New Terra International Hospital.
Hiss… My head hurts so much.
The only thought in Leo's mind was this one; he opened his eyes in confusion and saw a young man with yellow hair sitting by the bed, munching on an apple.
"You…" Leo wanted to speak, but he found his throat parched and his voice hoarse; it wasn't even his charming, magnetic tone anymore. This wouldn't do.
Seeing that he was awake, the yellow-haired youth stopped eating the apple and cheerfully said, "Aaron, you finally woke up! I thought you were a goner!"
"?"
"I'm telling you, your timing for getting into trouble couldn't have been worse! I can't even leave the hospital to grab something to eat, so I'm stuck nibbling on the apple I brought for you. Apparently, a celebrity had a car accident and ended up here, and the fans just keep flooding in. I can't catch a moment of peace!"
Aaron? Who is that…
I did have a car accident, but this…?
Who the heck is this goofball?"
Where is Vivian…
"Speaking of which, Ethan Han should have come to visit me, right? This counts as an occupational injury, doesn't it?"
Suddenly, a flood of questions nearly burst Leo's head. He felt a massive influx of information pouring into his mind, causing a splitting headache.
Everything went dark, and he fainted again.
In the darkness, countless fragments flashed by: memories from the orphanage, the days working in college, the grueling times filming, and the seconds before his accident…
Then the scene shifted abruptly.
He was at a funeral for an unfamiliar woman, with a man giving him money, or perhaps it was that yellow-haired guy? Why do I seem familiar with him? What is going on? I really don't know these people…
These two massive streams of information intertwined, and Leo lost consciousness entirely.
The next day.
When Leo woke up again, it was already noon. The first thing he did upon opening his eyes was to check himself in the mirror in the private bathroom.
"?!"
"He was taken aback by the figure in the mirror. His bangs veiled his eyes, casting a shadow that lent him an unsettling allure. His hair, long and cascading past his shoulders, blurred the line between masculine and delicate."
Last night, Leo's mind had fused with the memories of this body. The experience felt utterly surreal, as if he had somehow taken over someone else's life. Even now, standing before the mirror, he struggled to fully grasp the reality of it all.
"…"
On top of everything, there was another unsettling issue: he hadn't just absorbed the memories; he'd taken on the personality traits of the body's original owner as well. It felt like a serious glitch. (Inner monologue: Could this be the lingering resentment of the body's previous owner?)
Aaron was truly remarkable—top-tier in computer skills, exceptional at photography, good-looking, and far from poor. The only catch? A bit of social anxiety. Now, even if Leo wanted to talk to himself, not a single word would come out.
The blonde guy from yesterday was named Luca Moretti, Aaron's childhood friend. Maybe he could handle Aaron's silence because he was such a chatterbox himself?
"Returning to the hospital bed, Leo found that Luca had already slipped away, leaving behind a note."
"Check LinkChat."
The note was stuck to his phone. Leo peeled it off and unlocked the device with his fingerprint. Among his limited contacts on LinkChat was Luca Moretti, who had sent a few messages. Leo tapped to open them.
"Remember the celebrity I mentioned yesterday? It turned out to be the movie king, Leo! I was stuck in the hospital, so I didn't hear the news until he was declared dead."
"There were still a ton of fans at the hospital! I managed to slip away while they were carrying his body out. I'm seriously going to starve to death."
"Also, what you did yesterday was downright terrifying! You fainted again! Thankfully, the doctor said it was just a minor concussion; all you need is some rest.!"
"You can leave the hospital on your own now, but talk about bad luck—you knocked yourself out while trying to take a photo. LOL."
"Oh, and that kind-hearted person who brought you to the hospital also brought your photography gear. Once you're home, let me know, and I'll bring it over."
As for why Aaron found himself in the hospital, the poor kid had just graduated and decided to venture into the mountains to capture some scenic photos. Unfortunately, he tripped and knocked himself out.
Fortunately, a good Samaritan took him to the hospital, and Luca happened to call him at just the right moment, leading to the previous scene.
Leo—oh no, perhaps he should be called Aaron now.
Aaron sorted through his belongings. Besides his phone, he had a small bag containing his ID, various cards, and a key. According to his memories, this was the only house key for this body.
Afterwards, he eventually managed to check out of the hospital at a snail's pace. As for why it took him so long… well.
