Chapter 184 Zhang Xiao
"Miss!"
"Ruoxi!"
The stairs spun rapidly before her eyes, and a feeling of weightlessness overwhelmed her. The shadow of death loomed over her in an instant. At that moment, Ruoxi heard a deafening roar and could hear nothing. Her face turned pale, and she could only helplessly watch herself fall.
A clear chirp rang in Mingyu's ears. Shocked and frightened, she somehow came to her senses. Countless courage and strength surged through her body, and with lightning speed, she reached out and grabbed Ruoxi's arm.
The force was too great, and amidst the gasps of the maids on either side, the two lost their balance and fell straight backward. Fortunately, they only landed heavily on the stair steps and did not tumble all the way down.
"I was so scared... I was terrified..." Mingyu gasped for breath as she felt the pain, sitting on the steps, still shaken.
Ruoxi was also panting heavily, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if it would burst out of her throat at any moment.
She was still immersed in that terrifying moment, feeling a strange mix of immense sadness and relief at having walked on the edge of death.
"Ruoxi, you didn't..."
Before Mingyu could finish speaking, Ruoxi hugged her tightly, her voice trembling slightly: "Mingyu, thanks to you, otherwise... I really can't believe it... You saved me..."
Mingyu's face flushed bright red from the hug. She gently pushed Ruoxi away and muttered, "Oh, why are you saying all this? We're friends!"
Ruoxi raised her head, her eyes burning with the sincerity of someone who had survived a calamity: "Yes, we'll be best friends for life, no matter what happens in the future!"
Mingyu nodded vigorously, and the two girls unconsciously clasped hands together again. They looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh, feeling a sense of relief and joy after surviving a disaster.
In a corner unseen by them, a slight ripple appeared in the space, and the crows on the branches tilted their heads, flapped their wings, and flew away.
"Chirp—"
[Host, we rescued Ma'ertai Ruoxi, but we failed to capture Zhang Xiao's soul.]
Xiao Wu seemed a little guilty as he said this. The green peacock, which had been perched on a pole as if feigning sleep, gracefully flew down to the ground with a "caw—".
I told you you couldn't do it; I'd rather go instead.
"Chirp!"
Is it appropriate for a peacock as big as you to fly away?
"Gah!"
[That's ridiculous! You still let Zhang Xiao get away.]
Before the two could start fighting, Yinreng put down the book in his hand and said, "Alright."
Those two simple words instantly stopped them. Little Six flew to the pole and pretended to be a statue, while Little Five landed in front of Yinreng's table and gently scratched at it with its little paws.
"Chirp?"
[Host, what do we do now? Should I go out and look again?]
“No need,” Yinreng shook his head, a slight smile playing on his lips. “I’m also curious, without Ma’ertai Ruoxi’s ‘accident,’ how will Zhang Xiao exist in this world?”
...
Zhang Xiao slowly awoke from a state of confusion, feeling as if her head had been struck by a heavy hammer, a dull ache throbbing in her head. Everything before her eyes seemed shrouded in a mist, indistinct and unclear, yet images flashed uncontrollably and wildly in her mind.
First, there's the scene of a heated argument with her cheating boyfriend. Then, a blinding electric current flashes through her, instantly engulfing her in a searing pain. She can clearly see her body convulsing uncontrollably, and despair and fear wash over her like a tidal wave.
Before I could even catch my breath, the scene suddenly shifted, and two young girls dressed in ancient costumes were chatting and laughing in a warm-toned pavilion, their silvery voices seemingly right next to my ears.
In the blink of an eye, the more lively little girl swayed and fell straight toward the edge of the attic. Screams and tugs of pain filled the air, and the scene turned into chaos.
These images flashed by like a revolving lantern, a jumble of emotions—anger, fear, novelty, anxiety—like a surging undercurrent, violently assaulting Zhang Xiao.
She couldn't help but raise her hand to cover her head, her brows furrowed, her temples throbbing, and a few painful groans escaped her throat, desperately hoping that this excruciating chaos would subside soon.
Just then, a joyful shout rang out beside me: "Sister Bixiao, you're finally awake!"
Zhang Xiao struggled to open her eyes. Before her stood a young woman dressed in a plain maid's uniform, her eyes filled with concern. She was about to speak when her throat became terribly dry, and her voice came out hoarse and weak: "You...who are you?"
The maidservant hurriedly brought over a cup of water, gently helped Zhang Xiao sit up, and carefully fed her a few sips before saying, "Sister, I am Bizhu, don't you remember me? Could it be that your fever hasn't subsided yet?"
With concern in her eyes, Bizhu reached out and touched Zhang Xiao's forehead. "It doesn't feel hot anymore."
"I have a fever?" Zhang Xiao asked instinctively, still a little confused.
"Yes, yesterday the princess almost fell down the stairs. The princess's wife was furious. Sister, you blamed yourself for not taking good care of the princess and knelt in the courtyard to beg for forgiveness. You were also worried that the princess would be frightened and fall ill, so you stayed up all night watching over her. The princess is fine, but you, sister, are exhausted and have developed a high fever. I was so worried that when I touched you, I couldn't feel your breath. It scared me to death."
At this point, Bizhu breathed a sigh of relief: "Fortunately, the princess is kind-hearted and even sent someone to invite a doctor to examine you. We were so frightened."
Hearing these words, Zhang Xiao felt only absurdity and confusion. She raised her hand to rub her temples, full of doubt: "Princess? Consort? How could I... I'm not Bi Xiao, I'm Zhang Xiao, what's going on?"
Bizhu looked worried and reached out to touch Zhang Xiao's forehead: "Sister Bixiao, are you delirious from the fever? You are Bixiao, the head maid that the Fujin assigned to the princess. The doctor said that you would be fine after waking up. Do you still feel unwell anywhere?"
Zhang Xiao looked around. The antique-style room, the carved bed, the sheer curtains—everything unmistakably told her that this was no longer the modern world she knew. She took a deep breath, suppressing her panic, and softly asked Bi Xiao, "Then... what should I do from now on?"
Bizhu smiled reassuringly: "Sister, you should take care of yourself first. After that, you will naturally follow the princess and serve her daily needs. We have all followed the princess since we were little. Don't worry, the princess won't hold it against you for a while."
Zhang Xiao forced a smile, dealt with Bi Zhu, and then breathed a sigh of relief.
Bizhu was a very easy-going maid, perhaps because she was young, or perhaps because she served a good master and hadn't encountered any troubles. Therefore, Zhang Xiao easily gleaned a lot of information from her.
"Qing Dynasty...Eighth Prince's Mansion...Eighth Princess Consort...Mingyu Princess..."
Upon discovering that she had become Bi Xiao, the personal maid of Guo Luoluo, the younger sister of the Eighth Prince Yinzhi during the Kangxi era, Zhang Xiao couldn't quite describe her feelings.
"So, did I get electrocuted and then time-traveled?"
The feeling of being electrocuted was still fresh in Zhang Xiao's mind; she knew very well that in the modern world she was truly dead. Now, having been given a new life, she had every reason to be happy.
She was given a new lease on life in the Qing Dynasty, but still a servant with no human rights. She didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She felt lost and uncertain about the future. The only thing that could give her peace of mind was her rough understanding of the history of the struggle for the throne among the nine princes.
Following the course of history should bring more stability, right?
As a maidservant of the Eighth Prince's younger sister, she was naturally aligned with him. Although few cared about her existence, she seemed to have no say in her future. Would she perish along with the Eighth Prince's household?
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