Li Xinyue opened her eyes slowly, the harsh lights above blinding her for a moment. She blinked, trying to adjust her vision. Her head throbbed intensely, the pain almost unbearable. A dull ache lingered, a reminder of the moment she had just experienced. Wasn't I… dead?

She could still recall the image of the speeding car that had struck her as she pushed the child out of the way, the sharp pain in her body, and then the darkness that followed. The weight of her own body, the coldness of the pavement, all of it had felt so real. How am I still alive?

Her thoughts swirled as a strange dizziness overcame her, her mind flooded with memories—memories that were not hers. There were flashes of images, emotions, and thoughts that didn't belong to her. In a blur, she understood: I've transmigrated into someone else's body.

The original owner's memories began to settle in, pieces falling into place. Li Xinyue found herself in the body of a girl named Li Xinyue, a young woman who had once overdosed on sleeping pills after discovering the truth—she was not the true heiress of the Zhang family. That devastating realization had led her to end her own life.

Li Xinyue tried to process it all. How did I end up here? Her mind felt like it was spinning. She was no longer the person she once was, but the life she had inherited—was that even a life worth having? The original Li Xinyue had been weak, always falling behind in school, never truly fitting in. She was the adopted daughter of the Zhang family, a family she thought loved her. However, upon the arrival of the true heiress, the beautiful and talented Li Yujin, the family had cast her aside, no longer seeing her as their daughter.

How pathetic, Li Xinyue thought bitterly, the memory of the original owner's pain burning inside her. She had discovered that she was the substitute, and instead of being embraced, she was used to fill a role that didn't belong to her. Her family had wanted her to marry a sickle man—Mu Zhenyu, the powerful, yet cursed CEO of the Mu family, who had been cursed with a short life span. The arrangement was made for the true heiress, but when she was found, the Zhang family had forced the original Li Xinyue to take her place.

Is this the life I've inherited? Li Xinyue felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

The door to her hospital room creaked open, and a maid stepped in. She had a haughty look on her face, eyes scanning the room with disdain. "Miss Xinyue," she spoke, but the way she said it—Miss Xinyue—was laced with disrespect. The maid's tone was mocking, the words barely covering her contempt.

Li Xinyue's cold gaze met the maid's. The original Li Xinyue would have been frightened or confused, but not her. No, this was her life now, and she would live it on her own terms. "You can clear the bills," she said coldly, her voice firm.

The maid recoiled slightly, startled by the change in her tone. She had expected weakness, maybe some pleading, but there was none. Only a commanding chill that made her heart race.

"She's awake…" the maid muttered under her breath, trying to cover her shock, but Li Xinyue wasn't listening.

"Go," Li Xinyue said sharply, her voice low but heavy. "Tell the family I'm fine. I'll go back home after settling everything here."

The maid hesitated for a moment, unsure if she was supposed to say anything more, but she quickly regained her composure. "Mr Zhang … said that if you're not well yet, you can stay in the house near your school. The one they bought for you. It's all prepared."

Li Xinyue didn't answer right away. Home? She thought. The house they bought for her near the school. Her new life. The maid might have thought that she had some power over Li Xinyue now, but it wasn't like that. Her life wasn't controlled by them anymore.

The maid turned to leave, clearly eager to escape, but before she stepped out the door, she paused. "One more thing," she said in a tone that was almost too polite, "the Zhang family… isn't too concerned. No one visited you while you were here. I just thought you should know. But don't worry, they will expect you to return to your duties soon enough."

Li Xinyue didn't react. The words had no effect on her. The Zhang family had never cared for the original owner, so why should she expect them to care for her?

As the maid disappeared, Li Xinyue took in a deep breath, the coldness of the hospital room surrounding her. She had no time to waste. She had a life to reclaim, and this time, it wouldn't be as a substitute. She would live for herself, not for anyone else.

The hospital she was in was Jinling City's top hospital. It was known for its cutting-edge medical technologies, but for all its fame, there was a strange air of unease in the room. The doctors had all gathered outside her room, whispering to each other. They had all pronounced her dead, and now… now they were wondering how she had come back to life.

Some of them whispered to one another, suggesting they could conduct tests, find out if it was something special, something new. They didn't know what to make of it, but one thing was certain: the doctors were curious. They wanted answers. And if that meant experimenting on her, they would.

Li Xinyue scoffed inwardly. I'm not a lab rat. She had already made up her mind. This life was her second chance. She wasn't going to let anyone take it away from her.

As for the Zhang family, she couldn't care less. They had no place in her future.

The maid was gone now, and the silence of the hospital room enveloped her. Li Xinyue's gaze wandered out the window, her mind already set on what lay ahead. She had to get out of this cage, this existence that the Zhang family had forced on the original Li Xinyue. It was time for her to move forward. To live the life she wanted, the life she deserved.

And she would start by making them regret their choice to treat her like nothing more than a pawn.