Chapter 1
The winter of the fifteenth year of Yongzhao.
Heavy snow blanketed the world.
The blue bricks and red-tiled roofs of the capital lay buried beneath thick layers of white. The entire city seemed hushed, as if the snowfall had swallowed every sound. Even the street vendors had lost the energy to shout their wares, merely enduring the day until they could return home and warm themselves by the fire.
“It’s only the beginning of the twelfth lunar month and it’s already this cold. How are we supposed to survive the coming days?” a young maid grumbled as she stood outside the Ji Residence.
Though merely a servant, she was dressed more lavishly than most people on the street.
Another maid in a long blue dress emerged from the gates. Hearing her complaint, she laughed.
“You work in the Ji Residence. Are you really worried about freezing? What I’m wondering is why the Young Miss and Madam still haven’t arrived.”
The first maid shook her head.
Before she could answer, the faint jingling of carriage ornaments drifted from the far end of the street.
The two maids exchanged a glance.
They had arrived.
Quickly, they grabbed several oil-paper umbrellas and hurried forward.
Neither dared open an umbrella yet. They simply allowed the snow to fall onto their shoulders as they approached the carriage. Only after it came to a steady stop before the residence did they finally raise the umbrellas and wait respectfully.
“Jinxi welcomes Young Miss and Madam back home.”
The maid in blue took the lead in greeting them. Behind her, the other servants bowed in unison.
A clear, pleasant voice drifted from inside the carriage.
“Rise.”
The tone was gentle, yet carried an unquestionable authority.
The servants stood and carefully drew back the thick carriage curtains.
A pair of fair, delicate hands rested upon Jinxi’s arm.
Then came a face so beautiful it nearly stole one’s breath away.
The young woman’s coiffure was immaculate. Her long black hair flowed smoothly down her back, and every hairpin adorning it was worth a fortune. After stepping gracefully from the carriage, she turned and helped the woman behind her descend.
The older woman wore golden hairpins and dangling ornaments, yet looked elegant rather than ostentatious. Her features resembled the young woman’s by seven or eight parts.
Surrounded by attendants, the pair entered the residence.
“Happy birthday, Eldest Miss!”
Ever observant, Jinxi immediately led the assembled servants in offering congratulations once they entered the main hall.
The young woman merely nodded.
Her expression remained calm and detached.
The hall was filled with the fragrance of incense. Gifts of every kind glittered beneath the lights.
Today was the nineteenth birthday of Ji Yan’an, the eldest daughter of the Ji family.
Once the birthday banquet officially began, Ji Yan’an sat beside her parents, receiving an endless stream of congratulations from guests.
Below, Ji Tong’an could see her elder sister growing weary of the formalities.
Deciding to help her escape, she suddenly spoke up.
“Father, I’d like to accompany Elder Sister to see the red plum blossoms in the back garden. I heard they’re especially beautiful on snowy days.”
Ji Tong’an was the daughter of the Third Concubine—a concubine-born daughter of the Ji family.
She had always followed behind Ji Yan’an with a timid, submissive demeanor.
Ordinarily, someone of her status would not have been invited to attend an occasion like this. The fact that she was present at all was largely due to Ji Yan’an’s favor.
Ji Yongning looked at the fatigue in his legitimate daughter’s eyes and felt a pang of sympathy.
He nodded.
“Go ahead.”
The moment they stepped out of the main hall, Ji Yan’an finally felt she could breathe again.
Smiling, she turned toward Ji Tong’an, about to speak—
Then she noticed someone standing behind her.
“How did she get here?”
The warmth vanished from Ji Yan’an’s voice.
The smile disappeared from her almond-shaped eyes as though it had never existed.
It was as if the person behind Ji Tong’an had committed some unforgivable crime.
Ji Tong’an glanced back casually.
“Don’t mind her, Elder Sister. I only brought her along so we could have some entertainment.”
The woman behind her wore a faded goose-yellow dress that was neither old nor new. Her long black hair was gathered with nothing more than a simple wooden hairpin.
Yet none of that diminished her beauty.
She had long, narrow eyes and a naturally cold expression.
She was widely acknowledged as one of the capital’s greatest beauties.
Even Ji Yan’an, who had spent hours preparing herself today, could do no more than match her.
Women were often jealous of beauty.
Ji Yan’an was no exception.
