Chapter One: Beautiful Wife

“Chu Yun, even if you kill me, I will never go to the Pleasure Pavilion!”

Inside the dilapidated hut, a woman’s hysterical cries rang out. Clay bowls, wooden stools, and a wooden table had all been smashed to pieces, littering the floor in utter chaos. In a corner of the room, a woman was curled up, trembling and pitiful.

On the other side stood a man clad in tattered hemp clothes, of average build—precisely the Chu Yun the woman had just named.

“Whether you want to or not, it’s not up to you!” he shouted, rushing at her, intent on dragging her off to the Pleasure Pavilion.

But as he took his first step, his foot slipped, he staggered, and crashed to the ground.

“Aaah!” he shrieked in pain, clearly having taken a hard fall. He struggled to get up, but no matter how he tried, he couldn’t rise. In no time at all, his body went limp, as if all life had drained from him.

Huddled in the corner, the woman stared blankly, her frail frame still shivering. She didn’t dare look at Chu Yun to see what had become of him.

A moment later, Chu Yun suddenly sat bolt upright, as if jolted by electricity, his gaze a mixture of astonishment and confusion.

“I’m not dead?”

He had been a special forces combat medic. On a mission to destroy a terrorist virus research facility, his Warwolf squad found themselves trapped. They detonated explosives, perishing alongside the entire lab. He never imagined he would survive.

“Where is this place?”

The unfamiliar setting left him deeply perplexed. Not a single decent thing furnished the room—no modern furniture, not even electric lights or wires. Everything was impoverished and backward, reminiscent of ancient times. The floor was a mess, scattered with toppled objects as if a fight had just taken place.

The sound of the woman’s sobbing drew Chu Yun’s gaze.

“Keke?”

The moment he saw her, he froze. Keke was the woman he had loved most in his life—and his greatest regret. He never thought he’d see her again, let alone in such a strange place.

But Chu Yun quickly calmed himself. The dead cannot return; this woman merely resembled Keke. Her features were sweet and delicate, but her skin lacked Keke’s fair glow, tinged yellow from malnutrition. She was painfully thin, dressed in patched-up, antiquated hemp clothes. Chu Yun, who was never good at history, couldn’t tell what dynasty this might be.

“Husband, I beg you, don’t sell me to the Pleasure Pavilion. I’ll work hard to support you—please, I’m begging you.”

Her voice was weak, her eyes brimming with tears, and she kept her head bowed, not daring to meet Chu Yun’s gaze—her fear unmistakable.

Husband?

Chu Yun was taken aback. This woman who so resembled Keke was his wife? Was this fate’s way of compensating for a lifetime of regret? Yet he was full of questions. Why did she address him as “husband” and not “darling”? And why was she pleading not to be sent to the Pleasure Pavilion?

Suddenly, a sharp pain stabbed through his head, followed by a ringing in his ears that cut him off from the world. A flood of memories poured into his mind, a torturous process that dragged on for nearly half an hour.

When it finally ended, Chu Yun was left gasping for breath, sweat soaking his body, goosebumps rising on his arms.

“I’ve transmigrated?”

He murmured, vivid new memories surfacing before his eyes. This was Chu Family Town, in the Kingdom of Great Qi. He, too, was called Chu Yun, twenty-two years old. His father had died in battle, and his mother succumbed to illness not long after. Out of pity, the townsfolk raised him but neglected his upbringing, leaving him idle, addicted to gambling and drink—a notorious scoundrel.

Years of war had left the population of Great Qi dwindling. By decree, every woman had to marry at eighteen, regardless of the man’s wealth, looks, or even disability—or else pay a heavy tax. Thanks to this government “wife distribution” policy, this girl—named Yang Liu’er, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Keke—had been forced to marry Chu Yun just yesterday.

But this scoundrel, upon bringing her home, had stolen the five bronze coins she brought from her family, and, discovering she was still a virgin, decided to sell her to the Pleasure Pavilion for cash.

“What a monster! That’s not even human—it’s a beast!”

Chu Yun felt as if a thousand mythical beasts were stampeding in his heart. He glanced at Yang Liu’er, who was quietly sobbing, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid that crying too loudly would provoke his wrath.

She was truly pitiable. Chu Yun felt that being given the chance to be with Yang Liu’er here was heaven’s way of making up for his regrets. Though there were no phones, no internet, not even electric lights or wires—civilization here seemed woefully backward—he couldn’t help wanting to care for Yang Liu’er and build a life together in this place.

He said, “Liu’er, don’t cry. I’m sorry, I was wrong. Don’t worry—I will never send you to the Pleasure Pavilion. Never.”

“What?”

Yang Liu’er heard his apology clearly. She lifted her tear-stained face to look at Chu Yun, stunned, letting out a gasp of disbelief.

She never expected this man to apologize to her. The tears slowed, though she still sobbed, wiping her face with her sleeve as she stared at Chu Yun in astonishment.

“Really?”

She could scarcely believe it. Just moments ago, Chu Yun had been terrifying, crazed, determined to drag her away. She worried he was just trying to placate her.

“Really.” Chu Yun nodded earnestly, but he could sense that trust would not come so easily.

He looked around, then added, “I’m sorry for scaring you just now. Why don’t you go rest on the bed? I’ll tidy up in here.”

With that, he fetched a broom woven from bamboo and began sweeping up the debris.

Chu Yun cleaned up the mess and righted all the toppled furniture. He worked methodically, with the practiced ease of someone used to such chores.

“You… you… you…” Yang Liu’er was so astonished she could barely get the words out, staring at Chu Yun in utter disbelief.