Chapter 1: The Big Boss Transmigrates into a Book
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
Lu Chao Chao had heroically sacrificed herself to protect the world, earning immense respect within the cultivation community for her selflessness and dedication. Yet, following an unexpected twist of fate, she regained consciousness submerged in a soothing, warm aquatic-like environment. A comforting light shone from afar, bringing tranquility. In this peaceful state, she heard a distant voice encouraging her to breathe deeply.
“Madam, just one more push. We can see the baby’s head now,” urged another voice, filled with hope and excitement.
Startled by these commands, Lu Chao Chao felt drawn towards the comforting light, her eyes squinting as they adjusted to the stark brightness ahead. She tried to express her confusion but found herself unable to speak; her throat felt constricted, as if gripped by a hand.
“Madam, you have a daughter, but…” the voice of the midwife broke, tinged with fear and hesitation. “She shows no signs of life. I’m afraid she might be stillborn.” The midwife knelt, overwhelmed by the grim news, as if trying to suppress Lu Chao Chao’s breath with her own despair.
“The labor was overly long, causing the baby to suffocate,” added a tearful maid, her voice echoing the midwife’s sorrow as she too knelt.
The woman on the bed turned pale, her expression one of shock and profound sadness. “A stillbirth? That cannot be! I must see my child myself!”
Her chief maid, her eyes swollen from crying, tried to dissuade her, “Madam, I beg you, do not look. The sight will only cause you pain, leaving a lasting scar on your heart.”
Overcome with grief, Madam Xu lamented her failure to the Marquis’s lineage and her mother-in-law, who had dedicated herself to praying for the baby in the secluded Buddha hall. This daughter, eagerly awaited after three sons, represented a dream now shattered, magnifying the agony of her loss.
As she struggled to breathe, her face flushing from lack of oxygen, Lu Chao Chao grappled with the reality of her situation. Yuan Ze? The Marquis’s lineage? Could she really be part of Lu Yuan Ze’s family? She recalled the plots of novels she once read, where the noble Lu family had three sons and a daughter who died shortly after birth.
Madam Xu had cherished her marriage and believed in a harmonious relationship with her mother-in-law, yet her seemingly blissful life was a carefully constructed façade, an elaborate deception. The Marquis had loved his cousin since youth, but due to her lower social status, he chose not to marry her. Instead, he secretly supported her while marrying Madam Xu, a noblewoman, producing three sons and a daughter. After the marriage, they exploited Madam Xu’s family connections for social gain while cutting her off from her own family.
In a cruel twist, their youngest daughter was declared dead at birth. Soon after, the Marquis brazenly brought his mistress’s daughter into their home, tricking Madam Xu to raise her as her own. After raising the adopted girl, she was betrayed when the girl falsely accused Madam Xu of treason, leading to the execution of over a hundred of her relatives. Despite this betrayal, the Marquis’s family remained untouched, maintaining their noble status. Eventually, the Marquis married his cousin, making their children the legitimate heirs. The adopted daughter, meanwhile, married the hero of the story and led a content life.
[I was born only to die!] Lu Chao Chao, realizing she was the infant pronounced dead, reflected bitterly on her fate.
“Madam, stillborn infants are not buried in the family plot. I will take care of the arrangements to spare you more grief,” said the maid respectfully, heading for the door. Lu Chao Chao struggled against her restraints, worsening her breathing difficulties, her body marked with bruises.
[Stillborn? The real stillborns are you and your kin! I am still breathing… Mother…]
A faint cry broke through the sorrow, surprising the Marquis’s wife. Was it her imagination? She had not heard an infant cry within these walls until now.
[Oh dear Mother, I’m not beyond saving. I’m nearly being smothered…] Lu Chao Chao’s thoughts raced as she faced being taken from the delivery room.
“Stop! Bring the baby to me for a closer look,” Madam Xu commanded, tears in her eyes but resolute. The maid and midwife hesitated, then knelt.
“Madam, a stillborn is bad luck. It’s an ill omen,” they protested, bowing their heads.
“Deng Zhi, bring my child to me!” Madam Xu, driven by maternal instinct, nearly collapsed trying to get up, weakened from childbirth. Deng Zhi, the chief maid, intervened with concern. “Madam, please, it’s risky to exert yourself. Let me bring her to you. You’ve barely survived; moving too quickly is dangerous.”
Taking the baby from the midwife, Deng Zhi was shocked by the warmth the baby still showed. She also noticed signs of physical distress—blue and purple bruises, with clear finger marks around her neck.
“Madam!! The little miss is still breathing!” Deng Zhi exclaimed, rushing the baby to her mother. In that moment, a deep bond formed as Madam Xu locked eyes with her daughter, seeing tears in the baby’s eyes as she struggled to breathe, coughing and gasping in her mother’s arms.
[Life is so hard… to come into the world only to face death… Oomph Oomph] The baby’s coughs were heartbreakingly weak. Yet, the fear wasn’t just from the risk of suffocation but from the dread of her entire lineage being wiped out in the future. If she survived, the threat of her family’s destruction still loomed.
