Volume 1 Chapter 4: The Kung Fu Nanny

  I sat numbly in the half-person-high wooden bucket, the water temperature was very high, scalding my skin painfully, yet still unable to relieve my slight trembling, I felt as if my blood had congealed again, my teeth clenched tightly, and all I could feel was the sound of countless sharp noises buzzing around my ears, my head humming with a dull buzz.

  I tried to calm myself down, but the anger in my heart kept surging wave after wave. Since my parents passed away, I seemed to have never had a good encounter with luck. My uncle and aunt appeared to be kind enough to take me in, but they were actually after the insurance compensation for my parents' death. I worked as an unpaid servant for ten years, finally managed to get into university, escaped that nightmare-like environment, studied hard, got excellent grades, and eventually landed a decent job. After three years of hard work, I had just started to feel settled in a small but comfortable place, and hadn't even fully familiarized myself with the neighborhood, when I was suddenly taken away to this godforsaken place, only to find out that I only have 81 days left to live!

  Heavens, are you really going to treat me like a cockroach that can't be killed? I lift my head fiercely, but I couldn't see the sky. No, when did Ning Xi ever admit defeat? Even if I become a weed, I will survive here, I absolutely won't be a puppet, I absolutely won't wait for death, just you wait and see!

  I let out a breath and began to slowly massage my stiff body, I stretched out my legs, extended my arms, shrugged my shoulders, lifted my head, twisted my waist... I closed my eyes, feeling the gentle warmth of the water caressing my skin, I could feel the slight sensation of my fingertips gliding over my skin, the nails digging into my palms with a faint stinging pain. All this was so natural, I could feel every part of my body, I could feel the flow of blood, hear the sound of my own heartbeat, I could feel the harmony between my spirit and flesh. This was originally me!

  If I couldn't see it, I wouldn't even believe that the soul could leave the body, but opening my eyes, this indeed wasn't my original body. My gaze slowly swept over the parts of my body that I could see, and I was taken aback. On the inside of my left upper arm, on the smooth white skin, a bright red mole that seemed to be dripping with freshness - was this... a guardian mole?

  It turns out that there is such a custom in this space-time too. I smiled slightly, Ling Yi, you gave me this complete body, thinking of taking it back, but it's not that easy anymore.

  The four maids who came in just now quickly cleaned up everything, and the room was restored to its original state, simple and unadorned, filled with a rough masculine atmosphere everywhere. Could this be Ling Yi's room? I shook my head. Gu Qingying married him and naturally had to move into his house, but who would have thought that something strange would happen! Sorry, Gu Qingying, I won't return this body to you, because if you exist, then I don't.

  The knock at the door woke me up, and a middle-aged woman in her 40s walked in, holding a stack of clothes, saying with a slight bow: "Madam, I've come to help you change."

  "Uh-huh, just leave it there and you can go!" I said coldly.

  "Ma'am..." The middle-aged woman hesitated for a moment, as if she had something to say.

  "I don't need you to wait on me, you can go."

  The middle-aged woman didn't speak for a long time. Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she said: "These are all Qingying's clothes. I put them on the bed."

  I was taken aback. Did she know something? I looked at her scrutinizingly and said, "You wait outside for me. I'll change my clothes and then call you in."

  The woman promised and then backed out.

  I quickly wiped my body dry. Picked up the clothes on the bed. Couldn't help but smile bitterly. What is this layer upon layer of things? Randomly picked up a white robe similar to pajamas and wrapped it around me. Opened my mouth to call that woman in.

  She came in and saw me wearing it, and was taken aback. She opened her mouth and said: "Madam, this is an undergarment. It's better to..."

  "Alright." I interrupted her: "Why are you so dressed up in the middle of the night? Sit down. I have something to ask you."

  The woman did not decline either and sat down at the table in silence.

  "What's your name?"

  "My late husband's surname was Li, and others all call me Jin Niang."

  "Do you know who I am?" I got straight to the point.

  "I know."

  "How many more people know?"

  Jin Niang replied without surprise: "Apart from the castle owner and Pingyang Zhenren, only I know."

  "Oh!" I raised an eyebrow, this Jin Niang's identity doesn't seem simple.

  "Then who are you?"

  "I am Miss Qingying's wet nurse!" Jin Niang looked at me with a hint of arrogance in her tone.

  I sneered inwardly, no wonder! The newly arrived mistress of the manor died suddenly one night, and Ling Yi could deceive anyone, but not the nanny who had been watching Gu Qingying grow up since childhood. It seems that in Jin Niang's eyes, I am just a ridiculous puppet, and the humility earlier was probably all put on, so what did she come for? To monitor me?

