$mathcal{PT}$-symmetric quantum mechanics has been considered an important theoretical framework for understanding physical phenomena in $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric systems, with a number of $mathcal{PT}$-symmetry related applications. This line of research was made possible by the introduction of a time-independent metric operator to redefine the inner product of a Hilbert space. To treat the dynamics of generic non-Hermitian systems under equal footing, we advocate in this work the use of a time-dependent metric operator for the inner-product between time-evolving states. This treatment makes it possible to always interpret the dynamics of arbitrary (finite-dimensional) non-Hermitian systems in the framework of time-dependent $mathcal{PT}$-symmetric quantum mechanics, with unitary time evolution, real eigenvalues of an energy observable, and quantum measurement postulate all restored. Our work sheds new lights on generic non-Hermitian systems and spontaneous $mathcal{PT}$-symmetry breaking in particular. We also illustrate possible applications of our formulation with well-known examples in quantum thermodynamics.
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