After Transmigrating, My Younger Brother Always Tries to Seduce Me - Chapter 1

The fire raged, its flames licking at every corner. Servants scattered in panic, while the once lavishly dressed young lady lay motionless beside the collapsed plaque, her face streaked with soot. One by one, the servants stepped over the plaque, none stopping to help her up, whether out of ignorance or indifference.

Suddenly, her fingers twitched, and her legs began to jerk nervously. Her dark brows furrowed as her shallow breathing gradually deepened, as if she were struggling to wake.

Zhu Zhenzhen’s eyes snapped open, her mouth gaping like a drowning person gasping for air. Hot, so hot. She frantically scanned her surroundings, her mind racing to process the information, yet she remained clueless about her location. She had survived a high-pressure mission, returned home to rest, and now she was here? Was this a dream?

But there was no time for contemplation. The wooden beam beside her was about to collapse.

When she tried to move, her legs felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Looking down, she saw a gruesome sight raw, crimson flesh exposed, with glimpses of stark white bone beneath. Compared to this, the burns on her thighs seemed insignificant.

She couldn’t stand. The surrounding chaos was deafening—screams, frantic footsteps, people rushing in and out. Yet Zhu Zhenzhen felt a surge of hope.

The clothes she wore were far beyond the means of ordinary commoners. These scurrying figures were likely her household servants. If she suffered any harm, they would undoubtedly face a severe beating.

Zhu Zhenzhen propped herself up, grabbed a nearby servant, wiped her face, revealing her still-developing features, and forced a sweet smile. Sister, can you help me out? My leg…

Before she could finish, the servant recoiled as if she’d seen a ghost, yanked her skirt away, shook off Zhu Zhenzhen’s hand, and fled with her head bowed.

Zhu Zhenzhen was stunned. She hadn’t anticipated this reaction. The faint creaking of a nearby wooden beam snapped her back to reality.

With no other choice, she began to crawl. Given the traditional architecture, crawling past the signboard should lead to an open courtyard.

Zhu Zhenzhen gritted her teeth, the searing pain in her legs making each crawl an agony. Sweat dripped like beans, but she had to move faster. If that massive pillar came crashing down, it would be no joke—her small frame wouldn’t stand a chance.

She lost track of time, every second a fresh wave of pain in her legs. Her back was soaked with sweat. Finally, she crawled out. Just seconds later, the entire structure collapsed completely.

Zhu Zhenzhen turned to watch the devastation, patting her chest to catch her breath. She clasped her hands together, muttering like a devout believer

Heaven has opened its eyes, and the Bodhisattva has blessed me. Having survived this calamity, I’m destined for future fortune.

Two more buildings stood nearby, resembling a luxurious courtyard complex. Zhu Zhenzhen estimated that unless her luck was catastrophically bad, the falling beams from those structures wouldn’t reach her.

She finally had time to gather her thoughts. She was a beautiful young woman with professional ethics, working for an unscrupulous organization. Just before heading home, she had been laughing and chatting with her colleagues.

Li Zhen clinked glasses with her. When are you finally retiring? The boss has been exploiting you for three or four years already.

Zhu Zhenzhen I’m leaving right now! I won’t work another day.

Though the organization members often said this, no one could leave without the boss’s permission.

Li Zhen chuckled and nudged her. Hurry up and go! Once you’re gone, I’ll get your share of the loot.

Zhu Zhenzhen snapped out of her thoughts and glanced around. A bleak wind rustled through the air, carrying a withered leaf. She sighed, spreading her hands in a gesture of helplessness.

She had never done anything truly wicked. From helping elderly women cross the street to donating to impoverished regions, she had been a model citizen for twenty-four years. She never imagined her life would come to this.

One of the two houses had burned to the ground, while the other remained standing. Just moments ago, it had been a sea of flames, yet now not a single pillar had collapsed. As a seasoned gentleman on the roof—a euphemism for pickpocket—she immediately recognized that this house must contain valuable treasures, perhaps even some medicine.

She crawled slowly across the ground, each movement like a knife twisting in her flesh. Before entering the house, she encountered a threshold. With her left hand, she lifted her useless leg, braced her right hand on the floor, arched her hips, and kicked off with her good leg, perfectly clearing the barrier.

The interior was lavishly decorated. Zhu Zhenzhen clicked her tongue in admiration. Even ancient wealthy families spared no expense on their homes. The pillars were even gilded with gold, untouched by the fire and still gleaming like new with a quick wipe.

Beyond the screen lay the inner chamber. Zhu Zhenzhen sat upright, rummaging through the room. She needed to find medicine first without it, she couldn’t escape the mansion.

Persistence paid off. She found several bottles that looked like medicine and confidently opened each one to sniff. With her years of experience adventuring across the land, Zhu Zhenzhen had memorized at least sixty to seventy percent of common wound-healing remedies, if not all of them. She successfully identified Golden Wound Medicine.

