Shen Yue lay covered in blood, limbs broken, weakly sprawled on the cold floor. Tears mingled with blood as they slowly trickled down her face. Her voice was hoarse yet filled with desperate accusation: "Wang Jiaqi... it's you!? Why is it you!? I always considered you my best friend. I trusted you so much… Why… why would you do this to me?"
Wang Jiaqi stood beside her, a cruel smile curling at the corner of her mouth. She coldly stepped onto Shen Yue's body, the slight crunch of bones audible. "Best friend? Hahaha, don't be naive. I never once thought of you as a friend."
Shen Yue stared at Wang Jiaqi in shock. "What!?"
Wang Jiaqi leaned down, her voice like an ice blade piercing Shen Yue's heart. "Since we were kids, you've always overshadowed me. No matter what you did, you were better than me. Everyone always gathered around you. Even my own parents compared me to you. What makes you deserve so much attention?"
Shen Yue's eyes were bloodshot, staring at her in disbelief. She trembled as she spoke: "What… what are you talking about…? Just because of that, you tried to kill me!? How could you be so heartless?" Wang Jiaqi's gaze turned fierce, her teeth gritted. "Because if I can't have something, why should you? Even in this apocalypse, you still shine so brightly, stealing everyone's attention. If that's the case, then I'll just destroy you."
"Once you're dead, Brother Yuhao will be mine, hahaha!" Her laughter was cold and piercing.
Shen Yue said painfully, "Wang Jiaqi, even if I die, Yuhao will never like you."
Wang Jiaqi grabbed Shen Yue's hair, forcing her head up. "All I need to do is wait until he's distraught, then stay by his side to comfort him, care for him. Then I'll find a chance to secretly slip him something, and once the deed is done, I don't believe Brother Yuhao won't soften. He'll definitely take responsibility for me, hahaha—"
"You're insane—truly insane."
A chill ran through Shen Yue's heart. The girl she'd grown up with had hidden such dark intentions, even plotting to steal her husband. This betrayal shattered her completely.
Wang Jiaqi's smile widened, her tone maniacal: "Since you're about to die, I'll spare you one last mercy—let you understand what it means to be 'an enlightened ghost.'" She coldly revealed the truth behind that massacre: "Your parents', your brother's, and your sister's deaths—they were all planned by me."
Shen Yue stared wide-eyed in horror, her voice trembling: "What are you saying…?"
Wang Jiaqi laughed wildly: "I just lied to them, said you were badly injured while fighting mutated beasts. They panicked and followed me out of the base. They didn't know I'd already sent people to lure mutated beasts over. By the time they realized, it was already too late."
"And the miscarriage of your unborn child—that was my masterpiece too. You never knew, did you? The food you ate every day had been drugged by me, little by little, every day, haha—"
"The funniest part is, I just pretended to feel guilty in front of you, and you actually believed it. You even comforted me, saying it wasn't my fault, that you hadn't taken care of yourself properly. It's really hilarious—the truth really was my fault, hahaha—"
Shen Yue's heart felt as if it were being torn apart. With all her strength, she roared: "Why? Why are you so cruel? You wouldn't even spare that tiny life. What did we ever do to wrong you? We truly treated you like family. How can your heart be so cold! Wang Jiaqi, I will definitely kill you!"
Wang Jiaqi laughed maniacally, her voice echoing through the space: "Hahaha, who wants to be your family? From beginning to end, I was only using you all. I really love seeing you like this now."
"Want to kill me!? You won't get the chance—"
Wang Jiaqi sneered, a cold glint flashing as her dagger swiftly plunged into Shen Yue's back, straight through her heart.
Then she stood up and strode away, muttering: "Farewell, Yueyue, my good—best—friend."
Shen Yue could no longer respond. She could only close her eyes in despair and lie in the pool of blood, thinking to herself: I'm so unwilling… If only I could start over, I would definitely protect my family.
"Yuhao, I'm sorry… I can't continue walking this path with you anymore."
As her consciousness gradually blurred, Shen Yue suddenly heard hurried footsteps outside.
"Yueyue… Yueyue!" Urgent cries struck her eardrums.
Bai Yuhao rushed into the room in panic, only to see Shen Yue lying in a pool of blood, limbsCripply, a dagger still embedded in her body. He quickly knelt down, his hands trembling as he gently lifted her. Shen Yue's body was still gushing warm blood—the heat of it choking his breath.
Tears blurred his vision, his whole body shaking violently, filled with self-blame and rage: "Yueyue, how did this happen? Who did this? I'll kill them!"
Bai Yuhao immediately activated his healing ability. A purple light emanated from his palm, enveloping Shen Yue completely.
Shen Yue looked at the man who, despite his own severe injuries, still held her tightly, feeling a sliver of comfort. At least she could see this man who loved her as life itself one last time before dying.
"Yuhao… I'm sorry…" She finished weakly, slowly closing her eyes as tears continued to fall.
Shen Yue's injuries were too severe. By the time Bai Yuhao arrived, she was clinging to life by sheer willpower.
Bai Yuhao went mad, frantically casting his healing ability on Shen Yue: "Yueyue, don't sleep. Open your eyes and look at me, please?"
Shen Yue felt her soul detach from her body.
Floating in the air, Shen Yue watched the agonized Bai Yuhao, her heart in turmoil: I really want to stay with you, but…
She reached out powerlessly but couldn't touch him, only able to watch helplessly as he broke down. "Yuhao… I'm sorry, please don't be like this!"
Bai Yuhao couldn't see Shen Yue's soul and naturally couldn't hear her words. Shen Yue could only hover around him anxiously, watching.
No matter how much Bai Yuhao released his healing ability, Shen Yue remained still. Bai Yuhao's psychological defenses finally collapsed completely. "Yueyue, no… don't leave me. I can't live without you! Don't go, Yueyue—don't leave me…"
Bai Yuhao couldn't accept Shen Yue's death. Shen Yue was the last important person he had in this world.
Now that even Shen Yue was gone, he lost the will to keep living.
After holding Shen Yue in silence for a long while, Bai Yuhao gathered all his strength and let out a heart-wrenching, grief-stricken cry. Lightning split the air, objects around them shattered, and flames quickly spread, encircling them.
"Yueyue, don't be afraid. I'll stay with you, never leaving you."
Bai Yuhao held Shen Yue tightly, leaned down, and gently kissed her lips, letting the flames consume everything.
Shen Yue tried to stop him, but no matter how she screamed, it was futile. "Yuhao! No…"
Then Shen Yue only felt a wave of heat that seemed to tear her consciousness apart. The next second, everything plunged into darkness…
Shen Yue's eyes snapped open. "No!" she screamed, sitting up in bed in terror. Large teardrops rolled down her face; she couldn't process what was happening for a moment.
She wiped her tears and looked around.
Her surroundings gradually came into focus—the pink room, the familiar furnishings. She froze— "This is… my room!?"
Frantically, she grabbed the phone on her bedside table. The date on the screen made her stare in disbelief.
"I… I really came back!? And the apocalypse is still a year away!"
One moment she was covered in blood, held by Bai Yuhao; the next, she was alive and well, lying in her pink room.
Shen Yue rubbed her face, confirming it was all real.
"I really have been reborn!"
Excitement and hope surged within her.
"It's wonderful. There's still a year until the apocalypse. This time, I will definitely protect my family."
Thinking of the tragedy from her previous life, she clenched her fists, her gaze firm and fierce.
"Wang Jiaqi, I'm back. I told you I wouldn't let you go. Just you wait—I will definitely kill you with my own hands."