rebirth

Xia Ling opened her eyes, and the face of a stranger entered her vision.

A girl donning a set of white dancing attire was looking down on her in a half kneeling position. The girl was calling out to her anxiously, but it was only until some time later that Xia Ling barely managed to make out what she was conveying. “Xingling! Xingling! Are you alright? Are you unwell?”

…Xingling?

Who is Xingling?

An unfamiliar name, an unfamiliar face in front of her, and an unfamiliar voice. Xia Ling was dazed. She was sure that she was not this so-called “Xingling”, much less acquainted with this girl in front of her, whose face was painted in worry.

Her head was spinning.

She thought she was dead. When the power was suddenly cut off from the stage, someone shoved her. Before she could react, she was falling off the high stage, landing on top of a cold, hard concrete barricade. Her head was punctured by a sharp steel bar upon impact. Blood and brain matter splattered all over the ground.

But what is this situation in front of her eyes?

The girl was still shouting out to her, yet Xia Ling was no longer in the mood to listen. She turned her head to examine her surroundings.

Under the gentle lighting, seven to eight good-looking girls were stretching, gracefully spinning and leaping or practicing dance steps under the instructions of a coach. This was… a dance studio.

Looking past the dancers, she saw her own reflection in the mirror.

She was looking at a somewhat feeble girl, about 15 or 16 years of age, curled up at a corner of the room. She had soft and silky long hair, a clean and delicate face, and was wearing the same white dancewear as the others in the room. She was looking at a stranger. Certainly, this was not who she was before — Xia Ling, the diva of the music industry.

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Xia Ling was in shock.

She recalled reading a few resurrection themed novels that were trending online. Could it be… that she had resurrected? Reborn into the body of a stranger?! What the…

As she was coming into terms with this bizarre occurrence, the girl that was earlier by her side pulled someone over. She worriedly said, “Coach, quick, come over and look at Xingling. She hasn’t said a word after waking up! Is there something wrong with her?”

“Ha! What could possibly be wrong with her?” The man, whom she addressed as “Coach”, looked at Xia Ling in disdain. “Ye Xingling, pretending to be dizzy again?! I’m not falling for it. Get up and continue your dance practice. At Skyart Entertainment we have no lack of trainees. We are nearing the end-of-month examinations. If you end up in the last place again, you will definitely be expelled!”

Oh, so Ye Xingling is my name now . Xia Ling thought.

Wait. That is not the point. The point is… this Ye Xingling, is a trainee of Skyart Entertainment?

Xia Ling had heard of this reputable company. It might not be as renowned as Imperial Entertainment — the company she worked for in her previous life — but it was still considered a first-tier establishment in the entertainment industry. Skyart Entertainment, like many other companies in the entertainment industry, would invest in grooming trainees, subjecting them to strict training sessions, examinations, and eliminations. Only the lucky ones left would debut as artistes.

And now, Xia Ling was one of these trainees.

How long ago… was the last time she was a trainee?

Xia Ling felt a little bitter. A slight wave of pain surged through her head, which made her memories somewhat fuzzy. She still remembered the bright summer day years ago the transparent full-length windows in Imperial Entertainment’s dance studio, the rays of sunlight mixed in with the scent of flowers, and…

The man who always smiled warmly and doted on her…

“Xingling? Xingling?! Are you alright?!”

The worried voice of a girl pulled Xia Ling back to reality. Tilting her head, she saw the face of the same girl who was by her side previously. She was staring at her without blinking, her face fraught with concern and worry.

Luo Luo.

Unknowingly, the girl’s name came into Xia Ling’s mind. Soon after, memories shared between “Luo Luo” and “Ye Xingling” slowly flowed into her mind. However, before she could sort these memories out, Luo Luo said with a crystal clear voice, “Xingling… are you feeling better? Say something! Don’t scare me!”

She rubbed her temple to ease her slight headache, saying, “I’m alright, Luo Luo. Thank you.”

“As long as you are fine.” Luo Luo grinned happily. She immediately ran to a water dispenser nearby, filled a paper cup with water, and passed it to Xia Ling. “Come, have some water. Don’t overdo your dance practice next time. I know you were not pretending! You almost shocked me to death when you fainted just now!”

Her unguarded concern was unsettling for Xia Ling.

In her past life, there was a person who was this innocent and unguarded in front of Xia Ling as well. That person was her younger sister, Xia Yu. Xia Ling had doted on her as if she was a precious treasure. She gave her all her trust and care, but in the end, she was completely betrayed.

She did not want to experience such a situation again.

Thus, she quietly distanced herself from Luo Luo. “I will be fine after some rest. Go practice your dance first.”

Luo Luo, however, stubbornly shook her head, and sternly said, “You have to take care of your body. This is the third time you’ve fainted this month! I know you want to pass the examination but…”

She bit her lips, hesitant to continue.

Xia Ling smiled. She knew what Luo Luo was getting at. The original owner of this body, Ye Xingling, had been in the bottom in the examinations two months in a row. If Ye Xingling did not improve her ranking this time, she could only pack her bags and leave. That was why Ye Xingling was so desperate, practicing till she fainted time after time, making Luo Luo this worried.

The owner of this body probably died of exhaustion?

Xia Ling lamented. What would Luo Luo think when she realized that she was not Ye Xingling, the owner of the body?

Yet, the examinations that Ye Xingling was struggling with was a piece of cake for her. The time from her death to resurrection was akin to a long nap. The soulful dance moves she previously owned was ingrained in her memory. In her past life, she had used them to charm the world. Using them to pass a trainee’s examination in this life would be a breeze.

Gazing at Luo Luo’s pained expression, she gave a relaxed smile. “Luo Luo, don’t worry, I know my limits. I won’t dance till I faint anymore. I think I managed to grasp some of the key techniques. This time, I will show an improvement in the examination.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Luo Luo’s worried expression lifted, as she beamed and said, “Then you have a good rest. I’ll go practice my dance.”

Xia Ling watched as Luo Luo joined the dance practice with the others, breathing a sigh of relief. Speaking to someone this innocent reminded her of her “good sister” Xia Yu. And also, the memories of that man.

Those memories… were scars forever etched in her heart.

She shook her head, clearing her mind of those painful memories. Sorting the memories of Ye Xingling in her mind was of utmost importance now. Without further ado, she quietly got up and walked towards the exit.

No one stopped her from leaving. All the trainees were focused on their own dancing. Once in a while, one or two would notice her. Yet they would either choose to ignore her or glanced at her in contempt. A failure fated for elimination, who would want to even spare her the slightest sliver of concern other than innocent Luo Luo?

Xia Ling couldn’t care less about their attitude. The ups and downs she experienced in her previous life had made her accustomed to the harsh realities of human relationships. This little disdain from the trainees was too insignificant to faze her.

She searched for a secluded spot where she sat down and started sorting through everything related to Ye Xingling in her mind.

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