How Dare You?! 成何体统 (Cheng He Ti Tong)
By 七英俊 Qi Ying Jun
Translation by Spider
When Xiahou Dan died, Yu Wanyin fell seriously ill.
The ministers were all worried that she might never recover from the grief, considering the legendary love between the two, which was recorded in history. However, she only rested for half a month before returning to court.
Parting wasn’t heartbreaking because in the years they had stolen from fate, they spent almost every day together. Spring brought blossoming flowers, autumn the moonlit mountains, summer the fireflies by the lake, and winter the conversations by the fire. Their long list of wishes was thoroughly checked off, leaving no regrets behind.
The wise Emperor and Empress efficiently used every moment, opening up a prosperous era for the Xia Kingdom and nurturing children they could be proud of.
When Xiahou Dan arrived in this world, he was met with schemes and murderous intent. But when he left, he was surrounded by those he loved.
His final words to Yu Wanyin were, “Your story is still long.”
After that, the highly respected Yu Wanyin naturally ascended the throne. A few stubborn old ministers grumbled about ‘propriety’, but their voices were drowned in the mountain-crumbling shouts of “Long live the Empress,” much like firecrackers going off twice.
Empress Yu Wanyin looked down at the court officials and said calmly, “Everything will continue as usual.”
It was as if she had a schedule in her mind, going about her court duties meticulously, managing the grand affairs, and wrapping up several projects she had initiated. This mighty empress rarely indulged in pleasure or enjoyment, except occasionally visiting places where she and the late emperor had once rendezvoused to sip tea for an afternoon.
Several years later, just when the world had finally grown accustomed to Empress Yu’s rule, she suddenly and calmly passed the throne to her child. And just as her child had ascended to it, she then left the capital with light steps.
On that day, she metaphorically handed in her resignation to the heavens.
Yu Wanyin felt no guilt. She had given enough to this world, and it was time to live for herself.
Yu Wanyin travelled far and wide, witnessing the flourishing Xia Kingdom.
Fields of golden crops filled the countryside, factory assembly lines clattered, and the city’s skyline began to take shape. The women’s academy under Er Lan’s management expanded continuously, and Xie Yong’er’s vision of a transportation network became a reality on the crisscrossing roads.
The once cold and unfamiliar world, through the joint efforts of two generations of talents, slowly revealed a shadow of a distant homeland.
As for how this world would evolve in the future, that was not something she could witness within her lifetime.
The original protagonist, Xiahou Bo, had died many years ago, and the world did not collapse. According to Wuming Ke’s theory, once the emperor star returned to its place, fate had shifted. Yu Wanyin saw this world as a parallel universe. Although it originated from the book “Transmigrated: the Devils Beloved Consort” its development had long diverged from the original plot, expanding into an independently running small universe.
Even if she perished, she believed the stories here would continue, thriving for generations to come.
Yu Wanyin travelled across mountains and rivers, visiting many old friends. When she could no longer travel, she returned to the capital to spend her twilight years leisurely.
As Xiahou Dan had predicted, her life’s story turned out to be grand and exciting.
If there was any regret in her life, it was that she couldn’t invent a camera before Xiahou Dan passed away, leaving his face blurred in her memory.
But ultimately, that face belonged to a character in a book. It was Xiahou Dan, not Zhang San. No one knew what her beloved truly looked like.
The only clear image left in her mind was his eyes.
Perhaps it was due to his habit of concealment in endless political struggles or the result of years of illness, his eyes were always devoid of reflection. They left an impression not of just the ink-coloured pupils but of a whole void of darkness, like a swamp ready to drown its prey.
But whenever she looked into them, she could only find an unfathomable gentleness.
If there were another life, she would want to see them again.
Yu Wanyin’s aged eyes looked into the void, and she gently sighed her last breath.
Her vision darkened.
And then suddenly brightened.
Blinding white lights.
The subway car swayed slightly.
The phone in her hand still had its screen on, showing the half-read novel, with black text on a white background. The title at the top left corner read: ‘Transmigrated: Devil’s Beloved Consort’
Wang Cuihua suddenly raised her head, feeling a dizzying spin. Her phone dropped to the ground, and she slumped forward.
The passenger next to her was startled and reached out to catch her, asking, “Are you okay?”
Wang Cuihua leaned back against the seat, her eyes blank and vacant, shaking her head slowly.
A kind stranger picked up her phone and asked, “Do you have low blood sugar?”
