After Transmigrating to Become Lady Skylark - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

In a high-end apartment in Tokyo’s Chiyoda district.

Jin Chaoyan stretched out a hand from under her soft, comfortable silk comforter and gave a big yawn. The room held a faint, fresh scent of lychee, one of her custom summer fragrances. Yesterday’s was peach, and the day before was citrus.

She pushed back the covers, her porcelain-white feet stepping onto the plush cashmere rug. She picked up the iPhone 5s from her bedside table, checked the time, and put it back down before walking through the hundred-square-meter master bedroom. After washing up at the Italian-imported silver-gray marble vanity, she met the familiar face in the mirror. Her violet eyes stared back, and she resisted the urge to remove the non-existent contact lenses, closing her eyes before spinning around and contentedly pushing open the door to the wardrobe.

“Good day, Madam.”

Chiyana, the butler, was directing the maids to iron clothes and wipe down display cases. She gave a warm smile, but the title she used made Jin Chaoyan freeze.

…Madam.

What did I, a 23-year-old single, recently unemployed office worker, ever do to deserve this reality?

Jin Chaoyan thought with a choked-up feeling. Her eyes swept across the resplendent wardrobe, filled with spotlights and transparent cases displaying rows of gorgeous high heels, racks of elegant dresses like a department store, numerous rare Hermès Birkin bags, and an entire display of jewelry and accessories.

Madam it is, then. She fought back the tears brought on by this worldly wealth, trying hard to console herself. I wonder how long this good life will last.

This was Jin Chaoyan’s fifth day since transmigrating.

When she first arrived, she wasn’t in this apartment but in a Japanese-style courtyard house in a forest near Mount Fuji, surrounded by private medical equipment.

The original owner had the same name as her and likely didn’t make it before she arrived. When she opened her eyes in this body, she only had a few fragments of the original owner’s dying memories. From them, she could vaguely piece together that the original owner was the daughter of a powerful conglomerate owner, had a congenital heart condition, and had been raised at home, rarely going out.

She spent a whole day prying for information from the maids, pretending she was confused about her current situation. From that, she gathered two useful bits of information: first, it was 2014 in Japan; second, she had somehow miraculously become fluent in Japanese. Oh, and a third: the original owner was married to a man with a corporate background, but he wasn’t often around and hadn’t been in the country all year.

Upon learning this third piece of news, Jin Chaoyan spent an entire night in dread, fearing her bad luck would force her to face a snobbish, hypocritical, and plain-looking corporate heir. Thinking of the submissive wives who catered to their husbands in Japanese dramas, she began praying to all the gods and buddhas to send her back.

She, of course, did not go back.

—But her nominal husband also didn’t appear, just as the maid had said.

Jin Chaoyan tossed and turned in the vast, classical mansion until the early hours. She compared her miserable life as a corporate drone before transmigrating to her sudden life as a happy rich woman, with a marriage that was essentially a widowhood and required no catering to her husband. She had to admit, she was starting to enjoy her decadence.

The next day, she suggested she wanted a change of scenery. The butler and maids who took care of her were all overjoyed, thrilled to see her showing an interest in her new life. After confirming her health was good enough for a short journey, the butler produced dozens of floor plans and asked which of her properties she’d like to move into.

…And that’s how she ended up here.

“Madam is in very good spirits today. Hearing that we’ve moved, Mrs. Mitsui from the villa district sent an invitation for afternoon tea. Are you interested?”

From her earlier move, Chiyana had already guessed Jin Chaoyan had an intention of engaging with society after waking up from her serious illness. She seized the opportunity to mention it.

Jin Chaoyan felt she could handle prying information out of the maids, but she wasn’t confident about pretending to be a flawless socialite among the local elite.

She showed a hint of reluctance, and Chiyana immediately understood from her expression. The butler maintained a perfect smile and responded, “My suggestion was too sudden. Madam’s health has only just recovered. While afternoon tea is relaxing, social events are always tiring.”

