“Xiao Yu, cough cough… apologize.” Xiao Zelan was slightly out of breath, his face flushed red from coughing, yet his expression remained stern.
“Apolo…gize…”
Bai Zhi lowered her head. “No need.”
If apologies were useful, what was the point of fists?
Xiao Yu stared at his imperial brother in disbelief, then glanced at Bai Zhi, who had lowered her head as if she’d suffered some great grievance. Finally, he lowered his own head and took a deep breath.
“Sorry…”
His voice was as soft as a mosquito’s buzz.
“Alright, get up… cough cough… the floor… cough… is cold…”
Xiao Zelan coughed violently, an unhealthy flush spreading across his face.
“Royal Brother! Royal Brother, are you alright?”
Xiao Yu instantly forgot about Bai Zhi and hurried to a chest on the table. He pulled out a small bottle, poured a pill into his palm, and handed it to Xiao Zelan.
With his slender fingers, Xiao Zelan pinched the pill and swallowed it dry without even drinking water.
“Royal Brother, how do you feel now?” Xiao Yu looked at him with worry-filled eyes.
Xiao Zelan smiled reassuringly. “Much better already. If you don’t believe me, feel my forehead—it’s not hot anymore.”
Xiao Yu reached out to touch his forehead. Only after confirming the fever had indeed subsided did he finally relax.
“Alright, it’s late. You should go rest too.”
“Mm.”
Xiao Yu didn’t dare anger his brother again, but when his back was turned, he shot Bai Zhi a sinister glare.
At an angle Xiao Zelan couldn’t see, Bai Zhi raised an eyebrow.
Once Xiao Yu left, Bai Zhi also stood up.
“Are you alright?” Xiao Zelan’s voice was gentle and pleasant.
Bai Zhi shook her head. “I’m fine.”
Xiao Zelan sighed and tried to sit up. His legs seemed immobile, and it took effort before he could straighten himself.
“Help me bring over that medicine box.” He pointed to the medicine chest on the table.
Bai Zhi carried it over and placed it on the bed. Xiao Zelan opened the box and took out a small bottle.
“Lift your chin.”
The medicinal powder sprinkled onto her face, and the sharp sting made Bai Zhi scrunch her face together.
Damn! What kind of medicine is this? Why does it hurt so much?!
Cool fingers gently spread and pressed the powder into place as Xiao Zelan softly instructed, “Be careful for the next three days. Don’t let it touch water.”
Bai Zhi lowered her head silently while desperately recalling the plot of the novel.
She’d read this novel while on a mission after a teammate lent it to her. It was a male-oriented web novel.
Xiao Yu was the novel’s handsome, powerful, tragic male lead, while Bai Zhiluo was the wife of Xiao Yu’s imperial brother, Xiao Zelan.
Only a few days after their marriage, the three of them were exiled together.
During the journey into exile, Bai Zhiluo seduced one of the guards escorting the prisoners. She constantly humiliated Xiao Zelan and Xiao Yu with her words, and in the end even stole all their money, causing Xiao Zelan to die of illness on the road to exile.
All of this was revealed later in the novel through the male lead Xiao Yu’s narration.
Because the story began after they had already reached the place of exile, Xiao Zelan and Bai Zhiluo only existed in Xiao Yu’s memories throughout the novel.
Things like:
“Bai Zhiluo was utterly despicable. She deserved to be cut into a thousand pieces…”
Or:
“How wonderfully Royal Brother treated him…”
Or:
“Royal Brother was brilliant like a demon. If he were still alive, things would have been different…”
At the end of the novel, Xiao Yu ascended the throne.
He hated Bai Zhiluo to the core, digging three feet into the earth to find her. In the end, he actually succeeded. Needless to say, Bai Zhiluo’s fate was unimaginably miserable.
Thinking of the original body’s tragic ending, Bai Zhi felt her fists harden.
Sure, the original owner had done wrong—but what did that have to do with her?
Besides, she had only just married into this family. The original owner hadn’t even done anything yet. If Xiao Yu dared lay hands on her again, then she wouldn’t hold back.
Bai Zhi glanced again at the floating number in the air. It had risen to 42.
What exactly was this floating number?
Why did it decrease whenever Xiao Yu was harmed?
And why, when it dropped below 10, did she feel like she was being strangled?
“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
Bai Zhi snapped back to reality. “Huh? What did you say?”
“I said… I’m sorry for dragging you into this.” The man gave a bitter smile, his eyes full of guilt.
Bai Zhi’s expression remained indifferent. “Oh, it’s fine. You didn’t really drag me into anything.”
More accurately, it was the Marquis of Yong’an—the original owner’s father—who had harmed her.
Xiao Zelan seemed surprised by her answer.
“How old are you?”
That question Bai Zhi truly couldn’t answer. She had no idea how old the original owner was. But since she had married in place of her elder sister, she was probably quite young.
“Mm… fourteen… fifteen or sixteen, maybe.”
Xiao Zelan fell silent. He hadn’t expected the illegitimate daughter sent as a substitute bride to be this young.
He had known his fiancée had been switched.
If possible, he wouldn’t have wanted to marry anyone, nor implicate anyone else.
But that person hadn’t allowed it.
Just because the Crown Prince’s Grand Tutor had remarked, “The Fifth Prince has yet to marry,” that person immediately ordered Xiao Zelan to wed. He even had the Ministry of Rites officiate personally, afraid of gaining the reputation of being an unkind ruler and unloving father.
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Bai Zhi looked at him again. “You’re Xiao Zelan?”
