The warm spring sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains and landed on a white bedsheet. The person on the bed was slightly pale. Her hair soaked the fine sweat on her forehead, and it stuck onto her face.

Jian Ai’s eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and she was in a daze. She felt as if some lead had filled her head. Her nerves were throbbing, and she felt as if they were about to explode. Her back, which was on a mattress as hard as a rock, was in pain. Her sweat-soaked undergarments stuck to her body, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Her eyelashes trembled slightly and only then did Jian Ai slowly open her eyes with difficulty.

In a daze, the first thing she saw was an old-fashioned closet with yellow paint peeling off. There was a green glass vase on the shabby handmade bedside table next to the bed. A wilted daffodil was on the verge of collapse, and an alarm clock that looked like a cherry ball was staring at her with wide eyes.

Jian Ai only felt a flash of white light in her mind. Her dispirited spirit was instantly stimulated back into her body, and her weak body sat up from the bed.

Surveying her surroundings, she realized that this was not her high-class apartment in the capital. However, the white bedsheets, the light muslin curtains, and the furnishings in the room were all very familiar to her.

This was not her house or even the capital. It was her home in Baiyun City, where she grew up!

Unbelievable! Jian Ai looked at everything in front of her with a dazed expression. Why was she here? Wasn’t this old house demolished a long time ago?

As for herself…

Jian Ai closed her eyes and tried her best to recall everything that had happened. She had lived in this old house until she was seventeen years old and entered a university in the capital. At nineteen years old, her mother passed away due to cancer, and her elder brother went out to work in the construction team to earn money for her studies. However, he unexpectedly met with an accident and left the world. From then on, the two most important family members in Jian Ai’s life left her one after another, leaving her in her third year of university.

However, this did not wholly defeat her. After being immersed in sorrow for a while, Jian Ai decided to face the future alone.

The construction team provided monetary compensation for her brother’s death. Jian Ai also managed to get a large sum of money from the demolition of the old house. With this money, Jian Ai started her business in the capital with her unique wisdom and skills. It was as if she had a natural sensitivity to doing business. In just a few years, Jian Ai made a name for herself in the capital’s real estate industry and became a female boss worth tens of millions.

The scene froze at the last frame in her mind. The driver was driving her to sign a contract with her business partner. At an intersection, a truck driving beside her suddenly turned sideways…

So… was she dead?

She opened her eyes and looked at everything that made her feel dazed yet familiar. Or could it be that her real-life was just a dream?

Getting off the bed, Jian Ai skillfully went to the closet and opened it. There was a mirror on the inner side of the door. In the mirror, her face was pale, and her body was thin. It was obvious that she had not yet recovered from a severe illness. But this was also how she used to look!

She raised her hand and carefully touched her face. It felt so real that Jian Ai couldn’t help but tear up.

Stacked at the top of the closet was her high school uniform. It was old-fashioned and had friendly colors.

At this time, the sound of the door opening suddenly came from outside. Jian Ai’s heart thumped, and her body involuntarily trembled.

She rushed to the door and opened it. In the small living room, Wang Yunmei was putting down the fruits in her hands. When she heard the voice, she couldn’t help but turn around. When she saw her daughter standing at the door with a worn look on her face, she exclaimed, “Oh, Xiao Ai, why did you get off the bed so quickly? Go back and lie down. Don’t catch a cold.”

As she spoke, Wang Yunmei quickly walked over to Jian Ai. Just as she was about to help her into the room, her daughter suddenly hugged her.

“Mom!”

Jian Ai seemed to have used up all her strength to call out?‘mom.’?She could no longer control herself as she threw herself into her mother’s arms and started crying.

In Jian Ai’s memory, her mother worked as an escort at a nightclub for as long as she could remember. This was an indecent job in the eyes of others, and because of this, the neighbors criticized her mother. Even her maternal grandparents and uncles never made extra contact with her family.

Other than that, her mother rented a small stall on the street not far from her house. Every morning, she had to wake up early to fry some fried dough sticks and sell breakfast. Her mother had repeated such a life for more than a decade, just to support herself and her brother.

Jian Ai and her brother did not know anything about their father. Since her mother did not say it, they did not ask. In her heart, only her mother and brother were important.

However, when she was nineteen years old, God made a joke with her once again. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and passed away in just two months. This made the already difficult family even worse. She did not even get to see her mother for the last time as she was in a university in the capital.

Feeling the familiar fragrance on her mother’s body, Jian Ai cried until she almost went limp. If this was all a dream, she was willing to exchange everything she had for this dream and not wake up.

On the other hand, Wang Yunmei was startled by her daughter’s sudden hug. When she regained her senses, she quickly patted her daughter’s back in a comforting manner. “Alright, my dear daughter, what are you crying for? Quickly go back and lie down. Your fever just subsided. Don’t catch a cold again.”