Wang Cuihua struggled to speak, “…No, I’m fine. Thank you…”
Ah. this woman’s voice was indeed her own. It just sounded slightly distorted, having not heard it for decades.
Distant memories slowly returned.
She had come back to 2026, to the moment she had initially entered the book.
Yu Wanyin’s long life, projected into the real world, had only passed in a millisecond. All the joys and sorrows, the twists and turns, vanished into the subway’s cool air, not even causing a ripple.
Life is but a brief moment, fleeting like a whirlwind.
Wang Cuihua took her phone and opened the front camera.
The screen showed a somewhat familiar face.
The typical commuter attire, the neglected long black hair, and the fading makeup after a day’s work. Her features could be described as ‘smart’ and ‘delicate’ and on well-dressed days, she might be called pretty. But compared to the stunningly beautiful Yu Wanyin from the book, she seemed plain.
This was her, yet not entirely her.
But she immediately recognized herself, not through this youthful reflection but through the pair of old eyes.
Wang Cuihua sat woodenly in her seat, listening to the conversations around her.
Classmates’ gossip, boss’s blunders, stock market updates, celebrity scandals.
Heard it might rain tomorrow.
Where to eat out this weekend.
They were vaguely the topics she once cared about when she was young. young in her past life.
Wang Cuihua eavesdropped for three stops before her mind began piecing together these fragmented words. By the fifth stop, she remembered where her home was, but she had already missed her station.
She stumbled out of the subway station and took a taxi home.
Neon lights and billboards rushed towards her and then fell behind. The vibrant colours were close yet unrelated to her.
Ironically, while she was in that book world, she constantly missed this world. Even with friends all around and children at her side, she always felt like a stranger, with a persistent sense of loneliness.
She had dreamt of returning home all her life, and now that she had finally broken free, she found herself out of place.
No longer belonging anywhere, she had become a wandering soul without a home.
This situation… besides her, only one other person had experienced it.
She had always loved Xiahou Dan, but only now did she truly, deeply understand Xiahou Dan.
Speaking of Xiahou Dan… in this world, he should be called Zhang San.
Did he really exist in this world? Was he just part of that dream? When he died in that world, would he also return here like she did?
Come to think of it, they had talked about this topic once.
In a winter palace, they were soaking in a hot spring. After the snow, the yellow twilight blended with the rising steam above their heads. They leaned against each other in the pool, lazy, like a pair of hibernating animals.
Xiahou Dan suddenly broke the silence. “You entered the book in 2026, but I came in from 2016. If we both return, what year will it be in the real world?”
She was drowsy at the time, and after counting on her fingers, she replied, “Conservatively, it’s probably 2036 by now… Even if I’m not dead, I’d have been lying in a vegetative state for ten years.”
“Then I’ve been out for twenty years. If I wake up, I should make the news.”
Yu Wanyin smiled, not mentioning the disappointing reality. how muscles would atrophy in ten or twenty years, making normal life impossible. After all, ‘not dead’ was already an optimistic assumption.
But Xiahou Dan was enthusiastic. “I’ll come find you. As long as I’m still breathing, I’ll stand in front of you.”
“Why don’t you ask if I’d want to find you?” Yu Wanyin teased him.
Xiahou Dan seemed genuinely taken aback for a moment, then laughed, “You’ll miss me, so much it’ll drive you crazy.”
“Stop being so smug!” Yu Wanyin splashed him.
As it turned out, she did not wake up in a vegetative state.
Does this mean Zhang San’s situation is the same as hers, that he would return to the moment of his crossing? For him, that would be 2016.
Could it be.
Wang Cuihua suddenly laughed. She thought: Could it be that the formidable hero Xiahou Dan, after returning, continued preparing for the high school entrance exam?
Another ten years have passed since then. Where could he be today? Has he tried to find her in these ten years?
They could meet again, she could see him again.
This idea was like a shot of adrenaline, finally making her feel a bit ‘resurrected.’ Yes, first settle down, then make a plan… She had been an empress, finding someone should be a trivial matter.
Wang Cuihua dug deep into her muddled mind to recall her home address, but she got stuck at her front door.
Details like the electronic door lock’s password. She genuinely couldn’t remember it.
After three consecutive incorrect attempts, the electronic lock emitted a sharp alarm and automatically locked. Standing at the door, Wang Cuihua thought for a moment, then took out her phone to make a call. “Mom, my door lock is broken. Can I stay at your place tonight?”
