In a room saturated with a light lilac hue that spoke of girlishness, a young woman lay pale-faced upon the vast, round bed, clutching her duvet. Fine beads of sweat dotted her smooth, full forehead, and her silk-like, long hair clung to her face, accentuating the crystal-clear, snow-white quality of her skin. Her two long, slender legs were tightly braced against the covers, her hands gripping the fabric as if trying desperately to hold onto something intangible.

A faint sound of knocking echoed from outside, finally shattering Ning Yunhuan’s immersion in a nightmare. Her apricot-shaped eyes snapped open instantly.

“Huanhuan, time to get up. Your elder brother is back, which is rare enough; he’s downstairs now,” Ning Yunhuan’s mother, Madam Ning, spoke from just outside the door.

The mention of ‘elder brother’ caused Ning Yunhuan’s pupils to contract sharply, her face instantly registering a complex mixture of fear, intricacy, and bitter hatred!

The Ning family currently had one son and one daughter. Ning Yunhuan’s elder brother, Ning Yuncheng, hadn't been particularly close to her before, but they shouldn't have drifted so far apart either. Yet, over the past year, Ning Yunhuan had deliberately kept him at a cold distance. Observing this, Mr. and Mrs. Ning hoped Madam Ning’s early morning visit would facilitate a reconciliation between the siblings.

However, the conflicted expression in Ning Yunhuan’s eyes was impossible to conceal whenever Ning Yuncheng’s name was mentioned. The Ning family’s fortune began with Ning Yunhuan’s grandfather, who started in the theater world. By now, they managed a mid-sized talent agency in the capital, representing several second and third-tier models and actors. While not outrageously wealthy by Beijing standards, their family status was certainly far above that of an ordinary household. Ning Yunhuan, being the sole daughter, had been pampered since childhood, raised to be naive and oblivious to the world’s harsh realities.

If life had continued on this placid course, it would have been fine. Unfortunately, the tranquility of the Ning family shattered the moment Ning Yuncheng encountered the nemesis of his destiny.

Mr. Ning’s business acumen was mediocre. Ning Yuncheng had only recently returned from studying in England two years prior and currently held the title of General Manager at the family company. However, his nature was inherently dissolute; he could probably list by heart every female model or artist in the company he’d become involved with, yet he paid absolutely no mind to the company’s actual operations. If it had stopped there, the Ning family could have simply ceased running the enterprise, perhaps closing shop and settling for the life of comfortably rich commoners. But Ning Yuncheng met the person destined to be his undoing. In the end, for the sake of that woman, he not only tricked Ning Yunhuan into relinquishing half of her inheritance but also angered his father to death, eventually handing the entire Ning family business over to that woman, just hoping for a single smile in return.

Having been in this world for over twenty years, Ning Yunhuan could no longer recall exactly how many years ago it was when, after reading an explicitly suggestive novel, she was reborn as the novel’s supporting female character. In her previous life, she had made numerous efforts over two decades to alter the tragic fate awaiting the supporting character. Yet, despite all her careful planning and suppressing her natural self to become the complete opposite of the book’s character, although she managed to evade the written doom, she unexpectedly ushered in an ending that was scarcely better.

When Ning Yunhuan awoke from the despairing death of her previous life more than half a year ago, for some inexplicable reason, she found herself returned to the age of eighteen. During the initial period after her return, she lived as if perpetually dreaming, only recently beginning to feel somewhat grounded. However, when it came to Ning Yuncheng, Ning Yunhuan no longer possessed the desire to proactively mend ties with her elder brother as she had in her past life. The memory of the look on Ning Yuncheng’s face when he deceived her into yielding half the company inheritance to that woman, and the expression he wore when he personally slandered his own sister just to placate his mistress, were still vividly etched in her mind.

Madam Ning knocked for a while, and perhaps assuming her daughter had fallen back asleep, the sound gradually subsided after a stretch of time.

Ning Yunhuan, too, could no longer sleep. She feared drifting off only to be trapped in memories of the past. After lingering in bed for a while longer, she finally sighed and rose to draw open the light-purple curtains. It was late August, and the sunlight outside was perfect—soft rays spilling onto her skin. Others might find the warmth stifling, but Ning Yunhuan adored the sensation of sunlight on her body.

The last place she inhabited in her previous life was a dark, sunless hell, dying finally in that shadowed corner. The sunshine that ordinary people might not cherish was something she adored.

After rising, washing, and getting ready, Ning Yuncheng and his father were gone downstairs; only Madam Ning remained, sitting in the living room flipping through a magazine. Seeing her daughter descend, Madam Ning sighed, “You, girl, why are you sleeping in so late? You didn't respond when Mama knocked. Your elder brother is back for a rare visit, and you didn't even see him.”

