1980.
At dusk, beyond the sea level, a large white cruise ship silently created ripples on the sea surface, moving closer to the neon-lit Victoria Harbor.
A party was being held on the first floor of the cruise ship.
Beneath the hazy light, sound waves reverberated thunderously, as a group of men and women swayed and entangled with the rhythm of the music.
Chen Yanbei hid in a corner booth, dressed in a sleek black suit. His long legs were crossed, his broad and upright shoulders leaned slightly back against the sofa. His dark eyes calmly surveyed the noisy crowd, seeming as if he was a sovereign scrutinizing the mortal realm.
Noble yet aloof.
The host of the party, Liang Yu, came over with a stemmed glass, boldly crossing his legs, "Mr. Chen, do you want some relaxation?"
"See that chick in the middle? She's brought over from Belarus, quite exquisite, right?"
Chen Yanbei did not even bother to lift his eyelids, "This is what you call discussing serious matters? Any news about the person I asked you to find?"
Liang Yu put his wine glass down on the short table before him, finally looking a bit more formal,
"I say, young master, when you asked me to find someone, you should've given me more information."
"Among the more than thirty million people in Hong Kong, there are countless women with the surname Jiang. How is this different from finding a needle in a haystack?"
There was no progress on the matter.
Chen Yanbei subtly furrowed his brows, the surrounding air pressure plummeting.
Rarely seeing him emotionally fluctuated over a woman, Liang Yu was genuinely curious, "Hey, what exactly is your relationship with Ms. Jiang, the one you're seeking?"
The reason for his search, Chen Yanbei naturally could not say.
After all, who would know that every night the austere, regal cavalier and crown prince of Hong Kong, who is as unreachable as a snow-capped mountain peak, is madly infatuated with a woman in his dreams.
This woman has a creamy, snowy complexion, an attractive figure, and emits a faint fragrance that he cannot quite place but finds incredibly appealing. Every time she's beneath him, she weeps softly, like a whimpered cry of a kitten.
Despite being a man who has always upheld restraint in desire, he repeatedly broke his own rules for her.
Unfortunately, he could never see the woman's face clearly in his dreams, only knowing her last name — Miss Jiang.
He vowed to find the woman who disturbed his peaceful dreams.
"Alright, let's not talk about your Miss Jiang," Getting nowhere with his inquiry, Liang Yu merely shrugged it off, his eyes brimming with gossip as he brought up another topic, "But you can tell us about your bride-to-be from the mainland, right? The rumor circles are buzzing, saying how your father had already arranged your marriage since childhood, is that true?"
Chen Yanbei indifferently loosened his shirt collar, and tossed him a single word, "Scram."
Liang Yu, unbothered by the scolding, only laughed brighter, "Well, I just wanted to confirm the rumors, why are you so mad?"
"You're pushing your luck." Chen Yanbei grasped his coat which was draped on the armrest of the sofa and stood up.
The black shirt he wore highlighted his physique perfectly — wide shoulders, slim waist, long legs, and an upright stature.
His handsome yet unapproachable face, well-defined eyebrows and eyes, prominent nose, blessed with an almost perfect bone structure.
Since stepping aboard the cruise ship, he attracted countless glances.
Ignoring all the women clinking their glasses wanting to approach him, he briskly walked away.
The Chen family made their fortune in shipping, and now their business is spread across various industries, holding the top position in Hong Kong's wealthy circles.
Chen Yanbei is the sole young master of the Chen family's main house.
Not only is he extraordinary looking, but he also has great ability and strategy, holding significant power in the family enterprise.
He is the most sought-after second-generation heir of the wealthy family.
At this moment, somewhere in the rural inland...
"Creak--"
Jiang Yao turned over and the wooden bed squeaked along with her.
Having turned around a few times, she felt a faint sour and swollen sensation in her lower stomach, as if her body was soft and her bones were disjointed.
By habit, her delicate small hand rubbed her lower stomach, she gradually woke up.
Jiang Yao has a secret, for the past year, she would entangle with a man in her dreams every night.
In the beginning, she thought it was due to her ovulation period, and that everything would be okay after a few days.
However, it continued every night, and it was always the same man.
Fortunately, the man was handsome, had a great physique, and she was aesthetically pleased with his appearance in every aspect which made her not resentful. She even got used to it, and decided to treat it as having a boyfriend who she could only see at night.
While her mind was still relishing the dream from last night, a clamorous noise suddenly flooded into the room.
"You lazy girl! Why are you still at home?!"
"Today is the day you have your rendezvous with Zhao Changfeng. He's already booked the restaurant in the town to wait for you, and here you are, still lounging around!"
"I'm telling you, if this marriage falls through, you'll have to marry a spinster from the village!" said the middle-aged woman, who was Jiang Yao's Aunt Li Xianglan.
As she spoke, she moved to pull the quilt off Jiang Yao.
