"Antique?! You’ve got to be kidding me! What are these three letters?" Ye Wanxi handed the jade comb back to the vendor, pointing to the faint engraving on its surface.
There, etched into the comb, were three letters: YWX.
The vendor craned his neck to take a closer look, his face twisting in confusion. He was certain he’d dug this up from a tomb. How could it have modern letters on it?
"This… this…" he stammered, at a loss for words.
"Alright, a stone comb. I won’t haggle with you. Five bucks, and I’ll take it," Ye Wanxi said, seizing the opportunity while the vendor was still flustered. She handed over the money, grabbed the comb, and walked away, feeling quite pleased with her bargain.
Back in her dorm, she munched on a few apples and absentmindedly held the comb in her palm. Suddenly, she noticed something strange—the comb, which had been cool to the touch earlier, was now scorching hot. She tried to drop it, but it seemed glued to her hand, impossible to shake off.
Her consciousness began to fade, and her last coherent thought was, "Damn it, that vendor scammed me!"
---
"Your Highness, oh, Your Highness…"
A high-pitched, tearful voice pierced through the fog in Ye Wanxi’s mind. She frowned, her eyelids fluttering open as she tried to make sense of her surroundings.
The first thing she saw was a dark, unfamiliar ceiling. Wait, where was the white ceiling of her dorm room?
"Your Highness! You’re finally awake! You scared me half to death!" The same shrill voice exploded in her ear.
Your Highness? Was that supposed to be her?
Feeling someone gently helping her sit up, Ye Wanxi turned her head to look at the young girl who had been wailing moments ago. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Panic set in as she realized she couldn’t utter a single sound.
"Your Highness, please wait, I'll fetch you some water," the young girl in front of her immediately stood up to get water for Ye Wanxi, who sat silently on the bed, utterly bewildered by the situation.
Was this some elaborate prank? It seemed quite extravagant.
Or perhaps a film set? But what was a fine arts major like her doing here?
Soon, the girl returned with a cup of water. Ye Wanxi sipped it slowly, each swallow causing a sharp, cutting sensation in her throat, making her wince.
"Your Highness, how could you think of ending it all?" The young girl began to sob softly, her gaze so pitiful that Ye Wanxi felt an inexplicable sense of responsibility towards her.
"Ahem, who are you?" Ye Wanxi asked after drinking the water, her voice still hoarse but finally able to speak.
However, her question only triggered a fresh wave of tears from the girl.
Ye Wanxi waited patiently for her to finish crying, then quipped, "Miss, does your family know you’re this good at crying on cue?"
"Your Highness? What’s wrong with you?" The girl looked at Ye Wanxi with fear, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Miss, what’s your name?" Ye Wanxi ignored the irrelevant question.
"Your Highness, I’m Chunhua! Don’t you remember me?!" Chunhua cried out in distress.
"Pfft!"
Ye Wanxi burst into laughter, tears streaming down her face, before she finally asked again.
"Where am I?" Ye Wanxi asked, her voice trembling with confusion.
"Your Highness, this is the Third Prince's residence. Please, don't scare me like this," replied Miss Chun, her face pale with worry.
Ye Wanxi finally realized the gravity of the situation. Her voice quivered as she spoke, "Miss Chun, it's you who's scaring me..."
They stared at each other, wide-eyed, until Ye Wanxi couldn't hold back any longer. She cautiously asked, "I'm Ye Wanxi. Do you know me?"
Miss Chun nodded vigorously, and Ye Wanxi let out a sigh of relief. She continued, "Do you know that I'm a junior at X Art Academy?"
Miss Chun looked at her with a blank expression. Ye Wanxi's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately asked for a mirror.
Miss Chun, ever the dutiful and straightforward maid, brought over a highly polished bronze mirror.
When Ye Wanxi saw her reflection, she was utterly shocked.
After a long silence, Miss Chun timidly asked, "Your Highness, what's wrong? Is something amiss?"
Ye Wanxi sighed deeply. Wrong? Everything was wrong! Looking into Miss Chun's hopeful eyes, she spoke with a heavy heart, "It seems like I've encountered a ghost."