Chapter 1: Crawling into a Man’s Bed

Shen Yuyao knew she was dead.

She clearly remembered being pushed off a boat during a flower-viewing banquet in the palace and drowning in the lake.

But then a cold wind blew, and she actually woke up.

She sat up.

Only then did she realize she was in a dilapidated old house.

The wooden bed beneath her had only a thin cotton mattress, so hard it made her back ache.

Shen Yuyao frowned.

She had no idea where she was.

This place was so bare and rundown, it was worse than the servants’ quarters in the Prime Minister’s residence.

She raised her hand to rub her eyes then suddenly heard breathing beside her.

Shen Yuyao turned her head in disbelief only to see a man lying on the bed next to her, his back facing her.

The thin blanket only covered his waist, revealing his bare back and firm legs.

A man?!

In her bed?!

Shen Yuyao nearly lost her mind.

A scream was about to burst from her throat.

But just then, a sharp pain stabbed through her head like needles, and unfamiliar memories surged into her mind.

It took a long while before the pain subsided, leaving her drenched in cold sweat.

She trembled all over, unable to accept what she’d just seen.

Yet when she looked at the man still fast asleep, she knew deep down everything she had just seen was true.

She had crossed over from Wushuang Kingdom to this place called Huaguo, and it was the year 1968!

Shen Yuyao took a deep breath to calm herself, just as she was about to think of her next move.

The door suddenly burst open from the outside, and a thin, sharp-featured old woman walked in!

She was holding an enamel basin and said while entering:
“Liyan, I brought you some hot water. Just wash up in the room it’s cold outside, don’t catch a chill…”

Before she could finish, her eyes landed squarely on Shen Yuyao, who was still sitting on the bed.

Clang!

The old woman instantly exploded.

She threw the basin to the floor and screamed, lunging at Shen Yuyao:
“You shameless little whore! I’ll kill you!”

She clawed straight at Shen Yuyao’s face.

Cheng Lanhua was absolutely livid!

Just yesterday, she had bought a wife for her crippled son.

Before they could even consummate the marriage, her nephew, whom she hadn’t seen in years, happened to pass by while on a mission and stopped in for a visit.

That nephew, Cheng Liyan, was the pride of the Cheng family a regimental commander in the army now!

When her nephew came, she ignored the woman she’d bought and locked her in the room, planning to prepare for the wedding once her nephew left and her son returned.

But who would’ve thought this vixen would sneak into her nephew’s bed?!

Thinking of the 100 yuan she’d paid as a bride price, Cheng Lanhua nearly blacked out. She wished she could tear off a piece of flesh from Shen Yuyao!

“Stop hitting her!” Cheng Liyan rushed forward, only half-dressed, with one pant leg still off, and quickly stood between his aunt and the woman.

He pushed aside his aunt’s arm, but wasn’t quick enough to avoid getting scratched three bloody marks appeared on his neck.

He winced from the burning pain.

Cheng Liyan’s face darkened. His head buzzed with frustration.

He turned just in time to see his aunt grabbing the woman’s hair again Finally, he shouted:
“Enough! Stop hitting her!”

His deep, commanding voice stunned everyone in the room.

An old man who had arrived earlier but stood helplessly at the door finally came to his senses and hurriedly shut the door.

Cheng Liyan calmly pulled on his pants and threw on his military shirt, buttoning it up quickly.

He swept his cold gaze over everyone in the room and said:
“Explain. What the hell is going on here?”

Shen Yuyao yanked her hair back from Cheng Lanhua’s grasp and said nothing, her head lowered.

After this mess, she was now completely convinced: she had reincarnated into another body, one with the exact same name.

This girl had been an orphan taken in by her maternal uncle’s family after her parents died.

Then, tricked by her aunt into visiting relatives, she had been sold to a cripple as a wife.

The girl knew her aunt took 100 yuan for her, and that even if she escaped back home, her relatives would never return the money.

Just when she had resigned herself to this cruel fate, Cheng Liyan had appeared.

And the girl… had developed feelings for him.

She thought, rather than marry a cripple, why not take a gamble and try to follow this soldier?

If he married her, life would be much better.

Even if she failed, the worst outcome was death. And to her, life was already meaningless.

Since she was obedient, Cheng Lanhua had only locked the door but not the window.

After hearing the man return to his room and seeing all the lights go out in the courtyard, she climbed out the window and into his bed.

It was pure luck.

Cheng Liyan was usually extremely alert, but that night he had drunk a little more with his uncle and let his guard down.

He never expected that one moment of relaxation would result in such a scandal!

Now Cheng Liyan sat stiffly upright, listening to his aunt wail and curse, his clenched fists betraying his humiliation.

He had never been so disgraced in his life he almost slept with his cousin-in-law!

He pressed his lips into a thin line, trying hard to keep his emotions in check.

“Tiezhu went to help at his uncle’s house and doesn’t know we arranged a bride for him. If he comes back and finds out it’s a used woman, won’t he be furious?”

The more Cheng Lanhua thought about it, the angrier she became. She raised her hand to slap Shen Yuyao again Shen Yuyao shrieked and ducked behind Cheng Liyan.

Cheng Liyan glanced at her and quickly caught his aunt’s hand, saying coldly:
“I’ll take her. I’ll pay you back the bride price.”

He shoved his aunt’s hand away and added sternly:
“Next time you find a wife for Tiezhu, make sure she agrees willingly.This is the new era freedom of marriage is law now. If I find out you’re still buying brides, I’ll be the first to report you!”

Hearing that her nephew was taking the woman away, Cheng Lanhua was furious and wanted to argue,
but the old man next to her quickly covered her mouth.

“It’s fine, Liyan. Take her with you,” he said. “I’ll have your aunt pack her things. You can leave with her today.”

As they left the room, the old man gave one last glance at the woman behind his nephew.

Her hair was jet-black, her skin pale as snow. Even with swollen eyes from crying, she looked as delicate and lovely as a pear blossom.

So beautiful, it hurt to look at her.

The old man sighed. He realized he must’ve been blind and foolish.

A woman like that… there’s no way their family could keep her.

Even if she didn’t leave today, keeping her would only bring trouble in the future.

Better to let her go and get the money back.