Wen Yunyi had been forced awake by a sudden, hollow-dropping pain in her abdomen.
The pain came fiercely, as if someone were slowly twisting a blunt knife in her lower belly. It hurt so badly that her vision darkened. Instinctively, she curled her fingers, trying to prop herself up. But the moment she put weight on her elbow, her body went weak, and she collapsed back onto the pillow.
A heavy medicinal scent lingered at her nose, bitter and suffocating.
Frowning, Wen Yunyi opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a half-lowered plain canopy above her head. At its corner hung a small silver hook, wrapped neatly with two loops of pale green silk ribbon—orderly and precise, nothing like the place she was used to. Outside the window, the sky was just turning pale. A faint wind passed through the corridor, making the soft gauze covering the window tremble slightly, casting a cold, desolate air throughout the room.
She stared at the canopy for a moment, her mind still blank.
This wasn’t her home.
Nor was it a hospital.
The thought had only just surfaced when a sharper headache followed, as if something were forcefully being shoved into her mind. Memories flooded in all at once—Chancellor’s Residence, Duke’s Manor, Xu Jinzhi, Jiang Yunzhi, arguments, miscarriage, blood… Fragmented images pressed down on her, suffocating her, until even her back broke out in cold sweat.
Wen Yunyi closed her eyes. After a long while, she finally sorted out the most crucial fact from the chaos—
She had transmigrated into a book.
She had become the vicious supporting female character from the ancient domestic intrigue novel she had read before going to sleep last night. Same name, same surname—the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister, the heir’s wife of the Duke Protector’s Manor, Wen Yunyi.
Also the woman who had waited many years for Xu Jinzhi, finally married into the Duke’s Manor as she wished, yet pushed herself step by step into a dead end.
And at this very moment, it was the worst possible timing.
The original body had just miscarried.
Wen Yunyi lay there without moving for a long time, her thoughts in complete disarray. Where had she read up to last night? It seemed to be right around this part—the heir’s wife, after an argument, had agitated her pregnancy and lost the child. The main courtyard was as cold as an ice cellar, yet few in the entire manor truly pitied her. Everyone said she had ruined her own health out of anger and couldn’t blame others. As for Jiang Yunzhi, the “lucky koi” heroine of the original story—even as a mere concubine, she was born with good fortune. Effortlessly, she gained sympathy and favor.
At the thought, Wen Yunyi’s temples throbbed again.
This opening situation was truly fatal.
Just as she was thinking, a series of light footsteps came from outside the door. The curtain was gently lifted, and two maidservants entered one after the other—one carrying medicine, the other holding a bronze basin. Seeing her awake, both were startled.
“Your Ladyship is awake?”
The steadier one quickly set down the medicine bowl and stepped forward. She wore an indigo vest over a moon-white cotton dress, her hair neatly arranged, with only a small silk flower at her temple—clearly someone meticulous and reliable. The other maid, with a round face and slightly younger, wore a light green short jacket. Her eyes reddened instantly, and she nearly dropped the basin in her hands.
Wen Yunyi glanced at them, and their names quickly surfaced in her mind.
The steady one was Bai Lan; the livelier one was Qing Tao. Both were dowry maidservants brought from the Chancellor’s Residence, and the most capable people in this courtyard.
Having her own people was better than having none.
Her throat was dry and parched. When she spoke, her voice was hoarse. “Water first.”
Qing Tao hurried forward, flustered as she helped her sit up. Bai Lan had already placed a soft pillow behind her and handed over warm water. Wen Yunyi drank a couple of sips with Qing Tao’s support, finally feeling the tightness in her chest ease slightly.
Lowering her gaze, she saw she was dressed in a plain light-blue silk night robe. The collar was fastened tightly, but the sleeves had shifted during her unconsciousness, revealing a slender, pale wrist.
It was too thin—faint veins visible beneath the skin, making her complexion look even more bloodless.
This body of hers was terribly weak.
Seeing her silent, Bai Lan assumed she was thinking of the child and softened her voice. “Does Your Ladyship feel unwell anywhere? This servant will summon the Imperial Physician.”
“No need for now.” Wen Yunyi lifted her eyes and asked directly, “How long have I been asleep?”
Bai Lan paused, surprised. She had expected the first questions to be about the child, the heir, or Concubine Jiang—not this.
“Replying to Your Ladyship, today is already the third day. The Imperial Physician came yesterday and said your vitality has been greatly depleted. You must recuperate carefully for at least a month and must not suffer any agitation.”
The third day.