“If Father hadn’t been soft-hearted, who knows whether she’d even be alive today? Strutting around with that vixen face of hers all day—who exactly is she trying to impress?”
Ji Tong’an’s words became increasingly malicious.
The woman’s name was Song Yi.
She was the same age as Ji Yan’an—nineteen years old.
Three years ago, her parents had been killed by people from the imperial palace. Since Song Yi’s father had once been Ji Yongning’s close friend, Ji Yongning had taken pity on the orphaned girl and adopted her into the household.
But Song Yi’s solitary, rebellious nature gradually wore away his patience.
As time passed, he nearly forgot she existed altogether.
Life in the rear courtyard became increasingly difficult. The concubines and their daughters naturally found her an easy target for their frustrations.
Hearing the conversation ahead of her, Song Yi said nothing.
She merely lowered her head further.
Ji Yan’an’s gaze swept over the plain wooden hairpin in her hair.
With a cold laugh, she turned away and walked directly toward the grove of red plum blossoms in the rear garden.
“Elder Sister… wait for me.”
A strange glimmer flickered in Ji Tong’an’s eyes.
“Ah—! Help me! Mmph—!”
Suddenly, frantic cries erupted from the lake in the rear courtyard.
Ji Yan’an was struggling in the icy water, splashing desperately.
The servants on shore panicked, shouting as they prepared to jump in and save her.
But none of them moved faster than Song Yi.
Without hesitation, Song Yi plunged into the lake.
Her movements were swift and decisive.
In moments she reached the center of the lake and pulled Ji Yan’an into her arms.
The winter water was freezing, and thin sheets of ice floated across the surface.
Song Yi immediately removed her own worn outer robe and draped it over Ji Yan’an before wrapping an arm around her and swimming toward shore with all her strength.
At last, with the help of the servants, they made it back to land.
Song Yi was soaked through and trembling violently from the cold, yet she still insisted on carrying Ji Yan’an back to her chambers.
Ji Yan’an, meanwhile, had already fallen unconscious.
The maids were so frightened their faces had gone pale.
They followed behind helplessly, unsure what to do.
By the time they returned to Ji Yan’an’s residence, Ji Yongning and Madam Ji had already rushed over after hearing the news.
Seeing their precious daughter lying motionless with her eyes closed, their hearts ached.
“Summon a physician immediately! Jinxi, take my token and invite an imperial physician from the palace. Tell them Yan’an nearly drowned!”
Madam Ji had completely lost her usual graceful composure.
She paced anxiously, willing to disturb even the imperial palace for her daughter’s sake.
Meanwhile, Song Yi sat alone in a corner, hugging her arms and shivering.
Her expression remained as indifferent as ever.
Only the darkness hidden in her eyes betrayed her emotions.
Every now and then, her phoenix eyes swept toward Ji Tong’an, watching the girl’s hypocritical display.
The entire Ji Residence remained in chaos until nightfall.
The imperial physician had long since arrived.
Everything that could be done had been done.
Yet Ji Yan’an still refused to wake.
“What exactly is going on here?!”
Ji Yongning’s furious voice echoed through the room.
Meanwhile—
Ji Yan’an, lying on the bed with her eyes shut, was completely dumbfounded.
After listening for a while, she finally caught several familiar keywords.
Young Miss. Madam. Song Yi.
Wait.
Isn’t this the novel I never got around to finishing?
The drowning incident?
Isn’t this the scene where the male lead’s white moonlight dies?
Ji Yan’an carefully cracked one eye open.
The people kneeling beside her bed perfectly matched the descriptions from the novel.
The realization struck her like lightning.
Oh my god.
If I’d known sharing the protagonist’s name would make me transmigrate into the story, I would’ve finished reading the damn book before going to sleep!
She was on the verge of tears.
Now she didn’t dare open her eyes.
She didn’t dare speak.
What if she acted strangely and got accused of being possessed by a demon?
“Was it really you, Song Yi?”
As Ji Yan’an lay there spiraling inwardly, she suddenly heard Ji Yongning ask the question through gritted teeth.
Her heart nearly stopped.
This was it.
The exact scene from the original novel.
The moment when Ji Tong’an framed Song Yi for Ji Yan’an’s death.
Ji Yan’an’s mind raced.
If the plot continued as written, Song Yi would nearly be killed—
And because of that incident, she would later meet the utterly scumbag male lead.
No way.
Absolutely not.
I’m not letting that happen.
