"Only a dead man tells no tales; kill them all."
As soon as he spoke, the scene descended into chaos. I felt instant fear, but instinct and a strong will to live outweighed it. I immediately dropped to the ground, using my hidden pocket knife to slash my clothes, and moved a just-falling corpse on top of me.
I controlled my breathing and did my best to act like I was dead. Once the screams stopped and I guessed everyone was presumed dead, I opened my eyes slightly and checked, just so I could know the current situation of the imperial guards.
They had finished killing everyone and were checking for anyone with any slight breath still in them, stabbing those who still had one. They were being too conscious.
I steeled myself and shut my eyes, controlling my breath once more. I can't die now; I have to survive.
They kept coming closer, and instantly I held my breath and evened out my chest, all my years of experience finally paying off.
They put two fingers under my nose and felt nothing, instantly moving on.
Once everyone was confirmed to be dead, our bodies were moved and discarded in a mass grave in the middle of nowhere.
"So many lives lost."
"They can only blame themselves for being born lowly and unlucky."
I waited, focusing only on their footsteps until it eventually faded. After I could no longer hear the sounds of anyone moving or even any surrounding life, I stood up, pushing the corpse that lay limp around me and climbing out of the mass grave.
Once I came out and really looked at the number of bodies and blood I had just crawled out of, I couldn't control the bile that rose up.
I threw up until there was nothing left for me to throw up anymore.
How the hell did I get wrapped up in this situation?
Oh yeah, I remember.
__
My name is Mary Su. I am a half-Chinese, half-American D-list actress. I had always loved acting since I was young. I always dreamt of being an amazing actress and topping the charts with various blockbusters. But reality… reality was cruel.
I learned almost every skill imaginable, did my best to become a multitalented actress who could play any role naturally. I took care of my appearance and made sure I was beautiful and natural but could only manage to get roles where I had to act like a corpse.
I had played a corpse role, a dying beautiful maiden, and a resurrected zombie for three years before I finally got a role as a side character in a historical Chinese drama.
I had memorized the script, learned the culture, and even learned all the skills a scheming noble lady should possess. But two weeks before filming, all the funding was pulled, and the drama got cancelled.
After receiving the news, I was so angry that I died of a heart attack and got transmigrated into a world like the script.
But, following the trend of my life and career, I was not the female lead, not the villainess, not even a supporting character.
I was simply a no-name extra who was only spoken about in one line: "Due to his dedication, he had all 35 maids who witnessed the scene killed without a proper burial place."
I was one of the 35 maids destined to die at the beginning of the script at the order of the morally grey male lead.
But thankfully, using my skill set and intelligence, I was able to keep my life intact and even escaped the fate of a maid.
That brings us back to the present. I run as fast as I can, trying to reach the nearest town before a guard, a watchman, or even a wild animal decides to pay me a visit.
After realizing I was transmigrated, I did my best to learn about the world, not trusting everything to go according to the script. I had an overall knowledge of this world's dynamic and memories from the original owner, so I wasn't too scared about getting lost or not fitting in.
I had also sneaked several silver notes into my shoes as an emergency slush fund for when I escaped—or, more realistically, for when I was destined to die.
I reached a town at the outskirts of the capital and stole some clothes I found lying around.
My clothes were covered in blood, and I was also wearing an imperial maid's outfit. If I entered the town in that state, I would just die all over again or, worse, be taken to the palace.
I changed into the new clothes, entered the town, and booked an inn using the stolen silver I had stored on me.
After a hot meal, a good bath, and a nice nap, it was now time to brainstorm. I was destined to die, as the plot said. Just because I survived now doesn't mean I will still be allowed to survive later.
I had no intention of involving myself with any of the leads or cast, but even without that, I was still a commoner. And if there is anything that all avid trashy Chinese novel readers know, it is that:
As a commoner, if you offend a noble, you die. If you live peacefully without offending a noble, you can still die. If you know too much or have too much money, you die. And even if you become a noble without power, you die. If you do have power and the imperial family or other high-ranking families see you as a thorn in their side, you die. Join the royal harem, you get caught up in their drama, and once again, you die.
So, in short, this trope is basically a death flag, and I don't even have a system and no golden finger.
What exactly am I supposed to do?
Mary Su, calm down. Ah, now that I am in a historical Chinese drama, using that name won't work; it would attract too much attention.
So, from now on, I am Su Jingxin, and my ultimate mission is to not die and live freely in this second chance at life.
Do your best, Xin'er.