Thunder was heard from afar. It was followed by the heavy pour of rain. The dark clouds turned even darker. No stars could be seen. Even the moon seemed to be hiding.

Below the heavy rain, a tragic scene unfolded.

On the road, black cars whose doors hung open were left abandoned. Dead bodies laid scattered around those cars.

In pools of blood and guns, a beautiful lady sat on the road with a bloodied man on her lap.

Her once beautiful wedding dress was long dirtied with blood. Her shiny and long black hair loosened from the bun flowed freely on her pale shoulders. Yet even when the lady was covered with blood and rain, it could not conceal her stunning beauty.

On her usual cold and indifferent face, there was a rarely seen tangle of emotions plastered while embracing the man.

Fear, panic, anxiety, confusion, exhaustion, and hopelessness interweaved.

Her tears flowed in rhythm with the rain. She had never cried as much as this in her life, not even in her parents' funerals, nor in her grandfather's death. She remained indifferent to them.

But this man... This man who had made her heartbeat, who had made her smile and laugh for the first time, who had made her feel wanted, precious, and loved...

The man who brought 'life' in her otherwise empty, dead life.

This man was already holding her heart and life in his grasp.

If he died, she did not know how she could possibly live again. She cannot live without him.

"No... Linfeng... Linfeng... Don't leave me... Stay awake..." The lady held the man tightly.

The man tried to open his beautiful eyes. Although covered in blood and disheveled wet hair, it did not hide the man's attractive features. His eyes that were always sharp, cold, and full of vigor before, were now in a daze.

He tried to see the beautiful woman whom he had sworn with his life to protect, to care, and to love.

He fought to open his eyes and stay awake, but he could not see her face clearly. He laboriously reached for her face with his bloodied hand to feel her beautiful features. He began to reminisce about the past.

" Zhi'er... Do you remember when we first met? …When I saw you, you already captured my heart... from that day. No matter what I did to stop my feelings from g-growing... I...

I cannot help but love you and long for you... This must be my retribution... for being selfish. I am incapable... and let your life be at stake... You should be living in luxury, with a perfect life, which I cannot give to you...

Forgive me," Linfeng said between heavy breaths.

"No, no... You've done everything you can to save me. I don't regret escaping with you... I cannot live with that beast. The only thing I regret in this life is holding back my feelings for you. We should have enjoyed those times, those times we were together without a care for the world...

Because I'm weak, I don't have enough power to protect both of us... If I was just stronger, more powerful, they could have never separated us or bullied us to this point... It's my fault… because I'm so weak...." Xiong Zhi cried harder. She had never said this to him before, nor told him how she truly felt about him.

Linfeng tried to draw his last strand of vigor to wipe her tears.

"What are you saying...? I should be the one to protect you... But because I'm born lower than you, I could not gain enough power to be with you... cough…" He coughed up more blood.

"In the next lifetime, if we meet, I will surely fall in love with you again... cough, cough," he coughed a couple more times.

"In the next lifetime, I will be strong and hold every moment of us. I will express all my love to you... To never regret again," Xiong Zhi said with conviction. She had never been this determined before. But alas, it was too late. If she was given a second chance, she would do everything in her power to stop this from happening.

She would defy her fate.

She saw his eyes dimming, and his breathing became slower.

"Without you, I cannot live. Wait for me… we'll be together soon," she whispered.

She watched as his eyes closed and his breathing ceased to a stop.

The heavy rain continued to flow endlessly. Xiong Zhi stared at the lifeless Linfeng, her eyes empty. Her heart died at the same time the man died.

She slowly looked up at the dark sky. She laid there thinking about her tragic life.

She had wealth.

She had the brains.

She had the beauty.

She had a handsome fiancé.

Life seemed to be perfect for her. That was what they said. That was what they knew.

They did not know that…

She was an orphan. She never experienced being loved by her parents, even when they were alive.

She had an unloving grandfather who only used her as a pawn to expand his business and arranged a marriage to her with a beast in the prince's clothing.

She had schemer and evil relatives who eyed her like wolves, ready to pounce at her wealth.

So what of wealth? So what of her surname Xiong? They cannot be used. They were thorny decorations.

Her beauty? Her brains? It cannot be used… She was only a puppet and a trophy of her grandfather.

She had never become herself. That's why she grew up to become cold and indifferent and never opened up to anybody.

Until he came.

Xiong Zhi looked at the man and caressed his cold face gently.

