The entire Yunzhou knew that the Ye Family had a new step-child in the house: Ning Li, a low-born and barely literate. However, when she looked at her 17 years old self in the mirror after coming back to life, she grinned.

At 17, her step-siblings had yet destroyed her looks and stolen her glory—she still had everything with her. Since she was given an opportunity to start over, she ought to take revenge on everyone who had wronged her before. It would be interesting.

After Ning Li was chased out of the Ye Family, she was cherished by the most popular solo singer in the entertainment industry, protected by the top international racer, courted by the heir to a multimillion corporation, and loved by her billionaire grandfather who wanted her to inherit the family business.

Even Second Master Lu said to her, “Hold up you little brat, I think you should come home with me.”

Rumor had it that Second Master Lu was handsome and beyond any girl’s reach until that one fateful day, when someone saw a drawing of a cool and proud young boy with bangs covering his eyes fall out from Second Master Lu’s book.

The news spread like wildfire overnight, and on the next day, Second Master Lu was questioned. Ning Li coincidentally passed by, and upon considering her relationship with him in her past life, she stepped in and shut down the busybodies.

Lu Huaiyu stared at the girl before him as he subtly put away the love letter in his hands and said with a smile, “I shall repay you with my body for saving my life.”

A long while later, Ning Li saw herself in that particular drawing and she was silenced. She knew it was all a huge mistake.

It was late summer and dark clouds shrouded the land. The air was humid and stuffy.

Business was bad for this coffee shop as it was deserted.

A pale and slender figure stood behind the counter.

The dim yellow light shone on her like the moonlight, covering her with shadows.

Her head was hung low, and the front of her hair was let down. Her straight nose and lashes that were as black as crow’s feathers could be barely seen.

Her white and silky skin was a little pale, but it was unbelievably smooth as if her whole person seemed to be glowing.

A person with a babyface walked toward her after she was done keeping all the tableware.

“Little Li, I heard that you’re leaving tomorrow?”

Ning Li nodded softly.

“Yeah.”

“Then it’ll be hard for us to meet again…”

Babyface sighed as she hesitated to continue.

They all knew that Ning Li grew up with her grandmother since she was a child.

However, Ning Li’s grandmother passed away due to a heart attack two weeks ago.

Thus, her custody was given to her mother.

No one knew that her mother was still alive and that she even married into a wealthy family. Moreover, her mother was in Yunzhou now, which was only an hour away from Lincheng.

“Your mother must be missing you after not meeting you for so many years,” Babyface uttered dully.

Suddenly, Ning Li stopped and lifted her eyes.

She had a pair of extremely gorgeous almond eyes where the inner corners were pointy and the outer corners were slightly lifted upward. Her eyes looked clean and clear. Her pupils were dark and deep like the night, adding a touch of coldness to them.

Ning Li lifted her lips, and there were ripples of light deep inside her eyes. She then spoke in a gentle tone, “Maybe.”

If her mother really missed her even just a little, she would not have hidden from her for so many years.

Her father, Ning Haizhou, was just an ordinary guy from a normal family background. Due to his handsome appearance, he was able to coax Su Yuan to marry him.

Nonetheless, it did not last long. After their marriage, Ning Haizhou was jobless and unambitious. Su Yuan could not put up with such a horrible life, so she filed for divorce and left the family when Ning Li was six years old.

A month after Su Yuan left, Ning Haizhou was sentenced to life imprisonment because he was drunk driving and got involved in a hit-and-run which took away somebody’s life.

Since then, it was just Ning Li and her grandmother.

If her grandmother had not passed away all of a sudden, Ning Li felt that she would never get a chance in her life to meet Su Yuan again.

Surely, no one would fancy a burden like Ning Li.

Everybody knew the reason. However, Ning Li only desired love from her family in her previous life, which was dumb and naive of her. She was disfigured, shamed, lost everything, and her reputation was tarnished. Finally, she was locked in a sanatorium for a year and met her end there.

However, Ning Li realized she was turned back into a 17-year-old when she woke up once again.

Luckily, everything was just getting started.

