Ten Thousand Books, But Only One You

04 The book Snowy Mountain with a Peach Blossom Tree: Volume I

Chapter 4: The book Snowy Mountain with a Peach Blossom Tree Volume 1

On the day I was to set off, Xiao Lan woke me up early in the morning and delivered a set of clothing that fitted the setting and context of Snowy Mountain with a Peach Blossom Tree. The light blue dress had simple clouds and mountains embroidery. Even with narrow sleeves, it was elegant and graceful. There was also a matching dark navy blue embroidered cloak. Although the clothes were specially tailored for Miss Li, it was fortunate that they fitted me well. Left alone in my room, I stood before the mirror and swirled around. The light fabric of the dress floated in the air as I swayed and spun around.

Hearing footsteps, I quickly sat back down in front of the dresser and played with my hair, wondering how Xiao Lan would style my hair. It was as if I had visited a hanfu shop back in modern society and I was getting dressed up to walk around the streets—something I would only dare to dream of doing. However, I was not going to be participating in the hanfu movement today. Instead, I would be travelling through time into a historical fiction book.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Xiao Lan had already effortlessly tied my long black hair up into a simple topknot without any elaborate styling.

"Wait, why did you tie it up like this?" I cried out in surprise. This was not at all feminine!

Wordlessly, Xiao Lan picked up a jade hairpin and slid it through the middle of the hair bun.

"Xiao Lan," I said as I stared at my reflection in horror, "this is a male hairstyle!"

I watched her through the mirror as her expression turned into one of amusement. She placed a pair of black boots in front of me and handed me a pair of knee-length high socks.

"Here are the shoes that you will wear."

I stared down at the manly boots. They looked so different from the silk or brocade shoes I had seen before. I shook my head in disbelief. "No way. You want me to crossdress?"

"Did no one tell you?" Xiao Lan tilted her head, pretending to be innocent. "I thought Han-dage already told you that you have to dress up as a male as a protective measure, since you will be travelling alone. It's a standard protocol."

I scrutinised my reflection once again. "How do I look male? I am obviously still a girl."

"At least you look like a prepubescent boy," she said as she draped the cloak over my shoulders. "This should hide your figure..."

I stared at myself glumly as all hopes of wearing a set of pretty fairylike female clothes vanished from my mind. Well, protecting oneself was definitely more important.

There were also three rules important to remember on the trip.

First, I was to protect the book that would accompany me. I should keep it in its original condition and be careful not to lose it. If the book were to be lost or damaged, the universe would crumble and I would never be able to return.

Secondly, I was not to interfere with the life stories of any of the NPCs. If I ran into any of the main or supporting characters, I should be careful not to interfere with the plot of the book.

Finally, the time in the book universe flowed the same way as the time in the Garden. Last night, I was given a special watch adjusted to the Garden's timezone. After three days, I was to return back to the Garden even if I could not find any clues. More importantly, if there were any frustrating events or emergencies, I should leave the world immediately through the way I came.

As this was a historical novel set in ancient China, I could not take a train to enter the book realm. Instead, I had to be ferried via a boat from a little pier at the lake located at the edge of the Garden. The lake was surrounded by real mountains and a thick fog covered its surface. I looked at the boatman with uncertainty and back at the frightening looking lake.