My husband of twelve years had an affair.
The night I discovered this, my two children and I were burned to death in our home.
When I opened my eyes again, Gu Yuanzhou was standing beside me.
A sadness hit me. I threw myself at him like a madwoman and grabbed his arm,
"Yuanzhou, I had a nightmare. I dreamt that our children Zhenyi and Xiaoyi died in a fire..."
Gu Yuanzhou's fiery dark eyes stared at me, as if he were looking at a demon, and he shook me off violently.
"Get out!"
Before I could react, his secretary rushed in and took me outside without uttering a word,
"Are you fucking insane? What's the matter with you, marching straight into the CEO's office? Don't you know that President Gu just lost his wife and kids? You're poking at his wound, are you asking for trouble?"
I was dazed by the secretary's scolding.
I suddenly looked up and saw my own reflection in the changing room mirror.
There was a young girl in her twenties, wearing a small suit, a work badge on her chest, and an innocent face.
This face wasn't mine, but a young employee named Song Xiaoyun's.
And I… I was reincarnated as her.
I unlocked my phone and news headlines flooded in, all about the fire-gutted Golden Bay villa and the scene of my children being carried out of the fire.
I dared not watch, nor could I listen.
Because each word could turn into a sharp blade, piercing my heart into pieces.
I don't understand why the heavens allowed me to be reborn.
The feeling of unbearable pain made me wish I could join my children in the other world right then and there.
It was not until I saw a different news headline from all the others.
The president of Zhenyi Group, Gu Yuanzhou, has another family on the side, and in order to legitimize his mistress, he hired a killer to set his wife on fire...
This news struck me like a thunderbolt.
It woke me out of my suffering.
On the day of the fire, our nanny, who usually takes care of us, suddenly went home on leave. Late at night, after Gu Yuanzhou gave me a glass of milk, he said he had a business matter to attend to and left.
Just as the fire started, the automatic sprinkler system in the villa malfunctioned, allowing the fire to spread. It cornered my children and me, but Gu Yuanzhou's phone was always engaged.
Was all this coincidence, or…
With that thought, I suddenly recalled my best friend Wenya once hinted at me: Xiaoyun, have you ever doubted your husband?
Back then, I did not have a single doubt about Gu Yuanzhou and naturally didn't pick up on the hint.
But now, thinking about it, she might have known something.
With this thought, I made up my mind to go see her.
Once I got off work at noon, I took a taxi straight to A University to find Wenya.
I rushed all the way and unexpectedly bumped into someone.
It was a young female university student, my bag was knocked to the ground, and my wallet and work card scattered everywhere.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
The girl immediately squatted down to pick up my bag for me.
She had gentle long hair, eyes like black paint, pure and clear, with a sweet smile, which was very similar to a girl I remembered.
But at the moment,
My attention was drawn by her dress with a blue base and white floral print.
A few years ago, when I went to Yunnan Dali on vacation, I was attracted by the unique ethnic costumes and was suddenly inspired.
I blended some ethnic styles into a few designs of long dresses.
This one integrated the style of a Dai ethnic group's long skirt. It was a dress I designed for myself and sewed with my own hands.
However, I got pregnant before I had a chance to wear it.
After that, I never saw this dress again.
Gu Yuanzhou said he had donated it to a charity event, at the time I didn't think much of it. But now seeing this young and beautiful girl, a thought naturally came to mind.
"Excuse me, could you do me a favor?"
As I looked at her, she also looked up at me,
"What's wrong?"
"I, um…I suddenly have a stomachache."
I clutched at my stomach and squatted down in pain.
The girl is indeed a kind-hearted person.
Seeing my condition, she hurriedly helped me to her dormitory...
After helping me sit down, she poured me a cup of warm water, and kindly brought me some pills for my stomachache.
Her voice was gentle when she spoke, and her smile was healing. When she looked at you quietly, her watery eyes were really likable.
A girl as delicate as a fawn like her could easily stir a man's urge to protect her.
Gu Yuanzhou would indeed be easily drawn to such a girl.
As these thoughts were crossing my mind, I was feeling more and more uncomfortable.
"You're a fashion design student?"
I pointed to an unfinished dress hanging on a rack against the wall.
The girl smiled and said,
"Yes, I'm a junior this year. This is my graduation project. I've been preparing for three months now, but I always feel something is missing."
"The color combination is off. That green patch on the left shoulder should be changed to a light yellow hue, and a piece of gauzy flowers should be added on it..."
"Uh, could you demonstrate it for me?"
"Sure, just give me a second!"
I know a thing or two about fashion design because I've been gifted since childhood. Back then, my uncle sent me to France to study fashion design.
But I met Gu Yuanzhou before I graduated...
I fell for him at first sight. For him, I gave up my studies, gave up my career, and willingly became his full-time housewife.
He said he liked Little Mian'ao, so I gave birth to a girl for him at twenty, nearly bleeding to death on the delivery table.
He said he wanted a male heir, so I gave birth to a son for him at twenty-six.
The second pregnancy was extremely difficult, I threw up everything I ate, even water made me vomit until I was spitting up blood, and I was practically bedridden, surviving on IV drips until I gave birth.
Because of pregnancy-induced hypertension, I couldn't have anesthetics. So, when I was giving birth to my second child, I was cut open alive, one cut after the other.
The pain of a knife cutting flesh is something I'll never forget.
But all of that doesn't compare to the day of the fire when I helplessly watched my two babies perish.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but tear up... breaking down in tears.
"What's wrong?"
The girl quickly came over to comfort me.
"I'm sorry, I just broke up with my ex-boyfriend and couldn't control my emotions... I made a fool of myself... By the way, what's your name?"
"I'm... Ye Mengyan. And you?"
Ye Mengyan, no wonder she looked familiar. It turned out she was a university student I had once sponsored.
However, Ye Mengyan obviously didn't recognize me after my rebirth, so I just smiled and replied,
"My name is Song Xiaoyun!"
When Ye Mengyan heard my name, she paused for a moment.
"What? Is there something wrong with this name?"
"No, it's just that you reminded me of a beloved elder sister!"
"Elder sister?"
"Yes, her name is similar to yours. She's called Song Yun. She's a really good woman. Very beautiful, very kind. It was she who sponsored my studies at the university. Unfortunately, she suffered a tragic fate and died in a fire not long ago. Sigh!"
As she spoke, Ye Mengyan wiped away the traces of tears from the corners of her eyes.
From the slightly husky sound of her voice, I could tell that she seems to be somewhat grateful to me.
"It's a pity she died so young... her husband must be heartbroken, right?"
"Yes, they were deeply in love! Lately, I've been going to comfort him often."
After all, she was a student, Ye Mengyan was kind-hearted, and very naive.
After I helped her redesign the long skirt, she opened her heart to me even more, expressing that she wanted to become good friends with me, and even shared many of her personal stories.
However, just when I was about to let go of my doubts.
I noticed a supplementary bank card on Ye Mengyan's table—it was Gu Yuanzhou's card!
When I used to sponsor Ye Mengyan, it was always me doing the transactions, transferring money from my account to Ye Mengyan, Gu Yuanzhou never interfered.
Why then, would he privately give Ye Mengyan a supplementary card?
I picked up the card and casually asked, "Is this... your bank card?"