Qin Zhi opened her eyes to a disgustingly pink-all-over room while hushed mutterings could be heard from outside the door.
Her hand shot out to reach her throbbing head while she groaned and shifted uncomfortably. Sitting up, she realized that everything was a little too different from the old and cramped up shack she and her brother stayed in.
No, it was not just a little bit of a difference. She didn't even have a bed! She froze and her eyes darted around cautiously. There was an exquisitely carved white painted wood bedside table next to her. On top of it, several framed photos were neatly arranged.
Eyebrows scrunched in confusion, she took one of the framed pictures. A pretty little girl around the age of 5 or 6 was grinning toothily while holding two plushies with her small arms, and right next to her was a loving couple, both looking alarmingly good looking.
The picture seemed to capture a happy family taking a trip to the amusement park, something Qin Zhi had never experienced or dare long for.
She frowned and pursed her lips, seemingly thinking hard for a few moments, and yet nothing came to her mind. Glancing back to the frame, the glass seemed to reflect her face a bit shocking her to the core.
This-this face! It was not hers!
She opened her cherry-like lips and gasped out, "Wha-what is t-this?"
What the heck is happening? Even her voice was not as melodious as the sound that came out of her.
Qin Zhi's eyes widened in realization. I'm already dead, I've reincarnated! Feeling her head throb again, she lost hold with the picture frame and it fell on the floor with a loud sound, the glass shattering.
The door to the room was suddenly pushed open and a frantic looking maid looked ahead with a worried gaze. "Young mistress!" She cried out, running to hold her on her shoulders for fear she might get up and step on the shards of glass.
Qin Zhi lifted her lifeless eyes and stared at the maid blankly. "....Young mistress?" she quietly inquired.
The maid gasped and immediately clamped a hand on her mouth. "Oh my! I should call the doctor and Master Qing!" The maid hurried out while screaming that their young mistress had awakened.
She blankly recalled what happened in her past life.
Qin Zhi's previous life was not one that someone in their right state of mind would long for. Her bad luck was carved deep into her bones to have lived a life like that.
She neither had a beautiful appearance nor a rich family she could depend on. In fact, it was only her standing alone to shield her little brother from all harm. They grew up orphaned and starved, but not until a man picked them both up.
It finally seemed like there was more to life in store for them but the reality was cruel. Qin Zhi was forced to warm beds from such an early age and did all sorts of odd jobs the man wanted her to do. Her brother would only be fed and taken care of as long as she did things against her will and dignity.
She did it all that it no longer disgusted her as she was numb to it all. It was all a matter of survival. She could only smile self-mockingly and force herself to swallow it all down. In the end, her brother became sick from being malnourished and soon she too became sick from being overworked.
The two siblings could only hold on to each other and no one else until their last breathes.
Qin Zhi was unaware that a tear had slipped out of her right eye as she laid in bed in a deep sleep while she recalled her past life.
It seemed like the heavens have taken pity to her and gave her a good second life with better circumstances. But where was her brother? Why didn't he reincarnate with her? Frankly, she didn't care if she would have to suffer in her second life again as long as her brother was all well with her. But that also seemed selfish. She couldn't bear to see her little brother suffer back then. He was her only source of strength. Qin Zhi wouldn't have endured all that if not for her brother.
From the remembrance of her brother, Qin Zhi jolted awake, sitting up immediately. The pink room greeting her sight again. There were two men inside the room and the maid from earlier. One man appears to be the doctor.
A man who looked familiar suddenly grabbed her hands from the side.
"My little princess ah! Why would you make your father worry like that? Are you feeling pain anywhere? Quickly tell dad and I'll make it go away."
Qin Zhi stared at the man silently. She has reincarnated with no memories of her current life. Therefore she was unfamiliar with everything, including this man who appears to be her father. He was also the one on the picture she saw earlier.
She didn't know what to do. She couldn't act as if she knew this man and how she acted. From Qin Zhi's understanding, she simply regained her past life's memories and lost her second life's memories.
Qin Zhi just decided to act like she lost her memories, she didn't want to be pretentious and go through the trouble of not being caught. That was simply too much work.
"Are you... my father?" She hesitantly asked.
The maid at the side gasped and looked horrified.
The man paled and he looked at her with worry. "Doctor Ying! What's happening?" He looked panicked and immediately demanded an answer from the doctor?
After a few moments, with a handful of doctors suddenly coming into her room and asking her questions, they came to the conclusion that she had lost her memories.
The man called Doctor Ying sighed and faced her father. "It is unfortunate that she had lost her memories but we should be thankful that that is all. You can simply make new memories with your daughter Mr. Sun Qing, as she is still young. I advise that you don't force her to remember past events but necessary information can be told little by little to not shock her."
The doctors left the room and the maid scurried out after declaring that she would inform the Old Master and Old Madam their granddaughter's condition.
Sun Qing, or rather her father looked teary-eyed as he held her hands again and looked at her with an aching heart.
Sun Qing was already almost forty. He was the current head of the Sun family as the Old Master Sun was already old and decided to hand over the Sun Conglomerate to his only son. He treasured his little daughter the most and spoiled her to the bones.
The madam, Lin Song, his wife had passed away not too long ago from health complications. After that, their 6-year-old daughter Song Lan had been throwing tantrums looking for her mother.
It eventually led to her bumping her head after a bad fall from struggling from her nanny's hold to prevent her from running away.