1968
Shanghai, Lin Residence
Knock knock knock… knock knock knock…
“Miss, are you awake?”
“Miss, breakfast is ready.”
The knocking and shouting outside the door startled the young girl who was sitting blankly on the bed. Lin Zhitang snapped back to reality and responded, “I’m awake, Aunt Wang. I’ll come down in a moment.”
“Alright, Miss.”
Listening to the footsteps gradually fading away outside, Lin Zhitang got out of bed and looked at herself in the dressing mirror.
Waist-length jet-black hair, a white cotton nightdress, fair and translucent skin, a delicate palm-sized face with refined features, and a pair of large round eyes that gave her an air of elegance and nobility.
In the mirror, she looked young and beautiful—without the scars all over her body or the exhaustion etched into her face. Memories surged in Lin Zhitang’s mind, intertwining and becoming clearer. The clearer they became, the stronger the hatred in her eyes grew—so intense it felt like it could turn into a sharp arrow and pierce the mirror in front of her.
She bit her lower lip hard, swallowing her sobs. Her hands clenched tightly, nails digging deep into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped blood marks. The pain in her palms forced her to stay lucid.
Lin Zhitang struggled to control her emotions, forcibly pushing the hatred deep into her eyes and burying it.
As the only young lady of the Lin family, Lin Zhitang had grown up well-fed and sheltered, innocent and spoiled. Even as the outside political turmoil grew more intense, it had never affected her life.
But all of that ended abruptly after her father’s death.
In her previous life, during her father’s funeral, she was publicly caught in an “affair,” framed by her mother Su Ya and her adopted sister Su Yun. She was driven out of the Lin family and forced to marry Wu Jianguo—a divorced, abusive man.
From that moment on, her life turned upside down.
Rumors engulfed her so badly that she didn’t even dare step outside. Even passing dogs seemed to judge her as unfilial, shameless, and vile. Every day she woke up to serve the elderly and children, never having enough food or warm clothes. Her husband beat her regularly, her mother-in-law was cruel, and her stepchildren resented her. Life was more bitter than swallowing yellow lotus.
Before her death, Su Yun came to flaunt her success in front of her—dressed in luxury and prideful. Only then did she learn the truth: all her suffering had been orchestrated to seize the Lin family’s fortune, and she had simply been an obstacle.
Lin Zhitang was unwilling, but powerless. She died full of hatred.
Unexpectedly, when she opened her eyes again, she had returned to her father’s funeral.
But this time, she did not drink the drugged soup as she had in her previous life. Their scheme failed.
Perhaps she had been too foolish in her past life—even heaven couldn’t stand watching anymore. After being deceived into such misery, she was given another chance.
A chance to live again… and take revenge.
Su Ya, Su Yun, Wu Jianguo—since heaven has shown me mercy and let me live again, this time I will return every ounce of pain you inflicted on me. I will make you taste what it means to wish for death.
As for Aunt Wang and Uncle Liu’s family, she would not let them suffer as they did in her past life. This time, everyone would live well—live happily.
However…
Lin Zhitang frowned slightly.
She had escaped their first scheme, but since they failed, there would surely be a second. She had to be more careful from now on.
Suddenly, she remembered something. She opened the drawer of her dressing table and took out a jade pendant.
In her previous life, her blood had accidentally fallen on it, and it seemed to emit a strange light. But at that time, she was already at the end of her life and never discovered what it was.
Ironically, out of all the Lin family fortune, this was the only thing she had managed to keep hidden.
She pricked her fingertip with a brooch, smearing a drop of blood onto the jade pendant. The blood seeped in—and suddenly, the pendant erupted in a dazzling multicolored light, transforming into a streak that shot straight into her forehead.
Lin Zhitang was shocked to find herself suddenly in a space that looked like something out of a novel—an interspatial dimension.
Overjoyed, she realized that with this space, she could store all the Lin family’s assets. She wouldn’t leave a single thing for Su Ya and Su Yun.
She looked around. The space was square-shaped, about 150 square meters. In the center was a lotus platform, and above it was a pool of spiritual liquid. Long-term consumption could strengthen the body and detoxify simple poisons like drugs.
Lin Zhitang exited the space, changed her clothes, patted her cheeks lightly, composed herself, and returned to her identity as the proud young lady before heading downstairs.
“Tongtong, come eat breakfast. Your mother personally cooked your favorite dishes today—I didn’t even get any,” Su Yun said as she approached, taking her hand.
The smiling woman in front of her—always acting like a good sister—was the same person who had once flaunted her triumphs in front of her. Her acting skills were truly impressive.
“Thank you, Mother. After all, I am your biological daughter,” Lin Zhitang replied lightly, deliberately stressing biological and outsider, while avoiding Su Yun’s hand with a faint smile.
Su Yun’s smile stiffened for a few seconds as she looked at her withdrawn hand.
Something felt off. Lin Zhitang seemed different.
Had she discovered something about the drugged soup?
A flicker of panic rose in her heart—but she quickly calmed herself. Impossible. Only she and her mother knew about it. There was no way this fool could have found out.
“It’s all the same whether biological or not. You’re both my good daughters,” Su Ya said with a slight frown, quickly recovering her expression.
Lin Zhitang smiled sweetly. “Mother is right. I didn’t mean anything else. Sister, don’t misunderstand.”
She picked up a bun and took a bite. “Mm, it’s really good.”
Su Yun watched her carefully. Seeing her only focus on eating, she finally relaxed and sneered inwardly.
Still a fool.
As long as they drove her out, everything from the Lin family would belong to her.
Su Ya also relaxed. It seemed the soup incident was just an accident.
However, deep inside she thought: Don’t blame me, Tongtong. Your father only left the inheritance to you. If you had been obedient and handed it over, I wouldn’t have done this…
At the table, Su Yun deliberately tried to provoke her, but Lin Zhitang remained completely unaffected.
Then Su Ya mentioned Aunt Wang leaving. Lin Zhitang casually agreed, acting indifferent.
In truth, in her previous life, they had framed Aunt Wang for theft, sent her to exile in Heilongjiang, and she died on the way.
This time, Lin Zhitang made Aunt Wang leave voluntarily—at least she would live safely.
Just as she was about to go upstairs—
“Auntie, Miss, there is a man outside who claims to be Miss Zhitang’s fiancé. He is asking to see her,” Aunt Wang said, glancing at her.