“Mother-in-law instructed the kitchen first thing this morning to make your favorite braised pork strips, especially for you.”
Her sister-in-law rose, picked up a piece with her chopsticks, and placed it in Song Ying’s bowl.
When Song Ying remained unresponsive for quite some time, she gently nudged her arm with her elbow.
“What’s on your mind, Yin Yin?”
Song Ying hurriedly snapped out of her daze, picked up her chopsticks, and took a quick bite. Her eyes immediately lit up.
“Mm… Maybe I got up too abruptly this morning. I’m still a little groggy. I was just thinking of going back for another nap.”
As she spoke, she put on a show of stretching.
Song Ying loved sleeping in more than anything. For her to get up early today was practically like the sun rising in the west.
As for why she had gotten up so early—
Naturally, it was because her parents had been acting far too strangely lately!
Although her father usually maintained the stern demeanor of a strict parent, he had always indulged her more than anyone.
The rule of remaining silent during meals and at bedtime had always been waived for her. At the dining table, she could chatter about anything and everything, never running out of things to say.
But now, her father had barely taken a few bites before the corners of his mouth began to lift into a smile, only for the expression to collapse almost immediately. He looked even more miserable than if he had been crying.
Her mother was even stranger. Her eyes were red-rimmed, clearly from crying in secret for a long time.
Yet there had been no news of any relatives falling seriously ill or passing away.
Whenever Song Ying asked, her mother merely claimed she was feeling unwell because of a chill.
With all these strange occurrences, how could Song Ying not start suspecting something?
She stole a glance at her parents. Sure enough, their gazes wandered, and neither dared to meet her eyes.
Just as she was about to probe further, someone gently tugged at her sleeve. Turning around, she found her sister-in-law smiling behind her hand.
“You’re already so grown up, yet you still eat like a little kitten.”
As she spoke, her sister-in-law leaned closer and used a handkerchief to wipe the sauce from the corner of her mouth.
Under normal circumstances, her parents would certainly have teased her a little upon seeing her like this.
But at that moment, they were too preoccupied with their own worries to notice.
Her sister-in-law, on the other hand, appeared perfectly at ease. Presumably, she knew nothing about that “strange matter.”
With that thought, Song Ying puckered her lips at her sister-in-law.
Her sister-in-law immediately burst into laughter.
“You’re such a little imp! Yin Yin, you must promise me something today.”
She took Song Ying’s hand.
“Once we’ve finished eating, would you accompany me to the Child-Bestowing Nunnery outside the city? I’m hoping that by next year, I’ll have a clever, adorable little one just like you.”
No sooner had she finished speaking than Madam Song suddenly spoke up, her voice weak and listless.
“You love sleeping in, but missing another half a day won’t make much difference. Go with your sister-in-law.”
The smile on Song Ying’s face stiffened for an almost imperceptible moment before blooming once more.
She simply stood up and spoke in a sweet, playful tone.
“Mother, the way you say that makes it sound as though your daughter is terribly unwilling! Could it be that, in Mother’s eyes, I’m such a spoiled girl that I’d refuse my own sister-in-law just for a little more sleep?”
She released her sister-in-law’s hand and rose to take Madam Song’s instead.
Unexpectedly, she stumbled, and her elbow struck the teacup a servant was carrying!
“Ah!”
With a startled cry, tea splashed everywhere. Song Ying hurriedly stepped back, but she was still a moment too late. More than half of her pale mauve skirt was soaked in an instant.
She patted at the fabric, but the wet patch only spread further. Left with no choice, she gave a small curtsy and apologized.
“Look how clumsy I am! Father, Mother, my skirt is dirty. I’ll have to go back and change into something clean before accompanying Sister-in-law.”
Master Song waved his hand, signaling that she could go.
Only then did Song Ying secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She turned and hurried away.
Watching Song Ying’s figure disappear beyond the moon gate, Madam Song could no longer hold back her emotions. She turned her face away, tears rolling down her cheeks like pearls from a broken string.
“That child is still so careless and impulsive, without an ounce of guile. How will she manage in the future… how will she ever manage? I’m afraid…”
Madam Song’s voice broke at the end, and she could not bear to continue.
