11-year-old Yuan Luoyi looked at her past self, feeling both familiar and unfamiliar. Their features were equally exquisite and beautiful, but their eyes were completely different.
Because the grown-up her had dead eyes.
Time rewound to the past, and fragments of memories gradually unfolded.
How long had it been since she last smiled?
17-year-old Yuan Luoyi couldn't remember. She only knew that she was crumbling, like collapsing snow, unable to stop the process.
She often woke up crying in the middle of the night, overwhelmed by pain. No matter how hard she struggled, she kept sinking deeper.
So Yuan Luoyi chose to give up and sink to the bottom.
She dropped out of school and locked herself in her room, living in a daze, lost and in agony.
She couldn't fit in at school or at home, an outcast wherever she went, with only loneliness as her companion.
She had no idea what the point of living was.
So a year later, when Yuan's father threw a suitcase at her and said she wasn't a Yuan family child, she even felt a sense of relief.
We're not family after all, that's more like it.
When she was taken away like a murderer, Yuan Luoyi didn't resist or shed a tear.
So this is what it feels like to be extremely sad.
She no longer had a home, all the love she received was false. In this world, her existence didn't matter, no one cared if she lived or died, not even herself.
But Yuan Luoyi was wrong.
After she was locked up, a phone call came through.
"Hello, is this Yuan Luoyi?"
It was her elder brother Yuan Ao's voice. Yuan Luoyi hadn't spoken to him in years, and the sudden call left her speechless, unable to make a sound.
He must have known by now that she wasn't a Yuan family child, so why was he calling?
Yuan Ao said, "It's all my fault. You've always been a gentle child, and gentle children are easily hurt. I didn't protect you well enough."
Yuan Luoyi's breathing paused for a moment as she composed herself. "I'm not a Yuan family child anymore."
Yuan Ao said, "I know. How are things over there? Have they done anything to you?"
Yuan Luoyi said, "They sentenced me to death and locked me up."
Yuan Ao said, "Don't be afraid. Everyone bought return tickets and will be there tomorrow. Your brothers all believe you're innocent."
Yuan Luoyi choked up. "Okay."
"Can you hold on by yourself?"
"I can."
"Okay, they don't give us much time to talk. I can't say much more, but please don't give up. Your brothers will bring you home for sure."
"Okay, I won't give up anymore."
The call was disconnected, and tears streamed down Yuan Luoyi's cheeks. Her once hollow eyes now had a glimmer of light.
So someone wanted her to live...
Therefore, when the noose tightened around Yuan Luoyi's neck, she struggled fiercely. They wanted her dead as soon as possible, fearing that the Yuan brothers would arrive any second. They planned to stage it as a suicide out of guilt, quickly cremating the body to leave no evidence.
It was so painful, excruciatingly painful, with her organs aching from lack of oxygen.
But Yuan Luoyi didn't give up, struggling until the very last second of her life.
Because she knew that if she held on a little longer, her brothers would come, and she had a home to return to.
Her brothers weren't ordinary people. Their occasional dark outbursts scared her.
By avoiding them, Yuan Luoyi failed to notice that when she was feeling down, it was her eldest brother who left candy at her door, her second brother who placed a stuffed toy by her bed, her third brother lingering worriedly outside her window, her fourth brother leaving her encouraging little notes, and her fifth brother giving her his favorite specimen.
After dropping out, the extremely desperate Yuan Luoyi couldn't even be bothered to shed tears.
But after that phone call, she wept uncontrollably. She was mournful and regretful, but also overjoyed at being loved.
And this love made her incredibly strong.
In the endless darkness, a mechanical female voice echoed.
"The dead cannot be revived. Your death will be the trigger that drives them all mad. They will kill many people and eventually self-destruct. This is their ending in this world line. Make a different wish."
Yuan Luoyi said, "My wish is only one: for everyone to be saved. Tell me how to make it happen!"
"You must change the world line."
"What does that mean?"
"You must be reborn many times in the past, gradually changing the cause and effect, creating an entirely new world line. After completing it, make your wish to the system, and everyone will be saved."
"How many times must I be reborn?"
"99 times."
"How many years will that take?"
"One thousand eight hundred years."
"Okay! Let me go back to the past!"
"You'll die 99 times. Are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure. Even if I have to repeatedly experience death, I will persevere."
[Ding!]
The system activated, with endless suffering and a hellish cycle below. Yuan Luoyi jumped in without hesitation, like a bird with clipped wings, constantly falling...
And in the distant past, a baby girl was born, her cry resounding.
The memory fragments ended.
In the bathroom, water flowed steadily as 11-year-old Yuan Luoyi stared blankly at her reflection. Her head still hurt, but she seemed unable to feel the pain anymore.
"Thump, thump, thump..."
Her heart beat powerfully and steadily, and nothing could disturb her now.
This memory fragment gave her the most important thing: courage.
It's just a knowledge competition, what's there to be nervous about?
She had been so well-prepared, with one thousand eight hundred years!
She was so happy... The system said that when her influence reached level 100, she could make another wish, and it also said she could wish for everyone to be saved.
Success! This is a new world line! This is the last rebirth!
Wiping the water from her face and hands, Yuan Luoyi left the bathroom and returned to the venue.
The competition was still ongoing, with the contestants on stage giving their all and the audience's excitement rising, amid loud cheers.
Yuan Luoyi's gaze swept past the crowd for a moment before spotting her brothers.
Her eldest brother Yuan Ao sat in the audience with a slightly furrowed brow, waiting for Yuan Luoyi to return.
Her second brother Yuan Fa held a bag of popcorn, but hadn't eaten any, leaving a couple of bites for Yuan Luoyi since the snack tasted pretty good.
Her third brother Yuan Yong couldn't be found, but Yuan Luoyi knew he was watching from somewhere, unnoticed.
Her fourth brother Yuan Si was a special guest, surrounded by celebrities flattering him, but he was distracted, wondering where his sister had gone.
Her fifth brother Yuan Rui was one of the question setters. He disliked crowded places like this, but it was his sister's important competition, so he endured it.
It was wonderful to reunite with them after crossing a thousand years of time.
Yuan Luoyi returned to her seat, sitting on the cold bench again, but this time she was very calm. She knew her answer was correct and that there would be a turn of events. All she had to do was wait patiently.
The knowledge competition reached the final question, and unsurprisingly, Su Xun answered correctly again.
The on-screen comments were overwhelmingly praising her.
The host Na Lan exclaimed, "Oh my! Su Xun got all the questions right! Her final score is 90!"
Su Xun's fans celebrated, but Su Xun herself couldn't smile.
"Why isn't it 100?"
Na Lan said, "Because the competition isn't over yet."
The spotlight suddenly shone on Yuan Luoyi, and everyone looked over.
"Upholding the truth requires courage! Congratulations to Yuan Luoyi for receiving a special bonus, advancing directly to the final round!"
