"Beep—"
"Ding-ding—"
The sound of the heart monitor echoed in her ears.
Shen Wei's consciousness gradually returned, her eyelids feeling as heavy as lead. She couldn't help but wonder—had she grown so old, or had her recent indulgence in sweets caused some severe eye condition?
She struggled to open her eyes.
Voices surrounded her—
"Patient in Room 3 is awake! Quick, notify Dr. Fang!"
"It's a miracle—both patients in Rooms 1 and 3 woke up on the same day."
"Comatose for years, yet they still regained consciousness. Unbelievable!"
The room buzzed with noise.
Shen Wei felt the smart hospital bed adjust, slowly raising her into a seated position with the help of machinery. The bright light stung her eyes, forcing her to squint as she adjusted.
The room, cluttered with medical equipment, was nothing like her lakeside estate in the Qing State.
Then she saw them—three or four doctors in white coats and protective gear approaching her. Wait… doctors?
Reality crashed over her.
Doctors!
She… she had returned to the modern world?
Shen Wei could hardly believe it. Moxun had once told her the equipment was irreparably damaged, that they could never go back.
Yet here she was, miraculously home.
Dazed, she stared blankly until a tall figure in white stepped forward. He gently lifted her eyelid, shining a small light into her pupil before checking the monitor readings.
"Shen Wei, can you hear me?" the young doctor asked.
She frowned. The years had stretched so long, she’d nearly forgotten her past. Studying his sharp features, she finally murmured, "Fang… Fang Zheng? Dr. Fang?"
If her memory served, this man in the white coat was her senior from university—someone she’d once worked with.
His name was Fang Zheng.
Fang Zheng exhaled in relief. "Good, your memory seems intact. You’ve just woken up—we’ll run some blood tests, then get you on a liquid diet."
Shen Wei nodded weakly.
Leaning back, she watched nurses bustle around her. The prick of a needle piercing her hand sent a sharp sting through her veins, confirming this was no dream.
She was really back.
But she couldn’t adjust—not yet.
After Moxun’s death in the Qing State, Shen Wei and Li Yuanjing had wandered across the lands—Qing, Yue Kingdom, Southern Chu, and Eastern Lin. They’d traversed mountains and rivers, driven by her restless spirit.
She needed purpose, and travel fed her hunger for novelty.
Only in old age, when her legs could no longer carry her, did she finally settle by the lake in Yanjing City. Her goal was clear: to live to a hundred, free of illness, and die peacefully in her sleep.
Li Yuanjing, knowing her grand ambition, vowed to match her century. He’d been overjoyed to put down roots, even planting a vegetable garden with delight.
But fate had other plans.
At eighty, he’d slipped while picking lotus flowers for her by the lake, plunging into the icy water.
Pulled ashore, he never recovered. On his deathbed, he clutched her sleeve, eyes brimming with unspoken words.
After Li Yuanjing’s passing, Shen Wei remained steadfast in her belief—she would live to a hundred.
She had thought that Li Yuanjing's passing wouldn't affect her too deeply. Yet, ever since his departure, her energy had waned, leaving her listless and disinterested in everything. Life felt dull, and her spirit was worn thin.
She remembered simply taking her usual afternoon nap, only to wake up and find herself back in the modern world.
What a pity—she hadn’t lived to a hundred. A slight regret lingered.
Shen Wei closed her eyes, spending half an hour digesting the long years she had spent in Qing State.
...
Shen Wei returned to her own body. She looked down at her frail hands—years spent in a sterile room had left her skin so pale it was almost translucent. Her nails were neatly trimmed, and her body was clean and well cared for.
Clearly, the nurses tending to her had been diligent.
On the afternoon of her awakening, Shen Wei leaned against her hospital bed, watching TV, eager to catch up on the three years she had missed. Suddenly, a figure appeared outside her room, looking as if he had rushed there in haste.
"President Shen! Shen Wei! Oh my god, you’re finally awake!"
Shen Wei glanced up and smiled. "So it’s President Huo. It’s been years—you’ve changed so much."
The visitor was Huo Ze, Shen Wei’s childhood friend from the same village. In her third year of university, she had decided to start a business and dragged Huo Ze along. Over five years, the two of them expanded their tiny tech company from just two people to a mature enterprise with five hundred employees—and successfully took it public.
