Qi Yue was awakened by an alarm clock.

This was her specially-made alarm for night shifts, all too familiar…

“Am I on duty today?” She rubbed her head and sat up, everything bright and white before her eyes.

White lights, white walls, white desk, and on the desk a messy pile of books, pens, medical records, and a stack of instant noodle cups.

This was her… office!

“Dr. Qi…” Someone knocked on the door while pushing it open. “There’s an emergency…”

Qi Yue stared blankly at the person entering.

This person was twenty-four or twenty-five, chubby, with shoulder-length short hair, wearing a nurse’s uniform, and holding IV equipment, clearly busy.

“Xiao Huang?” she called out. “How are you here too?”

“Sister Qi, we’re on the same shift.” Xiao Huang smiled, looking at her in confusion. “Are you okay?”

Qi Yue suddenly stood up from the bed.

Really…

I’m back! I’m back!

She laughed heartily, walked over in a few steps and hugged Xiao Huang.

“Sister Qi, are you really okay?” Xiao Huang asked, somewhat frightened and amused, holding up the IV equipment. “Be careful of the needle…”

“Xiao Huang, you don’t know, I had a dream that scared me to death…” Qi Yue said, patting her chest and laughing, looking around fondly. This was her office at Beijing Hospital, everything so familiar…

Wait… but…

“Wasn’t I in the countryside…” she said dazedly.

“Hurry up, there’s an emergency.” Xiao Huang had already walked away quickly, calling to her as she went.

Qi Yue nodded. Everything gives way to emergencies. She put on the white coat hanging by the bed and rushed out.

The hospital corridor was quiet at night. Qi Yue ran toward the emergency room, knowing the way by heart.

From far away she could see nurses and doctors pushing a gurney, running toward her.

Qi Yue hurried to meet them.

“What’s the situation?” she called out loudly, reaching out to take the gurney.

The gurney and people quickly rushed toward her, then passed right through her body.

Qi Yue stood frozen in disbelief, staring at her hands.

Noisy sounds came from behind her. Qi Yue spun around and stared wide-eyed at the crowd that had already entered the emergency room.

I… this is…

“Dr. Qi… Dr. Qi…” someone called loudly.

Qi Yue responded loudly and ran toward the emergency room.

The emergency room door opened, and she could see the busy scene inside.

“Dr. Qi, the patient has a history of heart disease, blood pressure is dropping severely…” a doctor said loudly, urging anxiously. “Dr. Qi, Dr. Qi, please come quickly, please come quickly, hurry!”

Qi Yue felt her heart pounding violently. She responded loudly and rushed toward the door.

The door suddenly slammed shut. Qi Yue instinctively raised her hand to block it, felt her body shudder, and suddenly opened her eyes.

The room was pitch black—the kind of darkness impossible in modern society’s light-polluted environment.

She raised her hand, breathing heavily.

“Xiao Huang?” she called out.

No one answered.

Qi Yue got up from bed, trying to adapt to the darkness. A sudden thunderclap made her cry out in fright.

Lightning split the night sky, illuminating the room like daylight.

Qi Yue could clearly see the ancient, simple furnishings around her that definitely didn’t belong to the modern era.

So it was a dream…

After the thunder passed, Qi Yue got up and lit a lamp.

Another rumble of thunder rolled through the sky.

“Why is there thunder in the middle of winter?” she couldn’t help saying, while putting on her clothes.

After the thunder passed, noisy sounds came from outside.

“Fire… fire…” shouts seemed both far and near.

Fire? Did that mean a fire? Qi Yue suddenly remembered this phrase from Dream of the Red Chamber, and she hurriedly ran out.

Stepping out of her room, she saw half the western sky indeed glowing with firelight, smoke filling the air, and the noise growing more intense.

“How did a fire start out of nowhere?” she couldn’t help shouting loudly.

A servant woman stood dazedly in the courtyard, looking toward the fire and praying with clasped hands. Hearing the question, she looked over.

“Young Madam, I don’t know…” she answered.

Qi Yue looked in that direction. What were ancient firefighting measures like? Fire casualties must be severe…

“Where is it? Did people get out?” she asked hurriedly.

“It’s fine, no one’s there. It’s over by Qiu Tong’s courtyard—no one lives there. Young Madam, don’t be afraid, it’s already under control, the fire won’t reach here…” the servant woman answered loudly.

As she spoke, another thunderclap rolled through the sky, drowning out her words.

“What did you say? Where’s the fire?” Qi Yue heard vaguely but seemed to catch it, feeling her breathing catch, and couldn’t help shouting loudly.

“It’s Qiu Tong’s courtyard…” the servant woman replied loudly.

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Qi Yue lift her feet and rush outside.

Qiu Tong’s courtyard! Qiu Tong’s courtyard! My God!

Another flash of lightning passed.

“Heavens, why such loud thunder in the middle of winter?” The servant woman was so frightened she knelt on the ground trembling, calling out.

Thunder…

Qi Yue couldn’t help but look up. She was breathing heavily. Right, this thunder… she had seen this thunder before, just when she fell down the mountain, there was thunder in the sky…

This meant she could go back, right? If she rushed to Qiu Tong’s courtyard now?

Qi Yue felt her whole body trembling, hair standing on end.

Just now in the dream, the hospital was calling her, calling her back…

I’m going back, I can go back…

Qi Yue almost fell crossing the threshold. She supported herself against the door and continued running, stumbling.

“Young Madam, Young Madam, something’s wrong!” A’Ru’s voice came from behind.

Qi Yue’s steps involuntarily paused, and she turned back to look.

“Young Madam, Young Master Huang has a fever again!” A’Ru was rushing out from the sickroom, her face anxious in the light of the corridor lanterns.

What? Qi Yue was stunned.

