章節 2: The Beginning After The End

A sudden, forceful tugging motion roused Zhou Rui awake. His senses were disoriented at first, and the pull came again, more insistent this time.

He tried to make sense of what was happening, and memories slowly came rushing back.

Shouldn't I be dead?

If so, where the hell am I right now?

And what about Liu Yan? He should've made it out of that, right?

This is completely unscientific.

If I were truly dead, how am I even thinking right now?

Am I still alive somehow...? But why I couldn't see anything but darkness?

Suddenly, he felt the same tugging sensation again, like something was pulling him forward without giving him any chance to resist.

Damn it, what's pulling me?! Wait, it seems to be dragging me toward that light up ahead! And it's the first light I've seen in this endless void!

Instead of fear, Zhou Rui felt a flicker of hope.

Automatically, a phrase floated into his mind: "Light at the end of a tunnel."

It had many meanings, but it usually implied the beginning after the end.

It seemed strangely fitting for his current predicament.

Could it be in order to be reborn I need to enter that light?

'Seriously, I got hit by a truck, and now I'm on my way to being reincarnated? Were those 'isekai' stories based on real life events after all?'

Zhou Rui hesitated for just a moment. With no other options in this strange, ethereal void, he decided there was nothing left to do but press forward. Instead of waiting to get himself pulled, he willed himself toward the light, his consciousness reaching for it as he drifted closer.

Gradually, the light engulfed his vision, filling his mind with a blinding brightness. For an instant, his memory flared back to his last moments, facing that same blinding light from the truck.

The trauma of that moment still clung to him. Even so, he forced himself to calm down and pushed forward.

At last, after what felt like an eternity, he felt himself pass through the light.

His vision was hazy, but the shapes around him gradually came into focus.

A middle-aged woman held him in her arms, her expression one of gentle pride. She looked down at him with a satisfied smile, speaking a few words he still couldn't understand.

Slowly, he turned his gaze to the second person in the room, a woman lying on a bed. She looked to be in her early twenties, with radiant black hair and a kind, exhausted smile. Her eyes were filled with joy and relief. She looked like she had just been through a lot, her hair slightly damp and her face flushed.

The bed was stained with traces of blood and other unspeakable filth.

Zhou Rui tried to process it all, his thoughts muddled yet clear enough to understand what this meant.

I've really… been reborn.

...

Wait a second… my new mother looks way younger than I do. Could she even be… underage? What beast of a man would go after such a young girl?!

For some reason, his first thought upon being reborn was just how absurdly young his new mother looked. She looked like she was in a high school.

Just then, the door opened, and a man with a half-bald head and a look of pure anxiety entered the room. He mumbled something quickly to the midwife, visibly relieved at her reply, then turned to Zhou Rui's mother, beaming. Finally, he glanced down at Zhou Rui, who couldn't help but stare back.

So, you're my father? Damn, old fox! Tsk, truly an old cattle eats young grass

As Zhou Rui was busy mentally cursing his new father, he noticed another person entering the room. His eyes went wide, it was a little girl, no more than four or five, who looked almost like a miniature version of his mother.

Wait… don't tell me… this little one's my sister?! Damn it, old man! You really went all out, didn't you? If she's five, then my "new mom," who already looks ridiculously young, must've been… what, barely legal when you… you… Zhou Rui was both stunned and speechless.

The girl trotted over, her face was as exquisite and cute as a doll. Her big, anime-like crimson eyes observed him with genuine curiosity.

Zhou Rui calmly met her gaze. However, he soon noticed something was wrong. The little girl had been staring at him unblinkingly for dozens of seconds already!

Hey, what's this? Are you trying to start a staring contest with me, little girl? Alright, bring it on!

Thus, as if they had reached a silent agreement, the two continued to lock eyes, neither one backing down. The adults in the room didn't interrupt their strange exchange as if they were amused by this.

Unfortunately, despite his determination, his newborn eyes quickly began to sting. He blinked first, unable to keep up, and the little girl broke into a smug, triumphant smile.

The hell are you smug about?! I'm barely a day old!

The girl, who Zhou Rui assumed must be his sister, turned to his mother and said something. Immediately, the adults in the room, his mother, the midwife, and his father shifted their gaze to him.

Uh, what's going on? Why are you all looking at me like that... Zhou Rui began to feel a creeping unease under their expectant gazes. Had he done something wrong?

What is it you actually told to them, sis?!

Then it hit him.

Oh, right… babies usually cry when they're born, don't they? Are they waiting for me to… cry?

The thought of wailing made him cringe, but if it would ease the tension, he figured he could fake it.

Just as he was about to give his best newborn wail, the midwife suddenly lifted him and flipped him around. Before he could react, a sharp slap landed on his bum.

Pa!

The midwife actually spanked him!

Son of sows! Did she have to go that far? But, hey, this might be the right moment to fake a cry.

He took a deep breath and let out a loud, shaky wail.

"Waa!"

Suppressing his embarrassment over his own crying, Zhou Rui glanced up at his new family's reactions. Relieved smiles spread across their faces, and they finally relaxed.

Phew~ looks like I guessed right. Hmm, maybe I should add a little extra act to make my performance look more convincing!

And so, under the watchful eyes of the four people around him, Zhou Rui shamelessly urinated!

Eight Form: Waterfall Basin!