Ning Yuncheng was notoriously frivolous, contrasting sharply with his father’s rigid and stern demeanor. Mr. Ning strongly disapproved of his son’s slovenly ways and his habit of getting involved with the company’s female artists. Consequently, every time they met, Mr. Ning would scold him. To secure his own carefree freedom, Ning Yuncheng eventually moved to one of the Ning family’s villas in Blue Mountain, providing him with an easy locale for his dissolute pursuits.

“Mama, if I want to see Big Brother, I only need to check the papers any day,” Ning Yunhuan replied. Though the Ning family's stature wasn't immense compared to many in the capital, Ning Yuncheng’s constant association with so-called celebrities, coupled with his not-unpleasant appearance, earned him a spot among the "Five Young Masters of the Capital" alongside a few other playboy friends. He was tabloid fodder; glance at the entertainment section, and one would likely see reports every few days of him with some actress in his arms—the very thing Mr. Ning detested most.

Madam Ning detected the indifference in her daughter’s tone and felt a familiar helplessness.

For some unknown reason, Ning Yunhuan and Ning Yuncheng seemed less like true siblings. Things were somewhat better before Ning Yuncheng went abroad, but after his return, the distance between them grew increasingly pronounced. These were her two children; she cared for both equally and hated seeing them remain so estranged. After a moment’s thought, she stood up. “Huanhuan, wait and accompany Mama out for a bit later, and we can stop by your father’s company.”

Having been a mother and daughter for almost two lifetimes, Ning Yunhuan knew exactly what was on her mother’s mind. She quickly shook her head. “Mama, I already have plans with Fu Yuan.” Had it not been for the events of her previous life, Ning Yunhuan might have accepted her mother’s kind offer. But carrying the baggage of her past life, the moment she heard she might have to meet Ning Yuncheng, a deep-seated resistance surfaced instinctively.

“School starts in a few days; I wanted to check out the university first.” Fu Yuan was a friend Ning Yunhuan had known for many years; their personalities were almost identical—quiet, reserved, and demure. The families were also comparably positioned; the Fu family had made its money in department stores and was now quite well-off. The families had socialized, and since Fu Yuan was nearly the same age, their bond had remained strong from middle school through high school graduation, culminating in both choosing to attend the same university in the capital.

Upon hearing that Ning Yunhuan had plans with Fu Yuan, Madam Ning recognized the name and was quite pleased that her daughter associated with such a quiet and well-behaved girl. She nodded her assent.

Ning Yunhuan breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. She had genuinely feared Madam Ning would insist on her reconciling with Ning Yuncheng. Now that her mother had agreed to her request, a weight lifted from her shoulders, though the imminent start of the semester a couple of days away brought fresh anxiety.

The woman Ning Yuncheng fell in love with in the previous timeline attended the same school as Ning Yunhuan, just two years her senior. It was through Ning Yunhuan’s connection that they met, leading directly to the tragic second half of Ning Yunhuan’s life.

The outcome of the previous life had not changed. Through a twist of fate, Ning Yuncheng accidentally took the heroine’s virginity because of Ning Yunhuan’s involvement, causing him to become utterly devoted to the heroine, thus beginning Ning Yunhuan’s life of futile effort to change fate.

If she had returned earlier, Ning Yunhuan might not have chosen this university. Because she had been spoiled since birth, her father couldn’t bear to let her leave home for long, which is why she had chosen this local institution. She hadn't expected that upon rebirth, she would land right back at the starting point of everything.

There was supposed to be military training for incoming freshmen, but Mr. Ning, unwilling to let his daughter suffer hardship, donated money to the school and arranged a medical leave for her. The military training Ning Yunhuan had somewhat anticipated was thus abruptly canceled. She settled for staying home and reading.

Any inherent rebelliousness had been almost entirely exhausted in her previous life, so she could now settle down quietly. The early September weather still held the lingering heat of the autumn tiger. Just as the military training ended, Fu Yuan called to ask her out shopping. Thinking that staying home would only lead to boredom, she agreed it was better to get out for a walk.

She had just changed downstairs when she heard the sound of a car arriving outside.

The area where the Nings lived comprised an entire independent villa, with the surrounding lawn falling within the Ning family’s grounds. Unless a Ning family member was arriving, even the sound of another car returning wouldn't be this loud. Madam Ning had been invited out, and Mr. Ning, ever stern, should be holding court at the company. Could the returning driver be Ning Yuncheng?

This thought surfaced as Ning Yunhuan stepped out, shading herself with a parasol, just in time to see Ning Yuncheng dismounting from his car. He had soft, shoulder-length hair, tied back with a small elastic band to keep the fringe off his broad forehead. Despite the intense heat, he wore a shirt of iron-grey silk and snow-white casual trousers, highlighting his tall, slender frame. Seeing the demurely dressed Ning Yunhuan emerge, he frowned:

“Where are you going?” Ning Yuncheng was seven years her senior, exactly twenty-five this year. His tied-back hair didn't look effeminate but instead lent him a slightly untamed air. Several of the top buttons on his shirt were undone, faintly revealing the solid chest beneath. Any other woman seeing him like this would likely be instantly captivated.