Lin Shu subconsciously wanted to hide a steamed bun in her sleeve, but halfway through the motion, she put it back.
Have some dignity, have some dignity, she told herself. This wasn’t the apocalypse anymore. As long as she had money in her hand, she could have as many of these big white buns as she wanted.
After eating her fill, Lin Shu slunk out of the kitchen and returned to the Marquis’s daughter’s bedroom, a room exquisite in every detail.
There was a bronze mirror on the dressing table. Lin Shu leaned in to take a look.
As expected, her face was exactly the same.
Everything was the same, except the monstrous strength she had awakened in her previous life was gone. The “violent delicate flower” had become a true delicate flower.
Lin Shu collapsed onto the soft bedding, her mouth curling into a wide smile.
Not only had she gained a life for free, but she had also returned to a normal world. It was like a pie falling from the sky. Never mind transmigrating as a fake heiress of a Marquisate; even if she had transmigrated as a beggar, she would be happy enough to die!
Lin Shu slept so soundly that when she opened her eyes again, it was already early the next morning.
Before she could even get up, Nanny Gui pushed the door open with a sour, long face, followed by two coarse-working nannies with identical “donkey expressions.”
“The hour is late. Get up, Shu-jie’er. Do you still think this is your own home, where you can sleep as long as you want just like before?”
“You spoke so tough yesterday, Shu-jie’er, and both the Master and Madam believed you. But this old servant doesn’t believe it. Therefore, I specifically requested the Master and Madam to let me personally escort you on your way.”
As she spoke, she threw a set of fine cloth clothes over. “Change. You can no longer wear the silks and satins of your past given your current status. These are the fine cloth clothes I specially found for you. Don’t say I’m mistreating you; not everyone can wear fine cloth. In this residence, only favored servants like us have such dignity.”
If the original owner had heard this, she would have likely screamed and lunged forward to scratch the old hag’s face. But Lin Shu looked at Nanny Gui’s healthy, ruddy complexion and maintained a smiling face, speaking in a soft, gentle voice: “Thank you for the trouble, Nanny Gui. These fine cloth clothes are quite good.”
The survivors of the apocalypse were all sallow and emaciated from hunger, but this Nanny Gui had a ruddy complexion. One look and you could tell her usual meals were excellent. Seeing such a glowing face actually put Lin Shu in a good mood.
Nanny Gui lowered her eyelids, her sharp gaze landing on her.
“This box of jewelry and hair ornaments of yours can’t be used either. In such a place of poor mountains and treacherous waters, if others knew you carried these, I fear you would be raped and killed by thugs first.” These words were filled with pure malice.
Lin Shu remained unmoved, smiling good-naturedly. “How could it be poor mountains and treacherous waters? It is clearly a place of beautiful mountains and waters. Look at how well Sister Yao was raised; that fine skin of hers doesn’t look like it came from a poor mountain gully at all.”
Nanny Gui sneered. “Shu-jie’er should look at whose belly Yao-jie’er came out of. A wild pheasant cannot turn into a phoenix, and even if a phoenix falls into a chicken coop, it remains a phoenix. Don’t you agree?”
Lin Shu smiled but said nothing, wearing a dismissive expression that screamed, “Ah, right, right, whatever you say is right.”
Nanny Gui couldn’t help but feel a surge of irritation.
As the saying goes, a dog can’t stop eating filth. She didn’t believe Lin Shu had changed her nature; if she wasn’t causing trouble, she must be secretly brewing some evil scheme.
It wasn’t just her who thought so; all the other servants felt the same way.
Although no one in the residence knew exactly what great mistake Lin Shu had committed, they were all stunned to learn that she wasn’t going to the manor but was instead heading to Yao-jie’er’s old home.
Has Shu-jie’er lost her mind? No matter how bad the manor is, it’s better than digging in the dirt for food, especially in such a poor, desolate place!
When things are abnormal, there must be a catch. Nanny Gui made up her mind to keep a firm eye on Lin Shu throughout the journey so that she wouldn’t be able to use any of her tricks.
With these three nannies staring at her without blinking, Lin Shu wasn’t even able to take a single needle or thread from the Marquisate.
Empty-handed, Lin Shu gave an embarrassed smile. “It’s hard to move an inch without money. Even the Marquis said the journey is long and far. Nanny, don’t you think you should prepare some travel funds for me?”
