Guan Xiyue wore a new peach-red dress, adorned herself elaborately, and looked very proud as she was taken away in an ox cart.
The villagers watching from all sides had mixed reactions—some were envious, some sighed in regret, but most thought Guan Xiyue was going to live well.
After all, she could barely get enough to eat at home. What did it matter if she became a concubine? Here she would live in a golden nest, eating meat every meal!
Strangely enough, as soon as Guan Xiyue entered the house, the young master Zhou Zhengye, who had been bedridden for half a month, drank half a bowl of porridge and sat up against the headboard.
So delighted, Old Master Zhou and Madam Zhou exclaimed repeatedly, “A lucky star has entered our home!” Meanwhile, the eldest young mistress, Yu, felt secretly uneasy.
When Guan Xiyue served tea to Yu, the young master, who had initially been hopeful, quietly lay back down. The fat rolls of flesh wrapped in the peach-red dress were too glaring to ignore.
Not to mention her thickly drawn black eyebrows, her snow-white round face, and bright red lips. Her face was full of horizontal fat, and too much powder made the white too white and the red too red—it was truly ugly.
Yu smiled and accepted the tea, very pleased, and gifted Guan Xiyue a silver bracelet, instructing her to follow the “Three Obediences and Four Virtues” and to soon bear children for the Zhou family.
Guan Xiyue was overjoyed and secretly glanced at the young master, feeling a touch of shyness at his proper appearance.
Guan Xiyue was assigned to a remote small courtyard, along with a maid named Xiaoyun.
Xiaoyun was about twelve or thirteen years old. Although she had previously been a cleaning maid in Yu’s courtyard, she had now become the only reliable “first-class maid” for Concubine Guan—but she was frustrated.
Everything, inside and out, relied on her. Serving this clumsy, unlikely-to-be-favored concubine—was there even hope for her own advancement?
Remarkably, just a few days after Guan Xiyue moved in, the young master’s health improved. Although he continued taking his medicine, it finally took effect, and he could move about.
Faced with the plump concubine who brought him such miraculous results, Zhou Zhengye felt uneasy.
Whenever Guan Xiyue came to pay respects, trying to get closer under some pretext, Zhou Zhengye would flatly refuse, letting her speak only a few words outside the door.
Although only fifteen, Guan Xiyue was clever and had read many stories, understanding that as a concubine, her leverage was the young master’s favor.
One day, after being refused again from entering his room, she charged in without hesitation.
The young master panicked and immediately ordered the servant Wang You to drag her out. But Guan Xiyue was very strong, and Wang You was no match.
Seeing her about to cling to him, Zhou pushed with all his might—bang!—her head hit the corner of a table, and she fell to the ground.
Zhou Zhengye, sweating profusely and pale-faced, looked at the garishly dressed Guan Xiyue lying on the floor, still feeling shaken.
Yu instructed that Guan Xiyue be properly taken care of and not allowed into the main house without permission.
No one noticed that after waking up, the small black mole on Guan Xiyue’s temple had turned bright red.
Guan Xiyue sighed inwardly. The ancient world was indeed full of danger—who knew that a simple push could put the original owner in such a state?
Logically, it must have been a serious head injury. She had taken over this body, but who knew what hidden dangers there were? Head injuries with unresolved clots or severe concussions could have serious aftereffects.
Nursing her injury slowly, Guan Xiyue also figured out the background of this world. More precisely, it was a fictional setting, with the country called Da Ning.
Judging from the cool weather in May, she estimated the location was central or northern regions.
Fortunately, the original body was strong and recovered quickly. After a few days of light meals, Guan Xiyue, a foodie at heart, felt restless.
Xiaoyun, the maid, had vanished—she couldn’t even find a sip of hot water, and no one knew where she had gone.
Guan Xiyue basked in the sun in the small courtyard, closing her eyes to rest, thinking about how to proceed. First, recover her body, then lose some weight—this excess fat was unbearable.
Most importantly, how could she escape the Zhou family? As a concubine who could be easily bought and sold, it was not easy…
Suddenly, a bang startled Guan Xiyue. She stood up and looked around.
By the old locust tree at the corner of the wall, a figure stood motionless. Guan Xiyue quickly grabbed a stick and shouted sternly, “Who’s there? Stop playing tricks!”
The person ignored her.
Guan Xiyue, confident in her sturdy, plump frame, stepped forward boldly.
It turned out to be a fainted young man. High nose, sharp lips, sword-like eyebrows, a few strands of black hair falling into the temples—perfect, flawless features. Only his pale face and furrowed brows showed he was enduring something.
Helping this fallen handsome man, Guan Xiyue became even more accepting of her transmigration. Adventure always came with a new life—that was a certainty.
Should she help him or send him away quickly?
She hadn’t yet decided when the young man seemed to regain consciousness. Straining, he opened his phoenix-like eyes and whispered for help: “Save me, and you will be richly rewarded. Do not make a sound.”