Chapter 9 – The Echo of a Familiar Voice
The sun dipped low as twilight settled over Huajin City, casting a golden glow over the campus. Meilin Xue stood frozen in place, her fingers still curled slightly after pushing away the aggressive girl who had insulted her mother. The sharp sting of past betrayal mingled with a newfound strength bubbling beneath her skin.
Around her, whispers swirled like a low storm.
"Did she really slap Lin Mingzhu?"
"Isn't that Lin Haoxuan's younger cousin?"
"Xue Meilin… when did she get so bold?"
But Meilin didn't care. Her world had narrowed into sharp, clear focus. She had a new mission, a second life, and no time to waste on those who thought they could trample her again.
Her system chimed once more.
> [Congratulations! You've earned +30 Emotional Resonance Points] [Unlocked Title: Fierce Daughter – Grants passive aura of intimidation toward bullies] [Favor with Li Yanzhou: +2]
Favor?
She blinked and looked over her shoulder.
Sure enough, Li Yanzhou was still standing nearby, one hand in his pocket, the other gripping his umbrella tightly. His obsidian eyes had not left her since the confrontation.
"You're not what I expected," he said coolly, voice low enough that only she could hear.
She tilted her head, defiant. "Is that a compliment?"
He didn't smile, but the faintest shift in his gaze told her she'd surprised him.
Before he could reply, her phone buzzed in her pocket.
She pulled it out and froze.
A name she hadn't seen in ten years lit up the screen: Lin Haoxuan.
Her stomach churned.
> [System Warning!] Past danger approaching. Strong emotional disturbance detected. Recommend: Avoid contact or respond with caution. Mission Update: "Cut the Thread" – Block Lin Haoxuan before he entangles your path again. Reward: +50 System Favor / Skill Unlock
She stared at the screen.
In this life, she hadn't even spoken to him yet.
And he was already reaching for her?
Meilin's hand hovered over the screen. In her past life, she would've answered with a hopeful heart, craving his approval. But now… her fingers moved with precision.
Blocked.
A satisfying silence settled in her chest.
Li Yanzhou stepped closer. "You look like you just closed a chapter."
She met his gaze. "More like burned a bridge."
His lips twitched—just slightly. Was that amusement?
Before she could speak again, her system buzzed with another ping.
> [System Alert – Hidden Character Unlocked] Incoming Message from: ???
Subject: "You're walking a new path. Be careful. Not all memories are dead."
Her breath hitched.
"What…?" she murmured.
She tapped the message—but it was gone. Like it had never existed.
Meilin looked up sharply, scanning her surroundings. Nothing out of place. No one suspicious.
Just students, gossiping and moving on.
Except one figure, half-hidden beneath the camphor trees lining the courtyard. Clad in a grey hoodie, facing away from her—but something about the posture triggered a chill down her spine.
A boy?
No. A man.
She took a step forward, squinting—but by the time she blinked, he was gone.
---
That night, Meilin sat at her desk, the soft pink glow of her reading lamp washing over the aged pages of her notebook. She had spent the last few hours redrawing timelines—carefully mapping every key event from her past life, including Lin Haoxuan's takeover, her family's bankruptcy, and… her death.
But now, new questions haunted her.
Who sent that message?
And why did they call her memories incomplete?
She pressed her fingers to her temple, heart pounding. The system had said "not all memories are dead." That could mean…
> "Did I miss something?" she whispered. "Was there someone else behind it all?"
Suddenly, her palm pulsed with warmth.
She looked down.
A new panel bloomed in soft golden light:
> [Skill Tree – Celestial Core Awakening] Emotional Path: 32% unlocked Trust Path: 12% unlocked System Path: 5% unlocked Hidden Path: ???% Next Skill Unlock: Soul Link (Bond-dependent) Hint: A true bond strengthens both heart and fate.
She stared at the last line, mind spinning.
Li Yanzhou's face surfaced in her thoughts.
They had barely exchanged more than a few words… but the system kept reacting to him.
"Could he really be the one?"
She didn't know.
But her heart, once so wary, beat with a strange rhythm whenever he was near. Not longing. Not fear. Something else entirely—like fate recognizing itself.
She shut the notebook gently.
If she wanted to survive, uncover the truth, and protect her family, she had to move fast. Every moment mattered.
And tomorrow, she'd take the next step.
---
The next morning, she arrived early to campus, dressed in a light blue uniform blazer, her hair tied into a neat ponytail. Confidence hummed beneath her skin like lightning waiting to strike.
As she stepped through the arts building lobby, she heard it.
A voice.
Low, warm, familiar—yet unmistakably dangerous.
"Miss Xue."
She turned.
And there he was.
Li Yanzhou.
Today, he wasn't in student uniform. He wore a black tailored coat, silver pin on the lapel, the Yanzhou Group insignia—a stylized phoenix wrapped around a sword.
Her breath caught.
Why was he dressed like a CEO on campus?
He held out a document.
"Sign this," he said.
She blinked. "What is it?"
He tilted his head. "A proposal."
Meilin narrowed her eyes. "You think I'd just sign anything?"
He smirked, then held up a second paper.
"This one's a background check. I ran it on you last night. Very interesting read."
Her jaw clenched. "You what?"
"I like to know the people who intrigue me," he said, stepping closer, voice quiet. "And you, Meilin Xue… you're full of contradictions. Fierce but guarded. Soft but sharp. And somehow, already targeted by enemies who haven't even shown their faces."
Her heart thudded.
"You knew?"
"I suspected," he said. "But now, I want to help."
She stared at him.
And just as she opened her mouth to respond, her system chimed once more.
> [Major Quest Unlocked] Mission: Accept or Decline Li Yanzhou's Proposal Reward: Unknown (Will branch future fate) Warning: Choosing wrong may cost more than time…
She swallowed hard.
This was it.
The turning point.
And for the first time since her rebirth, she realized something terrifying… and exhilarating:
She wasn't alone anymore.