FDNL CH 01

Chapter 1 – Crossing Over

“I, Su Lianyi, swear to the heavens—
I will never practice medicine again!”

The moment she finished that vow, darkness swallowed her, as if she had bid farewell to the world forever.

Then—
a terrified female voice pierced the silence.

“Sister Cui’er, the lovesick fool is dead! What should we do!?”

She had thought death would be eternal silence.
But slowly, noise seeped back into her ears—
a jumble of frightened whispers and footsteps.

Someone was checking the spot beneath her nose.

“Ah! She really is dead! What do we do, Sister Cui’er?” another trembling voice cried.

“D-dead… she’s dead…” the one called Sister Cui’er stammered, forcing herself to calm down.
“This wretched woman is dead—then she’s dead. We… we never came here, understand?”

“Right, we were never here!” others echoed nervously, and hurried footsteps fled the room.

When all was finally quiet again, Su Lianyi, aching all over, waited to be sure no danger lingered.
Then she clenched her teeth and opened her eyes.

She wasn’t dead!?

One glance around, and terror seized her heart.
This wasn’t a hospital.
Where on earth was she?

Above her was a crude wooden ceiling, thick beams exposed.
Sunlight leaked through tiny gaps, scattering golden dust motes.
Ropes dangled from the beams, suspending woven baskets.
A brick stove stood nearby with an iron pot and stacked white dishes—
a kitchen. An ancient-looking one.

Alarm rose inside her.
Not a hospital, not a city…
Had she been kidnapped into the mountains?

Forcing herself upright, she saw her own hands—
round, pale, soft-skinned—but plump.
Not her slim, trained fingers at all!

Looking down: a coarse grass-green dress tied with a black belt and a rough cloth pouch at her waist.
Chubby legs. Round little shoes embroidered in the same dull green.

A primitive kitchen. Old-style clothes. Embroidered shoes.
If this wasn’t a movie set… then it could only mean—
Ancient times!?

Even someone as calm as Su Lianyi went blank.
Her hand rose to her face—full of flesh.

There was no mirror, but beside the door sat a large water jar.
She staggered to it and peered into the water.

A strange face stared back—
thick, greasy bangs, a round pale moon-like face speckled with pimples,
red patches of powder unevenly smeared,
yet under all that, a pair of large, beautiful eyes and a slightly upturned nose.

Still… the overall look was dreadful.
The makeup—if it could be called that—was terrifying.

Wait—this was her?
How could that be!?

Could it be… she had taken over someone else’s body?

Before she could think further, noisy voices approached outside the door.

“You’re saying Su Huachi died in the kitchen?”
The tone was sharp, belonging to an older woman.

“Yes, Mama Liu, what should we do?” came the same voice she’d heard earlier—Cui’er.

Instantly, Su Lianyi tensed.
They were talking about her.

“Foolish girl,” Mama Liu snapped. “She’s dead, so what? Don’t leave her in the kitchen. Toss her into the backyard well—no one will ever know!”

Su Lianyi’s mind cleared in a flash.
Destroy the evidence?
They were going to dump her body into a well!?

She had just escaped death once—
she wouldn’t die again.
If she wanted to live, she had to act now!

Footsteps stormed closer.
The door burst open.
Servants crowded in behind Mama Liu.

Seeing Su Lianyi standing, they froze.
Cui’er shrieked as if seeing a ghost:

“Su Lianyi! I didn’t kill you! You slipped and fell yourself! Don’t come haunting me!”

So that was it—they thought she’d come back from the dead.

Mama Liu recoiled at first, then steadied herself—clearly a woman who’d seen too much.

“Are you a person or a ghost?”

Thinking quickly, Lianyi forced a smile.

“Mama Liu, of course I’m a person. How could a ghost stand here talking?”
She mimicked their accent carefully, hiding any trace of oddness.

From Cui’er’s earlier words she gathered that the old woman was indeed Mama Liu,
and in this world, this body’s name was also Su Lianyi.

Mama Liu was about fifty, wrinkled, short, with sharp little bean-like eyes that glinted wickedly.
Frankly, Su Lianyi thought—if anyone here looked like a ghost, it was her.

“Sister Cui’er was right,” she continued lightly. “I just slipped and fainted for a bit. How could a small fall kill me?”

Mama Liu shot Cui’er a glare.
Cui’er, angry and embarrassed, rushed forward and raised her hand.

“You shameless fool, pretending to be a ghost to scare me! I’ll kill you!”

But before the slap could land, Su Lianyi subtly sidestepped,
one hand pressed to her forehead.

“Oh dear, my head’s spinning again…”

The motion looked clumsy but avoided the hit cleanly.

Mama Liu’s face darkened.

“Cui’er! Do you have no respect for me? Want the Li House to be accused of murder? Stop your nonsense!”

Cui’er quickly withdrew, forcing a fawning smile.

“Mama Liu, don’t be angry. I was just teasing her, I wouldn’t really harm anyone. The Li House can’t be stained by such things.”

Inwardly, though, she sneered—
as if Mama Liu didn’t have plenty of blood on her hands already.
The old crone just didn’t want to get caught up in it this time.

A doctor’s eyes miss nothing.
Su Lianyi read both their expressions at once.

She was no weak damsel either;
years of martial arts and university taekwondo had honed her reflexes.
Dodging that slap had been no accident.

Studying Cui’er’s eyes again—spoiled, yes, but not truly vicious—
Lianyi relaxed slightly. She wouldn’t kill her, at least not yet.

Mama Liu’s voice turned cold.

“Su Lianyi, you came to deliver wine for your brother. Now that the wine’s here and the money’s taken, don’t linger near the Second Young Master’s quarters.
The Li Family is a noble house of Yue Wang County—not a place for people like you to dream of climbing into.
And remember—you’re already a married woman. Behave yourself.”

Su Lianyi froze.
Delivering wine for her brother?
The Li Family?
Second Young Master?
Married woman?

What kind of mess had she landed in!?

***

Author’s Note

A 1-on-1 farming-style romance—sweet, cozy, full of love, no endless misunderstandings or cruel drama.
It’s meant to be pure fluff: a relaxing world where the reader can unwind after school, work, or putting the kids to bed.

The author’s husband is a World of Warcraft player who keeps dragging her into PvP battles even when she’s exhausted from writing—so she created this story instead, hoping to bring everyone a place of warmth and laughter.

May this chatty author bring you happiness—every day! 🌸