Xiao Zelan smiled faintly. Very few people ever called him by name.
“Yes, I am Xiao Zelan. You’re Bai Zhiluo, correct?”
Bai Zhi frowned. “I don’t like the name Bai Zhiluo. From now on, just call me Bai Zhi.”
Xiao Zelan froze.
He wanted to say that such a thing wasn’t proper. A name was bestowed by one’s elders—how could it be changed so casually?
But seeing the cold indifference on the still-youthful face before him, he swallowed the words.
Perhaps she resented her father for marrying her off here.
“I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?”
The abrupt change in topic stunned Xiao Zelan again before he answered awkwardly, “The kitchen servants are already asleep, and given our current situation…”
“I understand. I’ll find something myself.”
With that, Bai Zhi headed outside.
“Wait…”
Bai Zhi turned back.
Xiao Zelan pointed to his own neck. “The wound on your neck also needs medicine.”
“I’ll do it when I come back.”
Bai Zhi opened the door and left, leaving only her back in Xiao Zelan’s sight.
After leaving the room, Bai Zhi realized the entire residence was pitch black. Only the two rooms behind her still had candlelight.
Fortunately, the moonlight tonight was bright enough to see the road clearly.
Bai Zhi glanced at the artificial rock garden in the courtyard before turning left.
She hadn’t gone far before she heard footsteps behind her. Her eyes darkened, and she quickened her pace.
Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind came at her.
Bai Zhi ducked instinctively as a stick slammed against the wall.
She spun around, grabbed the attacker’s wrist, and twisted hard. The stick clattered to the ground.
“Ah—!”
Bai Zhi twisted the arm behind his back and slammed him against the wall.
“You’ve got a death wish?”
She applied more force, and cold sweat immediately broke out on Xiao Yu’s forehead from the pain.
“Let… let go…”
Bai Zhi glanced at the floating number.
Her other hand moved to his throat, tightening slightly.
“Ugh… let go…”
46… 44… 39… 36…
She loosened her grip, and the number stopped at 36.
Bai Zhi narrowed her eyes.
Looks like she still couldn’t kill him.
After brushing past death twice in such a short time, Xiao Yu finally calmed down.
Killing this woman would require a long-term plan.
“If you dare harm my royal brother, I’ll cut you into a thousand pieces.” This time, he absolutely would not let anything happen to his brother again.
Bai Zhi ignored the threat, but the phrase “cut into a thousand pieces” caught her attention.
Her eyes darkened as she stared at Xiao Yu more intently.
Why was Xiao Yu so hostile toward the original owner?
They shouldn’t have even met before.
And just now he’d said “cut into a thousand pieces”—in the novel, Bai Zhiluo had indeed been executed by death from a thousand cuts.
Was that just a coincidence?
Her stomach cramped painfully from hunger, and Bai Zhi had no mood to analyze his thoughts further.
She merely threatened him coldly:
“Since you know I’m not a good person, stop doing stupid things. Neither you nor your royal brother are my match.”
She patted his face lightly.
“Now tell me—where’s the kitchen?”
Seeing the dangerous look in her eyes and remembering the strength of the hand that had squeezed his throat, Xiao Yu unconsciously shivered.
Right now, he was no match for her.
“Over there…”
Bai Zhi looked at him coldly. “Take me there.”
And so, under the moonlight, the two headed toward the kitchen.
The moment they arrived, Xiao Yu ran off.
Bai Zhi ignored him. Using the moonlight, she found a fire starter and lit the kitchen’s only candle.
Originally, she’d planned to make some simple dough soup or maybe eat a leftover steamed bun.
Unexpectedly, the kitchen was completely empty except for oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.
Holding the candle, Bai Zhi searched around until her gaze landed on the cupboard on the east side of the kitchen.
The kitchen cupboard was actually locked?
Bai Zhi lightly tapped it with her finger.
Snap.
The bronze lock fell to the floor.
She yanked open the cabinet door.
Whoa.
There was quite a lot inside—there were even pre-cut noodles.
She chopped some scallions, sliced the only small piece of meat into strips, and washed a few vegetables.
Looking at the row of stoves before her, Bai Zhi sighed inwardly.
As expected of a royal residence—even the kitchen had plenty of stoves.
She lit the fire and heated the wok, pouring in sesame oil.
Once the oil was hot, Bai Zhi first fried two eggs.
After removing the eggs, she sautéed the scallions in the remaining oil until fragrant, then added the shredded meat and stir-fried until it changed color. A splash of soy sauce darkened the meat before she ladled in water.
Once the water boiled, she added the noodles, then the vegetables, seasoning everything with salt.
Soon, a fragrant bowl of shredded meat noodles was ready.
Bai Zhi filled a large bowl and topped it with the two golden fried eggs.
It smelled amazing.
Too hungry to bother finding a stool, she squatted by the stove and started eating directly from the bowl.
The moment she bit into the fried egg, happiness nearly brought tears to her eyes.
Even before the base had fallen, eggs were considered a luxury few people could afford.
Bai Zhi devoured the entire bowl of noodles in one go, even drinking every last drop of soup clean.
So full…
“What are you eating?”
A gloomy voice suddenly sounded, startling Bai Zhi.
Annoyed, she replied, “I’m eating noodles. Can’t you see that?”
Xiao Yu stared fixedly at the remaining noodles in the pot and licked his lips.
“I want some too. Serve me a bowl.”
Bai Zhi shot him a sideways glance.
“Why should I?”