"The station is back with breaking news."
"Tonight, the police released a public statement. A young man was found dead in a rented apartment today. He was lying in front of his computer.
"Based on the information on the computer and the roommate's testimony, the young man was an author who was recently signed by a famous online literature website. The cause of death was determined to be the irregular lifestyle he led which involved writing too much without any regard for his health.
"The young man was passed over to the relevant authorities since he didn't have any family members or relatives. Before we end this broadcast, the station would like to remind everyone to cherish their own lives and live healthily."
*****
"He's a villain that can only be found once in a thousand years. Why didn't you just let him die?! It would save a lot of people trouble since he would no longer be able to harm anyone. You should stop saving him, Dr. Chen. If not, this Young Master might even start harassing you after he has recovered."
He could hear a female voice lingering in his ear. He slowly opened his eyes and saw a white ceiling. As he turned sideways, medical equipment came into view. There was also an IV drip hanging next to the bed.
He was in a hospital. That's great, he, fortunately, escaped death.
"Stop dwelling on it. He was injured in the hospital. There was no way we could just ignore him. We can't just abandon our ethics as doctors because he's a villain." Another brisk female voice said.
He strained to lift his head even though he felt drowsy. He saw a pair of people, a doctor and a nurse, both in white standing in front of his bed. The nurse, who was facing him, quickly lifted her hand to cover her mouth when she noticed he was awake. The nurse then winked at the doctor.
The doctor who was wearing a medical mask noticed and took a glance at him before she said, "You're awake."
"You are…" He attempted to sit up but felt a piercing pain radiating from his ribs.
"Please don't move! We just fixed your broken ribs." The doctor advised. She stood quite some distance away and a slight mix of wariness along with loathing could be seen in her eyes.
When the pain from his ribs eased slightly, he took a few deep breaths, almost gasping for air before asking, "I only remember fainting in front of my computer. How did I break my ribs?"
The doctor was stunned by what he said. She asked in a tone full of surprise, "Do you not remember? You fell down a flight of stairs in the hospital the day before yesterday. You suffered grievous injuries. Your broken ribs pierced your internal organs causing major internal bleeding. Your life was in question at that time."
He was confused momentarily. He still remembered sitting in front of his computer rallying for more monthly votes. At that time, he felt a sharp pain in his heart and blacked out, losing consciousness. Thus, he was confused. Why would the doctor say he fell down a flight of stairs in the hospital?
Taking a glance at the bandage on his head, the doctor's eyebrow lifted and she softly said, "Could it be short-term memory loss due to a concussion?"
"Do you know where this is?" She asked.
He took a look around. He realized he was in a ward that seemed a bit too luxurious, it was like a suite in a five-star hotel.
When the doctor saw him looking around in bewilderment, she frowned. She then turned to look at the nurse beside her and said, "Little Wang, please go and bring a neurologist here."
After the nurse left, the doctor continued with her questions. "Do you know who you are?"
"Of course, I know. My name is…" Just when he was about to blurt out his name, he saw a blurred reflection of himself on the LCD TV hanging on the opposite wall. However, it was the face of a stranger. He asked, rather abruptly instead, "Do you have a mirror?"
The doctor couldn't process what was happening but she still took out a small mirror from a drawer before passing it to him. He could see his own image clearly in the mirror and was totally stupefied by it. Without a doubt, it was the face of a stranger.
Could it be that I was reborn?!
As an author, he saw too many stories about being reborn and starting a new life. However, it never crossed his mind that it could happen to him.
Could this be a dream?
He looked closely at the face in the mirror as he moved his facial muscles, opened his mouth and licked his lips. His world seemed to have been turned upside down and all of his odd actions were closely observed by the doctor. She contemplated it for a moment before she sneered, "Song Shi Cheng, can you stop putting on an act in front of me?"
His body trembled involuntarily as he turned his head and looked at the doctor in her eyes as he asked, "What did you just call me? Song Shi Cheng?" Not only was he more confused because of the name the female doctor called him, but it was also a name he was familiar with. It was the antagonist's name in his novel.
The antagonist was an outrageous young master. He portrayed him as someone who was despicable, vicious and shameless. He was someone who committed all kinds of unforgivable and sinful acts.
He followed the standard plot of a novel in creating the antagonist. The role of his antagonist lied in being a stepping stone for the protagonist. He would be constantly defeated by the protagonist before coming to an early demise near the end of the novel's arc.
Before he blacked out, he was writing about the struggle between the protagonist and the antagonist near the hospital stairs. Towards the end of the scene, the protagonist kicked the antagonist down a flight of stairs. The antagonist lost consciousness after suffering grievous injuries and eventually died.
Wait a moment, fell down a flight of stairs and suffered grievous injuries?
He subconsciously started to check the injuries on his own body before recalling what the doctor said about how he got injured.
"This couldn't be just an act right?" The doctor mumbled. She was at a loss as to what to do based on how he was behaving. She then raised her chin and asked, "What about me? Do you know who I am?"
She looked at his bewildered face before she removed her mask revealing a beautiful face. With a cold tone, "So, Young Master Song, you can't recognize me either, this granny of yours?"
His gaze was frozen, staring at the doctor's face. He slowly moved his eyes down over her large chest. The name on her nametag was Chen Xiao Yan.
Chen Xiao Yan?! Wasn't that the name of the heroine in his novel?!
He was stunned as a preposterous idea invaded his thoughts.
"My name is Song Shi Cheng and your name is Chen Xiao Yan. If that's the case, is this Hua Hai city's Qing Mao Hospital?" He asked. It was the fictional name of the city and hospital in his novel. He was petrified when the granny in front of him nodded in acknowledgment.
What is this?! Not only was I reborn, but I was actually reborn into my novel?!
The most ridiculous thing about the situation was the character he had been reborn into. It was actually the novel's antagonist! However, at that moment, a far scarier thought crossed his mind…
He was very familiar with the protagonist of his novel. Although he was a grassroots protagonist, his Chinese medicinal skills were extraordinary. The last paragraph he wrote came back to him. The protagonist would sneak up behind the antagonist and jab a silver needle into the lower part of his body rendering him impotent.