“Don’t worry, my dear.” Master Song patted his wife’s shoulder, his own eyes immediately reddening. “What does it matter if she’s a little reckless? As long as I, her father, have breath in my body, I’ll protect Yin Yin for the rest of her life. I won’t let her suffer the slightest grievance or hardship!”
At the side, the Song family’s eldest daughter-in-law quietly lowered her eyes upon seeing her parents-in-law like this.
…
…
Something was wrong! Everything was wrong!
Her sister-in-law rarely ventured beyond the inner courtyard. She and Song Ying’s elder brother had been married for three years and were deeply devoted to one another.
Her parents had never pressured them to have children, and neither her brother nor her sister-in-law had been in any particular hurry. They had always said they would let nature take its course.
Even when relatives occasionally brought up the matter, they would merely smile and say the time wasn’t right yet.
So why had her sister-in-law suddenly decided to visit the Child-Bestowing Nunnery to pray for a child today?
The invitation had come out of nowhere, almost as though it had been decided on a whim.
Song Ying quickened her pace, hurried around the covered corridor, and slipped into the lush greenery. Only then did she lower her voice and instruct the maid beside her.
“Go back to my room and find my apricot-yellow, wide-sleeved robe. The one with the lotus pattern.”
She remembered that garment very clearly. It was buried beneath several layers of clothing and would not be easy to find.
The maid dipped into a curtsy before heading toward the west wing.
Meanwhile, Song Ying walked faster and faster, eventually breaking into a jog as she headed straight for the woodshed in the northwest corner of the residence.
Her heart was pounding—
There was no mistake! This definitely had something to do with the heroine!
In Song Ying’s previous life—oh, no, calling it her “previous world” would be more accurate.
Back there, she had been nothing more than a nameless background character in an interstellar Sentinel-and-Guide novel.
An F-rank Guide whose mental power rating was at the very bottom, she was destined for mediocrity, which suited her just fine.
That was why she often slipped away to the base’s library to read novels.
In that technologically advanced world, hardly anyone bothered with physical books anymore.
Song Ying, however, rather enjoyed having the enormous library all to herself.
But one day, after finishing a book, she went to the guidance room to look for her biological older sister.
The indicator light outside the guidance room was clearly glowing green, displaying the words “Off Duty.”
She pushed open the door and witnessed a scene she would never forget for the rest of her life—no, for the rest of both her lives.
Her own older sister and an S-rank Sentinel were engaged in a… union that went beyond a mental bond, using the most primal method imaginable.
At that very instant, Song Ying froze from head to toe. Some long-suppressed “setting” and “awareness” suddenly came crashing into her consciousness!
The world she lived in was a… a restricted Sentinel-and-Guide novel starring her older sister, filled with countless scenes too indecent to describe!
Before the shock of that realization could even fade, the world suddenly spun around her.
When Song Ying opened her eyes again, she had become a tiny infant, having transmigrated into the world she now inhabited.
And this world was also a novel!
Because she had read this historical romance before.
Without the stimulating elements of Sentinels and Guides, this historical romance was… even more unabashedly explicit.
But she really, really, really didn’t have a habit of reading those supposedly “clean and wholesome” little novels!
She had only been drawn in by the plot’s twists and turns at first. It was all the author’s fault for filling the story with far too many steamy scenes, forcing her to repeatedly sift through them for the actual plot.
In short, her hard-earned, blood-and-tears experience had taught her that if she wanted to stay alive, she had to carve those seven big characters—“Stay away from the male and female leads to stay safe”—into her very DNA!
And right now, the heroine of this world was being kept inside the Song family’s woodshed!
Song Ying pushed open the woodshed door.
The heroine, Li Jingrong, was sitting atop a pile of weeds. Her features were delicate yet carried a heroic air, a far cry from her bloodstained appearance that morning.
Perhaps someone had tended to her, for she had changed into a simple, clean outfit, and her previously disheveled dark hair had been swept up high.
The moment the door opened, Li Jingrong flicked her wrist. A half-length blade gleaming with a cold light was already in her hand, pointed straight at the entrance!
