How Could I Resist His Madness and Charm [Transmigration] - Chapter 1

It was April, a time when the blossoms in the city had already withered, yet the peach blossoms in Qingyuan Village were just beginning to bloom leisurely.

Luo Yan, carrying a cloak, stepped out to enjoy the scenery. Along the way, she spotted four village children gathered by the ridge, playing in the mud.

She couldn’t help but glance at them a few times, and almost immediately, the children quieted their laughter. Then, someone yelled, “Run!” and the group scattered with strange shrieks.

Feeling indignant, Luo Yan thought to herself, My phone is way more interesting than this. Out of habit, she reached into her pocket,

Only to find it empty. It was then she remembered: there were no phones in ancient times.

…

Luo Yan had crossed over into this world two months ago.

One moment, she was being pushed into a pediatric operating room, and the next, she was being fished out of a water vat.

An elderly woman with graying temples helped her change into dry clothes inside a carriage, then called out to someone outside in a heavily nasal voice, “The capital… His Highness the Crown Prince…”

Through a gap in the carriage curtain, Luo Yan could see four or five masked figures, some with swords at their waists, others holding long whips, all dressed in the style of characters from a historical drama.

One of the masked figures clasped his hands and said, “Madam Ye has shown us great kindness.”

Hearing this, Luo Yan knew for certain: she had transmigrated into a book.

Not just any book, but The Legend of Wuyang, a power-fantasy novel disguised as a pure romance, which she had relentlessly criticized using five different accounts. In the story, there was a white moonlight character named Luo Yan, a name almost identical to her own.

And as the trope dictated, such characters either died young, died tragically, or died young and tragically. Luo Yan fell into the latter category.

At the age of twelve, her entire family was brutally murdered. She sought refuge in the capital with her cousin, Cui Wuyang, the Crown Prince. Over time, the two misfits developed feelings for each other. Just as Cui Wuyang was about to confess his love, Luo Yan took a fatal sword strike meant for him and died.

In short, she existed to comfort the male lead in life and to unlock his potential in death.

What a classic tool of a character.

But Luo Yan was not that Luo Yan, and she had no intention of blindly following the plot.

Once the masked figures left, she persuaded the elderly woman to turn the carriage around. Disguised as grandmother and granddaughter, they hid away in the woman’s remote home deep in the mountains.

During her two months in Qingyuan Village,

Luo Yan lived comfortably, with no worries about food, clothing, or schooling. The only downside was that the village children avoided her as if she were the plague.

“As if I care,” she muttered.

Luo Yan stood on her tiptoes to pluck a few peach blossoms, brushed off the dust, and headed back toward her courtyard.

Jia Yufang, the servant woman whom Luo Yan now called her grandmother in name, was fanning the stove. Seeing the girl return looking dejected, she asked with concern, “Are you feeling unwell?”

Luo Yan shook her head and silently retreated to her room. There, she opened a black-lacquered, gold-traced official trunk from the cabinet.

The trunk had been in the room all along; even Jia Yufang didn’t know its origin. Inside were delicate, fragrant bottles and jars, gem-encrusted weapons, and a few yellowed booklets depicting illustrated fights.

In her spare time, Luo Yan would often sift through these items, trying to deduce the identity of the trunk’s previous owner, treating it like a solo murder mystery game.

Jia Yufang brought in a bowl of simmered medicinal soup and, seeing Luo Yan holding an unsheathed dagger, cried out in alarm, “Be careful with your hands!”

Luo Yan, who had always respected her elders, obediently put it back.

“I’ve heard news from Cangxi,” Jia Yufang said, turning away to wipe her tears before continuing. “The authorities dismissed it as the work of roaming bandits and hastily closed the case. Fortunately, His Highness sent people to handle the aftermath, and now he’s even recruiting craftsmen to restore the Luo residence.”

“How thoughtful of my cousin,” Luo Yan replied politely.

Seeing the young mistress show no sorrow on her face, Jia Yufang interpreted it as the saying among scholars, “No grief is deeper than silence,” and her heart ached even more. She took Luo Yan’s hand and asked, “Shall we send a message to him?”

Luo Yan understood exactly what Jia Yufang was thinking.

Although the Cangxi Luo family no longer existed, her maternal cousin was of noble status. Seeking refuge with him would ensure she need not worry about marriage in the future. Of course, if the cousins could deepen their bond into marriage, it would be an even more beautiful tale.

But Luo Yan knew the plot.

