1 Who Am I?

"Where is this?" an extremely puzzled Ju Ming asked herself. This wasn't her house in the country?

The thin petite woman on the bed shifted her eyes in all four directions. The room she was currently in was filled with expensive porcelain vases, flower paintings and elaborately carved furnitures. This was definitely not her room. Her room was filled of herbs, potions and medical tools.

Before Ju Ming had a chance to think things through, her head suddenly pounded with an intense pain. She closed her eyes tightly as her hand stretched to touch her head. Ju Ming was surprised; her head was wrapped in some sort of soft material. Before she could figure out what was going on, she was interrupted by a loud shout. "Xiaojie (Miss)!" a little girl in a yellow dress called, rushing towards her. The girl was looked no more than 16. She sported a two braided pigtails. Just on first impressions, Ju Ming would describe this girl as adorable. Round eyes and full lips.

"Xiaojie." the girl called when her lady wasn't responding. [Xiaojie?] Pan Yu Mei was confused. When did she become a noble woman? The only names her master ever called her was either, little rascal or spoiled brat.

The young girl quickly bent down next to the bed and cried her eyes out. Pan Yu Mei on the other hand was too busy with her own situation to care about the girl crying by her bed. The last thing she remembered was falling down a cliff. Her name was Ju Ming and all she wanted to do was escape a marriage her master decided for her. Who knew she would fall to her own death?

The little girl named Chu'mei cried even harder when she saw the blank look her lady was giving her.

"Little girl, what are you crying for?" Pan Yu Mei couldn't take her loud cries anymore. She almost snapped at the poor crying girl. "It's me, Chu'mei! Did you forget me?" her round eyes widened in fear. Surely her lady didn't really have lost her memories like the doctor said. "Chu'mei? Who are you? Who am I?"

"Xiaojie, did you really lose your memory?" Ju Ming nodded her head yes. "First, stop crying and tell me my name and my family." Chu'mei quickly stopped crying when she heard Pan Yu Mei's stern voice. "Xiaojie is called Pan Yu Mei. Imperial consort of Prince Lin Pei Nan, Lady of Virtue," the pain Pan Yu Mei felt in her head suddenly vanished after hearing her identity. Ju Ming sat up rapidly and grabbed onto Chu'mei's hand. "Chu'mei?"

"En"

"What's the year?"

"Xiaojie...are you okay?

"Just answer me!"

"It's the fifth year of the Tang dynasty.." Her hand immediately dropped onto the bed. "It can't be. I've gone back 2 years? Impossible…this doesn't make sense," Ju Ming murmured to herself, shaking her head in disbelief. Chu'mei who was watching her every action wanted to cry once more. Her Xiaojie had truly gone crazy! "Xiaojie!!!!!!!" Ju Ming's stomach suddenly growled. Chu'mei was in the middle of talking but nothing registered for the hungry Ju Ming.

"Chu'mei, tell me, is there anything to eat?" Ju Ming was holding her stomach and looking at Chu'mei as if she had been starved for days. "Whatever Xiaojie wants, the imperial chef can make it," She didn't believe this was happening. Anything she wanted? It was too good to be true; she had to test Chu'mei out. "Roast duck? Barbecue ribs? Sweet walnut soup? Bird's nest soup? Fried pork?" Every time she suggested something, Chu'mei would nod yes. "Xiaojie has been out for two days. You must be starving. I will have the chef make you all of those," Chu'mei started to stand up. Ju Ming immediately grabbed her wrist lightly, "St...op…I just want barbecue chicken," she smiled brightly at Chu'mei. This smile shocked Chu'mei even more than her ridiculous requests. "I will get it immediately," Chu'mei rushed out.

This gave Ju Ming some time to try to understand the situation. She leaned on the bed headboard, crossed her arms and thought hard about her current situation. "Body switching? Soul switching? Shouldn't I have inherited the original Pan Yu Mei's memories at least?" she scratched her head. Her mind went astray once more. "Wait! I'm Pan Yu Mei? "THE" Pan Yu Mei who suddenly died on the winter of the 5th year?" She felt her soul leave her body at the realization. Was she going to die twice?

In her past life, she had followed Potion Master Wu Tie all over the country. On their way to the city of Luoyang, the recent news of Imperial Consort Pan Yu Mei's sudden death was circulating." It was this same year that they came to Luoyang. Just as the year was coming to an end.

Pan Yu Mei lifted the blanket off her body and checked herself all over before giving a sigh of relief. She patted her chest and looked outside the window. It was currently fall. "I'm still alive! As long as I pass these next few months, I can change my fate. Since I'm in this body now, I will not die so easily." She reassured herself just in time for her barbecue chicken. She smelt the chicken before it even reached her room. With one quick jump, she got out of bed, landing on both feet. Chu'mei happened to have caught her lady at that very moment. She couldn't believe her eyes; her lady has never acted this unrefined before. Her lady has really lost it? What shocked her even more was when the so called Pan Yu Mei suddenly grabbed two drumsticks, one in each hand, simultaneously taking a bite from each one like a barbarian.

Ju Ming had always been unrefined since young and so when she saw the shock and horror look on Chu'mei's face, she didn't know what was wrong. Without much thought, she wanted to take this chance to get Chu'mei to explain to her everything, including the injury on her head. "Chu'mei, sit," she waved the drumsticks in her hand to the stool next to her. "Come eat." Before Chu'mei could react, a sudden announcement was made. "Prince Lin Pei Nan is here to see Lady of Virtue,"

"Prince Lin Pei Nan? Let him in." Ju Ming casually waved her two drumstick hands at Chu'mei as if Lin Pei Nan was just another guest. Pan Yu Mei was the only one acting calm. Chu'mei felt her soul leave her body the moment the announcement was made. Pan Yu Mei looked like a hot mess and Prince Lin Pei Nan was outside. She bit her lips, head sweating from worry and fear. "Xiaojie, hide the food," Chu'mei urgently rushed her. Chu'mei turned towards the door. It was opening. Ju Ming's eyes suddenly widened, "Lin Pei Nan? That's my husband!" she forgot that she was not Ju Ming, but Pan Yu Mei, Lady of Virtue. The door opened. The plate of chicken on the table disappeared just as quick too. Chu'mei could not reach her lady in time to correct her actions. She only prayed for what was to come next.