Once she saw that the newcomer was a woman, the murderous intent in her eyes eased slightly, and she subtly withdrew the blade a fraction.
Sharp-eyed as ever, Song Ying immediately caught sight of the white bandages faintly visible beneath Li Jingrong’s loose sleeve, along with the taut lines of her muscles.
She cleared her throat a few times, trying her hardest to drive all those steamy plot scenes involving Li Jingrong out of her mind.
From the looks of it, her parents hadn’t intended to harm Li Jingrong. Instead, it seemed they had… rescued her?
Song Ying’s thoughts raced. Although she had no idea why her parents had chosen to save the woman, her extensive experience reading novels told her one thing: cannon fodder had an extremely high mortality rate!
Those who could ride the male and female leads’ good fortune to success were either the second male and female leads or the third male and female leads.
But the Song family were merely merchants from Liaozhou. They weren’t particularly wealthy and had no influential connections whatsoever.
If they became entangled in the grudges and feuds of the main plot, their fate would be… the entire family getting killed off together!
No!
Her family couldn’t die!
Song Ying slowly approached Li Jingrong, stopping about five paces away.
Then she crouched down until they were at eye level and began carefully choosing her words to express her concerns.
“I don’t know what sort of danger you’ve encountered, miss, but judging from your skills just now, I imagine the matter you’re involved in is no small affair. The Song family is merely an ordinary merchant household in Liaozhou City. Our means are modest, and I’m afraid… we truly cannot withstand any major upheaval.”
She paused. Seeing that Li Jingrong remained silent, she continued.
“My father and mother are growing old. By coming to your rescue, they’ve already taken an enormous risk. If this brings disaster upon the Song family, as their daughter, I could never be at peace. If you truly feel grateful to our family for saving you, then please… leave this place as soon as possible and find somewhere else to take shelter.”
After hearing this unmistakable request for her to leave, Li Jingrong leaned back slightly and looked Song Ying up and down.
Then, seeming to understand, she smiled and helped Song Ying to her feet.
“So you’re Song Ying?”
This was the first time Song Ying had heard Li Jingrong’s voice.
Although it was unmistakably a woman’s clear, cool voice, it carried an inexplicable magnetism. For an instant, Song Ying actually felt an urge to follow her!
She gritted her teeth and forcibly suppressed the impulse.
“Yes, I am Song Ying.”
Song Ying steadied herself. If being firm didn’t work, she would have to try a softer approach.
Her knees suddenly buckled as she moved to kneel.
As a trained martial artist, Li Jingrong had somehow already moved half a step closer. She gripped Song Ying’s forearm, instantly preventing her from lowering herself even an inch further.
“What are you doing, Miss Song?” Li Jingrong glanced at her with a faint, unreadable smile. “Did you truly mean what you said just now? Do you really want me to leave? You… had better not regret it.”
Regret? What was there to regret?!
She wished she could get as far away as possible from people like them, who stood at the very center of the plot!
“This is my father and mother’s wish, as well as my own sincere opinion. Not a word of it is false.”
Without giving it much thought, Song Ying nodded vigorously.
“I hope you’ll take good care of yourself, miss. As for us… with mountains and rivers between us, may our paths never cross again.”
Hearing this, Li Jingrong’s smile deepened even further. She murmured to herself, “Interesting. Very interesting. Then I’ll do as you say.”
Before the words had even left her mouth, she blurred into motion, reaching the latticed window in just a few swift leaps.
It worked! She was leaving!
Song Ying was overjoyed at the sight.
She truly hoped they would never meet again in this lifetime. Just let her survive quietly until the story reached its grand finale!
Suddenly, Li Jingrong stopped with half her body already through the window.
She abruptly turned her head to look at Song Ying.
“Parents love their children with all their hearts, and children protect their parents with equally deep affection. Your family… makes me rather envious.”
With that, she disappeared through the window.
Yet Li Jingrong’s meaningful words sent an inexplicable shiver down Song Ying’s spine.
…As expected of the heroine. Just one simple sentence was enough to stir up the emotions of cannon fodder like her.
