Chapter 1: The Moment Time Broke
Mei Xiao didn't believe in destiny. She was an ordinary girl from the 21st century, living in a crowded city, attending college, and surviving on cheap coffee and late-night fantasy series binges. One rainy evening, after a childish argument with her mother, she stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her, her phone dead and nerves shot.
Thunder ripped through the sky, and the wind seemed to push her down the narrow alley behind the abandoned temple on the hill. She stopped when she saw a faint light flickering inside the ruins. Overcome by a curiosity she couldn't explain, she stepped inside.
On the floor of the old altar was a strange symbol, faintly glowing. When she touched it, the ground trembled. A blinding light enveloped her, and the world she knew shattered.
**
When she came to, everything was quiet. The scent of incense, a delicate perfume, and... the weight of a thick silk robe on her skin. She sat up suddenly — lying on a huge canopy bed, in a room decorated like a period Chinese drama. She took a deep breath, hoping it was just a dream.
— What… the hell?
A sliding door opened, and a frightened maid entered.
— Madam… are you alright? Today is the day Master returns from the mountains…
— What master?! — Mei Xiao jumped to her feet. — Where am I? Is this some kind of cosplay?
The maid looked at her as if she had gone mad.
— You are Madam Murong! The wife of the Martial Alliance leader!
Mei Xiao felt herself falling again. Wife?! Of whom?!
— Please tell me you're joking.
But the calm, cold voice that came from the room's entrance froze the blood in her veins.
— Seems like you've lost your mind again, wife.
A tall man with long hair tied in a noble style looked at her with dark eyes, void of any emotion. He was dressed in a royal blue robe, a sword hanging at his side. The air around him seemed to tremble.
— Murong Jing He... — she whispered without knowing why she knew that name.
He raised an eyebrow.
— At least you still remember my name.
And so began the nightmare — or perhaps the miracle — of a modern girl lost in time, married to the most dangerous man in a world where words, swords, and vows kill.
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