Chapter 2: Dreaming Back

Rumble, rumble... The lightning seemed to tear through the thick black curtain in the sky, bringing a moment of clarity to the world.

Amidst the thunder and lightning, even a centuries-old tree in the courtyard of the Lian Mansion was split in half by the deafening thunder, crashing down into the rainwater.

Not far from this ancient tree was the courtyard of Lian Mansion's third young lady, Lian Yuyao. The sound of the thunder and lightning didn't wake her up, but the noise of the tree falling in the courtyard did. As the ancient tree fell, the third young lady opened her eyes.

After waking up, Lian Yuyao looked at the light blue gauze canopy in front of her and murmured, "Where am I?" As she spoke, a series of thunderous roars echoed in her ears, followed by flashes of lightning in the room.

Startled by the thunder, Lian Yuyao regained her senses. She sat up in a daze, her mind a jumble. Where was she? Wasn't she dead? A sharp dagger had pierced her body, how could she still be alive? And, she had arrived at a place, at a place...

At this moment, she was sitting on a yellow pearwood bed, next to which was a yellow pearwood dressing table with various plain-colored hairpins. There was a large pearwood cabinet nearby, and a soft couch by the window, with a black and white ink painting screen separating the inner and outer chambers...

Wide-eyed, Lian Yuyao realized that this was not the courtyard where she had just returned to the Lian family. The courtyard she had returned to was the one her father had lived in years ago. Later, she had moved out. But now, how could she possibly be here?

Lian Yuyao murmured, "Is this a dream? It must be a dream. The heavens have allowed me to return to the courtyard of that day, just to take a look before leaving."

As Lian Yuyao surveyed the room, footsteps could be heard from the outer chamber. Soon, a maid with an oval face and dressed in a green robe entered the room.

The maid walked to the center of the room and lit the lamps, brightening the room. Looking at Lian Yuyao, who was sitting up in a daze, the maid asked with concern, "Miss, what's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?"

Lian Yuyao stared blankly at the familiar face. It was Muqiu. Muqiu had died over ten years ago, long turned into bones. How could she be standing vividly in front of her? Lian Yuyao murmured, "It must be a dream. Otherwise, how could I see Muqiu?" Muqiu was the playmate her mother had bought for her when she was five years old. She had been with her for over ten years, loyal and devoted. It wasn't until she fell seriously ill that Muqiu was ordered to be beaten to death by the Mos, on false charges. At that time, she watched Muqiu being beaten to death in front of her eyes. At that time, Muqiu's blood stained her eyes red. She never expected that not only did she return to her old haunt, but she also saw an old friend.

Seeing her young lady's bewildered look, as if she had lost her soul, Muqiu, feeling worried, said, "Miss, don't be afraid. It's just a nightmare!"

Lian Yuyao moved slightly.

Muqiu thought that Lian Yuyao was about to do something, but after she moved, she still stared blankly at her, without any other action.

Muqiu was a straightforward girl. Whatever her young lady asked her to do, she would do without questioning. Upon hearing Lian Yuyao's words, she immediately brought a bronze mirror.

Yuyao looked at the person in the bronze mirror. The mirror reflected a young girl with dim, ink-colored eyes and a small, pale face.

Touching her own face, she had disfigured herself at the age of sixteen. There were long, deep scars on both sides of her cheeks. But now, her cheeks were smooth and fair, with no scars.

Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar face, Yuyao couldn't help but ask, "How old am I this year?"

Muqiu thought her young lady had suddenly lost her mind. "Miss, you're eight years old this year."

Yuyao murmured, "So I'm eight years old! Yuyao felt like she was dreaming. How could she dream of going back to when she was eight years old, back to over twenty years ago? Is this a dream? No, Muqiu is warm, not cold.

Yuyao remembered something. It was said that ghosts don't feel pain. They also have no sensation in dreams. So she pinched herself hard. It hurt, very much. This was not a dream, definitely not a dream. A dream wouldn't be so real.

Seeing Yuyao staring at herself in the mirror, Muqiu deliberately covered her mouth and smiled, "Everyone knew that our young lady would definitely be a beauty when she grew up. But young lady, don't stare at yourself like this! If it gets out, who knows how people will laugh at you!"

Yuyao, seeing Muqiu's sweet smile, felt dazed for a moment. This wasn't a dream, it was real. She had returned to when she was eight years old. Yuyao put down the mirror, "I'm fine, you should rest too!" She needed to think carefully about what was going on.

Lian Yueyao has a bad habit, which is that she doesn't like anyone else in the room when she sleeps. That's why when she wakes up, there's no one in the room. Mu Qiu sleeps in the outside room. It was Mu Qiu who noticed that something was wrong in the room and immediately came in. Otherwise, Yueyao would have to continue to be alone.

Mu Qiu whispered, "Miss, I'll sleep here." She was a little worried when she saw Yueyao's absent-minded look.

Yueyao responded with a grunt.