He became her light. She did not care about him at first, not even giving him a glance before, thinking he was only another pawn his grandfather had put into staying at her side. But he was different. He cared. Even when she did not look at him, he had always gently given her reminders, advice, courage, and warnings that an aide should not cross.

When the world schemed at her, he was the only one who patiently stayed at her side. He gave her comfort, protection, and love.

He had let her feel loved.

He was the only one in her life that she never regretted knowing.

Now her most precious one was gone.

He was gone.

Xiong Zhi closed her eyes and stayed at his side, holding him endearingly.

She did not feel the cold nor the heavy drops of the rain that prickled her skin.

For hours, she did not move. She did not even hear the sirens and shouts. While her breathing was becoming fainter, she whispered.

"To never again be weak... to never again waste our precious time... I promise... In the next lifetime... I will protect you... and… love you..."

The police approached the lady holding the man on her lap. He tried to talk to her but noticed something. He felt for her pulse and sighed.

"What a tragedy. Everyone is dead here."

The dark sky, witnessing the tragic scene, thundered once again.

Thunder was heard from afar, followed by the heavy rain. It was early morning, but the dark clouds covered the sun, dimming the surroundings. Within the mansion of the Xiong family, a girl woke up and sat up straight.

Her face was pale and full of sweat. Her heart was beating fast. She looked at her surroundings. She recognized the place, but she could not believe what she was seeing.

She was dazed for a while, then realizing something, she stood up and ran towards her dressing room. Facing the full-length mirror, she touched her face.

'It cannot be... how come I became so young?!'

'Is it all a dream?... But, it felt so real....'

Her face was full of disbelief.

She still had a pale translucent skin that seemed to have never been reached by the sun. Her long, straight, and shiny black hair reached to her waist. She still had a dark pair of cold and empty eyes surrounded by long curly lashes.

Her thin brows, her straight nose that gathered envy from her cousins, her thin red lips that spoke only a few words, her pointed chin, and her little heart-shaped face were still the same— except she looked younger like a maiden who was still blooming.

The maiden in the mirror had a perfect proportion of a woman's body: full breasts, small waist, and long legs. Even if the girl appeared to be in her teens, it could still capture the eyes of full-grown men.

But that's not what the girl focused on.

She quickly went outside her room and grabbed a maid.

"What date is it today?"

The maid was startled at her sudden action. The Young Miss in front of her, who had never spoken to them, suddenly came and asked a question. They only know her as the indifferent Young Miss. The girl that was alone in her world.

"What date is it today?" She asked again with slight desperation in her voice. Hope was evident in her eyes.

The maid was shocked again. Never ever did she saw the young miss showed any emotion. But in front of her, the girl looked so vulnerable, with even a hint of desperation in her voice. The maid felt like she won the lottery.

'This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! The Young Miss talked to me and opened up to me...'

(A/N: lol..she just asked you...)

The maid felt like crying. But when she felt that her arm was grabbed tighter, she remembered to answer.

"Yo... Young Miss... Today is June 4," the maid answered.

"No, I mean... What year?"

"Eh... 2011?" The maid said hesitantly.

Why was the Young Miss asking this?

"2...2011?!" The girl was shocked.

"So, I'm sixteen this year?!" With wide eyes, she looked at the maid.

The maid was equally startled.

The Young Miss was SHOCKED! Wide-eyed!

The maid seemed to want to write in her diary right now and add this scene as the most unforgettable moment of her life. She had seen many facial expressions on the usually stone-cold face of the Young Miss today. That stoic face that would not flinch even with Mount Tai's collapse.

'I will brag about it later to them, hahaha.'

"Linfeng? Where is he?" The maid was pulled out from her thoughts by the Young Miss' antics.

"Who's Linfeng, Young Miss?"

The maid looked at her strangely. There was no Linfeng in their household. The maid knew the names of all the people, from maids to bodyguards.

Hearing this, the girl was confused, and fear and panic were seen in her face.

Another maid came up, bowed, and said:

"Young Miss, your bath is ready. The uniform is already on your bed."

"Uniform?" The girl asked.

"Yes, from TIHS.. "

The girl was shocked again. She ran to her room and looked at her uniform.

The two maids look at each other questioningly. Both were thinking that their Young Miss was strange today.

The girl in the room held her uniform.

'It's the same... same school. It's not a dream... If it's not a dream, then what is it? Did it really happen? Or did I reincarnate?

Or time travel? It's crazy.....'

