In the confines of the Restricted Intensive Care Unit of the Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Shang Qing lay in the ward for patients with a Level Four virus, numerous tubes sticking out of her body. The pain had tortured her so much that she no longer looked like her old self and she was close to breathing her last. She clutched the bed sheets tightly with her claw-like nails as she looked straight at the woman seated in front of her.

"Everyone else with the Kurjit virus died within a month. But you didn't just survive. You even managed to contain your virus. What a perfect living specimen! How does it feel just living from day to day for the past three years? Not bad right?"

Her evil words were a total contrast to her beautiful face. Others visited her because she was ill, but Shang Qianqian was here to kill her. She took out a syringe full of a clear, light yellow liquid.

"Oh look, here's the antiserum that the researchers finally created yesterday! You've been hanging on for dear life just for this, right? They've grown so attached to you over the past three years, the moment the testing was complete, the research team made sure there was one prepared for you. Once you receive this injection, you can get well! Do you want this jab? My dearest elder sister?"

'Yes! Of course, I want it!' Shang Qing thought to herself as she closed her eyes and tried to hide the despair she felt.

Shang Qing wanted this antiserum badly, but she knew that her sister would kill her the day the antiserum was created. She was certain of this — after all, it was Shang Qianqian who gave her this virus in the first place!

Not only did she get this virus, but also simply known as the K virus—she had lived her entire life under Shang Qianqian's thumb. Shang Qianqian barely understood anything about medical science, and she was now a beautiful and renowned genius doctor in high demand only because she had stolen everything important from her.

Every time she thought about how she had merely become Shang Qianqian's stepping stone to her current success, it nearly drove her to death. But she did not want to die — she wanted revenge! When the researchers saw her strong will to live, they said she was such an altruistic person, sacrificing herself for the rest of the world.

She was being self-sacrificing? What nonsense!

She clung on despite the terrible pain for the past three years, because she hoped they would be able to quickly create an antiserum. The research team finally had a breakthrough yesterday! The antiserum was finally created, but now Shang Qianqian was wickedly teasing her with this very thing that could save her life.

She felt her anger boiling up inside of her, and the sheer amount of hate within her weak body surprised her.

Shang Qianqian saw that she had shut her eyes and ignored her words, so she went straight to the point.

"My dear sister, I know you don't want to die, and actually I'm not afraid of you returning to the medical field because nobody will believe you anymore. Tell you what, if you tell me the code to unlock the safe of your research lab, Ill inject you with this serum immediately, and then send you overseas to live quietly. How about that?"

Shang Qing opened her eyes upon hearing these words, and with an unsteady voice, she uttered her first words, "This is the first time...I have come across...someone...so...shameless!"

Taking away everything she had was not enough, and now before killing her, Shang Qianqian still wanted to cheat her of the last thing that made her life worthwhile! Dream on, thought Shang Qing to herself.

"You're not going to tell me?"

There was an evil glint in her eye as Shang Qianqian waved the syringe in her hand, and she threatened her, What is more important to you than your own life? Didn't you hang on just for this antiserum?"

Shang Qing laughed coldly and ignored her question.

Seeing that this did not do the trick, Shang Qianqian decided to pull out her trump card.

"I suppose you don't know yet huh. Young Master Feng is getting engaged today, and his partner is that childhood friend, Yue Mengru! That despicable Woman! She teamed up with me to gang up against you and did so many terriblé things to you don't you want to live on and get back at her?"

The words Young Master Feng' pierced deeply through Shang Qing's heart.

Even though she had not heard this name in a very long time, it was still like a sharp sword that pierced easily through an old wound that refused to heal. She could tell that Shang Qianqian was filled with regret, because Shang Qianqian herself had always dreamed of marrying Young Master Feng, but was now beaten to it by Yue Mengru. She was full of regret, and she regretted it every single day.

If she had been more alert and saw through Shang Qianqian earlier, she would not be in this terrible situation now.

If she did not fall in love with that man and did everything in her power to keep their engagement, then she would not have been attacked time and again, suffering physical and emotional hurt and even nearly being raped!

It was a recurring nightmare of regret, hate, and finally despair. Was it wrong to love someone? Was it wrong to show kindness? How did she end up in this state?