Huo Ze had clearly hurried over—his suit collar was crooked, and though his features no longer carried the youthful naivety of the past, he still seemed like an overgrown kid in front of Shen Wei. Scratching his head, he said, "Come on, sis, don’t tease me with that 'President Huo' nonsense. Just call me by my name."
Shen Wei asked, "Did the company go under?"
She was genuinely worried.
The company had just gone public when she, its foundational figure, got into a car accident. Many of the products she had personally overseen were still incomplete, and after the IPO, they might have faced serious trouble—even bankruptcy.
Huo Ze rolled his eyes. Pressing his face against the glass window, he chattered away, "Sis, I’ve been following you since we were kids. Did you really think I was some kind of loser? When you had that accident, I felt like the sky had fallen... But luckily, the company’s foundation was solid. With government and research institute support over the past two years, we’ve been thriving—netting hundreds of millions in profit every year! We’re planning to expand overseas now, but we still need you at the helm."
"The company can’t function without you. You have no idea how I’ve suffered these past few years! Going to work felt like attending a funeral—I had to handle eight hundred things a day! I came to your hospital room every week to cry. The nurses thought I was some rare, devoted man and kept bringing me fruit and tissues."
Seeing him veer off track, Shen Wei cut in, "Compile the company’s financial reports and industry trends into a document and send it to me tonight."
Huo Ze froze. His gaze swept over the IV line in Shen Wei’s hand, the monitor on her head, the oxygen mask over her mouth—
He scratched his head again. "You’re still sick—maybe wait till you’re discharged? God, sis, you’re unbelievable. Even with an oxygen mask on, you’re still demanding reports."
Huo Ze had always known Shen Wei was an absolute workaholic.
Back in their village, she would trek through mountains and rivers every morning to get to school in town—never late. She was like a precision machine: set a goal, execute it flawlessly, never a misstep.
Later, she became the most accomplished child in the village, building a fortune from scratch and amassing vast wealth. Even after achieving financial freedom, Shen Wei never stopped striving.
Shen Wei said, "Idle time is just idle time. Might as well pass it by reviewing financial reports."
Huo Ze hesitated, on the verge of giving in. "Alright then, I'll wait until I get back—"
Before he could finish, steady footsteps echoed from the hallway. Fang Zheng, Shen Wei's attending physician, arrived.
Fang Zheng glanced at Huo Ze and informed him, "The patient needs rest."
Huo Ze broke into a cheerful grin and called out to Shen Wei in the ward, "Dear CEO Shen, it's not that I won't give you the reports—it's just that the doctor here won't allow it. I’ll head back to the company now. See you tomorrow, love you, mwah!"
With that, Huo Ze dashed off.
Shen Wei pursed her lips slightly in annoyance before lifting her gaze to the news broadcast playing in the ward, keeping up with the trends of the times.
The news broadcast was a barometer of national development, filled with insights into industry prospects—well worth watching.
Fang Zheng, now in protective gear, entered the ward. After checking Shen Wei's blood pressure and heart rate, he advised, "You’ve been bedridden for three years. After discharge, it’s best to rest for at least another six months and avoid overworking yourself. Also, schedule regular check-ups every month."
Shen Wei replied, "I know my limits."
She had never taken her health lightly, always choosing the path most beneficial to her.
Fang Zheng gave her a long, thoughtful look before nodding gently.
In the days that followed, Shen Wei dedicated herself to rehabilitation, filling her spare time with news and company reports. Strangely enough, her recovery progressed swiftly—within half a month, she could walk and eat normally again.
Even Fang Zheng, her attending physician, was surprised.
Once all her test results met the standards, Shen Wei promptly checked out. Fang Zheng happened to be free that day and personally drove her home.
...
It was a weekend afternoon, and the city streets were bustling with traffic, flanked by towering skyscrapers.
Fang Zheng started the car while Shen Wei sat in the passenger seat, gazing silently at the urban scenery outside the window, her emotions unreadable.
The car eventually arrived at the villa district in the southern part of the city, where Shen Wei owned a spacious luxury apartment.
She unlocked the door with her fingerprint. Huo Ze had always been thorough—knowing she’d return, he’d arranged for the place to be cleaned in advance.
Shen Wei stepped inside. The interior was bright and elegantly minimalist. As she entered, the smart home system activated, adjusting the temperature to a comfortable level.
After escorting her home, Fang Zheng didn’t linger. Instead, he reminded her gently to take care of her health and avoid overexertion.
