THE HEIRESS OF TWO ERAS

Feng Zilan's living room was the very definition of luxury. Floor-to-ceiling windows and glass walls opened to a breathtaking view of the city, where glittering lights stretched endlessly into the night. The polished marble floor gleamed beneath an elegant crystal chandelier, its warm glow casting delicate reflections across the spacious room. A Grand curved sofa dominated the center of the room, layered with plush cushions that Zilan often tossed aside whenever she sprawled there with a book or her tablet. Despite its elegance, the room carried traces of her carefree personality. A stack of time-travel novels lay carelessly on the coffee table, their pages bent from being reread countless times. A half-finished cup of milk tea rested beside them, forgotten hours ago. The living room was more than a place of comfort. It was a quiet meeting point between the modern world and echoes of the past. A place where a Young heiress stood unknowingly at the edge of a destiny that would soon unfold. At the moment, however, Feng Zilan was far more interested in the historical comedy series playing on the television. She sat cross-legged on the sofa, hugging a pillow as she burst into another fit of laughter. "Young Miss!" Meilin called helplessly. There was no response. "Young Miss!" she tried again, louder this time. Zilan waved a dismissive hand without taking her eyes off the screen. "Just one more episode." Meilin sighed, folding her arms. "You said that three episodes ago." "I know," Zilan replied with a sheepish grin. "But this one is even funnier." She burst into laughter again, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Meilin could only stare at her in disbelief. "Young Miss, you really need to go to bed now. Madam will scold me if she finds out I allowed you to stay awake this late." "Ohhh... but I can't miss today's episode," Zilan protested dramatically, pointing excitedly at the screen. "Look at him! He's about to embarrass himself again!" She laughed so hard she could barely breathe. Meilin rubbed her forehead. "You're impossible." The wall clock ticked quietly. Midnight had already passed. Even so, Zilan stubbornly refused to move. Minutes later, exhaustion finally caught up with her. Her eyelids drooped. "No... just one... more..." she mumbled sleepily. Her head nodded once. Then twice. Without warning, she tipped sideways and landed squarely on Meilin, who had unknowingly sat on the carpet beside the sofa while waiting for her. "Young Miss!" Meilin groaned, struggling beneath her. "Huh?" Zilan blinked in confusion, still half asleep. "I... can't... breathe..." For a second, Zilan stared blankly before bursting into embarrassed laughter. "Oh! Meilin!" She quickly climbed to her feet and stretched out a hand. "Are you alright?" Meilin accepted the help with a dramatic sigh. "I survived... barely." Zilan giggled again. "I think I'm finally sleepy." "You think?" Meilin muttered under her breath. Still laughing to herself, Zilan staggered toward the hallway. "I'll go to bed now. Good night." "Young Miss..." Meilin called after her. "Your room is the other way." Zilan froze. She slowly turned around before scratching the back of her head with an awkward smile. "Oh..." Meilin couldn't help laughing. Sometimes, she wondered how someone so intelligent could also be so hopelessly absent-minded. With gentle encouragement, she guided Zilan upstairs before anyone else in the mansion noticed. ZILAN POV ------------------------------- The sun's rays filtered through the curtains, casting a warm golden glow across the spacious bedroom. The once dim room slowly came to life as the morning light reflected softly against the polished wooden floor and cream-colored walls. A gentle breeze drifted in through the slightly open balcony doors, causing the sheer curtains to sway lazily. The room, though luxurious, carried the familiar signs of its owner's carefree personality. The duvet was hopelessly tangled at the foot of the king-sized bed, while pillows were scattered in every direction. One had somehow found its way onto the floor, and another was trapped beneath a pile of blankets. A pair of slippers rested far apart, as if they had been kicked off without a second thought the night before. An open novel lay on the bedside table beside a pair of reading glasses and a half-empty glass of water. In the middle of the bed, Zilan slept diagonally, One leg hung carelessly over the edge of the bed while the other disappeared beneath the rumpled blanket. Her dark hair spread wildly across the pillow, and every now and then, a tiny, sleepy snore escaped her lips. "Ugh..." she groaned, pulling the blanket over her head in a hopeless attempt to escape the morning sunlight. A soft knock echoed through the quiet bedroom before the door slowly creaked open. "Young Miss?" Meilin peeked inside, only to find exactly what she had