Wang Cuihua’s parents lived on the other side of the city. She had moved out to rent a place closer to work for convenience.
The moment she saw her parents, tears gushed from her eyes like a fountain effect, scaring her parents. They anxiously comforted her for a long time. “Who bullied our girl? If that lousy job is making you unhappy, just quit. Mom and Dad will take care of you.”
Wang Cuihua started crying even harder. “I’m just a bit tired…” She looked at her mom with longing eyes. “Didn’t you say you were trying out a new recipe yesterday?”
Between yesterday and today, a century seemed to have passed.
She left home for half a lifetime, yet returned still as their daughter.
“Just wait, ten minutes.” Her mom went into the kitchen.
On an ordinary deep night, warm food filled her stomach, and the world began to feel at peace.
Wang Cuihua coaxed her worried parents to bed, took a hot shower, and began to organise her thoughts.
In the early hours of the morning, she lay on the bed with her phone, opening the search bar.
It was already 2026, and there were still over six thousand people named Zhang San nationwide. Some photos appeared in the search results, and Wang Cuihua looked at those faces repeatedly, sighing.
Indeed, trying to find someone based solely on “intuition” without knowing their appearance was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Moreover, the Zhang San she was looking for might not even be among them.
She still remembered some basic information, like his birth date and registered city. Xiahou Dan seemed to have also mentioned the name of his middle school. What was it again…
Wang Cuihua tried hard to recall and filled in all the information into the search bar, trying again, but her heart sank.
Still no results.
Unable to sleep, Wang Cuihua mechanically scrolled through her phone.
The only good news was that the middle school Xiahou Dan mentioned did exist. This at least proved he wasn’t entirely a figment of her imagination.
However, the school seemed uninterested in online promotion, as its official website hadn’t been updated in at least five years, with only a few scattered news articles proving that it hadn’t shut down.
Wang Cuihua bought the earliest morning flight to that city.
At three in the morning, she set an alarm, planning to sleep for a few hours to recharge. Before closing her eyes, she suddenly remembered she had forgotten to request leave.
She left for half a lifetime, yet returned home still a corporate drone.
The next day, her plane landed at noon.
Her boss was furious at her sudden leave request, demanding she work remotely and keep up with her project progress.
Wang Cuihua couldn’t even remember what project she was working on, but she remained calm. After decades of hell-level multitasking and high-intensity training, looking back at this work made the logic seem as simple as child’s play.
She quickly reviewed the project files, typed messages to coordinate with her colleagues, and got into a taxi, giving the driver the name of Zhang San’s middle school.
She planned to visit that middle school. It was the easiest breakthrough point. If he had attended school there, there would be records.
She could make up a reason to access the records, find out his home address, or his parents’ contact information, and then…
Wang Cuihua laughed at herself.
She was acting like a stalker.
If Zhang San had successfully returned to 2016, he would have had ten years to find her. She had often talked about her past, mentioning many key details. If she could think of these methods, so could he. If he put in a bit more effort, he might even find out where she lived.
So why, in her memories as Wang Cuihua, had there never been a Zhang San in the past ten years?
Since last night, she had theorised several reasons, none of them pleasant.
The taxi driver glanced at her several times through the rearview mirror, finally unable to hold back. “Miss, are you okay? You look awful.”
Wang Cuihua was taken aback and looked up at her reflection in the rearview mirror. After crying the previous night and only sleeping for a few hours, her eyelids were still swollen, and her eyes were bloodshot. Coupled with her pale face, she looked like she had been through a significant ordeal.
She let out a long sigh and turned her gaze out the window. “No, it’s nothing. I might be a bit carsick.”
“Oh, I’ll slow down. Do you want me to open the window?” The driver, afraid she might vomit in the car, suggested.
Wang Cuihua didn’t respond.
“Miss?” The driver panicked. “Find something to hold onto…”
“Driver,” Wang Cuihua stared intently at something outside the window, “end the ride here, I have something urgent to do and need to get out.”
The driver quickly pulled over, thinking this passenger was quite considerate.
Wang Cuihua got out of the car and jogged back along the road, stopping in front of an advertisement billboard that had flashed by earlier.
On the billboard was a poster for a TV drama.
“Devil’s Beloved Consort.”
A long time ago, Xiahou Dan had complained to her: “A novel from 2016, and you’re still getting recommendations in 2026? How could such a trashy story stay popular for ten years?”