Shen Wei said, "Thank you for bringing me back. I’ll treat you to a meal sometime."
Fang Zheng smiled warmly. "It was nothing."
With that, Shen Wei closed the door.
Fang Zheng took the elevator downstairs. The compartment was empty, one wall lined with a full-length mirror. He studied his reflection—early spring had just begun, and he’d deliberately dressed in casual summer attire: a light blue shirt beneath a black thin jacket, his hair neatly combed.
By conventional standards, the man in the mirror was undeniably handsome.
A pity Shen Wei hadn’t spared him a second glance.
...
...
Back in her home, Shen Wei kicked off her shoes and walked barefoot across the floor.
The wooden planks were cool underfoot. Like a child, she paced in circles, savoring the sensation.
She stepped onto the balcony again. The spacious flat had floor-to-ceiling windows, and from where she stood, she could see the winding city river in the distance and the lush greenery of the park.
The spring sunlight was warm. Shen Wei closed her eyes, feeling the gentle heat of the sun on her skin.
It was soothing.
The breeze against her face was equally comforting.
Shen Wei spent the entire afternoon basking on the balcony, her whole body warmed by the sun, every pore radiating contentment.
As dusk fell, Huo Ze knocked on the door with a rhythmic dong dong dong.
"Dear CEO Shen, I brought you dinner! And flowers!" Huo Ze strode in, carrying food and a bouquet.
The meal consisted of two dishes and a soup, all nutritious.
The flowers were potted roses from the flower market—a large, vibrant cluster.
Huo Ze struggled to place the rose pot on the balcony before explaining to Shen Wei, "All the plants you used to keep here withered away, so I brought you new ones. How about roses? They’re easy to care for, bloom abundantly, and smell wonderful."
Under the setting sun, the bright clusters of roses swayed gently.
Their petals unfurled.
The sight stirred old memories in Shen Wei.
Noticing her silence, Huo Ze asked, puzzled, "Don’t you like roses? I can take them back if you prefer."
Shen Wei shook her head, her tone indifferent. "Keep them. They’re quite pretty."
And so, the roses remained on her balcony.
The TV flickered on, playing entertainment gossip. The host announced with exaggerated excitement, "According to reports, Hollywood’s renowned Asian star Adrian has regained consciousness. Two weeks ago, his car accident sparked global concern among fans. Now, with his recovery, Adrian has announced his return to China for future projects. Fans—"
For modern diners, the TV was little more than background noise. Shen Wei and Huo Ze ate dinner together, and halfway through, Huo Ze suddenly gave her a curious look. "CEO Shen..."
Shen Wei took a sip of water. "What is it?"
Huo Ze wore a strange expression. "Shen Wei, haven’t you noticed? Your choice of words lately has been... unusual."
Shen Wei frowned. "How so?"
Huo Ze counted on his fingers. "Remember when you were hospitalized, and I brought you breakfast? You called it 'morning provisions.' I was so confused!"
In modern times, people simply said "breakfast" or "morning meal," yet Shen Wei had used the archaic term "morning provisions."
It was almost comical.
Shen Wei took another sip of water. "Perhaps my brain’s language center hasn’t fully reset yet."
Old habits were hard to break.
Huo Ze observed Shen Wei’s dining manners. She ate with refined elegance, even the way she dabbed her lips with a napkin exuded grace.
As if she weren’t just having dinner, but a royal feast.
After the meal, Shen Wei and Huo Ze discussed company matters. Since its IPO, the business had stabilized, and as its founder, Shen Wei received substantial annual dividends.
In other words, she no longer needed to work hard. The dividends alone would ensure her financial security for life.
Following her doctor’s advice, Shen Wei decided to take a six-month break from work to recuperate.
When Huo Ze heard she was taking half a year off, he thought he’d misheard. "Six months? In all the decades I’ve known you, you’ve never rested for more than 24 hours! Sis, maybe we should get you checked at the hospital again?"
Shen Wei rolled her eyes at him.
Huo Ze finally stopped his playful teasing, "Just joking around. Thank heavens you're finally taking a break. Don’t worry, I’ll keep an eye on the company for you. Your annual dividends won’t be a penny short. If you have time, you should visit your hometown. I invested in a boutique inn under your name—it’s gorgeous, just not doing great business."
As night fell, Huo Ze left Shen Wei’s house.
