Chapter 2: Return, O Soul

A sudden crack of thunder erupted on the level ground, and Gu Baiyu bolted upright from her deep sleep.

Sweat soaked her white coarse-cloth garments. Clutching the slightly damp quilt, Gu Baiyu stared blankly at the unfamiliar environment before her.

As far as her eyes could reach, there was a slightly aged, sandalwood-colored carved wooden table, upon which a set of crude, glazed tea sets was neatly arranged. A single candle flame, small as a bean, flickered on a dark lampstand. The pale gray window paper could not block out the torrential rain outside; damp moisture seeped through the imperfect cracks of the door, making the summer night feel like midwinter.

The images from her final moments before death still floated vividly before her eyes. Lifting a slender finger, Gu Baiyu felt as if she could still touch Wang Shuyao’s tear-stained cheek. Yet, at this very moment, she was undeniably alive, sitting alone on this thundering rainy night, able to hear the sound of her heart beating within her chest.

*Who... am I?*

*And where... is this?*

Glancing around, she caught sight of a bronze mirror. As Gu Baiyu looked at her own strange yet familiar reflection, it felt as though suppressed memories were surging forth in her mind, colliding and intertwining violently with her current consciousness. The sensation brought on an uncontrollable headache, causing her to let out an involuntary groan.

"Miss, Miss, what's wrong? Did you have another nightmare?"

Accompanied by several hurried calls, a petite figure in tea-colored clothing pushed the door open. Carrying a bowl of some dark, murky medicinal soup, she hurried toward Gu Baiyu's bedside in a few quick strides.

Staring intently at the young girl standing beside her—with almond eyes, red lips, and eyebrows as delicate as ink—the flood of memories that did not belong to her told Gu Baiyu that this worried girl was named Chaxin, the personal maid to Gu Baiyu, the most neglected legitimate eldest daughter of the Gu clan in Qingzhou City, Jiangnan.

And the newly awakened Gu Baiyu was clearly occupying the body of the legitimate eldest daughter of the Gu clan in Qingzhou City, Great Xing Dynasty. The memories that had just rushed into her mind like a tide belonged to the original owner of this body.

"Miss... you..."

Feeling unnerved by Gu Baiyu's cold and unfamiliar gaze, Chaxin stood to the side and spoke tentatively. But before she could continue, she was interrupted by a sudden, violent bout of coughing from Gu Baiyu.

"Miss, quickly, lie down and cover yourself with the quilt! Your body was already sickly, and it's raining so hard today; what if you catch a chill?" Without waiting for an answer, Chaxin pressed the seated Gu Baiyu back down into the quilt. The worry on Chaxin's face deepened. She turned to bring the medicine bowl from the table to Gu Baiyu and continued, "Miss, drink the medicine while it's hot and sleep a little longer. Regardless, we can't go anywhere in this heavy rain today."

The thick, dark medicinal liquid carried a choking bitterness as it was held before Gu Baiyu, causing her to frown slightly.

Although she came from a family of medical practitioners and had studied medicine all the way to a doctorate, she could never shake the habit of fearing bitter medicine since childhood. Fortunately, Gu Baiyu's health had always been good, and she rarely had to take medicine, saving her much trouble. But this current body...

Glancing at the thin and pale face reflected in the bronze mirror, Gu Baiyu sighed heavily in her heart. She took the medicine bowl from Chaxin and, as if accepting her fate, tilted her head back to gulp it down, only to be choked by the intense bitterness, triggering another cough.

"Miss, quickly, have some water. Rinse your mouth and it won't be so bitter."

Seeing Gu Baiyu's eyes tear up from the choking, Chaxin handed her a cup of plain water while stroking her back to help her catch her breath, her dark eyes filled with heartache.

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry so much." Seeing the heartache in Chaxin's eyes, Gu Baiyu offered words of comfort, yet she couldn't help but sigh again in her heart. The original owner's memories had now fully soaked into her mind; past events unfolded before her eyes one by one, so vividly that they felt as if they had always been her own memories and her own life.

The Gu clan was indeed one of the famous three great families in Qingzhou City, Jiangnan, and she, Gu Baiyu, was indeed the legitimate eldest daughter of this Gu clan. However, this Gu Baiyu—the only legitimate daughter born to the original wife, Lady Cui of the capital—was the most neglected child in the family. Consequently, not long after Lady Cui passed away, the young and sickly Gu Baiyu was abandoned at a manor under the Gu family's name. The only ones by her side were Nanny Liu, who had come with Lady Cui upon her marriage, and the personally selected maid, Chaxin. It was called "fostering," but in reality, it was being left to fend for herself.

Had it not been for Nanny Liu and Chaxin risking their lives to protect her, Gu Baiyu would likely have turned to dust long before reaching her twenty-ninth year.

Yet, in the end, they had failed to protect her.

Regarding this experience of returning from death only to occupy someone else's body, intuition told Gu Baiyu that the original owner of this body had already perished.

