Volume 1, Chapter 4 – Betrothed From the Womb

“Why are you just standing there in a daze? Sit down and eat, we’ve been waiting for you.” A beautiful woman in her early thirties seated to Shi Tianlu’s left smiled and beckoned to her.

This was the birth mother of her current body, Su Lanyue, the Shi family’s matriarch.

Aside from her parents, there was also a gorgeously dressed woman about the same age as Su Lanyue at the table, along with two young men who weren’t much older than her.

That woman was the concubine who had been pregnant at the same time as Su Lanyue back then, named Shen Mingqiu.

Back then, not long after Shi Lan was born, Shen Mingqiu had given birth to a son—Shi Lan’s second younger brother, Shi Yiming. Less than two years later, she bore Shi Lan’s third younger brother, named Shi Qinghu. With sons in her arms, her status in the Shi residence soared.

Because Shi Lan was born with a crippled cultivation body, Shen Mingqiu’s standing in the Shi estate had gradually risen to the point where it faintly matched Su Lanyue’s.

After Shi Tianlu had three sons, he poured his energy into cultivation and grooming successors. No new life had appeared in the inner courtyard since.

Shi Lan came back to herself and bowed in greeting. Because she had to maintain her Silent Meditation, she didn’t open her mouth to speak.

“This child is getting more and more backward the older she gets—she doesn’t even know how to greet people anymore.” Su Lanyue scolded her with a smile.

Shen Mingqiu gave Shi Lan a once-over, then covered her mouth with a light laugh. “Aran’s body is far too frail. She’s almost as delicate as a young miss.”

The smile on Su Lanyue’s face stiffened slightly, but she didn’t say anything more.

Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu stood up and returned the greeting very properly.

“Eldest Brother.”

Shi Tianlu patted the empty seat at his right hand and said calmly, “Sit and eat.”

Shi Lan sat down stiffly on the chair and buried herself in eating. But she had already stuffed herself with quite a bit of dry rations earlier; after just two chopsticks’ worth of food, she found she really couldn’t eat much more.

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The table was very quiet, the only sound the faint clinking of bowls and chopsticks.

After several dishes had gone around, Shen Mingqiu set down her chopsticks and said softly, “Never mind Yiming—even Qinghu has already taken two concubines. Aran isn’t that young anymore either, yet she doesn’t even have a single bed-serving maid by her side. In the end, that’s not very proper. There are some ugly rumors going around outside.”

Su Lanyue’s expression didn’t change, but her heart sank.

Shi Lan tensed up, still keeping her head lowered, ears pricked, listening carefully.

“I arranged a childhood betrothal for Shi Lan in the past. It’s with the Lu family in Nine Heavens City, six hundred li to the west. If I’ve counted right, they should be coming to our door in the next couple of days.”

Shi Lan almost choked on the food in her mouth. Panic fluttered in her chest—whether or not her identity was exposed was a matter of life and death to her.

Shen Mingqiu’s palm tightened slightly, her expression flickering with surprise.

Su Lanyue’s face also changed a little. After steadying herself, she forced a smile. “How is it I’ve never heard of this?”

“A betrothal from the womb. It was settled before Aran was even born. Later on I simply forgot to tell you,” Shi Tianlu said offhandedly.

“Master, are you talking about that prestigious Lu clan?” Shen Mingqiu asked hesitantly to confirm.

“That’s right.” Shi Tianlu nodded slightly.

Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other’s eyes.

The Lu clan’s standing in Nine Heavens City was equivalent to the Shi family’s status in Tenglong City, but Nine Heavens City was three to four times larger than Tenglong City, with martial experts like clouds. The gap between the two was like that between clouds and mud.

“Master, back then… which member of the Lu clan did you arrange the match with?” Su Lanyue asked, a faint nervousness in her voice.

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“The current Lu family head, Lu Changfeng.”

“I’m afraid that’s not very appropriate, is it?” Su Lanyue blurted out, her face changing.

Shi Tianlu shook his head and rose to his feet. “There’s no need to say more. We’ll talk when they come.” With that, he gave the still-head-down Shi Lan a long, meaningful look, then raised his hand to stroke her damp hair.

Shi Lan only felt a wave of warmth spread from the top of her head. Her long, wet hair, clumped together with cold dampness, turned dry and smooth within just a few breaths.