Shen Wei took a shower and changed into soft, comfortable pajamas before sinking blissfully into the bed she hadn’t slept in for years. The bed was spacious, with brand-new, high-quality sheets as fluffy as clouds.
She burrowed under the covers and slept soundly until morning.
...
...
Shen Wei stayed indoors, lounging leisurely for three days. Only when she’d had her fill of rest did she ask Huo Ze to book her a flight back to her southern hometown.
The plane landed, and Shen Wei arrived in a small southern city. She drove a black SUV, following the GPS toward the mountain village where she’d grown up.
In the three years she’d been gone, the muddy paths leading to the village had vanished, replaced by smooth, wide cement roads stretching in all directions. Most of the old, dilapidated houses were gone, replaced by rows of elegant new homes. A sign at the village entrance read, "Longquan Mountain Scenic Tourist Area—AAAA Level."
In just a few years, the village had transformed beyond recognition. The mountains of her childhood were now a 4A-rated tourist destination.
Shen Wei parked at the visitor center near the village entrance.
She followed the path from her memories up the mountain, where she found three solitary graves. To her surprise, the graves were free of weeds, and offerings lay before the tombstones. Clearly, during the three years she’d been unconscious, Huo Ze had hired villagers to tend to the graves, keeping them clean and supplied with incense and tributes.
Beside the graves stood a towering old tree, its roots deep in the mountain soil, its branches lush and full.
Shen Wei stood before the three graves and whispered, "I’m back."
The mountain breeze was gentle.
The graves remained silent, as if merged with the earth. Buried here were Shen Wei’s parents, who had passed away too soon, and her grandmother, who had raised her with tireless devotion for over a decade.
She touched the tombstones and added softly, "I spent many years in another world—I almost thought I’d never return. But don’t worry about me. No matter where I am, I’ll always find a way to thrive."
As dusk approached, Shen Wei returned to the village.
In three years, the small mountain village had become a modest tourist hotspot. At night, a bustling night market emerged, drawing crowds of visitors eager to sample wild game and mountain fruits. Some even ventured out in groups for nighttime hikes.
The Sanqing Temple, where Shen Wei had often taken shelter from rain as a child, had been renovated into a dazzling, gilded structure. Some internet-famous visitor had claimed the temple’s deity was extraordinarily responsive to prayers, and now it had become a viral check-in spot.
Shen Wei stood at the temple entrance, casting a distant glance at the golden statue inside but not entering. Instead, she sought out the inn Huo Ze had mentioned—a quaint, antique-style lodge perched on the mountaintop, its business lukewarm.
When she revealed her identity, the young woman at the front desk greeted her respectfully as "Director Shen" and led her to the finest room in the attic.
"This was reserved especially for you by Director Huo. No one else has ever stayed here," the girl said cheerfully, her bright eyes sparkling as she smiled.
Guests arrived at the inn that evening, and the young woman excused herself to attend to them after settling Shen Wei in.
And so, Shen Wei stayed at the lodge.
The air in Longquan Mountain was fresh, and the attic at night was relatively quiet, with clean food and water. Shen Wei stayed there for half a month until one evening when she drove down to the town at the foot of the mountain to buy beer.
The mountain road at night was treacherous, so Shen Wei turned on her high beams. But as she rounded a bend, she heard a loud "thud" from the front of the car.
It seemed she had hit someone.
Shen Wei slammed on the brakes, cursing under her breath—what kind of idiot walks in the middle of the road in the dead of night?
...
...
Capital International Airport.
The arrivals gate was packed with fans of all ages, holding up glowing signs. Dozens of massive screens displayed welcome posters for the international superstar.
The crowd’s excitement could have lit up the entire street.
"Adrian is actually coming back to China to develop his career! My God, I still feel like I’m dreaming."
"Which company is he signing with?"
"He’ll probably start his own studio. Domestic entertainment companies are all traps."
"His film The Last Emperor last year broke Asian box office records! I’ve watched it countless times—Adrian was born to play an emperor!"
"Did he actually used to be an emperor or something? His acting is unreal!"
"Adrian was abandoned by his parents as a child. To make a living, he started acting at three and has been in the industry for twenty-five years. A true veteran—he brings every role to life."
The fans chattered endlessly.
The silver wings of the plane cut through the sky as it touched down. Guided by airport staff, the legendary superstar Adrian exited through a private passage.
In the parking garage, the door of a Rolls-Royce Cullinan opened, and a middle-aged man in a suit blocked Adrian’s path.
