Chapter 1

After decades of hard work, Chen Xi was driving her brand-new motorhome, ready to enjoy her well-earned freedom… when the next second, she opened her eyes to meet a familiar yet strange young face, wiping tears.

If you looked too quickly, you might miss the flicker of malice in those eyes.

And when she opened her eyes fully, that malice practically spilled out.

Frowning, Chen Xi sat up—only to feel a sharp pain at the top of her head. She gasped and instinctively reached for her head… but a hand was faster, pressing down on the exact spot that hurt.

Suddenly, bright red blood flowed without warning, trickling over her eyebrows and eyelids and into her eyes.

The pain snapped her mind sharply awake. Realizing the situation, she reacted very differently from her past life: she screamed in agony, then collapsed straight back onto the large bed behind her.

The other person clearly didn’t expect this reaction, and their hand remained trapped under hers.

A loud bang sounded as the door flew open, and several figures rushed into the room.

Chen Xi’s mother was the first to step forward. “What have you done?!” she demanded sharply.

The girl at fault panicked, trying to pull her hand back—but a large palm grasped it firmly. A voice, tinged with schadenfreude, rang out:
“Mom, look at our cousin! She’s doing this to Axi!”

Looking at the hand in her eldest son’s grip, smeared with blood on the thumb, Chen Xi’s mother’s eyes turned red with anger.
“Chen Hong! What are you doing?!”

Her explosive shout drew everyone in the living room’s attention—including Chen Xi, who had just faintly regained consciousness. Tears streamed down her face before she could speak.

“Mom… I just woke up, and my cousin pressed on the wound on my head,” Chen Xi said, her voice a mix of fragility, grievance, and her naturally husky tone.

Even in the brief moment her eyes were closed, she had processed her rebirth.

She silently cursed the heavens: her brand-new motorhome! Her golden years, just starting! And now this?

To make matters worse, she had been reborn at the worst possible moment: at seventeen, just as she was about to be sent to the countryside. At this very point, she learned that her family-arranged fiancé had been stolen by that cunning cousin, and her parents were forcing her to give up the job she had just earned for her eldest brother.

Even in a second life, this was a cruel point to return to. The family she knew now resembled starving wolves, ready to devour her completely, leaving nothing but scraps—a time that had almost driven her to suicide in her previous life.

The wound on her head was proof: she had once banged her head against a wall in desperation, trying to change her tragic fate. And now, she woke up, only to be trapped in the schemes of that innocent-looking cousin.

In her previous life, she had reacted by fiercely pushing the cousin away. The cousin, in turn, had swung her into a wardrobe—just lightly—but due to her delicate skin, it looked much worse than it was. Anyone rushing in would witness the scene exactly as Chen Hong had intended.

This time, Chen Xi quickly assessed the situation and decided on a completely different reaction: she would make Chen Hong feel the bitter pain she had endured.

Chen Hong had not expected such a response. Her other hand, free, attempted to say something, but Chen Xi’s mother grabbed it.

Then Chen Xi’s mother dragged her away.

Seeing this, Chen Xi tried to follow, but the world spun violently, and she collapsed again—scaring everyone. Reluctantly, her family had no choice but to take her to the hospital, where she finally fainted.

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying in a hospital bed. Her anxious mother sat nearby, speaking with her younger brother, Chen Wei.

“Mom! Help me! I don’t want to be sent to the countryside. Let my second sister go instead! If I go, I’ll die! I heard that over in the neighboring village, Awei went there less than a year and got trapped by the village’s female tyrant. After being forced into marriage, he couldn’t escape. I’m way prettier than Awei! If I go, that village bully will definitely come after me!” Chen Wei pleaded, almost choking on his words.

Chen Xi’s mother sighed. “How can I ask your second sister? Her betrothed was already supposed to come back because of Chen Hong’s interference—this hit her hard. Your eldest brother also wants the job you earned. Now you want her to go in your place… how can I even ask?”