Chapter 1

Autumn always brings a touch of melancholy. The green leaves, full of life just yesterday, have suddenly turned a withered yellow…

“Ms. Li, my condolences.” A slightly weary voice sounded.

Ms. Li wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes and looked up at the speaker. Her aging eyes could barely see clearly, as if covered by a layer of white mist. She stared for a long time before she could make out who it was—An Lan.

An Lan was her most outstanding student—beautiful, obedient, and most importantly, academically exceptional.

What a pity she got married too early…

Otherwise, with her college entrance exam results, she could have gotten into any university in the country.

Now, barely thirty, she already had strands of gray hair. Her face was rough, like unglazed pottery. Her eyes were full of the weariness and helplessness of someone who had weathered too many storms, as though suffering had become her way of life.

They were no longer the clear, bright eyes Ms. Li remembered.

“An Lan?” Ms. Li asked, uncertain.

“It’s me, Ms. Li. I’m sorry… I haven’t visited you all these years.” An Lan had never dared to contact Ms. Li, feeling that she had failed her expectations.

She was afraid of seeing disappointment in her teacher’s eyes.

Today, she had learned from other classmates that Ms. Li’s husband had passed away. Remembering how much Ms. Li had cared for her, she knew she had to come and pay her respects.

“It’s alright. An Lan, I’m just so glad you came to see me. But why didn’t you go to college? Your scores were so high. Such a waste, such a shame!”

“Ms. Li, what… what are you saying? When did I ever get in? Didn’t I fail the exam?” An Lan was stunned. Her calloused hands trembled slightly.

“Fail? No way! I remember it clearly—you scored 335! I even told others you were the most promising one.”

Boom…

An Lan felt as if thunder exploded in her ears, shattering her rationality.

She had always believed she had failed.

That belief hit her hard—she didn’t leave the house for a month, living in a daze.

At the time, most of the youth in her commune had gotten into college. Even those who didn’t had family connections and managed to return to the city.

Only she—no college admission, no family background, no money or ration tickets.

Poverty seemed to define her life.

In truth, An Lan’s family was well-off. Her parents were university professors with good salaries. But her late grandfather had been a wealthy businessman, which led to the An family being targeted during the political purges.

To protect her, her parents quickly arranged for her to be sent to the countryside.

An Lan didn’t want to leave—she wanted to stay with her parents.

She knew people being persecuted never ended well.

She had seen it firsthand—those people were forced to publicly confess, had half their heads shaved, worn broken shoes around their necks, and had their faces painted like clowns.

The physical torture wasn’t what broke them. It was the discrimination, the isolation, the hopelessness.

Her parents were intellectuals. They wouldn’t be able to endure that.

Even so, she was still sent to the countryside—dragged away by officials from the educated youth bureau.

Once there, An Lan worked hard—took every job she could find, even those not assigned to her—hoping to earn a recommendation under the “worker-peasant-soldier” quota.

That was her only way back to the city!

She had to see her parents again!

The desire burned fiercely in her.

But the quota ended up going to another male educated youth…

He was also diligent, so she couldn’t complain.

She was beginning to lose hope—until a miracle came: the college entrance exam was reinstated!!!

The entire commune celebrated. An Lan threw herself into studying. She had always been a top student, and now, reviewing was effortless.

She was supposed to pass with flying colors—but she didn’t!!!

She was forced to stay in Yong’an Village…

Most people would have crumbled—but not An Lan. Her parents were waiting for her.

She couldn’t afford to lose.

She regained her confidence and prepared for the next year’s exam—only to receive the news that her parents had passed away!

It was like a bomb had dropped, obliterating the last pillar of her strength.

She gave up on the exam, lived like a ghost, until the village chief arranged a good marriage for her.

Her husband was paralyzed from the waist down, but came from a well-off family. And so, An Lan barely scraped through life into her thirties—burying her in-laws, then her husband…

But now someone told her—she hadn’t failed the exam. She had been admitted!!!

Someone else had taken her place!!!

Who was it? Who stole her chance at university?!

At that moment, a storm of emotions surged in An Lan’s heart.

She felt lost…

If her life hadn’t been altered, she could have returned to the city, attended university, found her parents—and she had the confidence to bring them home from the labor farm. But everything had changed…

She didn’t even get to see her parents one last time…

The more An Lan thought about it, the more furious and aggrieved she became. This wasn’t the life she was supposed to have!

She had to find out who did it!

She had to ask them—why?!

Why would you do this to me?!

An Lan looked up at the towering skyscrapers, the busy streets, the well-dressed people. In contrast, her coarse linen clothes made her look completely out of place.

She walked in a daze, her mind adrift—until she accidentally bumped into someone.

“Ow! What’s your problem? In a rush to reincarnate?”

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

An Lan came back to her senses, apologizing as she helped the well-dressed woman up.

The woman looked up, recognizing the voice: “An Lan?”

An Lan looked over—Li Yanli?!

“An Lan, I can’t believe it’s you. What happened to you? You used to be the flower of the brigade! So many men fought over you. I wish they could see you now…” Li Yanli sneered, looking at the weathered, poorly dressed woman before her with satisfaction.

An Lan ignored her. Li Yanli had always been hostile toward her back in the commune. She never understood why.

Now was not the time to waste words—she needed to uncover the truth.

As she turned to leave, she heard Li Yanli’s casual voice behind her:

“An Lan, do you want to know why you failed the college entrance exam?”

An Lan froze, then turned and rushed back, grabbing Li Yanli by the collar. Her eyes burned with icy rage. “What do you mean?”

“What do I mean? Don’t you get it?” Li Yanli curled her lips in a smug smile.

“You’ve already seen Ms. Li. You should know—you were replaced, An Lan.”

“Your whole life has been manipulated… What, are you going to let your second half be just as miserable?”

An Lan was shaking with rage, her blood boiling. She nearly bit through her lip to stop herself from tearing the woman apart. “Who was it?!”

Li Yanli’s smile faded. Her gaze turned dark and sinister. She leaned in close to An Lan’s ear—

And whispered three words.

Those three words shocked An Lan to her core.