A bright, warm light greeted me as my eyes opened slowly.
I lay still for a moment, blinking, until confusion settled in. This place was unfamiliar.
As I looked around, I realized I was inside a small house—or perhaps a room. Shelves lined the walls, cluttered with dried leaves, glass bottles filled with cloudy liquids, and unfamiliar tools.
"Where am I…?" I whispered.
My head throbbed suddenly. I groaned, pressing a hand to my temple.
Did I drink too much last night?
The pain felt like the worst hangover I'd ever had.
The door creaked open slowly.
I looked up just as an old woman stepped inside.
The moment she saw me sitting up, her eyes widened in shock.
"Shen You're awake!" she exclaimed, rushing to my side.
"You stubborn boy," she scolded, pressing a hand to my shoulder. "Lie back down. Your injuries are still fresh."
Before I could protest, she gently but firmly pushed me back onto the bed.
Shen…
The name echoed in my mind.
Who was Shen?
My name was Yue. I was sure of it—yet the name she used felt strangely familiar, like something half-remembered.
"Where am I?" I asked cautiously. "And who are you?"
Her expression changed instantly—from concern to horror.
"Shen, if this is some kind of joke, stop it," she said anxiously. "You're already in enough trouble because of your mischief. Don't add to it."
My heart began to race.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "My name isn't Shen. Who you are you and where I am."
The old woman stumbled back a step, her face draining of color.
"You… you truly don't remember?" she whispered.
I shook my head again.
"Oh heavens," she gasped. "This is not good at all. Your injury must have affected your brain."
What was going on?
I was so confused. I wanted to protest, to ask more questions—to make this crazy old lady understand I wasn't thus Shen—but my head was throbbing violently.
This didn't feel like a hangover.
It felt like I'd been struck in the head with a metal bat.
Groaning, I lifted my hand to the back of my head. Something wet smeared against my fingers.
I pulled my hand back down.
Blood.
"Th–this…" I whispered, my voice shaking. "Is that blood?"
"Oh no, my dear," the old lady said anxiously. "Your wounds must have reopened."
Wounds?
How had I been injured? What the hell had happened last night?
I barely had time to think before the pounding in my head worsened. My vision blurred, the room tilting strangely—
and then everything went black.
********
"Could he really have lost his memories?"
"What if he's pretending? You know how Shen is."
"I thought so too—but he seemed serious."
Voices drifted into my consciousness, overlapping and unclear.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Several figures stood over me, their faces tense with worry—and suspicion.
"Oh, my dear boy, you're awake," a woman with long brown hair and gentle eyes said, reaching out to hold my hand.
"Mom, don't fall for it. He's faking," a girl with short, bright brown hair snapped, glaring down at me.
"Are you all right, son?" a man with kind eyes asked, smiling softly.
Who… who are these people?
The old lady stepped closer, her expression anxious yet hopeful.
"How are you feeling, Shen?" she asked gently. "Do you still not remember?"
I pushed myself up slightly.
"I already told you," I said, frustrated. "I'm not Shen. You must be mistaking me for someone else."
Suddenly—
Ugh!
Pain exploded in my side as something slammed into my stomach. I doubled over, gasping.
"Meilin!" the woman cried sharply. "How could you hit your brother when he's injured?!"
I clutched my side, glaring at the girl.
Who is this brat I thought angrily and why did she punch me.
But then—
Meilin.
The name stirred something faint in my mind. Familiar. Too familiar.
"Don't think I'm falling for your tricks, Shen!" the girl shouted. "You're just pretending aren't you so you can escape getting scolded!"
"Meilin," the man said sternly. "Stop this. He truly might not remember."
"Yes he does!" she yelled. "Tell them, Grandma Mei!"
Their voices blurred together as they argued.
Meilin. Grandma Mei.
The names hovered just out of reach, like something I almost remembered—but couldn't quite grasp.
Then—
The door burst open.
"General Lianfeng is here!" someone announced.
The room fell instantly silent.
Everyone tensed.
And the moment I heard that name—
Lianfeng—
something in my mind clicked.
I know that name
The name belonged to the main character from my favorite book,
For the Dynasty.
He was a warrior.
And the moment I remembered that, I remembered where I heard everyone else's name..
Shen, Meilin, and Grandmother Mei—they had all been background characters in that story.
Shen was the adopted son of the Yucheng family, a troublemaker who had gotten himself and his family killed for causing problems in the royal court.
Meilin was his little sister.
And Grandmother Mei… from what I remembered, she had been the village doctor.
But why were they calling me Shen?
Why did these people have the same names as the characters from the book?
This was insane.
"Oh my goodness," the woman said shakily. "Could he be mad at shen my dear?"
"It's all right, my dear," the man replied, holding her gently. "Everything will be fine. Let's speak to him calmly first."
"We'll be back," she said, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead before leaving with him. "Meilin, stay here with your brother."
"Fine," Meilin sighed, still glaring at me.
No—this was crazy. I was utterly confused, and my thoughts were spiraling.
This can't be real.
No, no. Whatever I was thinking was far too absurd. There had to be a logical explanation for all of this.
"Are you all right, Shen?" Grandmother Mei asked gently. "You look pale."
I opened my mouth to answer—
But suddenly, the door burst open.
"He's sick, Your Majesty!" the man cried urgently. "He's not in his right state of mind!"
"It is fine," a calm voice replied.
The room fell silent as the man stepped inside.
And the moment I saw him, my mind shattered.
General Lianfeng.
He looked exactly like the man on the cover of For the Dynasty.
My breath caught.
No way.
This isn't possible.
…Had I really entered the book?