At one in the early morning, a cold wind howled, icy snow danced in the frozen sky. Gu Ran had never felt as cold as this moment. She was like discarded trash, sprawled on the snowy ground.

Her clothes had been soaked by the rain and snow, yet the frigidness of her body was far less than the chill in her heart.

Not far off under the eve, a man and woman were embracng each other, their faces adorned with blinding smiles. Those smiles were like sharp knives, stabbing deep into her.

"Sister, can you not comprehend? Why have you turned into this?"

In her ears was a woman's voice, sharp as ice.

That once obedient and timid girl, was now laughing wildly like a soul reaper, sinister and malevolent.

"Han Muzhe, Gu Yao, how could you do this?"

At this moment, Gu Ran wished nothing more than to slaughter this traitorous pair before her. She prided herself on being savvy, but she was played for a fool by these two.

For four full years, these two used their deceitful masks to manipulate her, creating a rift between her and Fu Sijue.

It was her, Gu Ran, who had been blind and stupid, betraying the man who genuinely cared for her, and ruining everything for him.

Gu Ran hated herself, her stupidity, and even more so, the despicable couple before her, but there was nothing she could do at this moment.

Han Muzhe had personally severed the tendons in her hands and feet. Her very own cousin, once dearly loved and protected, had gouged out her left eye.

"Sister, don't hate me. Fu Sijue stood in the way of my Muzhe, so I had to use you to remove him for the sake of my Muzhe. But rest assured, sister, once Muzhe takes over all from Fu Sijue, he will spare his life. After all, he's just a half-disabled cripple now."

"You, Gu Yao..."

Gu Ran gritted her teeth, looking at the woman being protected by the man in the distance. Yet, she was helpless.

"Sister, you mustn't get angry. The poison in your body is highly reactive to anger. This can only accelerate the toxin's effect..."

"So, my father's death is related to the Fu family, and you all fabricated this too, right?"

"Sister, it's a pity you found out too late. Your uncle has been missing for nearly sixteen years, who knows what happened to him then... Ah, how can my sister be so foolish, being deceived by some random evidence from brother Mu Ze. Such a pity for Hai city's number one beauty, filled with nothing more than an empty shell."

"Alright, Yao Yao, it's cold outside, don't waste your breath with her anymore. If you freeze, I would be heartbroken."

Han Mu Ze, with a gentle face, embraces the woman in his arms, allowing her to lean softly against him.

When Gu Ran saw this scene, she felt nothing but ridicule. For so many years, she hadn't discovered that these two shared such a relationship.

"Oh, that's right, Gu Ran, the young man who saved you back then wasn't me. I think you can probably guess who it indeed was..."

Han Mu Ze's face was no longer the tender one from before. His usually affectionate eyes were now akin to poison-tipped blades, leaving even deeper wounds on her already battered body.

The two gradually moved away leaving Gu Ran feeling increasingly cold.

Staring into the dark night, letting the snowstorm hit her, Gu Ran slowly let go, waiting for her life to come to an end.

Does she hate Gu Yao? Yes!

Does she hate Han Mu Ze? Yes!

Yet, Gu Ran hates herself more for if she only believed Fu Si Jue even once, she would not have been used by these two.

For two whole years, she, who people called a vivid genius, was played around by these two. How blind must she have been, to suffer such a fate, abandoned by the world and dying alone?

Her vision gradually blurred, Gu Ran knew her release is near, but there were regrets. She regretted not being able to say sorry to Fu Si Jue before her death, regretted that she could never reciprocate Fu Si Jue's love.

Indeed, how much does that man love her, to willingly endure the pain of being hurt by her time and time again? It was indeed her, who, with her own hands, destroyed the man who loved her the most.

"Fu Sir Jue, I'm sorry…"

"Ranran, Ah Ran, don’t sleep, don’t sleep, wake up……I'm sorry, I came late…”

From beside her ear, a familiar man’s voice echoed, as tender and haunting as ever.

"Ah Jue, is that you?"

Gu Ran’s consciousness was getting ever more blurry, her body colder and colder, the poison within her body had spread throughout. She knew, there was no antidote for this.

Gu Ran seemed to hear a loud noise around her, as though the earth was shaking, then there were all kinds of chaotic sounds, but she was too tired, too much in pain, her remaining right eye couldn’t open anymore.

"Ranran, don’t be afraid, I said before, even if it's death, I'll be with you, Ah Jue will always be with Ranran."

Gu Ran felt like she was hallucinating, how could Fu Sir Jue still come, he must deeply possess hatred towards her.

But it's alright, having such a hallucination before death, at least it seemed like the heavens still did pity her.

"Heavenly God, if you truly pity my miserable twenty-three years, please bless me, let me meet Fu Sir Jue in my next life, then, it will be my turn to love him, to protect him…"

"Fu Sir Jue, if we have another life, Ranran will surely love you well, Ah Jue, goodbye…”

Boom…

In the instant Gu Ran completely lost consciousness, she heard an explosion.

"Miss Gu…"

"Miss Gu...."

By her side, it seemed someone was calling her. Gu Ran only felt a splitting headache.

But that wasn't right. She should be dead. Could the dead also have feelings? She clearly remembered having injuries on her hands, legs, and eyes. Why did her whole body feel so much pain?

"She's awake! Miss Gu is awake, quickly inform the young master..."

The sound around her got louder and louder. A cacophony that made Gu Ran's headache unbearable. She felt like she was floating in the depths of the sea, desperately trying to grab onto something.

Gu Ran felt a heaviness on her eyelids, like they had been glued shut. She wanted to open her eyes, wanted to see what the underworld really looked like.

Was it really like the legends with ox-headed and horse-faced beings? Deities of death that bring souls to the afterlife?

Finally, she felt a gentle light, her vision slowly focusing, and the hazy shadows gradually became clear.

Gu Ran opened her eyes, and it was as if she had just woken up from a dream.

Why were all the faces she saw familiar ones? Mama Liu, Auntie Zhang, and big sister Xiao Ya. Had they come to fetch her?

Didn’t they hate her? After all, it was she who had caused their deaths.

No, they must have come to avenge their past lives.

"Miss Gu, you've finally woken up."

A familiar face came near, but Gu Ran did not see a trace of hatred or resentment on Mama Liu's face. Only fervent worry and sorrow were etched on it.

A warm touch came from her forehead. Could a dead person also feel warmth?

No, why does this place seem so familiar, familiar room, familiar layout... she... she's not dead.

With this realization, Gu Ran moved her limbs. There was no pain from her critical condition before. She stretched her hand; at her wrist, her skin was fair and delicate, not a scar in sight.

Gu Ran's heart pounded intensely, breathing became rapid out of excitement. Her originally weak body, due to this change, appeared even more pale.

Gu Ran opened her mouth, the words she wanted to say seemed stuck in her throat. Her throat felt parched and painfully dry, as if something had torn at it.

"Miss Gu, don't get agitated. You've had a fever for two days. It was not easy for the fever to subside. Your throat must be very sore. Dr. Li has advised that it's best for you not to speak for a few days."