After Transmigrating into a Book, I Was Entangled by the Paranoid Eldest Princess - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Wen Chenqing feigned indignation all the way back to her small courtyard, suppressing her “fury.”

When she saw two people—one tall and one short—waiting for her hand-in-hand in the courtyard, her aggressive pace faltered. For a fleeting second, an imperceptible flicker of awkwardness crossed her face.

“Sister,” Wen Zhichun called out timidly, looking at Wen Chenqing’s hard-to-conceal anger and offering a quiet, obedient greeting.

Wen Chenqing pursed her lips tightly, averting her eyes.

The people before her were the original host’s biological mother and her full-blooded younger sister. Wen Chenqing didn’t know how to face them, so she could only continue to mimic the reactions the original host would have had.

Liu Qingyun restrained her emotions, but looking at her daughter, who remained unrepentant even now, she couldn’t help but say with disappointment: “…The most important thing in life is to be content. Chenqing, how many times have I told you? You should focus on doing your own tasks well and stop comparing yourself to others. But look at you—you just had to push things to this point.”

When she was notified of the family’s decision regarding her eldest daughter, Liu Qingyun had been accompanying her younger daughter in her studies. The brush in her hand had dropped instantly, blooming into a dark blotch of ink on the paper.

She knew her eldest daughter had a stubborn and somewhat extreme personality, but she never imagined she would dare to do something like that. All those years of reading the classics hadn’t made her not-so-bright brain any sharper!

Wen Chenqing lowered her head and remained silent. Liu Qingyun couldn’t see her expression, but how could a mother not know her own daughter? She assumed the girl hadn’t taken a word to heart. Without saying more, she said coldly, “I’ve already had people pack your things. If you truly have any ambition, you should know which path you need to take from now on.”

Wen Chenqing looked up and indeed saw several large trunks sitting in the courtyard.

On the carriage ride to the suburban villa, Ginkgo stole glances at her young miss’s face, wanting to say something to comfort her. But the next second, she saw her mistress close her eyes, so she quickly shut her mouth.

The interior of the carriage grew even quieter.

Wen Chenqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. From the moment she died in the car accident to opening her eyes and discovering she had transmigrated, she hadn’t had a moment’s peace. Right now, she just wanted to use this opportunity to organize her thoughts and reflect on her current situation.

First, her consciousness had only awakened in this body after the original host drowned.

Now, to continue sorting:

1. She had transmigrated as a cannon fodder in a book. As a concubine-born daughter, the original host’s treatment couldn’t compare to that of the legitimate daughter. Coupled with her narrow-mindedness, intense jealousy, and lack of ability, her original ending was inevitable. But now that she was here, the death flag should be avoidable.

2. Thanks to the original author’s world-building, this was a fictional dynasty. It had stood for over three hundred years with a progressive social climate; women were allowed to study and participate in the imperial examinations to become government officials. Thinking of this, Wen Chenqing’s tensed nerves relaxed slightly. This meant she wouldn’t be snatched up by the Wen family for an arranged marriage the moment she reached marriageable age. As long as she could carve out a path through the imperial exams, she would have much more control over her future.

3. She was currently “exiled” by the Wen family, seemingly an abandoned pawn. However, looking at it another way, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Aside from Ginkgo, no one at the villa knew her well. Even if she behaved differently than before, no one would suspect anything.

4. She and the original host looked exactly alike. Thank heavens—she wouldn’t feel a bizarre sense of horror when looking in the mirror.

As her thoughts reached this point, Wen Chenqing coughed twice. Ginkgo quickly poured a cup of water, seven-tenths full, and handed it to her.

After taking a sip, Wen Chenqing felt her throat was still a bit itchy. She suddenly realized an important problem. Medical conditions in ancient times were poor; sometimes a simple cold could be fatal. Having narrowly escaped death once, the current Wen Chenqing cherished her life immensely. To resist risks, she had to improve her physical health.

It seemed she had three tasks for the near future: adapt to life, build her strength, and study hard. With a goal in sight, Wen Chenqing felt a surge of energy.

But the next second, two consecutive sneezes told her she was getting ahead of her self.

Ginkgo was startled. She poured more water and looked at her worriedly: “Miss, I wish we had asked a doctor to see you at the manor before leaving. The manor was really too much—why were they in such a hurry to push us out?”

Her mistress only had time to change her clothes after returning to her room before people came to urge them to leave. And Concubine Liu—why couldn’t she have blocked them a bit longer…

Hearing Ginkgo’s grumbling, Wen Chenqing thought to herself that the family was obviously afraid she would use the illness as an excuse to drag her feet and stay. Sigh, the original host really was hated by everyone.

She finished the somewhat cool tea in one gulp and lifted the curtain to check the sky: “How much longer until we arrive?”

Ginkgo’s dissatisfaction subsided. After asking the driver outside, she replied, “About half an hour.”

“Mhm,” Wen Chenqing nodded. “There are some medicinal herbs in the bundle I brought. Once we arrive in half an hour, brew them first.”

Ginkgo was happy at first, then surprised as she realized: “I didn’t pack any herbs.”

Wen Chenqing looked at her and said, “My mother put them there.”

Ginkgo immediately felt that Concubine Liu was still the one who treated the Miss best. Whatever Ginkgo was thinking was written all over her face. Wen Chenqing couldn’t help but find it amusing. “Once we arrive, brew enough for two people. You should have some as well.”

