Chapter 1

When Shi Tingyu woke up, she felt dizzy and confused, with fragmented sounds coming from outside the door, but she couldn’t make them out clearly.

She slowly sat up, instinctively rubbing her head, and gradually gained some clarity.

She remembered being killed by a group of masked robbers after her solo art exhibition.

Recalling that scene, Shi Tingyu’s face turned pale.

The sensation of being stabbed seemed to still linger in her chest.

But, wasn’t she supposed to be dead?

Puzzled, she looked around and finally saw her surroundings clearly.

It was a small room, simply yet warmly decorated.

A bed, a wardrobe, and a desk.

There were few items, but everything showed the owner’s care.

The wardrobe had an old-fashioned double-door design with a large, clean mirror in the middle.

The desk was covered with a white floral cloth, and on it were a few papers and a plaster bust of David.

The desk was placed by the window, which wasn’t a modern glass sliding window but an old-style wooden lattice window like those in rural areas.

The window was double-opened, with hooks on both sides holding it open, letting in a warm breeze that slightly eased her tension.

She touched her chest, which was intact.

So what was happening now? Was it a time travel, reincarnation, or just a dream?

Her gaze moved down from her chest, and Shi Tingyu noticed the unfamiliar clothes she was wearing, a pure cotton floral nightgown with lace edges.

It felt very vintage.

It was the kind of dress that wealthy girls in the seventies or eighties would wear.

Voices outside the room were heard again. She slowly got up, wanting to investigate, but froze in front of the wardrobe mirror.

The woman in the mirror looked about seventy to eighty percent like her but much younger, only around twenty years old.

Her previous hair was dyed and permed, but the woman in the mirror had natural, thick black hair.

This wasn’t her!

Just as she was about to investigate further, the voices outside sounded again.

She frowned, stepped forward, and gently pushed open the door.

The previously unclear voices now became distinct.

“Old Shi, what should we do with these things?”

The speaker was a woman in her thirties, slender and well-proportioned, with gentle, romantic eyes. But her beautiful eyes were now filled with worry.

The man called Old Shi was middle-aged, with a crew cut and a tall stature, at least 1.8 meters tall. His features were well-defined, with a high nose and deep-set eyes, not as deep as a foreigner’s but with the unique, understated lines of a Chinese person.

He exuded a scholarly aura, and the faint wrinkles at the corners of his eyes didn’t mar his appearance at all.

He must have been a strikingly handsome man in his youth.

He sighed and said, “These materials were hard to bring back. I’ll see if I can get the institute to keep them.”

The beautiful woman shook her head, looking at the English materials on the living room table, and felt a wave of helplessness. “If they could have kept them, they would have done so already.”

Perhaps the appearance of these two people had stirred something in Shi Tingyu. Images began to flood her mind.

Feeling dizzy, she held onto the wall as the images increased, her face growing paler.

The two people in the living room were still troubled over those materials, but neither mentioned disposing of them.

Because they couldn’t bear to.

After a long while, Shi Tingyu came back to herself from that long string of memories, a look of disbelief flashing in her eyes.

She had time-traveled! And it was a soul transfer! She had traveled to May of 1975, at the junction of spring and summer.

The owner of this body was also named Shi Tingyu, currently twenty-two years old, with parents who were researchers at the Jinling Military District’s Weapons Research Institute—the middle-aged couple who had just been speaking.

Though the beautiful woman appeared to be in her thirties, she was actually forty. One could only say that time had been particularly kind to her.

The Shi family had had their share of twists and turns.

Her original parents were technical talents who had studied in the United States and returned to serve their country under the secret protection of Chinese soldiers four years ago.

After their return, the original family was well-treated.

Shi Qian, the original father, was a key figure at the Weapons Research Institute, earning a first-level technical series salary of 322 yuan per month.

The original mother, Liu Meihan, was an associate professor, earning a third-level salary of 240 yuan per month.

Together, the couple’s monthly salary was 562 yuan.

In an era when the average worker’s salary was around thirty yuan, this was a considerable amount.

Especially since the original owner’s brother had joined the army and was now a company commander, earning 80 yuan per month.

Adding it all up, their family’s material standard of living was undoubtedly among the best.

As for the original Shi Tingyu, she was idle at home.

“These days, considering the era we’re in now, are already quite good.

But good times don’t last. The trouble caused by the China group above is severe. Activities that originally did not affect the camp area spread to the Shi family couple working in the Weapon Research Institute due to some people’s reports.

If it weren’t for the camp leaders’ intention to protect the Shi family couple, they would have been reassigned by now.

However, the situation is becoming increasingly tense. Seeing that even the camp leaders are somewhat powerless, the Shi family couple made early plans.

The couple have decided that if they are reassigned, it’s okay, but they must ensure the safety of their two children.

The elder brother of the Shi family is named Shi Muhuan, twenty years old this year, and he is not in the same camp as them.

Due to the couple’s significant contributions, improving the domestic military equipment, Shi Muhuan is also well taken care of in the camp. Especially after joining the military, he participated in aiding the war against King of Yue and made notable achievements. Moreover, it’s been less than two years since he withdrew from the battlefield, so these matters won’t affect him for the time being.

What worries the Shi family couple is their younger daughter.

They thought that if the situation demands reassignment, they would publicly sever ties with their daughter to ensure she isn’t reassigned with them.

Their daughter has been pampered since childhood and is exceptionally talented. During her time in America, she was already a well-known young painter, having held exhibitions and been featured in American newspapers.

Before the China Return, she gave up her promising career and returned to the country with them.

In the current environment, she can’t even pick up a brush to earn money.

She is a sensitive child, a common trait among artists. Moreover, she is exceptionally beautiful. After reassigned, how can the couple ensure her safety from local ruffians?

They are determined not to let their younger daughter be reassigned with them.

The original host accidentally overheard her parents’ conversation and knew that she would perish from excessive fear of being reassigned.

When she woke up again, her consciousness had merged with that of Shi Tingyu, a genius painter of the 21st century.

After sorting through those memories of the past and considering the current situation, Shi Tingyu calmed down and walked towards her parents in this body.

It is said that one should do everything one can and leave the rest to fate. The order for reassignment hasn’t come yet. Now is the time to do everything they can.”