…

Babyface was surprised.

Back then, Ning Li would be over the moon whenever they talked about it, but…

For some reason, Ning Li had changed a little after she caught a high fever three days ago.

Ning Li’s phone vibrated in her pocket.

She took out her phone and glanced at it. It showed a string of numbers from Yunzhou.

Her gaze stopped for a moment. Ning Li then declined the call and set the phone in silent mode.

Babyface asked her curiously, “Who’s that?”

Ning Li answered her casually, “I don’t know. Maybe it’s a scam call.”

Babyface nodded before going into the changing room to change her attire.

She was supposed to have a night shift, but she had some issues with her family. Therefore, Ning Li took the initiative to take over her shift, and her colleague was thankful to her.

“I’m leaving now, Ning Li! Be careful when you’re returning home later.”

Ning Li smiled and waved goodbye to her.

…

The sky was getting darker.

The thunder rumbled, and it started to rain.

Ning Li had already worked in the coffee shop for another two hours, and the time showed that it was 10:00 p.m.

She sat on a stool, tearing off post-it notes and writing something on them.

Suddenly, there came a strident honking from a car outside.

Ning Li raised her head and looked out to see a black Cayenne stopped outside the shop.

Slowly, she sat up straight.

The driver got out of the car and opened an umbrella before he strode to the back seat.

A well-dressed lady got out of the car and entered the coffee shop.

Under the lights and shade, it could be seen that the lady had been taking exceptional care of her face.

Yet, the expression on her face was extremely terrible.

The lady scowled while gazing at Ning Li. She had seen Ning Li’s photos before. This was the first time the both of them were officially meeting after 11 years.

The young lady in front of her was wearing a casual black T-shirt that occasionally revealed her exquisite collarbone. Her smoky gray skinny jeans outlined her straight and long legs.

She was stunning with a languid and unrestrained vibe between her eyes.

The driver, Zhou Hua, stood aside while looking at Ning Li with contempt.

Ning Li never showed the intention of standing up and greeting her even after she had come into the coffee shop. Her entire body was exuding with indifference.

Was this the way she treated her own mother?

Such an ignorant brat!

Su Yuan felt it too, and her face was gloomy.

Su Yuan paused for a second before she tried to speak softly, “Ning Li, I went to your school just now. Mr. Zhang said that you haven’t been attending your classes these few days. You’re not going to school. Why are you stuck here?”

Su Yuan only made her way to this place after asking around, and they really did have a hard time searching for it.

Ning Li re-capped the pen and replied to her gently, “I had a fever the last three days and just got better today. Besides, I’m in debt now because of my grandma’s funeral. That’s why I came here to work so that I can clear my loan.”

Su Yuan choked.

“I called you so many times just now, why didn’t you pick up?”

Ning Li frowned a little before reaching for her phone. Sure enough, there were plenty of missed call notifications on her screen, and she uttered in shock, “I see. I thought it was a scam call.”

Of course, she had not saved Su Yuan’s contact number on her phone.

Su Yuan shut her eyes for a minute.

Back then, she had never imagined that she would come back to Lincheng again after deciding to leave everything behind and get out of that place.

Her past marriage and her daughter—those were the things that she would never want to talk about.

The Ye family was distinguished and eminent in Yunzhou. Su Yuan had put in a lot of effort to maintain a firm position in the family.

She finally got Ye Ming’s daughter, Ye Ci, to accept her. She even had a son named Ye Cheng. Just when Su Yuan thought that she could enjoy her life, who knew that Ning Li would suddenly come out of nowhere?

Actually, Su Yuan was reluctant to be here, but she had no choice.

Besides, she could not help but recall her sorrowful past when she saw Ning Li. As such, it made her unable to get close to Ning Li no matter what.

“You don’t need to worry about it. Go pack your things and follow me back to Yunzhou tonight.”

Su Yuan’s tone was firm as she turned around and left after finishing her sentence.

Suddenly, Ning Li replied to her, “I can’t finish packing tonight, so I can’t leave tonight.”