Mu Qiu was overjoyed, as this was considered an agreement. Although she didn't know why the miss agreed to let her accompany her, it was good that the miss had relented. Thinking about this, she quickly brought a blanket from the outside room and spread it under the bed.

Yueyao squinted her eyes and quietly listened to the sound of rain outside. Only by hearing the continuous sound outside could she confirm that she was not dreaming, but actually present. Despite this, Yueyao still slowly asked herself in her heart, had she really returned to the year she was eight?

As Yueyao thought about her past life, her heart suddenly filled with sadness. Why, why couldn't she die? In her past life, she had attempted suicide more than ten times and suffered greatly for it. The last time, she finally committed suicide in front of the Mo family, hoping to reunite with her parents in the afterlife, but she didn't expect to return to the year she was eight. Oh God, how do you want to torment me?

Yueyao struggled for a long time, roared in her heart for most of the day, and finally had no strength to roar anymore. Looking at the green gauze curtain, Yueyao couldn't help but call out, "Mu Qiu, Mu Qiu?"

Mu Qiu, who was sleeping under the bed, quickly got up, "Miss, what's wrong? Are you thirsty?"

Hearing Mu Qiu's words, Yueyao shook her head and said she wasn't thirsty. But at this moment, Yueyao also felt a little relieved. She remembered that when she was eight, it was the year she returned to the capital, and she hadn't been manipulated by the Mo family yet. There was still a chance to change the future. Thinking of this, Yueyao felt a little warmth. Once she started thinking positively, the sense of grievance gradually subsided. After organizing her thoughts, she called out, "Mu Qiu, Mu Qiu."

Mu Qiu quickly got up, "Miss, what's wrong?" Why does the miss seem strange? It seems that I have to mention it to the madam tomorrow and ask for a doctor to see the miss.

Yueyao said softly, "I just had a nightmare and I'm a little scared. Can you light the lamp?" With the light, the room would be bright, and she wouldn't feel so anxious. Also, by looking at the room, she could feel a little more at ease.

Mu Qiu quickly lit the lamp, and the room immediately brightened.

Yueyao looked at the oil lamp, the flickering flame the size of a bean seemed as if it could be extinguished at any moment, but it still stubbornly remained lit.

After a while, Mu Qiu got up and adjusted the wick of the lamp. Seeing that Yueyao was still staring blankly at the room, she asked softly, "Miss, what's wrong?"

Yueyao shook her head, "I can't sleep, I don't feel at ease." After thinking for a while, she said, "Keep me company and talk to me, tell me what's been happening in the mansion recently."

This would help ease her inner turmoil. Also, she had no memory of what had happened in the mansion in the past twenty years. Therefore, she needed to know about the mansion's affairs now. In this life, she couldn't be like in her past life, constantly copying scriptures and not caring about external matters. If not for this, she wouldn't have ended up in a situation where no one helped her.

Mu Qiu was Yueyao's senior maid, and although she hadn't been outside, she knew most of what was happening in the mansion. Now that the miss wanted to know, she naturally knew what to say.

Yueyao had been immersed in copying scriptures since she returned, and she didn't pay much attention to the affairs of the mansion. When Mu Qiu heard that she wanted to know about these things, she didn't have any doubts and quietly told Yueyao about the recent events in the mansion. She even mentioned the incident of the second miss, Lian Yuebing, losing a hairpin.

Yueyao listened attentively. When she heard that the madam, Mo, had disposed of Yueyao's personal maid because Yueyao had lost a hairpin, a hint of sarcasm crossed her lips.

As Mu Qiu finished speaking, she saw that Yueyao didn't seem as impatient as usual when talking about these trivial matters. She plucked up the courage to advise, "Miss, please don't do this again in the future. It's good for the miss to copy the Book of Filial Piety, but the miss also needs to take care of her own health. Otherwise, the old madam will worry even more. Miss, the old madam has been seriously ill once because of the master's passing, and the miss must not make the old madam sad again."

It was only then that Yueyao remembered that after she returned to the capital, apart from paying respects to her grandmother, she had been locked in her room copying the Book of Filial Piety. As a result, she fainted from overwork. This caused her grandmother to worry endlessly. Her grandmother had been in poor health due to the passing of her father and had never recovered. Half a year later, her grandmother also passed away. At that time, the people in the mansion all said that it was because she had made her grandmother sad that she had left so quickly. The people in the mansion secretly criticized her for being unfilial.

As Yueyao thought about the events of that year, she heard a harsh voice outside, "Miss, what's wrong? The lamp in this room has been on for a long time." With that, a woman in her thirties, dressed in indigo, walked in.

Yueyao followed the footsteps and looked at the woman who had entered. She was her wet nurse, Gu Mama. When Yueyao thought of this, her whole body trembled. Gu Mama, her wet nurse. At the sight of Gu Mama, those nightmarish memories immediately flooded back, vividly before her eyes.