Chapter 1

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Chapter 1: Title

As night fell, the tall buildings on the streets sparkled with bright lights. There were people rushing home from work, a few busy on their phones, and young couples holding hands, discussing which movie to watch that night.

Gu Hengbo coldly observed everything around her; maybe in some corner of the city, there were others like her, feeling defeated. Her parents had passed away early, and she had always relied on her sister. No matter how hard life was, they had gotten through it together. Having just graduated from university, she finally became the news reporter she had always dreamed of.

Not long ago, her boyfriend told her that once their jobs were stable, and he talked it over with his family, they would get married. And now? Where was that jerk? In her beloved sister’s embrace. She realized she was the fool. How many dirty things had they done behind her back? She didn’t know; all she knew was that she had no one she could trust anymore.

How laughable it was; her sister, who cared for her so much.

“Hengbo!” A desperate voice called from behind her.

Gu Hengbo stared blankly at the continuous flow of cars, ignoring the shouts behind her and walked straight into the middle of the street.

“Hengbo, where are you going?” That was her boyfriend, with whom she had been for five whole years. His voice was unforgettable for her.

Gu Hengbo paused and turned to look at the man. He was very handsome, truly handsome; otherwise, how could her good sister have tried to attract him? One was remarkably dashing, and the other was gentle and sweet, as if she were the shameless third party. Yes, everyone had spoken about his beautiful name. It was a good name, but she hadn’t inherited his looks; otherwise, he wouldn’t have chosen her sister.

“Hengbo, it’s dangerous over there; please come closer, I’m begging you,” the man pleaded desperately, lowering himself to the ground, making her wonder how many times she had been deceived by his facade over the years?

Unconcerned, she lightly laughed, “Yan Chufeng, how does it feel to see Gu Ran gasping beneath you? Is it enjoyable?”

The man shook his head repeatedly, tears welling in his eyes. “Hengbo, please forgive me.”

“Forgive you? Ha! Are you asking me to come back to you? What about Gu Ran?” Gu Hengbo replied with indifference.

“Yan Chufeng, what do you mean? Just yesterday you proposed to me, and today you’re looking for my sister?” Gu Ran couldn’t hold back her outburst. So the kindness from before was all a show?

“Ranran, I can’t live without her, I—”

Gu Hengbo stopped listening to their shouting, for she had already seen a car recklessly heading towards her.

Drinking and driving is a terrible idea. Before losing consciousness, Gu Hengbo thought quietly.

In the Eastern Yin Dynasty of the Nine Provinces Continent, at the Daguan Temple,

Soft gauze floated gently, and mist rose from a large bathing pool. A woman, dressed in fine brocade, was almost entirely submerged in the water, with only her head above the surface. She leaned against the wall of the pool, her head slightly tilted to one side, and from her tightly closed eyes and steady breathing, she seemed to be asleep.

“My lady, is there someone else in the pool?” A distant yet respectful voice rang out from above the bathing pool.

“Go ahead; I’ll be fine here. Stay with the empress, as she is surrounded by useless people.” The deep, hoarse voice was filled with laziness.

The woman responded with a soft, “Yes,” and stepped back.

The person called “my lady” glanced at the woman sleeping soundly in the pool, a slight smile playing on her lips. She lifted her robe and lay back on the nearby concubine’s couch, gently closing her eyes.

After an unknown amount of time, the woman in the pool stirred slightly, as if feeling discomfort. She slowly opened her eyes, displaying a moment of confusion. Didn’t she die? Where was this place? Suddenly feeling odd in her body, she moved slightly, and a tingling sensation quickly spread from her legs throughout her body. Struggling, she shifted her feet, lowering her head a bit, only to realize that her entire body was submerged in the water.

What on earth was happening? Gu Hengbo supported herself on the edge of the pool while trying to move her legs, which had been in the water for too long. Instinctively, she glanced around; the warm water made it hard to see through the mist. In her blurry vision, she noticed someone on the concubine’s couch not far from the pool – this was Gu Hengbo’s first reaction.

“Awake?” The hoarse voice sounded lazy, as if the person were talking in their sleep.

Gu Hengbo was startled; she couldn’t tell if the voice belonged to a man or a woman. And wasn’t she in a car accident? How did she end up in a pool? She distinctly remembered feeling a splitting pain throughout her body. Now, apart from the tingling in her legs, she felt no discomfort.

“Um, where is this?” She wondered if it was okay to ask.

The person on the concubine’s couch seemed to have just woken up, turning slightly to face Gu Hengbo in the pool. Unfortunately, the surrounding mist obscured their features.

“How did you get in here?” Their tone remained lazy.

Gu Hengbo looked at the large pool and tried to climb out with her arms, but she underestimated her body’s strength. Before she could ascend, her body gave way, and the sudden feeling of weakness ignited her anger. “How should I know where this is? If I knew, I wouldn’t be asking you!” She was so incredibly frustrated.

As she tried to rise, Gu Hengbo caught sight of her outfit: a light blue gauzy robe that clung tightly to her well-defined body due to being soaked. Bewildered, Gu Hengbo thought, what is going on? Whose strange body is this? She was sure it wasn’t her own thin, bony frame.

In that moment, she felt the water around her grow cold, and her heart felt even colder.

An unwelcome thought lingered in her mind. Having lived for twenty-five years, she had never been superstitious. But now, with the truth right in front of her, how could she not be startled?

“Miss, do you not know where this is?” The person on the couch spoke again.

Gu Hengbo, still in shock, was pulled back to reality by the sudden voice. Leaning against the pool wall, she replied impatiently, “Why do you have so many questions? I’m already annoyed.” Suddenly remembering something, she looked at the person on the couch. “Hey? Who are you?”

The person chuckled softly at her response, seeming in a good mood. “You don’t know where this is, you don’t know how you got here, and you don’t know who I am. You wouldn’t happen to be a fool, would you?” he teased.

Gu Hengbo was taken aback and quickly realized what he meant. She had been in a car accident, facing certain death. Yet, she opened her eyes to find herself alive and in someone else’s body. Who wouldn’t be confused?

“You’re the fool! Your whole family are fools! My mind is perfectly fine; you wouldn’t understand if I told you!” Gu Hengbo retorted defiantly, pushing herself up on the edge of the pool and gritting her teeth to climb out.

Panting heavily, she cursed her useless body.

Just as she was about to rise, a pair of gold-trimmed velvet boots appeared before her. She looked up to see a loose red robe draped casually over the figure, their long dark hair spilling over their shoulders. Above the nose, a silver mask obscured their face, but she could see their exceptionally rosy lips and smooth, fair chin.

Through the mask, a pair of deep, captivating eyes were lazily observing her.

Suddenly, Gu Hengbo’s heart raced. Lowering her gaze to the hem of the robe close to her, she steeled herself and grabbed at it to stand up.

The robe slipped slightly with her movement but did not fall, revealing a pair of enticingly pale shoulders. Gu Hengbo froze for a moment, unconsciously swallowing hard.

The masked figure showed no anger at her boldness, casually adjusting the robe before turning back to her. “What’s your surname, miss?” Their tone was surprisingly gentle.

Gu Hengbo froze, responding automatically, “Gu Hengbo, and you?” Unfortunately, the mask concealed their face, but they had to be handsome.