How Could I Resist His Madness and Charm [Transmigration] - Chapter 3

With a new playmate, Luo Yan no longer lingered in bed. By the third crow of the rooster, she was already up and dressed, eagerly heading off to find Zhu Yun.

To her surprise, his room was empty, not only was the bed vacant, but the sword that had been displayed on the antique shelf was also missing.

Had he left without saying goodbye?

But why?

Could it be that he bore some deep-seated vendetta, which was why he had acted coldly toward his benefactor, only to slip away quietly in the dead of night to avoid implicating the innocent? Or perhaps his poison had flared up again, and he’d left alone, fearing that the Jia residence might be entangled in a wrongful death case, or not wanting anyone to see him in his withered state.

Luo Yan quickly dismissed these thoughts, after all, Zhu Yun didn’t seem the type to be so considerate.

That left one last possibility: his injuries had healed, and he had taken the opportunity to abscond with their valuables before heading down the mountain. She had noticed that the number of jars and bottles in the treasure chest seemed off.

Just then,

Grandmother was already bustling about in the kitchen, the aroma of stuffed buns mingling with the subtle fragrance of pounded tea porridge wafting through the air.

Luo Yan took a deep breath, adjusted her expression in the mirror, and comforted herself, “If he’s gone, he’s gone. There are still other children to play with.”

Suddenly, she heard a soft chuckle. Surprised, she turned to see Zhu Yun leaning against the window frame, his arms crossed, a mocking glint in his eyes.

“You’re back? Wait… you didn’t leave?”

“Leave for where?” Zhu Yun’s lips curled ambiguously as he spoke in riddles. “It’s not me who should be leaving.”

Luo Yan, overjoyed at his unexpected return, brushed off his words like a passing breeze. “Hurry, hurry! Let’s have breakfast and then set off.”

“Hmm.”

He pushed off the window frame, flipping smoothly into the room, set down his sword, and adjusted his sleeves.

That day, the young man had tied his long hair high, looking sharp and spirited, his ponytail swaying as he walked. Luo Yan couldn’t help stealing glances, curiosity getting the better of her. “Did you do your own hair? It looks really nice.”

He shot her a mocking look, as if to say,

Who else would have done it?

Luo Yan was gradually getting used to his temperament and couldn’t be bothered to retort. Feigning nonchalance, she slipped behind Jia Yufang and, while helping with the bowls, whispered, “Grandmother, I want to learn how to style my hair. I want to do it myself, too.”

Jia Yufang could easily see she was secretly competing with the young man. Struggling to hold back a laugh, she replied in an equally hushed tone, “Alright, I’ll teach you in a little while.”

But children will be children. By the time they finished their meal, Luo Yan had completely forgotten her bold declaration. She let Jia Yufang fashion her hair into two pretty buns, then grabbed some dried fruit and dashed off.

It was still early, so the two of them settled under the old tree.

Luo Yan poked her cheek with a finger, pondering whether to offer a gentle smile or a toothy grin. Unable to decide, she resorted to bothering her companion. “Hey, do I look scary like this?”

Zhu Yun, who had been feigning sleep, was nudged twice before lazily opening his eyes, only to be met with the girl’s overly radiant smile.

It was brighter than the sun, dazzling enough to make him momentarily dazed.

Luo Yan explained, “When I first came to Qingyuan Village, I was in a bad mood and always wore a stern face. Maybe that’s why they started calling me ‘female ghost.’”

“…”

She leaned in closer, a smile playing on her lips, and said earnestly, “So, is this friendly enough now?”

For the first time, Zhu Yun felt a flicker of pity. “What if ‘female ghost’ doesn’t actually refer to a ferocious appearance?”

In folktales and underworld rumors, those labeled as spirits or demons were often exceptionally beautiful, peerless in their allure.

But Luo Yan misunderstood, worrying that her pale complexion was what frightened them, after all, everyone in the village shared the same sun-tanned skin.

This time, Zhu Yun responded with a silent laugh before closing his eyes again to rest.

The aroma of preserved fruit wafted through the silk handkerchief. Luo Yan picked one up and placed it on the tip of her tongue, the sweetness instantly flooding her taste buds, washing away all traces of sorrow. She didn’t forget to offer one to Zhu Yun and casually asked, “How old are you this year?”

Zhu Yun chewed slowly, his brow furrowing slightly at the sweetness. Only after swallowing did he reply, “Thirteen, I guess.”

Guess?

How could someone be uncertain about their own age?

