Have you ever experienced a nightmare? The kind where you’re fully conscious, able to hear the sounds around you clearly, but can’t wake up? That was precisely the state Meng Suihuan found herself in. She could hear everything—the chatter of people nearby, the barking of a dog in the distance—but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t break free. She tried everything to escape this state, but nothing worked. Instead, she felt like she was sinking deeper into an oppressive abyss.

For instance, right now, she didn’t want to listen, yet voices kept drilling into her head relentlessly.

“My poor daughter! First, your body was seen by that boy from their family, stirring up gossip all over the village. And now, on the morning of your wedding, you’re already lying here like this by afternoon!”

“…”

“If anything happens to my poor daughter, I, Zheng Xiujuan, will risk my life to go to Ning City and demand justice!”

Initially, it was just this woman’s voice, full of cursing. From her words, it seemed like something had happened to her daughter. Before long, another voice, crisp and full of youthful energy, joined in. The tone suggested the speaker was a young girl, unwilling to let the older woman spread misinformation.

“Aunt Xiujuan, stop spouting nonsense! My brother was clearly trying to save her, not like the baseless rumors going around!”

“And as for the new sister-in-law’s situation, you can’t pin that on us! Everyone here saw it. Nobody from our Lu family touched her!”

“She was the one who threw herself at him!”

Both sides argued, with onlookers chiming in to support the young girl. The loud-mouthed woman, however, grew furious and tried to lunge at the girl, only to be held back.

Meng Suihuan couldn’t help but admire the young girl. In such a heated situation, she still defended her brother, even though he seemed like a scumbag. What kind of man abandons his bride on their wedding night and leaves without a word?

Though the crowd managed to hold the loud woman back, they couldn’t silence her booming voice.

“You brat, what nonsense are you spouting? If your brother hadn’t abandoned Huan-girl, would she have done something so foolish?!”

“She was pushed to this by your family!”

The young girl seemed ready to retort but was immediately interrupted by a stern, teacher-like voice.

“Miaomiao, stop talking back to your elders! Haven’t I taught you better? Apologize to Aunt Xiujuan right now!”

The girl, seemingly on the verge of tears, responded with a choked voice but stood her ground.

“I’m telling the truth. I’m not wrong.”

“If you want to apologize, you go. I won’t!”

Meng Suihuan admired the girl’s personality—strong-willed and independent, much like herself. Once she decided on something, no amount of criticism or difficulty could sway her.

“…”

Unfortunately, the girl’s persistence only angered the loud woman further, who saw it as defiance. A new round of yelling erupted, this time even louder than before, grating on Meng Suihuan’s nerves.

This incessant noise was driving her mad. She desperately wished for it all to stop.

As the arguments continued, Meng Suihuan’s consciousness gradually returned. The incessant shouting clawed at her nerves, making her head feel like it might explode.

When she fully regained her senses, the first thing she did was vent her frustration.

“SHUT UP! Can’t you be quiet?!”

Her shout brought instant silence to the chaotic environment.

Two seconds later, she realized something. In her dazed state earlier, she thought she had seen a crowd of dark heads around her.

Meng Suihuan: “?”

Was she hallucinating from listening to all the arguing?

She cautiously opened her eyes and counted.

One, two, three… There were at least twenty or thirty people!

What on earth?!

Why were so many people gathered around her?

Even stranger, their expressions varied: some looked relieved, others excited, and a few were utterly baffled.

Uncertain of the situation, she instinctively asked in a tone of surprise and confusion, “Why are you all gathered here?”

Before anyone could answer, she was enveloped in a suffocating embrace.

“My poor daughter! You’ve finally woken up!”

“You scared your mother to death! Why are you so reckless? What would I do if you left me?”

Though the woman’s words didn’t resonate with Meng Suihuan, her voice struck a familiar chord—it sounded just like the loud-mouthed woman from earlier.

Except for a slight difference in tone, everything else was identical.

But why was the loud-mouthed woman hugging her and calling her daughter? Could she have mistaken her for someone else?

Meng Suihuan couldn’t resist speaking up. “Auntie, I’m not your daughter. You must have mistaken me for someone else.”

Her words stunned not only the woman but everyone around them.

Did she… hit her head?

The loud-mouthed woman quickly recovered and, her volume increasing yet again, exclaimed, “Xiao Huan, don’t you recognize me? I’m your mother, Zheng Xiujuan!”

Seeing no reaction from Meng Suihuan, the woman panicked and dragged a man out from the crowd.

“This is your father, Meng Weidong. Look closely—do you remember him?”

Meng Suihuan shook her head, utterly clueless.

The woman burst into wails again, crying about her daughter losing her memory.

Just then, an authoritative voice called out from the crowd. “Everyone inside, make way! Let Dr. Zhou through!”

People immediately parted to let an elderly man in his fifties or sixties approach. Zheng Xiujuan’s eyes lit up at the sight of him.

“Dr. Zhou, please check on my Xiao Huan! She hit her head and can’t recognize me anymore!”

Dr. Zhou examined Meng Suihuan carefully, checking her pulse and pressing certain points on her body.

Finally, he concluded, “Don’t worry. She’s fine. The impact likely caused some temporary nerve disruption, leading to memory loss. She should recover in time.”

Meng Suihuan: “?”

What nonsense was this man spouting? She hadn’t lost her memory at all.

She remembered everything clearly: attending her friend’s party, driving home, the blinding light, the crash… and the sounds of sirens.

Her pupils dilated as she pieced everything together.

Did… did she die?

An inexplicable emotion surged within her, and her aching head throbbed even more.

She clutched her head to relieve the discomfort while Zheng Xiujuan screamed again, “Doctor—!”

The noise only made Meng Suihuan’s head worse. Through gritted teeth, she croaked, “Can you all… leave?”

Once everyone left, she finally found peace.

As she processed everything, a soft, childlike voice echoed in her mind.

[System reboot complete… Survival System successfully bound.]
[According to the original plot, you suffer from a terminal illness and have three months to live. But now, as long as you work hard to earn money, you can gain life points!]

Meng Suihuan’s spirits lifted immediately.

Earn money to live longer?

It seemed there was a chance to change her fate after all!

Lhaozi’s Note: Hello there! another fresh novel for you! Everyday update!