Bai Chengling

Xiao Zheng sat in the dimly lit study of his villa, his mind racing. He was trying so hard to remember where he had seen that before, but his mind kept being hazy, and when he tried so hard, he kept getting headaches. He figured the head injury he had sustained a few days ago might be the reason he was getting so many headaches lately.

But his mind kept telling him he was forgetting something, something important. Try as he might, nothing came to his mind. He opened his laptop and went to his design program, looking at the photo he had drawn of a woman. He didn't know who this woman was, but he always had this dream of seeing her die since he came back from the hospital. 

It was as if this woman was sad as her body collapsed to the floor. In this dream, no matter how many times he tried, he could never see the reason why this woman was dying and who had killed her, and why she was so sad. It was like she didn't fear death, but was only sad.

Xiao Zheng traced his finger on the laptop screen, hoping it might spark some memories in him, but it was all a dark fog. He pushed this matter to the back of his mind with a few glasses of whiskey, downing them in a row. He had not drunk for 5 days since the doctor had advised him to lower his drinking while he was taking medication.

But today was different. He was feeling some type of longing he didn't know where it came from, since he had never been close to his dead uncle. However, looking at all those dead bodies, the way they were killed, it gave him some sort of nostalgia for some reason he didn't understand.

As he sat there, lost in his thoughts, Xiao Zheng couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he was missing something crucial. The more he tried to grasp at the elusive memories, the more his head throbbed with pain. It was as if his mind was guarding a secret, refusing to let him in.

With a frustrated sigh, he reached for the whiskey bottle once more, pouring himself another generous measure. The familiar burn in his throat provided a fleeting sense of comfort, but even as the alcohol warmed his insides, the image of the dying woman refused to leave his thoughts.

Xiao Zheng closed his eyes, desperately trying to find some semblance of peace, but the more he tried to push the memory away, the more it clung to him, a relentless specter that refused to be silenced. He knew that somewhere, deep within the recesses of his mind, the answer lay hidden, waiting to be uncovered.

Xiao Zheng felt a wave of dizziness wash over him as he downed the fourth glass of whiskey. His head pounded mercilessly, and he struggled to stand up, intent on getting some fresh air on the balcony.

But before he could take a step, a sudden thud echoed through the study as his body crumpled to the cold, hard floor. The housekeeper, hearing the commotion, came rushing in.

"Master Xiao, are you okay in there? Open up!" the old man called out, his voice laced with concern.

Silence was the only response, as Xiao Zheng lay unconscious, a trickle of blood running down his forehead from the impact.

The housekeeper didn't hesitate, kicking the door open and panicking at the sight before him. "Sir, I'm coming in!" he exclaimed, rushing to Xiao Zheng's side.

Carefully, the housekeeper lifted the young man and placed him on the couch, gently patting his cheek. "Sir, sir, please wake up," he pleaded, his own anxiety palpable.

Without wasting a moment, the housekeeper hurried out of the room, determined to get the car ready to take Xiao Zheng to the hospital.

As Xiao Zheng lay motionless, his mind was in turmoil. Suddenly, a series of vivid images began to dance across his consciousness – memories that he knew were not his own. In these recollections, he saw a young woman, the same one from his dreams, engaged in a deadly dance of combat and stealth.

And then, it hit him like a bolt of lightning – this woman was his sister, Bai Yunshu. The realization was both exhilarating and terrifying. If he was indeed Bai Chengling, then Bai Yunshu must have somehow be alive right?

Unless....

But the images did not stop there. As the memories continued to unfold, Xiao Zheng witnessed the demise of the young man, whom he now recognized as himself. The weight of this revelation caused a slight smile to tug at the corners of his lips.

He was no longer Xiao Zheng – he was Bai Chengling, reborn into this new body. But the fate of his sister still hung in the balance, and a wave of worry washed over him. What had happened to Bai Yunshu? Was she also trapped in another body, like he was?

The sound of the housekeeper's return jolted Xiao Zheng from his thoughts. He opened his eyes, a smile dancing on his lips, and addressed the concerned old man.

"I'm okay, I just had more alcohol than I should," Xiao Zheng said, trying to assuage the housekeeper's worries.

The housekeeper frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the response. "But, sir, the doctor said..."

"I know, I know," Xiao Zheng interrupted, "I was just stressed by my uncle's death. But I feel better than I have since the accident."

The housekeeper, still confused, remained professional. "Okay, please rest, sir. And that wound..."

"Don't worry, I'll clean it," Xiao Zheng assured him. "Please prepare lunch for me. I'm hungry."

"Yes, sir," the housekeeper replied, his brow furrowed, but he dutifully left the room.

Now alone, Xiao Zheng turned his gaze once more to the image of the woman on his laptop screen. "I will find you, sis," he murmured, his voice laced with determination. "Whoever you may be."

But his newfound resolve was tinged with concern. Why had Bai Yunshu killed Xiao Mingzhe, and knowing the Xiao family, they would stop at nothing to find the culprit. Xiao Zheng had to act quickly, to find his sister and warn her before the Xiao family closed in.

The question now was, where would he even begin to look? He still wasn't sure if he had been reborn into a man or a woman. Xiao Zheng knew he had to tread carefully, for the fate of both himself and his sister hung in the balance.

Xiao Zheng, or rather, Bai Chengling, knew that if his sister Bai Yunshu was indeed trapped in another body, she would have already logged into the encrypted chat interface he had created for their secret communications.

With an eager sigh, he set to work on his laptop, his fingers tapping away as his memories as Bai Chengling fully settled into his mind. Bai Chengling had always been a computer whiz, and it showed in the ease with which he navigated the familiar interface.

As the chat window appeared before him, Bai Chengling's gaze fell upon the previous conversations he had shared with his sister. A wave of emotion washed over him, and a solitary tear escaped his eye. He quickly wiped it away, taking a deep breath to steady himself.

Crossing his fingers, Bai Chengling typed out their coded message: "Remember our secret hideout by the old oak tree? I found another safe spot. Everything's green here too." This was their way of communicating, a subtle signal that would let Bai Yunshu know he was searching for her, wherever she might be.

After hitting the send button, Bai Chengling waited with bated breath, his eyes glued to the screen. Minutes ticked by, but there was no response. He waited for almost two hours, his patience wearing thin, until the housekeeper finally appeared.

"Sir, lunch is ready," the old man announced, breaking Bai Chengling's concentration.

Part of him wanted to continue waiting, desperate to see if his sister would respond, but his growling stomach reminded him that he had not eaten all day. With a resigned sigh, Bai Chengling pushed himself away from the laptop and made his way to the dining room.

As he sat at the table, picking at his food, Bai Chengling couldn't help but glance back towards the study, his mind still consumed by the thought of Bai Yunshu. Where was she? Was she safe? Was she even alive?

The unanswered questions gnawed at him, but he knew he couldn't let his worry consume him. He needed to be clear-headed, to plan his next move carefully. If Bai Yunshu was out there, he had to find her, no matter the cost.

Finishing his meal with a renewed sense of determination, Bai Chengling quickly returned to the study, his eyes immediately drawn to the laptop screen. Still no response. He felt a twinge of disappointment, but he refused to give up.

"I'll find you, sis," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Wherever you are, I'll bring you home."

With that vow, Bai Chengling set to work, his nimble fingers dancing across the keyboard as he began to formulate a plan. He would leave no stone unturned, no lead unexplored. Whatever it took, he would uncover the truth and reunite with his sister, no matter the obstacles that stood in his way.