But this was the world of the book, and since even she had no parents, it wasn’t surprising that Zhu Yun’s origins were unclear. Luo Yan tactfully refrained from pressing further and simply said, “Then you’re a year older than me.”

Zhu Yun didn’t respond, as if he were about to fall asleep.

Luo Yan decided not to disturb him further. Picking up a thin twig, she began tracing characters on the ground, trying to recall the plot details she still remembered.

She recalled that The Legend of Wuyang was divided into two volumes: the first set in the martial world, and the second in the imperial court. The author clearly favored the male protagonist, Cui Wuyang, not only making him a peerless figure in the martial world but also arranging for him to quell external threats and stabilize the nation, ultimately becoming a legendary emperor.

The story was long, and naturally, there were many supporting characters.

There were over a dozen villains, large and small, countless sidekicks, and eight prominent noble families. However, none bore the surname “Zhu,” nor were there any homophones with different characters.

This was the main reason she had removed Zhu Yun from her list of potential threats and felt comfortable taking him in.

Luo Yan erased the characters she had written and sat back down. Noticing the dappled shadows dancing across his brows, she asked softly, “Are you asleep?”

“…”

Wondering whether the boy was truly asleep or just pretending, she leaned in close, her light breath brushing against his thick eyelashes.

It tickled.

Zhu Yun had no choice but to open his eyes and glare at her. “What is it now?”

Despite his gruff tone, Luo Yan’s desire to share remained undiminished. She continued on her own, “You know what? Their leader is Liu Changsheng. He’s the same age as me, but he’s so big and strong that everyone’s afraid of him.”

Was this why she was bothering him?

Zhu Yun’s eyes darkened, his expression clearly displeased.

Unfortunately, Luo Yan wasn’t skilled at reading moods. Now that she had an audience, her enthusiasm only grew. “To catch the snake, you must first capture its head. Let’s try to win Liu Changsheng over first.”

“What does that have to do with me?”

“What do you mean?!”

With a mouthful of preserved fruit, her anger lacked any real force. Zhu Yun couldn’t help but laugh and was about to tease her further when a sudden surge of poison made him cough up blood.

“Hey!” Luo Yan swiftly reached out to support him. “What’s wrong?”

Her bright, clear eyes were filled with concern, shimmering with flecks of gold under the warm sunlight.

His usual cold, dismissive words suddenly felt impossible to utter.

“It’s nothing.” Zhu Yun wiped the corner of his mouth with the handkerchief she offered, then swallowed a few restorative pills, his tone softening. “You want to use me to intimidate Liu Changsheng, don’t you?”

Luo Yan found the porcelain bottle familiar and was about to ask if he had stolen it from her when Zhu Yun exposed her intentions, causing her cheeks to flush.

But she absolutely couldn’t admit it.

She spread her hands innocently. “I have plenty of games to play. So, are you in or not?”

Zhu Yun was genuinely intrigued. “How do we play?”

“First, help me win them over.” Luo Yan spotted four or five village children leading calves in the distance and motioned for Zhu Yun to follow, adding a reminder, “Just use the same fierce expression you always give me. Keep up the intensity.”

“…”

The village children tied their calves to the hillside and began discussing whether to play grass fights or chicken fights that day. One of them noticed Luo Yan and pointed in her direction. The others immediately huddled together, whispering among themselves.

Luo Yan was taking a diplomatic approach today. She stopped a few steps away and called out, “Liu Changsheng, do you want some dried fruit? It’s very, very sweet.”

Zhu Yun paused mid-step, thinking, could this really fool anyone?

Unexpectedly, the chubby boy named Liu Changsheng lit up with excitement and took a few steps forward without hesitation. Fortunately, his younger sister, Liu Changyi, was quick to grab him and pull him back.

That was close!

He had almost fallen for it.

Liu Changsheng rolled his eyes left and right, wanting to retreat but afraid of being laughed at by Guyu and the others. Just then, his sister anxiously said, “Brother, I want dried fruit too.”

Seeing her strategy was working, Luo Yan seized the opportunity to unwrap the oiled paper. “It really is sweet. If you don’t believe me, you can ask…” She glanced at Zhu Yun and fabricated an identity on the spot, “You can ask my brother.”

“Quit dawdling.”

Zhu Yun took the dried fruit from her, walked around the group to make sure everyone caught the scent, and then pointed at Luo Yan. “Have you ever seen a female ghost this short?”

Luo Yan: ?

Wang the Hunter’s second son, Guyu, thought for a moment and whispered to his friend, “My older brother said female ghosts usually wear white and like to eat children. But she’s about our age and always wears colorful clothes.”

