Chapter 2: Rebirth

Xincheng.

After the Start of Autumn in August, the weather remained frighteningly hot.

In Mei Mengzhen's family courtyard stood an osmanthus tree that, in her childhood memories, required two adults to fully embrace its thick trunk. It grew lush and tall, and when its blossoms opened each season, the tree's crown resembled a yellow umbrella, providing shade and a refreshing fragrance.

The osmanthus tree grew larger and larger until its branches began to creep into the house.

The gentle breeze scattered petals throughout the room, filling it with the scent of osmanthus that was so refreshing to breathe in, it lifted one's spirits.

In the rich aroma of osmanthus, people's moods were always uplifted.

Such a pure fragrance lingered in her mind, refusing to dissipate even after many years.

…

'Creak'

The old wooden door slowly opened, and a little boy poked his head in, carefully calling out, "Sister, sister, are you asleep?"

Mei Mengzhen was a light sleeper, so she always made sure to close the doors and windows tightly when she went to bed. Hearing the door open, she lifted her head and asked, "Hmm, not yet, what's up?"

The little boy was her brother, Mei Mengchen. In a timid voice, he said, "Sister, I'm scared to sleep alone. Can I sleep with you?"

"Alright."

Mei Mengchen, having received an affirmative answer, quickly jumped into bed and snuggled into Mei Mengzhen's arms.

After wriggling about for a while to find the most comfortable position, he settled down and then asked, "Sister, why aren't you asleep yet?"

Mei Mengzhen glanced at Little Douding in her arms and sighed, "Shouldn't I be asking you that? I already put you to bed, and now you're awake again. Why is that?"

Mei Mengchen felt sad, "I used to sleep with mom and dad. I was scared when I woke up and found no one beside me. Sister, I'm still little, don't be annoyed with me. I won't be scared once I grow up."

"I'm not annoyed with you, go to sleep."

"Sister should sleep too."

"Your sister still has things to think about, you go to sleep first."

Mei Mengchen didn't know what Mei Mengzhen had to think about, but it was clear he couldn't help. Without the fear from before, sleepiness quickly overcame him, and as soon as he finished speaking, he fell deeply asleep.

Mei Mengzhen looked at her brother's sleeping face with amusement, but her feelings were mostly of pity and heartache.

A week earlier, her parents had taken her brother on a trip but met with a car accident on the way back, resulting in both parents dying from severe injuries, while her brother, seated in a child's car seat in the back, only sustained minor injuries.

As for why a family of four only had three members go on the trip, the reason was not hard to guess.

Her parents had glaringly 'forgotten' about Mei Mengzhen at home, which inadvertently spared her from the fatal disaster.

But, such calamities are not so easily avoided.

By the time Mei Mengzhen rushed to the hospital, all her relatives were already there.

People wept and panicked; everyone seemed immersed in sorrow, busy, oh so busy, but no matter how she inquired, not a single person could tell her what had actually happened.

It wasn't until a while later that her eldest aunt, unable to bear it, told her the truth.

The news was so sudden that Mei Mengzhen was stunned for a long time, unable to snap back to reality.

At that moment, the relatives used her lack of apparent grief as a pretext to berate her for being heartless and viciously beat her up in the hospital, her eldest aunt unable to stop them.

It's no exaggeration to say that she was beaten unconscious by her relatives, sustaining injuries heavier than those her brother suffered in a car accident.

However, when she woke up in the hospital, her identity had been taken over by the Mei Mengzhen who died in a future elevator accident.

Yes, she had been reborn.

Reborn at 17, and at such an awkward time too; she needed a moment to adjust.

That moment lasted several days, until after she had taken care of her parents' affairs and brought her brother back from the hospital. Only then did she have the time to sort through the chaotic memories in her mind.

In her past life, she had been 31 when she fell down the elevator shaft. In her memories, fourteen years had passed since her parents' death. Yet she scarcely remembered anything about her parents' affairs; conversely, the memories of her upcoming final year in high school were vivid.

At 17, Mei Mengzhen was a student about to enter her final year of high school. But neither she nor her brother was of age; without adults at home, surely the relatives could not just let the two of them fend for themselves. So, once the parents' affairs were settled, everyone gathered to discuss what to do with her and her brother.

The relatives couldn't possibly adopt both children, which meant that she would have to live separately from her brother from then on.

Her uncle's youngest son was four years old, and her brother was three. The kids were close in age, and everyone naturally thought they would grow up well together, so her brother naturally went to live with her uncle.

Her eldest aunt's family had twins, both of whom were in college and rarely came home, leaving the house empty. Thus, Mei Mengzhen followed her eldest aunt.

She and her brother lived with their relatives for a year, and during that time, neither of them had a smooth life.

Because of their irresponsible parents, who stirred up trouble even in death, Mei Mengzhen had to deal not only with the high school curriculum and college entrance exams, but also with cleaning up her parents' mess, leaving her with little energy for her not-so-favorite brother.

A year later, shortly after the house they were living in was demolished, her brother died.

Entangled in endless problems and having failed her college entrance exams, she had no time to dwell on it. After burying her brother next to their parents, she left Xincheng to work and pay off debts.

For years, she thought her brother's death was an accident until her uncle drunkenly let some "truths" slip, revealing to Mei Mengzhen that there was such a big secret behind the incident.

She had tried to find evidence back then, but years had passed, and there was no trace to be found, let alone evidence. Recalling the way her brother used to sneakily cling to her, his death became a lifelong regret for Mei Mengzhen.

But, if one were to trace it back, the blame still lay with their parents for their poor relationship.

When she was born, her parents were disappointed she was a girl, and left her to be raised by her grandfather, making her a "left-behind child". Even though she lived in the same city as her parents, she would see them only once a year, indicating just how estranged their relationship was.

Before her grandfather died, worried she would have no one to rely on, he transferred the house they were currently living in to her. Her grandfather passed away at the start of that year, and her brother was born at the end of the year. After her brother's birth, her parents conspired with the relatives to force her to transfer the house to her newborn brother, dealing her a tremendous blow.

She struggled and tried hard, but to no avail; the house was transferred to her brother in just a few days.

Mei Mengzhen harbored resentment toward this brother, compounded by their parents' favoritism...

All in all, Mei Mengzhen later harbored deep regret.

Now, having been given a second chance at life, she would put all else aside to ensure her brother's survival—that was the most important thing.