A faint morning light filtered through the gap in the curtains, casting a gentle glow into the room. The air carried a subtle warmth and the fresh scent of a new day. The room was simply decorated, with the same cat painting she liked hanging on the wall, quietly watching over this familiar yet strange space.
Ye Zhiyao blinked, her mind still lingering on those blurry yet vivid images from moments ago. Could it all have been just a dream? She gently reached out and touched her cheek — the real, warm sensation told her she was still alive. She paused in front of the mirror, her gaze unconsciously drifting to the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was seven in the morning, but the date remained stuck on that winter day five years ago. Her heart suddenly jumped as she turned to look outside the window.
Pulling back the curtain, a sharp, icy wind rushed in. The street outside was dusted with a thin layer of frost and snow. The distant trees stood bare, as if returning to that cold and bitter winter.
"This… can't be…" she murmured, a wave of suppressed excitement swelling in her chest. Her heartbeat quickened, breath growing shallow.
Slowly, she walked to the window and leaned on the windowsill, her eyes deep and unfocused. That winter five years ago had brought her so much pain and helplessness. She had thought it was all over, that all the scars had been buried deep in time. But now, fate seemed to have granted her a second chance.
Taking a deep breath, Ye Zhiyao tried to calm herself. Memories that suffocated her surfaced in her mind: her family's cold indifference, the chilly room, the meticulously planned car accident, and the unspeakable betrayal — those misunderstandings and secrets cutting through her heart like sharp blades.
Her thoughts involuntarily drifted to Gu Chengyun — the man who once loved her deeply, yet was mistaken as her enemy. His shadow lingered in her mind, wrapped in complicated emotions — both warmth and pain.
Outside, F City was slowly waking up. The streets filled with flowing traffic, honking horns, and the footsteps of people blended into the urban morning song. The cold wind rustled the bare trees; the winter scene mirrored her own complex and heavy mood — cold and lonely.
Ye Zhiyao closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She knew that although everything outside seemed unchanged, she herself was entirely different. She was no longer the girl who could be manipulated, no longer the prisoner bound by family.
Like that cat, she was independent and sharp, both gentle and resilient. No matter what she had been through, she would use her own strength to take control of her destiny again.
When she opened her eyes, the morning light gently bathed her face through the window. She walked to the wardrobe, took out a clean set of clothes, moving neither hurriedly nor sluggishly, as if performing a solemn ritual.
She stopped in front of the mirror. The girl reflected back had delicate features, calm as still water, and eyes that were clear and piercing — as if staring straight into fate.
"Ye Zhiyao, a new life begins today," she whispered softly, her voice light but carrying an undeniable firmness.
This time, she would no longer run away, no longer stay silent. The pain of the past would become the strength to move forward. Though the path ahead was still uncertain, she was ready to face the unknown challenges.
Just as she tied her hair and was about to leave, a familiar voice came from outside the door — carrying the chill of winter, yet wrapped with a hint of warmth, like a call, or perhaps an echo of fate.
She paused slightly, then a faint smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"Sichen," she whispered the name softly, her voice holding a tenderness long buried.