Wife, Protect Me! - Chapter 1

“Scoundrel, give me your life!”
A clear, sharp shout exploded in his ears, jolting Li Nuo awake the moment he had fallen asleep.

Through drowsy eyes, he saw a figure standing before him.

It was a young girl dressed in pristine white ancient-style robes, about sixteen or seventeen years old. Her figure was slender and graceful, her skin as fair as snow, and her delicate, exquisite features could rival those of any female celebrity in the entertainment industry—except her expression was far from pleasant.

In fact, it was worse than unpleasant. Her furious eyes burned with deep-seated hatred, and she clutched a gleaming dagger in her hand, as if Li Nuo had committed some unforgivable atrocity against her.

What’s going on? Cosplay?

With only two hours left before court was in session, Li Nuo, a judge’s assistant, had pulled an all-nighter finalizing litigation materials. He had just lain down on the cramped folding bed in the corner of his office to catch a quick nap and recharge when he was abruptly awakened.

Wait, this wasn’t the assistant’s office. Li Nuo glanced around and realized he was lying on an ornate bed in a room furnished with antique decor that looked extravagantly luxurious.

So, this is a dream?

What kind of chaotic dream is this? I haven’t had time to watch any period dramas lately with how busy I’ve been…

Whoosh!

Before Li Nuo could process the dream, the girl had already made her move.

The dagger sliced through the air, aiming straight for Li Nuo’s neck.

Even though he knew it was a dream, Li Nuo instinctively dodged.

He managed to evade, but not completely.

The dagger, originally aimed at his neck, veered slightly off course due to his evasion, leaving a gash on his shoulder.

The shoulder of his exquisitely embroidered silk pajamas was instantly stained red with blood.

Pain!

Excruciating pain!

Li Nuo’s reasonably handsome face contorted violently from the agony, and beads of sweat the size of peas formed on his forehead. He never expected such realistic pain in a dream!

Missing the vital spot on her first strike, the girl thrust her dagger again, this time aiming for his heart.

Two strikes, both intent on taking Li Nuo’s life!

Having handled numerous cases, Li Nuo knew better than to confront an armed assailant head-on. He scrambled frantically to the corner of the bed, but the girl leaped onto the bed, her dagger following closely.

Trapped in the corner, Li Nuo had nowhere left to hide.

Pinned against the bedpost, Li Nuo completely gave up resisting.

Generally speaking, dying in a dream meant the dream would end.

Better to die early and wake up—he still had to go to work soon.

As Li Nuo resigned himself to his fate, the girl’s dagger did not plunge into his heart.

The sharp blade halted less than half an inch from Li Nuo’s chest.Li Nuo initially thought she had a change of heart and decided not to harm the innocent. But when he looked up, he noticed the young girl’s expression was peculiar.

Her face was flushed red, her forehead beaded with fine sweat. It seemed she was trying with all her might to drive the dagger into Li Nuo’s heart, yet her body appeared restrained by some invisible force, completely immobilized.

Seizing the opportunity, Li Nuo scrambled off the bed. At the same moment, the door was kicked open with tremendous force. An old man with graying hair rushed in from outside. Seeing Li Nuo had only suffered minor injuries, he visibly relaxed and quickly approached, clasping his fists in salute. “This old servant arrived too late. I beg the young master’s forgiveness!”

Li Nuo was utterly confused by the situation, but he knew it was time to wake from this dream.

He wondered how long he had slept. Missing court proceedings would mean another deduction from his wages.

How does one wake from a dream again?

Death, falling, or violent impact…

Inception seemed to suggest those methods. Suicide was out of the question—even in dreams, pain felt real. As for falling… he couldn’t find any high places immediately. Finally, Li Nuo’s gaze settled on a thick pillar in the room.

Ignoring the old man and sparing no glance for the girl, Li Nuo took a running start. Under everyone’s bewildered and astonished stares, he slammed headfirst into the pillar.

Old Servant: Master, something terrible has happened! The young master has damaged the wall!

Bang!