Now she finally knows the reason.
This piece hadn’t been popular for ten years; it was only adapted into a TV series a decade later. That’s why the platform decided to revive it, promoting the original work on the homepage, which Wang Cuihua opened on the subway.
In the center of the poster, the most prominent figure was the original protagonist, Xie Yong’er.
Wang Cuihua quietly gazed at this ‘Xie Yong’er’, her eyes slightly stinging. By some twist of fate, the new actress chosen by the production team bore a striking resemblance to the Xie Yong’er in her memory. Especially that hint of stubbornness in her eyes, it was almost identical.
It was so similar that just by looking at her, those faded memories were brought back to vivid life.
It had been so many years since they last met.
After a long while, Wang Cuihua finally shifted her gaze to the actor playing Prince Duan to see what he looked like.
She was startled.
Next to Xie Yong’er, in the male lead’s spot, the character carrying a medical kit looked exactly like Xiao Tiancai. And the original male lead, Xiahou Bo, was pushed to the corner, grouped with Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin.
Even more strangely, all these actors’ appearances and demeanours gave her a sense of déjà vu.
Standing together, they seemed like a reflection of that vivid dream cast into reality.
The ground beneath Wang Cuihua’s feet began to spin slowly.
One or two could be coincidences, but this scene before her. Could it really be explained by mere coincidence?
She stood still, took out her phone, and searched for this TV series.
Online reviews were mixed. Most people watched it for fun, but a few original fans criticised it harshly, saying it deviated too much from the source material. They complained that the antagonists Xiahou Dan and Yu Wanyin were given excessive screen time, and the original male and female leads were split up, with the female lead, Xie Yong’er, inexplicably ending up with the minor character Xiao Tiancai.
One comment grumbled:
“If it’s changed this much, why hasn’t the original author sued them?”
“The original author did criticise the scriptwriters, but suddenly stopped after a few days. The reason was ridiculous too, something about the female lead appearing in a dream to tell her she’s very happy now.”
“What the heck???”
“The author must have been silenced by the production company. Couldn’t say it directly, so had to give some cryptic explanation.”
“But you know, the villainous couple is actually pretty good…”
Wang Cuihua found a nearby convenience store to sit down and quickly opened the cast list of ‘Devil’s Consort’ browsing through it from start to finish.
Nothing.
She then checked the corporate information of the production and distribution companies, searching the names one by one.
Nothing.
How could there be nothing?
Who else, besides the person she knew, would turn that terrible story from ten years ago into a TV series? Who else would rewrite the plot this way?
Such an elaborate move, it was like a giant banner proclaiming, “I’m back, I’m right here, do you see me?”
Wang Cuihua grew agitated, her fingers frantically tapping the screen.
I see you, of course I see you, I’m not blind!
But where are you? Why can’t you just appear in front of me?!
. The next moment, her frantic fingers paused.
It seemed she had accidentally clicked on a link to the parent company’s page from the production company’s profile.
With a sudden, intense premonition, Wang Cuihua looked at the list of legal representatives for the parent company.
Parent company headquarters.
The beautiful receptionist on the first floor was well-trained and maintained a professional smile even as Wang Cuihua, in a daze, drifted in. “Good afternoon, do you have an appointment?”
Wang Cuihua said, “…No.”
“Alright, may I ask who you are looking for?” The receptionist took out a registration form.
Wang Cuihua said, “Zhang San.”
The receptionist paused for half a second.
Wang Cuihua added, “He knows me and will know why I’m here.”
“Alright, I’ll contact Mr. Zhang’s secretary. May I have your name?” The receptionist picked up the phone.
“Wang Cuihua.”
The receptionist paused again, seemingly unsure if this was a prank. Finally, under Wang Cuihua’s sincere gaze, she dialled the phone.
The secretary quickly jogged over, respectfully saying, “Miss Wang, Mr. Zhang asked me to take you to the lounge. He will be here shortly.”
The employees passing by perked up their ears for gossip.
Wang Cuihua lowered her head and followed the secretary to the elevator. “Is he in a meeting?”
“No, no,” the secretary quickly denied, “He’s in the car, not at the office yet. Mr. Zhang had some personal matters yesterday, went out of town for the day, and only flew back this morning…”
Out of town?
Right. In her past life, during casual conversations, she had repeatedly shared many details about her past.
Among those details… did it include the date she entered the book?
Could he have remembered it by chance?
