Marrying the Sweet Story’s Melodramatic Villainess [Transmigration] - Chapter 1

The heat of July was beginning to wane as the evening air turned cool. Madam Du kept her eyes fixed on her account books. As she reached out a hand, a maid deftly placed a teacup into her palm. Madam Du took a sip and asked, “How is Yi-niang today?”

Mother Li replied with a smile, “She is doing quite well. Her face shows more color than in days past.”

At this, a smile graced the corners of Madam Du’s eyes. Yi-niang was her firstborn. Perhaps due to the excessive anxiety Madam Du felt during her pregnancy, Yi-niang had been born with a frail constitution. Madam Du lived in constant fear that a single bout of illness might take her daughter away. She doted on her child with such intensity that she feared the girl would break if held too tight or melt if kept too close. Not long ago, Yi-niang had caught a chill; the ensuing fever nearly claimed her life. Madam Du had wept until her eyes were nearly blind, but fortunately, her daughter—out of love for her mother—had managed to pull back from the gates of the underworld.

Hearing that her daughter was improving by the day brought her immense joy, yet she could not truly rest easy. Madam Du closed the ledgers, deciding to see for herself.

Her daughter’s courtyard was not far from the main house. When Madam Du arrived, she saw her daughter sitting beneath a ginkgo tree. The girl’s posture was casual and languid as she wore a pale green robe. Her hair was pulled back simply, and her features were calm and serene as she flipped through the pages of a book.

Madam Du watched her daughter for a long moment before finally stepping forward.

Hearing footsteps, Cui Yi looked up slightly. Seeing it was Madam Du, she called out softly, “Mother.”

Madam Du responded with a bright smile and reached out to touch Cui Yi’s hand. Finding it cool to the touch, she quickly urged, “Why are your hands so cold? Hurry, let’s go back inside.”

Cui Yi obediently let Madam Du lead her into the room. Upon entering, she was met with the familiar, lingering scent of medicinal herbs; it felt as though even the air was tinged with bitterness.

Madam Du, however, was used to it. She pulled Cui Yi down to sit and asked a string of concerned questions, all of which Cui Yi answered one by one. After chatting about domestic matters for a while, Madam Du gave the servants detailed instructions before finally leaving with a light heart.

Cui Yi reopened her book to continue where she had left off, but she found herself unable to focus. After a moment, she let out a soft sigh.

She sighed for herself, and for Madam Du.

She was not the original Cui Yi, yet she was Cui Yi.

She was the Cui Yi from the 21st century. After dying from overwork, she had become the Cui Yi of this ancient world, and her mind had been flooded with strange information.

To summarize: she had transmigrated into a book. She was neither the protagonist nor the villain; throughout the entire story, she was merely a “background character”—an extra mentioned in passing.

Fortunately, it was a “Sweet Pet” novel. The setting was an ancient era of peace, prosperity, and open social customs. She was also lucky enough to be the eldest daughter of a prestigious family. Her family was simple, consisting of only four people. Her parents were a devoted couple with no concubines or illegitimate children. Aside from her poor health, it was practically a perfect “heavenly” start.

Compared to her, the female lead had it a bit harder—at least at the beginning. The heroine’s story was a classic setup: an unfavored legitimate daughter with a hypocritical stepmother and a two-faced younger sister. In short, the heroine had to engage in “inner-court” struggles.

However, because this was a “Sweet Pet” novel, the heroine would not suffer for long. The heroine was also a transmigrator who had entered a “Striving Male Lead” novel. The male lead of that story had a dramatic background; he was the true heir of a Prince’s manor who had been swapped at birth. Before being discovered, he had been mistreated in a peasant household. Once recognized and brought back, he was a fish out of water among the high nobility and became the butt of many jokes. But as a protagonist, he endured what others could not. He learned bit by bit, eventually living up to his title as the Prince’s heir and humiliating those who mocked him. He even gained a following. Eventually, because the current Emperor had no sons, the male lead rose through the power struggles to be chosen as the successor, becoming a brilliant monarch.