The news that needed spreading had likely already spread everywhere.
Wen Yunyi quickly calculated in her mind and asked again, “What are people saying outside?”
This time, Qing Tao’s expression turned awkward. She glanced at Bai Lan, unsure whether to speak plainly. After a moment’s hesitation, Bai Lan answered in a low voice, “In the manor… it is relatively quiet for now.”
Wen Yunyi simply looked at her. “I want the truth.”
Though still ill, her long black hair was loosely tied behind her head, a few strands clinging to her neck. Without makeup, her originally plump, fair face appeared thinner from sickness, yet her features were too striking—making her even more eye-catching. Especially her eyes—already beautiful, now clearer under the pallor.
Bai Lan felt a slight chill under that gaze and could only answer honestly. “They say Your Ladyship injured your health this time due to anger attacking the heart. They also say… Concubine Jiang hadn’t done anything, yet suffered a fright for no reason.”
Encouraged, Qing Tao added softly, “Yesterday, the heir visited Concubine Jiang once. The kitchen spread the news that although she seemed a bit dazed and timid, she was kind-hearted, still worrying about Your Ladyship these past two days.”
As expected.
Leaning against the pillow, Wen Yunyi showed nothing on her face, but she had already pieced together the situation.
The original owner had caused too much trouble over Jiang Yunzhi and had long turned herself into a joke in the manor. Now, after the miscarriage, no one would pity her first—they would only think she brought it upon herself. As for Jiang Yunzhi, she only needed to stand there looking slightly lost, and others would naturally make excuses for her. Coupled with her “lucky heroine” aura, everything always tilted in her favor.
The original owner’s defeat wasn’t unjust. One desperately tried to grasp something, becoming more unsightly the harder she tried; the other seemed not to compete at all, yet everything was handed to her. Anyone would be driven to anger in that situation.
At this thought, Wen Yunyi’s headache worsened.
But headache or not, she had to sort things out.
The original owner might get angry—she wouldn’t.
Anger was useless. Right now, survival came first.
The faint pain in her abdomen continued, reminding her again and again: this wasn’t a light “miscarriage” described in a book—it was something truly torn out of her body.
First, recover her health.
Then, figure out the factions in the manor.
Having set her priorities, Wen Yunyi looked up again. “What did the Duchess say?”
Bai Lan answered more cautiously, “Madam came to visit the day before yesterday. She said Your Ladyship should focus on recovering and need not go to pay respects yet. Once you are well, you may go then.”
It sounded polite, but in truth, she simply didn’t want to see her now.
Wen Yunyi wasn’t surprised. “What about the heir?”
Qing Tao spoke softly, “The heir came once while you were unconscious. The Imperial Physician was reporting outside; he listened for a few moments and then left.”
He hadn’t come in.
Wen Yunyi completed the thought in her mind.
That was very much like Xu Jinzhi. In the original story, he was never the type to act affectionate at a sickbed. He was a gentleman through and through—valuing propriety, boundaries, and reason. But that was also his flaw. Being too reasonable often hurt people more. The more the original owner caused trouble, the more he wanted to step back and let her calm down on her own. Yet in marriage, such cold treatment was often the most damaging.
Wen Yunyi didn’t dwell on it. She had no past feelings for Xu Jinzhi and wouldn’t grieve over his indifference.
Looking at Bai Lan, she said decisively, “Bai Lan, sort out everything in the main courtyard these past few days—who came, who left, whether any accounts were touched, and whether the kitchen or pharmacy showed negligence. Don’t miss anything.”
Bai Lan was stunned.
The former Ladyship would have first asked which woman the heir had gone to. Who would wake up and immediately handle household matters like this?
She quickly responded, “Yes.”
Qing Tao also stared blankly.
Wen Yunyi found it faintly amusing. “What are you staring at?”
Qing Tao hesitated. “This servant… just feels that Your Ladyship seems different from before.”
The room fell silent.
Bai Lan’s heart skipped as she glanced at Wen Yunyi’s expression.
But Wen Yunyi only curved her lips slightly, her smile faint. “Having walked past the gates of the underworld, how could one remain unchanged?”
The words were casual, leaving both maidservants unsure how to respond.
Just then, a sharp pain suddenly twisted through Wen Yunyi’s lower abdomen. Her body tensed, and she clutched the quilt, her breathing faltering.
“Your Ladyship!” Qing Tao rushed forward.
Bai Lan’s face changed as she moved to support her. “Is the pain worse? This servant will call the Imperial Physician—”
“Come back.” Wen Yunyi forced out the words, her voice weak but firm.
