Especially Bai Nianqing’s original father, Old Bai, was overjoyed. Although he loved his wife and daughter deeply, as a typical man of the old times, he secretly hoped for a son.
Even the original Bai Nianqing happily looked forward to welcoming a little brother.
And their wish came true: Mrs. Bai carried the child for ten months and gave birth to a baby boy.
But before they could celebrate, Mrs. Bai suffered a massive hemorrhage. Despite all efforts to save her, she couldn’t be revived.
What should have been a joyful occasion turned into a tragedy. Old Bai fell into despair.
Although he had gotten the son he had always dreamed of, he had lost the wife he loved most.
From then on, Old Bai’s spirit was unstable, and a year later, he was killed by bandits during a delivery mission.
This left Bai Nianqing and her infant brother alone.
After Old Bai’s death, Bai Nianqing and her brother were left without support. The family’s wealth passed to Old Bai’s parents and his two younger brothers.
For the next few years, Bai Nianqing and her brother lived under the care of others. Life wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible either.
Although their grandparents felt for them, the other family members cared for their own children just the same.
Bai Nianqing had to protect her brother carefully, and she managed to raise him up to this point.
Originally, Bai Nianqing had a fiancé, arranged by her father while Old Bai was still alive. He was the son of another security bureau master.
The two had known each other since childhood, a sort of childhood sweetheart arrangement.
But as they grew older, her fiancé started an affair with Bai Nianqing’s cousin.
Naturally, the original Bai Nianqing was furious, but she had to contend alone with her uncle’s family.
The other side was even pleased with the situation. The original Bai Nianqing could resist all she wanted, but in the end, the marriage arrangement was changed.
There was no mistake: the original fiancé ended up marrying her cousin.
Although the Shen family was wealthier than the security bureau family, Shen Wenhe was just a son of a concubine, a small presence in the household.
The marriage arrangement with the Shen family had also been proposed by her second uncle. After all, Shen Wenhe, though a concubine’s son, was still part of the Shen family.
And the Shen family was the best family that her second uncle could connect with.
Later, as the security bureau prospered, the daughter of the bureau master became a concubine in the governor’s household, reportedly very favored.
Taking advantage of this momentum, the bureau master opened two more security bureaus elsewhere.
So when her cousin had an affair with Bai Nianqing’s original fiancé, her second uncle approved.
Mrs. Shen didn’t care who married into her family; having Bai Nianqing, an orphan, was even better.
After a family discussion, the marriage swap was made without hesitation.
As for Bai Nianqing and Shen Wenhe’s thoughts? Nobody cared.
The original Bai Nianqing’s only condition for agreeing to the marriage swap was that she could take her younger brother with her.
Both her second and third uncles had long wanted to get rid of the two “extra burdens,” and they readily agreed.
Her grandparents wanted to keep Bai Nianqing’s brother, but their sons strongly opposed it. They were old and had already protected their grandson as much as they could.
In the end, they had no choice but to allow Bai Nianqing to take her brother with her.
As for why she fainted, it really was because Shen Wenxi had said that the Shen family would kick them out.
The original Bai Nianqing was a timid young girl. She had only wanted to live a peaceful life after marrying into the Shen family.
But just after her wedding, being told she would be kicked out, combined with exhaustion from the wedding days, caused her to faint in a moment of panic.
Unexpectedly, when she awoke again, her body contained a new soul.
She didn’t know if the original Bai Nianqing had traveled to the modern era or had died.
But that didn’t matter to Bai Nianqing. Now that she was here, this body was hers.
And since she was occupying the original Bai Nianqing’s body, she vowed to raise her younger brother properly.
She would educate him, teach him literacy, and eventually ensure he married and had children.
Bai Nianqing silently thought, “Rest easy. I will raise your brother just like you would have. He will have a wife and children, and your family line won’t be cut off.”
Perhaps it was her concern for her brother that had kept the original Bai Nianqing’s spirit lingering. Now, with Bai Nianqing’s promise, she could finally rest in peace.
Though Bai Nianqing felt as if a lot of time had passed, it had really only been a few minutes.
Once she understood her situation, she turned her attention to the groom before her.
Seeing Bai Nianqing look at him, Shen Wenhe quickly straightened his posture and sat properly.
He was indeed a handsome man: refined and scholarly, and with a pair of glasses, he had the exact air of a cultured rogue.
Some people might not like this type, but Bai Nianqing did. She could serve a man like this.
Shen Wenhe clearly matched her aesthetic perfectly.
“You…”
“Wife, you…”
Bai Nianqing started to speak, but Shen Wenhe spoke at the same time.
Their words collided.
“You go first,” Shen Wenhe smiled.
“No, you go first,” Bai Nianqing forgot what she was about to say after his interruption.
Shen Wenhe took the opportunity to speak first, eager to confirm that she was indeed the girl from his dreams.
“Then I’ll go first. Wife, how did you get here? Or are you originally from this place?” Shen Wenhe asked directly.
“What? What do you mean?” Bai Nianqing’s heart skipped a beat. How could he know she wasn’t from this world?
“I’ve been dreaming for days. In my dream, there was a girl… I watched her grieve over her grandmother’s death, saw her preparing supplies…” Shen Wenhe recounted the dream in detail.
Bai Nianqing was surprised. She realized that what Shen Wenhe was describing were the events she had experienced a few days before traveling here.
Not only had she been dreaming of the past, but Shen Wenhe had also dreamt of her.
Could it be that their meeting was predestined?
“You really saw it in your dreams?” Bai Nianqing asked in astonishment.
“Yes, I did. That proves we are fated to be together. Heaven itself wants us to be together,” Shen Wenhe said joyfully.
“So you also know about my space?” Bai Nianqing asked the question she cared about most.
“Yes, I know. I saw you putting things in it in my dream,” Shen Wenhe admitted honestly.
Bai Nianqing was relieved. Since Shen Wenhe knew about the space, she also told him about the events from her dreams.
“Fleeing? You really dreamt of people fleeing?” Shen Wenhe jumped up in surprise.
“Yes. It was because I suddenly had the space, and for several days I dreamed of people fleeing from disaster. That’s why I prepared supplies,” Bai Nianqing explained.