Wang Cuihua slowed her pace, trying to keep her voice calm, and asked, “Can you tell me where Mr. Zhang went yesterday?”
The secretary hesitated, “Well…”
“He went to your house.” Someone answered from behind.
All the noise fell into silence.
Like a silent hurricane sweeping through, the secretary beside her and the employees passing by all disappeared. The high-rise buildings and streets gradually evaporated, spreading an endless pure white under her feet.
In the empty universe, a person walked towards her, smiling helplessly. “I waited outside your door all night. The flowers I brought withered.”
Several hours later, at Mr. Zhang’s home.
“Again?”
“No, I need a break…”
“Alright.” The young, healthy, and vigorous Mr. Zhang rolled over and lay beside Wang Cuihua, playing with her hair.
Wang Cuihua, eyes closed, held his hand. “I have so many questions. Let me sort them out…”
“Coincidentally, I have some questions too.”
“You first.”
Zhang San chuckled. “Why didn’t you come home last night?”
“I did. I couldn’t remember the door lock password, so I went to my parents’ house. You must have arrived after I left and missed me.” Wang Cuihua frowned and poked his hand, “Why were you waiting outside like a fool? Why didn’t you call me?”
“I wanted to surprise you by meeting face to face. I even planned it out, to take you straight to a vacation and show off my CEO charm.”
Wang Cuihua couldn’t help but laugh and cry. “Mr CEO, why can’t I find any information about you online?”
“Keeping a low profile to make big money, got it? When I returned to 2016, I realized that you had already revealed the major events of the next ten years to me, essentially giving me a cheat code. But many business decisions are hard to explain. If people realized I had foresight, it would be a big problem. So, I had to be discreet and delete any online information about me.”
“Aren’t you afraid I wouldn’t be able to find you?”
“I never intended for you to search for me… I told you, as long as I have a breath left, I will come to you.”
Wang Cuihua turned her head to look at him, her gaze almost greedily tracing his eyes.
Zhang San seemed to sense something and his smile faded slightly. “How long has it been since you’ve seen me?”
“I died of old age,” she said with a touch of desolation.
“Ah…” He nodded, “Then it’s been a very long time. Much longer than my ten years.”
She said nothing.
Zhang San’s Adam’s apple moved.
Suddenly, as if unable to bear it anymore, he confessed. “I thought about it, about being with you earlier. In high school or college, I could have gone to your school, approached you, and pursued you. We could have been a normal couple, and by 2026, we would surely be married.
“I don’t know how fate chooses people. Maybe if your life’s trajectory changed, you wouldn’t have been sucked into that book, wouldn’t have had to suffer, and wouldn’t have become an anomaly like me.
“I even went to your city, watching you from afar a few times. Each time, I was just a bit away from talking to you.
“But I thought about it for a long time. We never discussed this. I never asked you if, given the choice, you would give up that world, those friends and family, those challenges and achievements, that grand adventure…
“He looked at her, eyes reflecting the warm light, filled with gentle sorrow.
“I couldn’t make the decision for you. I only participated in half of your story. But I was afraid of making the wrong choice, afraid that if I came out, you wouldn’t fare well in that world, and I would never know…
“I struggled with this for many years. Every year, I would reread ‘Devil’s Beloved Consort’ like a loyal reader. Eventually, I watched it fade away online, year after year, with no one mentioning it.
“Then I started wondering, since it had faded so much, how did you get a push ad about it in 2026? By then, I was already somewhat of a CEO, so I had someone inquire about the book with the platform’s manager. They misunderstood, thinking I wanted to buy the rights, and started talking it up, saying if it were adapted for TV, the platform would promote it heavily.
“At that moment, somehow, I suddenly understood.
“It was me who brought you into that world after all.”
Time turned back and forth, enveloping all the mysterious bonds of the human world, merging into a stream of cause and effect.
While she grew old alone in the book, he grew up lonely outside of it.
It was as if all the waiting was just for this moment, two ancient souls silently looking at each other in young bodies.
Eight thousand metres above them, the wind had not ceased.
The clouds dispersed, revealing a full moon.
Wang Cuihua wiped the corners of her eyes and smiled. “I’ll tell you the rest of the story slowly.”
“Okay.”
“Where should I start…”
“Did the peach tree by the window bloom later?”
“It did, the next year it bloomed, and it even bore fruit.”
Translation by Spider
Next: Extra 2
Previous: Chapter 27