expected. Zilan was still asleep. Shaking her head helplessly, Meilin walked over to the bed. The Young heiress was buried beneath the blanket like a cocoon, with only a few messy strands of hair sticking out. A helpless smile tugged at Meilin's lips. "Young Miss... wake up." No response. She leaned closer. "Young Miss, it's already morning." Still nothing. With a sigh, Meilin gently pulled the blanket away from Zilan's face. "Mm..." Zilan frowned immediately and reached out blindly, trying to snatch the blanket back. "Meilin..." she mumbled sleepily. "Can't you let me sleep for just a little longer? I barely slept last night." "You wouldn't be saying that if you had listened to me," Meilin replied with a knowing smile as she folded the blanket neatly. "I told you not to stay up watching dramas." Zilan pouted without opening her eyes. "It was the final episode..." "And now you're paying the price." Meilin folded her arms, trying not to laugh at the sleepy expression on her young mistress's face. "Young Miss, you really have to get up." "Five more minutes..." "No." "Three?" "No." "One?" Meilin chuckled before finally delivering the news she had been saving. "Madam Feng Yulan is here." Silence. Then— "What?" Zilan's eyes flew open. She shot upright so suddenly that her hair fell over her face. "Grandma is here?" "Yes," Meilin nodded, amused by the dramatic change. "She arrived a an hour ago and is waiting downstairs." "Oh no!" Zilan hurriedly jumped off the bed. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" "I've been trying to wake you for the past five minutes." Meilin felt wrongly accused. Zilan hurried toward the bathroom Just as she reached for the door, Meilin called after her "Young Miss, Your clothes, towel, and everything else have already been prepared" Zilan paused and smiled over her shoulder. "See? That's why I can't live without you, Meilin" Meilin laughed. About twenty minutes later... Freshly showered and dressed in a simple yet elegant cream-colored dress, Zilan hurried downstairs with Meilin following closely behind. She had already prepared an excuse in her mind hoping no one would notice how tired she actually looked. The moment she stepped into the spacious living room, her eyes landed on the elegant elderly woman seated gracefully on the sofa. It was Madam Feng Yulan, the revered matriarch of the Feng family. At seventy years old, Feng Yulan remained as composed and dignified as ever. Time had etched gentle lines across her face, but they did nothing to diminish the wisdom reflected in her sharp eyes. Every decision she made carried weight within the Feng family, and even the company's senior executives respected her judgment without question. Though she possessed the authority of a leader, those closest to her knew she also had the warmest heart—especially when it came to her beloved granddaughter. The instant Feng Yulan saw Zilan, the stern expression on her face melted into a loving smile. "My precious Zilan." "Grandma!" Zilan hurried over and threw her arms around her grandmother without a second thought. Feng Yulan laughed softly, wrapping her granddaughter in a warm embrace before gently patting her back. "My little girl... let Grandma have a good look at you." Holding Zilan at arm's length, she carefully examined her face before affectionately cupping her cheeks. "You've gotten even prettier since the last time I saw you." Zilan smiled sheepishly. "I wonder who I inherited my beauty from." Feng Yulan chuckled and lightly tapped her forehead. "You shameless little girl." The two shared a laugh before Feng Yulan's smile slowly faded into one of concern. She gently brushed a loose strand of hair away from Zilan's face. "My dear..." Her brows knitted together slightly. "Did you not sleep well last night?" Instinctively, Zilan touched the area beneath her eyes. "What makes you say that?" "You have little dark circles under your eyes," Feng Yulan replied softly. "And your face looks tired." "Oh..." Zilan let out an awkward laugh and scratched the back of her head. "I was just... reading a novel." Meilin, who had been standing quietly behind them, coughed lightly. "Young Miss also stayed up watching the last episode of her favorite historical drama." "Meilin!" Zilan gasped, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "You traitor." Meilin lowered her head respectfully, though the smile tugging at the corners of her lips betrayed her. Feng Yulan shook her head helplessly. "You never learn, do you? How many times have I told you not to sacrifice your sleep?" Zilan slipped her arm through her grandmother's and rested her head lightly against her shoulder. "I promise I'll sleep early tonight." "You said the same thing the last time." "...This time I really mean it." Before Feng Yulan could reply, footsteps echoed from the staircase. One after another, members of the Feng family began making their way