DTBCF Chapter 1

Liu Yangyang, after graduating from university, found a job in a park doing horticulture and had been there for three years. She was diligent and dependable, qualities that made her well-liked by her superiors.

However, now at 26 years old, she was approaching the dreaded status of being an “older single woman.” Her family was anxious about this and frequently arranged blind dates for her. She had one scheduled for after work today, which she was already dreading.

During her lunch break, she scrolled through her phone while sipping water, taking a brief respite. For three days, she had been engrossed in a web novel called The Prince’s Little Escaping Consort.

The female protagonist in the story was notorious for seeking trouble, and the plot was filled with drama and clichés. However, the author’s writing style was compelling, and the plot was tightly woven, which kept her hooked.

Today’s chapter had reached its climax. The male lead, a prince, had finally caught his runaway fiancée. But the fiancée declared she didn’t want to share her husband with the prince’s other women in the harem. In a grand gesture, the prince dismissed all of his concubines.

These concubines had lived comfortably in the palace, but the sudden blow shattered their worlds. Many were devastated and tearfully pleaded to stay. Thankfully, the prince’s mother intervened, allowing them to remain. But naturally, some of these women began harboring intense hatred toward the protagonist, leading to a series of revenge plots.

Poisonings and palace intrigue ensued, but the heroine, despite her naivety, had the powerful male lead as her shield. Together, they bulldozed their way through all the schemes.

Today, Liu Yangyang had just reached the part where a minor character, a concubine who had never even touched the male lead’s hand, was caught trying to harm the protagonist. As an example, she was beaten to death in a brutal, bloody scene, marking the peak of the novel’s intensity.

Feeling both excited and thirsty, Liu Yangyang reached for her cup of water, only to accidentally bump into a nearby cactus. The sharp thorns pricked her hand, drawing blood.

She frowned, watching as drops of blood slowly welled up and dripped from her fingers.

But something wasn’t right. The speed of the blood falling seemed oddly slow, and she could trace the path of each drop. That’s not scientifically possible, she thought, trying to blink—but her eyes wouldn’t close.

Finally, the blood hit the table. But the table, once a worn-out office desk, had transformed into an intricately carved sandalwood one—solid wood, no less. A piece like this would cost thousands.

Liu Yangyang blinked again. What was going on? Since when did she have a fear of blood that would cause hallucinations?

“Ah, Madam Xiu, how did you injure your hand?” a voice suddenly called out beside her, startling her so much that she snapped back to reality.

What she saw next left her wide-eyed with shock. This was no longer the break room she had spent the past three years in. Instead, she found herself in a room filled with antique charm. Who would decorate their house in such an old-fashioned, traditional Chinese style? And how much would it cost?

But more than the room, the girl walking toward her was dressed in ancient attire. What on earth was happening? Could this be one of those legendary time-travel scenarios?

“Madam Xiu, Madam Xiu, what’s wrong?” The girl in ancient clothes seemed anxious, gently shaking Liu Yangyang’s arm. Liu Yangyang’s eyes darted around before stammering, “W-where am I?”

The young girl’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she knelt, crying, “Madam Xiu, please don’t scare your servant. What’s wrong with you?”

Madam Xiu? Servant?

Was this ancient times?

Liu Yangyang hurriedly stood up, needing to confirm her suspicions. She rushed outside and found herself in a small, traditional courtyard.

There was a pavilion in the yard, furnished with stone tables and chairs. There were no telephone lines, no electric cables, no lights—nothing from the modern world.

Oh my God, I’ve traveled to the past.

She was supposed to go on a blind date later this afternoon, and now she’d ended up in ancient times! And all because she pricked her hand on a cactus? Who could explain to her how this bizarre form of time travel worked?

Calm down. If she came here, then she could return. After all, she hadn’t been in a car accident or fallen from a building. Her modern body was perfectly fine, so she had to be able to get back.

“Madam Xiu, are you feeling unwell? Shall I fetch the doctor?” the ancient-dressed girl asked again, her face still full of worry.

“Madam Xiu?” Liu Yangyang felt like she had heard that name before. Instinctively, she asked, “Bai Xiangxiu?”

“Madam, is there something wrong with your name?” the girl asked, her tear-streaked face still full of concern.

“Xiao Shi?” Liu Yangyang’s heart sank as she looked at the girl, desperately hoping she would deny it. But the girl nodded, her face pale with fear.

Liu Yangyang cursed her bad luck inwardly. Of all the people she could’ve become, she had transmigrated into Bai Xiangxiu, the minor concubine who had just been beaten to death with sticks in the novel she was reading. It was enough to make her want to cry!

Feeling completely defeated, Liu Yangyang collapsed to the ground. Xiao Shi, terrified, continued crying, which only annoyed Liu Yangyang more. Finally, she massaged her temples and said, “Xiao Shi, could you stop crying for a moment?”

“But seeing you like this, Madam Xiu, it scares me,” Xiao Shi said. She was only thirteen or fourteen, so it was understandable that she was scared.

“Alright, alright, I’m fine… but help me up,” she said, extending her hand. She felt like crying herself, but couldn’t even find the right mood for it.

Xiao Shi quickly obliged, helping her up and guiding her to sit on the bed inside. The bed was really hard, and even though it was padded with layers, it was nowhere near as comfortable as modern mattresses.

“Madam Xiu, please drink some water,” Xiao Shi said, handing a cup to Liu Yangyang, who took it and drank. Only then did Xiao Shi wipe away her tears with a handkerchief.

Liu Yangyang sipped the water and calmed down a bit. She realized she needed to sort out the plot of the story; otherwise, she might end up beaten to death. Out of all possible deaths, this one was the most gruesome. Just thinking about what the book had described made her feel awful.

“Anything new happening in the manor today?” She knew that time in the book was vague, so she had to rely on events to judge the situation.

“Replying to Madam Xiu, everyone has been busy cleaning up the new estate and preparing for the old madam’s birthday. All the courtyards have been very busy, so nothing new has happened.”

Xiao Shi had been quite frightened, but seeing that her mistress seemed to have recovered, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

The old madam’s birthday hadn’t arrived yet, which meant the male lead had only recently been made a king, not even a month ago, and had just returned from the battlefield.

Perfect! The female lead hadn’t entered the story yet, so her death was still a long way off. As long as she kept her head down and didn’t stir up any trouble, she might survive. As long as she stayed alive, she could figure out a way to return home.

She waved her hand dismissively and said, “You can leave. I don’t need you to serve me here.”

Having been raised to take care of her things, Liu Yangyang wasn’t used to people waiting on her hand and foot, handing her water, or straightening her clothes. After all, she wasn’t a child!