The heroine, knowing the plot, had sought out the male lead early to “cling to his thigh.” They eventually fell in love, overcame various trials, defeated the villains, and in the grand finale, the male lead took the throne while the heroine became Empress. They lived happily ever after as a devoted couple, the envy of all.

Cui Yi figured she was part of a “story-within-a-story” transmigration.

However, even though she knew the plot, she had no intention of crossing paths with the leads. Even though the heroine likely came from the same world she did, Cui Yi only wanted a quiet life.

She just didn’t know how to respond to the overwhelming maternal love from this body’s mother.

Beyond the mother, there was a father and a younger brother. All of them cared deeply for the original Cui Yi. But she wasn’t that person. The original Cui Yi had perished from a cold, and she had somehow revived in this body. She couldn’t even tell them the truth. It was a difficult knot to untie.

Seeing the shadow of worry on her brow, her maid, Zuozuo, feared the frail lady was falling into a depression. She quickly asked, “My Lady, are you feeling unwell?”

“It is nothing,” Cui Yi replied, adding, “There is no need to tell Mother.”

Zuozuo complied.

Before long, Cui Yi grew drowsy. She went to the daybed to rest. The two maids, Zuozuo and Youyou, exchanged a glance; one stayed to serve her while the other went to the main courtyard to report.

With her eyes half-closed, lulled by the faint scent of medicine and the rustling of leaves outside, Cui Yi fell into a deep sleep. Her maid gently covered her with a thin blanket.

In a daze, Cui Yi seemed to return to modern times. Half a month had passed since her death, but “she” was still alive and well, studying for high school exams. Sensing something, the “other her” looked up. Two pairs of eyes—similar yet different—met across time and space. The other girl froze for a moment, nodded slightly to her, and then lowered her head to continue studying.

For some reason, Cui Yi felt a momentary sense of melancholy.

“Yi-niang, Yi-niang…”

The voices calling her name seemed to bridge time and space, growing louder with each cry. Cui Yi suddenly thought of Madam Du.

Mother.

Like a flash of white light, her suspended heart suddenly found a place to land.

Cui Yi’s eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. Her blurred vision met a pair of reddened, tearful eyes. Cui Yi snapped awake instantly. “Mother?”

Madam Du smiled through her tears and asked, “Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

Cui Yi shook her head. Realizing it was impolite to speak while lying down, she tried to sit up. A pair of hands immediately supported her. Once settled, Cui Yi said, “Mother, I am fine.”

Madam Du withdrew her hands and asked with concern, “Did you have a nightmare?”

Cui Yi paused, thinking back. “No.”

Seeing that Cui Yi appeared composed, Madam Du didn’t press her about the dream. She said softly, “I’ve had some calming soup brewed. Remember to drink it in a moment.”

Before Cui Yi could refuse, Madam Du interrupted, “Drinking it will set my mind at ease.”

Madam Du had originally gone back happy after seeing her daughter, but shortly after sitting down, the daughter’s maid arrived to report that Yi-niang seemed troubled. How could she remain at peace? She had to return.

It was fortunate she did. In a way, she had a premonition: now that her daughter had survived this great ordeal, her future would be peaceful and smooth. Seeing that the usual faint sorrow on Cui Yi’s brow had been replaced by tranquility, Madam Du knew the crisis had passed.

Cui Yi truly disliked the taste of Chinese medicine, but seeing Madam Du’s devoted expression, she couldn’t bring herself to say no.

Seeing her daughter’s obedient manner, Madam Du said dotingly, “After drinking this, you will surely be safe and live a long, healthy life.”

Amused by the tone one would use for a child, Cui Yi couldn’t help but smile. Madam Du reached out to tidy Cui Yi’s messy hair, her own eyes brimming with laughter as she chatted about taking Cui Yi out once she recovered.

