Xiao Mai returned with the requested herbs with surprising speed, her face flushed with quiet triumph. The small bundle of ginger, red dates, longans, and wolfberries seemed like a treasure in her hands. She quickly brewed them into a thin, fragrant broth, carefully spoon-feeding it to An Ru. The taste was warm, mildly sweet, and surprisingly comforting, a stark contrast to the bland, watery gruel that usually made up An Ru's meals.
Over the next few days, this became their quiet routine. An Ru, still feigning extreme weakness and intermittent confusion, consumed the herbal broth twice daily. Each sip was a small victory. The first day, she felt only a faint warmth spreading through her limbs. By the second, the persistent headache began to recede, and a subtle energy stirred within her. The acute nausea that had plagued her stomach faded, allowing her to tolerate the meager, often stale, portions of rice and vegetables Xiao Mai brought from the kitchen. Xiao Mai herself continued to be resourceful, managing to "find" additional herbs whenever possible, her devotion touching An Ru's heart.
"Xiao Mai," An Ru murmured on the third evening, her voice still soft but gaining a little more strength. She lay propped against thin pillows, her gaze fixed on the patterns the moonlight cast through the window lattice. "My mind… it still feels so muddled. So many faces, so many names from my dreams. Tell me again… who exactly is in the household now? And what… what year is this?"
Xiao Mai, ever patient, settled onto a small stool beside the bed. "Young Miss is still recovering. It is natural to be confused." She began to recount, her voice low and steady. "It is the fifth year of the Tianlong Era, Young Miss. The Great Wei Dynasty reigns, with the Emperor on the Dragon Throne in the capital. Here, in the General An household, there is, of course, the General, your esteemed father. And Old Madam An, the General's mother, who presides over the main family lineage. Then there is Lady Mei, the concubine, who oversees much of the household affairs. Then there is Second Young Lady An Lin, Lady Mei's daughter, and Young Master An Yi, her son."
An Ru listened intently, cataloging each piece of information. The Great Chu Dynasty. Tianlong Era. This was a completely different historical timeline than anything she knew, cementing the impossibility of return. Her attention sharpened on the family dynamics. "And... my mother?" she asked, feigning a sudden, vague recollection.
Xiao Mai's eyes welled up instantly, her lower lip trembling. "Lady Ling, your mother, passed away during your birth, Young Miss. That was fourteen years ago. This servant was not yet born then, but the older servants often speak of her. They say she was a gentle, kind-hearted lady, cherished by the General and even Old Madam An." Her voice cracked with sorrow. "Oh, Lady Ling would be so sad to see you in this state, Young Miss. You have been weak ever since this servant has known you, and even the tonics that Lady Mei gives you never seem to help."
An Ru's ears perked at the mentioned of tonics from Lady Mei but feigned confusion to dig deeper about the previous owner of this body she never knew. "Xiao Mai," she said, her voice small. "I don't remember... I feel like... like a different person. My father is a General, isn't he? So why am I dressed so simply? And why do I stay in such a simple room?"
Xiao Mai stared at her, her eyes wide with shock. "Young Miss... you don't remember?" she whispered, her voice laced with a raw mix of sorrow and disbelief. "The fever must have made you forget." She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, as if sharing a great secret. "The General is often away on campaigns, Young Miss. He has been at the northern borders for many months now, defending against the barbarians. He only returns for brief periods, sometimes years apart. And Old Madam An, your grandmother, has been away at a temple for a long term, praying for General An. When they are home, things are... slightly better. Lady Mei is very careful then, very gentle and motherly to you." Xiao Mai leaned in closer. "Do you remember, Young Miss? She would bring you special sweets then, and speak softly. But as soon as the General leaves again, she changes. It has been like this for many years now."
"Thanks, Xiao Mai. I remember now. Can you… bring me a mirror?"
Xiao Mai hesitated, her brow furrowed with concern. "A mirror? Young Miss, there is none here. Lady Mei removed them long ago, saying they were 'distracting' for a young lady of your station." Her voice dropped to a murmur. "I can try to find one from the servant's quarters, but it will not be very grand."
"Any mirror will do," An Ru said, her voice firm. A sense of detached curiosity mixed with a morbid need to know what she now looked like had taken hold.
Xiao Mai scurried off and returned a few minutes later, holding a small, circular bronze mirror. It was tarnished and dull, its surface yellowed with age, a stark contrast to the polished mirrors that she had in her apartment. Still, it was enough. An Ru took it with a trembling hand, her heart hammering against her ribs.
She lifted the mirror, bracing herself for what she might see. The reflection that stared back was a ghost of what the original An Ru had once been. The girl in the mirror had a delicate, oval face with a pointed chin and a high, graceful nose. Her skin was a pale, almost translucent ivory, stretched taut over her prominent cheekbones. What should have been a vibrant, youthful face was instead a canvas of neglect. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath large, expressive eyes that were the color of rich, dark brown. Her lips, naturally a full and soft rose petal shape, were chapped and colorless. Her hair hung in a thin, lank curtain around her shoulders, its ends brittle and dull. The beauty was there, lurking beneath the surface, but it was like a lotus flower struggling to bloom in poisoned soil. The years of neglect and the insidious effects of the tonics had worn her down, leaving her gaunt and fragile.
An Ru's new reality was stark and unforgiving, staring back at her from the tarnished bronze. This was her new face, her new body, and her new prison. She was no longer a stranger to this girl, but a part of her.
The picture of the original An Ru's misery hit her has she looked at the reflection, the pain, disappointment, sadness and regret this body had went through became clearer. The lack of a strong paternal presence, combined with Lady Mei's gradual consolidation of power after giving birth to "healthy" heirs, had slowly stripped the legitimate daughter of her standing, leaving her vulnerable.
By the end of the week, An Ru's physical improvement was undeniable. Her skin had lost some of its unnatural pallor, a faint blush returning to her cheeks. Her movements were less shaky, and she could sit upright for longer periods without exhaustion. Xiao Mai, noticing the changes, grew more joyful and hopeful with each passing day.
An Ru, however, knew this was just the beginning. She had regained a baseline of health. Now, it was time to take the first step - to get out of this neglected room.