This time, she couldn’t rely on feigning illness to avoid the topic. Struggling to recall the male lead’s background, she suddenly had an inspiration: “Grandmother, you may not know this, but my cousin’s situation is far from favorable… The misfortune that befell our family was actually caused by him.”

Cui Wuyang, as the Crown Prince’s son and heir, did not have his grandfather on the throne but his uncle.

Would an uncle truly be willing to pass the throne to his nephew?

Would the imperial consorts who had borne children stand by idly?

Sure enough, the hairs on Jia Yufang’s arms stood on end.

Seizing the moment, Luo Yan fanned the flames: “Grandmother, you’ve been with the Luo family for decades. Haven’t you noticed that since the current emperor ascended the throne, the Luo family has had little contact with the capital?”

Struggles for imperial power were far removed from common folk, but with the matter laid out so plainly, how could Jia Yufang not understand?

“We won’t go, we won’t go. Let’s stay peacefully in the village, just the two of us. As long as this old servant lives, I will never let the young mistress suffer.”

Luo Yan let out a long sigh of relief and said sincerely, “I really like Qingyuan Village. The scenery is beautiful, the air is fresh, and lately, I’ve hardly been coughing at all.”

The only downside was the lack of electronic devices. She had grown so bored that she had rummaged through every chicken coop and dog kennel and could even recount exactly how many stones lay at the village entrance.

Perhaps she should keep a kitten or a puppy for company.

As she pondered this, Jia Yufang clapped her hands excitedly: “Once we sell this batch of embroidery, we’ll buy a maid for the young mistress.”

“Huh?”

“Next year, we’ll work harder and hire a female tutor.”

“No, Grandmother…”

But Jia Yufang, having made her plans, was in high spirits. She picked up the dishes and left, heading to the courtyard to continue her embroidery.

…

That night, the wind picked up. The thin window paper did little to block the noise, and Luo Yan, unable to sleep, threw on an outer robe and went to the window for some fresh air.

“Bang!”

A loud crash came from the eastern kitchen, followed by Jia Yufang’s hurried footsteps, likely the vegetable-drying rack had toppled over.

Luo Yan thought of going to help and leaned over to close the window, but out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a slender, dark shadow standing outside the low courtyard gate.

A rock? A person? Or a broken tree branch?

Puzzled, she reached for the oil lamp.

Just then, a brilliant flash of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the entire village and revealing the eerie figure of a young boy in black standing at the gate.

He had handsome features, his face still bearing traces of childishness, and though his stature was not as tall as a grown man’s, his eyes were sharp and cold, radiating a ferocity beyond his years.

Luo Yan was so frightened she nearly screamed, but the moment the sound “Ah” escaped her throat, the boy collapsed straight to the ground.

“Grandmother!”

Jia Yufang arrived quickly, deftly closing the window and soothing her with a smile: “Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid. The God of Thunder and the Goddess of Lightning are good deities.”

After a moment to collect herself, Luo Yan explained, “No, Grandmother, there’s someone outside our house.”

Following the lightning came the rumble of thunder, and a heavy rain began to pour down.

“Stay inside,” Jia Yufang instructed before throwing on a straw raincoat and hat and rushing out. Sure enough, she found a young boy lying at the gate.

Unexpectedly, Luo Yan followed her out, holding an umbrella in one hand and raising the oil lamp high with the other, her voice excited: “Grandmother, I’ve come to help you!”

After a flurry of effort, the two finally managed to carry the young man into the main hall. Luo Yan also dragged along a long sword without a sheath.

Jia Yufang watched with bated breath, wrapping the sword in several layers of cloth before placing it behind the door. She urged Luo Yan to go change her clothes while she headed to the kitchen to boil water.

In that short time, a large pool of blood had spread around the young man.

Fortunately, Jia Yufang was accustomed to slaughtering chickens and sheep, so she wasn’t frightened.

She first felt the outer layer of his clothing and, finding little damage, deduced that his injuries weren’t severe external wounds. She then wrung out a warm cloth and wiped the young man’s face.

His eyes were tightly shut, and his imposing aura softened, making him seem approachable. As the grime faded, his well-defined nose and facial contours emerged, with a small teardrop mole adorning his left cheek.

Jia Yufang exclaimed in surprise, “He’s quite handsome, just like our Yan Jie.”

Luo Yan also thought the young man was good-looking and, gathering courage, poked his neck. She remarked with curiosity, “Grandmother, he’s still warm.”