The steward bowed respectfully and said, "Second Young Master, the master learned of your return and instructed me to wait here to escort you back to the family estate."
The dark-haired young man in sunglasses raised an eyebrow and sneered. "I don’t want to see him. I’m looking for someone very important—this time, I can’t be late."
The steward was puzzled. "Second Young Master, who are you looking for? The eldest young master? He’s in the south—"
The young man cut him off. "Don’t mention him. Before, I just hated him. Now, when I think of the past, I wish I could kill him myself."
The steward fell silent.
The feud between the Li brothers was not something a mere steward dared to interfere with.
In the end, the young man left in his car.
His driver, who also served as his agent, asked, "Adrian, where are we going?"
The young man closed his eyes and replied slowly, "To a company called Weinian Tech."
This time, he had to find Shen Wei before Li Yuanjing did.
...
...
A small-town hospital in the south.
Shen Wei used every ounce of strength to drag the bloodied unlucky man out of her car.
She handed the victim over to the doctors, paid the hospitalization fees in advance, and instructed them, "Do whatever it takes to heal him."
After examining the patient, the doctor told Shen Wei, "He’s lucky—just a forehead injury and some blood loss. He’s unconscious now but should wake up tomorrow."
Shen Wei let out a small sigh of relief.
At least he wasn’t dead.
If he had died, she’d probably be headed straight to jail.
This guy must have been out of his mind, wandering around a deserted mountain road in the middle of the night. Even with her headlights on, Shen Wei hadn’t seen him. She couldn’t help but wonder—was this some kind of setup? Was he trying to scam her for money?
She didn’t enter the hospital room to visit the unlucky man. Instead, she paid for two caregivers to look after him and returned to the mountain lodge to rest.
The next day, Shen Wei was deep in slumber under her warm blankets. Strangely enough, back in Qing State, she often dreamed of the modern world. But now that she had returned to her long-lost hometown, she unexpectedly dreamed of Li Yuanjing.
"Beep—"
"Beep beep—"
The ringtone of her phone cut through the silence.
Half-asleep, Shen Wei fumbled under her pillow for the phone and answered groggily, "Hello?"
The voice on the other end said, "Hello, is this Ms. Shen? This is the county hospital. Ms. Shen, your family member woke up today, but his condition seems unusual. We’d like you to come to the hospital."
Shen Wei sighed. "Alright, I’ll be there soon."
She hung up and glanced outside—dawn had just broken, and the mountain mist was swirling. She forced herself out of bed, threw on a gray trench coat, and headed out.
It was Saturday, and the mountain village was crowded with tourists. The winding mountain road was jammed with traffic. It took Shen Wei a full hour to finally reach the town hospital.
The doctor explained, "Ms. Shen, your family member is physically strong, but he hit his head, which may have caused neurological confusion and memory loss. He doesn’t remember his name or anything else."
Shen Wei rubbed her temples.
Amnesia?
Of all the clichéd things to happen, she had to run into this?
"I’ll go see him," she said.
She bought a fruit basket downstairs and made her way through the hospital’s narrow corridors to the patient’s room. The small-town hospital ward was cramped, with three beds squeezed inside. On the two beds near the door, one patient with hemorrhoids was howling in pain, while another with a broken bone was also wailing.
Only the bed by the window was silent.
A grown man sat there.
His back was turned to her, his head wrapped in white bandages. He sat alone on the edge of the bed, staring at two red roses peeking in from the balcony outside.
His frame looked sturdy—clearly someone who worked out regularly. Shen Wei held the fruit basket, her gaze drifting to his white dress shirt, an expensive designer brand, and the luxury watch on his wrist.
He probably wasn’t from a poor family.
Shen Wei was even more puzzled. What was a wealthy young man doing wandering the mountain roads in the middle of the night? Sightseeing?
"Ahem, I heard you lost your memory. I came to see you," she said, clearing her throat.
The man turned around.
Their eyes met.
The fruit basket slipped from Shen Wei’s grip and hit the floor with a thud, apples rolling everywhere.
She thought she was seeing things. Instinctively, she glanced around—this was a shabby town hospital room, not the royal estate by Luoyue Lake in Qing State.
But the man before her had a face identical to Li Yuanjing’s. Shen Wei was used to the white-haired, wrinkled Li Yuanjing of her memories, yet here he was—young, not even thirty.
For a long moment, she couldn’t speak.