Ye Li returned to her room and sat at the desk by the window, gently stroking the jade bracelet. This was her mother’s keepsake, something she hadn’t been able to protect in her previous life. A glint of resolve flashed in her eyes—this time, anything that belonged to her, no one would be allowed to touch.
Suddenly, she remembered something. In her previous life, she had heard that Ye Zhirou had used some kind of ancestral secret recipe to save a powerful figure in Yuncheng. With that figure’s backing, she had lived a life of influence and prosperity. Ye Li knew better than anyone whether Ye Zhirou actually had any secret recipes. Her mother-in-law’s late ex-husband had been notoriously lazy and gluttonous, and their family was extremely poor. If there had been any real secret recipes, he probably would have sold them long ago, and there would be none left for Ye Zhirou to use.
Ye Li chuckled. Her hand accidentally brushed against the tip of the scissors she had carelessly left on the desk.
“Shh…” she gasped, and a drop of bright red blood welled up from her finger. Reluctantly, she placed the jade bracelet on the desk and held her injured hand.
“Drip, drip!” One drop of blood fell, landing exactly on the bracelet. A flash of light flickered before her eyes, and when she opened them again, the scene before her had changed.
“Where… am I? Wasn’t I in my own room?” she murmured, looking around curiously.
Before her stretched a patch of black, barren land. At her feet was a small pool of water.
Ye Li did not feel fear. After all, hadn’t she already returned from hell as a vengeful ghost?
She stepped slowly, circling the black land. Suddenly, a thought struck her. In her previous life, while she was in the psychiatric hospital, she had shared a room with a young girl. The girl was eccentric, often speaking in ways she barely understood, sometimes muttering strange and fantastical stories. She remembered the girl once talking about “transcending worlds,” a personal space containing miraculous waters that could cure all ailments and black soil for planting.
Everything before her now matched exactly what that girl had described.
A thought flashed in Ye Li’s mind: [Go out].
Her vision blurred again, and when she opened her eyes, she was back in her own room.
So that girl hadn’t been lying. If something as unbelievable as her own reincarnation could happen, having a personal space was not so impossible to accept.
Ye Li focused, and she found herself back in the strange space. She looked at the small pool of water and cupped it in her hands, drinking a sip. It was clear and sweet. As it slid down her throat, she felt energy surge through her body, and her hand wound visibly healed before her eyes.
Ye Li’s heart leapt with joy—this miraculous water really was magical! She scooped up more, observing carefully. The water was crystal clear, faintly shimmering.
She thought of Ye Zhirou saving the powerful figure in her past life and realized this spring must be the so-called “ancestral secret recipe.” No wonder Ye Zhirou had flourished in Yuncheng, becoming a local celebrity. Everything had been achieved through this space. Ye Zhirou had stolen her treasure, spilled her blood and tears, and enjoyed all the wealth and honor. She wondered—this life, without the personal space or miraculous spring, how could Ye Zhirou hope to rise in Yuncheng?
Ye Zhirou, having lost the jade bracelet to Ye Li, returned to her room in a daze. For some reason, she felt a sudden panic, as if she had just lost something very important.
“That damn brat! She actually took my jade bracelet! One day, I’ll get it back.”
She had set her eyes on that bracelet the moment she entered Ye Li’s house, deliberately flattering Ye Jianguo so he would take it from Ye Li for her. Though she knew little about jade, the luster told her it must be valuable.
Ye Zhirou pounded the edge of the bed in frustration. Thinking of her unborn child, she grew anxious. Ye Li had stubbornly refused to switch fiancés and caused a scene again today. Her baby couldn’t wait. She had to find Brother Jiang and figure out what to do.
She took out a small mirror, dabbed some snow cream on her face, and adjusted it until she was satisfied before leaving.
Jiang Bowen lived in the Yuncheng Steel Factory staff quarters. At the gate, Ye Zhirou waved over a child, giving him a dime to fetch Jiang Bowen. She didn’t want to deal with Jiang Bowen’s mother, Shi Yalan; she cared little for her temper. As long as she could successfully marry into the Jiang family and secure Brother Jiang for herself, why worry about that old witch?
Soon, Jiang Bowen dashed out. Seeing Ye Zhirou waiting at the gate, his eyes lit up. “Zhi Zhi, what are you doing here?”
Although Ye Li was his fiancée, he preferred his young aunt, Ye Zhirou. Ye Li was beautiful, but a wooden beauty with no personality. Zhirou, however, was perceptive, charming, and cute—far more appealing.
“Brother Jiang, I have something to discuss with you,” Ye Zhirou said, shyly lowering her head and presenting her most attractive angle—perfected through countless sessions in front of a small mirror.
Seeing the delicate and alluring Ye Zhirou, Jiang Bowen felt a thrill. He reached out, hooked her finger, and gestured: “Zhi Zhi, come with me.”
This was at the entrance of the staff quarters, in broad daylight, with people coming and going—she couldn’t be too reckless. Ye Zhirou’s cheeks flushed as she obediently followed Jiang Bowen, winding through alleys until they reached a more secluded spot.
Jiang Bowen looked around furtively, then, acting impulsively, pulled Ye Zhirou into his arms, groping her.
“Zhi Zhi, your Brother Jiang has missed you so much,” he murmured.
Ye Zhirou pushed against his chest, pouting and giving him a reproachful look. “Brother Jiang, stop fooling around! I have something to tell you.”
Jiang Bowen massaged her chest roughly one last time before stopping. “Alright, tell me. What’s the matter?”
Ye Zhirou’s expression turned pitiful, and she looked at him with wide, pleading eyes. “Brother Jiang, my sister refuses to switch fiancés with me. She made a huge scene at home today—not only did she hurt my dad, but she also snatched my bracelet.”
She raised her hand, revealing her bare wrist.
Jiang Bowen glanced at it, raising an eyebrow in surprise. “No way! That wooden Ye Li actually knows how to resist?”
He hadn’t expected that even someone as dull as Ye Li could harbor such determination, considering how irresistible he, Master Jiang, was.
Unaware of his narcissistic thoughts, Ye Zhirou leaned softly against him. She stroked her still-flat stomach, a blissful smile on her face. “Brother Jiang, you must find a way to get my sister to cancel the engagement. I’m already carrying your child—I can wait, but the baby can’t.”
“What?” Jiang Bowen leapt back as if electrocuted, pushing Ye Zhirou away from his arms.
“What did you say? You’re pregnant?”
Panic shot through him—he had only intended to play around with this brat. Now, things had spiraled completely out of control.