Courting death

Tong Yao had dozed off in the vehicle when a sudden violent jolt knocked her head against a wooden crossbar. The pain made her feel that something was wrong with everything.

Since when had the bus turned into a red sedan chair? If this were an ancient imperial palace, wouldn't that make me an imperial consort?

"What's going on?" Tong Yao shrieked.

"Miss, two careless servants slipped just now and startled you," a voice outside explained timidly.

Miss? Servants?

Something isn't right here.

Utterly lost in the clouds, Tong Yao gently lifted the gaudy red gauze draped over the sedan chair and saw lush green grass outside. The weather was pleasant and sunny, and even the breeze carried a faint fragrance of flowers.

There was also a girl of thirteen or fourteen with her hair tied in two buns. When she saw Tong Yao poke her head out, her face paled and her hands clenched nervously. She answered respectfully, "Miss, we're almost there."

There?

Before long, the sedan chair stopped. The four household servants carrying it gently lowered Tong Yao to the ground, while the young maid offered a hand to help her out.

Tong Yao glanced at them. What dedicated actors. How could they make it look so real?

"Ninth Sister, what took you so long?"

Tong Yao saw a beautiful woman emerge from the grass. The moment she arrived, she affectionately linked her arm through Tong Yao's, acting as intimate as if they truly were close sisters.

The beauty was certainly pretty, but her acting was nothing to write home about. Her face was plainly full of hypocrisy, yet she insisted on pretending they shared a deep sisterly bond.

Tong Yao blinked and made up a story. "On the way here-I was held up by two servants."

The beautiful woman wore a green silk dress, with thick makeup plastered over her face that made her look as pale as a ghost. If her features hadn't been reasonably attractive, Tong Yao would have given her a very wide berth.

"Ninth Sister, have you arranged the men I asked you to find?" The beauty pulled Tong Yao aside and whispered.

Tong Yao curled her lips slightly, holding a smile as she blinked, then blinked again. Inside, she was utterly baffled.

Seeing her like this, the beauty's face fell. "Ninth Sister, weren't you the one who said you wanted to teach that bitch a lesson? I told you to find a few rough men outside and pay them a little money. Don't tell me you've forgotten?"

Tong Yao could barely keep her smile in place. Since when did teaching a bitch a lesson require a few rough men? This chilling beauty before her was clearly a beauty with a heart of snakes and scorpions.

And now she was colluding with this venomous beauty, like a wolf and a jackal hunting together.

"Don't worry. How could I forget? Look, didn't I bring four today?" Tong Yao glanced back and smiled. Weren't there four ready-made men right over there?

The venomous beauty followed Tong Yao's sparkling gaze. Four household servants? She thought Dongfang Minghui really was going all out. To punish that bitch, she hadn't even bothered to cover her tracks. What a brainless fool. If the truth came out later, it would have nothing to do with her.

The moment Tong Yao saw that vicious, scheming grin, she knew nothing good was coming. She quickly excused herself to relieve herself and took the maid some distance away.

"Do you still regard me as your mistress?" Tong Yao set her face sternly and glared, looking genuinely intimidating.

Besides, she herself was a temperamental person. The maids who had served her all knew that she might smile at you one moment, then dream up countless ways to torment you until you wished you were dead the next.

The maid Cui'er's legs gave way, and she dropped to her knees with a thud. "Miss, I've always regarded you as my mistress! Have I done something wrong?"

Tong Yao took a step back, simply unused to this veteran actress's performance of servitude. To anyone else, however, it looked like utter disgust.

Cui'er was terrified. She prostrated herself on the ground, trembling all over, her voice quivering as she pleaded, "Miss, I'll change. Please give me another chance."

It's not like I eat people. Does she have to be this scared? Tong Yao snapped, "Enough. Answer a few questions honestly, and I'll spare you."

"Ask whatever you wish, Miss. I'll tell you everything I know."

So your name is Cui'er. Tong Yao nodded thoughtfully. "Tell me, what do you know about our plan, and do you have any better suggestions? Let me hear them. I want details. Do you know what details are? It means telling me every step."

At that, Cui'er nearly cried.

"Speak. Otherwise, heh, you'll be in for it."

Cui'er gritted her teeth. "Miss, you discussed finding some men to scare Seventh Miss with Fourth Miss. Fourth Miss said that merely scaring Seventh Miss wouldn't satisfy your anger. You had to ruin her completely so she wouldn't compete with you for a man. So you followed Fourth Miss's advice and hired five rough, disreputable men, saying you wanted to destroy Seventh Miss's chastity..."

This is a textbook crime! What brainless idiot came up with such a rotten idea?

Before Tong Yao could digest those words, Cui'er continued, "Miss, I don't know what I did wrong for you to want to punish me. But I still want to advise you not to get too close to Fourth Miss."

Tong Yao glanced at the maid prostrate on the ground. "All right, get up."

Cui'er could scarcely believe it. Her mistress was letting her off that easily?

"Quick, crouch down. That bitch Dongfang Wanyu will be here any moment." The venomous beauty pulled Tong Yao into hiding beside a large tree.

Dongfang Wanyu? Seventh Miss? Fourth Miss? Ninth Miss?

"Strange." Why do these names sound so familiar? Tong Yao pressed two fingers to her temple and began racking her brains, desperately trying to remember.

