The forensic laboratory was silent, the only sound the low hum of the neon lights overhead. The sharp scent of formalin and antiseptic hung in the air, mingling with the metallic tang of blood still clinging to the autopsy table.
Shen Liyun drew in a deep breath and sipped from the cup of cold coffee she hadn't touched in hours. Her eyes remained fixed on the body stretched out before her—a middle-aged man, an official found dead under mysterious circumstances in his home. The police suspected suicide, but Liyun knew something didn't add up.
Her practiced hand reached for the scalpel. "Clean incision, slash on the wrist… but the blood pattern doesn't match gravity. The body was moved," she murmured under her breath.
"Dr. Shen, well? Was it really suicide?" a young investigator asked from the doorway.
Liyun turned, her sharp gaze cutting through the mask she wore. "Suicide? No. This is murder. The slash is too deep, unnatural for self-infliction. And look—" She pointed to the victim's fingernails. "Black fibers. He fought back before he died."
The investigator's jaw dropped. "Then… who did it?"
"I don't know yet." Liyun closed her notebook. "But it's definitely not suicide. Dig deeper. I'll file the full report tomorrow."
Fatigue weighed down her shoulders as she shrugged on her white lab coat. It was late. Everyone else had gone home—she was the only one still standing in the morgue.
As she stepped out, her phone buzzed. The screen lit up with a message from her closest friend and colleague, Xu Yan:
> "Liyun, get some rest. This case is dangerous. Be careful on your way home."
Her fingers hovered above the screen for a moment. Warmth bloomed in her chest—amid the cold sterility of the forensic world, someone still cared. A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"I'm not a child. I'll be fine," she muttered, though she knew she was running on fumes.
Tucking her phone into her sling bag, she pulled her coat tighter around her. Her footsteps echoed in the long corridor toward the parking lot. The moment she stepped outside, the chill of the night bit into her skin. A cold wind tugged loose strands of hair from her neat ponytail.
The parking lot was deserted, rows of dark cars glinting faintly under the streetlights. The silence was heavy—so complete that the sound of her own heels seemed unnaturally loud. For a fleeting second, unease prickled her skin. Someone… was watching.
She froze and glanced around. Nothing. Just darkness, and the rustling of leaves in the wind.
Liyun exhaled sharply. I'm exhausted. Just paranoid.
Sliding into her car, she started the engine. The growl of the machine was the only sign of life in the empty lot. Leaning back, she let her eyes drift shut for a moment, weighed down by exhaustion.
"Go home, hot shower, sleep. Tomorrow, wake up fresh… and finish the report." She whispered to herself, trying to push the fatigue away.
The car rolled slowly out of the forensic compound. The streets were quiet, only a few vehicles passing by. The city lights twinkled like artificial stars. But the farther she drove, the emptier the road became.
Sleepiness struck like poison. Her eyelids grew heavier, her body fighting to shut down. She slapped her cheeks hard. "No… stay awake!"
But her mind kept slipping. Flashes of the corpse she had examined filled her vision—the man's vacant stare, the wrist wound, the black fibers beneath his nails.
This case… it's not simple. What if… someone's after me too?
She shook her head violently, trying to banish the thought. Her tires screeched slightly as she nearly veered off lane. Her pulse raced, and she gripped the wheel tighter.
A traffic light glowed red up ahead. The road was empty—only her car under the cold night air that seemed to seep through every crack.
Suddenly—
Headlights blazed from the opposite lane, blindingly bright. The deafening blare of a truck horn split the night.
"—!!!"
It all happened too fast.
White light swallowed her vision. Her body jolted forward. The screech of metal against metal roared in her ears.
Then—blackness.
…
When Liyun opened her eyes, the world felt foreign. A carved wooden ceiling loomed above her, red lanterns swaying gently. The air was thick with the scent of herbal medicine and incense.
She shot upright. "What… is this?"
Her hand touched the thin silk blanket draped over her. Looking around, she saw a spacious room, silk curtains embroidered with peonies swaying in the breeze. This wasn't a hospital. Not her lab.
Her gaze landed on a bronze mirror beside the bed. Staring back at her was a young woman with pale, delicate skin and long, flowing black hair. A stranger's face.
