of peach blossom eyes so deep they couldn't be looked directly at. It was like a masterpiece rendered in thick ink by a deity, a touch more complex, a touch less dull.

Lang Yan is unique, the other one is unparalleled.

Gu Yunyao couldn't help but mutter these words.

As she was sighing, Gu Yanzhi swung his long legs, and in an instant he had swum in front of her. He extended his right hand, as if to touch her.

Gu Yunyao sighed, thankful that Gu Yanzhi had come to her rescue.

But where exactly was this place? Had she traveled through time? And why did the name Gu Yanzhi sound familiar? Gu Yunyao shook her head. The most urgent thing was to get ashore quickly and change out of her wet clothes. In ancient times, a cold was no small ailment.

Gu Yanzhi had already reached her, his outstretched right hand touching the light yellow, silver-threaded jacket she was wearing.

The next moment, Gu Yanzhi raised his right hand, grasping the girl's slender, soft neck and squeezing her hard!

A suffocating feeling instantly spread throughout Gu Yunyao!

He was going to kill her? Why?

Gu Yunyao instinctively struggled, but she had been underwater for so long, her entire body exhausted. She had no strength to match Gu Yanzhi's.

Gu Yanzhi's slender hand locked tightly around her neck. Air was lost, her brain was dizzy, and her entire body was deprived of oxygen. Gu Yunyao opened her mouth uncontrollably.

In a hazy state, she looked at Gu Yanzhi across the clear, blue water. Gu Yanzhi's cold, dark eyes brimmed with ruthlessness and vigilance, a rage surging in the depths of his pupils—like a venomous snake nestling in a dark corner, cruel and brutal.

He really wanted to kill himself...

Before consciousness faded, a final thought flashed through Gu Yunyao's mind. Then, she lost consciousness and fell into darkness.

In the darkness, she had a dream.

She returned to the time before her time travel. Her agent stood beside her, chattering incessantly, "Yunyao, this script is based on a novel called 'The Only Beloved in the Golden Age.' You play a female cannon fodder in it, with the same name as you, Gu Yunyao."

In the dream, Gu Yunyao replied, "I read the book, but it's just a third-rate novel. Why would I accept a script like this?"

The agent sighed, "I had no choice. The company told me to take it. The male lead is a young actor they've been promoting recently, but the management was worried he wouldn't be able to carry the show, so they gave you a supporting role, leveraging your fame as a film actress."

Gu Yunyao fell silent. The agent continued, "The script is cliché. The male protagonist, Mu Yanzhi, was originally a prince, but he was cast out into the common people and raised as an orphan of a distant relative of the Gu family. He was bullied from childhood and had a paranoid and cunning personality. Later, he was influenced by the female protagonist..."

Gu Yunyao interrupted him, "After all this talk, what kind of character is Gu Yunyao?"

"You said she's cannon fodder. Gu Yunyao is the daughter of the Marquis of Dingping. She's been spoiled since childhood and takes pleasure in bullying Mu Yanzhi, humiliating him repeatedly. What kind of person is Mu Yanzhi? He's vindictive! How could he not hold a grudge?" "Look, when Mu Yanzhi ascended the throne as the new emperor, his first act was to find a pretext to confiscate the Gu family's property, strip them of their titles, and behead them all. Oh my goodness, Gu Yunyao's head and body were separated, lying in a pool of blood. What a tragic scene..."

Gu Yunyao's eyes widened as she murmured, "How could this be..."

The agent's face was shrouded in mist, making it unclear. Only a bloody mouth opened and closed: "Gu Yunyao, that's yours..."

The next second, the face emerged from the mist, with sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a pair of black eyes filled with violence and cruelty. It was none other than Mu Yanzhi!

A cruel smile curled the corners of Mu Yanzhi's mouth, and he whispered, "The end!"

"Ah!" Gu Yunyao, sweating profusely, suddenly woke from the nightmare!