“Of course, a living person is warm,” Jia Yufang said, both amused and exasperated. “This young gentleman’s complexion doesn’t look too bad, but we can’t just leave him lying here. If we do, he might fall ill even if he wasn’t sick before.”

The summer rain came and went abruptly.

Jia Yufang put on her straw raincoat again, intending to fetch a familiar physician from the neighboring village. Worried about Luo Yan, she cautioned, “You’re frail, don’t get too close. Be careful not to catch any illness.”

Luo Yan nodded obediently.

In reality, as soon as her grandmother left, Luo Yan began checking his breathing, lifting his eyelids, and even taking his pulse. Mimicking characters from TV dramas, she first stroked her nonexistent beard, then clasped her hands toward the air and declared, “Congratulations, it’s a joyous pulse.”

After indulging her whims as a physician, she yawned and dozed off leaning against the table.

In her drowsy state, she heard movement outside the courtyard and a middle-aged man asking, “Is this the place?”

“Indeed, indeed.”

Luo Yan snapped awake instantly and hurried to slide open the door bolt.

The physician appeared to be around forty, carrying a large medicine chest and walking with vigorous strides. Upon seeing Luo Yan, he paused briefly, then bowed deeply, tears welling in his eyes as he went to examine the patient on the floor.

The young man needed to be cleaned first.

To avoid impropriety, Jia Yufang led Luo Yan to a side room. As she prepared tea, she explained, “Physician Liu originally dealt in medicinal herbs. Once, he was framed by someone and, after hearing from Chang Qing’s father that I worked for the Luo family, he traveled a long way to seek help.”

Cangxi County and Linchuan County were some distance apart, but at that time, the previous emperor was on the throne, and the Luo family matriarch’s brother-in-law was the crown prince, a figure of considerable influence.

Luo Yan understood, thinking to herself that this was another act of kindness from her original body’s parents, which explained the physician’s emotional reaction.

Half a cup of tea later, the examination outside was complete. The physician wrapped the young man in a thin blanket and moved him to an empty bed.

“The young gentleman’s pulse is erratic, and he remains unconscious, it’s highly likely he’s been poisoned,” Physician Liu said.

Hailing from the countryside, Physician Liu was skilled in treating common ailments but was helpless when it came to poisons.

For safety’s sake, he advised not to move the patient for two or three days while he returned to consult medical texts and seek advice from colleagues.

As for what would happen after two or three days…

“This is the work of martial artists,” Physician Liu said, selecting a few prescriptions for dispelling cold. He bowed to Luo Yan. “Young lady, you’ve only just narrowly escaped death, you must not take any more risks. Once the mountain paths dry, I’ll come back to carry him away.”

His words were grave, frightening Jia Yufang so much she didn’t dare step outside. Luo Yan, however, remained unaffected, eagerly volunteering to wipe the young man’s face and braid his hair.

But the more she enjoyed herself, the more it pained Jia Yufang to watch.

After all, back in the mansion, the young lady was utterly pampered and doted upon, with over a dozen maids just for amusing her, nothing like the current situation…

Jia Yufang secretly thought it would be best to save up money early and buy a clever little maid.

…

Zhu Yun slept for two full days.

He was roused by a slight, pulling pain on his scalp, but his eyelids felt as heavy as water-soaked cotton, and his mind was still foggy.

In the darkness, he heard a girlish voice murmuring by his ear: “Do you like three-strand braids? Let’s try a three-strand braid today.”

“?”

It took Zhu Yun some effort to recall that he had arrived at Qingyuan Village in Linchuan County and, before losing consciousness, had seen a young girl.

Was she the one pulling his hair?

Was she the owner of this house?

Zhu Yun had occupied this residence two years ago. He hadn’t visited for some time, and now someone had moved in. But even if he didn’t live in a property he had claimed, he would never yield it to anyone else, not even the original owner.

Once he regained his strength, he would kill this girl.

A warm palm cupped Zhu Yun’s left cheek, abruptly derailing his thoughts and replacing them with sheer indignation.

How dare she touch him! She must have the courage of a bear and the audacity of a leopard!

However, Luo Yan was too engrossed in her task to notice the young man’s violently fluttering eyelashes. She lifted his chin, dipped her pinky finger into rouge, and evenly applied it to his lips.

“So pretty,” she murmured, quite pleased with her handiwork. Then she picked up a piece of eyebrow pigment and chattered to herself, “Now let’s do your eyebrows.”

Zhu Yun could endure no more. Gathering his inner strength to suppress the poison, he abruptly opened his eyes and met the girl’s sparkling gaze.