Chapter 6

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The sky hung heavy with dark clouds pressed low, the air stifling and suffocating. By the pond, two young women appeared to be quarreling. One wore a peach-colored dress, the other a plain-colored gown. The girl in plain clothes had her back turned; whatever she said caused the girl in peach, who had been looking down, to suddenly raise her head.

It was…

Jiang Si stared in shock, glancing around bewildered. The scene was familiar—likely near the Jiang family’s flower pond. Looking closer, the peach-clad girl’s emotions were fiercely agitated, her face both familiar and strange—the very face Jiang Si had seen every day in the mirror since transmigrating.

In an instant, she realized it was her dream.

“Jiang Gui, you ruined me like this! How dare you pretend to be innocent here!” the girl in peach screamed, a hint of madness in her eyes. She lunged at the plain-clothed girl, who swiftly pushed her away, causing her to fall into the flower pond.

Jiang Si wanted to rush forward, to shout. Yet she could neither move nor utter a sound, forced to watch helplessly as the peach-clad girl struggled beneath the water’s surface.

The plain-clothed girl, initially flustered, did not call for help nor attempt to save her; she simply watched as the girl slowly sank beneath the water.

Time passed; the surface eventually calmed.

The plain-clothed girl turned around, her beautiful face devoid of fear, instead carrying an inexplicable sense of relief, even a subtle, hidden joy.

“Why didn’t you save her?” Jiang Si muttered angrily, awakening from the nightmare.

The room was lit by a night candle, casting a soft, warm yellow glow. She stared blankly at the embroidered canopy above, unsure if what she had seen was real or illusion.

After some time, she slowly rose, slipped on her shoes, and sat before the mirror.

Her reflection showed a face finely drawn by a master’s brush—each feature a divine creation. Her pale lips, tinged with frailty, were nonetheless deeply endearing.

Her face was identical to the peach-clad girl in her dream, yet different. The girl in the dream bore madness and anger in her eyes, no trace of tenderness.

She vaguely recalled from the book that the original owner of this body drowned.

The reason was a meeting arranged with the male lead, a ploy to invoke his pity and bind him through intimacy. But the male lead never came, and the original owner’s plan backfired, leading to her death.

Everyone said she deserved it, that it was her own fault and no one else’s.

So what did this dream mean?

“Miss,” Zhu An entered, drowsy and bleary-eyed, startled to see her mistress sitting before the mirror, suddenly alert. “Miss, what’s wrong?”

“I had a nightmare,” Jiang Si replied.

Hearing this, Zhu An hurriedly comforted her, “Miss, I’ve heard dreams are reversed—bad dreams mean good things. Just think of it the other way around.”

But Jiang Si couldn’t stop thinking about that dream; it was too vivid.

The original owner was innocent and close to the female lead before her personality twisted. But she was no longer the original; knowing the story, she would never get close to the female lead. A change in attitude doesn’t happen without reason, especially not unnoticed by those around.

“Zhu An, what kind of person do you think Fourth Sister really is?”

Zhu An was puzzled. “Miss, you’ve seemed strange these past days. Are you having a disagreement with Fourth Miss?”

“Not exactly. I just feel Fourth Sister might be different from what I thought.” Lowering her eyes to mask the coldness beneath, she feigned innocence. “Her relationship with the Young Master seems unusual.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu An’s expression shifted subtly.

“Miss, I heard from Zhu Ping that the last time the Young Master didn’t come to see you, it wasn’t because he was busy, but because he was with Fourth Sister. Zhu Ping said maybe she was mistaken and told me not to tell you to avoid upsetting you.”

So that’s how it was.

She lifted her eyelids to stare calmly and coldly at her reflection in the mirror.

This side of her felt unfamiliar to Zhu An.

“Miss.”

“Do you know what my nightmare was about?” Her voice was faint, trembling slightly. “I dreamt that Fourth Sister pushed me into the water and watched me drown without helping.”

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Zhu An’s face turned pale with fright. “Miss, dreams aren’t real; please don’t believe them.”

Jiang Si nodded but spoke childishly, “I don’t believe it, but I don’t want to be close to Fourth Sister anymore.”

This was the master Zhu An knew.

“Miss, what about the Young Master…”

“That scoundrel insulted me. I won’t pay him any mind!” she snapped.

…

The night passed without further dreams; dawn came.

Zhu Ping used golden hooks to draw back the embroidered curtains and warmed her hands by the brazier before attending to her mistress’s morning wash.

A lacquered hexagonal stand held a bronze-handled basin filled with water at just the right temperature. Nearby, a steamer gently warmed a pink embroidered dress. On the double-layered censer, a fragrant porridge of donkey-hide gelatin and red dates emitted a medicinal and sweet scent.

The room was bathed in warmth, like spring itself.

“Fifth Sister, are you awake?” Jiang Gui’s voice came from outside.

Zhu An glanced at her mistress, then exchanged a look with Zhu Ping.

Zhu Ping quietly asked Jiang Si, “Miss, shall I go stop her?”

“No need,” Jiang Si said expressionlessly, sitting before the mirror.

Soon, a figure appeared in the mirror, stepping toward her with unmistakable envy in her eyes.