“In the future, dry your hair before coming out. The wind is strong at night—don’t catch a chill.” Shi Tianlu said lightly, then strode out of Yishui Hall.

Shi Lan’s heart stirred. Why was Shi Tianlu’s attitude… not quite what she’d imagined?

A faint flash of jealousy passed through the hearts of both Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu. Shi Tianlu had never been that gentle with them—what they usually got was his fists and training weapons.

“Elder Sister, please enjoy your meal slowly. This concubine will take her leave first.” Shen Mingqiu’s eyes flickered as she rose, offered a graceful salute, and glided away.

Right after, the brothers Shi Yiming and Shi Qinghu also rose to take their leave, and soon only Su Lanyue, Shi Lan, and a group of maids remained in the hall.

“You may all withdraw for now,” Su Lanyue said with a wave of her hand.

After the maids had left, Su Lanyue nudged the still-head-down Shi Lan. “Stop eating and come with me.” Then she stood and entered the side hall.

No lamps had been lit in the side hall. It was a little dim, completely empty, and very quiet.

Su Lanyue sat down on a chair and took a deep breath. “What do you think about this matter?”

Shi Lan stood with her hands at her sides and said nothing.

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A trace of disappointment flashed through Su Lanyue’s eyes. This soft, pliant temperament—she had no idea who the girl had taken after.

“Lu Changfeng has only one daughter, Lu Yueqing. Her name shouldn’t be unfamiliar to you, right?”

Shi Lan searched through her memories and pulled out everything related to Lu Yueqing.

The number one genius within a thousand li of Nine Heavens City.

An Innate Realm martial artist not yet twenty.

A peerless beauty said to topple cities.

The beloved daughter of Lu Changfeng, head of the Lu clan—the overlord of Nine Heavens City.

Stringing together halo after halo, a picture of a heaven’s favored daughter formed clearly in Shi Lan’s mind.

Heaven’s favored daughter. A naturally crippled body. Betrothed from the womb. Wasn’t the next step supposed to be breaking off the engagement?

And then, after the tables turned years later, the whole dramatic comeback?

Shi Lan’s expression turned a bit strange. A trash-to-genius broken-engagement setup, plus a system—if she weren’t currently in a woman’s body, this would be a perfect male-lead template.

Just imagining it was thrilling. Unfortunately, she was a woman now. At that thought, Shi Lan couldn’t help lowering her head, a faint melancholy clouding her eyes.

Seeing that Shi Lan kept her silence, Su Lanyue gently kneaded the spot between her brows, feeling a headache coming on. She waved weakly. “Forget it. Go back for now.”

Shi Lan had just turned to leave when Su Lanyue called her back again.

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“Wait. These past few days, did you go to see Xu Yuanbai again?”

The instant Xu Yuanbai’s name sounded, memories in Shi Lan’s mind surged up violently. A fair, handsome face leapt into her thoughts, and her heartbeat involuntarily sped up.

Those were all lingering reactions left behind by the body’s original owner.

After sorting through the flood of memories, Shi Lan could only feel half amused, half helpless.

The original Shi Lan had been a girl, after all. It was only natural for a young maiden to harbor a crush. Xu Yuanbai had been the man of her dreams.

But judging from some details in those memories, Xu Yuanbai didn’t seem to be anything good.

The Xu family was in business—inns, rice shops, silk stores and the like, dabbling in every aspect of food, clothing, housing, and travel. Their wealth was considerable.

Yet two years ago, the Xu family hadn’t owned so many establishments. They’d only had one inn and one rice shop. The reason they’d expanded so quickly was in no small part thanks to Shi Lan’s help.

The original Shi Lan hadn’t liked martial arts. She was quite interested in zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting, but Su Lanyue never allowed her to learn any of that. Aside from literacy, she wasn’t allowed to touch chessboards, brushes, or instruments.

The root reason was still fear that being around such things too often would make Shi Lan give herself away through some small detail in daily life.

Shi Lan had been protected far too well, and with her somewhat timid nature, she didn’t have much contact with men outside.

Xu Yuanbai’s cultivation aptitude was mediocre, and he himself had no interest in martial arts. He took up literature instead and actually managed to earn himself a reputation as a talented scholar in Tenglong City.

By chance, Shi Lan and Xu Yuanbai had crossed paths, and this somewhat simple-minded girl had fallen right in.