Doctor, please hurry! The young lady has been unconscious for too long; we don't know what to do!" A voice filled with urgency came from outside the door.
"Come Xi, you've been pulling me all the way here; my old bones ache, but I insist on coming myself." An elderly man with white hair replied, his words filled with concern.
The door opened, and a modestly dressed woman hurried in, supporting the old man. As their eyes landed on me lying there, the maid standing by the bedside broke into a relieved smile.
"Miss, you're awake! I was so worried these past few days." The maid's voice was soft as she helped me sit up, placing a soft cushion behind my back with tender care.
I watched silently as the doctor took my pulse, waves of surprise and confusion crashing inside me.
"Congratulations, Fifth Miss. The coldness in your body has completely vanished. Your decade-long illness can now be fully cured. With this prescription and some nourishing supplements, you'll recover within half a year and no longer need to lie in bed all day." The doctor's eyes sparkled with joy.
How could this be? In my previous life, Su Xiyin was a healthy woman, a long-distance running champion throughout school. How could I now be this fragile girl with such pale, delicate hands?
Who am I? Where am I? These ancient surroundings, the servants calling "Miss," "maid,"—could my soul have traveled through time and inhabited the body of a sickly fifth daughter?
Does the soul truly linger after death? Am I already gone? Was the drink last night laced with the sleeping pills he so often threatened me with?
A wave of sorrow rose in my chest, like dark clouds covering my heart.
I quietly watched them bustle about, but inside, hope began to kindle. Life holds no regrets, but the heavens have granted me a second chance.
This life, I will cast away the past and live with all my strength and passion. I will be stronger, freer than before, no longer bound by worldly shackles.
Yet, I will never see my beloved parents again. They who have sent their white-haired child to the grave — their sorrow will remain forever beyond my reach.
The world is just but cruel. My life now struggles between loss and gain.