The Male Lead’s Backyard is on Fire [Transmigration] - Chapter 8

Yu Chi Li scampered down stealthily, making almost no sound. She crouched low and crept toward Lu Yunkui’s door, then slipped inside.

The room was pitch black. Yu Chi Li walked with extreme caution, pulling a coil of rope from her robes as she moved. The snoring from the bed rose and fell fitfully; it sounded as though Lu Yunkui was fast asleep.

Beside him lay a scantily clad woman. Yu Chi Li did not bother to see who it was. She stepped forward and delivered a swift chop to the woman’s neck; the woman lost consciousness before she could even wake up.

Yu Chi Li then leaned over and slapped Lu Yunkui’s face firmly several times. He merely let out a few grunts before rolling over and falling back into a deep slumber.

Yu Chi Li covered her mouth to stifle a giggle. The drug Xin Ran had found was indeed effective.

She dragged Lu Yunkui off the bed and roughly hauled him to the foot of the bedstead. She then unrolled the hemp rope and tied him securely to the bedpost. To finish it off, she tied a beautiful butterfly bow right across his face.

Perfect. Yu Chi Li patted her hands together. This way, she did not have to worry about him waking up halfway through.

In the dim, meager light of dawn, Lu Yunkui looked like a large, splayed-out, shirtless toad. Yu Chi Li’s stomach ached from trying to hold back her laughter. After one final look of appreciation at her “masterpiece,” she tiptoed out the door and was back on the roof in a few quick strides.

It was as if she had never visited at all.

Liu Luoyi was locked in a small courtyard in the furthest corner of the estate. The yard was originally used to store junk, so it was incredibly filthy and cluttered. As soon as Yu Chi Li hopped over the wall, her brow furrowed.

The ground was covered in miscellaneous debris; a single step could land on firewood or a stray water ladle.

Could a human actually live in this place?

Yu Chi Li gingerly avoided the “traps” on the ground and moved to the doorway. She peered inside, but it was pitch black. Since there were no windows, she could see almost nothing.

Presumably, Lu Yunkui was not worried about Liu Luoyi escaping, as there was not even a single guard in sight.

Yu Chi Li squinted for a long time but saw nothing. She scratched her head and decided to boldly barge in.

Hardly had she stepped one foot inside when she heard a sudden rush of wind above her. Yu Chi Li widened her eyes and saw a large flower vase hurtling toward her. She hurriedly leaned back and retreated, catching the vase with practiced agility.

At the same time, she felt a sharp kick to her thigh. Yu Chi Li nearly cried out in pain, but fearing she would attract attention, she bit back the sound. Grimacing, she used her strength to push the attacker back into the room and closed the door behind her.

The world was instantly plunged into total darkness.

“I will kill you!” came a feeble, exhausted hiss. The person let go of the vase, seemingly unsure of what to do next.

Yu Chi Li instinctively leaned down to pin the person’s wrists. Because it was too dark to see, she felt her lips brush against something soft.

Her heart skipped a beat.

The body in her arms was warm and trembling.

Before Yu Chi Li could process the thought, the person went limp and collapsed. Yu Chi Li rushed to catch her. The woman in her arms felt impossibly soft, almost as if she were lifeless.

“Liu Luoyi! Liu Luoyi!” she whispered urgently, but there was no response.

Yu Chi Li sensed something was wrong. she stood up and fumbled around, nearly tripping several times before finally finding a candlestick and a fire starter in a corner. She finally obtained a source of light.

The bean-sized flame managed to illuminate the cramped room. It was filled with junk—broken vases, chairs, stools, and piles of discarded fabric in the corners. There was hardly any room to stand.

Liu Luoyi was curled up amidst this wreckage, looking incredibly small and fragile.

Yu Chi Li sighed. She stepped forward, half-dragging and half-carrying her onto the bed.

The so-called bed looked more like a small pile of rubbish, covered with scraps of fabric that Liu Luoyi had evidently been using as blankets these past few days.

Yu Chi Li felt a pang of discomfort in her heart. She cleared a flat space with her hands and laid Liu Luoyi down.

Under the candlelight, Liu Luoyi’s face appeared even paler. Her once rosy lips were now bloodless and almost translucent, making her look like a porcelain doll.

Lu Yunkui is a total bastard. He really did not give her a single thing to eat, Yu Chi Li cursed silently.

She slipped out again, stole a bowl of porridge and some pastries from the kitchen, and tucked them into her robes. She hurried back, and by the time she returned, Liu Luoyi had woken up.

Their eyes met. Yu Chi Li, holding a heap of food, scratched her head in slight embarrassment.

Liu Luoyi stared at her with misty eyes for a moment and whispered, “Who are you?”

Yu Chi Li breathed a sigh of relief. She had nearly forgotten that she was wearing a black cloth over her face, and to avoid being identified, she had wrapped a large headscarf around her head. Even her own mother would not recognize her.

Yu Chi Li coughed twice to hide her awkwardness and shut the door. She did not dare speak; the moment she opened her mouth, her identity would be exposed.

She rummaged through the piles of junk, pulling out a small wooden table to set by the bed. She used her sleeve to brush off the dust.

Liu Luoyi did not speak either. She simply watched as Yu Chi Li worked up a sweat, neatly arranging the food.

The scent of the food drifted into her nostrils. Liu Luoyi felt as if she were about to lose consciousness from hunger. Suddenly faced with food, she found it difficult to endure any longer.

“I must be dreaming,” Liu Luoyi whispered, her eyelashes trembling before a smile touched her lips.

It was the first time Yu Chi Li had seen her smile, and she was momentarily dazed.

When she smiled, she was breathtaking—like morning light hitting a snow-capped slope: pure, white, and sparkling. She looked nothing like her usual self. Perhaps this was how she was meant to be—the kind and charming daughter of a prestigious family.

Yu Chi Li realized she was staring blankly. She quickly looked down and handed her the bowl of porridge.

“You have to help me up,” Liu Luoyi said softly. She looked at Yu Chi Li with eyes that were clear, innocent, and held a hint of a plea.

Yu Chi Li felt more flustered than she had ever been in her life. She set the bowl down, gently propped Liu Luoyi up, and then handed the porridge back to her.

Liu Luoyi was truly famished. She finished the bowl of porridge in no time. Yu Chi Li then gave her the pastries and water, which she finished completely.

“I must be having hallucinations, or else this is a dream,” Liu Luoyi said. She smiled even as tears began to fall from the corners of her eyes. “This is the best thing I have eaten since my father and brother were taken away. Thank you.”

Liu Luoyi looked at Yu Chi Li, her gaze turning timid for an instant. In the next second, she suddenly reached out and grabbed Yu Chi Li’s hand. Her hand was cold, like a piece of jade left outside in winter.

Liu Luoyi closed her eyes peacefully. Since this was her own dream, there was nothing to fear.

Now, it was Yu Chi Li who was panicked. She sat at the edge of the bed, her body tense, not daring to move an inch. The spot where Liu Luoyi had kicked her earlier was likely bruised and swollen with pain.

However, facing the Liu Luoyi before her, she found she could not pull her hand away. It was a hand as soft as if it had no bones, with fingers like green scallion roots, yet covered in tiny scars.

Liu Luoyi had gone days without food and had been on constant guard. Now that she had finally relaxed, she fell asleep in a short while.

Once she was still, Yu Chi Li stretched her stiff limbs and tiptoed out.

The next morning, Liu Luoyi opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was the ceiling covered in dust and cobwebs. She let out a soft sigh and smiled bitterly. She had known all along it was a dream, but the sensation of that hand had felt so real that it had led her into flights of fancy.

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