Chapter 1

Autumn, 1979.

The courtyard of a grand residence in Qingshan Town was decorated with red double happiness symbols.

The front yard was filled with guests, laughter, and joy as everyone waited for nightfall — the time when the bride and groom would perform their traditional wedding rites.

But in a side room at the back, ambiguous and suggestive moans occasionally escaped through the walls.

“Mu Nian-ge, tonight is your wedding night with my cousin. Is what we’re doing really okay?”

Seated above her, Xi Mu Nian teased the bashful woman with his hands, eyes dark with desire.

“You little minx, weren’t you the one who seduced me first? Looks like I didn’t satisfy you enough — you’ve still got the energy to talk…”

The woman moaned with pleasure, reveling in the sensations he gave her.

But deep down, she was consumed by a bitter thought:

Meng Xue, we both carry the Meng surname. Why do you get to marry into the Xi family and become Mu Nian-ge’s bride?

Hmph, Mu Nian-ge belongs to me.

Tonight, I’ll ruin your reputation once and for all…

In the bridal room, Meng Xue suddenly woke up, her body burning with heat and discomfort.

The xi po (wedding matron) beside her noticed.

“The bride is awake! The wedding ceremony will begin at ten tonight. Why don’t you rest a little more?”

Meng Xue felt dizzy, her mind hazy with heat.

Bride? Was that… her?

Wasn’t she locked in a firewood shed, murdered by her husband and cousin?

How was she suddenly the bride again?

Who was she marrying?

Then, images from her past and present lives flashed through her mind.

Memories from both lifetimes overlapped — she had been reborn.

Back to the day she was to marry Xi Mu Nian?

In this town’s tradition, newlyweds performed the marriage rites around 10 p.m.

So she had returned to just before that?

In her past life, she had mysteriously lost her virginity before the wedding, and the groom never appeared…

That day marked the beginning of her nightmare.

After Old Master Xi died from anger, she lost her only support.

From then on, her status in the Xi family was worse than a dog’s.

Neglected by her husband, shunned by her in-laws, branded as a bringer of bad luck.

In the end, she was tortured to death by the two people she trusted most: her husband and her cousin.

After her death, her soul left her body — and she overheard her cousin Meng Ning revealing the truth:

It was Mu Nian and Meng Ning who had drugged her and orchestrated her fall from grace.

Meng Xue’s eyes burned with hatred and unwillingness.

Her mind was slipping again — the drug was taking hold — and she knew she had to find a way to neutralize it.

She sat up from the bed and stumbled toward the door.

The wedding matron reached out to stop her.

“Bride, where are you going?”

“My stomach hurts… the toilet!”

Meng Xue clutched her belly and forced out a loud fart.

She turned to the matron. “Auntie, want to come with me?”

The matron smelled the foul air, covered her nose, and shook her head instinctively.

“Go quickly and come back. Don’t miss the wedding ceremony.”

Meng Xue nodded and hurried out.

The Xi family was one of the wealthiest in town. Their home was a large, traditional compound with multiple courtyards.

The guests were all gathered in the front. Her section was quiet.

Leaning against the wall, she unbuttoned parts of her dress, trying to cool herself and ease the heat coursing through her.

Her mind grew fuzzier by the second, the fire in her body out of control.

She stumbled forward, trying to stay upright — and accidentally pushed open a door.

Momentum sent her falling inside…

But instead of hitting the ground, she fell into a pair of cool, steady arms.

She instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck, seeking relief.

Xi Jingchen had just been about to leave when someone crashed into him.

He instinctively pushed the woman off, only to pause upon seeing her flushed, alluring face.

Her?!

She staggered backward, and he quickly reached out to steady her.

She clung to his shirt instinctively.

Their eyes met. Time seemed to stop.

Startled awake by the sudden jolt, Meng Xue saw who it was — Xi Jingchen.

She couldn’t take her eyes off his cold, handsome features.

His deep eyes, his defined nose, his lips — like tender red sausages — she couldn’t help but want a taste.

She swallowed hard, remembering his future achievements.

Fine. It’ll be him.

“Help me. I’ve been drugged.”

She pulled his neck toward her and gently pressed her lips to his.

Xi Jingchen, normally calm and restrained, found himself strangely stirred.

He was a soldier — he couldn’t do anything illegal or immoral.

But the woman’s behavior told him exactly what had happened — she had been drugged.

And she was his nephew’s bride.

He quickly pulled away.

“You’re marrying Mu Nian. I’ll go get him.”

Meng Xue grabbed him from behind, circled around, and shut the door.

“Don’t. That drug came from your dear nephew. He planned this to ruin me. Help me — please.”

Xi Jingchen frowned.

He’d just returned home from the army to attend this wedding. Could his nephew really do such a thing?

But Meng Xue leaned into his chest like a cool ice block, soothing her burning body.

She wished she could press herself entirely against that chill.

Rising on tiptoes, she whispered near his ear:

“Help me. I’ll explain everything.”

Her breath sent tingles down his spine, his face flushing, his mind going blank.

He had never been this close to a woman in his life.

Before he could react, she had already pushed him against the wall, trying to undress him.

He grabbed her hands. “You’re about to be married — do you know what you’re doing?”

Meng Xue looked up at him, pleading, “Yes. Please… help me. I’m begging you…”

She broke free of his grip and pressed herself to him again.

Xi Jingchen was speechless.

Had she been anyone else, he might have helped.

But she was his nephew’s bride. Their ceremony was minutes away. How could he?

When her hands slipped inside his shirt, he caught them again.

“Wait — maybe there’s another way. I’ll go find a doctor!”

His eyes lit up. “Yes! A doctor — they’ll have something!”

Meng Xue shook her head. “It’s useless. The drug was bought on the black market. There’s no cure except… a man. Please — I’m begging you. Help me…”

Xi Jingchen saw the desperation and longing in her eyes.

His self-control was breaking.

He was a man, a healthy man. No one could stay indifferent to such a soft, pleading woman in their arms.

But… one side was military discipline, the other morality…