A girl lay motionless on the bed, her eyes tightly shut, her teeth pressed hard against her lower lip. Beads of cold sweat trickled down her pale face, soaking into the silk pillow beneath her. It was clear—she was trapped in a nightmare.
Suddenly, she let out a sharp scream. "No—don't kill me! Please, don't kill me... I'm sorry!" she cried out, thrashing against the silk bedding.
Heavy footsteps echoed outside the room. The bed curtains were quickly pulled aside.Three girls in maidservants' uniforms rushed to her side, their faces etched with panic.
"Elder Sister Fang, what do we do?" one whispered anxiously. "The auspicious bathing ceremony is about to start... The palace momo and attendants will be here any moment!"
"If Madam finds out that Eldest Miss is having nightmares on her wedding day," another added, her voice shaking, "she'll say it's a bad omen... And if word spreads, the whole manor will be drowned in gossip!"
"The Second Miss will surely mock Eldest Miss if she hears of this," one of the maidservants whispered, her eyes already brimming with tears.
The maid called Sister Fang stood silently beside the bed, her brows deeply furrowed with worry. "First, we need to wake her. The Second Miss's side is almost ready. If Eldest Miss is still unprepared by the time the bridal procession arrives, people will say she's dissatisfied with the marriage..."
"Alright, Sister Fang," one of the girls replied.
With quiet urgency, one maid moved to draw open the bed curtains, while another turned to prepare warm water for the ceremonial bath.
"Eldest Miss... wake up," Fang called softly, her voice trembling. "We don't have much time... please, wake up."
"Eldest Miss, please wake up..." Maid Fang begged, her voice cracking with desperation.
In a pitch-dark room, Jiang Meihua sat frozen on the floor, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees. Tears streamed silently down her cheeks.
Suddenly, a voice echoed through the darkness—soft, trembling, familiar. She looked up, trying to find the source. But the room was too dark. She couldn't even see her own hands. Where… where is that voice coming from? Why does that voice sound so familiar? Jiang Meihua thought.
She couldn't remember the last time she saw anyone else—other than that cold-faced husband of hers. He always came into the dark room—again and again. His eyes, colder than ice. His blade, merciless. Each time, he slit her throat without a word, as if determined to torment her for eternity. Was she not allowed peace… even in death?
It never stopped. The same scene, repeating endlessly, like a punishment carved into her soul.
But then… the voice came again.
This time, it was clearer. Closer. Jiang Meihua pushed herself up from the cold floor, her limbs trembling as she moved toward the sound—though the darkness still clung to everything around her.
Then, without warning, a blinding white light exploded across her vision. She flinched, eyes squeezing shut on instinct.
When she slowly opened them—
She found herself lying in a bed, a familiar face gazing down at her.
The room around her felt both familiar and unfamiliar—as if she were trapped in a dream she couldn't quite wake from.
But before she could even register what was happening, someone suddenly lifted her from the bed.
She gasped in confusion—then her clothes were gently removed, and a wave of heat rose from the bath as three young girls moved around her, carefully helping her into the steaming water, fragrant mist curling into the air.
Her eyes widened as she looked at the faces surrounding her. No… this isn't possible.
They were Fang, Ying, and Lianhua—her personal maidservants. The girls who had once served her faithfully… and were like sisters to her.
But they had died.
She saw it with her own eyes—how that man had them dragged out and beat them to death two years ago. Their screams still haunted her.
So how… how are they here? And why do they look so young?
Her heart pounded as she reached out, gripping one of their wrists just as she was about to scatter flower petals into the water.
"Fang? Ying? Lianhua?" her voice trembled. "Is it really you? Why… why are you so young? And how are you all still alive?"
When the three maidservants heard Jiang Meihua's words, their faces filled with shock. Was their Eldest Miss cursing them to die?
"Eldest Miss, we don't have time for this! The bridal procession will be here in an hour, and Madam will arrive soon. If she finds out you're still not dressed and have wasted so much time, she'll surely scold you! Second Miss has probably finished dressing already," Fang said, her voice filled with pleading—before Jiang Meihua could even respond.
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps echoed outside the bathroom door. Two stern-faced women and five young maidservants entered.
One of the stern women immediately scolded Fang, Ying, and Lianhua, then ordered them out of the bathroom without giving them a chance to speak.
"Who are you people?! What are you doing?!" Jiang Meihua screamed, panic rising in her chest.
One of the stern-looking women stepped forward. "Eldest Miss Jiang, forgive this servant if we offend you—but there's no more time left."
The one who appeared to be the leader among the two women then gave a sharp nod to the five maidservants standing behind her. At her signal, they stepped forward without hesitation.
They moved quickly, approaching Jiang Meihua where she sat dazed in the bathtub. With practiced hands, they washed her clean, lifted her out of the bathtub, gently dried her body with a towel, and wrapped her in a silk bathrobe.
Before she could fully process what was happening, she was dressed in a crimson silk wedding gown, embroidered with twin phoenixes soaring among golden peonies and mandarin ducks. The rich fabric shimmered under the light, each stitch a symbol of fortune and nobility.
But Jiang Meihua's eyes weren't focused on the dress they were putting on her.
Her gaze darted anxiously around the room.
Everything was decorated in red.
She couldn't even remember the last time she had seen such a bright color.
But what shocked her the most were the double happiness symbols adorning the room.
No… she knew this place.
She couldn't be more familiar with it—wasn't this her room from five years ago? Before she was married off to that evil man?
How could she be here now?
Her gaze shifted toward one of the stern-looking women she hadn't recognized earlier in the bathroom. This time, her breath caught.
It was Momo Xiuqin. The trusted servant of the Duke of Loyalty and Valor. But why is Momo Xiuqin here?
Before Jiang Meihua could even speak, Momo Xiuqin turned away and coldly signaled the five maidservants to bring her to the dressing stool and begin her makeup.
The momo hadn't even looked at her.
As Jiang Meihua was guided toward the chair, a chill ran down her spine. This moment… this scene… it was all too familiar.
It felt exactly like five years ago—on the day she was to be married into the Duke of Loyalty and Valor's mansion.
Jiang Meihua no longer wanted to deal with the mean-faced momo. Instead, she slowly raised her hand and touched her neck.
To her surprise, it was smooth—completely unharmed.
Didn't that man slit her throat? So how could she still be alive?
She quickly turned toward the bronze mirror.
A young girl—no more than sixteen—stared back at her. Jiang Meihua's mouth fell open in shock.
That... that's her?
She was still so young. So full of life. Her skin glowed with the softness of youth, and her features were untouched by the pain and suffering that would come later.
She reached up, wanting to touch her face.
But before her fingers could make contact, Momo Xiuqin slapped her hand down roughly.
"I know Eldest Miss Jiang doesn't want to marry Duke Wang," she said coldly, "but you must. You cannot defy an imperial decree. Please stop wasting everyone's time and embarrassing yourself."
Standing behind the maidservant who was applying Jiang Meihua's makeup, Ying, Fang, and Lianhua all lowered their heads quietly.
Jiang Meihua felt the word stir a strange familiarity in her. Then, she heard the name—Duke Wang. Her face instantly stiffened. Wasn't he her husband? That cold-hearted devil who had killed her? Her body trembled every time his name was spoken.