Chapter 1 I feel like I've seen you before.
As dusk fell in late autumn, the golden wind made the bells on the corridor ring.
Yu Tan's clothes were soaked through, and she shivered from the cold. She had lost face when she fell into the water at the banquet. Cai Xia, a maid from the Li family, led her to Langyue Pavilion to change her clothes.
"Young Lady Yu, dry clothes have been prepared in the inner room." Caixia bowed respectfully and took a half step back. "This servant will go and fetch some ginger soup for you to warm yourself up."
"Thank you." Yu Tan nodded in thanks, and Cai Xia quickly left Langyue Pavilion, her fingertips lightly touching the carved door.
A strange sound rang in her ear, and Yu Tan quickly withdrew her hand, her heart pounding wildly.
She knew the plot was unfolding and she couldn't go into the room the maid had arranged for her.
She turned on her toes and pushed several doors in succession, but the doors were so heavy that they seemed to be blocked by huge rocks, and she could not get in.
She lifted her skirt and climbed the stairs. Finally, at the same spot on the second floor, she pushed the door open with all her might, quickly slipped inside, and slammed the door shut behind her.
The voice that had just been interrupted rang out again:
Ji Yushang was lying on the couch, quite drunk, when a beautiful young woman accidentally wandered into the room. Her soaked dress clung to her graceful figure, like a night-blooming cereus shyly blooming after being battered by a sudden rainstorm on a midsummer night.
He was naturally carefree and unrestrained, and when a young woman seduced him, he was quite willing to have a fleeting affair with her.
She made the right bet, and the story continues.
She let out a long breath and looked up to see it.
The young man, dressed in a white brocade robe, sat upright on a low couch with an indifferent expression and straight back. The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the window, bathing him in a warm, dim light.
The man's brocade robe, embroidered with white cranes in silver thread, hung on the low couch. Above it, his well-defined hands held a book, his fingertips pausing as they brushed across the Xuan paper. He glanced at Yu Tan, his glassy pupils completely unmoved.
Yu Tan's eyes widened in surprise and joy as she exclaimed, "Brother, you're back!"
Yu He'an has been studying in various prefectures and cities in recent years. She hasn't seen him for almost five years, and he looks even more dashing than she remembers.
Yu He'an's gaze fell upon the water-red ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), which was now soaked through, its color turning into a lascivious crimson. Water dripped from the hem of the skirt, forming small puddles under the embroidered shoes.
Yu He'an frowned deeply and said coldly, "How did it get like this?"
"Li Erniangzi sent me an invitation to the flower viewing banquet, and I fell into the water while admiring the flowers just now," Yu Tan explained softly, afraid that she might make a mistake and make Yu He'an think that she had disgraced the Marquis's mansion.
Beside the low couch stood a Boshan incense burner, from which wisps of smoke rose, carrying a warm fragrance. Her clothes were soaked and she felt cold all over. She took small steps toward the low couch, getting closer to Yu He'an, and cautiously raised her eyes to look at him.
Her relationship with Yu He'an wasn't close; more accurately, they had grown distant over the past five years.
Yu He was intelligent and studious, disciplined himself, and rose before dawn to study and practice swordsmanship. He passed the imperial examination at a young age and was just waiting to pass the provincial examination the following spring so that he could enter officialdom through the imperial examination and have a bright future.
She slept until noon every day, was useless in all six arts, and lived a lazy life. If she really had a skill, she was sweet-talking and loved to smile, which pleased her grandmother.
In the past, she was puzzled as to why she and Yuhe An, who were born of the same mother, were completely different.
Now I understand everything; she's a fake.
How long do you plan to stand here?
Once you leave this room, the plot might rewind and send you back to the first floor, where you'll find yourself entangled with Ji Yushang.
She had to find a way to stay a little longer, just a little longer.
Yu Tan raised a charming smile, revealing her sharp canine teeth. The small red mole under her lip was bright red, and her face, which originally bore no resemblance to her mother, now bore a slight resemblance.
In the past, if Yu Tan made a mistake, she would go to her grandmother to act cute in this way.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you, brother. Could you tell me which prefectures you've visited these days?"
"How dare you speak to me like that?" Yu He'an's gaze fell on the small puddle at her feet, his brows furrowing even more. "Your room is on the first floor."
Yu Tan stammered, "The first floor, the room... I... can't get in."
Yu He'an's brow twitched, clearly not believing her explanation, and coldly deflected, "There are also vacant rooms on the second floor."
Yu He'an repeatedly ordered him to leave, and Yu Tan lowered her head and hesitated for a while before pinching his sleeve and pleading softly, "Brother, I want to stay here, just for a little while."
Yu He'an's sleeve was wet from her touch, and the water stain was right below the lone crane, as if the crane had fallen into the water. His gaze returned to the book.
After waiting for a long time without Yu He'an speaking again, it was assumed that she had stayed.