[Wahh! Life is more bitter than the bitterest of melons!]
Perhaps her reincarnation had brought her back with the innocence and vulnerability of infancy, her behavior resembling that of a newborn.
Shocked and enraged, Madam Xu responded fiercely. “You despicable fiends! Who would dare harm an innocent child!” Despite her frailty, Madam Xu’s outrage led her to kick at the midwife. “Seize them and interrogate them mercilessly! I must know who orchestrated this wicked act!”
“Do you not hear Madam’s command! We must uncover the mastermind behind this evil plot. Madam has never wished harm on anyone. Who could bear such malice!” Deng Zhi was a mix of anger and despair, her body shaking with the realization that they had almost lost the newborn to such dark schemes.
The accused were quickly seized by the guards, their pleas and denials echoing in the room as they were taken away.
Holding her daughter tenderly, Madam Xu was captivated by the unique charm her baby showed, different from her siblings. The infant’s large, tear-filled eyes sparkled, and even without teeth, her smile was enchanting, her bare gums visible in a grin that lit up her entire face. Madam Xu’s heart ached with sorrow at the thought of nearly losing her child.
[Mother is so beautiful, a vision of loveliness… Mother, your embrace is my sanctuary.]
Puzzled and slightly alarmed, Madam Xu turned to her maids, questioning the origin of the faint whispers she thought she had heard. “Huh? Was that voice just my imagination?” She couldn’t shake off the feeling that the murmurs carried a message meant for her ears alone.
[You’re fortunate to have intervened when you did, Mother. Otherwise, you’d be raising your adversary’s child, a destiny bringing strife until your last days…] In a moment of light-heartedness amidst the tension, Lu Chao Chao amused herself by forming a bubble with her saliva.
The background narrative revealed a tragic turn of events following the birth of a stillborn, leading to Madam Xu developing a heart condition. Subsequently, the Marquis introduced the story’s protagonist into their home. Ironically, this very heroine plotted a conspiracy that falsely implicated the Xu family in treason, causing immense suffering for Madam Xu.
The mention of “the adversary’s daughter, destined to be a source of endless trouble,” nearly caused Madam Xu to drop her baby, shocked by the implication of the whispers. She tried to discern more, but the voices disappeared as suddenly as they had come.
Raising her eyes, Madam Xu asked, “Has the lord not returned yet?”
When it was time for Lu Chao Chao’s bath, several maids prepared a medicinal bath. However, driven by a protective instinct, Madam Xu opted for a smaller tub within the same room to keep her newborn close.
Deng Zhi offered reassurance with a smile, “We sent a messenger to inform the lord as soon as your labor began, Madam. He’s probably held up by his duties but should be on his way.”
In the capital, the residence of the esteemed Marquis was the envy of many. The untimely death of the previous Marquis on the battlefield left the family matriarch to raise their children alone in their once majestic estate. Fortunately, Lu Yuan Ze rose to the challenge, earning accolades for his accomplishments and maintaining the family’s distinguished reputation.
However, the family’s peace was briefly disrupted when a distant cousin sought refuge in their home, declaring her love for Lu Yuan Ze and rejecting all other suitors. Given Lu Yuan Ze’s prearranged marital commitments to the Xu family, the cousin was regretfully sent away to avoid public scrutiny, a decision that sparked widespread speculation and gossip.
Following these events, Madam Xu, from a prestigious lineage, married into the Marquis’s family, her noble heritage further elevating her status. Rumors of Lu Yuan Ze’s deep affection for Madam Xu soon spread throughout the capital, becoming a popular topic of conversation.
Yet, no story is without its hardships. Lu Yuan Ze’s insistence on limiting his wife’s contact with her family led to a significant conflict, estranging Madam Xu from her relatives.
With a smile still on her face, Madam Xu conceded, “You’re right. My husband’s responsibilities must have detained him.” She comforted herself with this thought, looking forward to his imminent return.
Deng Zhi, the head maid, shared her perspective, painting an idyllic picture of the household dynamics within the Lu family. “Our little miss is truly lucky to be born into a family where the lord and lady share such a profound love, where harmony prevails between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and where the esteemed young aunt holds genuine affection for the lady.” She sincerely believed that her mistress was among the most enviable women in the capital for being part of such a familial setting.
However, as Lu Chao Chao’s bath concluded, it was clear she was far from content; her tiny fists clenched and flailed in a silent display of anger and frustration.
[No! They’re all deceiving themselves! My father is the most deceitful of them all! He has been deceiving my mother for years. It’s heartbreaking to see how much my mother suffers… Right now, my father, that despicable man, is anxiously waiting in Qingyu Lane, present at the birth of his mistress’s child…]
These thoughts, filled with the indignation of an infant yet carrying the insight of mature realization, left Madam Xu in shock.
Qingyu Lane? He’s at his mistress’s childbirth? While I fought for my life during labor, he chose her over me? The stark realization that her profound and unwavering loyalty and love had been met with such betrayal cut through her heart like a knife. The thought that her husband could so coldly disregard their vows and her well-being in favor of another was a revelation that shook her trust and love for him to its core.