Looking at her daughter’s red eyes from crying, Wang Yunmei couldn’t help but smile dotingly. “The doctor said that you were frightened, so your emotions might fluctuate. How would I know that your emotions would fluctuate so much? This is the first time Mom has seen you cry so hard.”

She wiped her tears. Although she could not calm down quickly, Jian Ai still pretended to be normal and said, “Mom, I want to take a shower first. My body is sticky and uncomfortable.”

“Alright, take a shower first. I’ll change the bedsheets for you. It’s probably drenched in sweat.”

Wang Yunmei assumed that her daughter had been frightened, so she didn’t think too much about it.

In the bathroom, the simple showerhead sprayed water intermittently. Jian Ai’s heart gradually calmed down.

It was the beginning of spring in 2002. It had been twelve years before her accident. All of this was not a dream. She had returned to twelve years ago when she was fourteen!

However, if she could not change anything in this life, what was the use of this opportunity? Hence, Jian Ai clenched her fists and swore to herself. This time, she must save her mother and brother and change the life of her family.

The evening of early spring was still a little cold, especially in Baiyun City, an economic city located at the northern end of China.

Jian Ai sat on the sofa in the living room with a blanket draped over her shoulders. On the coffee table in front of her was a steaming hot meal: fried eggs with tomato, sweet and sour pork, and a bowl of soup with fish head and tofu.

There were two clean red apples next to the dishes, and it was evident that they were the most expensive ones at the fruit stall. Her mother always treated her like this. Even if her family background was not good, her mother always tried her best to give her the best when it came to eating and learning.

At this time, Wang Yunmei had already gone out for work. After Jian Ai finished eating, she changed into a clean set of clothes and tied her hair into a ponytail. She looked at herself in the mirror before putting on her shoes and leaving.

In April and May, Baiyun City was as wet and cold as of late autumn. Jian Ai wrapped her coat tightly around her and looked around while recalling everything that she was familiar with during her childhood.

Baiyun City was a provincial capital located in the Jin Province in the north. It was considered an important trade hub and an economic city divided into five major districts: Haicheng District, Zhonglou District, South City District, North City District, and Wanbao District.

The most prosperous city center was Haicheng District, while Jian Ai’s home was in the South City District, also known as the slums. Most of the South City District residents lived in poverty, and they could count the number of tall buildings in the entire district with one hand. Most of them were flat houses or two or three stories tall residential buildings. In the bustling Baiyun City, this place seemed out of place.

After walking for more than half an hour, Jian Ai stopped in front of Starlight Bar in Zhonglou District. Many young men gathered in groups at the bar entrance, where a deafening noise came from. Jian Ai was a little nervous, but she was more excited and expectant because her brother, Jian Yu, worked here.

To earn more money to finish her university studies, her brother had gone out with the construction team to do construction work in her previous life. He had done hard work and spent all his youth. It was unexpected that a falling object took away his life at the construction site. Until now, Jian Ai still did not dare to think about the scene of seeing her brother’s body.

“Little girl, are you looking for someone? We can’t let children in here.”

As soon as she reached the main entrance, a blond with a cigarette in his mouth looked up at Jian Ai and asked. The blond didn’t look like a good person, but his tone was decent.

Jian Ai paused and looked at the blond before nodding. “I’m looking for someone.”

The blond stood up and sized up Jian Ai. He took a puff of smoke and raised his eyebrows. “Who are you looking for? There are no customers here yet!”

“I’m not here to look for a customer. I’m looking for Jian Yu. He’s here as a security guard,” Jian Ai quickly said.

“Oh, you’re looking for Jian Yu!” The blond couldn’t help but look at Jian Ai meaningfully. Then, he smiled and said, “Wait at the door. I’ll go in and call him for you.”

When the blond entered the bar, Jian Ai exhaled deeply.

Starlight Bar was considered the best bar in Zhonglou District. Young people liked to come to such places, and many out-of-school youths nearby were willing to work in such places. Their jobs were only at night, and they could earn eight hundred or a thousand yuan in a month. For a person in his twenties, this was considered quite an income.

Her elder brother, Jian Yu, was four years older than her and had just turned eighteen. He had been working as a security guard at Starlight Bar for almost a year. Her elder brother loved her the most. Jian Ai still remembered that whenever he received his salary every first day of the month, her elder brother would secretly give half of his money to her as pocket money. The rest of the money would be given to his mother, leaving him with only a few dozen dollars.

“There, that girl in the white sweater!”