"Just kill me...you liar! I know... that syringe... contains poison!" Shang Qing shouted agitatedly as if she was possessed. She knew that she was doomed to die from the moment Shang Qianqian entered the room because Shang Qianqian was only going to lie to her, demean her, and finally kill her.

Upon seeing that Shang Qing would rather die than to tell her the code, Shang Qianqian's face darkened and her anger began to rise.

Nothing went well for her lately that filthy Yue Mengru had stolen the love of her life, and now this useless lowlife dared to go against her?

"Since you'd rather die, I'll send you on your way! Do you think I can't survive without you?"

With that, she got up and marched towards Shang Qing, raising her hand to inject Shang Qing with the deadly syringe. The poison in the syringe would only need ten seconds to kill Shang Qing, and it would look like she died naturally.

Once Shang Qing is dead, nobody in the world would be able to expose my evil deeds, thought Shang Qianqian to herself, eyes full of evil intent, not noticing the spark in the eyes of the weak woman lying on the bed.

Suddenly. Shang Qing bolted up from the bed and ripped out the needles from her arm that connected her to various life support machines. She grabbed Shang Qianqian's hand with all her might and pushed the syringe the other way, piercing it right into Shang Qianqian's arm.

"No!"

Shang Qianqian's eyes opened wide in terror. The next thing she knew, the syringe was empty. She tried calling for help but felt her body go weak and staggered back several steps.

She couldn't believe it—Shang Qing was practically breathing her last just a moment ago!

The alarm sounded as a result of her pulling all the needles out, but Shang Qing did not care. She finally had her revenge!

She watched as Shang Qianqian clutched her own neck and fell to the floor, her eyes wide open, the blood on her hands reflected in her terrified pupils. This was her retribution!

An indescribable feeling of joy surged through Shang Qing's body and the smile on her face grew wider and wider, and she looked more and more frightening.

She was so grateful that Grandpa had forced her to train her body since she was young, so she was able to exert this amount of strength despite being in such a weak state. She had avenged herself!

Now she realized that fighting back was not so hard after all.

The room started spinning as the alarm rang in her ears continuously, and Shang Qing fell back onto the bed. She wanted someone to save her. She wanted to survive this ordeal and start her life all over again. She was determined not to be passive anymore and not to be a weakling again, but to boldly live her life and live true to herself!

As she began to lose consciousness, she could hear people rushing into the room.

If she survived, she would no longer be tied down by the family who did not love her, she would not fall in love with the same man, and she would only love herself. As long as she could live on...

Shang Qing was awoken by the sound of thunder as she lay in the annex of the Feng Manor.

It was night time, and the heavy rain pounded against the white bay window. A flash of lightning shone through the window, casting a bright light on her and the messy bed she was lying on.

She could hear faintly two men talking outside. She felt feverish but still tried to get up...

Suddenly she froze. Wait...Wasn't she dead?

She knew this better than anyone else she couldn't have survived after she pulled out the life support machines.

Her legs had been paralyzed for the past three years too how were they able to move now?

Shang Qing reached for her legs subconsciously and noticed a jade ring on her left thumb!

This ring was a present from the Fengs upon her engagement, but it was taken away from her when she was eighteen!

The series of shocking revelations made her start to think more clearly.

Heavy rains, a luxurious bungalow room, waking up after being drugged, the men outside...

Could it be that she didn't die but somehow restarted her life? Did life get restarted on the night when the worst nightmare of her life happened?!

Upon realizing this, her first reaction was not joy but terror.

Because if it was really that day then...the two men talking outside were the two scoundrels who wanted to rape her!

In her previous life, she tried to fight back despite being drugged and managed to use a cell phone to hit one of the men's heads, but he hit her back and she fainted. Eventually, she woke up from the pain of being tortured by them. Now it was happening again, but this time she regained consciousness earlier than the last time.

Shang Qing's heart started pounding. If everything happened just like the last time, Shang Qianqian, together with others, was going to burst into the room to 'catch her in the act in a few moments.

That was how she was completely disgraced in her previous life and had to call off her engagement. If this was her second chance to live, she was going to save herself this time around!

She must get help!

She got up from the bed and immediately collapsed - after being unable to walk for the last three years, she had somehow forgotten how to walk.

The voices outside stopped when they heard her fall. "There's a noise coming from the room! Is she awake?"