The medicine took effect within minutes. It wasn’t some miraculous elixir, but it was enough to help her stand.

The commotion outside had long subsided, but based on her years of watching melodramatic dramas, Zhu Zhenzhen knew she couldn’t leave yet. The main gate might still be guarded by soldiers, and even the maids and servants had fled in a panic. As the original owner of this body, she would either be arrested or executed on the spot if she ventured out.

The fact that no one had tried to extinguish the fire in a high-ranking official’s residence, and instead had all fled, never to return, spoke volumes. The servants’ terrified flight at the sight of their young mistress suggested she had offended someone she shouldn’t have.

Zhu Zhenzhen decided to hide here for the night before making her escape. The most dangerous place was often the safest. She first gathered some valuables, then hesitated, returning to scrape off every last bit of gold trim.

She had just finished collecting the last piece of gold trim, weighing the objects in her hand. A slow smile spread across her face, but it froze within seconds.

The usually quiet outdoors was now filled with voices, mixed with the rustling of footsteps and heavy thuds. A light seemed to be approaching from beyond the paper-thin window, making her instinctively alert.

Zhu Zhenzhen quietly cracked the window open a sliver. Through the gap, she saw three to five armored soldiers carrying torches advancing toward her.

They moved with practiced efficiency and speed. She needed to find a hiding place, but the cabinet was already damaged, the space under the bed too obvious, and the approaching light was now bright enough to illuminate her face. The wound on her leg hadn’t yet scabbed over, and faint traces of bl00d still seeped through with each movement.

Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up, staggered onto the table, and leaped toward the roof beam. Her unsteady footing caused her forehead to slam heavily against the beam, leaving a red mark that immediately swelled into a purplish bruise. The wound on her leg reopened, pain darkening her vision, but she swallowed the cry, refusing to stop. She scrambled upward with desperate speed, using the beam to flip herself onto its surface.

Moving so quickly, her legs buckled under the strain, and she nearly fell several times, clinging on only by sheer force of will.

At that very moment, the door burst open, and a towering soldier strode in. She couldn’t see his face clearly, but she heard the leader’s suppressed voice bark, Search thoroughly! Find the Song Family children!

Yes, sir! At the command, soldiers filed into the room, ransacking it methodically.

The leader remained motionless at the doorway while the others searched with their heads bowed, never looking up. Yet Zhu Zhenzhen felt a growing sense of unease. She pressed herself further back into the shadows, her eyes fixed on the leader.

Sure enough, he moved. Amidst the chaos, he suddenly took a few steps forward and sat heavily at the table. Zhu Zhenzhen noticed his back stiffen for a split second, but when she focused intently, she saw nothing amiss.

Zhu Zhenzhen frowned. Had he discovered something? She was certain she’d left no trace. Her bleeding leg was tightly bandaged there shouldn’t be any problem.

The man unbuckled his sword and laid it on the table, then drew his blade and began meticulously polishing it. The small room was quickly searched, and the soldiers gathered to report.

Nothing found, one of the men said, still seething with frustration. Who knows where Song Dezhong sent those two kids? Even in death, he’s still causing us so much trouble.

The man slammed his hand on the table, the force shaking the room. Search! Dig three feet into the ground if you have to, but find them! He stood up, sheathing his sword. Let’s go search elsewhere.

As he stepped over the threshold, his voice suddenly rose sharply, leaving Zhu Zhenzhen with only his retreating back. The Prince has warned you your heads will roll if you don’t find the Song Family’s legitimate son.

The group had arrived with great fanfare, and they departed with equal pomp. Whatever they had discovered, at least Zhu Zhenzhen’s life had been spared. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Legitimate son? This body has a sibling?

She, the young lady of the Song Family, was now a wanted fugitive. Her so-called brother’s whereabouts were unknown, and according to their words, a Prince seemed to be deeply involved in today’s events.

Having inherited this body, she resolved to uncover the truth and survive. Zhu Zhenzhen let her legs dangle in the air, swinging them thoughtfully. Who was Song Dezhong? Why did the soldiers come searching? Is the original owner’s brother still alive? Should I risk everything to find him?

A large hole gaped in the ceiling. Zhu Zhenzhen leaned against a sturdy beam, gazing at the sky—a stark contrast to the war-torn ground below. The boundless expanse was cloudless, dotted with twinkling stars, and illuminated by a high-hanging moon. An occasional breeze drifted into the room, caressing her cheek with gentle tenderness. Confident that the soldiers wouldn’t return for a second search anytime soon, Zhu Zhenzhen felt a sense of peace settle over her, and she gradually drifted off to sleep, lulled by the soft wind.

She had a very peculiar dream.

