The Uncle’s Hidden Affection

A loud clap of thunder echoed in the distance, followed by the faint sound of someone sobbing. An Ning's eyes shot open, her heart pounding in her chest as she sat up in bed, gasping for air. Her hands clutched at the sheets, cold sweat trickling down her back. She glanced around the room, her breathing shallow as she tried to make sense of where she was. The familiar surroundings of her old bedroom began to come into focus, but a deep sense of confusion settled over her.

"Wait… wasn't I dead?" The thought hit her like a hammer, and her pulse quickened even more. She could distinctly remember the moment it had all ended—her life cut short in a cruel twist of betrayal when she had stumbled upon the scene of her fiancé cheating on her with Feng Yue, the sister she thought she could trust. The shock had sent her tumbling down the stairs, her head striking the floor. So why was she here? How could she be here?

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sharp buzz of her phone. Startled, she reached for it with trembling hands, the glow of the screen harsh in the dim light of the room. It was a message from her mother, Lan Yue: "Don't embarrass your sister at Master Qiang Hao's house tomorrow during the ball. Your sister will be playing the piano—so behave yourself."

An Ning stared at the message, her brow furrowing as she read the words. "Tomorrow? Qiang Hao's ball? But that was..." Her eyes widened as she quickly checked the date. It was exactly two years ago, one day before the very event that had destroyed everything she once held dear. Her fingers hovered over the screen, disbelief washing over her.

"How is this possible?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with shock. She had gone back in time. Two whole years. Her mind raced as she tried to comprehend the situation. "But why? Why now? And for what reason?"

Before she could process the implications, another message arrived. This time, it was much more abrupt and cold: "Worthless girl, answer me right now!"

The sharpness of her mother's words stung as much now as they had back then. Anger surged through her veins. She clenched her fists, her body trembling—not from fear this time, but from a growing, burning rage.

"Lan Yue... Feng Yue..." Their names echoed in her mind like poison. She had spent years being manipulated, betrayed, and discarded by the very people who should have cared for her. Feng Yue, the girl everyone doted on, the perfect daughter, her beloved sister, who had stolen everything from her. And Lan Yue, who wasn't even her real mother, a truth An Ning had only uncovered in the final moments of her previous life.

But now… she was back. Back before it all went wrong. And this time, she wasn't going to play their games. This time, they were going to pay.

An Ning stood up, her legs still shaky from the shock of everything, but her resolve was solid. She walked to the bathroom, turning on the shower, letting the warm water cascade over her as she thought about her plan. "If I'm really 17 again," she mused, "then I still have time to change everything."

Memories of her engagement to that cheating bastard flashed through her mind—how Feng Yue had wormed her way between them, pretending to be her loving sister while stabbing her in the back. And Lan Yue, who had orchestrated the whole thing, never once caring about her. She clenched her fists, her jaw tightening as the memories replayed in vivid detail.

Stepping out of the shower, she wiped the steam from the mirror, staring at her reflection. There was a strange sense of power in seeing her younger self again. Her once naive, trusting eyes now gleamed with the wisdom of everything she had endured. "It's good to be 17 again," she murmured to herself, a bitter smile curling on her lips. "Before I got engaged to that idiot, before Feng Yue sunk her claws into him."

The weight of what she knew—what she had learned only in her final moments—settled in her chest. Lan Yue wasn't her real mother, and Feng Yue wasn't even her real sister. They had lied to her, betrayed her, and taken everything from her, all while hiding behind a facade of family. "But not this time," An Ning whispered to her reflection, her voice low but firm. "This time, they won't take anything from me."

The thought of revenge filled her with a sense of clarity she hadn't felt in years. She was no longer the scared, confused girl they had manipulated. Now, she had the upper hand.

Her mother's earlier message flashed through her mind, and a wicked idea began to form. "Let's start by ruining their plans. After all, Lan Yue is desperate to impress Grampa Hao at tomorrow's ball. And Feng Yue? She's been practicing that damn piano piece for months." An Ning chuckled darkly to herself, the sound of her laughter echoing in the bathroom as she dried off. "It's about time they learned what it feels like to lose everything."

She dressed quickly, already formulating the steps she would take to dismantle their lives piece by piece. Tomorrow, she would begin her revenge—starting with destroying Feng Yue's perfect little performance at the ball.

"Let the games begin," An Ning muttered under her breath, a twisted smile forming on her lips as she stared at her phone, already anticipating the chaos she was about to unleash.