Prologue

Li Yanmei closed her eyes and rubbed her temples, feeling a dull ache in her head.

She had been studying non-stop for the board exam, determined to prove herself as worthy of the engineer title.

Being the only one in her batch who graduated with Latin honors, the pressure and expectations placed upon her increased along with this honor.

But she knew that graduating as a "cum laude" meant nothing if she failed the licensure board exam.

She opened her eyes and looked at the pile of books and papers on her desk. Algebra, calculus, physics, chemistry, mechanics, theory of structures... she had to master them all.

She glanced at the clock and saw that it was almost midnight. "Eh? It's already this late?"

She had been studying since morning, barely taking breaks for meals and snacks. She felt exhausted and drained, but she couldn't afford to slack off.

She reached for her notebook and flipped through the pages, trying to recall the formulas and concepts she had learned. But the numbers and letters seemed to swirl and dance on the paper, mocking her tired eyes.

She blinked and shook her head, wondering if she was hallucinating.

"Am I pushing myself too hard?" she whispered to herself. "Is this what happens when you overload your brain with too much information?"

Heaving a deep sigh, she put down her notebook and decided that it was time to call it a night.

She needed some rest and relaxation, or else she would burn out before the exam day.

Li Yanmei grabbed a banana from the fruit basket on her dresser and peeled it quickly, hoping that the natural sugar would give her a boost of energy.

She ate the banana in a few bites and walked to the bathroom, ready to wash up and go to bed. As she passed by the mirror, she caught a glimpse of her reflection.

She saw a familiar face—a round face with brown eyes and black hair tied in a ponytail. She saw a plain face that didn't need makeup or fancy clothes to look decent. She saw an average face that didn't stand out in a crowd or attract attention.

Li Yanmei didn't mind her appearance much. She was comfortable with who she was and what she looked like. She didn't care about being popular or attractive. She cared about being smart and successful.

But sometimes, she wondered if there was more to life than studying and working hard. Sometimes, she wished she could be more adventurous and outgoing. Sometimes, she wished she could be more healthy and fit.

Shrugging off these thoughts, she splashed some water on her face, feeling the coolness soothe her skin. Right after, she dried herself with a towel and headed to her bedroom, where her cozy bed awaited her.

Crawling under the covers, Li Yanmei closed her eyes, ready to drift off to sleep.

She thought about tomorrow and what it would bring.

Another day of studying and preparing for the board exams.

Another day of following her routine and sticking to her plan.

Another day of pursuing her dream of becoming a licensed engineer.

Little did Li Yanmei know that tomorrow would be different from any other day.

She didn't anticipate that tomorrow would change everything for her.

She didn't know that tomorrow would mark the beginning of an extraordinary journey—a journey that would take her beyond the realm of reality and into the world of dreams.