A trail of clear tears slipped from the corner of her eye. Pain coursed through every inch of her body as Xiao Yu struggled to open her eyes.
“Cough… cough, cough…”
“Miss, you’re finally awake! Miss…”
The two maidservants were heartbroken, unable to do anything but wipe away their tears.
Xiao Yu closed her eyes for a moment, her expression dazed.
Hah! The heavens truly were generous to her. If they were going to let her be reborn, couldn’t they at least have chosen a better time? How was this any different from not having escaped death at all?
She had actually returned to her wedding night—the very night Xie Jin had strangled her to death!
Wait…
Why was there a large collection of memories in her mind that didn’t belong to her?
Xiao Yu closed her eyes, about to carefully examine them, when an unfamiliar male voice suddenly sounded in her head.
“Hmph! What an idiot!”
Startled, Xiao Yu’s eyes flew open.
Only Anxiang and Yingxiu stood beside the bed, their eyes still brimming with tears. Where had that man’s voice come from?
“Stop looking! I’m inside your body!”
Xiao Yu was so frightened that she bolted upright.
“Miss, what’s wrong?”
The man’s voice rang out again, this time filled with impatience.
“Lie down and keep quiet!”
“Miss? Miss?”
Anxiang anxiously shook her arm. It took Xiao Yu a long moment to recover before she gave her a faint smile.
“I’m fine. I just want to rest for a while. You two can leave first. There’s no need to stay here and watch over me.”
“All right. We’ll wait in the outer room. Just call us if you need anything, Miss!”
Xiao Yu nodded and lay back down.
Who exactly was that man? Why was he inside her body?
Could it be that after being reborn, she had somehow attracted something she shouldn’t have?
As though he could read her thoughts, the voice sounded again.
“Hmph! You dare call this prince a ‘thing’? How many lives do you think you have?”
“Who are you?”
Xiao Yu’s voice trembled. Afraid to speak too loudly, she could only whisper.
“Idiot! This prince is the Ninth Imperial Uncle of Donglin!”
Xiao Yu was stunned.
She immediately covered her mouth, afraid that she might cry out in shock.
She had returned to life, only to discover that a man was now living inside her body—and that man was none other than Donglin’s Ninth Imperial Uncle!
The very same Ninth Imperial Uncle who was frail and sickly, yet wielded immense power throughout the imperial court!
Rumor had it that he had even dared to defy the late emperor. He had gone so far as to abandon the imperial clan’s surname, Xie, and instead take his mother’s surname.
Gu Jiuci!
Could he have been reborn just like her?
But if so, why hadn’t he returned to his own body? Why had he ended up inside hers instead?
“You really are an idiot! Yes, this prince was reborn. However, my original body was unsuitable for my return. By a twist of fate, I ended up inside your body. Do you understand now?”
Xiao Yu had never interacted with Gu Jiuci before.
Only now did she realize that although the Ninth Imperial Uncle might have been physically weak, his imposing presence certainly wasn’t. His words were sharp and merciless, and every sentence carried the natural arrogance and authority of someone accustomed to standing above others.
What unfortunate timing.
She had happened to die at precisely the right moment for him to take advantage of her empty body.
Just as that thought crossed her mind, Xiao Yu suddenly sensed a surge of emotion that did not belong to her.
She shuddered.
“This prince warns you—stop letting your imagination run wild! Otherwise, I wouldn’t mind letting you die a second time!”
Hearing this, Xiao Yu was overwhelmed by complicated emotions.
In a single day, it felt as though she had experienced every emotion imaginable. Now, on top of everything else, something this terrifying had happened to her.
If this was what being alive meant, perhaps death would have been easier.
“And I advise you not to entertain any thoughts of killing yourself!”
The Ninth Imperial Uncle suddenly sounded anxious. He had even dropped his usual way of referring to himself as “this prince,” clearly afraid that Xiao Yu might be unable to accept the situation and decide to end her life.
Xiao Yu immediately understood.
It seemed Gu Jiuci could completely sense her thoughts and emotions.
Likewise, she could feel his emotions as well.
There had to be a reason Gu Jiuci was warning her.
“I won’t. I’m just… not used to this.”
Men and women were supposed to maintain a proper distance, yet the two of them now had to share the same body. Naturally, Xiao Yu found it difficult to adjust.
But this was already an undeniable reality. Worrying about it would accomplish nothing.
Gu Jiuci was right.
They needed to work toward a common goal.