"No way…" she whispered. Even her voice sounded softer.
The wooden door creaked open. A maid entered, carrying a tray of porridge and medicine. Her face lit up in relief at the sight of Liyun awake.
"Miss Shen! Thank goodness you're awake! We've been so worried!"
"…Miss Shen?" Liyun echoed, her brows furrowing. Her throat tightened before she could ask further.
The maid hurried to set down the tray. "My lady, you must rest. You've been ill for days. At last, you've recovered."
Liyun froze. Miss Shen? A noblewoman? Did I… enter someone else's body?
Her body was weak, but her heart thundered wildly. She tried to piece together the fragments—last she remembered, an accident. Now… a strange world. A new identity.
The maid busied herself with the porridge while Liyun stared at her own hands. Slender, delicate fingers. Nothing like the calloused hands of a modern forensic doctor.
"Whose body is this…?" she whispered.
Sitting at the edge of the bed, she forced herself to breathe evenly, just like she did at every autopsy—calm, logical, analytical.
The maid finally turned back, smiling brightly. "Miss Shen, please eat. You're still weak. The physician said this porridge will help restore your strength."
Liyun wanted to refuse, but her stomach growled loudly. Realizing just how hungry she was, she awkwardly accepted the spoon. "Thank you…"
The maid blinked. "Eh? Miss Shen, why so polite? Normally… you're much fiercer."
Liyun's brow arched. Fierce? Did this girl have a bad reputation?
She smiled faintly to cover her confusion. "I'm just… tired. Don't feel like talking much."
"Oh, I see." The maid nodded, then added softly, "Still, it's good. If you stay like this, I think everyone in the household will be happier."
Liyun nearly choked. What the hell? Did I end up in the body of someone everyone hates?
She ate slowly, weighing her options. If she truly had taken over someone else's body, she needed to tread carefully. At least until she understood her situation.
"What's your name?" she asked cautiously.
"I am Mei'er, your personal maid, my lady. I'll always stay by your side."
"Mei'er…" Liyun repeated softly. Good. At least she had one source of information.
Setting down the spoon, she looked at the girl seriously. "Mei'er, tell me… how long was I ill?"
Mei'er hesitated, but answered honestly. "Almost three days, my lady. Everyone was worried—especially the Shen family. They even summoned the best physicians. Thankfully you woke today."
"Three days…" Liyun murmured. So, she had been unconscious in this body for that long. At least no one suspected anything.
Closing her eyes briefly, she steadied her chaotic heartbeat. When she opened them again, determination burned in her gaze.
Alright, Shen Liyun. You're not a spoiled noble. You're not a princess. You're a forensic doctor, trained to face the impossible. Treat this like a case—gather evidence, piece it together, and survive.
Her hand curled into a fist atop the silk blanket. If I can dissect corpses for the truth, I can unravel the mystery of this body too.
She was about to question Mei'er further when sudden footsteps thundered outside. A flurry of hurried voices echoed through the corridor.
The silk curtains at the doorway flew open.
"Mei'er! Is Miss Shen awake?!"
Another maid rushed in, flushed and breathless from running.
Mei'er leapt to her feet, eyes sparkling. "Yes! She's awake! She's conscious!"
Both pairs of eyes turned to Liyun as if she were the center of the universe. Uneasy, she frowned. Why are they staring at me like that…?
Without warning, the new maid dropped to her knees, her voice trembling with excitement.
"Congratulations, Miss Shen! Tomorrow… you will be married to the Emperor!"
…
Liyun froze. The words pierced her ears like a thunderclap, her heart skipping a beat. The spoon slipped from her fingers, clattering against the floor.
Her logical mind scrambled to process, but the statement was too absurd even for her.
Her breath quickened, her face pale. The pounding of her heartbeat drowned out the maids' excited chatter.
"Married… to who?!" she blurted in shock.
"The Emperor," the maid repeated firmly, her eyes shining as if she were delivering the best news in the world. "Tomorrow is the grand wedding. You will become the Empress!"
The blood drained from Liyun's face. What the hell…? I wake up in someone else's body, and tomorrow I'm supposed to marry the ruler of this country? Is this some kind of sick joke?