"Where am I?" Wang Qiqi opened her eyes in a daze, finding herself in a room with yellowed walls. The wiring was exposed along the walls, which deeply puzzled her. Who would decorate a house nowadays without concealing the electrical conduits within the walls? Leaving the wires out like this was unheard of.

Wang Qiqi thought back to how she was pushed off a cliff by that despicable couple. That cliff wasn't short; even if she hadn't died from the fall, she should have been at least crippled. Moreover, those two scoundrels wouldn't have the kindness to send her to a hospital. Could it be that her luck finally turned, and some hikers found her and brought her to a hospital?

Wang Qiqi looked around again and realized this wasn't a hospital; it resembled her old home. But this house had been usurped by her uncle and aunt. Three years after her parents passed away, they had tricked her into selling the property, giving her a mere few tens of thousands of yuan from the proceeds. How could she have been so foolish back then to let them manipulate her completely?

The mere thought of their faces made Wang Qiqi want to vomit. They were her father's own brother, yet their actions were worse than those of mere neighbors. The one who hurt her most, however, was Gao Kai. For him, Wang Qiqi had lost everything—both her fortune and her future. She had even paid for his entire university tuition. Her reasoning then was simple: since she was destined to marry him eventually, whatever money her parents left behind could be spent on him, as long as he treated her well.

Back then, Wang Qiqi had completely forgotten that men are unreliable creatures. If they decide to change their minds, they won't spare a thought for all you sacrificed for them, especially for an orphan girl like her who eventually spent all her money on him. Instead, she became a thorn in his side. Meanwhile, her cousin, Wang Rui, managed to acquire her family home at a low price—mostly thanks to the manipulations of Gao Kai's parents (her uncle and aunt)—and the money obtained was swindled away by Gao Kai.

"Wang Qiqi, you truly are an idiot," she muttered to herself foolishly. But then, a possibility struck her. How could she be in this room? She hadn't set foot in this house since the property transfer had been finalized.

Could this be rebirth? Wang Qiqi, who frequently devoured web novels in her previous life, suddenly grasped the notion. Could heaven truly favor her so much? With this thought, Wang Qiqi immediately leaped out of bed. "I hope I can make it before something happens to my parents."

Wang Qiqi’s parents often took evening strolls after dinner, sometimes wandering out and then heading to the supermarket to check for fresh clearance deals. There was a supermarket nearby where bread, vegetables, and fruit were discounted after 8 PM. Wang Qiqi's mother frequently bought these items. In the past, Wang Qiqi thought their family was quite modest because they always bought discounted goods. But later, she learned her parents had left her a considerable sum. By the time Wang Qiqi understood the importance of money to a child who had lost her parents, she had none left, surviving only on a meager salary, owning neither a house nor a car. How could the Gao family, who prized wealth above all else, possibly favor her as a daughter-in-law? They only tolerated her because it would have been embarrassing for them to cast her aside, given that the neighborhood knew she had spent substantial amounts on the Gao family before even formally becoming engaged.

"I must save my parents’ lives and stay far away from those toxic people," Wang Qiqi declared, or perhaps vowed, clenching her small fist tightly.

Wang Qiqi walked out of her bedroom and instinctively glanced at the calendar pad near the dining table. Upon seeing the date marked there, her eyes widened immensely: May 20, 1997. Wasn't this the exact day her parents died?

Wang Qiqi then looked at the clock—it showed 7:40. She froze momentarily, then frantically yanked the front door open and bolted outside.

"Heavens, are you toying with me? You let me be reborn, but couldn't you shift it by a day? Why must it be precisely this moment, and at this exact time..." Wang Qiqi cursed the damned heavens while sprinting, feeling utterly wronged. Furthermore, mobile phones hadn't become commonplace yet; otherwise, a quick call to her parents would have been enough to tell them to stay home. Alas, her parents didn't even have a pager at this time.

Despite putting every ounce of strength into her run, by the time Wang Qiqi reached the spot where her parents were hit, she saw a crowd already gathered. "No, no," Wang Qiqi screamed, rushing toward the throng of people while wiping away tears.

Wang Qiqi hadn't stopped praying, hoping against hope that the victims weren't her parents (though this thought felt dark, every child hopes not to witness their parents' tragedy, especially not firsthand). If she had been granted a rebirth, why couldn't heaven be kinder and spare her the agony of this separation by blood?

The onlookers turned to see where the girl screaming "no" was coming from. They saw a young girl, perhaps in her teens, running towards them, tears streaming down her face, and they instinctively parted to make a path. As Wang Qiqi rushed through the gap, she saw the man and woman lying in a pool of blood—it was her parents.

