Chapter 1: A Startling Dream, Entering the Xiao Mansion

The fiery red wedding dress wrapped tightly around Qin Luoli like a blaze of burning flames.

The jolting bridal sedan mirrored her current state of mind—restless, anxious, and utterly unmoored.

Her mind felt like a boiling cauldron as countless memories that did not belong to her flooded in. Ancient times? A bride? Getting married? The sheer volume of information was overwhelming; she needed a moment to process it.

*“What on earth is this?!”* Qin Luoli screamed inwardly like a panicked marmot. She had clearly been staying up late in the laboratory rushing to finish a project. How had she suddenly become the new bride of the Xiao family in the blink of an eye?

She pinched herself hard. It was real, not a dream!

Peering through the gap in the sedan curtain, she could see the gray tiles, blue bricks, and antique streets outside. The continuous popping of firecrackers ringing in her ears served as a constant reminder: she had truly traveled through time!

Qin Luoli instantly felt as disgusted as if she had swallowed a fly. She, a relentless overachiever of the twenty-first century, was actually going to be a wife in this desolate, godforsaken ancient world?

The original owner of this body was also named Qin Luoli. She was a concubine's daughter of the Qin family in the capital. Neglected since childhood, she had been used by her family as a political tool for marriage, wedded to Xiao Jingyuan, the second young master of the Xiao family.

The Xiao family was a general's household wielding immense military power. It sounded formidable, but in the original owner's memory, the household was far from simple; from top to bottom, it was filled with drama queens.

*“Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it,”* Qin Luoli cheered herself on in her mind, trying to analyze the situation calmly.

Yet her body remained involuntarily tense, and a cold sweat broke out on her palms. Right now, she was like a puppet manipulated by fate, forced to passively accept all of this.

"The bride is stepping out of the sedan!" A shrill voice called out from outside. Qin Luoli knew that she was about to face a completely unknown challenge.

She took a deep breath, striving to calm her racing heart and adjust her mindset.

With a click, the sedan door opened. A cool breeze, carrying the acrid smell of gunpowder from the firecrackers, brushed against her face. Qin Luoli knew the real test had begun.

With one hand, she gripped her wedding dress tightly, while her other hand quietly reached toward her waist. There lay her only source of confidence.

"This way, please, bride," Zhang Fugui's face, plastered with a sycophantic smile, appeared at the entrance of the sedan.

Just as Qin Luoli was about to step out, a discordant voice suddenly rang out. "Oh, the bride is here. Why hasn't she stepped over the brazier yet? Don't tell me she's too scared?" The speaker was none other than Xiao Jingxian, the eldest young master of the Xiao family. His sarcastic, mocking tone made Qin Luoli furrow her brows.

"Young Master, this..." Zhang Fugui's flattering smile froze instantly.

Looking at the crooked brazier and the crowd of onlookers who loved nothing more than drama, Qin Luoli curled her lips into a cold smirk. *This Xiao family seems far more interesting than I imagined.*

In the tilted brazier, the flames danced as if mocking her predicament. Xiao Jingxian wore a sneer, waiting to watch the show. The surrounding guests whispered and murmured among themselves.

Qin Luoli, however, did not panic in the slightest. Her eyes flashed. Tapping her toe lightly, she leaped as gracefully as a swallow, landing steadily on the other side of the brazier. Her posture was indescribably elegant and composed, as if she were performing a beautiful dance rather than stepping over a fire pit.

"Oh dear, how did this fire pit get so crooked? How embarrassing to let the bride see such a clumsy display," Qin Luoli chuckled, covering her mouth in mock surprise. Her eyes, however, carried a trace of defiance as they swept across Xiao Jingxian's ash-faced expression.

Xiao Jingxian's scheme had fallen through. His expression turned incredibly ugly, as though he had swallowed a fly. He had wanted to see her make a fool of herself, but instead, she had completely outshone him.

The guests around them gasped in admiration, praising Qin Luoli's agility.

"The bride is so agile!"

"Indeed! With such grace and poise, she is clearly a lady of noble birth!"

Hearing the praise around him, Xiao Jingxian's face darkened further. He snorted coldly, swept his sleeves, and walked away, leaving everyone staring at one another.

Upon arriving at the main hall of the Xiao Estate, protocol dictated that the butler should arrange the bride's seat. However, Zhang Fugui deliberately pretended not to see Qin Luoli, wanting to embarrass her in front of everyone.

Qin Luoli glanced around. Seeing everyone's eyes on her, she remained unfazed. She walked straight to an empty chair and sat down with poise.

She even smiled and said, "As a new bride entering the household, one must have some initiative. I shall take this seat first. Elders, please forgive this junior if she lacks proper etiquette."

Zhang Fugui was instantly mortified. He had not expected Qin Luoli to be so bold as to seat herself.

The surrounding servants exchanged glances, feeling a sudden touch of awe and respect for this new young mistress.

"This young mistress is truly extraordinary..." a maid whispered.

"Exactly. It seems we must serve her with extra care in the future..." another maid agreed.

Just then, a woman dressed in luxurious attire approached. A fake smile plastered her face, but her eyes held a trace of coldness as she sized Qin Luoli up.

"Oh, so this is our new sister..." Madame Liu's voice carried a sarcastic undertone.

"You must be Concubine Liu?" With a meaningful smile on her lips, Qin Luoli spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, directly pointing out Madame Liu's status. She was merely the general's concubine.

In the original owner's memory, this Madame Liu was a typical "white lotus"—seemingly gentle and virtuous on the surface, but insidious and cunning underneath, having repeatedly tripped up the original host.