Nanny Gui showed a look of disdain. “Rest assured, Shu-jie’er. There are guards from the Marquisate to escort you on this journey. They carry dry rations and water; you won’t go hungry.”
The underlying meaning was: don’t even think about touching a single cent from the Marquisate.
Lin Shu was speechless. This Nanny Gui was truly afraid she would run off with gold and silver to live a life of leisure elsewhere.
Fine, she had only asked for travel money to ensure she could reach her destination smoothly. Since someone was escorting her, she could do without it.
“Nanny, before I leave, I want to kowtow and bid farewell to the Marchioness.”
Hearing this, Nanny Gui instantly became alert, wearing an expression of “I finally waited for this!”
“Shu-jie’er should give up on that idea! Madam told me last night that she doesn’t want to see you ever again. If you want to keep some dignity, leave quietly on your own. Do not disturb the peace of anyone in this household again.”
Lin Shu: … I can see it, Nanny. You really hate me.
Fifteen minutes later, Lin Shu, dressed in fine cloth with all her hair ornaments gone and her face bare, left through the back door of the Marquisate.
A semi-old carriage was already parked at the door. That carriage was usually used by the household managers when they went out on business, but now it was being used to send the fake heiress on her long journey.
The guard from the Marquisate was already waiting by the carriage. Seeing her come out, he nodded expressionlessly, signaling for her to get in.
Lin Shu looked left and right. Only one?
Looking at the guard’s appearance and age, could this be the strongest fighter in the book, Shi Qing?
Shi Qing had followed the Marquis since childhood and was highly valued. Now in his early thirties, he had not yet married. Two years ago, it was he who had gone to that small mountain village to bring the real heiress back. At that time, however, he had brought two other guards and two coarse-working maids, making a total of five people. The carriage they used then was also very exquisite, with two sections, the servants sitting in the rear.
Shi Qing was highly skilled in martial arts. After becoming part of the female lead’s camp, he helped her with many things behind the scenes.
As for how the female lead won Shi Qing over, it involved a lot of melodramatic plots. For example, the female lead looked very similar to the young Marchioness, or the female lead helped bandage Shi Qing when he was seriously injured.
Sigh, she couldn’t think too deeply about it. The more she thought, the more it felt like the male lead had a bit of green on his head.
But if Shi Qing was personally escorting her, Lin Shu could feel at ease.
“Miss, it is time to board the carriage,” the cold-faced guard Shi Qing reminded her.
Knowing the plot, Lin Shu understood that he disliked her, but she was a polite person. “Uncle Shi Qing, please wait a moment.”
The title “Uncle Shi Qing” caused Shi Qing’s expression to turn strange, as if he were quite startled.
Lin Shu looked at the familiar yet strange residence before her and made a solemn, deep bow.
Although the original owner was a vicious female supporting character who had done many bad things, without this body, Lin Shu wouldn’t be alive. Therefore, she was grateful to have become Lin Shu.
The Marquis and Marchioness were kind and magnanimous people, and Lin Shu owed them sixteen years of upbringing. She didn’t know if she would ever have a chance to repay them in the future.
“The Master and Madam aren’t here, so who are you putting on this show for?” Nanny Gui mocked with her long face. “Board the carriage quickly, Shu-jie’er. When more people arrive later, do you want everyone to watch the Marquisate’s drama?”
Lin Shu: Almost forgot there was someone glaring at me with crossed eyes.
Lin Shu boarded the carriage, with Nanny Gui following closely behind. Shi Qing soon drove the carriage away from the Marquisate.
Inside the carriage, Lin Shu asked jokingly, “Nanny, are you really going to escort me all the way to the mountain village?”
Nanny Gui’s gaze swept over the faint blue bruise of the slap on Lin Shu’s cheek. She gave a cold snort and didn’t refute it, effectively admitting she was.
Lin Shu was stunned. You’re getting on in years; you really can put yourself through it.
“Nanny, you truly love me!”
Nanny Gui didn’t speak, but her eyes sent a clear message: Get lost, don’t even come near me.
The carriage traveled all the way to the outskirts of the capital and then slowed down.
Lin Shu felt a sense of vigilance. Could Shi Qing and Nanny Gui be planning to kill her halfway and silence her?
Fortunately, she soon realized she was overthinking.
The person who wanted to see her was someone else.
Clop, clop, clop.
