Volume One Chapter 1: A Secret Meeting with an Outsider

In the cold, sterile operating room, Leng Yueheng lay on the surgical table, the overhead spotlight so glaring she couldn’t open her eyes, a faint ache throbbing on the back of her hand. Four fully geared doctors, bantering flirtatiously as they moved deftly, the clinking of metal instruments ringing out, “Ready for anesthesia,” as a tube of clear liquid was slowly injected into her IV.

It was just a minor gallbladder removal, yet Leng Yueheng felt as if she were on the verge of death, her mind drifting back over eight years of life as a housewife.

She slowly opened her eyes to find herself bathed in the warm glow of yellow light. Pale green gauzy bed curtains surrounded her on three sides, and beside the tightly shut wooden window stood a simple, rustic vanity. The mottled bronze mirror reflected a dim, murky beam.

Where was she?

Did hospital wards in top-tier hospitals look like this?

As she pondered, a strange current surged forcibly into her brain, racing through every nerve in her body before she could gather her thoughts, and a wave of heat swept over her.

She instinctively rubbed her legs, an uncontrollable thirst rising from her lower abdomen.

Yes—thirst. A craving for a man. She hadn’t even watched any adult films recently! Impatiently, she tore at the bed curtains and her clothes.

“Who are you?” A low, magnetic voice—a man.

Leng Yueheng turned toward the sound. A tall, rugged figure dressed in black knelt by the bed. His jet-black hair, most of it tied high, lent him an air of nobility and inaccessibility; a few strands fell loose, sticking seductively to his sweat-slicked face.

He was breathing heavily, struggling to restrain himself. A black longsword was planted on the floor, his gaze bloodshot as he looked at her, large beads of sweat rolling down his sharply defined jaw to his neck.

“What a handsome man!” Leng Yueheng felt the fire within her ignite instantly, swallowing hard as she blurted out her thoughts.

So this was a dream. Such a sexually charged man—where could she ever reason with him? Life was hard enough; couldn’t she indulge herself just once in a dream?

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“Are you poisoned too?” The man, clearly noticing her embarrassment, asked with forced composure. But in the next moment, his eyes met hers—seductive and smoky—and he couldn’t help but reach out to touch her already bare shoulder.

Leng Yueheng let out a scream; the dog of a man seemed to regret it, pushing her away with tremendous force. Her head slammed hard against the solid wooden bed frame.

The pain jolted her awake. This… this… was not a dream. Dreams didn’t hurt.

She had transmigrated. Her new identity: the illegitimate daughter of an academician at the Hanlin Academy in the Da Jing Dynasty, the third young lady of the Leng family.

The original owner had been framed at age five by the matriarch, sent away to a rural estate. Now seventeen, she had returned to marry Xiao Jingyun, the son of General Xiao.

Today was her grandmother’s birthday. The matriarch, Madam Jiang, had barred her from attending the evening banquet, claiming her manners were uncouth.

A servant brought her a cup of “caring” sweet wine, which cost the original owner her life, so simple-minded and strong-limbed.

Leng Yueheng clung to the last shred of her sanity, analyzing the situation. Clearly, she and the man before her had both been set up, poisoned with an aphrodisiac.

She knew this plot well. No doubt, those catching them in the act were already on their way. In Da Jing, women’s conduct was strictly judged; premarital intercourse was punishable by drowning.

“Quick! Escape through the window!” Leng Yueheng looked into the man’s blood-red, deep eyes, urging him urgently.

His pupils contracted; he too realized the gravity of the situation. Rising, he trembled as he wrapped an arm around her waist…

At the front courtyard of the Leng residence, Minghui Hall was divided into inner and outer chambers, separated by a screen of huanghuali wood depicting white cranes and pine mountains.

In the outer hall, a few colleagues friendly with Leng Xuanru drank merrily.

The old lady, her face full of smiles, sat in the inner hall, surrounded by ladies and young women.

“How blessed you are, madam. Master Leng’s filial piety goes without saying—it’s renowned throughout Jingjing! And just look at your granddaughters, each one more outstanding than the last. Truly enviable!”

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Beside her, the wife of a sixth-rank judge smiled broadly, showering flattery on the old lady at the head of the table.

Leng Xuanru, an academician of the Hanlin Academy, didn’t hold a particularly high rank, but as a drafter of imperial edicts, he often stayed overnight in the palace, summoned at any time.

Only a fourth-rank official, but well-informed! His prospects for promotion were high. In modern terms, he was the emperor’s secretary! Naturally, the ladies had to curry favor for their husbands.

“Indeed! I hear your third young lady has been engaged to Young Master Xiao since childhood. With his talent and family background, who wouldn’t be jealous?” another lady chimed in, her voice sharp and high.

The old lady’s face seemed to swell with pride as she smiled broadly.

Madam Jiang, smiling graciously, responded with practiced poise, occasionally glancing discreetly toward the door, nervously twisting the handkerchief in her hand.

Leng Yueheng’s maid, Bamboo Dew, rushed in, flustered, tripping at the threshold, instantly drawing everyone’s attention from both halls.

“Madam, I have something to report,”

“You clumsy girl!” Madam Jiang’s words radiated the magnanimity of a matriarch. “What is it?”

“The fourth young lady…” Bamboo Dew struggled to speak.

“What’s happened to Leng Yueheng? Speak up!” The fourth young lady, Leng Yuejiao, raised her chin; anything related to Leng Yueheng piqued her interest.

“A strange man entered the third young lady’s courtyard. I… I didn’t dare keep it to myself!”

“What? Are you saying Leng Yueheng met privately with an outsider?” Leng Yuejiao’s eyes widened in fury, her voice rising a pitch—sharp and piercing. Now everyone could hear!

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