As soon as he walked out of the bar, Jian Yu saw Jian Ai. He raised his hand and slapped the back of the blond’s head. “Girl, damn you. That’s my sister!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Jian Yu ran up to Jian Ai. He looked at Jian Ai up and down worriedly before saying, “You ran out after you recovered! And you came here…” Jian Yu looked around and asked, “How did you get here? Did you walk here?”

Jian Yu was 1.8 meters tall, he had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he looked very energetic. When he spoke, he frowned. His eyebrows were filled with concern for Jian Ai.

Looking at her elder brother, Jian Ai once again felt as if it was a lifetime ago. Her heart warmed, and she felt a lump in her throat. She almost wanted to cry.

“What’s wrong, Xiao Ai? I’m asking you a question!” Jian Yu was even more nervous now that Jian Ai was silent.

Question!” Jian Yu was even more nervous now that Jian Ai was silent.



Jian Ai quickly recovered from the trance and said, “I’m fine, Brother. I just came out for a walk. I just wanted to see you.”

Their home was in South City District, and the place she was at now was in Zhonglou District. By foot, it would at least take half an hour to get there. Hearing that Jian Ai walked over, Jian Yu couldn’t get angry. He was worried, and his heart ached.

“Er Zi, I need to send my sister home. Help me ask Brother Dong for leave.” Jian Yu suddenly turned around and shouted at the blond who was watching from afar.

The blond made a hand gesture to indicate that he had received the message. Seeing this, Jian Ai smiled in embarrassment. “Sorry to trouble you, Brother.”

Hearing this, Jian Yu smiled helplessly. “It’s okay. Anyway, it’s not the weekend yet. The bar isn’t busy. I’m worried if you walk back by yourself.”

Jian Ai immediately went up and hugged Jian Yu’s arm. Her brother was tall and strong, making her feel safe. She and her mother used to like to walk with him like that.

“This is for you.” Jian Yu suddenly took out a small object from his pocket and handed it to Jian Ai.

Jian Ai looked up and saw a pair of hairclips with a Little Ball character.

“Thank you, Brother.” Jian Ai received them with joy. She looked up and grinned.

Jian Yu smiled and said lovingly, “I saw it at the night market by accident. Didn’t you like Little Peach? Don’t stand on ceremony with me for two yuan.”

“What Little Peach? Her name is Little Ball.” Jian Ai smiled.

“Sure, sure. Little Ball.”

The siblings walked towards Jian Yu’s motorcycle.

On the way back, Jian Ai sat in the backseat with her arms around Jian Yu’s waist. The night wind of Baiyun City blew on her face, and it was cold and wet. However, at this moment, Jian Ai’s heart was exceptionally and unprecedentedly warm.

Before going to bed that night, Jian Ai packed her school bag, took out her school uniform, and ironed it. She had a high fever a few days ago and hadn’t been to school for a few days. Now, she was no longer feeling unwell. Although Jian Ai still remembered the things she had learned in her previous life, she still planned to return to school tomorrow.

Perhaps it was a psychological effect, but lying on the bed, Jian Ai could not fall asleep for a long time. It was as if she was worried that everything would disappear once she woke up. She would become a successful businesswoman again, and she could no longer see her mother and brother.

At night, Jian Ai had a very realistic dream.

In the dream, she could see no one, and there were no scenes at all. All she saw were words. I seemed to be an ancient legend or a lost sect.

Suddenly, a clear voice rang out in her mind. “In the Primordial World, the founder of the spiritual sect, Yu Jiang, pursued lifelong learning in his lifetime. He chose the people who defied fate and integrated himself into their bloodlines. He decides all things..”

This voice was vast and mighty, distant and ethereal as if it were the call of an older man from another time and space. The sleeping Jian Ai suddenly woke up to find that words had filled the space above her.

Defied fate?

These were the first words that appeared in Jian Ai’s mind. In her dream, she remembered the words she heard. It said that those who defied fate, he would integrate his bloodline into them.

She had somehow been reborn from twenty-six years old and back to fourteen years old. Could this be the so-called defying fate?

She raised her eyes to look at the golden words in front of her. It was a secret manual of an ancient sect. It recorded the twelve sets of mental cultivation techniques of the founder, Yu Jiang. Before Jian Ai could read the contents carefully, thousands of golden words jumped up as if they had a life of their own. Then, as Jian Ai was dumbfounded, they all flew into her brain.

The sudden surge of cognitive energy made Jian Ai’s brain burn as if it were on fire. She felt her brain swell and heat up, and she felt awful. It took less than two minutes for the energy to fade until it was gone.

At this moment, Jian Ai could say out the twelve sets of mental cultivation techniques easily, as if they had already been engraved in her mind.

Jian Ai sat up on the bed and looked at the Little Ball alarm clock. She raised her hand, and the alarm clock on the bedside table flew towards Jian Ai.