War raged across the land, corpses littered the fields, and tattered banners lay scattered on the ground. Somehow, she could move, but not of her own volition.

Her perspective rose higher and higher—she was standing up. She stumbled forward, her steps unsteady. The surroundings were eerily silent, save for the mournful howl of the wind.

With each step she took, the corpses, burning vegetation, and bl00d-red sunset around her vanished, dissolving into an empty darkness. She paused for a moment, and gradually, light began to emerge before her. The light was so blindingly bright that she couldn’t make out its source.

Her walk turned into a run, her breathing grew rapid, and the pounding of her heart roared in her ears.

Zhu Zhenzhen had initially observed all this with detached indifference, until she stumbled and fell to the ground, clutching a mangled, bl00d-soaked corpse in her arms.

Though the person in her arms was so close, she still couldn’t make out their face. Tears dripped down, one after another, and she couldn’t tell if the sobs were coming from her own throat.

Suddenly, a strange force yanked her upright. In that instant, all her emotions receded like a tide. Looking down, she saw a woman on the ground, still weeping over a man’s corpse. Zhu Zhenzhen frowned in confusion.

She turned to look around, but it was still pitch-black. When she turned back, the weeping woman was sitting upright, facing Zhu Zhenzhen. Wearing a fox mask, she remained motionless, only her sobs continuing.

Zhu Zhenzhen opened her mouth to ask a question, but the woman seemed to read her thoughts and answered directly.

I am you, and you are me, the woman said.

Zhu Zhenzhen curled her lip in disbelief. She could never cry like this over a man.

Uncover the truth behind the Song Family’s annihilation to survive.

Zhu Zhenzhen frowned. What was that supposed to mean?

Before she could ask, the woman’s figure vanished, and the sobbing stopped. Instead, the woman’s final words echoed in her ears, repeating over and over as if whispered directly into her ear.

Who was this person? The Original Owner? But if it was her, what did her first words mean?

Zhu Zhenzhen’s sleep had been restless from the start. The ghostly voice from her dream lingered in her mind, and the constant rustling sounds kept her on edge. After hearing the noise for the third time, she assumed it was just some stray cat or dog and tossed a silver coin toward the source of the sound.

The rustling was followed by a muffled groan that sounded distinctly human. Her heart skipped a beat.

Zhu Zhenzhen initially tried to ignore it, closing her eyes to drift back to sleep for the fourth time. But as soon as she shut her eyes, her mind flooded with images of the dangers of throwing objects from high places, making sleep impossible. Finally, driven by a sense of humanitarianism, she climbed down from the pillar to investigate.

The surroundings were pitch-black, making it impossible to see anything. Zhu Zhenzhen took two more steps forward and reached out her hand, immediately touching something furry.

Summoning her courage, she felt downward. First, she encountered a swollen lump, then a prominent nose, and finally dry, cracked lips. It was definitely a person.

After tidying up the collapsed bed, she cleared away the fallen wood splinters and charred bedposts, creating a makeshift space for the person to lie down.

The boy wasn’t heavy, but pulling him onto the bed was still a struggle for her slender frame.

He lay with his eyes closed, his brow furrowed in obvious distress. Zhu Zhenzhen touched his forehead—thankfully, he didn’t have a fever. Yet she hadn’t noticed anyone here during the day.

Who is he? Why is he here? A vague, inexplicable premonition stirred within her—this must be the Original Owner’s younger brother.

The boy on the bed continued to breathe evenly, perhaps sleeping soundly after the earlier fall. By the moonlight filtering through the gauze window, she noticed a long, jagged scar on his leg. Untreated, it oozed yellowish-green pus, the bl00d already soaking through the bedsheets beneath him.

Zhu Zhenzhen, her hands trembling, carefully applied the medicine to his wound.

After tending to his injury, she tore another strip of cloth from his clothes, cleaned her own wound, and re-bandaged it.

By the time she finished, dawn was approaching. She yawned, leaned against the wall, and drifted off to sleep.

When she awoke, the sun was high in the sky. The boy on the bed remained asleep, his thick brows furrowed, occasionally muttering in his sleep, his expression deeply troubled.

What kind of nightmare was he having? He was so terrified. But then again, losing his family and being hunted by enemies—the trauma from such experiences would cast an immeasurable shadow over a teenager’s mind.

Zhu Zhenzhen, having grown up in an orphanage herself, knew all too well the loneliness and helplessness of being without family. She reached out with a gentle hand and stroked his hair, whispering softly, just as she had once longed for someone to do for her Don’t be afraid. I’m here.

Visibly, his brow slowly relaxed, his lips parted slightly as his breathing steadied.

She glanced at the sky, realizing they needed to find food. Their bodies couldn’t endure hunger, and the kitchen was likely empty. Without sustenance, they wouldn’t survive the bl00d loss. She had to go out and find something.