DTBCF Chapter 7

Xiaoshi agreed and left. Shortly after watering the plant, she heard a cheerful voice say, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied absentmindedly before sitting up abruptly. “Wait, how many times have I hallucinated this? This doesn’t even make sense!”

“Lady Xiu, what’s wrong?” Xiaoshi asked as she watched her mistress, who had been unconscious for days, suddenly get out of bed in only her inner garments, staring at the cactus for a long while. Then, out of nowhere, Bai Xiangxiu asked, “Hey, what kind of demon are you?”

Xiaoshi was speechless. Then she bolted out of the room, shouting, “Someone, go get the doctor! Lady Xiu… she’s acting strangely!”

Bai Xiangxiu only felt a headache. “How am I acting strange? I’m perfectly fine!”

“I’m not a demon. I’m a cactus. I’m Little Fire,” said a cute voice. Bai Xiangxiu jumped back, realizing she might be losing her mind because it seemed like the cactus was talking to her.

“You… You… It’s not your fault. I think I need to see a doctor,” Bai Xiangxiu muttered as she returned to bed, lying down in a starfish position, waiting for the doctor to come. But then she reconsidered her posture, thinking it was inappropriate, and quickly pulled the blanket over herself.

“Master, Little Fire feels great today. Little Fire wants some sunshine,” the voice continued cheerfully. Bai Xiangxiu felt like her illness was only getting worse.

Soon enough, the doctor arrived. Since he was elderly, he didn’t bother much with formalities.

Bai Xiangxiu straightforwardly extended her arm and said, “Doctor, I’ve been having hallucinations. I keep hearing voices in my head. Can you check if I’m going insane?”

The old doctor’s mouth twitched. He had never met someone so willingly admitting to madness. After checking her pulse, he smiled, “Lady Xiu’s illness is mostly cured. A few more doses of medicine, and she’ll be fine.”

Ridiculous! They rushed him here, and yet she’s perfectly fine. He quickly prescribed some medicine and left with his medical bag.

Bai Xiangxiu, still lying in bed, called out, “Doctor, don’t leave! I am sick.” At that moment, the voice in her head said, “I’m not human; I’m Little Fire, the cactus.”

Who has ever seen a talking cactus? Bai Xiangxiu certainly hadn’t.

Xiaoshi, now more at ease after hearing the doctor say her mistress was fine, thought that Bai Xiangxiu’s odd behavior was likely due to lingering shock. She hoped that with some rest, her mistress would return to normal.

Bai Xiangxiu continued her “madness” for two more days until word of it spread. Eventually, she accepted reality. So what if there was an adorable talking cactus that only she could hear? As long as she pretended she didn’t hear it, she could still function as a normal person, right?

And after all, Little Fire was indeed just a cactus—an innocent, clueless cactus. It slept about twenty hours a day, only awake for about four, so it wasn’t too annoying.

What truly bothered Bai Xiangxiu was something else: despite being pricked by the cactus, she couldn’t return home. Was it the wrong time or place?

She had tried to recreate the same conditions as when she first got pricked, but despite drawing blood, she didn’t go back. Maybe she had to wait until the same day next year? After all, Xiaoshi had told her that the day she arrived was special because it was the Ghost Festival.

Did this mean she had to wait until the next Ghost Festival to prick herself at the same time and place? The thought was unsettling, especially considering the possibility of being beaten to death with sticks before then. The memory of that terrifying scene was still fresh, and it scared her deeply.

She had to figure out a way to avoid that fate. In the meantime, she’d need to cling to someone powerful to protect her for the next year. At least that way, if she couldn’t return, she could survive here.

As for the idea of falling in love with a handsome man in ancient times—that was completely unrealistic. It was better not to dwell on that fantasy.

But whose protection should she seek?

The male lead? Definitely not. Just thinking about him made her legs go weak.

The old matriarch? Also no. The thought of her brought the same terror as her son, the fierce prince.

After much consideration, Bai Xiangxiu realized the only person she’d met who seemed somewhat approachable was the first male supporting character, Song Jiaoyue.

Song Jiaoyue was gentle both inside and out. If the male lead was like fire, then Song Jiaoyue was like water. If the male lead was the scorching sun, then Song Jiaoyue was the cool, calming moon.

He also came from a good family and could rival the male lead in influence. The other supporting characters were too weak to stand up to the male lead, even if she managed to gain their favor.

If it was Song Jiaoyue, with his relationship with the male lead, getting her out of the manor would be easy for him.

Besides, he was known for his loyalty. Even though he had concubines, once he fell in love with a woman, he would be as devoted as the male lead, largely ignoring the others.

Moreover, Song Jiaoyue was incredibly gentle with women—he’d never beat someone to death with a stick. So after much thought, she decided that he was her best option.

Now, how to win him over?

The male lead fell for the heroine because of her reputation for talent. Song Jiaoyue, too, became captivated after hearing her sing a poem she composed.

So it wasn’t her beauty that attracted Song Jiaoyue; it was her talent. Bai Xiangxiu stroked her chin. What talents did she possess? All she knew was how to tend to plants!

But if she wanted to get close to Song Jiaoyue, she’d need talent. That was crucial.

She decided to start by studying the poetry and literature of this era. She also planned to research whether any time-travelers before her had already stolen the famous poems from the future. The last thing she needed was to be called a plagiarist!

So, she began to study fervently, like she was preparing for a major exam.

Xiaoshi watched as her mistress spent her days buried in books, from morning until night, without bothering to comb her hair or wash her face. Was reading really that interesting?

Just when Xiaoshi thought her mistress might finally be returning to normal, Bai Xiangxiu began practicing calligraphy—again from dawn until dusk, tying the brush to her fingers when she got tired.

Xiaoshi had never seen someone so self-punishing. Meanwhile, rumors spread that Lady Xiu had gone mad after the incident and was now behaving very oddly.

The fierce prince heard about this two months later. After discussing it with the old matriarch, she said, “I’ll send someone to check on her. If her madness is severe, we’ll send her to a temple to recuperate. Maybe with the help of the Buddha, she’ll recover.”

Long Heng nodded in agreement and left the matriarch’s residence, feeling a bit unreal. The lively young woman from that day had gone mad? He hesitated for a moment before heading toward Dongyuan (Winter Garden).