Volume One, Chapter 1: Please, Help Me

Song Shuning was jolted awake by a tormenting, unbearable heat rising within her. Opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of a canopy patterned with green bamboo leaves.

She raised a hand to touch her chest; there was no pain.

What was going on? Had she not been shot dead by the new emperor’s arrow in the Northern Frontier?

"Do we not need to guard the door?" a maid’s whisper drifted in from outside.

"The Heir had us feed her tea laced with knockout powder. Nothing can go wrong," another maid replied. "Besides, if we stay here guarding the door, how is Miss Song supposed to sneak in when no one is looking?"

Song Shuning was struck with shock. She had returned to the day of her eldest sister’s wedding to Lin Shaoxuan!

What did those maids mean? Did they want her to sneak in? Or did they want everyone to believe she had snuck in on her own?

The unnatural heat in her body grew more intense, leaving her mind in a haze. Snatching a gold hairpin from her hair, she stabbed it hard into her palm, using the sharp pain to force herself awake. In a panic, she slipped into her shoes and rushed to pull the door, but it was locked from the outside.

She hurried to the window and pushed it open. Clambering out, she climbed the pear tree growing beside the wall and scrambled onto the top of the wall.

Lin Shaoxuan’s study was located in the most remote courtyard of the Marquis of Weiyuan’s estate. Just beyond the wall lay a road running alongside the river.

As she reached the top of the wall, her vision blurred, and she fell straight down. By chance, a luxurious carriage was passing by. She landed hard on its roof before rolling off to the ground.

"Whoa!"

A deep, indifferent voice sounded from within the carriage. "What is going on?"

The guard jumped down from the carriage. Looking at the figure sprawled on the ground, seemingly unconscious, he replied, "It is Miss Song."

The carriage curtain was drawn back from within, and a man dressed in a dark red, cloud-patterned brocade robe stepped out. His features were sharply chiseled and incomparably handsome, his bearing extraordinary, yet his complexion bore a sickly paleness.

He walked over to Song Shuning. Seeing her blood-stained palm, he frowned, bent down to lift her into his arms, and returned to the carriage.

The carriage then resumed its journey.

Inside the carriage, the man bandaged her wound. Noting her flushed face, he reached out to touch her forehead. Feeling the abnormal heat radiating from her skin, he was about to check her pulse when Song Shuning grabbed his hand.

"There was something wrong with the wine I drank at the wedding feast today," she whispered. "And they forced knockout medicine down my throat while my mind was hazy. Help me..."

Her breath was sweet as orchids, her eyes hazy, and her already exquisite face was filled with a helpless allure.

Hearing her words, the man’s expression darkened. Allowing her to hold his hand, he called out to the guards outside, "Send someone to fetch Moyun and have him find an antidote."

"The wine wasn't drugged; if it had been, I would have smelled it," Song Shuning murmured, clutching the man’s lapels as she writhed in discomfort. She looked up, her eyes pleading. "Help me, please?"

Hearing her weak, breathless plea, the man’s tone turned dangerous, a flash of murderous intent crossing his eyes. "Would you ask any passing man to help you? Song Shuning!"

He practically spat her name through gritted teeth.

Song Shuning shook her head, her drug-addled mind unable to process how he knew her name. She reached up to wrap her arms around his neck, whispering softly, "I only want you to help me."

The man stiffened at her words, a flush slowly rising on his pale face. His deep, dark eyes locked onto hers. "Do you know who I am?"

"Prince Rui, Shen Qiyuan."

Shen Qiyuan’s eyes narrowed. Cupping the back of her neck, he barked an order to the driver outside, "To the manor at Yonglin Lane."

With that, he pressed his lips against hers.

***

When Song Shuning woke up again, she found herself nestled in a warm, solid embrace. Opening her eyes slightly, she was greeted by the sight of Shen Qiyuan’s handsome face. She knew then that this was no illusion; she had indeed been reborn.

In her past life, on the day of her eldest sister’s wedding, she had only drunk a cup of wine to toast Lin Shaoxuan when she began to feel dizzy. A maid had guided her to the rear courtyard to rest, but when she woke, she found herself in Lin Shaoxuan’s arms. Before she could recover from her terror, she heard the shrill scream of her sister’s maid echoing from the courtyard outside.