Shang Qing almost stopped breathing when she heard those familiar voices from that past nightmare. She quickly grabbed her clothes and used all her strength to get up from the floor.

The icy raindrops splashed directly onto her through the open window as she realized there was a problem—she was on the second story.

The annex was very far from the main house where a family party was held there on this very night. As such, all the servants shoúld be in the main house busy serving the guests, so even if she shouted till her voice was hoarse, she would not be heard over the heavy rain.

The men outside had reached the door and were turning the handle!

With no other way out, Shang Qing did not have time to hesitate.

She climbed up the window despite the aching all over and made the twelve-foot jump down.

She landed and used the strength left in her to roll forward, but a sharp pain shot through her body the moment she landed as if she had broken all her bones.

"Damn! She's escaped!"

When she heard their voices, Shang Qing made another painful somersault forward and lay flat under the shrubs, her body tense with fear.

In the rain, she could hear herself panting.

One of the men stuck his head out of the window but didn't find her and stárted shouting angrily at the other man, "Hurry up and find her! She can't run far!"

With that, they both ran towards the stairs.

Shang Qing was still suffering the effects of being drugged and couldn't fight back in this situation, so her only way out was to run.

Enduring the pain, she managed to get some clothes on before diving into the bushes again. Her strategy was to climb her way to the main house under the cover of the plants and the rain.

The two men did not give up trying to look for her, searching high and low within the compound. There were several times when they came very close to finding her, using sticks to beat the branches and leaves, and sometimes they came so close, Shang Qing could see their leather shoes.

The more desperately they searched, the calmer Shang Qing became.

She didn't have time to think about why her life had come back to this particular day. She only knew that she must not allow the same thing to happen to her a second time, even if this/whole thing were but a dream!

Through the leaves, her reddened eyes could finally see the brightly lit main house.

My life won't be the same as before! As long as I make it into the house, this life won't be the same as the previous one!

The main house spanned two square miles and looked imposing in the heavy rains.

The party in the luxuriously decorated banquet hall had almost come to an end. There were few guests, but every single one was an important and influential person. However, the Shangs were invited to the party only because their children were betrothed to one another as babies.

As such, Shang Baiqi was feeling extremely out of place at this party and couldn't wait to go home, but his second marriage was to an extroverted woman who could start a conversation with anybody in the world.

The doors suddenly slammed open with a bang!

Everyone was shocked by the sound and turned to stare at the door. Shang Baiqi shouted out in shock, "Qingqing?!"

Lightning flashed and thunder boomed right behind Shang Qing.

Shang Qing was covered in mud and bruises, her hair all wet and with no shoes on, looking more like a ghost than a human.

She could make it to the door only because she had that jade thumb ring that marked her as the future daughter-in-law of the Feng family. In her previous life, she would never have allowed any one of the Fengs to see her in this terrible state, but now...

Shang Qing laughed coldly, and with a quick scan of the room, she found Shang Qianqian and narrowed her eyes. At that moment, her blood began to boil!

Shang Qianqian was taken aback by this stare-when did this useless sister of hers have such a terrifying stare?

Also, what were Xu Zhe and Zhou Yaowen doing? She had practically delivered Shang Qing to them and they let her escape!

She secretly made a call to Xu Zhe, then put on a surprised face and ran over to her sister.

"Sis! I thought you were drunk and resting in the annex! Why do you look like such a mess? Did some guy try to get unfriendly with you?"

The first words out of her mouth were slanderous, and her choice of words steered the guests' thoughts in the direction she wanted.

The guests hadn't even thought of that—but once Shang Qianqian put it in their heads. they couldn't look at the situation in any other way.

Shang Qing's face was unnaturally red and her clothes were a mess—it did look like she was just sexually assaulted.

Suddenly someone let out a gasp, "Wasn't this Young Master Feng's fiancée?"

Young Master Feng's fiancée looked like a mess at a party in the Feng house, how unbecoming, thought the guests as they started murmuring among themselves about Shang Qing.

Seeing the shock on the guests' faces, Shang Qianqian pretended to become anxious and tried to explain the situation on Shang Qing's behalf.

"Sis, you're really strong, right? Even the security guards aren't your match... or was it because you were really drunk so..."

So she wasn't able to resist an attacker? Or so she ended up just sleeping with any random person?

