Balsa do Vento Selvagem

As the lamps were being lit, inside the Manor of the Marquis of Valor.

Song Qiao opened her eyes amidst a cacophony of noise, only to find herself lying in a dilapidated room.

By the dim candlelight, she saw a young maid dozing at the edge of the bed. The girl looked about her age, but her face was completely unfamiliar.

As she shifted, an unexpected wave of pain surged through her body, causing her to gasp sharply.

The maid, sleeping lightly, instantly looked toward the bed at the sound. Seeing Song Qiao awake, her face lit up with joy.

"Young Mistress, you are awake?"

"Who are you...?"

"This servant is named Peier. The Old Madame sent me to tend to you."

"What happened to me?"

Lowering her guard slightly, Song Qiao was dismayed to find that her legs would not move. They felt completely numb, refusing to obey her commands.

"Have you forgotten, Young Mistress? Two years ago, you accidentally fell from a carriage and slipped into a coma. No matter how many physicians we summoned, none could help..."

Song Qiao racked her brain for a moment, and then it came back to her.

Two years ago, she and Mu Yi had just married. On the day they were returning to her maiden home, the carriage spun out of control, throwing her out. She had struck her head and, to her surprise, had been asleep for so long.

"The manor seems so lively today. Is there some joyous occasion?" Outside, the sounds of clinking cups and occasional firecrackers puzzled her.