Chapter 2

A few strands of black hair were caught between them. The moment he moved, he felt the hand on his shoulder press harder, telling him to behave.

Chu Huaiyin's face darkened, though a closer look revealed a touch of red at the roots of his ears. With Meng Zhou's arm draped across his neck, half his body felt numb. With a formidable enemy before him and everything hanging by a thread, he had actually lost the vigilance and wariness he took such pride in.

Seeing that the other man had no intention of playing along, Meng Zhou readily took on both roles himself, lowering his voice into a violent, panting growl.

"Get-out! Look again and leave your eyeballs behind!"

It was Wang Junyang's voice to the life, without the slightest difference in tone or timbre.

"Uh-yes!" The man in front hurriedly backed away. They had interrupted the second young master's wedding night; even ten heads each would not be enough to pay for that.

Recalling the second young master's usual brutality, the guards all felt their necks.

Still there.

That said, the second young madam's arms were so slender and pale... Whoever married a wife like that would surely worship her like a bodhisattva every day and never let her do any heavy work.

"What are you thinking about? Got a death wish? Search somewhere else! Every one of you, keep your heads on the line and your eyes peeled!"

Silence filled the room, with a subtle awkwardness lingering in the air.

Meng Zhou pushed at the man on top of him. He couldn't act out an erotic scene, couldn't even move, and had nearly given them away. Clearly, he was a... Whoever married him, there was no telling whether they had stumbled into incredible luck or eight lifetimes' worth of misfortune... He hurriedly stopped that train of thought and whispered, "Get up."

Their tightly pressed bodies quickly separated. Both sat up, leaving an enormous gap between them.

Ever the professional, Meng Zhou pitched his voice and performed a climax. He was practiced at imitating voices, so it was effortless. Bracing both hands on the edge of the bed, he tilted his head and watched the other man with interest, pleased to see his ears growing redder and redder.

The people outside had not gone far, so leaving now was unwise. Only then did Meng Zhou have time to study the man before him. His long brows swept toward his temples, and his features were strikingly handsome. Unlike the pampered residents of the capital, he had a sharp, deadly air, his gaze dark, deep, and unreadable.

Meng Zhou took one look and dared not look again. Wow, what a terrifying gaze.

Both remained silent. They had different purposes, and neither had anything to disclose.

After a while, Chu Huaiyin said, "I'll take you out."

Meng Zhou did not insist on doing it himself. Ordinarily, he was confident he could climb out, but the right chancellor's residence was under lockdown now. He certainly could not manage alone.

Chu Huaiyin made to pick him up.

Meng Zhou obligingly raised his arms. I'm very light.

Chu Huaiyin paused, then turned away. "Change your clothes first."

Meng Zhou looked down. He had torn his wedding robes into tatters, and when he raised his arms, they slipped down in rustling folds, making him look like a female ghost whose wedding had been raided. He pulled a moon-white robe from the wardrobe. Wang Junyang and Meng Zhou had similar builds, so it fit him perfectly. Both were second sons of chancellors, yet this was the first time Meng Zhou had worn such fine fabric. For a moment, he felt rather rueful.

The soft rustle of changing clothes came from behind him. Chu Huaiyin gently turned the thumb ring on his right hand and waited patiently.

"I'm ready."

Perhaps because he had held him once already, Chu Huaiyin did so with great ease this time. With an arm around Meng Zhou's waist, he moved through the garden as though no one were there and took him straight to Chang'an Street.

Meng Zhou's taut nerves relaxed. Only then did he remember that tonight's trip had been wasted. If this inexplicable man had not appeared, he would have found A-Juan by now.

"What were you doing at the Wang residence?"

Meng Zhou's eyes curved, and his thin lips parted to utter two words. "Stealing. Someone."

Chu Huaiyin's face darkened. For some reason, Meng Zhou felt a little guilty and explained his search for A-Juan, concealing his identity and claiming he had simply stepped in upon witnessing an injustice.

"You needn't concern yourself with this."

Not concern myself? How could I leave it alone without a proper explanation?

Meng Zhou made to return to the Wang residence, only to be caught by the back of his collar. The other man sounded almost helpless. "By the day after tomorrow at the latest, Wang Junyang will release her. I guarantee it."