Shang Qianqian purposely trailed off at the end, leaving the crowd to their own imagination, probing Shang Qing with their eyes.

Hearing the voices of the crowd getting louder, Shang Qianqian made a big show of being anxious, turning red in the face and then finally shouting, "OH DEAR! Don't be afraid, my dear sister! Uncle Feng will get back at whoever did this to you!"

Shang Qing was really impressed by her acting. Only a few words could cause such an uproar armed With such tactics, it was no wonder she suffered so tremendously at the very last!

Shang Qing finally opened her mouth to speak, her voice hoarse and a little stiff.

Are you saying... you think I was molested?"

Her clothes were a mess, but her expression remained calm as if everything was just a misunderstanding.

Instead, it was the younger sister crying and making a scene, but every word that came out of her mouth was slanderous—and it looked like something scandalous was about to unfold...

Shang Qing's response took Shang Qianqian by surprise, and she awkwardly tried to turn the situation around, "Sis! I did not mean that...Oh look you're hurt! Why don't you go back and have a rest? There are so many people looking at you, Uncle Feng would be upset if he sees you like this."

If the old Shang Qing heard that she was making the Fengs unhappy, she would have chosen to remain silent.

But now she knew that if she did not explain herself in front of everyone right now, who knew what terrible rumors would spread tomorrow!

Shang Qing looked at the guests and laughed hollowly even though she could feel her body weakening

"I'm upset too! The Feng family is having a party and yet someone is trying to murder me! I've just narrowly escaped death, but you're accusing me of debauchery. Such care and concern you have for me, my lovely sister!"

Shang Qianqian was unable to respond to this. The word 'murder' sent another uproar through the guests.

They were all people of high status and feared for their lives too. If not for the fact they trusted the Fengs and were bound by social rules, they would have started running in a panic by now!

Shang Baiqi finally came back to his senses and rushed over to Shang Qing."What? Someone wants to kill you? Who?"

The elegantly dressed lady beside him merely frowned while taking a step forward and smiled, "Baiqi, don't listen to Qingqing babble on. She must have just gone out to have fun. This is not some lawless country and we're in the Fengs' house who is so daring as to attempt to murder here?"

What she really meant to say was that Shang Qing had gone out to have so much 'fun', she ended looking like this, and then simply said someone was trying to kill her to cover up.

The moment she started speaking, Shang Qing turned her gaze to Lin Yishu, her stepmother.

How lovely...we meet again.

Lin Yishu froze in shock when she saw the way Shang Qing looked at her and stopped herself from saying more slanderous words. She was shocked Shang Qing was normally a very timid child, why did she look so frightening now?

"Mum, be careful of what you say. Today is a happy day for my fiance's family. Are you trying to make things difficult for the Fengs by slandering me?" Upon hearing the phrasé 'make things difficult for the Fengs', Lin Yishu panicked and quickly replied, "What are you going on about? I am merely concerned about you! I'm so afraid that you're only interested in having fun and end up embarrassing the Fengs! Look at what you look like now! "Who knows what you've been up to again!"

Only heaven knew that Shang Qing had grown up under the tight rein of her stepmother, and her stepmother's cruelty to her had traumatized her psychologically. And so even after she had grown up and became more capable, she still did not dare to go against her stepmother, her personality growing timider and timider, allowing anybody to step all over her. But now she actually managed to cheat death - why should she still be afraid?

"Thank you for your concern."

Shang Qing looked back down at herself and laughed bitterly.

She was standing all wet and dirty in the cold of early spring, yet their first show of concern was to malign her.

So this is what concern looks like huh—you're not worried about why I look like this, instead, you twist the truth about mé being chased down by a murderer and you even join my sister in slandering me. Your sort of concern makes me really frightened."

Her words left no room for mercy, and each word slowly drained the color from Lin Yishu and Shang Qianqian's faces.

"You little ingrate! What nonsense are you spouting! "

Lin Yishu glared back at Shang Qing and couldn't contain her true self.

Shang Qianqian panicked and shouted in time, "Mummy!"

She quickly continued, "Mummy, I know you are very concerned about Sis, but please try to stay calm! "Don't you remember where you are? Lin Yishu suddenly came back to her senses—indeed, this house was not a place for her to lash out like this.

