FDNL CH 02

Chapter 2 – Danger

That one short sentence from Mama Liu carried a mountain of hidden meaning,
but Su Lianyi didn’t have time to untangle it.
Right now, what mattered most was getting out of this “Li Manor” alive.

Mama Liu turned to leave.
Lianyi immediately followed her out of the kitchen—
and barely a few steps later, someone called out behind her.

“Lianyi! So you’re here—I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

She turned.
Not far away stood an old man in a brown short jacket, his face slick with sweat, looking anxious.
He obviously knew the original Su Lianyi well—his tone was warm, almost familiar.
Judging from his worry and the sweat on his brow, he must have been searching for quite a while.

Relieved, she quickly played along.

“Ah, yes, I’m here. You’ve worked so hard looking for me.”

The old man froze.
So did Mama Liu.
Both stared at her, stunned—as if she’d suddenly become a stranger.

Su Lianyi smiled calmly, but inside her mind, alarms were blaring.
Did I say something wrong?
Maybe… this wasn’t how the original girl used to talk.

That second guess made more sense.
After all, the soul inside this body had changed—
how could there be no cracks in the disguise?
And she had no idea what kind of personality the “real” Su Lianyi had.

She couldn’t let anyone discover the truth.
In the modern world she’d have been dragged off to a lab as a test subject;
here in ancient times, she’d be burned as a monster.
Especially when that maid Cui’er already bore her a grudge.

The old man’s surname was Ma, everyone called him Old Matou.
He worked as a hired hand for Lianyi’s brother’s household.
Delivering wine to Li Manor had originally been his job,
but this Su Lianyi—infatuated with the Li family’s Second Young Master—
had insisted on tagging along.
Her elder brother Su Hao doted on his sister,
so he let her have her way.

“Mama Liu,” Lianyi said, forcing a bright, polite smile,
“it’s getting late, so I’ll take my leave now. I’ll visit you again next time.”

The smile on that plump, round face was meant to be friendly—
but to anyone else, it looked almost frightening.

“Next time?” Mama Liu snorted coldly.
“Su Lianyi, Li Manor is your Su family distillery’s biggest buyer.
If you dare come pestering the Second Young Master again and ruin the business,
can you bear that responsibility?”

Lianyi finally pieced things together.
So—her “brother” owned a small wine brewery.
The Li family were their largest customers.
Every time they delivered wine, the original Su Lianyi followed along—
not for business, but to chase after the handsome Second Young Master.
And those fine-clothed maids earlier were probably from his courtyard.
They’d come to warn her off and, in the scuffle, accidentally pushed her to her death.
That was when she—the doctor from the modern world—
had taken over this body.

As she thought of it, she reached back to touch her head.
The spot throbbed with sharp pain—
the exact same place where she’d been fatally injured in her previous life.

The same cause of death.
The same name.
Could this body and she… be linked somehow?

Her fingers brushed her belt.
Ancient people liked to tuck things there for convenience—
like modern folks keeping change in their pockets.
She felt a few small silver pieces, pulled them all out,
and, smiling, stepped closer to take Mama Liu’s hand.

“You must be joking, Mama Liu. Even if I do visit again,
it’s only because I enjoy talking with you.
Every chat with Mama Liu teaches me so much.”

As their hands met, Mama Liu’s expression softened instantly.
The harshness melted into something almost kind.

“That’s better. Next time you come, don’t forget to visit me first, you hear?”

Her wrinkled fingers quietly closed over the silver pieces—
a whole tael of silver!

***

By afternoon the sunlight was fading.
The spring warmth from earlier had vanished now that they were out of the kitchen.

Cui’er and the other maids looked at each other in disbelief.
Mama Liu’s attitude had changed completely—
what in the world had happened?

Old Matou was equally stunned.
Mama Liu was a powerful woman in the Li family’s back courtyard;
why was she suddenly acting so nice to Su Lianyi?

The reason was simple:
“Take the money, ease the trouble.”

Lianyi had slipped her the silver not just for survival,
but to protect her brother’s wine business.
Whether the trick would work or not, it was worth the gamble.

Luckily, Mama Liu had taken the bait.

“It’s getting late,” Mama Liu said, pretending to advise kindly.
“Go on back to the Su family’s village.
Next time, think before you act—use that head of yours.”

“Of course, Mama Liu,” Lianyi replied sweetly, bowing slightly.
“Thank you for your concern.”

The old woman nodded, quietly pocketing the silver,
and watched them leave.

***

Once outside the Li Manor, Lianyi climbed onto the little donkey cart that had delivered the wine.
The wooden wheels creaked along the road—creak, creak—as they rolled away.

Only then did she finally exhale.
Her back was soaked with cold sweat.
She had escaped danger—barely.

Mama Liu was the ruthless type,
the sort who could kill without blinking.
Fortunately, that maid Cui’er was still young and inexperienced;
otherwise, if they’d tossed her into the well earlier,
she’d never have lived again.

As the cart trundled on, Lianyi looked back.
The Li Manor loomed behind her—tall red gates, stone lions at the entrance,
majestic and cold.

A “noble” house?
To her, such grand estates only hid darker filth inside.
They glittered on the surface but were rotten underneath.
Whatever happened, she vowed—she would never set foot there again.

Turning back, she smiled at the man driving the cart.

“Uncle, I’m sorry for making you look for me so long.”

The old man was so startled by the polite tone
that he nearly fell off the cart.
She caught him quickly.

“Uncle, what’s wrong?” she asked, confused.

It took him a long moment to find his voice.

“L-Lianyi… what’s gotten into you? Why are you suddenly so polite?”
He looked at her as though seeing her for the first time.

Lianyi blinked, confirming her earlier guess—
the old Su Lianyi must have been rude and wild-tempered.

“Uncle, to tell you the truth,” she said with a sigh,
“Cui’er and I fought earlier. I hit my head and I’m still dizzy.
My thoughts are a bit muddled.”

She rolled up her sleeve.
Under the rough green fabric, her chubby arm was covered in bruises.

“Then why didn’t you tell Mama Liu you were bullied?”
Old Matou asked, genuinely concerned.
He was a simple, honest man—he really believed Mama Liu liked her.

Lianyi couldn’t help but laugh softly.
He clearly had no idea what had just happened.

“It’s nothing serious. I’m strong; I’ll heal soon.
Better to avoid trouble when we can—business isn’t easy for my brother.”

Old Matou nearly fell again.

“L-Lianyi… you haven’t lost your mind, have you?
Since when do you talk like that?”

Everyone in ten surrounding villages knew Su Lianyi as the local troublemaker—
bold, rude, and impossible to deal with.

She chuckled.

“Uncle, tell me honestly—do you prefer the old Lianyi or the new one?”

“Of course… the new one,” he admitted at last.

“Then from now on, I’ll stay this way,” she said, smiling.
“But please, Uncle, tell me more about our family—
help me straighten out my thoughts.”

So the honest old man began patiently explaining everything about their household and this world.
By the time he finished,
Su Lianyi was utterly shocked.