Chu Huaiyin had no idea why he was making guarantees to this little fellow. Nothing about him had been right tonight. He could clearly have left before the Wang guards entered, yet the instant he saw Meng Zhou's panic and pleading eyes, his steps had halted, and he had chosen the more dangerous, thankless method.

My rash intrusion caused trouble for this counterfeit bride. I merely stayed to clean up after myself.

For now, Chu Huaiyin explained it to himself that way.

But when had he become so... kind?

"What's your name?" Chu Huaiyin asked.

Meng Zhou's eyes shifted, and he answered with great sincerity, "Zhang Zhou."

Chu Huaiyin did not suspect anything. "Go home."

After weighing things up inwardly, Meng Zhou decided to trust him this once. He rarely trusted anyone.

He had barely taken two steps before he was called back.

"The one who performed the wedding bows with Wang Junyang... was that you too?"

Wouldn't that make me throw up last night's dinner? That would be far too great a sacrifice. That was what Meng Zhou thought, but aloud he said, "Mm."

Chu Huaiyin had only asked casually, yet upon hearing the answer, an inexplicable heaviness settled in his chest. He wanted to drag Wang Junyang over and beat him up, and also felt a subtle discomfort, as though he had been "used and discarded."

Meng Zhou had many abilities and thought things through carefully before acting, yet he was quite prepared to take whatever outcome came. Ultimately, he was not the real Meng Zhou.

In his previous life, he had grown up in an orphanage and entered the entertainment industry through a chance encounter. He was good-looking, skilled at acting, silver-tongued, and adept at reading people. Stumbling along, he had forged ahead on sheer determination until he reached the pinnacle of the entertainment industry.

Just when Meng Zhou felt he ought to take a break, he woke to find himself flailing in water. On the bank stood a girl of fifteen or sixteen in a goose-yellow dress, watching coldly with her lips curled. Everyone around her seemed to wish they could lower their heads into the ground, not one making a sound.

The body's original owner had feared water since childhood and could not swim. He had probably struggled in the lake for quite some time. By the time Meng Zhou took over his body, he was exhausted, had swallowed several mouthfuls of water, and was too dizzy to think.

Even an expert swimmer could not have saved the situation.

Could this be sleep paralysis?

With that thought, Meng Zhou gradually stopped struggling. Eyes closed, he sent his thoughts racing in every direction, desperate to wake from the dream.

Seeing him stop moving, the girl in yellow clapped her hands in satisfaction, broke into an innocent smile, and swept away with her servants.

A black figure swooped down from the high treetops, touched a toe to a Taihu rock, caught Meng Zhou under the arms, and pulled him back from the gates of the King of Hell's palace.

After confirming that Meng Zhou was not in serious danger, the black figure shouted, "Someone's fallen into the water!" Hearing Meng Zhou's wet nurse hurrying over, the figure vanished instantly, leaving no trace.

Had Meng Zhou not remembered a black figure pulling him out even as he coughed his lungs out, this truly would have been a good deed done anonymously.

His trip to the Wang residence had made Meng Zhou late getting home. People in ancient times retired early, so everyone should have returned to their own rooms by now. Only when he saw the brightly lit main hall did he remember: oh, today was Madam Meng's birthday.

Without glancing aside, Meng Zhou headed straight for the little corridor on the left, not even offering a greeting. To put it plainly, this entire family had nothing to do with him.

A bundle of chopsticks came flying at him. Prepared for it, Meng Zhou dodged aside, and the chopsticks missed him, clattering across the floor.

"Han'er, is that any way for a young lady to behave?" Meng Fushan rebuked her, his eyes fixed on the unfurled leaves in his teacup. Steam rose, obscuring his expression.

"Father, look at Meng Zhou! It's Mother's birthday today, and she wanted the family to share a meal. I specifically sent someone to tell him last night, but not only did he come home late, he ignored us too. A motherless little savage through and through, without a shred of upbringing." Meng Huaihan tossed out these words lightly, her tone contemptuous. She knew exactly what to say to enrage this cowardly second brother.

Meng Zhou glanced at the "younger sister" who had pushed him into the lake, raising his eyelids without being moved. Household infighting was truly dull, but Meng Huaihan was growing ever more brazen, treating a human life as a game...