The girl was none other than Xiong Zhi. The Young Miss was the eldest daughter of the Xiong family.

A moment later, her eyes suddenly lit up.

'Sixteen... June 4... First day of school... This is the day, the day Linfeng was introduced to me.'

With that thought, she ran to her bathroom. Not even glancing at the bathtub with warm water and rose petals, she turned on her shower.

Closing her eyes, her thoughts wandered to the scenes in her dream, or she must say her past life. She was not sure. It felt so real.

This time, her grandfather was still alive. After her grandfather died, the impending doom on her started.

The scheming relatives pounced at her. Her fiancé took off his mask. Her wealth, her inheritance, and the company were stripped away from her.

It would all start two years from now. If she really traveled from the future to the past, she must prevent them from happening. Or, she must be prepared when facing them. This was her second chance. The heavens gave her a second chance to make no regrets in her life. Everything she got, she will use it.

Her wealth.

Her brains.

Her beauty.

Her surname Xiong.

This time she would make everything right.

'To never again be weak… to never again waste our precious time… I promise… In the next lifetime… I will protect you… and… love you…'

Her final words rang clearly and loudly in her ears. The water from the shower was like the heavy raindrops of that night.

The same sound of droplets and the coldness were all familiar to her.

Opening her eyes, the emptiness was gone, replaced by sharpness and determination. The old Xiong Zhi was gone. A new and reborn Xiong Zhi was standing now.

"Never again..."

Xiong Zhi usually took a bath for an hour. But this time, she only took ten minutes.

Without calling for her maids, she wore her uniform, combed her hair, and simply let it flow freely down her back. Without putting any makeup on her face, she hurried down the stairs.

The maids who were supposed to serve her were gossiping in the kitchen.

"Hey... Have you seen Mr. Zhou today?" Maid 1 asked.

"Nope. Why? You know you should stop daydreaming about Mr. Zhou. Can't you see that he would never look at you? He probably doesn't even know your name!" Maid 2 said.

Maid 1 scoffed.

"Stop it. You know I won't listen to you. Who doesn't want to marry him? Even if he has a son, he is still so handsome. And of course, he's the richest amongst us who's working under the Xiong's!"

"Speaking of his son, I saw them today. His son is so gorgeous than his own father!" Maid 1 continued.

"Hey, don't tell me you plan to seduce him? You're an old hag already! Leave it to us, the blooming maidens," retort Maid 2.

Hearing this, Xiong Zhi could not help but imagine a scene wherein Linfeng was surrounded by pretty maids, with him showing his usual gentle smile to the maids.

She felt uncomfortable in her heart.

Imagining that Linfeng had a girl by his side, loving her and protecting her. There was an indescribable feeling, making her heart heavy.

This feeling was like a tiny thorn scratching her heart, making it a bit painful.

But she promised not to be weak anymore...

'In this lifetime, I will do everything to make Linfeng love me again... to finally be with him.'

'Even if he has a girl. I will snatch him away from her.'

'Linfeng... In the past, you stayed and loved me secretly by my side. This time, I will boldly express my feelings for you.'

Gaining courage, she took another step and coughed loudly. She looked coldly at the maids and said:

"What are you gossiping about? If my grandfather hears you, he will surely not let you take another step in Xiong mansion ever again, nor would you get to see whom you want to see."

She then walked away like she had not said anything while the maids were left with open mouths.

"The... The young miss... spoke. She spoke!"

(A/N: of course she can speak. She's not mute )

They did not seem to focus on the fact that the young miss had warned them.

----------------------------------------------

At the dining table, Xiong Zhi sat on her usual seat.

She was earlier than expected. The food was being served, and the maids secretly peeked at her. Their young miss was earlier today. What scared them was that their young miss sat there unmoving, unblinking, with her usual cold, expressionless face. If not for her chest's light ups and downs, she could be mistaken for a beautiful statue.

Xiong Zhi was waiting for her grandfather. Actually, Xiong Zhi was holding in her excitement and anxiety at meeting her grandfather again after five years, the last time she had seen him from her previous life.

Even if she did not have an attachment to the old man, he was still after her guardian. Although the old man saw her as his pawn, he never schemed against her. The only mistake he had was choosing that beast as her marriage partner.

She wanted to say many things to the old man, both her hatred and her gratitude.

But when she saw the old man walking towards her, all of her words were stuck in her throat.

