"Pa pa," the sharp pain on her cheeks forced Xylira to wake from her dream. She opened her dazed eyes and froze in shock, this, this, this?
What she saw was a room filled with antique furniture and ancient people. Usually calm and collected, Xylira could no longer stay calm.
No, it must be a prank by her family yesterday. She must still be dreaming.
"Pa," another loud slap rang in her ears. The sting on her cheek was sharp and real.
Xylira clearly saw the fat hand swinging toward her left cheek. She could even see the lines on the palm.
She began to question whether a dream could feel this real. Her mind wanted to escape.
She looked up in confusion at the man who hit her. His small eyes gleamed coldly with malice.
She looked down and saw that she was wearing traditional clothing that resembled Tang Dynasty style. Her whole body was soaked, with strands of hair sticking to her chest, dripping water rhythmically.
She blinked. Then blinked again.
Where was her voluptuous figure? Why had she turned into a flat-chested princess?
No, that was not the point. Even without a curvy figure, the soaking wet clothes outlined her body clearly.
Her mind went blank and her face flushed pink. This could be considered a full-body wet scene.
She looked up again. She didn't hear a single word from the noble-looking man sitting in the middle chair whose mouth was opening and closing.
So many men had seen her like this. It was over.
Shocked beyond belief and unwilling to face reality, Xylira stopped forcing herself to stay awake. She relaxed and willingly slipped into darkness.
"She fainted, Master." The middle-aged man who slapped her checked carefully.
He confirmed it was not an act and reported with a frown. Edgar looked with disgust at the person collapsed on the floor.
His lips pressed into a straight line, showing his foul mood. "Take her away. Get a doctor to check her properly. Don't let her die."
"Also, have the servants watch her closely. If something like today happens again, you won't need to live."
"Yes, Master." The chubby man wiped a bead of cold sweat from his forehead.
His heart trembled. He didn't dare question Edgar's words.
Outside, the sun blazed. Inside the room, it felt like the dead of winter.
Xylira woke up again, this time from the heat. She lay on the bed, staring blankly at the finely carved redwood antique bed she now occupied.
The silk canopy above her was embroidered with beautiful landscapes. But she had no mood to appreciate it.
After three days of eating and sleeping, and waking up dozens of times only to still be on this antique bed, she finally understood.
It wasn't a joke. She had really time-traveled.
She came from a family of high-ranking officials and military backgrounds. As the only third-generation girl in a large family, her eighteenth birthday was supposed to be livelier than ever.
However, shocking everyone who had prepared gifts and looked forward to the event, her coming-of-age celebration was reduced to a simple family dinner with direct relatives.
Of course, Xylira didn't mind that. But after the meal, all the women in the house started crying.
Their eyes were full of reluctance as they looked at her, as if she had some terminal illness.
Even her usually stern and disciplined father, uncles, and cousins had red eyes. The heavy sighs made Xylira feel an unexplainable sadness.
"Enough," the family head, her grandfather Franklin, scolded sternly. "What are you doing? Can't you see you're scaring Xylira?"
Normally, Franklin's words were like royal commands. The family would act accordingly.
But this time, his shout only made the women cry harder. Their grief-stricken faces brought tears to Xylira's eyes too.
She fought to hold back her tears and looked at Franklin. "Grandpa, what's going on?"
"Ah," Franklin sighed, gripping his cane tightly. He looked at the granddaughter he had raised and loved for eighteen years.
"Xylira, it hasn't been easy for you these eighteen years."
Xylira quickly shook her head, tears streaming down. "It wasn't hard. I know you all did it for my good."
Unexpectedly, her words made her normally elegant grandmother burst into louder sobs. She dropped her handkerchief and cried like a child.
"My Xylira, my sweet girl. How can I bear this? It's like digging my heart out."
"Grandma," Xylira cried too, confused by the situation. "Please don't cry. Take care of your health."
"Xylira," Franklin's voice was low and filled with sorrow. He had always lived with a clear conscience.
But now, in his old age, he faced something he didn't know how to handle. "Listen carefully to what Grandpa's going to say."
The hall was filled with her closest family members. Even though she didn't fully understand, the grief around her made her cry uncontrollably.
She nodded through her tears, blinking to clear her vision. She stared at Franklin, showing that she was listening.
