Nan Xian sat in front of the dressing table, looking at her slightly pale and haggard face in the mirror, her expression dazed.

From the moment she woke up until now, she has been in this dreamlike state.

Makeup artist Lin Jiaojiao glanced at her and asked in a worried whisper, "Xian, you look a little pale. Is something wrong?"

Upon hearing this, Nan Xian managed to pull herself out of her chaotic thoughts and forced a smile. "I'm fine. I just had a nightmare last night and didn't sleep well."

Lin Jiaojiao: It's still early. I heard the other guests haven't left yet. Do you want to take a nap?

Nan Xian shook her head and refused, giving a bitter smile for a moment.

How can she still sleep?

The things she experienced "in her dream" were so real they were terrifying; she could even clearly remember the voices and smiles of the villagers she had met.

I envy not the Immortal Village, the Village Chief Gu, the matchmaking event, the murals in the cave, and the strange peony cinnabar and peony jade...

Was it all just a dream, or did she travel back in time?

Nan Xian's doubts were quickly answered—

When she saw the few small boats slowly drifting towards her from the other side of the river, and the people on them, her heart sank to the bottom.

He Mingxiao and the other two were dressed exactly like she had in her "dream".

Director Deng began to introduce the origin of Buxian Village to everyone. Nan Xian had already heard it before, so she distracted herself and quietly began to look around the place.

She glanced around—this was the village entrance, and there were not only them and the production crew, but also the villagers who had just presented them with a gift.

Her gaze inadvertently fell on a little boy among the group of villagers, and she froze.

The boy looked no more than ten years old, thin and small, with tanned skin and long, narrow, upturned eyes. He was hiding behind a woman, secretly watching her.

However, his expression and eyes revealed a sinister and calculating nature that was completely out of character for his age, which made Nan Xian subconsciously think of the vultures circling over the corpses on the grassland.

The boy noticed her gaze, his expression changed instantly from sinister to bewildered, and he grinned at her with a silly smile, revealing his big white teeth.

Nan Xian felt a chill run down her spine.

"Don't trust them!"

The last words the silly woman said to her resurfaced in her mind.

Who exactly are "they" referring to?

Nan Xian's gaze swept over the villagers one by one. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt that the smiles on their faces, which had seemed so simple and kind before, now had a hint of malice.

Her throat tightened slightly, and she dared not think any further.

While she was lost in thought, Director Deng had already finished explaining the grouping rules, and the guests took turns entering the small room to answer questions.

Nan Xian stood in the answer area. She hesitated for a moment, holding her pen. Instead of repeating her previous answer that resembled a short story, she randomly picked a few words and put them into a few coherent sentences.

This time, she wanted to explore the secret of her return to the past. If she were in a group with Wei Zeling, she would face a lot more trouble and obstacles, but if she were in He Mingxiao's group... she would have a much easier time.

The final results showed that her words overlapped with He Mingxiao's by 100%.

He Mingxiao smiled and looked over, extending his hand to her in a light tone: "Ms. Nan, it's a pleasure to work with you."

Nan Xian looked at his smug, self-satisfied expression, smirked, and silently complained to herself:

What are you so smug about... If I hadn't deliberately gone easy on you, do you think you could have been in my group on your own?