Zhang Xinsheng, 18 years old, dead.
Zhang Xinsheng, 0 years old, reborn.
Zhang Xinsheng, almost 18 years old, almost dead.
This was his current situation.
After rebirth, he quickly realised his body was sickly once again.
If there were a god, he was playing a cruel joke on him.
Sent to the past with memories intact. Reborn in a wealthy and respected family. All to ultimately die in his teens once again.
It was indeed a cruel joke.
Still, he tried to find meaning in life. Although short, he wanted to find a cure and extend it even by a few months.
Thus, he spent days cooking up ideas.
As someone from the 21st century, he had no shortage of ideas.
But as time went by, he began to realise how naive his thoughts were. He alone, with the time he had, was not enough to make a change.
The life he lived in the past was the culmination of human development over 2000 years. To transfer that to this world in a few short years was an impossible task. That too, when this world was slightly different from what he knew.
Unlike the past he learned about, this world had martial arts that defied common sense.
Man carrying a boulder.
Man smashing a rock with his bare hands.
Man slicing through iron with his palm.
All that was possible in this world.
Although he couldn't perform martial arts, others could. So, focusing on just science to bring about miracles seemed foolish.
Maybe there was some other way in this magical world to fix him, he thought, and spent money lavishly, looking for physicians across the empire.
Still, all those who examined said that his end was near.
There was no medicine in his previous life to save him. The same was true in this life.
All hope of living a long life was lost.
At some point, he decided to enjoy life rather than always thinking of his inevitable death.
Now, he lives in the present, trying his best to enjoy what he can without looking back. But that itself was not easy.
His body screamed in pain whenever he made even the tiniest of motions. These days, it was impossible for him to even sleep.
—
On the day of Lu Xinyi's marriage.
Zhang Xinsheng was feeling a little bored because of the monotony of life. His sick body was beginning to give in as sleepless nights plagued him every day.
So, by noon, he woke up and decided to eat breakfast outside.
He washed himself and left home with his trusty attendant Xiao Ang.
While they were moving across the city, in his family carriage, he got a whiff of freshly steamed buns.
Just the thought of the fragrant, juicy meat bun made him salivate.
Immediately, he made Xiao Ang stop the carriage and buy one. Meanwhile, he waited patiently inside the carriage.
Unfortunately for him, the meat bun had to wait.
—-
Lu Xinyi sneaked into the carriage like a professional sneaky person.
Her display of sneakiness was both masterful and praiseworthy.
"Who are you?" Just as she entered, a weak voice spoke.
It was the voice of a man.
Xinyi instinctively turned to look at the man, gasping for breath.
In front of her sat a young man who was similar in age to herself. He was lean with sunken eyes and dark circles. But all that couldn't hide his handsome features.
At a glance, he looked like those young masters who visited certain places and had their vitality drained.
She panicked.
Was this person one of those?
Her heartbeat increased.
Did she jump out of the frying pan into the fire?
Maybe not.
She quickly calmed herself and gazed at the man.
'How should I explain this?'
'Should I feign ignorance?'
'But what would I do if he makes a scene?'
'The guards should have reached here by now. I can't take any chances.'
Numerous thoughts flowed through her mind until she finally reached a decision. Without giving the man a chance to respond, she leapt forward like a cat, covered his mouth with one hand, and used the other to push him to the wall of the carriage, to prevent him from moving.
Her thin soft fingers wrapped around the mouth of the man, sealing his voice, as they fell onto the soft round pillows placed inside the carriage.
Now, they were so close that their faces were almost touching.
"Mu mme mm." Only a hum came out as the man tried to speak.
But suddenly, as if he realised something, the man stopped trying to speak. His frigid eyes changed to show confusion and wonder as he felt changes happening to him. The pain he was supposed to feel was disappearing. Something weird was happening to his body.
"Sorry, mister. I didn't want to do this. But…this is the only way. Please just don't speak and lie like this for a minute. I can explain everything." Xinyi said in a hushed tone.
Her voice was barely audible.
To her surprise, the man cooperated with her absurd request. He didn't try to move or make noise.
Soon, she heard the voice of the guards moving around the carriage hurriedly. But for some reason, they avoided the carriage and looked around.
"Hu…" Xinyi breathed a sigh of relief.
"I can explain." She said once again.
Once she made sure no guards were near, she slowly released her grip on the man's mouth.
Her finger slid away from his soft lips as blood returned to his face. She was pressing on his face too tightly.
However, the man didn't complain at all.
Other than curiously gazing at her, he didn't do anything.
The awkward silence persisted as they sat up.
"Young master, sorry for taking this long. The shop had a long queue of customers." Suddenly, a voice came from the side of the carriage.
"Xiao Ang, what was the commotion outside?" The man asked.
"Oh! That! It is a funny story you would like, young master."
While Lu Xinyi stayed silent, the person called Xiao Ang said and entered the carriage holding a paper bag.
"Ah!" He exclaimed softly as he saw an unexpected person inside the carriage. He seemed to have recognised the lady.
"Ms Lu!"
"You know me?"
Both of them gazed at each other. Meanwhile, the young master sitting nearby let out a chuckle.
Xiao Ang turned to look at his young master, appalled by the situation.
"Young master, what is going on?" Xiao Ang asked.
"You should tell me the funny story first."
Xiao Ang paused and gulped.
Was this the time for that?
Guards were searching for Ms Lu nearby. What would happen if one of them came here?
Xiao Ang mistakenly thought his young master had something to do with Ms Lu's escape. But he still couldn't understand how his young master pulled it off.
Stealing the woman who rejected him on the wedding day, when the wedding procession was standing just a few meters away.
'I must say. Young master is indeed a great and very manly man.' Xiao Ang said in his mind, awestruck.
"Young master, you obviously know it."
"What do I know?"
"Ms Lu is already sitting in your carriage."
"Yes, I would like to know more about that."
"Huh!"
"Who is she?" He asked Xiao Ang while staring closely at Ms Lu.
"It's Ms Lu."
"What, Ms Lu?"
"The one that broke the engagement." Xiao Ang replied in confusion.
At his words, the young master and Lu Xinyi's eyes met, a shared jolt of understanding ripping through them like a thunderclap.
"Zhang Xinsheng!"
"Lu Xin Something!"
Both of them spoke simultaneously.
One remembered the name, but the other seemed to have forgotten it.
Zhang Xinsheng's forgetfulness wasn't an act; he genuinely didn't remember the name because he hadn't cared about the engagement.
The engagement was made by their parents before his birth. And they never met because of his sickness, and later, the engagement was broken off for the same reason.
So, why should he put the effort into remembering the name?
But now, the situation has changed.
"It's Lu Xinyi." Xiao Ang quickly corrected.
"Yes, that's right. Lu Xinyi, that is the name." Zhang Xinsheng nodded. "So, did she escape from her marriage or something?"
"Yes."
"This is getting interesting." Zhang Xinsheng chuckled in amusement. "Xiao Ang, give me the buns," he said, and took steps forward effortlessly and snatching the paper bag from his hand.
The freshly baked meat buns were inside it.
Meanwhile, Xiao Ang looked at his young master in awe.
He was moving effortlessly.
How could he do that?
However, before he could think, young master Zhang sat near Lu Xinyi, took out a bun and offered it to her while saying, "Miss Lu, as of now, you have been kidnapped." He chuckled and placed the bun in her hand.
He was still wearing a bright smile as he spoke.
"Ah!" Lu Xinyi exclaimed.
She couldn't put a finger on what just happened. But she was in no position to resist. If she made as much as a whimper, her family guards would find her and bring her back.
*Gulp*
She didn't want that.