“Come on, don’t let your makeup get ruined by crying. If you’re not beautiful, how can you serve your husband? Listen to your sister and stop crying. Our Scott family has rules. You look like you’re crying at a funeral. It’s unlucky no matter how you look at it.”
As soon as these words came out, the old man’s face turned cold. Originally, he was unwilling to interfere in the affairs of the younger generation. In his opinion, the main wife is the main wife, and no matter how good the woman outside is, she cannot be brought home. But Henry is his beloved grandson. He was unwilling to say it before, but now that it has been exposed, he naturally cannot let people talk about it. Besides, he is old and does not like the younger generation to cry. He is the oldest in the family. Could it be that Olivia is crying for him to die early?
The old man slapped his cutleries and shouted, “That’s enough! Have a meal. It’s rare for your uncle to come back. Henry, you are so outrageous!”
Olivia wanted to explain herself but was pulled aside by Henry.
“Okay, our uncle is back today, so let’s just bear with it for now.”
Olivia pursed her lips in grievance and stood up unwillingly to give up her seat.
Sophia sat down and picked up the plate and spoon with a smile, but when she raised her head, she was met with deep and indifferent eyes.
Sophia shuddered.
This man…
Sophia’s expression froze instantly, and she held her breath momentarily before realizing her shock was too obvious.
She quickly lowered her head, but it was too late. The man across from her kept his probing gaze fixed on her, giving her the unsettling feeling he could see right through her.
No doubt about it, he was a dangerous man!
But why was he here? Who was he? What was his relationship with the original host of this body? Did he know that the woman from last night was her?
Like ripples spreading underwater, countless questions began to swirl through Sophia’s mind, leaving her restless.
Across from her, Livinus put down his bowl and unbuttoned his collar, his narrowed eyes studying her expression intently.
He had clearly seen surprise in her eyes, and his businessman’s instincts sparked a sense of suspicion, causing his brows to knit slightly.
Why did Sophia have that reaction? Could it be that the woman from last night was her?
No, on second thought, Livinus dismissed the idea.
Have we met before?” His voice was indifferent.
Only when she felt everyone at the table looking at her did Sophia realize this powerful man was addressing her. With just one glance, he had noticed her discomfort. He was obviously a meticulous and challenging opponent.
She lowered her gaze and shook her head. “No.”
“Sophia,” the old man’s tone was gentle as always. Smiling, he explained, “You probably haven’t met Livinus before. He’s spent years living abroad, so you didn’t see him when you married into the family. Though he’s young, you should address him as Uncle, just like Henry does.”
…. Uncle?
Sophia lowered her head, nearly burying her face in her bowl. Although her face appeared calm, inside, she was in a storm of shock and disbelief.
Uncle? She couldn’t help but think, Are you kidding me? This world is way too surreal! It was already shocking enough to have crossed into another dimension, but to start off with a one-night stand? And that one-night stand turned out to be her husband’s uncle?
This is one spicy twist on time travel!
“Sophia?”
“Huh?” Snapping out of her thoughts, Sophia realized everyone was waiting for her. Without avoiding it, she mumbled softly under everyone’s gaze, “ Uncle…”
Livinus leaned back in his chair with an indifferent expression, though one eyebrow rose slightly. Her voice was so soft, lacking the edge she had when arguing earlier. Instead, she sounded surprisingly meek. But for some reason, he sensed this was only a facade; beneath her gentle exterior lay an unyielding spirit.
His fingers tapped lazily on the table.
“Mm.”
After the meal, the old man called Henry aside to speak privately, and afterward, Olivia left looking quite sad.
Hearing about it, Sophia went through the original host’s memories.
In this family, the Old Master and Old Madam of the Scott family had always been reasonably kind to her, never making things difficult for their granddaughter-in-law. Even though she had no family to lean on, they never treated her harshly, unlike Andrea, who seemed to go out of her way to make life miserable. The Scott family upheld strict rules and values; while they might overlook some indiscretions outside, anything that disrupted family order was forbidden. Even if they didn’t take Sophia’s side, they wouldn’t allow Henry to tarnish the Scott family’s reputation.
Back in her room, Sophia took a long shower. The water cascading over her body seemed to awaken her senses, bringing back fragments of last night’s craziness. Under the influence of the drug, neither of them had been able to restrain themselves, and the sheer improbability of it all felt surreal. She just wasn’t sure if Livinus had recognized her.
Without a clear answer, Sophia set aside her thoughts, focusing instead on getting dressed. Gazing at herself in the mirror, she found the whole situation absurd.
The world she was from seemed like a parallel dimension to this one. She, too, was from America, and everything here seemed familiar, except the technology in her world was far more advanced. Back then, there was a time when modern medicine was exalted while herbal medicine was shunned. Many believed TCM was sham and ineffective, leading to the overuse of antibiotics and a steady decline in public health. Eventually, rampant new diseases forced the government to revive TCM, promoting a lifestyle based on traditional health practices. After years of effort, the country regained its faith in TCM, and revered doctors emerged everywhere. Born into a family with a similar background in TCM, Sophia thrived despite the misfortunes the original Smith family faced. Before arriving here, she had earned the title of “National Physician,” treating the nation’s leaders. Yet, in an ironic twist, while testing a new herbal medicine, she was poisoned—and found herself transported here.
In this world, though, Herbal medicine was still undervalued, rife with critics who saw it as little more than a way to keep fit, not to cure illness. It reminded her too much of her world during its phase of blind faith in Modern medicine.
