"Jian Dan, are you there? What was it you wanted me to do with you earlier? Are you listening?"
Consciousness rushed back to Jian Dan. A blinding light filled her vision—a ceiling lamp and a snow-white roof. Beneath her was the softness of a familiar bed. Sitting up abruptly, she realized this was her own bedroom. In her hand was a phone, its screen still lit, the voice on the other end persistent:
"Jian Dan? Jian Dan! Can you hear me?"
"Du Yanran…"
Jian Dan murmured the name softly before hanging up. Right now, the last voice she wanted to hear was Du Yanran's.
The phone displayed the date: July 7th, 12:00 PM. Today was her birthday. Tomorrow was Du Yanran's. One of the twisted fates between them was that their birthdays were back-to-back—not to mention being classmates in the same school.
Ding-ding-ding! The phone rang again.
Jian Dan glanced at the caller ID—Du Yanran. She had no intention of answering. She needed to figure things out first, so she powered off the phone directly.
She walked to the window and looked outside. It was her old neighborhood, the one she'd lived in until her departure from the mortal realm. Her mother's house—her only true inheritance.
In the courtyard below, an old man played chess under a tree. Young adults used fitness equipment in the sun, while children chased one another across flower-filled paths. Green leaves shimmered in the summer breeze, vibrant and full of life. The wind brought with it a hint of warmth, thick with the season's breath. Everything felt familiar… and yet distant, like a dream she had almost forgotten.
She returned to her bed and rubbed her still-aching forehead, sifting through memories of what had happened on this exact day a hundred years ago—or rather, what had been written in the opening chapter of that book.
On her 18th birthday, she'd received a call from a law firm informing her of an inheritance left by her mother. The condition: she could only claim it after reaching adulthood. Back then, Jian Dan had been thrilled yet anxious. Instinctively, she called Du Yanran and invited her to come along.
That was the moment everything began.
It was also on this day that she had received that magnolia jade jewelry set—which Du Yanran had immediately laid eyes on and demanded as her own birthday gift the next day. That was the beginning of everything. The beginning of Jian Dan's life as a stepping stone for others.
"Heh. Everything has just begun… Let's wait and see."
Jian Dan chuckled softly to herself. Then she got up, turned her phone back on—and the moment it booted up, it rang again. Still Du Yanran. Persistent as ever.
"Jian Dan? Are you okay? Why did the call drop earlier? Your phone was off—I was so worried! I thought something happened to you!"
A rapid-fire barrage of concern spilled through the speaker.
"Typical. Every time something happens, she's the first to declare her innocence, making sure everyone knows just how kind she is. Always playing the role of the understanding saint."
"Mm. Bad signal earlier. Forgot to charge my phone, so it died," Jian Dan replied casually, feeding her an excuse.
"You only got halfway through earlier—what did you want to do tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow's your birthday. I was going to ask if you wanted to go pick out a gift. But something unexpected came up—someone from my dad's side came to get me. They want me to spend the summer in the capital with him. It's sudden. I haven't decided yet, but I wanted to let you know ahead of time—I probably won't make it to your party. I'll send your gift later."
"What? Your never-seen-him-before dad? Why this year of all years? You don't think there's something fishy going on, do you?"
Du Yanran probed subtly, digging for details.
"Not sure. I'll only know tomorrow when I meet them. That's why I'm letting you know in advance—I won't make it to your birthday party. I'll give you your gift later."
This had happened in the past life too. Her biological father had sent for her—all for the sake of his real son. But would things go as smoothly as they had back then?