Chapter 5: This Body

I have transmigrated. To be precise, I have been reincarnated into another person's body.

This fact terrified Qi Yue. As a surgeon accustomed to life and death, she simply could not comprehend such an inconceivable phenomenon.

She faced the bronze mirror, examining her current self once more.

The mirror was dim, and her exact features were not very clear, but it was certain that she was a classical beauty. Look at these fine eyebrows and almond eyes. Qi Yue arched her brows, widened her eyes, and finally pursed her lips into a smile; two deep dimples appeared on the face of the person in the mirror.

Wow, Qi Yue couldn't help but let out a low whistle. If she had grown up looking like this, she reckoned that even if her new boyfriend's father were the hospital director, it wouldn't have shaken her ex-boyfriend's steadfast heart.

Looking at her age, Qi Yue reached out and pinched her cheek. For a moment, she forgot it wasn't "her own" and used too much force, causing her to wince and hiss.

Hmm, the skin wasn't very good—probably because she was too thin—but for a twenty-seven-year-old "auntie" like Qi Yue, it felt like she was seven or eight years younger.

Having recognized "her" appearance, Qi Yue turned her gaze to the room, beginning to look around and touch things with great interest. Everything she saw was rare and precious; everything here was vivid and carried the warmth of human life, unlike the lifeless atmosphere she had seen in folk museums, which never allowed one to truly experience the luxurious life of an ancient noble family.

As she turned around, Qi Yue’s gaze suddenly stopped. She saw the first-aid kit still lying on the floor. A boom echoed in her mind, and her fresh curiosity instantly faded.

She had transmigrated! She was Qi Yue, yet she was no longer Qi Yue! Even if the body of that Qi Yue in the modern world still existed, whether she was alive or dead, it was no longer her. In that world, she no longer existed!

Her father, mother, sister, and brother would never see her again! Her ex-boyfriend would no longer have to worry about her bothering his soon-to-be-prosperous life! The injured patient at the township health center would never wait for her to perform surgery again—though, of course, this could be replaced; other doctors would do it for him...

When A'ru and A'hao were changing clothes in the room, they heard faint sobbing. The two exchanged glances, and without caring that their hair was loose, they hurried over.

The young mistress's stifled crying came from inside the room.

"Young Mistress, Young Mistress," A'ru called out anxiously. She went to push the door open but found it was bolted. This made her even more afraid, and she pounded on the door, "Please, open the door, open the door!"

Qi Yue sat on the floor, leaning against the door and hugging the first-aid kit, her tears unstoppable. As she cried, she opened the kit. Oxygen mask, gauze, tape, stethoscope, scalpels, scissors, and other instruments came into view...

"Why did you follow me here?" she murmured, her hands stroking the equipment she had personally selected one by one.

"In this strange place, I only have you..."

"Young Mistress, Young Mistress, please don't do anything foolish..." A'ru was so anxious she didn't know what to do. Aside from the crying inside, she received no response. Thinking of the shock they had received today and the grievances they had endured all along, she sat down on the floor in despair and began to cry as well.

"Young Mistress, I know you are hurting, but no matter how much it hurts, you have to keep living..."

"Think of the Old Mistress. Even for her sake, you cannot do anything foolish..."

"Think of how the Old Mistress held on for your sake, waiting until you finished the wedding ceremony before she closed her eyes..."

"...You must be well, take care of your health, and wait for the Heir to return. He will surely come to take you away..."

"Even without the Old Mistress, you still have the Heir..."

As A'ru spoke, she couldn't continue and leaned against the door, sobbing. A'hao, who had followed her, was already a tear-stained mess.

The three of them, inside and outside the room, cried their hearts out over their own sorrows in the rainy weather.

Outside Qiutong Courtyard, several old women wearing straw rain capes and conical hats passed by.

"What's going on?" one of them asked, tilting her head to listen. "What are they doing in Qiutong Courtyard? Crying like this in broad daylight?"

One of them laughed.

"I just heard that the Young Mistress of the East Mansion tried to hang herself today. I suppose it's time for the scene of mourning by the bedside," she said.

Everyone laughed at this. The woman who had asked earlier clearly didn't know about this, and she frowned and shook her head.

"Let's not gossip about the affairs of the East Mansion," she said in a low voice. "She is a pitiful person, too..."

The old women immediately stopped laughing and straightened their expressions, nodding in agreement.

"Let's go. Deliver the items, pay our respects to the Marquis's wife, and hurry back. We can't afford to be short-handed on our side," the woman said.

The group continued walking slowly. As the woman turned into the alleyway, she looked back once. Qiutong Courtyard was shrouded in mist in the rain.

