บท 1: Who are you?
The sound of heels echoed loudly through the hospital corridors. Someone's voice rang out, frantic, "Doctor, please!"
At that moment, Hui Ying, a 27-year-old woman with fair skin and light black hair, was wrapping up another long day at work. Despite the exhaustion in her bones, she quickly moved to help whoever had arrived. As a doctor, it was second nature to her. Although she didn't love the profession, Hui Ying had chosen to study medicine to make her parents proud. They had always envisioned her as a successful doctor, and she did everything she could to live up to their expectations.
But over time, Hui Ying had made a decision. She would never again live her life just to make others happy. It wasn't worth it. While she had learned to appreciate her career and even found moments of fulfillment in helping patients, there was still something missing. An emptiness lingered, a sense that this wasn't truly *her* path.
Sighing, Hui Ying pushed those thoughts aside. No use dwelling on the past now. The day was over, and she was ready to go home. She still had plenty to do tonight. After all, she was moving soon, and there were boxes left to pack. Once back at her apartment, she dove into the task, sorting through her belongings.
After hours of packing, she stumbled upon a book that immediately brought back a flood of memories. It was her sister's old book, the one that had captivated her during her teenage years. She paused for a moment, holding it in her hands. Curiosity got the better of her, and she flipped it open.
As she scanned the familiar pages, memories rushed back. "Oh my God, this was my favorite book when I was younger," Hui Ying thought with a smile. "Mostly because of Jun Hao, the male lead. He went through so much because of his cruel adoptive mother, but at least he got a happy ending."
Hui Ying found herself getting lost in the story again, but when she reached the part with the heroine, her mood soured. With frustration, she muttered, "My opinion hasn't changed at all. This woman never deserved Jun Hao."
Just because the heroine, Fen Fang, defended Jun Hao once, he became loyal to her, deciding to protect her no matter what. And it was clear to Hui Ying that Fen Fang only stood up for him out of convenience, not because she truly cared. But Jun Hao didn't seem to notice. He was so starved for affection that even the smallest act of kindness was enough to win his heart. From high school to college, he defended Fen Fang, eventually marrying her.
Hui Ying felt a wave of disgust rise in her chest as she thought about it. Fen Fang never loved Jun Hao. She only accepted him because he was persistent, and she had no other options. "Poor Jun Hao," Hui Ying whispered, sighing as she closed the book. "He deserved so much better."
She decided not to finish reading. After all, she already knew the ending—Jun Hao married Fen Fang, but it was a loveless marriage. Fen Fang used him for her own gain, and Jun Hao, desperate for any form of love, stayed by her side, never realizing how much he was being taken advantage of.
After packing up the last of her things, Hui Ying prepared for her flight the next morning. She slipped her sister's book into her bag, planning to return it during her visit.
The following day, Hui Ying boarded the plane. It was a routine flight, nothing out of the ordinary. She was on her way to visit her family, a trip she had been looking forward to for weeks. Everything was going smoothly until the plane hit an unexpected patch of turbulence. The sudden jolt threw Hui Ying off balance, and she felt her stomach twist in knots. The cabin shook violently, and panic began to creep in.
As her anxiety rose, Hui Ying felt a wave of nausea wash over her. Her vision blurred, and she gripped the armrest tightly. "I hope this isn't the end," she thought, just before everything went black.
When Hui Ying woke up, her head was throbbing. She groaned, her body heavy with exhaustion. "Where am I?" she muttered, disoriented.
Before she could make sense of her surroundings, a voice cut through the haze. An elegant woman with long black hair and fair skin stood beside her, smiling kindly though her eyes were filled with concern. "Shu Qi, are you alright? You fainted in the bathroom last night and just woke up now."
Hui Ying blinked, struggling to process what was happening. *Shu Qi?* Who was this woman? Why was she calling her that?
"Who are you?" Hui Ying asked, her voice shaky.
The woman's face filled with shock. "Shu Qi! It's me, your mother, Rong Hua!" Without another word, the woman hurried out of the room, her heels clicking on the floor, shouting, "Doctor, come quickly!"
Hui Ying's heart raced as panic set in. *What is going on?* she wondered, her mind spinning.
A few minutes later, a doctor arrived and performed a brief examination. He sighed before speaking. "It appears that Miss Shu Qi hit her head when she fainted and is experiencing some memory loss. It could be temporary or permanent, but we'll monitor her condition."
Hui Ying barely heard the rest of his explanation. Her mind was stuck on one word: *Shu Qi*. She blinked in disbelief. "Shu Qi? The extra character from that book?" Her chest tightened as realization dawned on her, and she fainted again, thinking, *I want to go home.*
---
One year later...
Hui Ying had come to terms with the fact that she was now living as Shu Qi. At first, she wanted nothing more than to return to her old life, to wake up from what felt like a bizarre dream. But over time, she accepted that this was her new reality. "I must have died, right?" she had thought to herself once.
Eventually, she embraced her identity as Shu Qi, a 16-year-old girl in this strange, fictional world. She had been lucky—her appearance hadn't changed much, which made adjusting to her new life easier. Every time she looked in the mirror, she still felt like herself.
The original Shu Qi's parents, Rong Hua and her husband, were incredibly kind to her. They treated her with such warmth and care that Hui Ying couldn't help but grow fond of them. It was comforting to be loved like that.
After spending a year with them in the United States, where they had lived, it was finally time to return to China—the place where the events of the book would soon unfold. Hui Ying had wanted to go back sooner, but her new parents had insisted on keeping her in the States a little longer for her health.
Now, as she stepped off the plane in China, a smile crept onto her face. There were still six months before the heroine, Fen Fang, would make her grand entrance. Plenty of time for Shu Qi to prepare and lay the groundwork for her plans. But what truly made her heart race was the thought of finally meeting Jun Hao, her favorite character. The idea of seeing him in person and having the chance to change his fate made her pulse quicken with excitement.
Last year, Shu Qi had made a firm decision: she would help Jun Hao in any way he needed, not as some love-struck admirer, but as a true friend—someone who genuinely cared for him. She had no intention of standing idly by like the others. But now, just the thought of Fen Fang disgusted her. What a despicable woman, she thought bitterly, her lip curling in disdain. How could Jun Hao ever fall for someone so weak and selfish?
Shu Qi took a deep breath, her smile sharpening with determination. Things are going to be different. She knows that even if she has to become a villain, she will protect him.