The sound of horse hooves approached.
Atop a tall, reddish-brown horse, a young man in a brocade robe looked down at Lin Shu from his high vantage point. The man was extremely handsome, with the air of a dragon and phoenix, appearing as refined as gold or jade. However, his posture was cold and arrogant, and the gaze he cast toward her was filled with deep loathing.
This setup…
No mistake about it, this had to be the male lead of the book—Gu Yi’an, the heir of the Duke of Ying. Because he never spoke his mind, he spent five hundred thousand words in a heart-wrenching love-hate relationship with the real heiress!
Meeting his eyes, Lin Shu suddenly felt a dull ache in her chest—it must be the residual emotions of the original owner still lingering in the body.
“If it weren’t for Ah Yao pleading on your behalf, I would never have let you off so easily!” Gu Yi’an’s tone was cold, and the glance he swept over her hid a warning and killing intent. “Ah Yao is waiting for you in the pavilion; she has something to say to you. Don’t try any more tricks. I will be watching you!”
Lin Shu’s heart hurt even more, as if someone had stabbed a knife into it and twisted it violently.
Gu Yi’an actually wanted to kill her!
This realization sent the original owner’s residual emotions to a peak in an instant, making the pain so intense that Lin Shu could barely catch her breath.
Images flashed through her mind.
It was Lin Shu and Gu Yi’an as children.
The original owner had pestered Gu Yi’an to play house with her, to fly kites with her. When she was still tiny, she had bossily grabbed Gu Yi’an’s arm, lifted her chin, and told the elders of both families: “When I grow up, I’m going to marry Brother Yi’an. No one can take him from me!”
The young Gu Yi’an, with his little frozen face, had replied: “I am the heir of the Duke’s estate. My future wife must be a model for noble ladies, proficient in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. If you can achieve that, I will marry you when I grow up.”
“What’s so hard about that? We have a deal. You must marry me when you grow up. If you dare to marry someone else, I won’t stand for it!”
The elders of both sides were delighted by their childish words, and a verbal marriage contract was set.
Lin Shu was so uncomfortable that she pounded her chest wildly, looking as though she were performing a “smashing a rock on one’s chest” stunt. Her throat struggled to squeeze out a sentence: “Gu Yi’an, I ask you, do you still remember saying you would take me as your wife when we were children?”
Seeing her actions, Gu Yi’an’s expression turned strange for a moment, and then he said as cold as frost: “I don’t remember. It is also impossible that I ever said such a thing.”
Not remembering is good! Not remembering is wonderful!
As soon as these words were out, the heavy stone pressing on Lin Shu’s chest suddenly lifted. She could breathe again; she was comfortable.
When reading the novel, she had thought the male lead was incredibly handsome, only frustrating when he kept his mouth shut. But now that she had become the fake heiress in the book and viewed this man from her perspective, she couldn’t find a single thing to like about him.
The original owner was certainly detestable, but the male lead also bore responsibility.
The Marquisate of Zhongyong and the Dukedom of Ying were both families of military generals with a deep friendship. Before the real heiress returned, both families intended to arrange a marriage. The male lead knew the original owner liked him and had tacitly accepted the engagement. The original owner had declared her claim over him several times in front of other young noble ladies, and the male lead had always let her be. Thus, the original owner had always regarded him as her own.
As a result, as soon as the real heiress appeared, this guy’s heart was stirred. But even then, he still didn’t explicitly reject the original owner. It wasn’t until later, when he finally clarified his feelings, that he told her he only saw her as a sister and had never liked her. He said he wanted to marry the real heiress from the countryside and told her to stop being so troublesome. Who could have stood that?
But none of that mattered now. she was going to stay far away from the male and female leads, far away from this den of trouble, and go to a place far from the Emperor’s reach to live her own little life.
“What? Do I have to ask you again and again?” Gu Yi’an’s sword-like brows pressed down, and the impatience in his eyes poured out.
Lin Shu rolled her eyes at him grandly. “If you keep talking to me in that tone, believe it or not, I’ll tell Lin Yao that you were still wetting the bed at age seven?”
“You—what nonsense are you talking about?!” Gu Yi’an’s refined and arrogant face cracked in an instant.
“We grew up together, childhood friends. If I say you wet the bed at seven, then you wet the bed at seven!”
“Lin Shu, you!”
Lin Shu had already scurried away like a little chick.