She moved slowly to stand by the incense burner. Yu He'an gave her a deep look, then stretched out her slender fingers and pointed to the clothes rack by the screen, where a set of turquoise dresses and an elegant white robe hung.
"Go change it."
"good."
Yu Tan hurriedly took off her clothes and walked around to the screen. The room where her husband was supposed to rest was actually equipped with a wife's clothes. All of this reminded her that the world she was in was a restricted-content novel.
A month ago, Yu Tan awakened. She was just a supporting character, there to highlight the female lead's existence. She was beautiful, arrogant, and vicious.
In the early stages, a charming wealthy merchant, a down-on-his-luck prince, and a young general all fell hopelessly in love with her and pursued her.
When the real heiress returned, she was driven out of the Marquis's mansion, completely losing power and falling from grace.
The men who were once deeply in love with her tore apart their hypocritical facades, mocked her, belittled her, and even imprisoned her, leading to her tragic and miserable death.
The male and female protagonists are deeply in love, unlocking various fire-avoidance gameplay modes.
The male supporting characters, who couldn't win the female lead's heart and couldn't even get a sip of meat soup, all came to her side to meddle, thinking that bullying her would win her favor.
The plot unfolded randomly, catching her somewhat off guard.
Only by completing the storyline can she regain her freedom.
Yu Tan's fingers, gripping her dress, clenched helplessly; it seemed she had triggered a scene involving the philandering tycoon Ji Yushang.
She raised her hand and pulled the screen aside, covering everything completely. Then, her fingers rested on the sash, and she pulled open the collar to untie her soaked dress.
The young woman was too flustered to notice anyone on the soft couch. Clutching her clothes, she slipped behind the screen, her graceful figure landing on it. Her light red dress slipped off her shoulders, and the effects of the wine she had just drunk began to rise.
Ji Yushang seemed to see snow-white shoulders and a slender waist so delicate it could be encircled by one hand; a surge of heat rushed down his spine. He prided himself on being a womanizer, yet today he was being teased by a young woman until his face flushed red.
He's hardly a charming and wealthy businessman; he's clearly a thug and a hooligan.
It was clearly Ji Yushang who mistakenly entered her room, but it was turned into her deliberately seducing him.
Yu Tan endured the discomfort in her ears, quickly changed her clothes and came out. The dry robe wrapped around her finally warmed her up.
Yu He'an sat upright on the low couch reading a book, his face as white as jade. He didn't spare her a single glance, and his aloof and distant demeanor made Yu He'an feel at ease.
She had been afraid of the cold since childhood. She moved a round stool and sat against the Boshan incense burner, letting her wet hair hang loose over her shoulders, using the incense burner as a heater.
She'll be able to leave once the storyline ends.
She had only been sitting for a quarter of an hour when her gaze swept over the low couch again. Yu He'an's hand, holding a scroll, revealed faint blue lines beneath her fair skin, like lustrous jade.
She recalled that when she was a child, she loved to stick close to Yu He'an, and he would take her with him wherever he went.
She insisted on going to school, but she always fell asleep while the teacher was lecturing, and Yuhean had to carry her back.
She also followed along to the martial arts and archery training hall, but it was windy there and she would cough if she went there too often, so Yuhe'an simply stopped going.
The tutor, Granny Chang, told her that Yu He'an was the eldest son of the Marquis's family, and the future prosperity and decline of the Marquis's family would depend on him. If she bothered him for a moment during the day, he would have to get up a moment earlier to study.
She was too young to understand, and all she remembered was being scolded every time she went, and not being able to eat any delicious chestnut cake that day. Gradually, she stopped going.
Yu He'an was naturally aloof and had a heavy workload, so he was unlikely to come looking for her, and their relationship gradually became distant.
"Thank you, brother." Yu Tan lowered her head, and the handkerchief was already handed to her. She took the handkerchief, and her fingertips touched Yu He'an's little finger. His body temperature was higher than hers, carrying a warmth that made her want to be close to him, as well as the pleasant and reliable scent of cedar.
She wrung out her hair, tied it into a simple bun, and sat quietly by the low couch.
The noise from downstairs carried up to us.
"Why were you in Miss Yu's room? She fell into the water at the banquet earlier, and she was changing clothes in the inner room."
"If you were here, what would become of Lady Yu's reputation..."
After that, there was a sound of the door being broken down, and a group of people rushed into the house, followed by the sound of rummaging through drawers and cabinets.
Yu He'an closed the book and looked directly at her. "Is there a man in your room?"
Under Yu He'an's interrogative gaze, she slowly nodded.
"You've gone into the room?"
Yu Tan suddenly raised her head and shook it vigorously, "I didn't go in. I noticed something was wrong as soon as I stood at the door."
Yu He'an stood up, blocking the light and casting a large shadow. "Didn't your instructor teach you how to deal with this?"