"Sigh," she sighed softly. "Everyone said it was a great blessing, but little did they know that even these 'good days' are soaked in bitterness..."

She took one last look at Qiutong Courtyard and turned into the alleyway with the other women.

Meanwhile, A'ru had been leaning against the door for who knows how long. She had cried until she had no strength left, just staring blankly as tears flowed. Then, she heard a *click*, and the door opened.

"Young Mistress!" Both maids looked up in surprise.

Qi Yue looked at them.

"Get up, don't cry anymore," she said. Whether it was because of the crying or the injury to her neck, her voice was hoarse.

A'ru and A'hao stood up immediately, nodding through their tears.

"Cry when you need to cry; it's fine once it's over," Qi Yue said, offering them a faint smile.

Her face was pale, her eyes red and swollen; this smile was certainly not pretty, but A'ru and A'hao were still so happy they wanted to cry again.

"Mistress, let's call a doctor..." A'ru said.

"Why call a doctor?" Qi Yue shook her head.

A'ru paused, only then noticing the white cloth wrapped around the young mistress's neck. It was just that this white cloth looked quite unique; she had never seen it before...

"Mistress, you..." she couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, this?" Qi Yue reached out and touched it. She had already treated the wound on her neck while looking in the mirror. "I've taken care of it, so there's no need to trouble outsiders."

That was true; it wouldn't look good if word got out. A'ru and A'hao nodded.

"A'hao, go fetch water to help the Young Mistress freshen up," A'ru instructed.

A'hao acknowledged and hurried off. A'ru reached out to help Qi Yue sit down.

Being helped like this at such a young age felt strange to Qi Yue, but seeing the maid's actions, it was clearly a habit. Since she was a newcomer, she might as well follow the crowd to avoid getting into trouble.

A'hao brought the water in and knelt before her.

"Young Mistress, what's wrong?" A'ru and A'hao asked, puzzled, as Qi Yue suddenly stood up.

This... this kneeling was really... Qi Yue looked at the two maids' surprised and worried expressions, twitched her lips into a smile, sat back down, and let the two serve her.

Qi Yue watched with curiosity as A'ru brought over a small box painted with exquisite patterns. This was a real antique! She couldn't help but reach out and stroke it; it was made of carved lacquer.

A'ru opened it to reveal seven small containers, helping her freshen her face, apply powder, rouge, and lip tint.

Qi Yue watched as A'ru wiped her own clean hands, dug a small amount of cream from a container, and carefully applied it. She couldn't help but click her tongue in admiration—they even had hand cream!

After finishing this, A'ru took the basin from A'hao. A'hao stood up and took out a comb to tidy Qi Yue's hair. A'ru plucked a flower from a blooming poppy plant by the window and pinned it into Qi Yue's hair.

She had never been pampered like this, not even when going to a photo studio for a portrait, Qi Yue thought to herself.

"All done, Young Mistress." A'ru brought over the bronze mirror for Qi Yue to examine herself.

Qi Yue looked left and right, even unable to resist baring her teeth in a smile. She looked even brighter than the person she had seen in the mirror earlier. Turning to see the two maids looking at her in surprise, she quickly straightened her expression and nodded.

"Young Mistress, I'll go prepare the meal," A'hao requested.

What time was it? Qi Yue subconsciously raised her wrist to check her watch, but her eyes met two twisted silver bracelets...

"Go ahead," she said somewhat unnaturally, looking out at the sky. The rain was gradually easing, and the previously gloomy sky was brightening slightly.

A'hao bowed and left.

"Young Mistress, why don't you lie down for a while?" A'ru reached out to help her.

"No need. You go help out too; I want to be alone for a while," Qi Yue said, shaking her head.

A'ru looked worried and hesitated for a moment.

"It's fine, you go. I've already been foolish once; it won't happen again," Qi Yue smiled at her, adding, "I scared you both. I'm truly sorry."

Tears welled up in A'ru's eyes.

"Young Mistress, it is we who failed to take good care of you," she choked out.

"It's not your fault," Qi Yue said. She didn't know what to say to this maid who was a complete stranger to her, and she didn't dare say too much, so she kept it brief and even made a slightly impatient gesture with her hand.

A'ru immediately stopped talking.

"Call me if you need anything, Young Mistress. I'll be in the courtyard," she said, bowing her head as she retreated. Whether intentional or not, she didn't close the door.

Qi Yue let out a breath and relaxed her posture. The room fell silent, but her mind was still in chaos.

Is this real or fake? Did she transmigrate? Did she become someone else? And in ancient times, at that! Heavens, how is she supposed to live like this!

(End of chapter)