“How again…?” she asked loudly.

“He started running a fever this afternoon. Doctor Liu said it was nothing and didn’t want to wake you, but it still hasn’t gone down…” A’Ru ran over saying.

She also looked up at the firelight.

“A’Ru, it’s Qiu Tong’s courtyard that’s on fire.” Qi Yue said, looking at her with rapid breathing.

A’Ru was stunned. She knew there was a fire, but since she was told it wouldn’t reach here and was busy caring for the patient, she hadn’t asked where.

Qiu Tong’s courtyard?!

“I… I want to go over and see if I can go back…” Qi Yue said in a low voice, suppressing her excitement.

A’Ru looked at her, her expression instantly complex.

“Young Madam, but how can a fire…” A’Ru stammered, looking at Qi Yue with eyes full of worry.

Had she gone mad from wanting to return?

“Look at this thunder.” Qi Yue pointed at the sky.

As she pointed, a thunderclap struck nearby with a deafening sound.

A’Ru couldn’t help but cover her ears and scream.

“When I came, it was thundering like this.” Qi Yue said in a hoarse voice from excitement and tension. “It was also… winter…”

Really?

“Then… then you should go quickly…” A’Ru looked at Qi Yue and said dryly.

Qi Yue looked at her deeply, reached out and hugged her.

“A’Ru, take care of yourself.” she said softly.

A’Ru nodded, tears streaming down.

Qi Yue released her, turned around and ran with big strides.

“A’Ru, quickly, did you wake Young Madam? He’s started vomiting! Young Master Huang is vomiting…” Hu San rushed out from the sickroom door shouting loudly.

Qi Yue’s running feet suddenly stopped.

“Still let Doctor Liu think of a solution…” A’Ru turned around and said chokingly.

Hu San was stunned by her words, then saw Qi Yue who had already run to the door.

“Young Madam is awake? Where is Young Madam going?” he asked.

Fever, vomiting…

Qi Yue breathed rapidly, feeling her heart about to jump out of her throat. She looked up at the thunder still rolling through the sky, then at the bright firelight to the west.

Damn…

She spat out this word heavily.

As soon as Hu San finished speaking, he saw Qi Yue turn around and run back.

A’Ru stared blankly as Qi Yue ran past her.

“What’s wrong?” she asked loudly, taking several steps up the stairs and rushing into the room.

When dawn was breaking, Qi Yue finally stood before Qiu Tong’s courtyard. In front of her were the broken walls and ruins still smoking black smoke from the fire.

The thunder was gone…

The house was gone…

Gone…

Gone…

Half of Qiu Tong’s courtyard had been burned down. People responsible for firefighting were still continuously spraying water on it, with crowds of people all around and noise everywhere.

Qi Yue, wearing the white cloth doctor’s coat, stood here particularly conspicuous.

“Young Madam, Young Madam, quickly don’t come here, it’s very dangerous…” The servants who recognized her all ran over to tell her.

Qi Yue paid no attention, seeming unable to hear or see. She just stared blankly at the half-ruined wasteland in front of her, where charred beams constantly fell down, stirring up smoke, ash, and sparks.

“Young Madam, you can’t go this way. The heat hasn’t dissipated yet, you mustn’t go in.” A’Ru held tightly onto Qi Yue’s arm and shouted.

The other servants were also terrified, not understanding why Young Madam suddenly came here. In this situation, everyone in the household, master and servant alike, would avoid such a place. Why did Young Madam run over to stand here like she was stunned, and now even wanted to rush inside?

“Don’t stop me, everyone move aside, move aside.” Being blocked, Qi Yue instinctively struggled free. Her gaze only focused on the broken walls and ruins before her, seeing nothing else.

Can’t go back…

Can’t go back…

This dream will never end…

“Young Madam, we can’t go in to look now. Wait a bit, wait and A’Ru will go in with you to look…” A’Ru held onto her tightly, crying.

More commotion came from the distance.

“What are you doing here?” Chang Yuncheng shouted, looking at the woman who couldn’t be restrained by A’Ru and was instead dragging her toward the burned ruins.

Qi Yue turned a deaf ear.

She had always thought this was a dream, that one day she would wake up, and after waking she would still be herself, living a familiar life, complaining about various things, working hard, earning money, or maybe starting another romance, getting married and having children. What Marquis Dingxi’s mansion, what wives and concubines, what heartless and wayward heir husband—none of it had anything to do with her.

That’s why she could be so happy and carefree, watching with interest as these people performed these dramas of crying, fighting, love, and hate before her. But at this moment she suddenly realized she wasn’t watching the play—she was acting in it, she was part of this play…

Or perhaps she should have realized this long ago, just didn’t want to admit it.

Actually, she could never go back from the moment she woke up here…

But she didn’t want to give up this hope, didn’t want to believe this fact, stubbornly clinging to this thought to escape this terrible reality.

Never seeing her family again, never returning to her familiar living environment, alone in this strange time and space, living in loneliness until dying in loneliness—this was the reality.

I want to go home…

I want to go home…

I don’t want to be here alone…

“Let go, let me go.” Qi Yue shouted loudly, forcefully shaking off the force blocking her from rushing toward Qiu Tong’s courtyard.

A’Ru couldn’t withstand her nearly mad strength and was flung aside.

Having lost the obstruction, Qi Yue felt unrestrained as she rushed forward.

A great force grabbed her arm.

“What madness are you having again!” Chang Yuncheng shouted, pulling Qi Yue to his side.

The sharp pain in her wrist made Qi Yue’s consciousness clearer. She turned to look at the person before her.

This man before her was handsome and spirited…

This was a living person, a real person, not a character created in a game, not a phantom conjured in dreams. He would never disappear according to her will…

Everything was real, not a dream. Wake up, fool.