Standing at the hospital entrance, Aaron felt an overwhelming sense of relief. The weight of his social anxiety was unbearable—he couldn't force out a single word, and every time he met someone's gaze, the urge to flee washed over him. Sigh…
The hospital was far from where he lived. He thought he'd take a stroll before heading back, as the feeling of being reborn was simply too unbelievable.
Before he realized it, he was almost back at the spot where the accident happened. This time, he walked the same path he'd taken when the truck hit him. The next intersection marked the scene of the crash, and for some reason, he felt compelled to take another look.
Could this be the dark curiosity inherent in human nature?
His soft bangs veiled his eyes, but he made no effort to brush them away.
The sunlight seemed harsher than usual, almost unbearable.
It felt as though if he dared to meet the sun's gaze directly, he might dissolve into dust, as if all of this was some cruel illusion and he had truly perished.
His mind wandered through the haze, but strangely, death didn't scare him.
What gnawed at him was the senselessness of it all.
To die so cluelessly?
That didn't suit him at all.
But who could have been behind this? Was it truly just a tragic accident, or had someone planned it all along?
On the other side.
Vivian felt utterly lost. Her mind kept replaying the moment Leo gave her a rare half-day off, his gentle smile as he left the lounge vivid in her memory. She couldn't reconcile that image with the reality of the lifeless body under the white sheet. It felt surreal, like a dream she couldn't wake from, and the more she thought about it, the more helpless and overwhelmed she became.
Lost in her thoughts, she ran a red light without noticing the car speeding toward her.
Leo pulled her back to the curb just in time, and she was startled, breaking out in a cold sweat.
Just moments ago, from a distance, Leo had spotted Vivian's familiar silhouette near the accident scene. He could tell from her slow, aimless walk that she was lost in thought. His instinct was to quicken his pace and catch up with her, but then he remembered—he wasn't Leo anymore. Approaching her now, would feel too strange.
While he was lost in thought, Leo noticed Vivian absentmindedly stepping off the curb to cross the street, despite the pedestrian light still being red. Alarmed, he rushed forward and pulled her back.
New Terra was teeming with cars that sped by recklessly. Even though Vivian seemed lost in thought, she wasn't moving slowly. If that car had hit her, it wouldn't just be a near miss—she would likely end up with broken bones, if not worse.If that happened, it would be another trending topic:
# "Leo's manager involved in another car accident at the scene of Leo's accident."
That wouldn't do at all.
"Thank you so much! I…" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Vivian's phone suddenly rang.
She had no choice but to dig her phone out of her bag. Seeing that it was a call from Ethan Han, she hurriedly answered.
Leo was suddenly overwhelmed by the familiar grip of social anxiety. Speaking to Vivian felt impossible in that moment; he doubted he could muster even half a word. He resolved to go home and sort through his thoughts.
After all, he recalled that he had their private numbers if he truly wanted to reach out to her.
He quietly slipped away and swiftly hailed a nearby ride-share. Thankfully, Vivian was too focused on her phone call—something serious, it seemed—so engrossed that she didn't notice anything around her. Her expression was unusually grave.
By the time Vivian hung up, Leo had already vanished without a trace. She looked around in confusion, but after searching in vain, she had no choice but to leave.
By six in the afternoon, Leo finally arrived at his "home." After surveying the familiar yet strange room, he collapsed onto the sofa.
To be honest, he had no clue about his car accident.
Gurgle…
His stomach was growling in protest; he hadn't eaten in days. Opening his phone, Leo decided to order takeout.
He ordered some KCF on a whim and sent Luca a message, letting him know he was back home and could drop off his things.
Luca lived nearby, just in the next building, so he would be able to deliver it quickly.
Speaking of which, this photography gear was quite expensive, and now that Leo had acquired new skills, he wanted to give it a try.
The original owner of Leo's current body was indeed a certified genius, one of the stars of the photography department at New Terra Film Academy. He won awards in every photography competition he entered, though his acceptance speech was always just "…"
That's right—he never said a word. Perhaps that's the mark of a true master...
Moreover, he had another identity: the internationally renowned hacker Aster, known for challenging the firewalls of major companies around the world and leaving his mark in their databases.
Currently, no one knows who he is, only that he appears to be a mysterious figure from the East, as he has never targeted any companies within Huaxia.
"Ding dong…"