A person only needs three strokes of good luck in this lifetime.
The first is meeting you; the second is making you fall in love with me; the third is staying with you forever. — Yu Lizhi.
"Lizhi, don't be afraid. I'm taking you home."
Bo Yanchi hoisted the dying Yu Lizhi onto his back, her blood soaking into him, as he struggled to move forward.
"Bo Yanchi, I'm sorry. It was me who dragged you down."
Yu Lizhi lay weakly against his broad back, tears streaming down her face. "Leave me behind. Just go. I'm not worth this."
"No! I will never abandon you!"
Bo Yanchi gritted his teeth, refusing to let her go.
"Bo Yanchi, I can't hold on anymore. If there is a next life, let me be the one to love you."
Yu Lizhi’s voice grew faint, and Bo Yanchi felt her body stiffen on his back. His heart tightened, and his vision clouded with bloodshot rage and grief.
Choking on his own anguish, he trembled and whispered, "Lizhi, don't sleep."
But her hand slid limply from his shoulder, unable to respond.
"Lizhi… Zhizhi…"
Bo Yanchi dared not turn back, frozen in place as he rasped her name.
"I love you… let it be me who loves you in the next life…"
The girl he had loved his entire life.
In the end, he hadn't been able to protect her.
"Pfft."
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips.
Bo Yanchi’s tall frame staggered and collapsed. He protected Yu Lizhi’s cooling body, his eyes filled with lingering devotion and reluctance as he held her tightly to his chest. As hot tears dripped onto her cheeks, he smiled—a manic, broken smile—and slowly closed his eyes, falling into the endless abyss with her…
...
"Yu Lizhi, what is your take on the rumors of Fu Sichen and the rising starlet Yu Haitang hooking up?"
"Word is that you are the fake daughter of the Yu family and Yu Haitang is the real one. Is that true?"
"Some say Yu Haitang has already been brought back to the Yu family while you've been kicked out. Is this true or false? Please, give us an answer."
It felt like waking from a horrific nightmare; everything was rewinding rapidly in Yu Lizhi’s mind.
As she regained her senses, a cacophony of noise buzzed in her ears, making her head spin.
She snapped her eyes open, blinded by the dizzying glare of camera flashes.
Yu Lizhi saw a throng of reporters standing before her, thrusting microphones in her face and firing sharp, aggressive questions.
What was happening?
Her eyelashes fluttered. Yu Lizhi felt disoriented, her breathing rapid as she struggled to pull herself from the terror of her death.
The reporters kept chattering.
The familiarity of the scene struck her—she had been reborn.
She was back five years ago.
She was twenty.
The Yu family had just found their true daughter, Yu Haitang, and she, once the pampered little princess, had fallen from her pedestal. Later, Yu Haitang would not only steal her parents but also her then-crush, Fu Sichen.
Everything had actually started over.
Her heart pounded violently. Overcome with emotion, Yu Lizhi refused to answer the reporters' questions. She grabbed the hem of her white lace dress and turned to run.
At the corner, she collided with someone. She looked up, her pupils dilating.
It was Wen Xin.
Her best friend and assistant.
In her previous life, she had been stabbed to death by radical fans of Yu Haitang and Fu Sichen who mistook her for Yu Lizhi.
Her lips trembled, and Yu Lizhi whispered, "Xinxin."
With trembling fingers, she reached out to check Wen Xin’s breath. "Wuuu… you’re still breathing. You’re alive."
Wen Xin: "…?"
What kind of crazy talk is this?
She twitched, speechless. "If I wasn't alive, would I be dead?"
"Thank goodness. I almost thought we both went to hell." The joy of having her back overwhelmed Yu Lizhi’s brain, and she threw herself at Wen Xin, sobbing. She had spent her previous life consumed by guilt for dragging Wen Xin down with her.
Wen Xin: "…?"
Oh no.
The kid has really lost her mind.
She decisively grabbed Yu Lizhi and started walking, her face stern. "I'm taking you somewhere."
"Where?"
"The psychiatric ward."
Yu Lizhi: "…"
Dressing room.
Yu Lizhi stared fixedly into the mirror at the youthful, radiant face of a girl, skin fair and glowing, her cheeks still carrying the soft plumpness of youth. She trembled, touching her face, laughing and crying all at once.
It wasn't a dream. None of this was a dream.
"Lizhi, don't scare me like this." Wen Xin was unsettled by her eerie demeanor, goosebumps rising on her arms. "Are you feeling sick? Should I take you to the hospital? Or did Fu Sichen and Yu Haitang’s scandal really get to you that much?"
"I'm fine. I just had a nightmare." Yu Lizhi gradually calmed down, wiping the tears from her eyes with a joyful smile.
