Chapter: 001 Out Of 513 – A Strange Dream (1) (2/2)

But at fifteen I straightened my brows and laughed,

Learning that no dust could ever seal our love,”*

”Why didn't the poet write what type of feeling I would have at twenty? I see him marrying a new person, but I'm not allowed to cry. Could it be that I must still show a smiling expression?”

The woman's distressed and bitter cries drifted over from a faraway place. It drifted to Jiman's ears as if it had no roots to hold it down.

“Madam…” A timid voice called out. The voice in Jiman's mind suddenly seemed to return to its original place. Her vision blurred for a moment, then a bronze mirror appeared in front of her.

The person in the mirror had a deathly pale face. She was wearing a white robe with wide sleeves and a simple shawl. There were two hairpins that each had pair of small white flowers in her cloud bun hairstyle. The colors were so light that she resembled a fresh corpse.

Ji Man blinked and the person in the mirror also blinked. The jealously, hatred, and distress that had been on the face was replaced with astonishment. When the unpleasant expression was removed, the face became more pleasing.

“Madam?” The nearby servant girl seems to be frightened as she looked at her madam, who had a devil-like expression. She felt as if a cold draft had swept over her back.

Ji Man blankly turned around. The servant girl that was kneeling on the ground had a luo hairstyle and light green jacket and skirt. Her entire body was trembling.

(T/N: Below is a picture of a luo hairstyle.)

Ch 001 - luo spiral hairstyle.png

“Muxu?”

The young servant girl's trembling became worse. “This servant is here.”

Ji Man twisted her stiff neck and continued looking at the person in the mirror. She was probably dreaming. The person in the mirror had red lips and white teeth. There was a faint mark between the eyebrows and a pair of long and narrow phoenix eyes that contained malice. This appearance seemed like how the novel had described Nie Sangyu.

Then, she looked at the servant girl that was kneeling next to her. She remembered that the novel had also said the Nie Sangyu's servant girl was weak. She was always trembling with fear. Her name was Muxu.

She could have dreamed about anything. Why did she have to dream that she had become Nie Sangyu?

Ji Man yawned. She still felt very sleepy. She might as well continue sleeping in this dream. Everything would be fine once she woke up.

“Madam… Don't take things too hard. The new madam's marriage sedan had already arrived at the entrance. You should at least go to the receiving room to see her.”

Just as Ji Man was about to lie down on the bed, Muxu carefully pulled the corner of Nie Sangyu's robe.

Ji Man's eyes slanted downwards to look at Muxu. She was only dreaming. Why did she have to be responsible with helping Nie Sangyu deal with the female lead? No way! She still had to go to work tomorrow. She didn't have that energy.

“Don't bother me. I'm going to sleep.”

*(T/N: These are lines from a poem called A Poem of Changgan by Li Bai, a famous Tang Dynasty poet. If you want to read the rest of the poem, here's the version that I thought was translated the best and the one I used for this chapter. /poems/56596/poem-of-changgan.

P.s. This novel has a slow beginning. But, what happens in the beginning chapters will be relevant to the novel later on. It really seems like the author had properly planned out the entire novel and the ending from the very first chapter. You'll see what I mean when you read the final chapter. Or, even after reading 5-10% of this novel, you'll start viewing the beginning chapters differently.

Anyways, hope you will enjoy this novel as much I did.)