Lin Shaoxuan was the Heir of the Marquis of Weiyuan, and her eldest sister was the daughter of the General of the State's household. With so many guests attending the wedding, the remote courtyard was soon crowded with onlookers, among whom stood her devastated sister, still clad in her bridal robes.

Lin Shaoxuan claimed he had drunk too much and had only gone to his study to sober up, professing ignorance as to why Song Shuning was in such a secluded place. His words sealed her fate. She was left defenseless, branded by the world as a shameless harlot who had crawled into her newlywed brother-in-law’s bed.

The very next day, she was carried into the Marquis of Weiyuan’s estate as Lin Shaoxuan’s co-wife. Her mother disowned her, and her eldest sister shunned her like a venomous serpent. Though Lin Shaoxuan treated her with gentle affection, she knew it was nothing but hypocrisy. By marrying both daughters of the General of the State, Lin Shaoxuan secured the General as his father-in-law, and his rank in the military soared.

Yet, as Lin Shaoxuan rose, her father was stripped of his title by the Emperor over a trivial matter. Unable to bear the disgrace, he took his own life on the journey back to the capital, and her mother was driven to madness by the grief.

Later, when the Northern Barbarians invaded, Lin Shaoxuan was defeated at every turn. To save his own skin, when the enemy commander demanded the legitimate daughter of General Song Shouyi for their amusement, Lin Shaoxuan personally bound her and dragged her to the city gates, handing her over to the enemy in hopes of securing a retreat.

Just as she thought she would be reduced to a plaything for the barbarian horde, Shen Qiyuan arrived with his cavalry and shot her dead with a single arrow. She had been grateful to him for giving her a swift death, sparing her from such a wretched fate. As she collapsed to the ground with a smile, her fading vision caught sight of him leading his army through the gates, charging toward the barbarians...

Now that she had opened her eyes to a new life, returning to this very day before the trap was sprung, there was still time to change everything. This time, she would cling to the future emperor’s side and rewrite the fate of her family!

She rolled out of bed to get dressed, but the moment her feet touched the floor, a wave of soreness in her limbs made her stumble, sending her falling toward the ground.

Just as she braced for the impact, a hand caught her wrist and pulled. She spun around, landing flush against a firm chest.

Opening her eyes to find his bare chest right before her, Song Shuning’s face flushed crimson. Not daring to look up, she hurriedly scrambled out of his arms, gathered her clothes, and dressed herself.

"Thank you, Your Highness," she murmured softly.

Shen Qiyuan pulled on his robes, his eyes narrowing as he watched her flustered retreat. "Is that all you have to say?" he asked, his tone laced with danger.

Song Shuning looked back, meeting his cold, indifferent gaze. Panic seized her, and she faltered, unsure of how to respond. "My... my deepest thanks to Prince Rui for saving me?" she offered tentatively.

Shen Qiyuan took a step forward, his face returning to the sickly pale complexion she had seen in the carriage. He reached out, gripping her chin to force her to look at him, as if trying to peer into her very soul. "For years, I have been confined to my manor recovering from illness, rarely stepping foot outside. How did you recognize me?"

*Because I met you in my past life!* Song Shuning cried out silently, but she dared not utter a word.

When she remained silent, Shen Qiyuan’s hand slid slowly down from her chin to her throat, his grip suddenly tightening. "Who sent you to approach me? Was it the Emperor, or the Empress Dowager?"

Choked by his grip, Song Shuning gasped for air. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over, dripping onto the back of Shen Qiyuan’s hand.

As if burned by her tears, Shen Qiyuan abruptly released his grip and took a step back, his gaze turning dark and unreadable.

Terrified, Song Shuning gasped for air before rushing to explain. "I am Song Shuning, the second daughter of the General’s household. Today, I came to the Marquis of Weiyuan’s estate to see my sister married. However, I was drugged at the banquet in an attempt to frame me for climbing into my new brother-in-law’s bed on their wedding night. In my desperation, I climbed a tree and scaled the wall to escape." She pursed her lips slightly. "I never expected to fall from the wall and land right before Your Highness."