Shang Qianqian looked back at Shang Qing and felt a chill in her heart. For some reason, this usually useless sister of hers was behaving like she was possessed or something, and had become bold enough to say anything she liked.

But she had to tolerate her words because Xu Zhe was already on his way—she wanted to see how Shang Qing could still defend herself after that!

But on the surface she still kept up her act of being the good sister, saying, "Sis! Did something agitate you? Mummy didn't mean any harm, how can you talk like that to her? Mummy has been so kind to you if you behave like this, others will laugh at you!

When he heard that they might get laughed at, Shang Baiqi's mind suddenly cleared as if he just woke up from a dream. He saw that everyone around looked mildly amused by all this, and so he quickly cut in, "Qianqian is right - Qingqing, why are you so rude? Quickly apologize to your mother!"

Shang Qing couldn't help but laugh.

Did her father think that she could tolerate anything just because she never cømplained about being mistreated since she wás a child? So whenever something bad happened she had to take the rap?

As the saying goes, "Only the babies who know how to cry will get milk to drink." She was born with a personality that was more forbearing and passive, and that was how she ended up being oppressed to death by this mother and daughter in her previous life! This time around, she wasn't going to tolerate any of this.

"Dad, I'm so badly hurt and you don't even ask about how I am. Mum and my sister are slandering me and you don't care either. Then when I defend myself, you want me to apologize? Am Ithe one who has behaved embarrassingly? If Qianqian didn't rt by spouting nonsense but called the police instead, did you think I would stand here and be a laughing stock?"

These words sent Shang Baiqi into shock. He suddenly realized that this situation was a result of what his younger daughter and wife had said, and not his eldest daughter. But he was still perplexed his elder daughter was usually very obedient, and always looked at the big picture even if it meant that she had to be on the losing end. Why was she being so immature today?

At this moment, the butler eáme running over in a hurry. The party tonight was a small one so Master Feng was not aroúnd, and his wife was outside seeing other guests out. The butler was shocked to hear something so serious was happening.

The moment he saw Shang Qing, he got a shock! "Miss Shang, are you alright? Do you need me to

take you upstairs to get your wounds dressed and take a shower?"

Shang Qing's heart felt lighter when she saw him.

"Uncle Butler, I'm alright, but there are two men trying to kill me. Please call the police to arrest

them!"

"What?" The butler grew serious, "How could such a thing happen? We have failed in our duty. Please be rest assured, Miss Shang, we will take care of this matter. As for our other guests, please do not worry, we will assure your safety as well!"

The crowd merely smiled and said it didn't matter-they could see that whatever was happening did not actually concern them.

Shang Qianqian's face darkened when she heard what the butler said and saw he was calling the police.

What is taking Xu Zhe so long? If Xu Zhe and Zhou Yaowen get arrested now, then Shang Qing will get away with this! The police will also interrogate them hard so as to be answerable to the Fengs and these two might confess that I'm part of the plan too!

No! I must smear Shang Qing's name tonight! Then people will only focus on the future daughter-in-law of the Fengs being a promiscuous woman, and won't think that there's a bigger scheme behind it all!

Perhaps the heavens had heard her thoughts before she could open her mouth to say anything, a skanky voice came through the door.

"Ohhhh so Miss Shang has run all the way here — Didn't you have fun just now? Why did you suddenly make a run for it? And get yourself so dirty in the process?" Xu Zhe said boldly with Zhou Yaowen following behind him. Unlike the overly confident Xu Zhe, Zhou Yaowen saw the large crowds and shrank in fear oút of a guilty conscience.

All the guests recognized these two — they were famous in the elite circles for being wastrels, squandering their famiły fortune on a variety of vices. Judging from what he said, did it mean that they were with the future daughter-in-law of the Feng family?

Shang Qing saw them and coldly declared, "Uncle Butler! These are the men trying to kill me!"

Before the butler could respond, Xu Zhe pretended to look surprised and shouted loudly, "That doesn't make sense just now you were enjoying yourself in bed so much, calling us Big Brother and all, but someone came by and you made a run for it. Then now falsely accusing us because you're afraid of being found out'? Nothing will happen to you for simply making accusations, but this could land us in jail! Besides, I'm richer and more powerful than you, why would I want to kill you? Find a better excuse next time!"