Since arriving in this world, Cui Yi hadn’t been out once due to her health. She listened intently as Madam Du described which family had the best flowers, which restaurant served the best food, and how the grapes at their suburban villa were nearly ripe…

Madam Du spoke freely about whatever came to mind. In front of family, there wasn’t much need for formality. Cui Yi listened with great interest, even picking up a few pieces of gossip about who was engaged or who was currently “scouting” for a spouse, though Madam Du didn’t go into much detail.

By the time they finished talking, the calming soup was ready. Cui Yi politely declined Madam Du’s offer to feed her spoonful by spoonful and downed it in one go. As an unbearable bitterness spread across her tongue, Madam Du popped a candied fruit into her mouth. “Who drinks medicine like that?”

Cui Yi ate it, the sweetness masking the bitterness. She only offered a light laugh in response.

Despite the medicine, Madam Du was still worried. She had her account books brought over so she could keep watch right there. Cui Yi didn’t try to dissuade her. While Madam Du checked the accounts, Cui Yi read beside her. Having already napped, she wasn’t tired; in fact, she felt quite spirited.

The world she had transmigrated into was a fictional dynasty called the State of Qi. The dynasty had lasted for two hundred years. Perhaps because there had been two female emperors in the past, the society was not overly restrictive toward women. There were even female officials in the imperial court.

This meant that women were not confined to the inner chambers and could even take the imperial examinations.

For now, Cui Yi didn’t think that far ahead. Reading more books simply made it easier to integrate into this world. In her previous life, she had been so busy with work that she died in her office; in this life, she just wanted to live a leisurely, peaceful life. Once her health improved, she wanted to travel and see different scenery.

Thinking of the scene in her dream, Cui Yi guessed that she and the original Cui Yi had swapped souls. While she wished they could both return to their rightful places, she knew that was a pipe dream. She decided to focus on the present.

With that thought, she looked up at Madam Du, who was calculating accounts. “Mother, give me two of those books. It will be faster with two people.”

Madam Du beamed and handed two over. Cui Yi was skilled at mental math and worked quickly. Furthermore, because Madam Du managed the household effectively, no one dared to pull any tricks in the ledgers. As for what went on privately—well, “water that is too clear has no fish.” Madam Du didn’t pry too much, and Cui Yi understood that principle.

The two worked in perfect harmony until the sun began to set. Madam Du glanced out the window. “Your father should be on his way home by now.”

Cui Yi hummed in agreement and walked with Madam Du to the front courtyard to wait.

When Cui Yan arrived home and saw his wife and daughter waiting for him, his heart softened instantly, completely forgetting the annoyance he had felt from his old rival at court.

Cui Yan possessed the refined air of a scholar and had a gentle appearance, but he was not a stiff traditionalist. During dinner, he spoke of court affairs—nothing confidential, of course. Through these talks, Cui Yi learned a great deal. After the official business, Cui Yan naturally moved on to gossip.

“The autumn examinations are approaching, and Chang’an is about to get lively again. This year, Fanyang produced a female Jieyuan (the top scorer of the provincial exam).”

Madam Du was delighted to hear this. She was a daughter of the Du clan of Fanyang. Since no one from her family was taking the exams this year, she hadn’t paid much attention. She hadn’t expected Fanyang to produce a female top scholar. “Once the palace exams are over, I must go and meet her.”

Cui Yan held the rank of Shizhong (Palace Attendant), a third-rank official. Although he didn’t preside over the examinations, it was better to keep a distance while the autumn exams were imminent.

Cui Yi’s expression shifted slightly. The plot was about to begin; the heroine was likely about to arrive as well.

Seeing Cui Yi remain silent, Cui Yan consoled her, “Once you are better, I will send you to the Imperial College.”

Cui Yi’s twelve-year-old brother, Cui Ting, was currently at the Imperial College. He was due back for a break soon. In her memory, every time he returned, he would wail that the College was “no place for humans” and scream that he wouldn’t go back, only for Cui Yan to give him ten swats on the palm.

Thinking of the Imperial College’s notoriously strict management, Cui Yi thought: There’s really no need for that.