Opening her eyes and staring at the bed canopy, she looked around. The furnishings were ancient and elegant. Lin Yiyi understood—she had transmigrated.
Her head throbbed violently as she sorted through and forcibly accepted the original owner’s memories.
The original host had been pushed into the water by her stepmother and stepsister and drowned. That was how she had taken over the body.
The original owner was a pitiful girl.
Sixteen years ago, her mother passed away due to illness, leaving behind a three-month-old infant.
At that time, her mother, heavily pregnant, discovered her husband’s affair with another woman and fell gravely ill. She gave birth prematurely due to anger and illness.
After barely recovering her health, the mother went out to see lanterns to clear her mind. But due to the crowd, chaos broke out—people pushed and ran. Although she had already moved to the side, she was still knocked down and trampled to death.
Also trampled to death was her mother’s accompanying maid, Madam Lai. When her mother married into the family, she brought two maidservants—Madam Lai and Madam Zhou.
It was said that her mother’s dowry included a full one hundred heavy trunks, along with countless estates and shops.
After her mother’s death, the scumbag father avoided contact with the Fan family, ashamed of relying on them for his status. He forbade his daughter from visiting them as well. The Fan family tried to visit, but were repeatedly turned away. Over time, they stopped coming. Still, they often sent gifts for the child, but the stepmother Zhang Shi and the father always kept everything for themselves. The Fan family knew nothing of this.
The Fan family was wealthy—some members engaged in business, some in medicine, some in martial arts, but none in officialdom. The original mother also knew martial arts and had medical knowledge.
Thus, the original host had inherited great physical strength and had also learned some basic medicine from her mother’s books.
Lin Yiyi finally felt relieved. At least she had some skills to rely on.
Three months after her mother’s death, her father married the illegitimate eldest daughter of the Minister of Rites’ family, Zhang Meixin—the very woman he had an affair with.
The marriage was rushed under the excuse that the young daughter needed care.
In truth, Zhang Shi was already pregnant, and her elder sister was a favored concubine of the emperor. Marrying into the Zhang family would benefit his official career.
Eight months after entering the household, Zhang Shi gave birth to Lin Qinglian and claimed it was premature, hiding the fact that she had been pregnant before marriage.
This ruthless stepmother had controlled the household so tightly over the years that there were no concubine-born sons or daughters—only three legitimate children: the original host Lin Yiyi, and Zhang Shi’s two children, Lin Qinglian and Lin Zhiyuan. Lin Qinglian was one year younger than the original host, and Lin Zhiyuan, age 14, studied at Lushan Academy.
Now, the imperial court was arranging marriage matches for the princes.
Her unreliable father, a third-rank official stuck in his position for years, wanted to send his eldest legitimate daughter to become the main wife—or at least a concubine—of the First Prince in order to advance his career.
Because the First Prince was the emperor’s favorite and the most likely heir to the throne.
If his daughter succeeded, she could become empress—or at least a noble consort.
Although she was the eldest legitimate daughter, the original host was naturally strong and not considered a proper refined lady. Meanwhile, her delicate stepsister was trained meticulously in arts and etiquette.
Thus, the father hesitated between the two daughters.
The stepmother, naturally aware of her husband’s intentions, also wanted her own daughter to seize the opportunity.
And so, mother and daughter decided to eliminate all obstacles.
They chose a moment when the original host was walking in the garden, dismissed all servants, and pushed her into the water. After waiting for a while, they called for help—and by then, she had already drowned. That was how modern Lin Yiyi arrived.
After sorting everything out, Lin Yiyi continued staring at the ceiling in silence.
The door creaked open.
A maid about fifteen years old entered carrying a bowl of hot ginger water.
From memory, Lin Yiyi recognized her as the original host’s personal maid, Xiao Tao.
Seeing her awake, Xiao Tao cried out in joy:
“Miss, you’re finally awake—sob—sob—”
The person on the bed looked up at the heavens in frustration.
Was this the same crying little girl from her dream?
“Shut up,” Lin Yiyi barked.
The crying stopped instantly.
Xiao Tao looked at her pitifully, trying hard not to cry.
“I ask, you answer. If you dare cry again, you won’t eat for a day.”
“O-okay…”
“Who saved me from the water?”
“Madam Zhou.”
“Where is she now?”
“She… she…”
“Speak!”
Xiao Tao immediately knelt in fear.
“Miss, please save Madam Zhou… the madam said she didn’t take good care of you…”
Through Xiao Tao’s broken explanation, Lin Yiyi immediately understood—the stepmother was framing someone.
Without hesitation, she threw off the blanket and got up.
With Xiao Tao’s help, she quickly dressed and rushed toward Zhang Meixin’s courtyard.
“Miss, wait! You just fell into water—”
But Lin Yiyi had already run out.
Xiao Tao grabbed a cloak and chased after her.
Xiangxia Courtyard
In the courtyard, Madam Zhou knelt upright, while a richly dressed woman stood beside her, whipping her repeatedly.
Servants surrounded them, trembling as they watched.
“You are responsible for taking care of the young miss—how dare you neglect her!”
The whip cracked again, tearing flesh—but Madam Zhou did not move.
After tiring, the woman took a sip of tea.
“All of you better serve the young ladies properly. If you fail, this is what will happen.”
“Yes, Madam.”
She then turned to Madam Zhou.
“You are the dowry maid of the young miss’s mother. I usually show you respect—but how did you take care of her?”
“Madam Zhang, you know exactly how the young miss fell into the water!”
“You—!”
The words “Madam Zhang” clearly rejected her authority as the true mistress of the household.
Enraged, she raised her whip again—
But it did not land.
A slender hand had caught it mid-air.
Everyone looked up.
Lin Yiyi stood there, coldly smiling.
“Madam Zhang, Madam Zhou is my servant. You have no right to punish her.”
“You insolent girl! I am the mistress of this household!”
“Punish her?” Lin Yiyi sneered. “Don’t forget—Madam Zhou is not a slave of the Lin family. Her contract belongs to the Fan family.”
“You… you!”
Lin Yiyi looked at her calmly.
“She failed to take care of the young miss, so she should be punished?”
“Failed? I fell into the water—no one knows better than you and your precious daughter how that happened.”
“You’re talking nonsense!” the stepmother snapped.
Lin Yiyi’s gaze swept across the crowd.
“I was pushed into the water today. I survived thanks to Madam Zhou. From today onward, she is my elder. Whoever dares touch her, I will return it tenfold.”
“Lin Yiyi! How can a noble lady acknowledge a servant as elder?!”
“My etiquette teaches me to repay life-saving grace. She deserves this respect.”
Madam Zhou trembled, tears filling her eyes.
The word “elder” broke her composure.
“Xiao Tao.”
“This servant is here!”
“Take Madam Zhou back first.”
Xiao Tao quickly helped Madam Zhou up and escorted her away.