Chapter 1

Liu Li’s consciousness was fuzzy. Her throat felt dry, and subconsciously, she rolled over and got out of bed.

She staggered a few steps, groping in the dimness until she bumped into a table. Liu Li froze. “Back at my hometown?”

She wanted to grab a cup for water, but the table didn’t have the familiar glass cups and cold water pitchers she was used to. Instead, it held the small tea cups and clay pots she’d only ever used as a child in her hometown.

In a daze, Liu Li poured herself a cup and drank. “Am I dreaming?”

In that brief moment, her eyesight had adjusted to the dimness of the room. Only then did she see it clearly: beaded curtains and drapes, like a vintage boudoir straight out of a period drama.

“But this is way too real.” Liu Li grabbed a fruit from a platter on the table and bit into it—juicy and sweet. Still feeling dizzy, she leaned in to look at the smoothly polished glazed mirror and couldn’t help but be startled by the captivating, beautiful face reflected back at her.

This is definitely not my face, Liu Li thought, staring at the person in the mirror. As she stared, a sense of smug delight bubbled up within her. This dream was really something else.

She was alone in the dream. She didn’t know if any other characters would appear. Liu Li sat down on the silk-covered bed. Bored just sitting there, she began to think about what she was doing before she fell asleep.

She was just an ordinary person. Recently, she’d been following a cultivation novel that updated as slowly as a turtle. The character she liked happened to be the male lead’s white moonlight. When she read that the white moonlight died, Liu Li furiously typed a three-thousand-character rant into the story’s comment section. That was it.

Besides that, she hadn’t watched any historical dramas or anything else recently.

They say what you think of by day, you dream of by night. She must have dreamed of returning to ancient times because she’d read too much of that cultivation novel.

Liu Li was feeling rather emotional about it.

But this dream was ridiculously long. After sitting a while longer, she grew restless, stood up, and decided to go outside for a walk.

Just as she stepped out of the boudoir, a pretty young girl came over, looking about thirteen or fourteen, holding a bouquet of fresh flowers. She tilted her head at Liu Li, revealing a sweet, sugary smile. “Senior Sister, you’re awake!”

So, I’m an elder character here.

Liu Li had just smiled back at her when the girl, with whirlwind energy, pulled her back inside. Once they entered, the girl did something, and the room suddenly lit up brightly, startling Liu Li.

As if sensing Liu Li’s strangeness, the girl said softly and gently, “Senior Sister, how could you go outside without combing your hair or wearing proper outer robes? If Senior Sister Ye saw this, she’d laugh at you.”

Liu Li said, “I accidentally forgot.”

The truth was, she hadn’t forgotten. She thought what she was wearing was outerwear. Look at how Little Dragon Girl and the white-clad heroes were portrayed on TV—a turn of the body and their white robes billowed with ethereal grace. Liu Li had even twirled in front of the mirror earlier. The white dress and skirt she wore were just as ethereal, so she’d naturally assumed it was a complete outfit.

Besides, her dreams were never this fussy before.

While changing the flowers in the vase, the girl said, “Senior Sister Liuli, hurry and put some clothes on.”

Full of confidence, Liu Li walked towards the wardrobe. She opened it for three seconds and was stunned by a wardrobe full of light pink, pastel pink, baby pink, and deep pink.

This is wrong. This isn’t my aesthetic.

I’m a cool sister who wears black, white, and grey—how could I wear such garish clothes!

Thinking this, Liu Li reached out and picked out the most pink and delicate one.

It felt silky smooth and incredibly comfortable to the touch. The design was cute, the embroidery exquisite. The craftsmanship and fabric were definitely not cheap.

Having this level of quality in a dream was an unprecedented first.

Although it was her first time wearing this kind of clothing, and though it felt incredibly complicated, Liu Li remained calm and collectedly tied the clothes onto herself, relying on her experience from last year’s photoshoot at a studio where she wore traditional costumes.

After she finished tying it all up, she stood in front of the girl. The girl murmured, “Senior Sister, your collar is on backwards. We only wear it that way when an elder has passed away.”

Liu Li remained calm. “Got distracted just now, slip of the hand. Oh dear, I’m dizzy, so dizzy, so dizzy.”

She was the Senior Sister, so the girl didn’t say much, just helped her put the clothes on properly. Then, under Liu Li’s subtle and not-so-subtle hints, helped her comb her hair.

After finally getting through the whole ordeal, Liu Li sighed. “This is seriously the most troublesome dream I’ve ever had.”

“What dream?” the girl laughed. “Senior Sister, you’re awake now. Don’t forget to go thank Senior Brother Long.”

At the words ‘Senior Brother Long,’ the girl raised her hand to cover her mouth, giggling, her eyes full of suggestive teasing, as if sharing a private joke.

Liu Li frowned, sensing this story wasn’t simple. She hastily asked, “Where is Senior Brother Long?”