"I...I'll do it next time..."
Yu Tan naturally knew that she should keep a low profile. From the moment she realized that she was a fake heiress, she had tried her best not to cause trouble. Falling into the water was not her intention.
Today's banquet was a setup, framed to implicate her in an affair with Ji Yushang, which would leave her with a tainted reputation.
Yu He'an stared at her for several breaths, sighed with disappointment at her lack of ambition, and stepped off the low couch. "Follow me."
Yu He'an was tall and had long legs. He pushed open the door and took a few steps out of the house. She jogged to catch up with Yu He'an and soon arrived downstairs.
A group of maids stood at the door, making a ruckus. The one in the lead was Caixia, who had led her to Langyue Pavilion earlier.
Under the corridor, a man in a blue robe leaned against a pillar, still standing crookedly, his face flushed and drunken, one hand rubbing his brow and the other tapping his head with a folding fan.
"I really can't remember. I drank some wine and then found a room to rest." Ji Yushang shook his head. "I don't even remember if I saw her or what Miss Yu looked like."
Caixia exclaimed, "Young Lady Yu!"
Ji Yushang looked in the direction Caixia pointed and saw a man and a woman standing at the corner of the building.
The man was tall and upright with outstanding features, and his white robe made him appear even more aloof and otherworldly.
The woman was mostly obscured by the man, but her graceful figure was still undeniable. Her emerald green dress took on a unique charm, and her delicate features were like the most vibrant stroke in a traditional Chinese ink painting. Most strikingly, a small red mole adorned her rosy lips, as if inviting a kiss.
They were equally outstanding in appearance, but their temperaments were worlds apart; the man was aloof and the woman was alluring.
Ji Yushang's heart skipped a beat. He unfolded his folding fan and, in a flippant tone, uttered the common phrase used in the world of romance, "I feel like I've seen you before."
What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener; these words, like water thrown into boiling oil, caused an uproar.
The maids whispered among themselves when Caixia suddenly exclaimed, "Young Lady Yu has changed her clothes."
The maids' probing and malicious gazes all fell upon her.
A note from the author:
I've started a new story! Feel free to contact me!
Pre-order "The Charming Widow" - Phase 1-1: Charming Widow - Gentle Older Brother - Rough Younger Brother
The ending is open, cough cough, please add it to your favorites!
Sang Hua was a renowned beauty in the surrounding villages. While washing clothes, she found a severely injured and amnesiac young man. The young man was deathly pale and only remembered that his name was Shen Yanqing.
She took good care of him, and over time, the two fell in love.
Shen Yanqing held her fingertips: "Hua Niang, let's get married."
Looking at that jade-like face, she shyly agreed. After the marriage, Shen Yanqing was considerate and attentive, and the couple lived in perfect harmony.
Unfortunately, their good days didn't last long. Just as their love was at its peak, Shen Yanqing died. Sang Hua, with a white flower tucked into her hair, solemnly observed a year of widowhood.
When the riot broke out, the army rushed into the village. She fell to the ground. Her husband, dressed in a lion-patterned black armor, sat on his handsome horse, looking down at her. After a long while, he finally dismounted.
She quickly got up, her eyes reddening, and hit his chest with a handkerchief: "You lied to me to death. It's been a year, and you've finally deigned to come back."
The young man pulled her aside, glared at her, and said in a cold tone, "I don't know you, get out of here."
She's gotten darker, her body is stronger, and her features are more handsome. If it's not her dead husband, then he just doesn't recognize her anymore.
Enraged, she had the grave destroyed that very night; the coffin was completely empty, without even a single piece of clothing inside.
She sat on the grave and cried bitterly, and she burned paper money for him for a year.
She became even more convinced that her husband was Shen Yanqing; she understood all too well his pretense.
While her lover was still staying in the village, she made several attempts and finally won him over.
That night, the candlelight flickered, and the chirping of insects couldn't drown out her panting. She was pinned against the table, her strong arms locking her slender waist.
The young man's eyes darkened: "Hua Niang, if you call me by the wrong name again this time, I'll punish you."
Her fair toes dangled, "Xie Qu, Xie Qu, you bastard."
The young man lowered his head and kissed away the tears on her cheek: "Tomorrow we will marry heaven and earth."
"You're going to pray again? You've already done it once." She was punished again that night.
Xie Qu refused to admit that it was Shen Yanqing, so she had no choice but to bow to heaven and earth again as he suggested.
In front of the wedding hall, a refined and elegant young man stood in front of the newlyweds, gently calling out, "Hua Niang."
When Sang Hua lifted her veil, she saw her husband's face again, and she looked back and forth between the two similar faces.
Who exactly are you?
His hands were grabbed by two people on either side of him, their faces dark with anger.
“Shen Yanqing.”
"Thank you, Qu."
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