Chapter 3

The numbers quickly jumped to 11.

With a “ding,” the elevator doors slowly opened. Inside stood a man holding a stack of documents, looking somewhat anxious.

After waiting for two seconds and seeing no one enter, the man reached out to press the close button.

As he leaned forward slightly, changing his angle, he noticed Xu Yinghuai standing there in a daze. He hesitated for a moment, adjusted his glasses, and asked, “Are you coming in? This is the down elevator.”

“Of course, I know this is the down elevator!”

“Damn it!”

Xu Yinghuai lifted her head and shouted into the elevator, her eyes tinged red.

The man inside was momentarily stunned. After a brief pause, a flicker of irritation crossed his face, and he muttered, “Lunatic.” Without waiting any longer, he pressed the close button multiple times.

The elevator doors slowly shut in front of Xu Yinghuai. She turned around and, relying on the few memories she had from previous visits, made her way toward Zhou Zirong’s studio.

Li Yi was puzzled. “Wait… What are you doing?”

Xu Yinghuai growled in a low voice at Li Yi, who was inside her body, “You still don’t get it?”

“I’m helping you with your interview!”

Li Yi: “You… You’re agreeing to help me?”

Xu Yinghuai noticed that Li Yi’s voice was getting softer and hoarse, and she let out another shout, “If I don’t agree, what else can I do?”

For the first time, Li Yi sounded a little relieved and even happy. “Thank you.”

As the remaining energy of Li Yi inside this body grew weaker, a flood of memories rushed into Xu Yinghuai’s consciousness.

She was forced to accept everything about Li Yi, including the emotional imprints left by key moments in his life.

When these memories fully sank into her consciousness, her only thought was—bitterness. A bitterness that started from the soul, spread to the body, and materialized into taste.

A bitterness that reminded her of the bitter almonds she had accidentally eaten as a child.

But unlike before, when she could simply spit it out in disgust, this time, she had no choice but to swallow it all.

Xu Yinghuai felt overwhelmed and deeply rejected the feeling of being forced to accept something against her will. Just as she was getting frustrated, Li Yi—who had lived through all of this—sincerely said, “Thank you.”

It was a simple but heartfelt “thank you.”

At that moment, a wave of sour emotion swelled inside Xu Yinghuai, reaching its peak.

She suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Li Yi thought she was having second thoughts and hesitated to speak, stumbling over his words, “You… You…”

To her right was a long hallway. Xu Yinghuai glanced at it, then without hesitation, turned into it and stood by a window. She pushed it open.

A girl was walking past behind her. Not wanting to attract attention, Xu Yinghuai took out her phone, put it to her ear, and pretended to be on a call.

Then, she spoke:

“Li Yi, listen to me carefully!”

“Your name is Li Yi—‘Li’ as in ‘sooner or later at peace,’ and ‘Yi’ as in ‘sooner or later at ease.’ These two characters, you better remember them in your next life! Not the ‘Li’ for ‘late’ and ‘Yi’ for ‘hit-and-run’ that you always joke about!”

“You keep saying ‘late’ and ‘hit-and-run’ all the time—no wonder when your time came, you really pulled off some dramatic reincarnation tragedy, turning your life into an over-the-top melodrama of ‘late and hit-and-run’—from a tragic death to reincarnating as some rich girl!”

“Was your life not miserable enough? And now you’re even using your next life’s fate to fulfill a last wish? When you were falsely accused, why didn’t you have the guts to stand up for yourself?”

“How could you lose to that fat, bald, disgusting scumbag?”

Perhaps because Li Yi’s body still carried deep memories of this event, the moment Xu Yinghuai brought it up, her heart twisted with sourness.

The regret and injustice she felt fermented into an endless abyss of emotion—like a deep, raging sea, stirred by the slightest breeze, sending towering waves crashing against the shore.

The girl who had been walking past froze in place, staring at Xu Yinghuai in shock after hearing her words.

Xu Yinghuai was sharp. She caught the girl’s lingering presence through the window’s reflection.

Not wanting to cause unnecessary trouble, she sighed softly and toned down her voice, “I was just using my name as an example. What do you think—does this sound more impactful for the heroine’s lines?”

The girl’s expression softened, and she nodded slightly in understanding before walking away.

Watching the girl’s reflection disappear, Xu Yinghuai took the opportunity to catch her breath. Li Yi also remained silent.

The two simply stayed there in silence.

When Xu Yinghuai spoke again, her voice was much softer.

Leaning on the window sill, she said, “Li Yi, I’m sorry. I was too harsh just now.”

Li Yi: …

“…Mm.”

Xu Yinghuai: “Can you still make it in time to reincarnate now?”

Li Yi: “I don’t know. I have to ask my Ferryman. But I ran away earlier, so we’re not together right now, and I can’t ask him just yet.”

Xu Yinghuai felt a headache coming on but could only sigh helplessly.

Sensing her frustration, Li Yi quickly reassured her, “It’s fine. He’ll track me down sooner or later. Once he finds me, I’ll ask.”

Xu Yinghuai: “Wow, you seem awfully familiar with the reincarnation process for a first-time death.”

Li Yi: “Well, who’s to say this is my first time dying?”

For a moment, the air fell silent. Then, the two of them burst into laughter at the same time.

Two different souls, laughing in sync.

It was, perhaps, their first true moment of connection.

Xu Yinghuai: “Alright, enough joking. There are only five minutes left until your interview starts. While your Ferryman hasn’t caught up yet, think about any last wishes you have—I’ll fulfill them all.”

Li Yi: “A last wish?”

“Can I have one last video call with my mom? I want to see her again.”

“Alright.” Xu Yinghuai immediately lowered the phone from her ear, found the contact, and dialed the video call.

As the phone rang, she quickly gave Li Yi a final instruction:

“Li Yi, once this call is over, you need to go reincarnate immediately. No more delays.”

The phone vibrated, and a voice came through:

“Hello, Xiao Yi?”

Xu Yinghuai lowered her gaze.

On the screen, Li Yi’s mother was in a hospital room, an oxygen tank visible behind her.

Just this simple sight alone made Xu Yinghuai feel like she had been transported into Li Yi’s past.

The unpleasant hospital memories, the smell of disinfectant—everything surged back.

Lowering her hand slightly, Xu Yinghuai held the phone away from herself and whispered:

“Li Yi, in your next life, you must live with pride, wealth, and peace. When your Ferryman comes to take you, do not look back. Leave everything here to me. Otherwise, I’ll never forgive you!”

She took a breath and adjusted the camera.

Now sharing one body, Li Yi could feel Xu Yinghuai’s emotions—the sting in her nose, the warmth in her chest.

Li Yi felt something wrap around her soul, comforting and soft.

She let out a small laugh, her voice light and gentle, “Okay.”

Xu Yinghuai’s heart softened. She paused for a moment while fixing her hair.

Then she smiled sweetly at the screen, dimples appearing at the corners of her mouth, and called out,

“Mom.”