Thank you, heaven, for giving me a chance to do it all over again.
This time, I will never repeat the same mistakes.
"What kind of nightmare?" Wen Xin stared at her, worried. "You look scared silly. Did you dream I kicked the bucket?"
"Mhm."
Yu Lizhi nodded. Recalling her past life, she said in a daze, "In the dream, you were gone, and Bo Yanchi, he…"
"He offed me?"
"Ah? Well, not exactly…"
"He offed you?"
"No… both of us were gone."
Wen Xin: "…"
Great. Just great.
Gone is gone, I guess. At least it was quick.
She could tell how much Lizhi loathed Bo Yanchi, considering she was dreaming about them dying together.
"Anyway, it’s just a dream. Your makeup is ruined; go touch it up. The annual awards ceremony starts soon, so try to get some more screen time." Watching her complexion, Wen Xin added cautiously, "And don't worry about what those reporters asked. Any publicity is good publicity; if you don't want to answer, just don't."
"Mhm."
Yu Lizhi curled her lips in a self-deprecating smile. "It doesn't matter. I don't care anymore."
Living again, nothing mattered to her now except life and death.
"I'm glad you've come to your senses. Your beloved Fu Sichen might actually win Best Actor at the Golden Snake Award tonight. Don't you want to go see it?"
Pfft!
Beloved?
She must have been blind in her past life.
Yu Lizhi scoffed internally. Then, thinking of Bo Yanchi also attending, a flicker of anticipation rose in her eyes, and a bright smile played on her lips. "Wen Xin, get me a gorgeous, high-end couture dress. I’m changing out of this one."
"Huh? I thought you said Fu Sichen liked it when you wore this color?" Wen Xin asked, surprised.
"I don't care what he likes." Yu Lizhi’s lips curled into a look of disdain.
This white lace dress—whoever wants it can have it. She was never wearing it again.
Yu Lizhi, dressed to the nines, appeared at the venue again.
She had changed into a bright crimson haute couture gown, the fabric adorned with subtle glitter that caught the light, shining brilliantly.
Her dark, lustrous hair was styled into large waves, cascading over her fair, delicate shoulders. Her makeup was exquisite, her lips painted a vibrant, deep red—stunning and mesmerizing.
"Little ancestor, won't you be too high-profile dressing like this?"
It was Wen Xin’s first time seeing her like this, and she was stunned. Even if bad publicity was still publicity, Yu Lizhi was an eighteen-tier actress; compared to the big stars, this outfit was too flashy. She feared she’d be shredded to pieces by critics again.
"How is this high-profile?"
Yu Lizhi didn't care. She craned her neck, waiting for Bo Yanchi to appear.
Today, she would stun him and hold his heart firmly in her hands.
"But Fu Sichen likes you in elegant, understated colors." Wen Xin was confused by her change. She had always followed Fu Sichen’s preferences, sticking to black and white to please him. Today, she was acting completely out of character, insisting on a bright, flamboyant dress. She had prepared several understated options, but Yu Lizhi had shot them all down, demanding deep red. Wasn't she afraid of displeasing Fu Sichen?
"It’s a big, happy day. Don't mention him to me; it’s bad luck." Yu Lizhi pouted, displeased.
She wore this eye-catching red to celebrate her new life.
This time, she would never be Fu Sichen’s doormat again.
She only wanted Bo Yanchi. Only him.
*Huh?*
*The little ancestor’s 'love-brain' finally cleared up?* Wen Xin felt immensely relieved.
Just then, a black business car pulled up.
"It’s Best Actor Bo’s car!"
"Best Actor Bo is here!"
"Quick! Go interview him!"
The reporters swarmed forward.
The door opened, and Bo Yanchi stepped out in a tailored black suit that accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, his long legs looking powerful beneath the trousers.
He radiated an air of nobility. As he stepped out, he adjusted his cuffs and let his deep, narrow eyes scan the crowd instinctively.
The reporters blocked his view, thrusting microphones toward him.
He frowned, his eyes revealing a flash of displeasure.
"Let that man go! Let me have a turn!" A delicate, sweet voice rang out from not far away.
Struggling to contain her excitement, Yu Lizhi sprinted toward Bo Yanchi.
In an instant, the haze cleared from his eyes. Bo Yanchi’s brow smoothed out. His entire focus was captured by the flash of brilliant red, his gaze locking onto her.
In that moment, she was the only person in his world.
Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, Yu Lizhi lifted her gown, threw herself into Bo Yanchi’s arms, and looked up at him, her eyes shining like stars. She whispered in a sweet, sticky voice:
"Husband~"