“This prince was reborn just like you, except I returned much earlier. Since fate has given us this opportunity, it must mean that the heavens want us to change the destiny we suffered in our previous lives.”
Gu Jiuci’s tone gradually softened as he patiently persuaded her, no longer as harsh and intimidating as before.
“I…”
Xiao Yu thought about it carefully.
Of course she was unwilling to accept what had happened.
In her previous life, she had died at Xie Jin’s hands. The Xiao family must never have learned the true reason behind her death. Without knowing the truth, they naturally wouldn’t have become enemies with Xie Jin because of her.
If she didn’t avenge herself, then who would seek justice for her?
Would her father?
Would her brother?
Xie Jin certainly wouldn’t have told them the truth.
Sensing that her resolve was beginning to waver, Gu Jiuci continued.
“In my previous life, I remember Prince Rui reporting that you suddenly contracted a severe illness and died. Not long afterward, your elder brother also died under mysterious circumstances. I don’t know exactly what caused his death, but there was something suspicious about it. From what I knew, it most likely had something to do with Xie Jin.”
Xiao Yu’s heart tightened.
That was right.
Gu Jiuci had also been reborn. Naturally, he knew far more than she did about what happened after her death.
There was no reason for him to lie.
How could her brother have died for no reason?
Could it have been because of her?
Or had he discovered something and been silenced by Xie Jin?
“I imagine the person you care about most in the Xiao family is your elder brother. Now that you’ve been given another chance at life, don’t you want to uncover the truth and take revenge for both him and yourself?”
“How about we work together?”
Gu Jiuci was right.
Her brother was the only person in the Xiao family who had truly cared for her.
If he had really died because of her, then she would avenge him no matter what.
Once Xiao Yu accepted this fact, her heart finally settled. She began to seriously consider Gu Jiuci’s proposal.
“I agree to cooperate with you. What do you want to do?”
“I need your body, while you need my knowledge of what is to come. Therefore, changing the fate we suffered in our previous lives will be our common goal.”
Once a person had a goal, they could begin making plans.
Xiao Yu had been born into a distinguished noble family. Although her mother had passed away early, her mother and Imperial Concubine Dowager Yu had arranged her engagement to Xie Jin before she was even born.
Because of this, Xiao Yu had frequently entered and left the imperial palace since childhood.
Having grown up surrounded by palace intrigue, she naturally possessed a calculating mind of her own. She was by no means an innocent little rabbit who knew nothing of schemes and deception.
Xiao Yu had never considered herself foolish.
In the past, she had only wanted to live a loving and harmonious life with Xie Jin, so she had never needed to use any of the skills she possessed.
Unexpectedly, those very abilities had now become the foundation she would rely upon to survive.
The first thing she needed to do was have her confinement lifted.
The day she returned to her maiden home would provide the perfect opportunity.
“Who are you? Why have you come to see the Princess Consort?”
Just as Xiao Yu was thinking, Anxiang’s voice sounded from outside the door.
Xiao Yu rose and sat upright.
“This is Concubine Jin of the residence. She entered the manor together with the Princess Consort yesterday. She has specially come today to serve tea to the Princess Consort.”
An older woman answered, her voice filled with an unmistakable sense of superiority.
“What sort of filthy creature thinks she’s worthy of appearing before the Princess Consort? I think you’d better save yourself the trouble!”
Yingxiu’s furious voice immediately followed.
“You two little maids had better open your eyes and look carefully! This old servant was personally assigned by His Highness to serve Concubine Jin. You’re nothing more than two dowry maids, yet you dare act so arrogantly. It seems the Princess Consort has truly failed to discipline you properly! No wonder His Highness refused to visit her even on their wedding night!”
“You… you wicked old hag! What kind of filth are you spewing from that mouth of yours?!”
Anxiang was so furious that she nearly lost control of her words.
She desperately wanted to curse the old woman to her heart’s content, but when she remembered her young mistress’s current situation, she forcibly restrained herself.
Then she heard Xiao Yu call out.
“Anxiang! Take them to the reception hall!”
Anxiang acknowledged her order.
Yingxiu entered the room to help Xiao Yu change her clothes.
As she was getting dressed, Xiao Yu suddenly remembered Gu Jiuci.
The thought that a pair of unseen eyes might be watching her from somewhere in the shadows made her feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Miss, what’s wrong? Are your clothes uncomfortable?”
“It’s nothing…”
When she heard no response from Gu Jiuci inside her mind, Xiao Yu gradually relaxed.