Ginkgo had been supporting her ever since she fell into the water; her body had caught the chill too, and after a full day of traveling, she needed to be careful.

Ginkgo looked moved: “Miss, you are so good to me!”

Am I? Wen Chenqing thought. It was clearly Ginkgo—who chose to follow her without a moment’s hesitation—who was the better person.

Wen Chenqing reached out and touched Ginkgo’s hair bun but said nothing.

By the time they reached the destination, the sky was pitch black. Two lanterns hung in front of the villa gate, lighting the way home.

Wen Chenqing stepped off the carriage and found three people standing by the gate, likely there to welcome her. Her backside felt stiff from sitting and her head felt heavy. By the light of the lanterns, she could barely make out several middle-aged figures. The one leading them should be the villa manager; she stepped forward and bowed: “Miss, this servant’s surname is Chen. It is late; would you like to eat first or rest?”

Wen Chenqing replied, “Mrs. Chen, please lead me to my room first. Also, find someone to lead my maid to the kitchen to brew a dose of medicine. Nothing else needs to be prepared.”

Mrs. Chen supported her: “Yes.”

It wasn’t until the third day after her arrival at the villa that Wen Chenqing regained her strength.

She had fallen ill on the first night. The medicine she brought hadn’t done much, so on the second day, Mrs. Chen called a local doctor. In her groggy state, Wen Chenqing hadn’t heard the exact diagnosis, but based on experience, she judged it to be the equivalent of a high fever plus a severe cold.

During that time, she wanted to get up and walk or soak in some sun, but Ginkgo—who possessed a surprising amount of strength—tearfully pinned her down. The girl had been terrified when her mistress collapsed upon arrival and refused to let her catch any wind. Left with no choice, Wen Chenqing stayed in bed.

Today, she was finally better and could finally come out to look around.

Having seen the ornate carvings of the Wen Manor, Wen Chenqing’s first impression of this three-entry courtyard was that it was very honest and simple. She waved away those who wanted to follow her and took a slow walk around the entire property. Her conclusion: though it looked plain, it had all the necessities.

The courtyard faced south. After passing the main gate and a few rooms, one reached the courtyard. It was clearly spring, but there wasn’t much “spring spirit” in the yard. Wen Chenqing mused that she could plant some easy-to-grow flowers and plants to add color to this slightly gray-looking place.

North of the courtyard was the main house. There were bedrooms on both sides of the main house and a hall in the center. Wen Chenqing walked to the east side and looked inside from the doorway, planning to turn it into a study. Behind the main house was a rear garden; Wen Chenqing took a cursory look and saw it seemed to be a vegetable patch, planted with greens she couldn’t name.

This small villa originally had only three people: Mrs. Chen the manager, a cook, and a gatekeeper. But from Wen Chenqing’s observation, the three of them essentially handled all matters large and small.

After her tour, Wen Chenqing returned to the courtyard. The sun was just right. Ginkgo brought out a folding chair for her, and on the stone table nearby, she had thoughtfully placed the books Wen Chenqing had been reading intermittently while conscious over the last two days.

Seeing her return, Ginkgo looked at her expectantly: “Miss, the results for the prefectural exam will be posted in a few days. If you pass and become a Xiucai, will the manor come to fetch you back?”

Under her hopeful gaze, Wen Chenqing shook her head: “Probably not.”

She was clearly an abandoned pawn. The manor wouldn’t change its mind for a mere Xiucai title. Ginkgo was disappointed but felt the Miss must be even sadder, so she quickly said, “No matter what, I will always stay with you, Miss.”

Wen Chenqing nodded and smiled at her: “Mhm.”

Ginkgo’s words reminded her that the day of the posting was approaching—seven days at the earliest, twelve or thirteen at the latest. Thinking of this, Wen Chenqing’s heart raced. She suddenly felt that time was moving both too fast and too slow; she wanted to know the result quickly, yet wanted it to come later so she could prepare herself mentally.

Wen Chenqing gave a bitter smile, thinking wryly that luckily she had inherited most of the original host’s memories, especially those related to her studies. Regardless of the result, she would pull herself together and continue studying as planned. Otherwise, wouldn’t she have to start from learning characters? That would take forever.

Now that her body had recovered, there was no rush to exercise today. Wen Chenqing settled her mind and began to review her knowledge. When focused, one often fails to notice the passage of time.

It wasn’t until she smelled the aroma of food that Wen Chenqing looked up from her books.

Ginkgo set the table. Seeing her mistress’s attention, she couldn’t help but share what she had seen: “Miss, I went out just now and saw a group of armed men on horseback flying past. They looked extraordinary. I heard there’s a Royal Villa ten miles from here. Could it be members of the Royal Family?”

Wen Chenqing pondered, searching her memory: “That villa is the property of the Eldest Princess. But she usually resides in the capital and likes excitement; she probably wouldn’t come here.”

This was the suburbs, not as bustling as the capital. There was nothing nearby except a small hunting ground. In her memory, the luxury-loving Eldest Princess wouldn’t deign to come to a place like this.

Ginkgo nodded half-understandingly. Her attention was quickly diverted as she said with a grin: “Miss, try this! I picked, washed, and stir-fried it myself!”

Wen Chenqing obligingly took a bite. After swallowing, she said with a smile, “Delicious. Ginkgo, you have a talent for this. I’ve never eaten such tasty spring bamboo shoots.”

Ginkgo’s face immediately turned red. The Miss seemed very fond of praising her lately. She was so happy!