The door opened, and a figure’s shadow stretched long behind them in the setting sun.
Xia Weiliang’s eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat, and she stared unblinkingly at the person entering.
“Sister Huan?”
She looked at her dazedly, “Why, how did you get here?”
Ji Huan’s gaze was complex, a mixture of pity and disappointment.
“You’re asking me why I’m here? You were fine, why did you jump out of the car?”
“Jump out of the car?”
Xia Weiliang was a bit stunned. She looked at Ji Huan, then at her surroundings, “This… is a hospital?”
“Hmph, remembered now?” Ji Huan pulled a chair over and sat down, her tone gruff. “On the phone, you said you had evidence of Xia Yiran framing you and wanted me to prepare a press conference, but then you jumped out of the car on the way? You tell me, you…”
Ji Huan didn’t even want to talk to her anymore.
“Wait a moment, Sister Huan!”
Xia Weiliang’s mind was a complete mess now. “You said I… got the evidence, and then… I jumped out of the car.”
Ji Huan glared at her. “Xia Weiliang, I’m warning you, don’t play amnesia with me, you’ve used that trick before!”
“No, no, no, this isn’t right!”
Xia Weiliang clutched her head. “I should be in Liujia Village. How did I get back? And the car accident… no, no, I’ve already died once, how can there be another car accident?”
How could this be!
Had she returned again?
Then what did all that happened after rebirth mean?
Where was Xiao Yi? Would this world’s Xiao Yi also forget her and treat her as a stranger?
She dared not think further, curling up on the bed, her body trembling uncontrollably.
The unease in her heart began to grow, larger and larger, forming a giant black vortex that tightly bound her feet, dragging her down with all its might.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Sensing something was amiss, Ji Huan didn’t dare to delay and immediately called for a doctor.
Xia Weiliang thought of something and quickly pulled the blanket over her head.
She must still be dreaming. Hadn’t this happened once before? When she woke up, she went back.
Yes, yes, it must be like this.
She closed her eyes tightly, desperately urging herself to fall asleep.
—
A week later.
“Sister Huan, Sister Wei Liang has been keeping herself locked in her room. She doesn’t respond no matter how we knock.”
Outside the door, Nuomi was anxiously calling Ji Huan.
Inside the room, Xia Weiliang lay on the bed, still forcing herself to sleep.
For so many days, she had been repeatedly forcing herself to sleep, thinking maybe she would go back the next time she woke up.
But seven days had passed!
A whole seven days!
As soon as she opened her eyes, she was in the world of her previous life, a world that wasn’t friendly to her!
She had cried, but it was useless. Xia Weiliang sighed and sat up again.
She had thought a lot these past few days. Assuming she had really returned, or rather, that everything that happened after rebirth was a dream and she hadn’t actually reborn! Regardless of which possibility was true, she had to accept the reality of being in this life.
Nuomi hung up the phone and tentatively knocked on the door again.
“Sister Wei Liang, please get up and eat something. Sister Wei Liang? Wei…”
The door suddenly opened, startling Nuomi.
“Sister Wei Liang, you…”
“I’m hungry, let’s eat.”
She said and walked out of the room.
Nuomi reacted and quickly ran over. “Sister Wei Liang, what do you want to eat?”
“Anything is fine.”
Seeing her listless state, Nuomi’s heart ached. As she served her the cooked porridge, she advised, “Sister Wei Liang, you should try to be more optimistic. Sister Huan said to let you rest for a while, and she’ll arrange work matters. Don’t be discouraged, take care of yourself first. Oh, and she told you not to look at the news online anymore…”
Turning around, Nuomi froze.
Xia Weiliang was holding her phone, looking at news related to herself, one article after another.
Since she had accepted the fact that she had returned, she couldn’t continue to be decadent. She had lived a vibrant life in her reborn world; why would she be defeated here?!
Through this news, she learned that she had jumped out of the car long before the accident and miraculously hadn’t been run over by the car behind her! Even more miraculously, she only sustained minor injuries and had been in a coma at the hospital for three days.
After that, Xia Yiran tearfully lamented in the media, saying she would spare no effort to save her sister, and no matter who she was, she would choose to forgive…
“Pah!”
Xia Weiliang was so angry she almost threw her phone.
But she quickly stopped herself. Her current situation was not good, she had no work, and her savings were almost gone. How could she afford a new phone!
So, she endured.
Nuomi had been observing her carefully. “Sister Wei Liang, are you okay? Come, look, how many fingers is this?”
She held up two fingers.
Xia Weiliang was amused by her. “Don’t worry, my brain isn’t damaged.”
She thought for a moment and called Nuomi back. “There are a few things I need you to do now.”
As she instructed her, Nuomi wrote them down on paper and asked suspiciously, “But… why participate in a variety show? And why must it be Sister Hua and Brother Cheng’s show?”
“Don’t ask, just do as I say and contact them.”
“Alright.” But Nuomi had to pour cold water on her. “Sister Wei Liang, you know as well as I do that your situation… well, it’s caused quite a stir. Many people in the industry don’t welcome you.”
“It’s fine. Just contact them as I told you.”
“Alright.”
Nuomi held no hope, but since Sister Wei Liang had finally mustered some spirit, it wasn’t much for her to run a few more errands.
Nuomi then made a call to Sister Hua’s agent.
Xia Weiliang opened her phone again, swiped her finger across the screen a couple of times, and a news article popped up about the film emperor Xiao Yi.
Another movie that had grossed over a hundred million at the box office.
She traced the face in the photo with her hand, her lips pressed together, trying hard to keep tears from falling.
Was it all a dream?
Xia Weiliang immediately took a deep breath, closed her phone, and refocused.
Whether it was a dream or not, she just needed to verify it.
Having made up her mind, she made an excuse about meeting a friend and went out alone that evening.
Xiao Yi was currently attending an awards ceremony. Finding him wouldn’t be difficult.
Xia Weiliang disguised herself thoroughly and took a taxi to the venue.
But how could she get backstage?
Just then, she heard fans cheering, “Yiran! Yiran! Love you forever!”
Xia Weiliang suddenly turned around and saw Xia Yiran appearing as if she were the center of the universe. She slowly walked onto the red carpet, wearing a beautiful smile and waving at her fans.
Seeing her current splendor, and then thinking of her own downfall after rebirth that led to her quitting the entertainment industry, fate was truly ironic in its omnipresence!
In contrast, she was the one who was in decline.
But so what?
Xia Weiliang was no longer the Xia Weiliang of the past. She was now Niu Gulu·Weiliang!
If she couldn’t pull you down from the altar this time, then all this effort over the past two lives would be in vain!
At this moment, another wave of cheers erupted, even louder. “Xiao Yi! Yi Shen! Ahhhhh!”
Xia Weiliang’s steps suddenly faltered. Hearing that name, her heart ached instantly…