Wang Qiqi immediately dropped to her knees, desperately trying to wipe the blood from their bodies with her hands. "Someone call an ambulance, please call an ambulance!" Wang Qiqi cried out desperately. "Please, I beg you, save my mom and dad!"

"It's been called. The lady at the tobacco shop dialed 120," someone piped up. What they failed to mention was that even if the ambulance arrived quickly, the couple was likely doomed. The speed at which that car approached was terrifying; it first struck the strolling couple, then another young couple. The tragedy was worse for the second couple, as the wife was pregnant—potentially resulting in two fatalities. After hitting two couples, the car hadn't stopped; it sped on, hitting two or three more people further down the road, though those individuals appeared to have no life-threatening injuries.

"How pitiful, the daughter is so young."

"Indeed. What was wrong with that car? After hitting people, it just kept going. Was the driver dead?"

Someone scoffed, "Dead? No, it was a drunk driver. Someone saw the car stop briefly, surrounded it, and tried to pull him out. The driver rolled down the window, and the smell of alcohol was overwhelming."

"Sigh, if you drink, you shouldn't drive. Does he think he's on a bicycle?"

Wang Qiqi mumbled a thank you, choosing to ignore the chatter around her. To these people, today was perhaps just a dramatic incident; at most, they might recall the car accident later, sighing about the tragedy of a couple leaving behind an underage daughter. But for Wang Qiqi, today was the dividing line. Before today, she was a happy child with both parents; after today, she was a pitiful girl even less fortunate than Cinderella.

Wang Dajun struggled to open his eyes. Seeing his daughter wiping the blood, he desperately wanted to tell her not to worry, but he knew his condition. His life force was rapidly draining; he had to use the remaining time to convey what he needed to tell her. "Qiqi, Qiqi."

Although Wang Dajun's voice was faint and the scene chaotic, Wang Qiqi, who was constantly monitoring her parents' condition, heard her father speak. She fought back the tears, knowing her father wouldn't want to see her cry, but she couldn't stop them. "Dad, Dad, don't talk. Don't say anything. The doctor will be here soon; you and Mom will be fine."

Wang Dajun shook his head, motioning for her to lean closer. "Qiqi, my, good daughter, forgive your father. Your mother and I, we can't, can't be with you anymore."

Even though Wang Qiqi understood the slim chances of her parents surviving this time, she clung to the hope of a miracle. "No, no, Dad. You and Mom still need to see Qiqi go to university, get married, and have children."

Wang Dajun certainly wished to see those days; he often told his wife they would help Qiqi raise her children once they retired. "Silly child, listen to your father. I don't have much time left." Wang Dajun whispered near his daughter's ear, "In the bottom of my closet, there's a safe, hidden in the compartment beneath your mother's quilts. Pull out the partition board. The combination is the month and day of your mother's birthday, mine, and yours. When your uncle, aunt, or cousins come, you absolutely must not give them any of this money. This is what your mother and I left for you, Qiqi. I am so sorry I won't be able to accompany you in the days to come. Having this money for you allows your mother and me to pass with peace of mind. Remember, never show anyone what's in that safe. As for the bank passbook in the bedside cabinet, use that to handle immediate affairs."

Wang Qiqi noticed that her father, whose speech had been halting just moments ago, spoke this entire passage without a single pause, realizing this must be the so-called burst of energy before death. "Dad, don't worry. Qiqi will take good care of herself." She resolved to guard the possessions her parents left behind.

Hearing his daughter promise, Wang Dajun grew increasingly incoherent. "Remember, you must remember, Qiqi. You need to learn to grow up, don't be willful anymore." Wang Dajun's voice trailed off until it disappeared completely.

"Dad, Dad, Dad, don't go. Don't leave Qiqi all alone." Wang Qiqi clung to her father's body, weeping heartbrokenly. Just then, the ambulance and the police car with sirens wailing finally arrived.

The EMT from the ambulance jumped out, checked for a pulse, and stated coldly, "No heartbeat, no respiration." Then he turned to attend to the others, leaving Wang Qiqi sitting foolishly on the ground, clutching Wang Dajun's body, with Wang Mu's body lying beside him.

Wang Qiqi was too exhausted to even cry now. Her mind held only one thought: her parents had left her again, abandoning her to survive alone in this world.

While Wang Qiqi sat there stunned, Wang Dajun's younger brother, Wang Dagui, and his wife, Li Cui, who had rushed over, could not conceal their absolute delight. For those familiar with the couple, their elation needed no further explanation.

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