  "How did the young lady of your household die?" This was a question I eagerly sought to clarify, what kind of reason could make Ling Yi disregard everything and capture a soul to preserve this body, perhaps the answer would be beneficial to me.

  Jin Niang's eyes flashed with a hint of divine light, but it was gone in an instant. She replied indifferently, "I don't know."

  Could she also know martial arts? A moment of doubt flashed through my mind, and I sneered: "You don't want to say, do you? What benefits did Ling Yi give you that you'd help him hide?"

  "What's the use of knowing for you?" Jin Niang acquiesced in my words.

  "I only knew that Gu Qingying was the daughter of Fengming Country's Taishi, with a good family background, yet she died so mysteriously. As her wet nurse, you're also considered half a member of the Gu family. If you don't report this, and if Taishi finds out, what will happen to you?" I looked at her with a smile.

  "The young lady's eyes flashed with a hint of mockery: 'The master won't know.'"

  "Oh? Are you so sure that after eighty-one days, your young lady will definitely be able to return to her soul? Since Ling Yi has sealed off this news so tightly, can you be certain that after Gu Qingying returns to her soul, Ling Yi won't deal with you, the one who knows the truth? To Ling Yi, you are a person from the Gu family, and to the Gu family, you are an outsider, a wet nurse who was sent out as part of the dowry. You should think about how to take care of yourself, don't sacrifice your life for others, or you'll end up losing everything."

  Jin Niang was indeed stunned, her facial expression changing unpredictably. After a long while, she regained her composure and smiled, saying: "Madam is an intelligent person, but perhaps too intelligent for your own good. What you should be thinking about now is how to make the most of these eighty-one days. Don't worry about me, I can take care of myself. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. Please get some rest early, Madam." With that, she stood up, bowed, and walked away without looking back.

  I stared blankly at her proud figure leaving, my mind filled with doubts. My words had clearly moved her, but why did she react this way? I wouldn't be naive enough to think that Ling Yi would love her for who she is, so was she just trying to temporarily survive and protect herself? But looking at her expression when speaking, she seemed confident and determined, not like someone being threatened. Did she have something else up her sleeve? What exactly was she relying on?

  A night of tossing and turning, until the sky outside the window began to show a pale blue, I fell into a deep sleep, and when I woke up again, it was already broad daylight.

  At the sound of my getting up, there was a knock at the door. Before I could respond, the door was pushed open and Jin Niang came in, still wearing last night's clothes. She was followed by two little maids, who were small and innocent-looking, but with downcast eyes. One carried a copper basin for washing, and the other carried a tray laden with delicate pastries.

  Jin Niang waved her hand, and the two little maids behind her quickly put down what they were holding and retreated. I thought she would say something to me, perhaps having already made up her mind, but instead she nimbly tidied up the bedding on my bed, then picked up a dress and indicated for me to wear it.

  I obediently put on those cumbersome clothes, finished washing up, and naturally sat in front of the window. The things on the table were all smashed by me, and I still can't find a mirror to take a look at my current appearance. As Jin Niang combed my hair, I smiled and said: "Jin Niang is really early, did you sleep well last night?"

  Jin Niang didn't respond, silently braiding my hair and then returning to the round table in the center of the room, arranging the food on the tray one piece at a time, indicating for me to have breakfast.

  There was a teapot on the table with freshly brewed tea, and the spout was still emitting hot air. I felt a stir in my heart, walked forward, poured a full cup, held it in my hand, and the heat transmitted over, scalding my palm. I smiled: "Jin Niang, don't you want to say something to me?"

  I saw her expression change slightly, and her hand relaxed, a cup of scalding hot tea was about to spill all over me. Before I could react, Jin Niang had already flashed in front of me, supporting the falling teacup with one hand, her wrist shaking slightly. The scattered tea water was somehow collected back into the cup without spilling a single drop, and it was steady in her hand, as if it had never been overturned.

  I stared blankly at the scene before me, and she indeed knew martial arts, and was quite skilled. I had only seen such a scene on TV before. No wonder her demeanor was so calm and composed, unmoved by my words. It seemed that it was all due to long-term martial arts training. But, just a nanny, actually having such martial arts skills? This Gu Qingying was not simple at all! My doubts about her death deepened.

  "Madam, please restrain yourself!" Jin Niang's tone carried a hint of anger.

  She saw through my intentions, but what's the big deal? I smiled innocently at her: "Jin Niang, what are you talking about? Didn't you come here to take care of me? If I get scalded, it'll be a huge responsibility for you."

  "If you continue to play these boring little tricks, don't blame me for being impolite." Jin Niang said coldly.

  I shrugged indifferently and started enjoying my breakfast. With Jin Nang's skills so high, if this monitor was around, it would be impossible for me to make any plans. I smiled: "Where is Ling Yi? I want to see him."