Su Yuan turned her head and uttered a little impatiently, “What are the things that you need to pack from that house? Everything’s ready for you at Yunzhou, you—”

“I’m not used to using other people’s stuff,” Ning Li interrupted Su Yuan.

Su Yuan’s heart shook a little.

She had told Ye Ming that she would be home by tonight. If it were not because of Ning Li, she would not have dragged this matter on until now.

Splash!

The rain was getting heavier.

Zhou Hua’s expression changed after he took a glance at his phone.

“Madam, the highway back to Yunzhou is closed because of the heavy rain.”

“What?” Su Yuan was stunned.

They might be unable to return home tonight.

Ning Li propped her face on her hand.

She did not have much to pack. She just did not want to leave at night.

On this day in her past life, it was raining cats and dogs in Yunzhou. Dozens of cars were involved in a pileup on the highway, causing three deaths and seven injured.

As for Ning Li, she was one of them.

Zhou Hua and Su Yuan were lucky enough to suffer minor injuries during that accident, but Ning Li’s right arm was fractured and she needed three months to recover from it.

The most important thing was her right arm had lost part of its function after that car crash.

At that time, Ning Li felt like the car had some issues and wanted to check on it. However, she was told that the car had been scrapped and she could not investigate anything else.

Ning Li would never take the risk again if she was given a second chance.

Since the situation was a little different, Su Yuan said, “Then, I’ll make a call home to let them know I’m staying here tonight. Zhou Hua, get us a hotel.”

“Yes.”

However, Ning Li uttered, “I’m staying at my house.”

Su Yuan scowled as she glanced at Ning Li while making the call.

She had nothing else to say since Ning Li was insisting. Nevertheless, she would never step foot into this filthy place again.

Su Yuan adjusted her scarf before she uttered, “Zhou Hua, send her back home.”

…

Half an hour later, the black Cayenne entered an old town area.

In all these years, the east side of Lincheng developed rapidly because it was just next to Yunzhou.

Meanwhile, the west side of Lincheng was dilapidated and worn-out.

Finally, the car stopped in front of an alley.

The rain had gotten lighter. Potholes were vaguely visible on the narrow road under the dim streetlights, and the building beside them was patchy and dilapidated.

Su Yuan shifted her gaze away from it in disgust after she took a look at it.

She sat still in her seat.

“I’ll be here tomorrow at 8:00 a.m.”

Ning Li carried her black backpack, got out of the car swiftly, and left.

In the dark, Ning Li held an umbrella with one hand. Her back was slender and thin, but it was straight and full of pride.

…

A white car passed by them.

Cheng Xiyue was driving as he questioned idly, “I really don’t know what’s good about this tiny Lincheng that’s worthwhile for you to come here every month? You come here and do nothing else, just wandering around the streets. It has almost been a year. Do you really think that I’m your driver?”

At the front passenger seat, a man was tilting his head while looking out the window.

He was fair, and his black hair was hanging down. The curve from his brow ridge to his nose was perfect. Even his jawline was clean and sharp.

The man wore a black suit with two buttons unbuttoned at his neck, revealing his sexy Adam’s apple.

Black and white, the two colors were well-defined but blended perfectly.

His posture was casual and lazy, yet his brows and eyes were cold as they exuded an emotionless vibe.

He opened his mouth, and his tone was hoarse because he did not sleep well yesterday.

“Right.”

Cheng Xiyue. “…”

He was really handsome, but it was unsure who could deal with his weird behavior.

Cheng Xiyue coughed when he recalled Old Master Lu’s instruction, and he said, “Listen to me. This is not the way you deal with it. It has already been a year. You should go and consult a psychiatrist…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Cheng Xiyue realized the man had sat up straight and was staring outside.

He shifted his gaze as well, and he saw a familiar license plate.

“Oh? Isn’t that the Ye family’s car? Seems like they really came here to fetch the lady back home.”

Lu Huaiyu rested his eyes on the figure in the dark alley. He could only react after a moment.

“The Ye family?”

Cheng Xiyue shrugged.