The girl said, “Ever since Senior Sister was injured, Senior Brother Long personally went to the Exotic Beast Garden to train beasts. He hasn’t left yet either.”

“Then where is the Exotic Beast Garden?” Liu Li asked as she stepped out the door, “Right, what was your name again? Thanks for earlier.”

The girl: “……”

“What’s wrong.” Hearing no reply, Liu Li turned back. The girl was staring at her, a look of shock on her face.

She was just as puzzled. “Then could you at least tell me Senior Brother Long’s full name?”

The girl stammered, “Senior, Senior Sister…”

Liu Li: ?

The girl took a step back, then realized it was wrong. Suddenly, like a little sparrow whose feathers had been plucked, she stumbled and flew outwards:

“Senior Brother, this is bad—Sect Leader, help—Senior Sister has amnesia!!!”

The girl’s sharp, thin voice carried far away, leaving Liu Li standing there, a look of shock on her face. “Holy sht, she can fly?!”

Peach blossoms were in full bloom in the courtyard, pink and white petals swirling in the air. Liu Li tucked her hands into her sleeves, suddenly feeling a bit lost. “Could you at least tell me which direction the Exotic Beast Garden is before you go?”

Actually, in a dream, it didn’t matter which way she went.

But this dream was so real, and Liu Li was so clear-headed.

She was a little scared.

Just inexplicably, afraid.

Liu Li muttered, “Why haven’t I woken up yet?”

She didn’t speak aloud, but the thought that flashed through her mind in an instant was: ‘I’ll just keep thinking this is a dream and not let myself get immersed in it.’

This beautiful little courtyard was very quiet. Liu Li licked her lower lip and tentatively tested the air in a low voice: “Um… Junior Sister… if this is a dream, you should be able to hear me. Why don’t you come back first, and let’s start over from the beginning?”

The young girl seemed to hear Liu Li’s thoughts and came flying back at a speed even faster than when she’d left.

As the dark figure in the sky drew near, Liu Li focused her eyes and saw that the reason she was so fast this time was probably because a Great White Eagle was carrying the little sparrow.

Gripping the girl’s collar was a handsome youth of about seventeen or eighteen. The moment he landed, he walked anxiously to Liu Li and reached out to grab her shoulder.

Liu Li instinctively retreated a step to dodge. What’s this about? Even in a dream, he shouldn’t be so casual!

The youth’s face showed an expression of extreme pain. He held his hand in the air, not lowering it, as exaggerated as a TV drama. “Junior Sister Liuli, do you really not remember me?”

Liu Li almost blurted out: Damn it, can you give me the script first?!

Everyone in the dream knew her name, but she didn’t know theirs. So unfair.

Liu Li said awkwardly, “Let’s talk first. Tell me your names, and maybe I’ll remember.”

The young girl couldn’t suppress her anxiety and rushed to say her name first. “Senior Sister Liuli, my name is Liang Tiantian. Do you have any impression of me?”

Honestly, she had no impression, but seeing Liang Tiantian’s anxious look, Liu Li said guiltily, “Mm-hmm, I’m getting a bit of an impression…”

“What about me, Junior Sister, do you still remember me?” The youth beside her was even more impatient. “My humble surname is Long, given name Jingxing, taken from the line ‘The high mountain is looked up to; the bright path is followed.’”

This introduction is ridiculously pretentious, Liu Li couldn’t help but inwardly complain. It just means his surname is Long and his name is Jingxing. Couldn’t he just say his name is Long Jingxing…

Hold on!

Long! Jing! Xing!

Liu Li sucked in a breath of cold air. “Long Jingxing!”

Long Jingxing was overjoyed. “Junior Sister Liuli, I knew you’d remember me! Junior Sister, ever since you were injured the day before yesterday, I’ve found no taste in food and been unable to sleep at night. I…”

“Junior Sister Liu Li?” Desperately, Liu Li pointed at herself and looked at Liang Tiantian. “What’s my surname?”

Those four words nearly brought Liang Tiantian to tears. “Senior Sister, you really have amnesia. You don’t even remember your own name, wuwuwu…”

“No, don’t cry yet…” Liu Li’s voice cracked with despair. “My damn surname… wouldn’t happen to be Xue, would it?!”

Liang Tiantian’s tears turned to laughter. “Exactly, exactly.”

Dawning realization hit Liu Li: No wonder the earlier calls of ‘Senior Sister Liu Li’ and ‘Junior Sister Liu Li’ weren’t ‘Liu Li’ at all, but ‘Xue Liuli’s’ Liuli!

A surge of shock and anger rushed to her head. The faint dizziness from before that hadn’t fully healed suddenly flared. A wave of vertigo hit, her legs went weak, and she collapsed backward. Before losing consciousness, she looked at the bright, dazzling sun in the sky and couldn’t help but slowly spit out two words:

“Fu… ck…”