Looking up at Chaxin, whose eyes were full of care and worry, Gu Baiyu wondered what kind of despair and sorrow it would be if she and Nanny Liu knew that the person they had fought so hard to protect could never be saved.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Sudden, frantic, and violent knocking at the door startled the drifting Gu Baiyu. She instinctively looked toward the door, only to see Chaxin's expression turn instantly alert. Before Chaxin could even ask a question, Gu Baiyu heard a commotion in the courtyard, mingled with Nanny Liu's voice trying to block someone.

"Miss..."

Seeing Gu Baiyu rise from the bed and step onto the floor, Chaxin wanted to dissuade her, but was pushed back by the imposing aura radiating from Gu Baiyu. She could only hurriedly help her into her outer garment and follow closely as she walked out of the room.

A chilling wind instantly swept in, causing Gu Baiyu's new, frail body to cough violently. She waved her hand to signal Chaxin, who was about to come and support her, to step back. Gu Baiyu tightened her thin clothing and stood still in the corridor. Through the curtain-like rain falling from the eaves, she saw five middle-aged men and women dressed as peasants standing in the courtyard. Beneath their high bamboo hats were eyes watching her like predators, as if they might rush forward at any moment to tear her apart and swallow her along with her flesh.

The memories in her mind seemed to recoil. Gu Baiyu knew that these people in the courtyard were sent by her father's concubine to cause trouble. In the past, they had come to the door time and time again, and the cowardly Gu Baiyu had repeatedly yielded and endured, allowing them to leave jubilantly every single time.

Except this time...

A cold smirk played at the corner of Gu Baiyu's lips.

"Miss, why did you come out? Chaxin, how are you looking after the Miss? Don't you know the Miss is weak and cannot endure this cold wind? Miss, quickly, go back inside. This old servant will guard the place; nothing will happen." Hearing Gu Baiyu's coughing from behind, Nanny Liu, dressed in ink-blue, turned around and tried to lead Gu Baiyu back into the room.

"Nanny Liu, I chose to come out myself. You don't need to blame Chaxin." Her indifferent tone carried a hint of softness. Facing the weathered Nanny Liu, even though she had never received a shred of protection from her, a trace of warmth welled up in Gu Baiyu's heart.

"You came out just in time! What time is it, and you haven't even paid the rent! If you don't produce the money today, don't blame us for being impolite!" Seeing the sickly Gu Baiyu walk out of the room, the leading man in coarse brown clothes shouted. His worn sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, and he glared at Gu Baiyu with a ferocious expression.

In the past, this appearance would have scared Gu Baiyu until her eyes reddened. The man in coarse brown clothes, whose tactic never failed, stood with his hands on his hips, waiting triumphantly for the thin girl to beg for mercy. He did not expect to be met by a pair of cold, piercing eyes.

"Pay rent? What a joke!" Her speech was slow but powerful. A trace of mockery flashed in Gu Baiyu's bright black eyes, and her indifferent voice was exceptionally clear amidst the torrential rain. "I, Gu Baiyu, live in the Gu family's own manor. Why should I pay rent to a pack of stray dogs like you who appeared out of nowhere?"

"You! Who are you calling a stray dog?" The man in the dark gray cloth shirt standing behind the leader spoke with irritation, surprised that the usually submissive Gu Baiyu had suddenly become so sharp and forceful.

"Whoever recognizes me, I'll insult. Breaking into someone's courtyard and making a racket this early in the morning—if you aren't mad dogs, what are you?" Her voice was neither hot nor cold. Gu Baiyu cast a calm glance at the man in the dark gray shirt, which caused him to feel an inexplicable sense of dread.

However, his habitual intimidation remained. He subconsciously clenched his fists and continued to shout, "Cut the nonsense! Are you going to pay or not? If you don't, we won't be polite!"

"I won't. I'd like to see exactly how 'impolite' you intend to be today." A layer of biting frost settled between Gu Baiyu's already cold and indifferent brows. Her sharp gaze swept over the crowd in the courtyard, causing the few with less courage to instinctively take a step back.

"How impolite? Then I'll let you see clearly today just how impolite we can be!" As if provoked by Gu Baiyu's gaze, or perhaps attempting to strike first to mask her inner panic, a woman standing closest to Gu Baiyu spoke even as she reached out to grab Gu Baiyu's sleeve.

*Slap!*

A crisp, clear sound sliced through the noise in the courtyard. Everyone watched in stunned silence as the woman who had reached for Gu Baiyu's sleeve clutched her left cheek tightly. She looked at Gu Baiyu—who was withdrawing her hand with a cold smirk—in utter disbelief. A thin trail of blood slowly trickled from the corner of her mouth, appearing abrupt and eerie amidst the lightning and torrential rain.

"You... you actually dare... dare to hit me?"

After a long moment, the woman finally managed to squeeze out a trembling sentence. Her right hand pointed at Gu Baiyu, but her body unconsciously took a step back.

*Slap!*

Another resounding slap. However, this time, the one who struck was Chaxin.