In a standard hospital room in Kyoto, the door was pushed open.
When Lixi saw who had entered, the light in her eyes instantly dimmed. The arrivals were a man and a woman—the fraternal twins Lixi had nearly died giving birth to years ago. Looking at Lixi, who was hooked up to a ventilator and wore a haggard expression, their eyes were full of impatience.
"Dad already said he didn't want to see you. You just had to use your final wish before death as an excuse to make him come back!"
"Dad said that by living as Mrs. Shen for thirty years with no financial worries, you’ve already repaid the debt for Great-Grandmother saving his life back then."
"If Great-Grandmother is watching from above and knows that her life was traded for your lifelong comfort, she must be happy, right?"
Lixi’s breath hitched. So, the person Grandmother had saved all those years ago was Shen Mo, but no one had ever told her that.
"Ruirui, where is your father now…?" she asked weakly, her voice as thin as a thread.
Shen Han impatiently cut her off. "Aunt Ling just won another award for her fashion designs. Dad is supposed to be accompanying her. We were supposed to go too, but you just had to insist on dragging Dad back here, so he only sent us to take a look."
"But aren't you still alive right now?"
Lixi’s heart felt as though a sharp knife had pierced it, leaving her bleeding profusely. Before she could say anything more, Shen Rui walked forward, pulled up a chair, and sat down, crossing his legs.
"Mom, it’s not that I want to lecture you, but can’t you find some meaning in your own life like Aunt Ling? Stop revolving your entire existence around us; it’s exhausting for us to deal with you."
"Besides, Dad and Aunt Ling have loved each other for years without ever being able to be together, and they don't even have children of their own. They’ve already given you plenty of face. When Aunt Ling gets old, we will take care of her; consider that paying off your debt."
Shen Han chimed in from the side, "Exactly, Mom. You have no family background and only a high school diploma. You’ve lived as Mrs. Shen for thirty years for nothing—you’ve lived a good enough life. It’s time to step aside for Aunt Ling."
*That's not true,* Lixi thought. *It wasn't like that.* It was only because she fell pregnant with them that she was forced to drop out of University A. Lixi’s lips trembled, and she tried to argue, but she no longer had the strength to speak. She could only look at them with eyes full of agony.
Just then, Shen Rui’s phone rang. When he checked the screen, his expression instantly softened. Seeing the look on his face, Lixi knew exactly who was on the other end.
"Aunt Ling, how is it? Is the award ceremony over?"
Whatever was said on the other end must have been frustrating, as Shen Rui looked annoyed. "My mom is fine. She just wanted to see my dad. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come; I should have just let Hanhan come alone."
Shen Han said with dissatisfaction, "Brother, what are you talking about? Do you think I wanted to come? This place is gloomy, and it’s so cold I’ve got goosebumps. Let’s go, we can just leave the rest to the doctors."
Lixi was unwilling to let them go. She raised a hand with great effort, trying to grab Shen Rui, who had already stood up, but he dodged her. Her hand fell limply, her eyes filled with despair. "I sacrificed so much for you. I put you first in everything. Why is it that you just don't love me…?"
*Ling Bing has done nothing for you, yet you flock to her every day. Why? Why on earth?*
Shen Rui sneered, looking down at Lixi. "Sacrificed? That was your duty. Besides, the only reason you were good to us was because we were Dad's children."
"Aunt Ling knows we are the children of her romantic rival, yet she treats us like her own. Can you even compare?"
"Exactly! Who cares about your so-called sacrifices?"
"Do you know what people say behind my back at parties when they find out my mother is just an orphan with a high school diploma? I truly wish I hadn't been born to you!" Shen Han added through gritted teeth.
Hatred, bitterness, and despair intertwined in Lixi’s heart. The children she had nearly died to bring into the world had become the blades aimed at her own chest. Shen Rui held a grudge about this as well; he had gotten into countless fights over it while growing up. He wasn't defending Lixi; he just didn't want to be humiliated. As long as Lixi lived, his mother would always be a common orphan.
At that thought, a flash of cruelty crossed Shen Rui’s eyes. He reached out and grabbed the oxygen tube, and under Lixi’s terrified, desperate gaze, he yanked it out without a moment's hesitation. "You said you weren't going to make it, right? Then stop suffering. I’ll hire a priest to perform a proper ritual to send you off!"
Shen Rui watched coldly as Lixi struggled in agony. Shen Han turned her head away, unable to bear the sight, but she made no move to stop him. Lixi’s consciousness gradually faded. In her final moment, she felt a profound regret. If she were given another chance, she would live for herself.
...
"Mom, can you help me build this tank model?"
"And me, and me! The teacher wants us to bake snacks with Mom and Dad to bring to kindergarten for everyone to share!"
Two familiar voices rang in Lixi’s ears. She shook her head and saw two little children before her—five-year-old Shen Rui and Shen Han.
*What’s happening? Wasn't my oxygen tube pulled? How am I seeing young Shen Rui and Shen Han?*
Lixi couldn't help but look at her own hands. Instead of the rough hands she had had before, they were fair, with a few small cuts on the fingers. Lixi recognized these wounds well; they were from when she helped Shen Rui build models back when they were in kindergarten—only because Shen Rui said he loved the models she put together.
*Could it be that I’ve been reborn?*
"Mom, don't just stand there! I’ll get the parts for you. Just finish my model first, then make the snacks for my little sister, or we won't have time," Shen Rui urged.
Lixi lowered her hands. She looked at Shen Rui’s eager little face, slowly superimposing it over the face of the man who had wanted her dead in the hospital. She suppressed the urge to slap him and said coolly, "Fine. But I’m going to the next Parents’ Day."
The siblings looked visibly unhappy. Shen Rui hesitated before saying, "Mom, you never go out, you don't know much, and you don't even wear makeup. You’re always so sloppy. Why don’t we let Dad go instead?"
Lixi let out a faint laugh. So, they had disliked her since they were children; it must have been hard for them to endure her for so many years. In reality, Lixi simply didn't like to dress up. She wore no makeup and no designer brands, which indeed made her an outlier among the socialites of Kyoto. But to call her "sloppy" was a reach. She didn't care for fashion, but she couldn't hide her natural aura—a scholarly grace that emanated from within.
She looked at Shen Han. Clearly, Shen Han felt the same way, chiming in, "Yeah, Mom. If you go, people will definitely laugh at you. Just finish the model and the snacks for us."
After a moment of silence, Lixi replied, "Alright. Then I won’t go."
*And I won't go in the future, either.*
With that, Lixi turned to walk away. Shen Rui, thinking she had agreed, watched her back and added, "Mom, remember to finish them as soon as possible. Don't wear gloves; the model you made with gloves last time wasn't very good, and it almost came in second place."
Lixi stopped in her tracks. She turned around and looked at them coldly. "Who said I was going to build your models or make your snacks? Are all the servants in the Shen family dead?"