“Ye Ming’s current wife has a daughter with her ex-husband. The daughter is homeless now and the Ye family said they want to bring her back home. I guess the lady’s life isn’t going to get any easier.”

Lu Huaiyu pondered for a while before questioning suddenly, “Old Master Cheng is going to celebrate his 70th birthday a few days later. Did you all invite the Ye family?”

Cheng Xiyue shook his head. “No.”

“Then, I’ll invite them with you tomorrow.”

Cheng Xiyue turned the wheel violently and gazed at Lu Huaiyu unbelievably.

“It’s just the Ye family. Wait a minute, don’t tell me that you fancy the young lady?”

His face was partly in the dark when the lights shone on him, and there was a beam of light flashing across the depths of his deep eyes.

Lu Huaiyu chuckled softly.

“Didn’t you say that she has no one to take care of her?”

The morning sunlight shone into the room, falling on the young lady’s face who was lying sideways on her bed. Her skin was as delicate as porcelain, and her eyelashes were thick and curled up. There was even a tint of tiredness in her shiny eyes upon waking up.

The corners of her eyes were a little red and watery.

Ding dong.

A notification popped out on the screen of her phone.

She took the phone casually and glanced at it.

[Last night at 11:00 p.m., there was a car crash involving four vehicles at the Lianyun highway toward Yunzhou, causing two serious injuries and three minor injuries…]

Her head cleared up a little as she clicked into the news and scrolled down.

The time and location were correct. However, the number of casualties was different compared to the accident that happened in her past life.

It seemed to be a lot better without the Cayenne from the Ye family.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

She took a glance at the time, and it showed that it was 8:20 a.m.

Ning Li frowned as she went to check her things in her backpack before she got up casually and opened the door.

…

Zhou Hua was standing at the door, and he had gotten impatient after knocking on the door three times.

At last, the door opened when he was about to break the door and barge into the room.

A natural face without any makeup came into his view, but it was unbelievably stunning.

Zhou Hua was stunned for a second, but he quickly got hold of himself. Then, he spoke while suppressing his anger, “You’re late, Miss Ning.”

‘Madam told her 8:00 a.m., but it’s almost 8:30 a.m. now!

‘Does she have any sense of time!?’

“Madam doesn’t like people being late.”

However, Ning Li only chuckled.

Ning Li was punctual in her past life, but she never felt that Su Yuan liked her much.

Talking about waiting, Ning Li had waited 11 years for her since she was six years old.

On the contrary, Su Yuan’s waiting time was trivial when compared to hers, was it not?

“My apologies, I really didn’t know about it since we haven’t seen each other for years.”

Zhou Hua felt his chest getting all stuffy.

‘What did she say!?’

Ning Li stepped out of the room before she turned around to lock the door

“Let’s go.”

Zhou Hua’s eyes slightly widened as he gazed at Ning Li.

“Miss Ning, where’s your luggage?”

Ning Li was just carrying a sling bag.

“Just this one,” Ning Li answered briefly.

Zhou Hua. “…”

‘Wasn’t she carrying the same bag last night? She even said that she hasn’t finished packing her stuff. In the end, it’s just this filthy bag?

‘Who are you fooling with!?’

Ning Li took a few steps down the stairs before turning her head to glance at him.

“You aren’t coming? It’s not good to let people wait for us.”

Zhou Hua’s lips moved a little and then he followed behind her.

…

It was destined to be an unpleasant morning.

Su Yuan felt displeased because Ning Li was late.

Zhou Hua was driving the car while Su Yuan and Ning Li were sitting in the backseat.

The temperature inside the car was extremely low, and the atmosphere was tense as well.

Yet, Ning Li appeared as if she was unaware as she just sat on the side and leaned against the seat while taking a nap with her eyes closed.

Su Yuan gazed at Ning Li, planning to lecture her for a bit. Yet, she felt it was futile to do so because she could even skip school.

Still, she had something important to let Ning Li know.

“After we arrive in Yunzhou, you need to change all your bad habits. Little Ci is just three months younger than you, and Little Cheng is only ten years old. Therefore, you’re the big sister when you’re there. You’ll take good care of them, understood?”

