I woke up as the Villainous Empress

"How can someone still be the same?" Fang Li thought, staring at Zheng Lei, but then something hit her hard. Right. How could a man from her dreams or illusions be so similar to this man in front of her?

Fang Li's laughter faded, replaced by confusion and wonder. She studied Zheng Lei's features—the sharp angles of his face, his calm, assured posture, the way he held himself. Every detail seemed to perfectly align with her memories of Zheng Liang. The similarities were uncanny, almost frightening in their precision. Could it really be possible?

As they finished their meal and prepared to leave, Fang Li's mind raced. Was it possible that Zheng Lei was somehow connected to Zheng Liang? Or was this just an incredibly unlikely coincidence? The questions swirled in her mind, creating more confusion than answers.

Outside the restaurant, the cool night air hit her, but it did little to calm the storm inside her. Zheng Lei turned to her, his expression neutral but his tone soft. "It's late. I'll drop you off at your place."

Fang Li shook her head, forcing a smile despite the turmoil bubbling under the surface. "That's not necessary. I can manage on my own."

Zheng Lei frowned slightly, his usual indifference giving way to a hint of concern. "It's late, and I was the one who asked you out at this hour. How can I let you go alone? I'm not that irresponsible."

Fang Li chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "Don't worry. I can just take a taxi. Thanks for everything. For helping me and even for dinner. I should've been the one paying, but you—"

"Stop talking about that," Zheng Lei cut in, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You've mentioned it at least five times since we left the restaurant."

Fang Li smiled and, in a voice barely above a whisper, said, "No, but seriously... Thank you for helping me. For... being a part of my life."

Zheng Lei couldn't hear her words over the honk of a nearby car, but he could see something in her eyes—something deep and unreadable.

Even though Fang Li didn't allow him to drop her off, Zheng Lei still insisted on helping her get a cab. He took a photo of the number plate and leaned in to speak to the driver. "Make sure she gets home safely," he said, his tone firm, leaving no room for argument.

Fang Li watched this, feeling a warmth spread through her chest. As the taxi pulled away, she glanced back, watching Zheng Lei's figure grow smaller in the rearview mirror. He stood there, watching until the cab turned the corner.

Leaning back in her seat, Fang Li's mind was a whirlwind of questions. The similarity between Zheng Lei and Zheng Liang was too uncanny to ignore. Her heart raced with a mixture of confusion and anticipation. "What's happening to me?" she whispered to herself, her fingers nervously twisting in her lap.

As soon as she reached home, Fang Li burst into her bedroom, her pulse quickening. She began searching frantically, tossing clothes and books aside without care. The sound of her chaotic actions drew her father to her door, his face etched with worry.

"Fang Li? You're back from meeting your friend?" he asked, taking in the mess. "What happened? Why do you look so stressed? What are you looking for?"

Fang Li turned to face him, her hair disheveled, her eyes wild with urgency. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. How could she possibly explain the storm raging inside her?

After a moment of silence, Fang Li met her father's concerned gaze. Her face was flushed, covered in sweat. "A book," she replied, breathless. "A novel I was reading before... before the accident. It was in my dorm.

Have you seen it?"

Her stepmother appeared beside her father, her voice gentle. "We put all your things from the dorm in a trolley bag. It's on top of your closet. Is something wrong, dear? Is it urgent?"

Fang Li's eyes glistened with surprise, and she nodded. "Yes, it's very important."

Without another word, she dragged a chair over, preparing to reach the bag herself, but her father quickly moved to stop her.

"Let me help you with that," he said, reaching up to retrieve the bag.

With her father's help, Fang Li quickly found what she was looking for—an old, blue-covered book with gold lettering. It looked more like an ancient record than a modern novel.

Her hands trembled as she held the book. Her heart raced uncontrollably. She glanced at her parents, trying to hide the turmoil inside.

"Thank you," she managed to say, her voice barely steady. "I... I need to read this. It's important."

Her parents exchanged concerned glances, but didn't press her further.

"Alright, dear," her stepmother said softly. "But if you need anything, we're here."

As they left her room, Fang Li collapsed onto her bed, clutching the book tightly to her chest. She took a deep breath, feeling its weight in her hands, but it was more than just the weight of the book—it was the weight of everything it represented. It wasn't just some story, and Fang Li knew it in the pit of her stomach.

This is it, she thought. This book holds the answers. It has to.

Fang Li hesitated, her hands trembling as she opened the book. She had braced herself for what might come next, but as her eyes scanned the pages, her heart began to race faster. The story had changed.

No longer was it about Emperor Zheng Liang and the nurse Hou Wei. Now, it told the tale of Crown Prince Zheng Liang and his betrothed, Yang Ning—the very life Fang Li had lived.

Her pulse quickened as she turned the pages, the words sinking into her mind like pieces of a puzzle she was struggling to put together.

"It wasn't a dream," she whispered, her voice shaky. "It was real. All of it was real."

Her breath caught as she neared the end. The words she had been reading stopped abruptly, as if someone had torn the final chapter from the book. The last few pages were blank.

Blank.

The story ended after Yang Luoyang's attack, with Zheng Liang crying over Yang Ning's body. There was no resolution, no closure.

"What... what happened?" Fang Li gasped, panic rising in her chest. "Why is there no ending? What's happening to me?"

She flipped through the empty pages frantically, as if she could force the missing words to appear. But the pages remained blank, empty, void of the answers she desperately needed.

Suddenly, something fluttered to the ground—a small slip of paper, hidden between the pages.
Your journey continues with empire

Her heart pounded as she picked it up, her fingers trembling, her breath shallow. In elegant, flowing script, the note read: "The story isn't over. Your choices will write the ending."

Fang Li's breath caught in her throat, her mind reeling. She stared at the note, then back at the book. What did it mean? How could she write the ending to a story she thought was a dream?

But as her thoughts swirled, one thing became undeniable—the connection between Zheng Lei and Zheng Liang wasn't a coincidence. It was real. And the two worlds she thought were separate were somehow, impossibly, colliding.

Tears filled her eyes as she clutched the book to her chest. She was caught between two worlds—one she had lived and one she thought she knew. And now, somehow, she was at the center of it all, with the power to shape not just her own fate, but the fate of both realities.

The weight of it pressed down on her, heavy and suffocating, as she realized that the story—her story—was far from over.