Meng Zhou gave a faint scoff. A gentleman could wait ten years for revenge. Meng Huaihan's vicious temperament was merely the result of someone indulging and encouraging her. Settling accounts with her alone was nowhere near enough. What he wanted was to crush the Meng Clan one day and take back everything they owed Meng Zhou and the Jiang Clan alike.

The Jiang Clan was Meng Zhou's maternal family, a renowned military family more than a decade ago. From the founding of Great Wei until every man of the Jiang Clan died on the battlefield, they had rendered countless distinguished services.

Ignoring Meng Huaihan's clumsy provocation, Meng Zhou returned to his room on his own. Meng Fushan sat for a while, then rose and went to his study.

In the hall, Meng Huaihan ground her teeth. "Mother, ever since he recovered from falling into the water, he's been like a different person. No matter how I insult him, he never talks back. Has he gone stupid?"

Lady Zhou smoothed a loose lock at her temple and said indifferently, "Just remember, twenty years ago, I swallowed my humiliation and anger so that you would not have to suffer as I did."

"I know, Mother. Hmph, if Jiang Yao knew in the underworld that her son was so cowardly and meek, I wonder how she'd feel. Would she be so furious she'd come back to life and chase him with a club?" Meng Huaihan laughed as she spoke, and Lady Zhou was amused by her too. They exchanged a little more private conversation before leaving.

Meng Zhou's quarters stood in a low-lying spot in the most remote part of the Meng residence.

Here, they even saved on lanterns and lamp oil along the paths. The young manservant held up a flickering lantern and began, "Young master..."

"Going to give me Nanny's usual speech again?" Meng Zhou cut in. "I'm fine. I can endure it."

The manservant chuckled and scratched the back of his head. Nanny was always urging the young master to bear with things. Though he did not entirely agree, the young master had no other option for now.

The previous generation's entanglements ran deep, and the most inhuman of them all was Meng Fushan, who utterly disgraced his fine name.

Orphaned at a young age, Meng Fushan had nevertheless grown into a handsome, refined man. He married a daughter of the merchant Zhou family, using that as his means to travel to the capital for the examinations, and won a place among the top three in the palace examination in one stroke.

When the results were posted, Meng Fushan paraded through the streets with the others. His bearing stood out among them, scholarly, dignified without arrogance, and General Jiang's daughter fell for him at first sight.

At the time, the Jiang Clan's fame spread far and wide, its military achievements illustrious. Quite apart from Jiang Yao's own beauty, her father Jiang Zhanyu was in his prime, while her younger brother Jiang Yi stood out among the younger generation, already showing signs of a great general's bearing. Countless people fought to become related to them by marriage. Yet Jiang Yao had set her heart on this scholar from out of town, who seemed cleaner than the capital's young men and more refined than the brothers in the army camps.

Jiang Yi said his sister had lost her senses to fall for such a hypocrite. The siblings had a terrible argument that nearly destroyed their relationship. Jiang Yao remained determined, and Jiang Zhanyu doted on his daughter, so he sent someone to inquire about Meng Fushan's marital status.

Wanting to ride this favorable wind, Meng Fushan declared that he had never married. Jiang Yi secretly sent men to investigate Meng's hometown, but before the results came back, war broke out in the north. The battlefield was unpredictable, and Jiang Zhanyu thought finding someone reliable to entrust Jiang Yao to before he left would let him fight with greater peace of mind. Thus, with Emperor Tianyuan presiding, the Jiang and Meng families swiftly became in-laws, after which the Jiang father and son left on campaign.

Three months later, Jiang Yao discovered she was pregnant. Back in their hometown, Lady Zhou sensed something was wrong and came to the capital with her three-year-old son in her arms to look for him. Meng Fushan refused to acknowledge them, and mother and son collapsed in tears outside the Meng residence. Only then did Jiang Yao finally see his true colors. She could not tolerate such a thing and resolved to wait for her father to return and oversee a divorce. At the same time, pitying the innocent Lady Zhou and unwilling to leave mother and son homeless, Jiang Yao welcomed Lady Zhou into the household and treated her courteously.