But Li Jingrong wasn’t wrong. Much of the reason Song Ying had been so desperate to send her away was for her parents’ sake.
It didn’t matter if she herself died, but she couldn’t let her family get dragged into this!
In her previous world, her parents had been brainwashed by the base administration. They had never shown the slightest warmth toward their daughter, whose mental power ranking was at the very bottom. They had even regarded her as a disgrace to the family.
But her parents in this world treated her so well that it almost seemed as though Heaven itself was trying to make it up to her!
Her coming-of-age hairpin ceremony had only recently passed. By rights, her family should already have begun discussing marriage arrangements.
Yet her parents had been so particular about choosing a husband for her that no candidate ever seemed quite perfect enough to satisfy them.
A matchmaker had once remarked that no one in the world was perfect. A grown daughter couldn’t remain at home forever, and a young woman’s marriage prospects were at their best around the time of her hairpin ceremony. She advised Song Ying’s father to think carefully about the matter.
Who would have thought that her father would fly into a rage on the spot and berate the matchmaker?
If no one was perfect, then his daughter simply wouldn’t marry!
She certainly wouldn’t go hungry if she stayed at home, and he would never let her go out and suffer the slightest indignity!
From then on, word spread throughout Liaozhou City that Master Song “spoiled his youngest daughter excessively, making her arrogant and domineering.”
After that, no one dared come to his door to propose a marriage match for her.
Her parents loved her so deeply. How could she possibly stand by and watch them get dragged into the main plot?
After all, the heroine was planning something as momentous as assassinating the emperor and destroying the dynasty!
Now that the matter was settled, the most urgent thing was to make sure her sister-in-law noticed nothing amiss.
Song Ying steadied herself and hurried back toward the west wing. She finally managed to step into her room just before her sister-in-law entered the courtyard.
“Yin Yin, have you finished changing?” her sister-in-law called from outside. “You barely ate anything at lunch, so I had the kitchen prepare some of your favorite osmanthus and chestnut-flour cakes. We can bring them along for you to snack on during the journey. Don’t go hungry.”
As she spoke, Song Ying finished changing and pushed open the door.
She hurried forward and linked her arm through her sister-in-law’s.
“Sister-in-law, you’re so good to me, too.”
That was right. Her parents doted on her, and her elder brother and sister-in-law were just as loving toward her.
How could she possibly let her entire family be put in danger?
Song Ying was so caught up in her thoughts that she completely failed to notice the deep, lingering look her sister-in-law gave her.
…
…
The carriage made its way toward the Child-Bestowing Nunnery on the outskirts of the city.
Ordinarily, the journey would take them through the bustling city center, winding through numerous streets and turns. It would take at least a little over an hour just to leave the city.
As Song Ying chewed on an osmanthus and chestnut-flour cake, she noticed that the carriage was moving unusually smoothly, without the familiar bumps and clamor of the busy streets.
She lifted the curtain to take a look.
The broad streets were deserted. The shops lining the road had their doors tightly shut, and the few pedestrians she spotted were hurrying along with their heads lowered.
“Sister-in-law, why are the streets so deserted today?”
“Perhaps… someone very important has arrived from the capital, and the authorities have imposed a lockdown.”
Someone important… from the capital?
Liaozhou… officials from the capital… the heroine, Li Jingrong…
Song Ying desperately searched her memory of that restricted historical romance—
The original novel had devoted very little attention to Liaozhou. All the major, heart-stopping plot developments had taken place elsewhere…
No! That wasn’t right!
Song Ying suddenly sat bolt upright, and the osmanthus cake in her hand dropped onto the brocade cushion.
There was one detail!
A detail that had been mentioned only in passing in the original novel, yet was absolutely crucial!
In order to infiltrate the imperial palace and assassinate Emperor Yongzhao, the heroine, Li Jingrong, had forged an identity.
That identity was one of the young women summoned to the capital from various provinces by imperial decree…
A candidate for the imperial consort selection!
Could it be… could it be that she herself had been selected as one of those candidates, and Li Jingrong had taken her place?!