Is this a dream?
No, it’s not a dream.
Wen Ying had never had such a long, vivid dream before.
That clearly visible exam paper.
Her mum’s relentless nagging.
The sharp smell of disinfectant in the hospital.
Her cheeks were burning, and pinching her arm hurt—the flesh stung.
Dreams don’t come with sensations, yet now she could feel everything. From denial to wishful thinking to final acceptance, Wen Ying had to face the truth—she had actually been reborn, and right back to the 2004 secondary school entrance exam!
Even for someone like Wen Ying, who’d seen her share of big moments in the Magic City, her mind was buzzing.
Her first reaction wasn’t joy—no giddy thoughts of reclaiming over a decade of youth.
Wen Ying thought of the inner-ring river-view flat she’d just put a deposit on.
A full 4 million yuan down payment!
That 4 million was everything she’d saved in the nine years since graduating university. She didn’t care if buying at the peak of the housing market was “taking one for the country”—she just wanted a “home.” Not her parents’, not her boyfriend He Zhen’s, but truly hers. Thinking of He Zhen, a pang shot through her chest.
She and He Zhen had been together for three years. Wen Ying came from a modest small-city family, while He Zhen was a second-generation rich kid.
They’d met through work, starting as friends for a year before becoming lovers. Three years of dating—not fireworks and passion, but steady.
He Zhen had even proposed, though Wen Ying wanted to wait. Without some career success, stepping into the He family wouldn’t be easy. He Zhen didn’t mind, but Wen Ying did. His mother wasn’t thrilled about her, and Wen Ying, proud as she was, wanted to prove she wasn’t after the He family’s money.
Earning her first 4 million had been tough, but in Magic City’s industry circles, she’d made a name for herself. The second 4 million wouldn’t be as hard—nor the ones after that. She was only 31, after all!
If the He family kept objecting, Wen Ying didn’t mind staying unmarried with He Zhen.
Modern women didn’t need a marriage certificate to tie them down.
She just wasn’t sure if He Zhen felt the same.
She hadn’t had the chance to discuss it with him before—bam—rebirth!
Yes, she’d been reborn.
The river-view flat was gone. The enviable boyfriend—gone too. A pure, innocent redo of first love with He Zhen? She’d love to, but she’d need to meet him first!
He Zhen was three years older, currently studying in the UK. Wen Ying couldn’t catch him for his first love. Having gone abroad young, by 19, He Zhen had likely long lost his “firsts”—love, and otherwise.
Before rebirth, Wen Ying never felt jealous about that. Now, oddly, it irked her.
But distant waters don’t quench nearby thirst. Even if she dragged He Zhen back now, a 19-year-old him probably wouldn’t fancy a 16-year-old her.
And right now, Wen Ying had no time for romance!
She was back in 2004, just 16, facing three bleak high school years and two dragon-obsessed, control-freak parents!
Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong—these two. It took Wen Ying nine years after uni to escape them. Now, with a blink, they were back in her life. All this weighed on her—how could she rejoice at rebirth?
Barely done mourning her unlived-in flat and lost love, the ward door swung open.
A man in his thirties stepped in, dressed in suit trousers and a short-sleeved shirt tucked into the waistband, a briefcase under his arm. From his neat hair to his polished shoes, he radiated energy.
This was her father, Wen Dongrong.
He looked refined, though at 40, he appeared younger. In his youth, he’d been strikingly handsome—so much so that Chen Ru picked him, a poor lad, at first sight during a matchmaking meet.
Wen Ying’s biggest gratitude to him? Her inherited looks.
At 16, she had some baby fat—barely 1.6 meters tall, yet over 120 jin (60 kg). Lacking exercise, her flesh was soft and loose. In her school uniform, that 120 jin looked more like 140—people would believe it.
As a teen, she loved sugary, high-calorie food. Oily skin meant acne that came and went.
So, 16-year-old Wen Ying got no perks for her appearance. Only at uni, slimming down, refining her features, and ditching bad eating habits, did the acne stop. That’s when she saw Wen Dongrong had given her a rather pretty face.
To make it in a place like Magic City, beyond top-notch skills, looks were a vital foot in the door.
Even love doesn’t just happen. He Zhen, a rich kid who’d seen it all, met Wen Ying through work and pursued her. Her appeal—looks included—was undeniable.
Wen Ying didn’t know how to face Wen Dongrong.
Before rebirth, they hadn’t met in over two years. She’d defied his plans, insisting on conquering Magic City and, at 31, not rushing to marry. He’d called her a disgrace and cut ties.
Chen Ru kept in touch, hinting she should yield.
“Your dad’s taken in your youngest cousin. If you don’t come back, your dad and I will leave everything to him.”
“Give it to whoever you like—I can earn my own,” Wen Ying had shot back.
By 2019, Chen Ru and Wen Dongrong’s properties in the provincial capital—houses and shops—were worth over 10 million yuan. In Magic City, that’s a flat’s price, but in her small hometown, it was a fortune. Their jobs were respectable too—one a civil servant, the other a banker.
Had Wen Ying followed their path, life would’ve been easier.
But gains come with losses. Taking their money meant their control—suffocating just to think about.
A 31-year-old soul in a 16-year-old body—clashing thoughts left Wen Ying dazed. Wen Dongrong rushed to the hospital after a call, brimming with words, but seeing her listless, his heart softened.
He pulled a chair over but sat two meters away—doctor’s orders to keep distance.
“Why no ‘Dad’ when you see me? Still feeling rough? You’re on a drip—it’ll bring the fever down soon. Your mum’s off paying the hospital fees, then grabbing some food. You like burgers, right? She’s gone to Dicos!”
In 2004, her small city had no KFC franchise—Dicos was the most authentic Western fast food around.
With both parents salaried, Wen Ying could afford Dicos. They’d never skimped on her food—hence her 120-plus jin.
What threw Wen Ying was Wen Dongrong’s tone.
Was he… coaxing her?
This version of him felt alien. She shifted uncomfortably on the bed.
“Why aren’t you asking how I did on the English exam?”