This reasoning dispelled the village children’s fears. Wang Guyang, who had just turned five, was already drooling as he crept closer, gazing longingly at Luo Yan.

Luo Yan generously extended her hand. “Everyone gets a share.”

After distributing the dried fruit, three pieces remained. She first fed one to Zhu Yun, whispering, “If you want more, we still have some at home.” Then she walked over to the Liu siblings, giving one piece to Liu Changsheng and another to Liu Changyi.

Having accepted her treat, Liu Changsheng suddenly became shy, twisting his slightly chubby body as he said, “Thank you.”

“We’re all friends, no need to thank me.” Luo Yan straightened her back proudly, lifting her chin as she boasted to Zhu Yun, “See? I told you it would work.”

“Oh.”

“…”

After everyone finished eating and washed their hands by the irrigation ditch, Luo Yan suggested playing Eagle Catches Chicks.

The rules were simple enough for even five-year-old Guyang to join. But she overlooked one thing: Zhu Yun wouldn’t go easy on anyone.

As the eagle, he relied on his agility to snatch one chick after another, winning without any suspense.

To salvage the game, Luo Yan urgently called a halt. “No, no, this round you have to be the mother hen.”

He nodded indifferently and swapped places with Liu Changsheng.

But no matter how hard Liu Changsheng ran, sweating profusely, he couldn’t even touch the hem of Zhu Yun’s clothes. Meanwhile, the chicks behind him were flung in all directions.

Luo Yan, panting heavily, leaned against a tree trunk and waved her hand. “I call for a halftime break.”

Liu Changsheng scurried over and mimicked her. “I call for a halftime break.”

Mindful that their friendship was still fragile, Luo Yan caught her breath and proposed a new game. “Let’s play hide-and-seek instead. Tomorrow, I’ll bring you more treats.”

With the incentive of snacks, the children’s enthusiasm soared.

In the first round, Wang Guyang was “it,” but he didn’t know how to count. Luo Yan had to tell him he could open his eyes after a reasonable amount of time.

Once the instructions were given, Liu Changsheng led his sister to hide behind a haystack. Qinglian, the carpenter’s daughter, agilely climbed onto a cow’s back. As for Guyu’s younger brother, being so young, he covered his eyes with a leaf, convinced he was the best hidden.

Luo Yan looked around, hesitant to crouch low and dirty her skirt, yet unwilling to venture far under the scorching sun.

She fretted, “What should we do?”

“Not ‘we.’” Zhu Yun pointed upward, correcting her. “I’m hiding in the tree.”

Hearing this, Luo Yan glanced at the lush old tree, it was indeed a perfect hiding spot.

The problem was, the sturdy branch that could bear weight was several feet off the ground. How was she supposed to get up there?

Watching as  Wang Guyu slowly lowered his hand, she grabbed Zhu Yun’s sleeve, frantic and fierce: “If you don’t take me with you, I’ll tell Guyu exactly where you’re hiding.”

“…”

Seeing her threat had worked, she pressed on: “Next time there’s something fun, I won’t tell you either.”

Zhu Yun had to admit, he was quite intrigued by the so-called game.

Back in the Moon Embracing Pavilion, from the time he could remember, his life had consisted only of training and beatings. As he grew older, he began taking on missions to kill.

He had no idea what ordinary children did or how they lived.

Now he understood and he didn’t dislike it. In fact, he found it utterly fascinating.

Meeting the girl’s determined gaze, Zhu Yun wrapped an arm around her waist and effortlessly soared to the treetop.

He truly flew.

Luo Yan felt her vision blur for a moment, and by the time she steadied herself, her feet were firmly planted on the branch.

It was as if she had stepped into a whole new world.

Beside her, Zhu Yun noticed her dazed expression and frowned. “Are you afraid of heights?”

“Not at all, not at all.” Clinging tightly to his arm, she fawned, “Shifu, please take me as your disciple.”

He nearly tumbled from the tree at the title.

Meanwhile, leaves rustled and fell, hitting Wang Guyu, who seemed about to look up.

Driven by a competitive urge, Zhu Yun lifted the girl and, with ghost-like agility, leaped even higher, completely vanishing into the canopy.

That had to be the legendary qinggong!

For the first time, Luo Yan truly felt the reality of having transmigrated into a book. Tugging excitedly at his sleeve, she chirped, “Shifu, shifu, shifu.”

So noisy.

Zhu Yun rubbed his temples, contemplating whether to toss her down.