Chiyana put down what she was doing and pulled open a glass case beside her, displaying a diamond ring that Jin Chaoyan had glanced at a few times. “The design of this ring is very suitable for daily wear and can be paired with all the summer outfits that were pre-ordered for you. If you’d like to see the brand’s new collection, I can contact a sales associate to visit this afternoon.”

Jin Chaoyan, who was utterly tempted and holding back her smile with all her self-control, asked, “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Chiyana replied naturally. “It’s their honor to serve you, as you are Mr. Jin’s precious daughter and the wife of the new emerging conglomerate’s Mr. Hibari.”

Jin Chaoyan unilaterally declared that she and Chiyana were a match made in heaven!

There was a reason why these butlers serving the wealthy earned such high salaries; even their most embarrassing, silver-tongued praise sounded so smooth and natural!

With Chiyana’s gentle coaxing, Jin Chaoyan not only accepted her outfit suggestion for the day but also, after breakfast, spent the entire day being served by various high-end luxury brands, who all vied to offer her their limited-edition products.

Time slipped away.

At 5 p.m.

Jin Chaoyan, who had become dizzy from all the choices and didn’t know how many contracts she had signed under their flattery, didn’t mind that some of the luxury goods were outdated to her. She lay on a lounge chair in the leisure area, sipping warm milk and enjoying the massage from a beautician Chiyana had foresightedly arranged. Smelling the expensive scent of the face mask, she was about to fall asleep when she heard Chiyana ask if she wanted to arrange dinner now.

Having eaten Japanese food for a few days, Jin Chaoyan instantly woke up. While lamenting how quickly she had fallen into a decadent lifestyle, she fought for her Chinese stomach. “I have a good appetite these days and don’t feel like eating anything bland. Can we invite some chefs from other cuisines?”

The versatile butler, within half an hour, produced a list of top chefs who served Tokyo’s high society, and even introduced a variety of chefs from different countries that they could hire, ending with her own recommendations.

Lying on the soft sofa with a translucent mask on her face, her soft, light-colored hair draped smoothly down. Under a light blanket, her long legs were visible beneath the fitted black mermaid-style gown. Her flawless skin was like a mermaid’s, newly transformed for land.

Chiyana saw her mistress’s beauty and listened to her cheerfully agree to let her make the arrangements. She couldn’t help but feel that this was the best-tempered person she had ever served.

…Unfortunately, her health isn’t great. I wonder how long this vibrant state will last.

She sincerely hoped Jin Chaoyan could be happier. As she put away the list, she was about to contact the Chinese chef her mistress had chosen when her work phone rang.

Chiyana looked at the caller ID and quickly went to the side to answer discreetly. “Mr. Kusakabe.”

She responded in a low voice a few times. At the end, she seemed to hesitate but reported truthfully, “…Madam, on a whim, moved to Chiyoda in Tokyo these past two days… Is that so? That’s wonderful news! Thank you very much for letting me know…”

A few minutes later.

Having removed her mask, Jin Chaoyan was enjoying a facial massage when she heard a slightly cheerful set of footsteps. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she saw an even brighter joy on Chiyana’s face. The butler half-crouched to be at a lower level than her and said softly, “I have some good news, Madam.”

“Did you find a chef so quickly?”

Jin Chaoyan didn’t expect her to be so efficient. The thought of eating familiar Chinese food tonight—whether it was diced chicken with chili peppers, West Lake vinegar fish, or braised pork with preserved vegetables, as long as it was a stir-fry, she’d be happy!

Chiyana first answered her question about the chef, then added with a laugh, “You asked me about Mr. Hibari two days ago, so you must have been missing him. Mr. Kusakabe just called and said Mr. Hibari is returning to the country next week. You two are truly on the same wavelength.”

Nani?!

Who is on the same wavelength with whom?!

Oh, no, that’s not the point.

The point is that her potentially snobbish, hypocritical, and perhaps plain-looking corporate CEO husband is coming back?!

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