"You know, before your mother got pregnant with you, the Yue family only had boys. When we found out she was carrying a girl, we were overjoyed."
With Franklin's words, the family seemed to fall into deep memories. Even the younger ones who didn't remember could feel the joy.
In this family full of sons, a granddaughter was highly treasured.
"But," Franklin's tone changed. "Your mother had a difficult labor. She gave her all to bring you into the world."
The news we got was that you wouldn't survive more than three days. That feeling, it was worse than a thunderclap on a sunny day.
This was the first time Franklin spoke of this. Xylira nodded slowly as she listened.
"Looking at your tiny, red, wrinkled body, I thought, why must this be her fate? She's my only granddaughter."
"Even if it cost me my life, I wanted you to live." Franklin didn't hide his emotions.
It was easy for Xylira to feel his pain. "That last night, we all stayed by your side. Maybe from exhaustion or something else, I fell asleep."
Even after so many years, Franklin remembered clearly. "I found myself in a vast white space. Then a voice asked, 'Do you want your granddaughter to live?'"
"Of course I nodded. 'Do you have a way?'"
"For some reason, the voice carried a mysterious power. I suddenly had hope."
"'She doesn't belong to this world. I can only let her stay here for eighteen years. After that, she must go somewhere else to continue her life. Do you accept this?'"
"I understood the meaning. The deeper the feelings, the more painful the farewell. But I still nodded."
"Even now, I don't regret it. Our Xylira is the best and sweetest girl."
"But I was still worried. So I asked, 'Where will she go?'"
"'The past. That's all I can say. The heavens cannot be defied. If you want her to live, make sure she always wears this charm.'"
"Then the voice vanished. When I woke up, I thought it was just a dream. But there was a charm in my hand."
Xylira stared at Franklin, speechless. She took out the triangular charm from her waterproof necklace pouch.
She wiped her tears and gave a weak laugh. "You mean this charm? Temples sell these everywhere."
Seeing Xylira trying to lighten the mood, the others looked at the big clock. It was 11:30 PM.
There was still half an hour left. They all wanted to believe it had just been Franklin's dream.
But once, while bathing Xylira, they removed the charm. The moment it left her, she fainted in the tub.
Her mother rushed to put the charm back on. Only then did she slowly wake up.
Her mother held her and cried uncontrollably.
Seeing her still-devastated family, Xylira felt speechless. These were powerful people at the top of society.
How could they be so superstitious? "Grandpa, don't tell me that's why you made me study so many things all these years?"
She had always felt something was off. Everyone looked at her like they'd lift her to the skies.
Besides the basic education, they constantly taught her new skills. Her grandmother, mother, and aunts trained her in arts and needlework, and even old-fashioned female virtues.
Then there was Grandpa, Dad, uncles, and cousins. They brought in the best teachers for every skill imaginable.
Judo, Taekwondo, martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, all were taught to her personally by her cousins.
Loyalty and patriotism were a must. Integrity and perseverance were drilled into her.
Though men and women often clashed over how she should be raised, her naturally calm nature helped her accept it all.
She learned everything without protest. Thankfully, she was smart, or else it would have been too much.
Franklin nodded seriously. "Xylira, I've done all I can for you. From here on, you must walk your own path."
After his words, the family surrounded her, giving her advice one after another. Xylira patiently listened to each of them.
"Don't worry. You'll definitely see me tomorrow." She looked at her family and spoke with confidence.
"Dong dong," the clock struck midnight. And then?
Lying on the bed, Xylira tried to remember. All she could recall were the sorrowful and reluctant faces.
---
TL's Note:
For those confused about this chapter, here's what's happening. Xylira is originally from the modern world and belongs to a powerful and wealthy family. When she was born, she was supposed to die within three days. Her grandfather, Franklin, made a mysterious deal with a spiritual voice to save her life. The deal was that she could live for 18 years in the modern world but must be sent to another world after that time.
The family kept this secret from her. They raised her carefully, training her in both traditional and modern skills so she would be ready for wherever she ended up. On her 18th birthday, when the clock struck midnight, she time-traveled to the past. The chapter starts with her waking up in this ancient world, wet, confused, and being treated like a prisoner. Everything was part of the deal her grandfather made to keep her alive.
Now, she must survive in a new world using the skills her family gave her.