Volume One Chapter One: Rebirth

In Shanghai, dawn was breaking, and the mist laced with water vapor gradually dissipated.

The woman sat up abruptly from her bed, her almond-shaped eyes filled with alertness and confusion.

The familiar faintly sweet scent lingered at the tip of her nose; the softness of the mattress and quilt beneath her made her relax, rubbing her temples.

After her death, she had been dragged by a four-dimensional being called the System into a strange place. It promised her that if she cleared all the levels, she would have a chance at rebirth. If she ranked first, it would even gift her the space itself.

She paid with a leg and an arm, but she succeeded in returning with the space!

[System, are you still there?]

No voice answered her, only emptiness in her heart.

"Sister, are you awake? I have something to tell you."

Her brother—Jiang Jingguo, the Jiang family’s adopted son—called for her outside the room.

Today was the day, the beginning of everything.

In her previous life, Jiang Jingguo had told her on this day that the Jiang family was on the purge list. To save the family, she had to marry his superior.

His superior was a pudgy, middle-aged man from the capital, rumored to have some influence.

She refused, so Jiang Jingguo colluded with her best friend to drug her and send her into that man’s room.

When she woke, rumors swept through Shanghai, and she was forced into marriage.

Before the wedding, she went to the basement to collect the dowry her mother left for her, only to find that the Jiang family’s assets had already been emptied.

Jiang Jingguo absconded with the money, and at that moment, the Red Guards broke in, dragging her out to be paraded through the streets, before exiling her to the Northern Wilderness.

She died wretchedly in a cowshed in the depths of winter.

She flung off the quilt, stepped onto the cold marble floor, and, without bothering with shoes, marched to the door and yanked it open.

Smack—

A slap landed squarely on the man’s handsome face; his glasses were knocked askew, barely hanging from his ear.

Jiang Yingli hadn’t held back, yet seeing he hadn’t been knocked over, she felt regret—her strength was gone.

"Yingli, are you still half-asleep?" The man adjusted his glasses and looked at her, his voice gentle as always, showing no sign of annoyance at her outburst.

Jiang Yingli admired his endurance and replied coolly, "Yes, I’m going back to sleep. Let’s talk when I wake up."

With a bang, she shut the door and hurried back to sit at her dressing table.

She feared that if she saw him any longer, she wouldn’t be able to restrain herself from stabbing him.

This was not an apocalypse game; murder had consequences.

After practicing a set of punches in her room, feeling her whole body awakened, she glanced at the wall clock—eleven o’clock.

She took a shower, changed slowly, and went downstairs.

Jiang Jingguo sat on the sofa with a woman, their arms touching.

How foolish she’d been in her past life—not to see there was something between them.

"Gu Man, you’re here too? Did my brother ask you to wake me?" she asked, feigning innocence, not giving them a chance to speak before continuing, "I happen to want to go to the Overseas Chinese Store. Will you come with me?"

A flicker of greed flashed in Gu Man’s eyes; she quickly agreed before Jiang Jingguo could answer, "Of course!"

As she rose, she pressed Jiang Jingguo’s shoulder, signaling with her eyes that she would handle it.

Their interaction didn’t escape Jiang Yingli’s notice; as she lowered her head to put on her shoes, her eyes turned cold.

Today, Jiang Jingguo’s superior—the one he wanted her to marry—would be at the Overseas Chinese Store. Last time, he created quite a stir.

Bringing Gu Man along was for her to become the target, so that the man would be drawn to her instead, thus shattering Jiang Jingguo’s schemes.

For now, Jiang Jingguo could not be touched; he had probably already moved out half of the Jiang family’s assets. She had to make him spit them back out.

Even if she didn’t want them, she would never let Jiang Jingguo keep them!

The two entered the Overseas Chinese Store as usual, Gu Man leading her to the clothing section.

But today, Jiang Yingli smiled and said, "Let’s look at the jewelry instead!"

Gu Man’s fox-like eyes lit up, her smile two shades more genuine, as she linked arms with Jiang Yingli and headed upstairs, as if afraid she might run off.

Inside the jewelry shop, Gu Man finally released her grip and started admiring the pieces, her gaze lingering on a diamond necklace placed alone in a display case.

"Comrade, please take out that necklace for us to try," Jiang Yingli said, gesturing toward the dazzling diamond necklace in the case.

The teardrop-shaped purple diamond pendant was surrounded by a circle of small diamonds, the fire under the lights captivating.

The clerk, wearing white gloves, took out the necklace and held it before her neck, moving the mirror closer.

"Miss, this necklace suits you very well."

Jiang Yingli turned her head, clicking her tongue in mild dissatisfaction, "It feels too extravagant—there’s no occasion to wear it."

She tugged at Gu Man, "Here, you try it."

Gu Man made no attempt to refuse, stepping forward to let the clerk put the necklace on her.

While Gu Man tried the necklace, Jiang Yingli glanced toward the corridor, watching until a hulking figure appeared in her line of sight, and then she smiled.

Clutching her stomach, she groaned, her face pale and sweating as if genuinely in pain, "Manman, my stomach hurts—I need to use the restroom."

Gu Man, admiring the necklace on her neck, frowned, "Is there a restroom here?"

The clerk apologized, "No, miss, only outside."

Gu Man, reluctant to remove the necklace, thought she wouldn’t run off, and said magnanimously, "Hurry back."

As usual, Jiang Yingli would return from the restroom and eagerly pay for Gu Man.

Both Jiang siblings were hopeless fools.

Jiang Yingli agreed, holding her stomach as she jogged away. She stayed in the restroom for five minutes before leaving, and, seeing the man enter the jewelry store, she headed downstairs satisfied.

In her previous life, he’d also come to the Overseas Chinese Store, and spotted a woman trying on a necklace in the jewelry shop. Lust took hold, and he used underhanded means.

The woman, disgraced, jumped from the building, and the matter was left unresolved.

She wondered what Gu Man would choose this time.

Straightening her clothes, she made her way to her workplace.

After returning to China, she had worked in the translation section of the Shanghai Foreign Affairs Department. Thanks to her outstanding performance, she quickly became a permanent staff member.

But today, as she entered the office, her colleagues cast her strange looks—pity, disdain, and schadenfreude.

Jiang Yingli ignored their stares and went straight to knock on the section chief’s office door.

"Come in."

The section chief was a middle-aged woman, graceful and elegant, her eyes gentle behind her glasses.

"Yingli, isn’t today your day off?"

"Sister, I want to donate some money to the country through our unit."

"How much?"

"All of the Jiang family’s assets."

The chief paused, quickly frowning, "I’ll have to report this higher up. Are you authorized to make this decision?"

The Jiang family had never made Jiang Jingguo’s identity public, so everyone assumed he was in charge now.

Jiang Yingli didn’t answer. Instead, she drew a yellowed document from her chest pocket and unfolded it carefully, handing it over.

The woman glanced at it, her pupils contracting in shock as she looked sharply at Jiang Yingli—was this something she should even be seeing?

"I’ll let the higher-ups know. Wait here."

She poured Jiang Yingli a cup of tea and hurriedly left. The office staff gathered together, whispering in curiosity.