Chapter 3: The Second Chance

Feng Yan's breath caught as she recognized the scene around her. The courtyard of the Feng family's mansion, the cold stone beneath her knees, the heavy oak doors just ahead—all of it was painfully familiar. She had been here before, kneeling in this exact spot, her body trembling from exhaustion and cold, pleading for a love that had never been hers to claim.

The memory was vivid, as if it had only just happened. And in a way, it had.

In the past, she had been desperate, willing to do anything to stay with the Feng family, to earn even a scrap of their affection. She had begged them not to send her away, her voice hoarse from hours of pleading. But they had turned their backs on her, dismissing her as a burden, a worthless girl who had outlived her usefulness. The doors had closed in her face, leaving her alone in the cold night, shivering and weak.

She remembered how she had felt back then—helpless, defeated, utterly broken. She had thought it was the end of everything she knew, that she had no future beyond that moment. She had been so naive, so foolish.

But now, standing in that same courtyard, she was no longer the same person. She was no longer the weak, desperate girl who had begged for crumbs of affection from a family that never cared for her. She was stronger now, filled with a new resolve, a burning determination that coursed through her veins like fire.

As she knelt there, feeling the cold seep into her bones, Feng Yan clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The pain was a reminder—a reminder of the humiliation she had endured, the betrayal she had suffered, and the vengeance she now sought.

She raised her head, looking at the closed doors before her. The same doors that had been shut in her face, the same family that had discarded her like she was nothing. In the past, she had wanted so desperately to be part of their world, to belong. But now, she saw them for what they truly were—monsters hiding behind masks of respectability, cowards who preyed on the weak and discarded those they deemed unworthy.

A bitter smile tugged at her lips. How foolish she had been to crave their love, to believe that she could ever belong in their world. She had wasted so much time, so much of her life, trying to please them, to prove herself worthy of their affection. But no more.

The cold night air bit into her skin, and Feng Yan felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. She had been kneeling here for hours, her body weak from hunger and exhaustion. In the past, she had collapsed in this very spot, her strength finally giving out as the world went dark around her.

But not this time.

Feng Yan took a deep breath, willing her body to stay strong. She wouldn't collapse, not now. She was no longer the helpless girl she had been before. She was stronger, wiser, and more determined than ever. This time, she wouldn't let them break her.

The doors before her remained closed, and Feng Yan could hear the faint sounds of laughter and conversation from within the mansion. Her so-called family was inside, likely enjoying a warm meal, completely oblivious to her suffering. They didn't care about her, didn't even think about her. To them, she was nothing more than a nuisance, a burden they had finally rid themselves of.

Feng Yan's heart hardened. They had cast her aside, but they would soon learn that she was not so easily discarded. They would regret the day they turned their backs on her, regret every cruel word, every act of betrayal. She would make sure of it.

Slowly, with effort, Feng Yan rose to her feet. Her legs were shaky, her body weak from the long hours of kneeling, but she forced herself to stand tall. She looked at the mansion one last time, a place that had once been her home, but was now nothing more than a gilded cage she had finally escaped from.

"Goodbye," she whispered, her voice cold and resolute. "Goodbye to the girl who wanted your love. She's gone now."

Turning away from the mansion, Feng Yan walked toward the gate, her steps steady and purposeful. The night was dark, the wind cold, but she felt a warmth inside her—a fire that would not be extinguished. She was leaving the past behind, leaving behind the weak, desperate girl she had once been.

As she stepped out of the courtyard, Feng Yan didn't look back. There was nothing left for her in that place, nothing but memories of pain and betrayal. Her future lay ahead, and she would forge it with her own hands, on her own terms.

The world outside the mansion was vast, filled with unknowns and dangers. But Feng Yan wasn't afraid. She had been given a second chance, a chance to rewrite her fate, and she wouldn't waste it. She would reclaim the power that was rightfully hers, find her true family, and take her revenge on those who had wronged her.