Chapter 9: Enigmatic Dreams

Where am I?

Shen He looked around, a chilling sense washing over her. The place was shrouded in thick mist, rendering everything indistinct.

She began to float, peering downward—and to her horror, it was a mass grave!

At the very top lay the bodies of her own family members: her father, grandmother, second uncle, cousin, cousin sister, and even the servants of the Shen household.

And Shen He hovered above them all.

What was going on? Hadn’t she been reborn? Why were they still dead?

They didn’t even have a proper burial place; they had been discarded in this mass grave!

Suddenly, she lost her balance and plummeted straight down!

“Ah…”

It felt as if she had fallen into a bottomless abyss; the wind howled fiercely in her ears, and darkness deepened all around.

After an unknown length of time, with a metallic clang, Shen He hit the ground—but she felt no pain at all.

She stood up and realized she was standing upon a lake’s surface.

Crouching, she touched the lake—it was frozen solid, indistinguishable from solid ground.

“Is anyone here?” Shen He called out loudly. “Where is this place?”

No one answered. As far as she could see, the lake’s surface gleamed like crystal, bathed in a soft moonlight—bright but not blinding.

Many large bubbles rose from the lake, each radiating a different color.

Raising her hand, Shen He gently touched a silver bubble. It burst open.

“Miss, in your next life, don’t choose the Third Prince again!”

That voice—it was Xiaoshu’s! Xiaoshu’s voice came from within the bubble.

She broke another bubble, this one yellow.

“A He, if there is a next life, Auntie will never let you marry Xiao Jingren!”

It was Auntie’s voice!

A blue bubble.

“A He! It was your father’s failure to protect you! If there is a next life, I would rather not let you marry than have you wed Xiao Jingren!”

Her father’s voice!

A green bubble.

“A He, in the next life, I will never let you repeat the same mistakes!”

Her cousin, Shen Lianrong’s voice!

One bubble after another shattered, and voices poured out. Shen He’s tears fell like pearls strung on a broken thread, uncontrollable.

“I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! It’s all because of me! It’s all because of me!” Shen He broke down, sitting down on the lake’s surface.

The bubbles floating in the sky slowly vanished.

A figure appeared before Shen He.

Looking up, she saw a man standing before her, long hair cascading over his shoulders, dressed in simple white robes without any adornment, seeming to blend seamlessly into this realm.

“Who are you?” Shen He stopped crying and asked.

“I am Youming Tianqi.”

“Youming Tianqi?” Shen He slowly stood up. What kind of name was that? “Where is this place?”

“This is the Netherworld, the seam between life and death, the gathering place of grudges.”

“Grudges?”

“The voices you heard just now were the grudges of your family. Their resentment is so strong that it has concentrated here.”

Another tear fell from Shen He’s eyes. “Their grudges all started because of me.”

“That’s right. Because of that, before your death, their grudges broke through the seam of the Netherworld and brought you back five years into the past.”

Shen He stared incredulously at the man before her. It was as if she understood every word he said, yet altogether it remained unclear.

“Don’t understand? Simply put, the grudges of your family after their deaths were too heavy, and they shared the same wish, which caused your rebirth.”

So it was like this...

“But because their grudges caused your rebirth, you must change the fate of the Shen family within five years. Only then will their grudges dissipate. Otherwise, their grudges will be scattered in the seam, never to be freed!”

It was her entire clan granting her a second chance—to alter the tragic fate of their massacre.

Shen He clenched her fists tightly. “Thank you! Even without your words, I will change my family’s destiny. I will never let history repeat itself!”

“The matter of rebirth must remain secret. If others learn of it, everything will vanish like bubbles and you will return to five years later.”

Youming Tianqi looked thoughtfully at Shen He, then suddenly his gaze shifted behind her. Someone stood there, but Shen He did not see them.

Youming Tianqi gave that person a sidelong glance, cleared his throat: “Ahem, I will be watching over you as well. You have one more task.”

“What task?”

“Protect Xiao Jingchi, and fall in love with Xiao Jingchi.”

“Fall in love with Xiao Jingchi?” What kind of mission was that?

The person behind Shen He shot Youming Tianqi a sharp glare.

Youming Tianqi pretended not to see it, a faint smile hidden in his expression. “Why do you like to imitate others so much?”

“I have no interest in love now.”

“Then make him fall in love with you.”

“I…”

“This is the first time I’ve met someone who dares to bargain with me!” Youming Tianqi said, pursing his lips in irritation.

Shen He looked at him, having thought he was some kind of deity—how could a god have such a temper?

Youming Tianqi rolled his eyes and waved his hand. Shen He’s whole body emitted a brilliant light, which then condensed into a small glowing spot on her forehead before slowly fading away.

