Chapter 9: Missing Clothes

“Dad, eat more,” Cheng Yuan said, picking out a small portion for Cheng Huaien. “You need to start having dinner on time, or your stomach will suffer.”

Cheng Huaien nodded, his heart full of warmth. “Okay.”

“Your stir-fried noodles are just better than anyone else’s,” Cheng Yuan declared, slurping up the last strand. Feeling pleasantly full, she stepped out into the courtyard to practice her classical Chinese texts. The night air filled with the soft cadence of her recitation.

After a while, once her food had digested, she returned to her room to rest.

The old wooden bed creaked as she climbed in. Beating up Li Liang today had left her feeling deeply satisfied.

That was just the appetizer, Li Liang. The real revenge is still to come.

Unable to fall asleep, she took out her jade pendant. The cool, smooth stone glowed faintly in her hand, comforting and familiar. She recalled how, back when her grandmother had been strapped for cash, she’d tried to steal and pawn it.

But her father had stopped her. She could still remember his tall, imposing figure, his eyes blazing as he declared, “This belongs to Yuan Yuan. No one touches it. If anyone tries, they’ll answer to me!”

He’d been fiercely protective of that pendant. Once, when Grandma actually succeeded in stealing and pawning it, he had chased her down with a kitchen knife and forced her to buy it back. After that, no one in the Cheng family dared to lay a finger on it again.

She’d once overheard him mutter, “It belonged to Yuanyuan’s mother. No one else has the right to take it.”

At first, she’d thought he was safe guarding it purely out of devotion to her mother. But later, she realized it wasn’t just sentiment—it was about protecting her. If they could take the pendant, what else would they take from her?

Just thinking about the Cheng family—their greed, their cruelty—made her heart boil.

Her father had once spent a fortune helping his uncle, Cheng Yongchang, land a good job. And every holiday, her grandmother demanded extravagant gifts. Things had been more manageable when her grandfather was alive, but after his death, her grandmother’s appetite for exploitation only grew.

When her father was imprisoned and she was left starving, she returned to them, desperate. But they wouldn’t give her a single copper coin. Instead, they scolded her for “shaming the Cheng family” and tossed her out into a storm without mercy.

But once her father started earning money again, they all came crawling back. It was disgusting.

Cheng Yuan closed her eyes, willing the anger away. She had no time to waste on the past. Her focus now was on improving her grades, getting into Shanghai University, and making her father proud.

As the night deepened, she held the jade pendant close, slowly drifting into sleep.

---

Huh?

Cheng Yuan blinked in confusion. She was back in that strange place again.

Drawn by the glow, she walked toward the ice bed. The sleeping beauty lay there just like before—but this time…

She stopped dead, whirled around, and muttered, “Don’t look at what you shouldn’t! Don’t look at what you shouldn’t!”

Taking a deep breath, she mustered her courage and snuck another glance. Yup. Still the same infuriatingly handsome man—but unlike last time, when he’d worn a suit and tie, now…

He was basically naked. Only a small towel covered his most sensitive area. His skin was slick with bubbles, as though he’d just taken a shower and lathered up.

Cheng Yuan sat down on the floor, trying to recall how she’d returned home last time.

I think I woke him up, she mused. I remember wanting to see if his eyes were pretty… then poof, I was back in my hospital room.

Maybe she needed to wake him up again to leave?

She lay down and tried to fall asleep, but no luck. Her brain was too alert.

It’s not like I’ve never seen a man before, she told herself. Just think of him as an underwear model!

That thought helped—slightly. With renewed determination, she crept closer to the bed. From up close, he was almost unreal. Heaven had truly blessed this man—with a perfectly chiseled body to match his flawless face.

Broad shoulders tapered to narrow hips, and his six-pack abs were a clear testament to his dedication to fitness.

She’d never seen abs like these outside of TV dramas. Her scumbag ex sure hadn’t looked like this. Curiosity piqued, she reached out and poked his abdomen. Firm. Definitely real.

“Why do I only see you when I sleep while holding the jade pendant?” she murmured.

She leaned against the cold, jade-like bed, no longer dismissing it as a dream. It had happened twice now—same place, same man. That couldn’t be coincidence.

Could this be a perk of being reborn?

Her gaze drifted lower, catching on a circular scar on his abdomen. She leaned in for a closer look. It looked like a burn mark—ugly and harsh, like a cigarette had been pressed into his skin.

Who would do something so cruel? she thought, heart aching. How much pain must he have endured?

Gently, she brushed her fingers over the scar, then flicked a bubble off his chest. It slipped through her fingers, leaving behind a faint, fragrant scent.

“Dark circles too?” she murmured, noticing the faint shadows under his eyes. She hesitated, reluctant to wake him.

Maybe if I just lie here beside him, I’ll fall asleep and wake up back home?

The ice bed wasn’t cold at all—in fact, it felt like jade: smooth, cool, and oddly comforting. She lay down, closed her eyes, and before long, she’d dozed off.

---

When she next opened her eyes, everything was still dark. The sleeping beauty lay unmoved beside her.

What? I’m still here?

Did she have to wake him in order to leave?

Panic set in. What time was it? Would she be late for class?

Without further thought, she reached over and gave him a gentle shove.

“Sleeping Beauty, wake up!”

“……”

“No seriously—wake up! I’m gonna be late!”

“……”

Getting desperate, she grabbed a handful of his hair and tickled his nose.

“Time to get up,” she sang sweetly, her voice lilting like a songbird at dawn.

His long eyelashes fluttered. Her eyes widened in anticipation—if her theory was correct, the moment he opened his eyes, she’d wake up too.

And sure enough, she did.

Cheng Yuan opened her eyes to the familiar ceiling of her room.