"Sister sure has sharp eyes." Madame Liu's smile stiffened for a moment before she quickly regained her gentle and sweet demeanor. Her tone carried a hint of jealousy. "It is truly a blessing for our Xiao family to marry a lady of noble birth like you."

She deliberately emphasized the words "lady of noble birth," as if implying that Qin Luoli was merely an insignificant daughter of a concubine, and that marrying into the Xiao family was a social climb for her.

Hearing this, Qin Luoli almost burst out laughing. She retorted sharply, "Concubine Liu, you have it wrong. It isn't just a blessing for the Xiao family to marry me. Rather, for the Xiao family to marry me, their ancestors must have burned high incense to earn such fortune!"

Her tone was light, yet it carried an unquestionable confidence that instantly left Madame Liu speechless.

Madame Liu's face turned ash-pale, looking as though she had swallowed a dead fly. She had not expected this new sister-in-law to be so sharp-tongued, daring to refute her in public.

The surrounding ladies gasped, quickly lowering their heads to whisper, terrified of drawing fire onto themselves. They all knew that the Xiao Estate was bound to become lively.

Just then, a cold voice broke the impasse. "Enough."

Qin Luoli looked toward the source of the voice and saw a man clad in silver armor walking in. Tall and erect, with cold, sharp features, he exuded an aura that warned everyone to keep their distance. This man was none other than her new husband, Xiao Jingyuan.

"The General is back!"

"The General is truly majestic!"

Low gasps of admiration rippled through the crowd. Clearly, Xiao Jingyuan held immense authority in the Xiao household.

Xiao Jingyuan merely swept a cool glance over the crowd. His eyes, deep as a frozen pool, made people shrink from his gaze. He walked over to the seat of honor and sat down, never once looking at Qin Luoli throughout the entire process, as if she were invisible.

Seeing this, Qin Luoli sneered inwardly. *Hah, he truly lives up to the name of the "Ice General." This frigid demeanor makes him look like a walking ice sculpture.*

She did not bother to make a fool of herself. Giving Xiao Jingyuan a polite nod, she paid him no further attention.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward. The ladies looked at one another, at a loss for words. They had originally hoped to witness an affectionate scene between the newlyweds, but they had not expected such cold indifference.

"The General and the young mistress don't seem very familiar with each other..."

"Indeed. Look at the General, cold as an ice block, and the young mistress doesn't seem to care either..."

"Sigh, it looks like there will be plenty of drama to watch in the Xiao household from now on..."

The hushed whispers of the crowd buzzed around Qin Luoli's ears like mosquitoes, but she remained completely unaffected. She casually sipped her tea and nibbled on pastries, acting as if she were a mere spectator.

Just then, a crisp voice suddenly rang out. "Sister-in-law, you are so pretty!"

A young girl with her hair tied in double buns ran over to Qin Luoli like a joyful butterfly. Her large eyes blinked with curiosity. This was the youngest daughter of the Xiao family, Xiao Jingxuan, a sweet and innocent child.

"Sister-in-law, what is that on your head? It's so shiny and pretty!" Xiao Jingxuan pointed at the phoenix crown on Qin Luoli's head, her face filled with envy.

"This is called a phoenix crown. Only a bride can wear it," Qin Luoli patted Xiao Jingxuan's head and explained. "When you grow up and get married, you can wear such a beautiful phoenix crown too."

"Really? Then I want to grow up quickly!" Xiao Jingxuan clapped her hands in excitement, her heart filled with anticipation for the future. "Sister-in-law, where do you come from? Is it far?"

Xiao Jingxuan's questions came one after another like rapid gunfire.

"Me? I come from a very, very distant place, where..." Qin Luoli paused to gather her thoughts. "There are no horse carriages or sedan chairs there. People travel in things called cars. They are incredibly fast, faster than the swiftest steeds!"

"Wow! That's so magical!" Xiao Jingxuan's eyes widened even further, brimming with curiosity about the very, very distant place Qin Luoli spoke of.

Watching the warm interaction between Qin Luoli and Xiao Jingxuan from the side, Madame Liu felt a pang of jealousy as sharp as cat claws scratching at her heart. She had tried everything to curry favor with Xiao Jingxuan, yet she was still less liked than this newly arrived sister-in-law.

Why? She was just a concubine's daughter; how did she deserve Xiao Jingxuan's affection?

The surrounding children also cast envious glances, wishing to speak with this new sister-in-law and hear her tell those novel stories.

After the banquet ended, Qin Luoli was led to her own courtyard by a maid.

Zhang Fugui had deliberately made things difficult for her, preparing only cold leftovers for her meal. Looking at the "delicacies" before her, Qin Luoli sneered inwardly. The Xiao family truly was full of surprises at every turn.

Unperturbed, she had the food cleared away, planning to retrieve some delicious food from her personal space once the night grew quiet and still.

Standing alone in the empty kitchen, Qin Luoli looked around, feeling the chill and silence of the ancient world. Although she felt somewhat displeased, she knew she had to endure and grow strong to survive in this cutthroat Xiao household.

"Young Mistress, the Old Madame requests your presence," a maid's voice broke the silence of the kitchen.

Qin Luoli knew that this was the real trial. She took a deep breath, adjusted her attire, and walked toward Old Madame Xiao's residence.

The quiet path leading to the Old Madame's quarters was lined with emerald bamboo. As a gentle breeze swept through, the bamboo leaves rustled softly, as if whispering secrets.

Qin Luoli's heart grew increasingly tense along with the rustling sound. What exactly lay in wait for her?