Cold!
An extreme chill permeated her bones, and a surging wave of frost felt as though ten thousand ants were devouring her heart. It was amidst this excruciating pain that Ling Lu opened her eyes.
What came into view was a harsh, bleak white light, and her nostrils were filled with the pungent scent of hospital disinfectant.
Ling Lu massaged her throbbing temples and slowly sat up, a daze flashing in her glass-clear eyes.
Wasn't she already dead?
Every detail before her death flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern. She remembered the agonizing pain of her flesh being burned alive by raging flames, and the nauseating smell of roasting charred meat.
Everything was so vivid, feeling as if it had happened only yesterday.
But how could this be explained now?
Out of the corner of her eye, Ling Lu caught sight of the digital clock on the bedside table.
Had she... been reborn and returned to five years ago?
Realizing this, Ling Lu was first in disbelief, and then tears instantly flooded her eyes. Her fair hands clenched into fists, trembling slightly.
So, she had been reborn into the past!
This realization made Ling Lu's heart beat wildly.
After a long while, Ling Lu's turbulent emotions slowly calmed down. Looking down, she noticed the blue-and-white striped hospital gown she was wearing.
It was at this exact time in her past life that she and Ling Lin had both been in a car accident. As a result, her family had cared only for the latter, rescuing Ling Lin in a frantic panic while completely leaving her behind at the scene.
It was only because a household servant feared a fatality that she had been sent to the hospital.
Yet precisely because of this, her fractured leg resulted in a permanent disability, confining her to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
At this thought, a flash of fire ignited in Ling Lu's eyes.
Not only that, but after the car accident in her past life, her father, mother, and biological brothers had all believed that she had orchestrated the entire crash simply to harm Ling Lin and get rid of her stepsister.
No matter how she explained, they refused to believe she was innocent.
Ling Lu sneered.
She had been so foolish back then.
She had spent a long time feeling depressed over her family's misunderstanding, which caused her to miss the optimal window for her legs to recover, ultimately leading to the tragedy of a lifelong disability.
But this time, she would never repeat the mistakes of her past life!
Ling Lu clenched her hands tightly.
The memories before her death were still vivid.
In the sea of fire, she had clutched her unconscious mother, pushing the wheelchair forward with great difficulty, only to be struck by a burning wooden pillar. At that critical moment, she used the last ounce of her strength to push her mother to safety.
The searing flames consumed everything, the air distorting from the terrifying heat.
With her own eyes, she had seen her eldest brother rush into the fire to rescue their mother, leaving behind a silhouette that turned and walked away without the slightest hesitation.
"Eldest Brother, save... save me, I'm still here..."
"I'm begging you, turn around and look at me, save me..."
Tears blurred her vision as Ling Lu crawled forward with all her might, her fingernails leaving mottled bloodstains on the ground.
Yet that tall figure never turned back at her cries, not even pausing for a single moment...
A line of clear tears wound down Ling Lu's tender cheeks.
Once upon a time, when Ling Lu had just been brought back to the Ling Family after wandering outside for many years, she too had yearned for the warmth of family affection.
Even though her biological parents and brothers had room in their hearts only for their stepdaughter Ling Lin, she had never harbored resentment.
Instead, she had done everything in her power to please them, hoping only for a single embrace from her mother or a word of praise from her brothers.
Yet until the moment she died, Ling Lu never experienced a shred of familial warmth.
When facing the family of her own flesh and blood, there were only endless cold glances and disgust.
Ling Lu opened her eyes and wiped away her tears. The raging fire in her depths finally faded into a dead silence, leaving only absolute clarity.
Forget it, she no longer cared about any of the past...
Since Heaven favored her and gave her a chance to start over.
This time, she would live for her own desires!
In her previous life, Lin Yueru had given her life through ten months of pregnancy, and she had repaid that debt completely with her own flesh and blood.
In this life, she owed no one anything...
Outside the hospital ward, a sudden flurry of hurried footsteps sounded, followed by the heavy opening of the door. Just by the sound, Ling Lu could already feel the aggressive momentum of the person arriving.
The next moment, a tall, handsome man with deep-set eyes and a heavy brow appeared at the doorway. It was Ling Lu's own biological second older brother, Ling Yeli.
The silver-rimmed glasses perched on the bridge of his high nose needlessly added a gentle, scholarly aura to him.
Yet the pair of eyes he cast toward Ling Lu were entirely cold and fierce.
Without a word, the man strode directly forward. Completely disregarding Ling Lu's frail body just waking from unconsciousness, he grabbed Ling Lu by the collar, hoisted her up, and said viciously:
"Are you satisfied now? Linlin is still unconscious in her hospital room because of what you did to her!"
"And yet you're sitting here safe and sound. You must be feeling pretty pleased with yourself right now!"
"Let me tell you! If anything truly happens to her this time, don't expect to get off easy either!"
Ling Lu's neck was squeezed painfully, making it somewhat difficult to breathe.
"What madness are you spouting? Let go!"
Using all her strength, Ling Lu shoved Ling Yeli away. Ignoring the shock that flashed in his eyes, she said sternly:
"You claim I hurt someone—where is the proof? No proof means it's defamation!"
"Ling Yeli, who do you think you are? It's not your place to pass judgment on me!"
What had her submissive forbearance in her past life bought her? It was everyone treating her like discarded shoes, everyone treating her like trash.
This time, she was catering to no one!
She was someone who had already died once, what else was there to fear? Why should she take this humiliating abuse?
The look Ling Lu cast at him was filled entirely with vigilance, nothing else, just as if she were looking at a complete stranger.
No matter how her mother, father, and brothers had favored Ling Lin in the past, Ling Lu had only ever looked for faults within herself and tried twice as hard to please them; she had never once done anything to harm Ling Lin.
On this point her conscience was clear!
At this sight, Ling Jinmo's movements froze; he seemed stung by the look in Ling Lu's eyes.
The old Ling Lu had never looked at him with such eyes, nor had she ever spoken to him in such a tone...
She would only cling to his side like a pesky plaster, always wearing a flattering smile on her face, and burst into tears at the slightest reprimand, which was terribly annoying.
Yet before long, she would crowd around him again, impossible to shake off no matter how hard he tried to cast her aside.
What was even more irritating was that Ling Lu always loved to target his precious younger sister. Ever since she entered the Ling Family, Ling Lin had frequently ended up in the hospital, and every single time it had to do with her.
This time was even worse: Ling Lu had actually been bold enough to directly orchestrate a car accident in an attempt to kill Ling Lin!
When Ling Yeli received the news, he had been practically driven mad with rage!
A vicious-hearted woman like Ling Lu had no business entering the Ling Family!
To think she still carried the blood of the Ling Family in her veins—just staying in the presence of this woman made him sick to his stomach!
Roused back to her senses by Ling Lu's voice, Ling Yeli felt his anger flare even higher at her words.
"You've done every evil thing imaginable and you still dare to be this arrogant? This time I will definitely make Father chase you out of the house!"
"Even if you get down on your knees and beg me, it's useless!"