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The heroine of this story appears gentle and innocent on the outside but is in truth sly and bold—daring to the extreme. Because her mother had transmigrated from the modern era into ancient times, she also knows quite a bit about modern slang and knowledge. But all of it is only theory—she’ll have to slowly fumble her way through in practice.
There is a CP in this story, though the male lead will appear later.
The 14th year of Great Yong.
A swaying carriage came to a halt at the gates of Dahan Temple. The curtain was lifted, and a delicate, fair little hand stretched out from within.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.”
A pretty young maid with twin braids happily helped Wei Ci, who was bundled in a fox-fur cloak, down from the carriage, hurriedly pressing a hand-warmer into her hands. The weather was so cold that the breath from a moment ago seemed to freeze into crystals in the next.
The two looked up at the plaque reading Dahan Temple, and, in unison, shook their heads with a sigh. Who would come to burn incense in the dead of winter?
“Miss, did Concubine Gu really say it was here?”
Wei Ci shook her head. Her aunt had said it was at Dahan Temple, so it should be this one… but what on earth had gotten into her aunt that she insisted Wei Ci come burn incense here?
At the thought of her aunt, Wei Ci couldn’t help but look troubled.
Her “aunt” was also her real mother. She was a rather legendary woman, always tinkering with strange but practical little inventions. Though her father had demoted her from wife to concubine, she didn’t seem to care—she simply shut the gates of their little courtyard with a smile and carried on living happily with her daughter.
As Wei Ci grew older, she gradually discovered that her mother, whose style seemed to change daily, not only secretly partnered with others in business ventures that prospered but also imitated men by keeping lovers in secret—several of them at that! Each one handsome, long-legged, and striking, with some even holding high rank and power. No wonder she was reluctant to return to the Wei estate each night, living merrily outside. Wei Ci couldn’t understand it, but she was deeply shocked—did they really not fight among themselves?
But while her mother’s life was fulfilling, her daughter’s life turned troublesome. Wei Ci had to constantly watch her father’s every move day and night, guarding their little courtyard like a fortress, absolutely forbidding her scumbag father from sneaking in while her mother was away—otherwise, things would turn disastrous.
Then one day, Wei Ci’s mother suddenly insisted she go to Dahan Temple to light incense at an eternal lamp for someone. Who could be so important that her mother would dedicate such a lamp to them—burning day and night—and even make her own daughter go in person to offer incense?
But when Wei Ci actually saw the name on the lamp, she was utterly thunderstruck.
Wei Ci!
It was her own name?!
“How could this be…”
Her maid was just as dumbfounded, staring first at her young mistress, then at the eternal lamp that would never go out, unable to find words to express her tangled emotions.
Wei Ci frowned deeply, unable to make sense of her mother’s intentions. In the end, she gave up thinking about it, quietly offered a stick of incense, and turned to leave.
Whatever questions she had, she could ask her mother directly later—who could explain it better than the person herself?
“Let’s go, we’ll ask Aunt when we return.”
But Wei Ci hadn’t expected that while coming had been easy, going back would be impossible.
On her way back, someone ambushed her. She didn’t even have time to react. Just as her maid cried out in shock, darkness swallowed her vision, and she lost consciousness.
Clatter!
The prayer beads on her jade-white wrist suddenly snapped, scattering in all directions. The crisp sound of pearls hitting the ground instantly drained the smile from the face of the woman who, a moment ago, had been nestled sweetly in a man’s arms.
“What’s wrong?”
The man asked in confusion, reaching out to steady her slender figure. Without a trace of hesitation, he pulled her tightly into his arms. His burning gaze lingered on her, sliding inch by inch over her brows, eyes, and features, before finally coming to rest on her soft, rosy lips.
Gu Liang’s trembling hand clutched his strong arm, her voice edged with panic:
“Ah Ci is in trouble! Something’s happened to her! Go find her! Hurry!”
The man said nothing. He immediately fired a signal, settled Gu Liang safely, and then led men out of the city to search for Wei Ci. That girl was his beloved’s most cherished daughter, the child he had watched grow up since she was little. For the sake of his beloved, and for the affection he himself felt toward her, he would do everything in his power to save her.
【Host, it’s too late. Ah Ci’s life signs have vanished.】
The system’s cold voice made Gu Liang collapse to the ground in despair, her face already wet with tears she hadn’t even noticed falling.
“How could this be… How could this be? Ah Ci had the protective charm you gave her—how could something still happen to her?”
【Host, her fate doesn’t belong here. Forcing her to stay won’t work. Only by returning her to the world she truly belongs to can she live well.】
Gu Liang gave a bitter laugh.
Of course she knew she had been forcing things. But that was the child she had carried for ten months, the little darling she had awaited day after day, the daughter who was so sensible and considerate, endlessly sweet and thoughtful. How could she bear to let her face the world alone? She was so pure—what if someone bullied her?
Who could possibly bully that little ancestor? If she didn’t bully others, it was already a blessing! Just look around—of all those who used to pick on her, how many are still in one piece?
The system rolled its eyes but held its tongue. Otherwise, this host might just try to kill it.
【If you’re really worried about her, why not spend some points to send her survival supplies?】
Gu Liang sneered. This thing was trying to scam points out of her again.
Even so, she obediently opened the light screen and began selecting a transmigration starter pack for her daughter.
“Which world will Ah Ci be sent to?”
【Forty points for your original world. Sixty points for a xianxia/fantasy world. Ninety points for a modern world.】
Gu Liang understood. A modern world, then… she’d studied that in the history books.
She herself was a thorough transmigrator, well aware of what the modern era was like. She’d even read plenty of novels set in that time. It seemed like an even harsher, poorer world compared to the present one—she would have to prepare plenty of supplies for her daughter.
The system secretly breathed a sigh of relief, quietly opening its own little treasury, bringing up the exclusive internal system marketplace, and began picking out items for Ah Ci.
After all, the girl had called her “Fifteenth Uncle” for over ten years. Even though Ah Ci had never seen her, the system had watched her grow step by step. With so much time, feelings had formed. Now that she was returning to her true world, it would buy her a few good things to take along.
A few days later, word spread that the Wei family’s illegitimate daughter had been ambushed and killed while out burning incense. Her mother, Concubine Gu, was devastated, falling into despair, and from then on shut herself away completely, never again stepping out.
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“Hurry up!”
“Why are you rushing me? If you think I’m slow, then do it yourself!”
“I’m just afraid she’ll wake up and cause a fuss. If she alerts the people in the village and they find out you were the one who led her out only for her to get hurt, then the main branch’s two brats will come after you for payback!”
“Alright, alright, I get it! Women really are troublesome!”
The grumbling voices grew fainter and fainter. Wei Ci could no longer clearly hear what they were saying. Her mind grew heavier and heavier, until at last her head drooped, and she lost consciousness completely.
She didn’t know whether this attack had been arranged by her stepmother and half-sister, or by someone else entirely… and she didn’t know if her mother would be able to tear herself away from her pleasures in time to save this poor little daughter of hers.