Often, Yuan Luoyi would gaze at the mirror, tracing her features with her fingers on the cold glass - her large eyes, petite nose.
A strange sadness lingered in her heart, refusing to dissipate.
Tears rolled down her cheeks as Yuan Luoyi stood perplexed, unaware of why she felt such sorrow.
Until one day, when three-year-old Yuan Luoyi visited Yuan Jianghai's beachside villa, a little girl approached her, identical in appearance.
The girl said, "Luoyi, I snuck out to see you. Do you remember me? I'm your sister, Yi Qi."
Yuan Luoyi suddenly understood.
I'm sad because I keep losing you again and again...
At that moment, within the Yuan residence, the 11-year-old Yuan Luoyi once more encountered Yi Qi, as if a switch was flipped, countless fragmented memories collided in her mind.
Scenes flashed by.
They played hopscotch together, jumped rope, trained, studied, underwent experiments and tests...
Yuan Luoyi grew confused, unable to make sense of her thoughts.
What did these memory fragments mean?
The Yi Qi in her memories was a serene girl, but the one before her now had cold, cruel eyes - they seemed like two different people.
But Yuan Luoyi had no time to ponder, for behind Yi Qi appeared several figures armed with weapons, their killing intent directed at Yuan Luoyi.
Yi Qi wanted to eliminate her, to take her place.
She had to escape!
Yuan Luoyi ran with all her might, the footsteps behind her growing louder.
She cried out, "Help!"
Her voice echoed hollowly down the corridor, unanswered.
Fortunately, having faced numerous life-or-death situations, Yuan Luoyi's mental fortitude was already strong, and she did not panic.
Gasping for breath, she continued running, aiming for the downstairs area where her second brother resided.
The mansion was too vast and inconvenient - the servants lived in remote quarters, too far away to rely on. The construction crew hired years ago had been honest, without any shoddy workmanship, and the soundproofed walls meant that even if Yuan Luoyi shouted from downstairs, only her second brother might hear her.
She finally understood why so many murders occurred in these lavish mansions.
Sprinting through the long corridor, stepping onto the stairs, she hurried downward.
In the darkness, a hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Yuan Luoyi's shoulder with tremendous force she could not resist, causing her to stumble and fall.
She had been caught by the villains!
A rough rope tightened around her neck, violently constricting, as a terrifying asphyxiation engulfed Yuan Luoyi. She could neither breathe nor cry out, her limbs bound.
She was too young and small to even struggle.
Her slender neck bore the brunt of the excruciating pain, the rope cutting deep into her flesh, as if threatening to sever her neck entirely.
Her consciousness faded, and Yuan Luoyi could no longer see her surroundings.
"Aaargh!"
A man's scream pierced her ears, and the rope strangling Yuan Luoyi loosened as someone lifted her into their embrace. Her feeble body leaned against them, and as blood flow returned to her brain, her senses gradually revived to reveal Yuan's Father, consumed by uncontrollable rage.
In the past, Yuan's Father often wore a stern expression around Yuan Luoyi, which she had assumed was his angry demeanor, but now she realized that had been his most gentle, benevolent look.
No wonder her brothers were so unwilling to provoke Yuan's Father's wrath.
With one arm cradling Yuan Luoyi, Yuan's Father seized the man by his hair with the other hand, effortlessly lifting him and slamming him against the wall, instantly shattering his skull.
The man was still alive, screaming incessantly as he clutched his head and thrashed.
Yuan's Father shoved him to the ground, pinning him underfoot on his chest, and growled, "How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!"
Pressing down with force, bones cracked one by one, until the man's heart was crushed, killing him in a brutal, bare-handed slaughter that inflicted maximum agony in the shortest time.
In his fury, Yuan's Father wished to personally torture and kill every last intruder who had breached their home, but rage aside, he had not lost his wits. He was a father, and his primary duty was to protect his daughter.
Keeping Yuan Luoyi tightly sheltered in his embrace, Yuan's Father used his body as a shield, swiftly retreating.
"Bang!"
A gunshot rang out, sounding nearby. Yuan's Father stumbled slightly but did not fall.
Yuan Luoyi clutched his clothes, shouting, "Are you alright?"
Yuan's Father replied, "I'm fine!"
Ahead, at the end of the darkened staircase, candlelight flickered - Yuan Fa, the second brother, had also awoken and stood holding a candelabrum, startled by the sight of Yuan's Father and Yuan Luoyi.
"What's going on?"
Yuan's Father hurried into the ground floor hall, "Quick, lock the door!"
Hastily setting the candelabrum on the table, Yuan Fa pulled the door shut and locked it.
Yuan's Father set Yuan Luoyi down, his gaze falling upon the bruise around her neck, his eyes burning with a murderous glare.
His daughter had damaged many of his possessions before, but he had never once struck her, at most sternly scolding her. Yet these villains had left such a cruel mark on her!
Second brother Yuan Fa noticed it too and raged, "Those bastards! How did they get in?"
Yuan's Father explained, "The main power switch was turned off, and our phones have no signal. The security system has been hacked - there must be a traitor among the servants."
He rummaged through a drawer, retrieving an old-fashioned satellite phone for emergency communications, dialing a number which was soon answered.
"Hello?" came the voice of the eldest brother, Yuan Ao.
Yuan's Father said, "Where are you?"
"I'm at the company."
"Good, immediately have someone check the company's security and power systems. There's a mole at home - likely sent by the old Yuan family."
"Got it."
"Also, contact our reliable connections for reinforcements. The manor has been breached, and we're trapped on the ground floor lounge."
"I'm on it. They've texted that they'll arrive in ten minutes."
"Alright, watch your own safety."
"Father, is Luoyi okay?"
Yuan's Father glanced at Yuan Luoyi, who had nearly been strangled to death, her face ashen and still gasping for air, yet to his surprise, she appeared quite calm and brave despite her ordeal.
Yuan's Father said, "She's been hurt a bit. We'll likely need to take her to the hospital. After you handle things at the company, hurry back here."
"Understood!"
The call ended.
This surprise attack was beyond Yuan Luoyi's expectations, causing her to suffer greatly, but it also had its advantages.
Yuan's Father discovered Yuan Jianghai's existence earlier than in the previous life. After checking the security system and eliminating the moles, Yuan Jianghai could no longer monitor everyone as closely as before.
It could be said that a blessing came from misfortune.
However, Yuan Luoyi's neck was truly painful. She unconsciously reached her hand to rub it, but as soon as her fingertips touched her skin, she gasped in pain.
Yuan's Father felt sorry for her. He walked up to her, squatted down to be at her level, and checked her injuries.
He said, "It's fortunate that I didn't sleep tonight and heard your voice."
Yuan Luoyi recalled the gunshot sound from earlier.
She asked anxiously, "Father, did that gunshot hit you?"
Yuan's Father was stunned for a moment, then said, "It hit me."