Who could have imagined that half a year later, her father and brother would die on the battlefield, their remains lost? When the news reached the capital, Jiang Yao was over seven months pregnant and was at Guang'en Temple praying for her family that day. Overwhelmed by grief, she went into premature labor. With no midwife nearby, she was left with lasting ill health. The brilliant only daughter of a great general, skilled at riding and archery, became so frail she could barely withstand a breeze. At first, she spent her days in tears.

With the deaths of the Jiang father and son, the mighty Jiang Clan collapsed overnight. Taking pity on the Jiang bloodline, Emperor Tianyuan bestowed a favor: once Meng Zhou came of age, he could enter court service directly, without assessment or examination.

"Of all people in this world, it is the descendants of the Jiang Clan whom I most cherish and trust." Those were Emperor Tianyuan's exact words, and the gesture won unanimous praise throughout the court.

After that, Meng Fushan's attitude changed. Lady Zhou, previously meek and deferential, changed her face almost as quickly as he did.

While Jiang Yao was still in postpartum confinement, Lady Zhou drove her into a secluded, damp courtyard and moved into the main courtyard herself, becoming mistress of the household. At Meng Zhou's first birthday, she refused to hold a banquet, saying that her husband was an upright official and should not be extravagant. When Meng Zhou was two, Lady Zhou saw how clever and adorable he was. Afraid he would overshadow her own son, she proposed to Meng Fushan that precedence should be honored: by rights, Jiang Yao should be a concubine, and Meng Zhou a concubine-born son.

Jiang Yao and Meng Fushan had married by imperial decree. How absurd it was to demote her to a concubine!

Yet with the court paying no attention to the Jiang Clan and Lady Zhou's natal family's business expanding into the capital, Meng Fushan tacitly accepted every one of these unreasonable demands.

When Meng Zhou was fourteen, Lady Zhou became increasingly brazen in withholding their allowances. Jiang Yao's health deteriorated, and, unable to afford good medicine, she finally passed away.

Recalling all this, Meng Zhou could not help sighing over Jiang Yao's fate. Time revealed people's true hearts. In a moment of foolishness and softness, she had misjudged two people and paid with her entire life.

Having successfully fought Jiang Yao to death, Lady Zhou stopped paying attention to Meng Zhou. His life did not improve, however. The conflict passed from one generation to the next, and Meng Huaihan took up Lady Zhou's cudgel.

Believing that one less problem was better than one more, and knowing his father would not intervene, the original owner had forcibly restrained himself time and again, even when he could easily have beaten Meng Huaihan.

Except when Meng Huaihan attacked Jiang Yao.

Naturally, bullying a silent punching bag was no fun. Once Meng Huaihan discovered this weakness of Meng Zhou's, she grew worse, exploiting it successfully every time. During their final quarrel, she actually pushed her unsuspecting elder brother into the lake and drowned him.

Half of this was what Nanny had told him; the other half Meng Zhou had gleaned from Lady Zhou and her daughter's words and actions.

When Meng Zhou transmigrated, he had no memories of this era.

There was only one scene that replayed over and over in his dreams at night. Jiang Yao, on her deathbed, made Meng Zhou kneel beside her and swear, "In this life, I will take no concubines and enter no powerful household."

Perhaps Jiang Yao's death had struck the original owner too hard, leaving this scene lodged in his memory.

Meng Zhou could understand the first half. Jiang Yao had suffered enough from the strife of the inner household in this life. Putting herself in another's place, she hoped her son would be devoted to his wife alone.

But what about the second half? Enter no powerful household? What counted as "entering," and how powerful was "powerful"? What was the connection?

Jiang Yao's unfinished words and the deep emotion in her eyes had prompted Meng Zhou to ask Nanny after the very first dream. Nanny had hemmed and hawed, saying that Madam had forbidden her to tell him, that it did not matter, and that it was best if the young master did not know.

Meng Zhou chose not to investigate further. Between the mortal world and the underworld, no one loved him more than Jiang Yao and Nanny. Since they said so, they must have their concerns. The original owner had been unable to keep things to himself, which Jiang Yao had probably taken into account, though Meng Zhou very much wanted to shout, "Just tell me! I can take it!"

Author's note: Meng Zhou: Running away? We don't encourage that. If you're a man, face it head-on!

Chu Huaiyin: Yes, exactly.

A few months later: Something came up. I'm out of here.

Chu Huaiyin: Get back here!