Shen Miao had a long dream.
That dream seemed to be very, very long. She watched as a bystander as she went from a baby to a naughty little girl, from a naughty little girl to a graceful girl, to a young woman, to the unattainable empress, and finally to the deposed empress in the cold palace, turning into ashes in the raging fire.
She watched as she fell in love with Fu Xiuyi and begged Shen Xin to allow her to marry Fu Xiuyi. She shouted at her younger self that this path was going to lead her to hell, but to no avail. No one could hear her, so she could only watch helplessly as it happened again.