“What is this?”

“Consider it a gift from me that will help you.”

“A gift?”

“You talk too much!”

Youming Tianqi snapped his fingers, and Shen He swiftly ascended.

Suddenly, Shen He opened her eyes. Bright sunlight poured in, and the bed curtains told her this was her own room.

Was that just a dream?

She opened her hands and inspected them repeatedly—no change. She hurried to the dressing table and examined her forehead over and over—still nothing.

What was happening?

The Netherworld? Youming Tianqi?

Was it all real?

Gu Yu and Mang Zhong heard Shen He rise and entered the room to find her sitting barefoot at the dressing table.

“Miss, why aren’t you wearing shoes?” they asked, quickly fetching the shoes from beside the bed to put on her feet, then brought a plain outfit for her to change into.

Shen He shook her head, trying to push aside the strangeness of it all and looked at Gu Yu.

Since her rebirth yesterday, she hadn’t seen the other two maidservants who usually stayed by her side.

Shen He had four personal maids. To remember them easily, she named them after the solar terms closest to their birthdays: Gu Yu, Mang Zhong, Xiaoshu, and Chunfen.

Xiaoshu was the sweetest looking. She had been given by Xiao Jingren to the Minister of War as a concubine while vying for the throne and had been tormented to death. Mang Zhong died trying to save Shen He from the guards’ blades. Chunfen perished in a plague. Only Gu Yu remained by her side until the end.

“Why haven’t I seen Xiaoshu and Chunfen?” Shen He asked.

“Miss must have forgotten—Chunfen’s elder sister was giving birth, so Miss allowed Chunfen to return to visit her nephew. As for Xiaoshu… she broke the glass bowl the Empress Dowager gave and was punished with laundry duty.”

At that, Shen He suddenly spat out the water she was rinsing her mouth with.

In hindsight, Shen He realized she hadn’t treated her servants kindly. Pampered by Shen Huai’an’s love and the Empress Dowager’s favor, she had been spoiled and often scolded the maids. Though she never withheld money, she had not truly cared for them.

Yet the maids had always remained loyal and devoted. Now, Shen He felt she was a terrible person.

So it was not unfounded that Shen Jiao and Madam Shan branded her as the wicked daughter of the Shen family.

“Hurry and bring Xiaoshu back!” Shen He urged.

Mang Zhong looked confused and exchanged a glance with Gu Yu. “Now?”

“Of course!”

Mang Zhong quickly set down what she was holding and went to find Xiaoshu.

Soon after, Xiaoshu returned cautiously and knelt before Shen He. “Mist... Miss.”

Shen He helped Xiaoshu up, noticing the dimples on her face had faded from the hardships of laundry duty. She felt a pang of guilt. “I’m sorry, Xiaoshu. Earlier, I made a fuss and caused you suffering.”

The shock in the eyes of Xiaoshu, Mang Zhong, and Gu Yu was as if the moon had fallen from the sky; their mouths hung open.

The Miss... was apologizing to Xiaoshu??

Had she fallen ill? Was she possessed by a ghost? Oh heavens!

They could hardly believe it.

Shen He caught their reactions from the corner of her eye and sighed. Well... she would have to mend this master-servant bond slowly. After all, there were more important matters today.

“Gu Yu, you will come with me to the Yan family later. Xiaoshu, rest well here and do nothing. Mang Zhong, go to Nanny Liu and tell her to take fifty percent from my monthly allowance this month and give it to Xiaoshu as compensation from me.”

Once again, Xiaoshu knelt down in astonishment.

For a moment, she said nothing. Gu Yu hastily pulled at her sleeve, speaking thanks on Xiaoshu’s behalf, then hurriedly led her away, as if fearing Shen He would change her mind.

After changing into plain clothes, Shen He took a carriage alone and headed early to the Yan residence.

On the way, she took a turn onto another road.

It was the route Yan Qingyi would take returning home.

Shen He dismounted and waited at the crossroads.

As expected, Yan Qingyi soon arrived, dust-covered, riding swiftly.

He held a long sword in his hand. His brows slanted sharply into his temples, his nose high and straight, lips pressed thin, eyes cold as winter—emotionless, as if the title “Cold-faced Judge” were carved upon his face.

His horse was too fast. Seeing Shen He standing in the middle of the road, he nearly failed to stop in time, pulling the reins sharply.

“A He? Why are you here?” Yan Qingyi didn’t dismount and seemed unwilling to say much.

Shen He stepped forward and held the reins. “Today is Sir’s funeral. Naturally, I had to come. Please dismount—I have something to say to you.”