Before her dirt-covered hand could touch the quilt, she was taken aback by the sight of Jiang Yao's beautiful face, like a fresh peach blossom, looking as though she had just been loved by a man. Her cotton floral dress was slightly open at the collar, revealing a glimpse of her fair skin, and the rounded curves underneath were enough to make any woman swallow hard.
Li Xianglan couldn't help but feel jealous: Damn it, why was this girl so filled out even though she was exposed to the wind and sun every day and couldn't afford good food? Even her disheveled appearance just after waking up looked better than others.
Let’s not even mention how seductive she looked, which was too alluring.
Indeed, comparisons are truly odious.
"Slap—"
Just as she was cursing inwardly, her hand got slapped, and Li Xianglan instantly came back to her senses, glaring unhappily at the person before her.
This was outrageous! The wench actually dared to hit her?!
Jiang Yao met her gaze unflinchingly, "Auntie Li, since you are so keen on Zhao Changfeng, why don’t you marry your eldest cousin to him?"
As soon as the words left her mouth, Jiang Yao was taken aback.
Her voice had become so... soft? The sharpness in her words was significantly diminished.
Before she could figure it out, Li Xianglan crossed her arms over her chest, looking as though she wanted to kill her with her gaze:
"Tsk! How dare you talk like that to your elders? You ungrateful girl!"
"We want what's best for you, hoping you to find a good home, so you won't have to worry about food and clothing in the future. But look at yourself, is there anything about you that's impressive?"
"You don't come from a good family, or have any education. And you can't even maintain a decent appearance. To be able to marry into the Zhao family is such a blessing that must've taken eight lifetimes to earn. If you don't seize this opportunity, you're destined to regret it for the rest of your life!"
Li Xianglan continued in one breath, yet deep down she knew clearly. The match she introduced to Jiang Yao, Zhao Changfeng, apart from having a wealthy family, was short and ugly, looking as if a tree stump. In private, he has a reputation for womanizing.
If one is not robust enough, she might be crushed by him in bed.
Or else why would Jiang Yao get a shot at this marriage?
She would've proposed it to her own daughter long ago!
Hearing Li Xianglan openly belittling her, Jiang Yao calmly pushed away the bed covers and slipped into her cloth shoes.
"Auntie, you're right. I'm unattractive, poor, and uneducated. Why should I even consider marriage? "
"The point is, my parents are both deceased, but I have a mountain of relatives. After marrying in, today one cousin will ask for a job arrangement, tomorrow another cousin will want some benefits. Is the Zhao family marrying a daughter-in-law, or are they bringing home endless troubles?"
Her soft voice shot words like daggers straight at Li Xianglan's heart.
Li Xianglan exploded like a firework, raising her voice: "You little brat, who are you cursing at?"
"You, who grew up without proper guidance, really deserve all the bad fortune! You should be begging to get married!"
"Ptui!"
Despite being verbally abused, Jiang Yao's expression didn't change in the slightest.
After getting dressed and tidying up her braids, she casually shot back: "Your eldest niece, though, you've taught her well. She's over twenty but still idling at home."
"You!" Unable to retort, Li Xianglan stomped her foot and glaring fiercely at Jiang Yao before turning around to exit.
The room quietened down instantly.
Only then did Jiang Yao have the chance to truly ponder over her current predicament.
She had time-traveled.
She had traveled back in time from the future to the 80s, into the body of a girl who bore the same name and lived in the countryside.
Both had identical appearances and figures, but their souls were different.
The original owner was an orphan, with only her sister and grandfather to rely on.
Unfortunately, her grandfather was seriously ill and her sister was too weak and incompetent to handle matters. As a result, their relatives started to have designs on the original owner.
Simply put, it was because Jiang Yao was extremely beautiful.
Her skin was fair and smooth, her figure curvaceous and appealing. Her body seemed to be sculpted consciously, growing in all the right places and refraining where it wasn't necessary.
Her delicate face was like that of a perfect sculpture, with a pair of fox-like eyes. Her double eyelids were just right, her eyelashes were dense and curly, and the corners of her eyes slightly tilted upwards, effortlessly captivating everyone's attention.
Her nose was small and turned-up, and her lips were as pink and moist as the peach blossoms in March.
Even the fairy in the sky couldn't surpass her beauty.
In the eyes of her relatives in the Jiang household, with such beauty, she was destined to marry well and bring fortune to their family.
As if on cue, Zhao Changfeng, the son of the city's water plant director, happened to see Jiang Yao during his inspection of the village reservoir and was immediately taken with her.
At that time, a position in the water plant was highly sought after.
If Jiang Yao were to marry into the Zhao family, even her cousins would be able to secure a job at the water plant.
After all, both of Jiang Yao's parents were dead, and the decision of whom she should marry was left to the senior members of her family.
And thus, led to the meeting between Jiang Yao and Zhao Changfeng.