Chapter 2: A Stranger in Her Own Skin
Mei Xiao stared at her reflection in the polished bronze mirror.
The face staring back at her was hers… but not quite. Softer, more refined. Her long black hair had been combed and pinned with delicate jade ornaments. The silk robe she wore shimmered like moonlight, too luxurious for someone who'd just been stressing over a failed biology exam the night before.
"I'm going insane," she whispered. "This is a dream. A long, vivid, absolutely insane dream."
But nothing she did — pinching, biting her lip, throwing water in her face — could wake her up. She was still there, still in the grand manor of the Mei Clan, surrounded by servants who bowed every time they saw her.
And apparently… married.
Married to him.
Murong Jing He.
The man who entered her room earlier was the rumored Supreme Leader of the Martial Alliance — a man cold as winter steel, born with unparalleled talent and burdened by a power so immense that others feared even to speak his name without trembling.
And now, he was her husband?
Mei Xiao — or Mei Lin, as they called her here — didn't know what to think.
"I just need to get through this," she muttered. "Blend in, figure out how I got here, and avoid angering Mr. Ice King until I find a way back."
Easier said than done.