Bai Lan stopped.
After a couple of breaths, Wen Yunyi opened her eyes again, a thin layer of cold sweat on her forehead. Taking the handkerchief Qing Tao offered, she wiped carelessly and said, “Don’t make a fuss. If the Imperial Physician comes again now, it’ll only give people more to talk about.”
Any movement from her now could easily become rumors—“the heir’s wife has damaged her foundation,” “the main courtyard is finished,” and so on.
Qing Tao’s eyes reddened. “But you—”
“It won’t kill me.” Wen Yunyi tossed the handkerchief back, her tone still brisk. “Handle what needs to be done first. If I truly can’t bear it, I’ll call someone.”
Her words sounded cold, yet to Bai Lan, they were more reassuring than past tantrums.
After a pause, Wen Yunyi added, “Also, if anyone asks, say I’m still ill and won’t receive visitors. Especially don’t let people think I’ll go trouble Concubine Jiang as soon as I wake.”
Qing Tao’s eyes reddened further.
She had feared most that her mistress would target Concubine Jiang again. Hearing this now, she felt only a wave of bittersweet emotion.
Bai Lan replied softly, “Understood.”
Wen Yunyi nodded, finally calming the turmoil in her chest.
Her body was weak, her reputation poor—clashing head-on with Jiang Yunzhi would bring no benefit. If she wanted to survive, she had to first step out of the role of the “jealous, hysterical heir’s wife.”
Everything else could wait.
A steady set of footsteps suddenly sounded outside.
Unlike the light steps of maidservants, these were calm and firm—a man’s.
Bai Lan went to check and soon returned in a low voice. “Your Ladyship, it is the heir.”
Wen Yunyi looked up, unsurprised.
“Invite him in.”
Soon, the curtain lifted again, and a faint chill entered with the man.
Wen Yunyi raised her eyes.
Xu Jinzhi wore a simple moon-white robe, neat and unadorned, with a plain jade belt at his waist. Though not luxurious, his upright bearing made the outfit appear refined. The pale daylight outlined his features, making him look like a noble gentleman from a painting, exuding calm dignity.
Such a man could easily make people fall for him.
The thought flickered through Wen Yunyi’s mind, though her expression remained unchanged.
He stopped two steps from the bed, his gaze resting on her.
After a brief pause, he spoke, “You’re awake?”
“Mm.” Wen Yunyi nodded.
Her voice was hoarse but steady.
“The Imperial Physician said your vitality is severely damaged. Focus on recuperating for now. Other matters can wait.”
She understood. He meant: stop causing trouble, let things settle.
She replied calmly, “I can barely get out of bed. Even if I wanted to stir trouble, I lack the strength.”
Caught off guard, Xu Jinzhi looked at her.
Wen Yunyi continued, “Rest assured, my priority now is recovery. I won’t trouble anyone. If Concubine Jiang is uneasy, you may tell her to live peacefully.”
Her decisiveness silenced the room.
After a moment, Xu Jinzhi said, “That wasn’t why I came.”
“All the better,” Wen Yunyi replied evenly. “I don’t have the energy to argue. I’ll manage the main courtyard myself. If you’re concerned, you may have someone keep watch.”
The maidservants’ hearts tightened.
Her words weren’t disrespectful, but far from submissive.
After a pause, Xu Jinzhi said, “I’m not worried about you.”
Even he sensed the flaw in that statement.
Because in the past, he had indeed worried—especially regarding Jiang Yunzhi.
Wen Yunyi didn’t pursue it, only smiled faintly. “Then consider me overthinking.”
The conversation stalled.
After a moment, he said, “If there are any shortages, report them.”
“Alright.”
He hesitated, then said, “If anything happens, inform me.”
“Understood.”
At the door, he paused. “The Imperial Physician said you nearly damaged your foundation. Be more careful in the future.”
Wen Yunyi looked at him. “Naturally. I won’t gamble my life a second time.”
Her tone was flat, yet something about it made his heart sink.
He left without another word.
The room grew quiet again.
After a while, Wen Yunyi spoke softly but clearly, “Bai Lan, organize the courtyard records. Qing Tao, watch outside—especially Concubine Jiang and Miss Mingshu. Report everything.”
She paused. “And if people say I brought this upon myself, let them. Don’t stop them.”
Qing Tao stared at her, stunned.
Bai Lan responded first. “Yes.”
As they left, Wen Yunyi exhaled slowly.
The pain was real. The weakness was real.
But at least, she had taken her first step steadily.