Ning Li’s eyelashes moved a little as she opened her eyes gradually. Her eyes were shrouded by a layer of black light, giving off a mysterious aura.

After so many years, she still heard the same sentence again.

She was the elder sister, and therefore, she needed to forgive her brother for making mistakes.

She was the older sister, so she needed to give her younger sister whatever she wanted.

Ning Li lived with her grandma since she was a kid, so she had a vague impression of her parents.

Nonetheless, she had still looked forward to it when she knew that she could live with her mother again.

Even with her so-called brother and sister, Ning Li would tolerate them 120 percent.

Ning Li used to really hope to have a home of her own.

What a pity…

Su Yuan was relieved because she thought Ning Li acknowledged her words when she saw her expression.

“One more thing. I planned to transfer your study archives to Yunzhou Second Senior High School. Now, the junior year has already started there—”

Ning Li smiled.

Yunzhou Second Senior High School was the best school in Yunzhou.

They had probably put in a lot of effort to let her study in that high school.

Ning Li used to think that they had done it for her own good, but then she realized it was just her wishful thinking.

The truth was, Ye Ming was an egoistic man.

Back then, when Ning Li stayed at Lincheng, they would never disturb each other.

Nevertheless, Ning Li was considered as his stepdaughter since they had accepted her into their family.

Ye Ming only did this to show off his status, and secondly, to brag about his connections. It had had nothing to do with Ning Li herself.

Su Yuan sighed.

She heard that Ning Li’s academic results were average when she was studying in Lincheng. She was considered to be an average student who was most easily overlooked by others.

It was not a huge problem if she was studying in a regular high school. However, it would be challenging for her to get into Yunzhou Second Senior High School.

“You still need to complete the admittance process, but Uncle Ye has already spoken with them, so you just need to finish the test. After you’re accepted by them, you need to be more hardworking and brush up your grades.”

Yet, Ning Li just kept quiet.

Later, Su Yuan said something again, but she got bored upon seeing Ning Li’s apathetic expression. Thus, she tilted her head to one side and did not look at her anymore.

…

After an hour and a half, they reached Yunzhou.

The black Cayenne drove all the way into Jingyue Villa.

There were more than a dozen villas halfway up the mountain.

This area was the most expensive villa area in Yunzhou.

Those who stayed here were the rich and wealthy families in Yunzhou.

Zhou Hua drove straight to the gates of one of the villas.

The gates slowly opened from both sides.

Ning Li gazed at one side and realized that there was another car parked on the porch.

She blinked. That car did not belong to the Ye family.

The car window was wound down, and she could see that there was a man inside the car.

From her perspective, all she could see was a man with a straight nose whose skin was as white as snow.

He seemed to be sleeping.

However…

This man was really interesting. Why was he sleeping in his car on other people’s porch without any reason?

The surroundings were dead silent, and even the servant purposely softened their footsteps when they came to greet them.

It felt as if…they were afraid of disturbing that man.

Su Yuan stared at the car for a moment because she found it familiar, but she could not remember where she had seen this car before.

She lifted her chin and asked, “We have company?”

Aunt Zhao’s expression was filled with unconcealed excitement and joy. Then, she whispered to Su Yuan, “Madam, you know what? Master Cheng came here today to give us an invitation!”

There was only one Master Cheng in the entire Yunzhou––Cheng Xiyue.

Cheng Xiyue was only 23 years old, but he had already occupied one-third of his family’s business. He was the real successor of the Cheng family.

However, they did not need to behave like this even if Cheng Xiyue was here, right?

Besides, Su Yuan had met with Cheng Xiyue before. However, the one in the car…

Ning Li was listening to them when suddenly, the man seemed to realize something as he opened his eyes slowly.

Instinctively, he straightened his body gradually and looked at them.

Part of his face was covered by the shadows in the car as Ning Li could not have a clear look at him. Yet, even with just those cold and deep eyes, it was enough for him to triumph over everything around him.

Their eyes met.

With that, Ning Li’s heart shook.

No wonder the Ye family was making such a fuss. It turned out that he was here.