“It’s still warmer in Fifth Sister’s room.”

The household’s provisions were fixed in allowances. As a daughter of a concubine, her status was similar to Jiang Gui’s, a daughter from the main line’s concubine branch; their shares were nearly the same.

Forty catties of silver frost charcoal and sixty catties of ordinary wood charcoal per winter—that was their allowance. Jiang Gui disliked the choking ordinary charcoal and only burned silver frost charcoal, so she rationed it. Meanwhile, the third branch, led by Madam Gu, tightly controlled all the silver frost charcoal for her daughter’s use, ensuring a plentiful and continuous supply day and night.

“Fifth Sister’s hair is really beautiful, too.”

Silence followed.

Jiang Gui awkwardly observed Jiang Si’s expression. “Fifth Sister, are you angry with me?”

Jiang Si didn’t turn but looked at her through the mirror. Her reflection twisted into a strange expression, as odd as the one in her dream.

Their eyes never met directly but could see each other through the glass.

“Since young, my aunt told me that as a concubine’s child, I must never compete with the eldest legitimate sister. Even with the second and third sisters of concubine birth, I must not offend them. I remembered her words and never dared to fight for myself,” Jiang Gui said bitterly. “Fifth Sister, I think you’re right—if you want something, you should fight for it yourself.

“As for what Fourth Sister thinks or wants to do, you don’t need to tell me anymore. I don’t want to hear it.”

Zhu Ping frowned at her mistress’s words.

Zhu An leaned in and whispered something; only then did Jiang Gui realize.

She thought she had humbled herself enough, but it felt futile now, leaving her deeply hurt. She guessed that Fifth Sister’s attitude came from being overly favored and lacking consideration for others.

“Fifth Sister, will you really never forgive me?”

Jiang Si thought she couldn’t forgive.

Because she was not the original owner.

The original’s death might have been partly due to her personality, but the male and female leads bore undeniable responsibility. If her previous dream was a warning and premonition, then…

Some people were simply unforgivable!

After school, when she called out to Gu Duan again, Murong Sheng stayed behind.

Murong Sheng, a royal descendant, carried an innate aura of superiority; anyone with sense knew to steer clear when he was around.

Gu Duan clearly feared him and whispered to Jiang Si, “Lord Yu, perhaps we should talk tomorrow?”

Jiang Si sensed the hostility and nodded.

The Gu family was weak; Grandfather Gu was a humble scholar who had only recently risen to a sixth-rank official. Although Madam Gu was the Gu family’s legitimate eldest daughter, marrying into the Jiang family’s concubine branch was an upward step. Without the alliance, Gu Duan would have no chance to enter the Jiang family’s academy.

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Gu Duan packed up his books but did not hurry to leave.

“Lord Yu, why don’t you go as well?”

Feigning indifference, she said, “Cousin Duan, you go ahead. I’ll stay and read a bit longer.”

Gu Duan hesitated, softly urging her to leave with him. Hearing her insistence on staying, he left with a worried look.

Soon, only Jiang Si and Murong Sheng remained in the academy.

“Jiang Wu, that move looks awfully familiar.”

The male lead was arrogant enough to think her closeness to Cousin Duan was to spite him.

“Looks similar, but not the same. Young Master, no matter how I was before, now I just want to study well.”

“A girl like you shouldn’t you be thinking about securing a good marriage?”

“I don’t want to.”

Murong Sheng was stunned, incredulous.

Which girl didn’t dream of a respectful and loving husband? Was Jiang Wu just speaking out of spite?

“Jiang Wu, I’m giving you a chance.”

Jiang Si detected something off in his tone. “Young Master, when the King of Fangye asked if I was willing to marry you, I clearly said no.”

What was wrong with this man?

Now the female lead was openly friendly with him; why did he waste energy on her, a mere pawn?

Just as she slung her book bag over her shoulder and stood, Murong Sheng grabbed her hand.

“Jiang Wu, I’ve changed my mind.”

“…”

That scoundrel!

She tried to pull free, but his strength far exceeded hers.

Murong Sheng realized he might truly be mad. The moment he said he changed his mind, a thrill surged through him, releasing the frustration that had haunted him these days.

He admitted he initially just wanted to spite Jiang Gui, but now, even when Jiang Gui openly showed closeness with him, he couldn’t muster any interest.

Now he clearly understood his heart: he might prefer the girl before him.

Everyone knew he had once insulted Jiang Wu, so marrying her would be reasonable. What fate differences? As a royal descendant, what did he fear?

“Jiang Wu, do you know what I’ve done for you?” he lowered his voice. “The little imperial uncle says your fate is unusual, but I don’t care!”

The King of Fangye had seen her unusual fate?

Jiang Si was shocked.

“Young Master, if you know my fate is unusual, why don’t you stay away from me?”

“I’m Murong. I’m not afraid. I can control it.”

“You can’t control it!”

A distant voice came from outside.

Against the light, Murong Fan entered.

His long black hair loose, white robes flowing grandly, he moved like a startled swan treading on fresh snow, as if a divine being had descended to earth, the world itself mere backdrop.

Murong Sheng anxiously explained, “Little Imperial Uncle, it’s just a slight fate difference. I’m not afraid…”

“You will die.”