Jian Ai was both surprised and delighted. She had thought that her rebirth was the greatest blessing from the heavens, but who would have thought that she would receive such a gift of a set of skills from an ancient sect? It was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.

Rebirth was already hard for her to believe, and now she had learned the twelve sets of mental cultivation techniques. If all of this had not happened, Jian Ai would never believe such a thing would happen in this world.

When she woke up in the morning, it was already 6 am. Jian Ai quickly washed up, put on the school uniform that she had not seen for a long time, carried her school bag, and went out.

At this time, her mother and brother were already busy at their breakfast stall. Jian Ai would eat breakfast at the stall every morning before going to school.

“Xiao Ai!”

As she was walking, someone called her name from behind.

Jian Ai stopped and looked back. A girl who was about the same age as her, wearing the same uniform, was running after her.

Guan Tao was Jian Ai’s classmate and best friend. The two of them grew up together. From kindergarten to high school, they lived in the same place. When they reached university, they applied for different schools because of different ideals but were still best friends.

Guan Tao married a rich second-generation heir in her previous life and gave birth to twins. Both of them were sons. She could straighten her back in her in-laws’ house and lead a comfortable life.

“You’re going to school after you have recovered? Why didn’t you rest at home for a few more days?” Guan Tao went up and asked with concern.

Suddenly seeing Guan Tao when she was young, Jian Ai couldn’t help but be stunned for a moment. Then, she said, “I’m fine. I haven’t been to school for a few days. If I don’t go now, I won’t be able to catch up.”

When Guan Tao saw that Jian Ai’s expression had indeed improved, she was relieved. Then, she sighed and said, “Don’t provoke Li Yunmei and the rest in the future. They are rich and powerful. They pushed you into the pond this time. What if they do something more out of line next time?”

Jian Ai was stunned. She remembered that she had a fever because she fell into the water. Why didn’t she remember that this had something to do with Li Yunmei?

Erzhong was one of the top high schools in Baiyun City. The students there were roughly divided into two types. One was those who were rich and powerful, and the other was those who were good at studying and could get scholarships based on their abilities.

Jian Ai and Guan Tao belonged to the second type. Otherwise, ordinary families would not be able to afford the expensive school fees.

However, those who received scholarships were the minority. Since adolescent girls liked to form cliques, Jian Ai and Guan Tao, who lived in the slums of the South City District, would naturally be isolated or even bullied by their classmates.

However, Jian Ai had no impression of Li Yunmei pushing her into the school pond. It had never happened in her previous life.

Perhaps after rebirth, many things had changed?

“Xiao Ai, I’m talking to you.”

“I understand.” Jian Ai regained her senses and quickly replied.

Their family’s breakfast stall was located at the end of the street. Since the location was not bad, they were not the only breakfast stall nearby.

“Auntie Mei, Xiao Ai and I are sitting outside,” Guan Tao called out to the busy Wang Yunmei.

“Alright, please wait a moment. I’ll be right there.” Wang Yunmei answered while busying herself.

The business of the breakfast stall was more or less the same every day, and they had a fixed customer flow. Because Wang Yunmei’s fried dough sticks were delicious, those who liked eating fried dough sticks enjoyed coming to their stall for breakfast.

“Beautiful ladies, what would you like to eat?”

Just then, Jian Yu came to the table and asked with a smile.

As soon as she saw Jian Yu, Guan Tao’s eyes lit up. But before she could say anything, Jian Ai spoke first, “Soy milk, fried dough sticks, and two tea eggs. Brother, hurry up. We won’t make it in time.”

“Okay.” Jian Yu raised his eyebrows and went back into the stall.

Guan Tao opened her mouth but didn’t say anything. Her eyes followed Jian Yu inside.

“Alright, stop looking. Your eyeballs are flying out.” Jian Ai looked at Guan Tao with amusement.

Guan Tao pouted and rolled her eyes. “Auntie Mei is really good at giving birth. You and your brother are both so good-looking.”

Jian Ai was fair and had an oval face. Her facial features were not exquisite, but she was a classic beauty.

On the other hand, Jian Yu had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and big white teeth. When he smiled, he looked like a little sun. Not many girls could resist him.

“But that’s true. Auntie Mei is also good-looking. You two have good genes,” Guan Tao added.

She was right. Wang Yunmei gave birth to Jian Yu when she was seventeen years old. She gave birth to Jian Ai when she was twenty-one years old. Now, she was thirty-five years old. It was hard to believe that she had two children of this age.

A thirty-five-year-old middle-aged woman’s job was a nightclub hostess. If word got out, people would probably laugh at her.

However, Wang Yunmei was different. She was born beautiful, and even though she was thirty-five years old, her skin was still tight, and her figure was sexy. She was even more charming than young girls.