"I said, right now—I am you."
Li Ke squatted down, forcefully squeezed her chin with both hands, and gritted his teeth, saying, "So, every day you live now is my nightmare!"
"Do you know why?"
"..."
Tian Xin didn't answer; she continued on her own:
"That year, you were the only one in the village who got into college, and I failed! Do you know how they pressured me?"
"..."
"Since senior year, you've been the obedient daughter in my parents' eyes. No matter how hard I try, I can't win my dad's slightest favor. Do you know why?"
"..."
"Because they only want a successful child. Every time you surpass me, it humiliates me. And you hypocritically wanted to be my friend! Do you think I care?"
"What do you mean... I got in?"
Tian Xin felt a bomb go off in her head, with the words "got in" echoing in her ears:
She got in!
"But I clearly didn't receive an acceptance letter..." Halfway through her words, she suddenly understood.
She said, I am you!
"Was it you... What did you do? Why did you do this?"
"Why? You're still asking why?"
Li Ke slowly extended his hand, grabbed her hair, and brought his face close: "Because I wanted to prove to them that you'll never compare to me! Look at your current state, like a drowned rat! It's truly satisfying!"
After speaking, she released her grip, sat on a chair brought by the henchmen, crossed her legs, and lit a cigarette.
"So, how is it? Had enough? If you can't take it, just tell me where the property deed is."
"Why... why are you doing this?"
"Was it you who killed Xiao Xu... was it you!"
The brother died during the time she was waiting for the acceptance letter.
If it was all her...
Then...
"Yes! So what?" Li Ke admitted very directly: "Do you know how much effort I put into getting him there?"
Accident, huh, everyone thought your brother died accidentally! But why did he stop me? I was just taking a letter, why did he stop me?
Dying serves him right! You all deserve it! If you dare block me, I won't let any of you go!"
"You disgraceful!"
How could there be such a vicious person in the world!
"I'll kill you... you beast. He was only 6 years old. For the sake of college, you killed him, destroyed our family, are you even human? Why don't you just die?"
Tian Xin suddenly struggled furiously.
But how could a dozen henchmen be anything a single woman could fight against? Apart from crying and shouting, she could do nothing.
Maybe because of the loud noise, a neighbor came up and knocked on the door, asking, "What's going on?"
"Help... mm mm!" Just as she was about to call for help, a towel was stuffed into her mouth.
This blocked her last bit of hope completely.
Aah!!!!!!
Her desperate cries for help went unheard.
"Knock—knock—knock—"
Seeing no response, the knocking sound grew louder and louder.
Li Ke worried about being noticed, signaled the henchmen to handle it outside.
With a few people gone, she seized the chance, broke free with all her might, took out the towel from her mouth, and charged to grab a knife to slash at Li Ke!
Li Ke dodged the knife, grabbed Liu Bo standing by the side, and pushed him towards her!
A group of henchmen took the opportunity to snatch the knife from her hand, surrounding the two in the middle.
Li Ke, enraged, ran over, grabbed Liu Bo by the collar, and said fiercely, "Liu, I don't want this money anymore. You have to kill her for me right now! Damn it, she actually dared to slash me, if she doesn't die today, I'm going to kill you!"
Liu Bo looked around in sheer terror, his legs shaking like a sieve. Within seconds, he lifted his head, his eyes full of malice.
He moved slowly, inching towards Tian Xin, his fists clenching with cracking sounds.
"What are you doing? Don't come over, don't come over!! Liu Bo! I'm pregnant, we have a child, don't hit me, don't! Don't!!!!!!!"
She screamed in fear!
However— it was pointless!
A barrage of punches landed mercilessly on her body, and not long after she stopped moving!
Bright red blood flowed continuously from her lower body, staining her dress, staining the floor.
She lay on the ground barely alive!
In the end, she couldn't hold on...
"Li Ke, you beast... I will never forgive you in this life... If I could do it over again, I definitely wouldn't let you get away with it... And you, Liu Bo, in the next life don't let me meet you again, if I do, I'll make you pay, you both wait for it..."
Exhausting the last of her strength, she finished saying these words.
She weakly turned her head, glancing at the direction of a flowerpot. In there, she had hidden a cell phone. She intended to leave evidence, to reveal them!
Unexpectedly... it was impossible now!
Tian Xin died with her eyes open, in a tragic and desperate state!
————
"Xinxin, wake up! Wake up!"
An urgent voice called her by her ear, and Tian Xin struggled to open her eyes.
...
Where is this?
Who is she?
A woman stood in front of her, looking like her mother.
She widened her eyes in shock: "Is it you, mom?"
Without waiting for her answer, she cried out, "Mom, don't leave me, they're beating me, don't go!"
The intense stimulus left her unable to distinguish whether this was a dream or reality, she only tightly grabbed the person in front of her, begging to grasp the last thread of life.
"Xinxin, what's wrong? Mom is here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, mom is here, mom is here!"
That person hugged her gently in comfort!
"Mom, how are you here... Are we meeting in the underworld?" She sobbed uncontrollably!
"What nonsense are you saying? What underworld? Why are you talking nonsense, do you have a fever?" The woman touched her forehead. "No fever either!"
"Look at mom! We're alive and well!"
Living… well?
She gasped for breath, raising her head in terror, looking at the woman's face.
Is this really mom? But... what's going on?
Mom actually looked like her younger self.
She had short hair, wore coarse clothes, her feet covered in mud, as if she had just come back from the field.
"Mom, where is this? Am I not dead? You're not dead either?" she asked tentatively.
The woman smiled: "This is our home! What nonsense are you saying? What dead or alive? We're all alive and well!"
Still alive? Not dead? At home?
Isn't that right!
She looked around; everything before her wasn't this at home? The high and low cabinets, the writing desk, the old Yellow River brand TV, walls plastered with newspapers, and the rocking chair that dad made just for her.
This was her room back at her mother's house.
But wasn't she clearly dead just now? How could she be here?
"Mom, what year is it now?"
"It's 2000!
"2000? Not… 2024?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? It's still a long way to 2024! How old are you?"
She quickly glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was indeed 2000, July 28th.
2000, Millennium Year. July 28th?
Could it be... she's still alive?
Reborn?
Wait, July 28th!
"Mom, where's my brother?"
She suddenly noticed—
In her previous life, her brother died on this day!
"Mom, where's Xiao Xu? Where's Xiao Xu?" she grabbed her mom excitedly, shouting.
"He was still in the yard just now?" Mom glanced out the window, not seeing anyone.
"Maybe he went out to play, don't worry about him..." Mom said with a smile: "You just woke up, get some rest, hey... where are you going?"
"Mom, hurry, to the old house! Hurry and save Xiao Xu. If we're any later it'll be too late!"
She put on her shoes and ran out without stopping.
Mom chased after her asking: "What on earth is going on? Where are you going?"
"Don't ask, mom, quickly find someone, gather more people, to the old house!"
With that, she went out the door and vanished...