"Ninth Sister, what's strange?" Hearing Dongfang Minghui's words, the venomous beauty thought something had gone wrong with her plan.

"Fourth Sister, does our father have nine daughters and three sons in all?" Tong Yao suddenly blurted out.

"Yes. Ninth Sister, what's wrong? Why are you suddenly asking that?"

Tong Yao stood up, grabbed the maid's hand, and asked solemnly, "Cui'er, is my name Dongfang Minghui, and is Fourth Sister's name Dongfang Lizhu?"

"Yes. Miss, what's wrong?"

Cui'er's confirmation undoubtedly proved Tong Yao's suspicion. The news struck her like five bolts of thunder crashing down on her head.

"Ninth Sister, crouch down. That bitch is here." The venomous beauty pressed Tong Yao's head lower, completely failing to notice her expression, as though the sky were about to collapse.

Tong Yao felt that heaven wanted her dead. Yes, she'd actually transmigrated while riding a bus. Fine, so she'd transmigrated. At least she'd ended up as a young lady who never had to worry about food or clothing.

But why did it have to be Ninth Miss, Dongfang Minghui?

Back in college, she had read a fantasy romance novel about leveling up. The author had written it with exhilarating flair, and above all, its plot was so tangled and mysterious, so captivating, that once she started, she couldn't stop. The heroine had risen from a good-for-nothing to a supreme talent of her generation, enduring setbacks and hardships beyond an ordinary person's imagination.

She still remembered the book's title-Trash's Rise: A Generation's Supreme Talent-because the author had ultimately left it unfinished.

Of course, it was actually a wish-fulfillment novel, packed with one resounding slap in the face after another. Everyone who had bullied or oppressed the heroine early on eventually became cannon fodder, making the readers slap their tables and cheer.

One of the cannon-fodder characters most determined to court death was called Dongfang Minghui, and her fate had been too horrible to look at.

At the thought, Tong Yao's face turned ashen.

"Heh heh, little lady, you've got such soft, delicate skin. How about letting me have a feel?"

"Boss, can I have a taste later too?"

"Get lost, you little brat."

Dongfang Wanyu watched the men coldly, as though she were looking at dead things.

As the saying went, the kind of master you followed determined the kind of devil you became. After the venomous beauty had disguised the four sedan-chair bearers as thugs, they really did look the part.

Tong Yao remembered that the heroine was no longer someone who could only endure bullying without fighting back. She had already gained a fortuitous opportunity and improved her useless constitution, quietly awaiting the day she would grow strong.

All of Dongfang Minghui's tragedies had their roots in today's incident.

Tong Yao pulled Cui'er farther away and whispered to her. Soon afterward, Cui'er slowly withdrew. Dongfang Lizhu noticed nothing amiss, her eyes fixed on everything unfolding outside with nervous anticipation.

Just as the four men surrounded Dongfang Wanyu and moved in to tear at her clothes-

"What are you doing!" Tong Yao charged out, brandishing a stick and forcing the four men back.

Dongfang Lizhu gnashed her teeth, seething with hatred. Her scheme had been moments away from succeeding. What was that brainless Dongfang Minghui doing now?

The four ruffians exchanged glances. Though they didn't understand what had happened, they were already thinking of retreating.

Seeing that the four still had the gall to linger, Tong Yao barked, "Get lost! Do you know who I am?"

Though their lust knew no bounds, the four had at least worked under Dongfang Minghui and knew something of Ninth Miss's temperament. They feared that if they truly offended her, they would be finished when she settled the score later. So they exchanged looks, turned, and fled.

Sweat seeped down Tong Yao's back from nerves. She had been terrified that those blind fools still wouldn't take her hint.

"Finished with your act?" Dongfang Wanyu smiled mockingly.

Tong Yao choked with anger, but the thought of preserving her life immediately deflated her. Even so, she gave Dongfang Wanyu a rare glare. "What do you mean, finished with my act? Would I need to put on an act to deal with you?"

Dongfang Wanyu shot her a cold glance. "Then tell me, why did you suddenly appear here?"

Tong Yao pursed her lips and looked up at the sky. "The weather was so lovely today that I came out for some fresh air. Are you the only one allowed to be here? Can't I come too?"

Tong Yao's expression didn't seem like that of someone lying. Dongfang Wanyu even felt that the person before her seemed somewhat different from before.

"In that case, enjoy your stroll. I'll be leaving."

Watching Dongfang Wanyu leave, Tong Yao wished she could slap herself twice. What happened to clinging to her thigh? The heroine's golden thigh!

Perhaps if she clung to her, she wouldn't have to die.

"Hey, um, Seventh Sister."

Dongfang Wanyu snorted coldly, looking as though this was just what she'd expected. "What trick are you trying to pull now?"

Tong Yao waved her hands guiltily, even stumbling over her words. "No, I... I just wanted to go back with you."

Dongfang Wanyu neither agreed nor refused. In any case, one walked ahead while the other followed behind.

Just as Tong Yao was racking her brains for a hundred ways to please the heroine, five furtive-looking men suddenly emerged from the woods.

"Heh heh, an unexpected bonus."

"Two beauties at once! Boss, we've hit the jackpot."

Tong Yao's heart lurched. She seemed to have forgotten something. Right-Cui'er had said she'd already paid five men to deal with Dongfang Wanyu.

Truly, if you didn't court death, you wouldn't die.