A metallic, sweet taste churned in my throat, each futile breath tearing at me with a burning pain, as if my internal organs were being squeezed and crushed by an unseen hand. The scene before me gradually sank into boundless darkness, only the face that I had given everything for, the face I loved so deeply, remained frozen in my vision before it completely vanished—thin lips parted slightly, the words uttered were colder than poisoned ice: "Do not blame me, Wei'er, your life is my ladder to heaven."

"ah--!"

A short, sharp scream shattered the tranquility. Shen Yuewei jerked herself up from the soft, almost ethereal quilt, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, making her ribs ache. Cold sweat instantly soaked through her thin, silky nightgown, clinging damply to her back, bringing a chilling sensation.

"Miss! Miss, what's wrong?" Hurried footsteps and panicked cries approached from afar, and the curtain of the warm chamber was suddenly lifted by a trembling hand. The round face of the head maid, Chun Tao, filled with worry, came into view. She rushed to the bedside, her warm fingertips gently touching Shen Yuewei's cold, sweaty wrist with a soothing touch.

"Having a nightmare again? Don't worry, don't worry, Chun Tao is here! It must be that the window wasn't closed properly and let in a draft!" Chun Tao rambled on, deftly wringing out a warm, damp cloth and carefully wiping the cold sweat from Shen Yuewei's forehead and neck, while turning back and repeatedly instructing, "Quickly! Bring the calming soup, make sure it's warm! And go tell Madam that the young lady has woken up, but is a little unsteady!"

Shen Yuewei breathed heavily, letting Chuntao wipe her. Her fingertips dug deep into her palms, the sharp pain finally pulling back a sliver of reality from her faltering state. She rolled her eyes, greedily and almost tremblingly scanning this boudoir she hadn't seen for far too long.

The intricately carved canopy bed was draped with soft, cloud-like gauze curtains; on the rosewood desk by the window, a Chengni inkstone rested on several half-finished flower patterns, with a few fine brushes casually placed beside it; on the antique shelves, various exquisite trinkets were arranged in a pleasingly disordered manner, including adorable porcelain dolls and jade rabbits with a warm, lustrous sheen… The air was filled with a familiar, comforting, sweet aroma—the scent of magnolia-scented cakes that my mother loved, quietly burning in the gilded Boshan incense burner. Everything carried the warmth and color that I dared not hope for in my midnight dreams of a past life.

This is the Shen residence. She is Shen Yuewei. She has returned, back to the fifteen-year-old girl before she was swallowed up by that grand marriage and the abyss called "Crown Prince".

"Wei'er! My Wei'er!"

With a cry filled with anxiety and tenderness, the curtain was suddenly flung open again. Madam Shen, the mother, practically rushed in, her hair slightly disheveled, a pearl hairpin threatening to fall, clearly indicating her hasty arrival. The simple lake-blue Hangzhou silk jacket she wore was now crumpled in several wrinkles. She hurried to the bedside and pulled Shen Yuewei tightly into her arms. The embrace was warm and fragrant, carrying the unique, heart-wrenching scent of a mother.

“My child, are you having another nightmare? Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid, Mother is here, Mother is here to protect you…” Madam Shen gently patted her daughter’s thin back, her voice carrying a barely perceptible sob, as if she were holding a rare treasure that had been lost and found again.

Immediately afterward, steady footsteps sounded. The figure of Minister Shen, the father, appeared at the door. He had just returned from the yamen, his official robes still on, a trace of the solemnity of official duties lingering between his brows. But when his gaze fell upon his youngest daughter, nestled in his wife's arms, her face as pale as paper, that solemnity instantly vanished, leaving only deep worry and boundless tenderness. He didn't speak, but strode closer, his large, warm hand, carrying a reassuring strength, gently landing on Shen Yuewei's head, stroking it tenderly, again and again.

"Father..." Shen Yuewei's throat tightened, and her call was almost incoherent. In her past life, she struggled to survive amidst mud and betrayal, and had long forgotten what it felt like to be cherished and held in someone's palm like such a treasure. The calluses on her father's palms, marks left from years of holding a pen and reviewing official documents, had now become the only lifeline she could cling to as she floundered in the cold sea of ​​memories.

"It's good that you're awake, it's good that you're awake." Minister Shen's voice was deep and mellow, carrying a comforting power. "Don't be afraid, Wei'er. If the sky falls, your father will hold it up for you. Even if you want the moon in the sky, your father will definitely build you a ladder to reach it." These words were simple and unadorned, yet they weighed a thousand pounds, striking Shen Yuewei's heart heavily. In her past life, her father had said the same thing, but in the end, the entire Shen family... She abruptly closed her eyes, forcefully suppressing the surging bitterness in her heart.

"The calming soup is here! Miss, please drink some while it's hot!" Chun Tao carefully held up a small, sweet white porcelain bowl, the rising steam carrying a slightly bitter medicinal aroma.

Madam Shen took it, tested the temperature herself, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it repeatedly, and then held it to Shen Yuewei's lips: "Here, Wei'er, be good, drink a little to calm your mind."

As the dark brown herbal medicine approached her lips, a familiar, slightly fishy, ​​bitter smell suddenly filled her nostrils! Shen Yuewei's pupils contracted sharply, and the icy touch of that last bowl of poison in her past life sliding down her throat, the excruciating pain tearing at her internal organs, seemed to be resurrected at this moment! As if burned by a scalding hot iron, her body jerked back, and almost instinctively raised her hand to strike!

"Smack!"

A crisp cracking sound suddenly rang out!

The small, white porcelain cup flew from her hand and smashed heavily onto the polished, mirror-like gold-brick floor, shattering instantly. Scalding hot medicine splashed out, leaving a messy, dark brown stain on the pale gold tiles, with a few innocent shards bouncing away. The entire warm pavilion fell into a deathly silence; you could hear a pin drop.

Chun Tao gasped and hurriedly knelt down to gather the broken pieces. Madam Shen and Minister Shen were both stunned, looking at the lingering, immense fear in their daughter's eyes—a fear so unfamiliar and profound that it could not be explained by a mere nightmare.

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!