downstairs. A Young man lazily stuffed one hand into his pocket as he descended the stairs, wearing an expression that clearly showed his dissatisfaction. "There she is." He looked directly at Zilan before dramatically checking the time on his wristwatch. "Do you have any idea what time it is? It's already past eight-thirty." Feng Yichen let out an exaggerated sigh. "The entire family has been waiting for Her Highness to wake up before breakfast." Zilan folded her arms. "Oh? Were you starving?" "A little." "A little?" she teased. "You look like you've been fasting for three days." A few chuckles escaped around the room. Feng Yichen clicked his tongue dramatically. "Grandma insisted nobody should start breakfast until you came downstairs. Uncle postponed his meeting, Aunt delayed leaving for work, and I had to sacrifice my precious beauty sleep." "You don't need beauty sleep," Zilan replied with a grin. "It wouldn't help anyway." The room erupted in laughter. "Hey!" Before the playful argument could continue, Feng Yulan cleared her throat gently. Instantly, the room fell silent. "That's enough." Although her voice remained calm, it carried the quiet authority of someone everyone respected. "No one forced you to wait." She glanced fondly at Zilan. "My granddaughter rarely gets the chance to have breakfast with the whole family. Waiting a little longer was hardly a great sacrifice." Yichen immediately raised both hands in surrender. "I was only joking, Grandma." "I know." Feng Yulan smiled knowingly. "Now, shall we finally have breakfast before everything gets cold?" Everyone nodded and followed her toward the dining room, the cheerful atmosphere returning once again. The dining table was soon filled with the comforting aroma of freshly prepared breakfast. Plates of steamed buns, fried rice, dumplings, eggs, fresh fruit, and warm soy milk were neatly arranged across the long table. As everyone took their seats, Feng Yulan naturally occupied the seat at the head of the table, while the rest of the family settled into their usual places. "Come, Zilan," Lianhua(Zilan Mother) said with a gentle smile, patting the chair beside her. "Sit here" Zilan happily took the seat and reached for a dumpling. Before she could take a bite, her mother frowned slightly. "Wait." "Hm?" Lianhua gently held her daughter's chin, turning her face from one side to the other. "I knew it." "What?" "You're getting thinner." Zilan blinked. "Mom..." "You've been skipping proper meals again, haven't you?" "I have not." "You have." "I haven't." Feng Yichen couldn't resist joining in. "I can testify, Aunt. Half the time she forgets to eat because she's too busy watching historical dramas." Zilan shot him a glare. "Nobody asked for your witness statement." "I'm simply presenting the facts." Everyone at the table laughed. Lianhua sighed before placing another dumpling onto Zilan's plate. "Eat." "Mom..." "And finish your vegetables." "Mom" Zilan whined tugging at her sleeve. Across the table, Feng Zhiyuan set his tablet aside before looking up at his daughter. "Your mother is right." Zilan looked at him hopefully. "You're going to defend me, aren't you?" "I'm going to agree with your mother." She let out an exaggerated groan. "Not you too, Dad." "You've been sleeping late almost every night," Zhiyuan said calmly. "Good health is more important than finishing another episode." Grandma Feng Yulan nodded in agreement. "Your father is correct." Zilan looked from one face to another before dramatically placing a hand over her heart. "So... this is an intervention?" "It is," Feng Yichen answered without hesitation. "You've all planned this!" "No," he replied with a grin. "But since we're here, maybe we should also discuss your terrible sleeping habits." Zilan picked up a steamed bun and pointed it at him. "One more word and this bun is flying across the table." "I'd like to see you try." "Oh?" She pretended to throw it. Feng Yichen immediately ducked. The entire table burst into laughter. Even Feng Yulan covered her smile with her teacup. Lianhua shook her head fondly. "You two are impossible." "They've been like this since they were Children" Zhiyuan said with a rare smile "And they'll probably still be arguing when they're old," Feng Yulan added. "I won't," Zilan protested. "I'll be very mature." Feng Yichen raised an eyebrow. "You?" "You couldn't even wake up before eight-thirty this morning." "I was conserving my energy." "For what?" "To argue with you." Another round of laughter echoed through the dining room. For a little while, nothing else seemed to matter. There were no worries. No hidden secrets. No impossible destinies waiting to unfold. Only the cheerful voices of a family enjoying an ordinary morning together. None of them realized that this simple breakfast, filled with laughter, teasing, and love, would one day become one of the memories Feng Zilan cherished most.