123 Gathering

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Xie Xitong abruptly threw off the covers and sat upright.

No. Who exactly was she? Was she Xie Xitong, who had once been struck and killed by a car? Was she the Third Miss of the Xie family, once hailed as Jinling’s foremost talented beauty? Or was she the fifteen-year-old girl she was now?

The memories of several people collided within her mind. The more she thought, the more it hurt; and the more it hurt, the more she thought.

Ah!

Clutching her head, she cried out.

By the time she regained consciousness, she was drenched in cold sweat. Beads of perspiration slid from her forehead along her temples and down to her chin.

She was the Third Miss of the Xie family, not Xie Xitong. She was not the original owner. They must not cling to her.

Xie Xitong felt as though someone had seized her heart in a crushing grip. Again and again, a voice hinted that she was that Xie Xitong—the Xie Xitong who had been struck and killed by a car.

No! No!

She shook her head desperately. She was herself. She had her own thoughts. Though she had been murdered, her heart would never have become so twisted, filled with nothing but hatred.

If hatred was all a person had, what meaning was there in remaining alive?

Heaven had given her another life so that she could take revenge. If she did not seek revenge, what meaning could her life possibly have?

It was as though another person’s voice echoed through her mind, brimming with resentment and unwillingness.

No!

There were still so many beautiful things in life: mountains and rivers, earth and sea, blue skies and white clouds. Most important of all, she still had a father, a mother, and an elder brother who loved her more than anything. If she destroyed herself and everyone else merely for the sake of revenge, how heartbroken would her parents be?

When she spoke of Chen Qingguo, Xie Fanghua, and Chen Zimo, that voice seemed to fade, and the pain in her head eased.

Xie Xitong breathed a sigh of relief. Just then, a vague shadow seemed to appear within her mind.

“Who are you?”

The pain had left Xie Xitong too weak to speak aloud. She could only ask the “person” in her thoughts.

“I am you, and you are me.”

The shadow gradually became clearer. It was unmistakably the fifteen-year-old Xie Xitong.

“No. I am not you. I am…”

“You are the Third Miss of the Xie family,” the shadow said. “You are in my body and possess all my memories. Naturally, I possess all of yours as well.”

“Then why don’t you…”

“Why don’t I return to my own body? Is that what you mean?”

Xie Xitong nodded.

The shadow let out a sigh. “Perhaps this is fate. Perhaps I was destined to suffer this calamity. After the accident, I returned to my childhood, but I had been gravely injured. The soul of my younger self was too pure and too powerful. I was completely unable to control this body.”

Watching this small Xie Xitong grow day by day, watching one good friend after another enter her life, seeing her become nothing like the increasingly withdrawn and unlovable child she herself had once been, the shadow had grown less and less willing to let this twisted self—warped by hatred and resentment—take possession of her.

“At first, when I watched myself become more cheerful and smile more with every passing day, I thought that even if I had to remain in her body for the rest of my life and give up revenge, it would not matter, so long as she and our parents and family lived well. But… I never expected…”

Xie Xitong’s face twisted once more.

“That Xu Yichen killed her again. He killed the child I once was.”

“Although her soul was pure and could effectively resist those negative thoughts, she had no strength to withstand harm inflicted by another person. The accident was so severe. How could a sheltered girl like her survive it? Trapped inside her body, I could only watch helplessly as she disappeared. I was unwilling to accept it. I thought perhaps this was fate’s arrangement, that I was destined to return and seek revenge. Just as I was about to take control of this body, you appeared from nowhere and replaced me.”

Xie Xitong’s calm pupils contracted slightly.

“I’m sorry… I can… I can give the body back to you.”

Though she had no idea how she could do so.

The shadow shook its head. “It is too late. After two car accidents, I have already suffered immense damage. I intended to hypnotize you on this night of the full moon and have you avenge me, but unfortunately…”

Unfortunately, Xie Xitong’s will was firm, and she had failed.

“I’m sorry.” Though becoming displaced into this body had never been her intention, the fact remained that she had occupied someone else’s body. She had taken another person’s place.

“There is no point in saying that now. Judging from what you did just now, you clearly have no intention of taking revenge for me.”

Xie Xitong nodded. “That is all in the past. As long as no one deliberately provokes me, I will not deliberately hurt anyone either.”

The shadow gave her a meaningful look before saying, “Since you have taken possession of my body, you must do one thing for me: protect my family and never let anyone harm them.”

“Of course. I promise.”

“Then swear it.”

“With Heaven above, I, Xie Xitong, the Third Miss of the Xie family of Jinling, swear that for as long as I live, I will protect the parents and family of this life. Should I break this oath, may Heaven strike me with thunder, and may my soul be scattered forever.”

Within only a few breaths, the shadow had grown fainter and fainter, and its voice had become increasingly indistinct.

“I hope you remember what you have said. I am leaving now. Take care of my parents and my brother for me. I was not a good daughter, nor was I a good… younger sister…”

Only after the shadow in her mind had vanished completely did Xie Xitong collapse limply.

Some kind of sinister spell had caused the original owner’s memories to be imprinted completely upon her mind, as though she herself had experienced every one of them.

The Third Miss of the Xie family of Jinling was dead.

She was now only Xie Xitong of Rongcheng.

Three days later, Chen Qingguo, the principal of Experimental Middle School, drove Lin Xia and Xie Xitong to class.

Because Chen Qingguo had spoken to him in advance, Ma Guoqiang had already arranged for the seat beside Lin Xia to be left vacant, intending for Xie Xitong to sit there upon her return.

The little tyrant had never been mild-tempered. Whenever she took a liking to a seat, none of the other students dared sit in it.

After disappearing for nearly a year, Xie Xitong naturally caused a tremendous stir when she reappeared. Every student turned to look at her.

If she had still been the old Xie Xitong, she would have been delighted by the sensation she had caused. But although she possessed all of Xie Xitong’s memories, the person within was no longer the same. Deep down, she still hoped to keep a low profile.

She had been clever since childhood and was accustomed to such gazes, however, so her expression did not change in the slightest.

After taking her seat, Ma Guoqiang gave the class a few instructions, then came down from the podium to tell Lin Xia to take good care of Xie Xitong. He also expressed his concern to Xie Xitong before having the students study on their own and returning to the office to prepare his lessons.

After all, he was in charge of the school’s elite class, and the high school entrance examination was only a little over a month away. The students’ advancement rates were at stake, and those rates were tied to his annual bonus.

As soon as their homeroom teacher left, Sun Xiaoxiao leaned over and began whispering with Lin Xia and Xie Xitong.

“Old Xia, you’re impressive. You actually got the principal to drive you to school.”

“Isn’t it because I was riding on Tongtong’s coattails?” Lin Xia replied through clenched teeth. “You’ve ridden in the principal’s car more times than you can count.”

Xie Xitong smiled from the side. Although she possessed the memories, only after truly experiencing it did she understand how precious such affection was, and how wonderful this feeling could be.

Seeing this familiar scene, Zhao Qian smiled as well.

Everyone was finally together again.

How wonderful!

P.S. The first volume is finally complete! Everyone who needed to appear has now made an appearance. In the second volume, the various players will take the stage, and all the factions will gather. Heh heh… Please look forward to it…

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