The old man still had his domineering aura that seemed to say: 'I am the King. Bow to me, you commoners.'

Swallowing hard, she stood up and bowed respectfully to her grandfather.

"Good morning, grandfather. Have you had a good night's rest?"

She still remembered her usual greeting every morning.

Her grandfather looked at her and walked past by while saying :

"You will meet Zhou Min's son today, your aide," her grandfather said expressionlessly.

Following him was Zhou Min, Linfeng's father.

Xiong Zhi looked behind his back, wanting to see Linfeng. Not seeing him, she became anxious.

'Where is Linfeng? Is he still the same Linfeng? Did he also travel here?'

"Zhou Min, invite your son to come and eat with us," her grandfather said, pulling her attention to him.

"Yes, sir. Linfeng, come here and introduce yourself to Young Miss Zhi," Zhou Min said to nowhere.

A tall shadow appeared, stood up, and bowed at a forty-five-degree angle.

"Zhou Linfeng pledges his loyalty to the Xiong family. I will serve as a reliable aide to the Young Miss Xiong Zhi," Linfeng said with his head remaining lowered.

Black hair that was slightly curly at the end partially covered his face.

Xiong Zhi felt as if time was frozen. For a moment, she stopped breathing. She stopped thinking. She stared at him, unmoving.

His figure, his tall stature, all of it. She wanted to engrave it in her mind. She wanted to see his face, caress it while proclaiming her love that she was never given a chance to say to him in that life before the tragedy struck.

She missed him... so severely that her heart stopped beating for a moment.

Noticing no one answered, Linfeng took a quick glance behind his hair. He did not dare to raise his head.

But what he saw startled him.

He knew the rumors about the Young Miss. Since he was her aide, he was informed and trained since young to serve this young miss.

He had investigated everything about her. Although he had not seen her personally, he heard about her stunning beauty.

He heard about her cold, indifferent yet meek behavior. She spoke few words, treating them like gold. She had never shown any emotions or reactions to anything, like a lifeless doll.

Unlike any rich young misses who were socializing on the top of the food chain, this girl was alone in her world. No friends, unapproachable.

But the rumors about her did not give her enough justice.

Her beauty was not just stunning. He had seen countless beauties while following his father in ballrooms and parties.

But this girl who was a year younger than him had an otherworldly beauty.

Her skin was translucent like jade. Her jet black hair that was so smooth and looked so soft to touch reached to her waist. Without any makeup on, he can clearly see her bare beautiful face. Her straight nose, her thin kissable lips, her jaw that was carved at the perfect shape. Yet, the most that stunned him was her phoenix eyes framed by long lashes.

From those beautiful eyes, thousands of words seemed to speak to him. Many emotions intermingled.

When she closed her eyes, his heart skipped a beat. Then it thumped very fast. He could even hear it loudly in his ears.

'Wha... What's this? Am I sick?'

Linfeng was confused. He cannot describe what he was feeling. He even forgot himself and raised his head to stare dumbly at the Young Miss.

Noticing this, his father rebuked him.

"Outrageous! Who told you to raise your head?"

"Ah... My apologies to Mr. Xiong and to the Young Miss," Linfeng hurriedly apologized. He felt foolish. How could he stare so boldly at the Young Miss!

"It's alright. No offense taken." Xiong Zhi tried to soften her voice at Linfeng, but it appeared rather cold and expressionless since she was unused to it.

When the young man slightly raised his head, she clearly saw the face of the man that she missed and loved dearly.

His thick brows, his sharp and dark eyes lidded with thick lashes, his tall, straight nose, his full red lips, his sharp jaw— every detail of his face was exceptional, like a beautiful sculpture carved perfectly. He looked dashing and gorgeous. It was that familiar face, only younger.

How could she not notice him, such a beautiful and awesome man, in the beginning? She really lived an empty life before, not knowing what 'beautiful' is.

She closed her eyes, engraving every detail of his perfect face in her heart.

She wanted to run into his arms and tightly hug him and say those words that she wanted to say.

But it's not the time. She had to be patient. There was still a matter at hand. Until then, she would not hold back her feelings for him.

Opening her eyes, the sharp, cold, and penetrating gaze returned.

She continued gazing at the man who was still bowing his head.

'Linfeng... It seems only I turned back to this time, but even if you don't remember those times, I will treasure them and make them more precious and unforgettable...'

'Linfeng... At last, we meet again.'

'This time, I will fulfill my promise. I hope you will also fulfill yours....'