Before he could even register the intense pain from his forehead, Li Nuo’s consciousness began sinking into an endless abyss.

……

“Ha…”

The sky was fully bright when Li Nuo yawned and climbed out of bed.

“Ouch…”

Sharp pains shot through his forehead and shoulder. Frowning, Li Nuo reached up to touch his forehead, then froze in surprise.

Why was there such a large bump?

He looked down at his shoulder, where a blood-stained bandage stood out prominently.

Li Nuo finally began to understand. Scanning his surroundings, he found himself still in the dream room—the luxurious bed, antique furniture, and the exquisitely carved bedposts all radiated classical elegance and opulence.

Why wasn’t he awake yet?

No, no, no. Court would convene soon. If he didn’t wake up immediately, serious trouble would follow.

Since hitting the pillar didn’t work, Li Nuo got out of bed and went to the courtyard, where he immediately spotted a ladder leaning against the wall.

The gray-haired old man had just stepped through the courtyard gate when he saw his young master standing on the rooftop, solemn-faced with arms spread wide, preparing to jump.

Reacting instantly, he extended his hand and pointed toward Li Nuo from a distance.

As Li Nuo leaped from the roof, he stared in astonishment as he descended at the gentle pace of a falling leaf. The old man had already rushed to his side, grabbing his arm anxiously. “Young master, whatever troubles you have, speak them! This old servant will help you find solutions. You mustn’t seek death!”

……

Great Xia.
Chang’an.
Court of the Grand Justice.

“Young master, do you truly remember nothing?”
“You don’t remember who this old servant is?”
“You must at least remember who you are, right?”

Sitting on the bed, Li Nuo faced the man who called himself “old servant” with concerned worry, and shook his head blankly.

The old man looked at Li Nuo’s dazed expression and lamented, “It’s over. It seems he’s damaged his brain…”

Li Nuo gazed out the window, his mind turbulent with unspoken thoughts.

Of course he remembered who he was.Li Nuo, male, Han ethnicity, 21 years old, graduated from the Law Department of Xijing University. Having just passed the judicial examination and civil service exam, he became an honorable people’s judge… assistant.

Although still just an assistant, it meant he had secured an iron rice bowl at a young age, becoming the most impressive among his peers.

The grassroots court was extremely busy. After pulling two consecutive all-nighters, he had just finished all the pre-trial preparations and was about to lie down for a rest. But in the blink of an eye, he found himself in another place.

A pretty young girl was holding a knife, trying to take his life.

This elderly man he had never seen before kept referring to himself as “this old servant.”

If this was a dream, everything he was experiencing felt so clear and real.

Li Nuo had already realized something.

No way, just two all-nighters and I’m dead?

Okay, as a modern person baptized by countless novels and films, Li Nuo wasn’t completely unable to accept transmigration.

But if it’s transmigration, then what’s with this book floating before his eyes?

The book seemed both substantial and insubstantial, hovering about half a meter in front of Li Nuo.

He waved his hand in front of it, and his palm passed through the book without any obstruction, indicating it had no physical form.

Soon, Li Nuo found the book somewhat familiar.

Six months ago, he had found an ancient book at a secondhand book market. The content was written in small seal script. As a law student, Li Nuo recognized the two characters on the cover—the seal script versions of “Law” and “Codex.”

After some bargaining, Li Nuo bought the book from the vendor for eighty yuan, intending to use it as reference material for studying ancient laws.

Although he never ended up using it for his research, it made a decent pillow for naps. Before transmigrating, he had been using this book as a pillow. Unexpectedly, it had crossed worlds with him and appeared before him in this form.

Li Nuo glanced at the worried-looking old man—he seemed unable to see this thing.
His gaze returned to the book. Above the cover, the seal script characters for “Law Codex” felt warm and familiar.
Different from before, this time there were two additional lines of small text below the book’s cover.

“Name: Li Nuo.”
“Lifespan: Three days.”
Staring at the two extra lines on the Law Codex cover, Li Nuo froze completely.

What’s going on? He just transmigrated and only has three days left to live?
Hey, new account, don’t mess with me…