Chapter 1: The Koi Painting of the Seventies 1

"She's awake! She's awake! Go get Dr. Wang quickly!" Before the girl on the bed had even opened her eyes, she heard a flurry of voices. She slowly opened her eyes, surveying her surroundings with a dull, sluggish gaze. Her mind felt blank, as if everything were shrouded in a veil of mist.

However, a sudden rush of memories flooded into her mind, overlaying the previous void and bringing a brief moment of clarity.

A moment later, a man hurried in, accompanied by another, the latter wearing a slightly yellowed medical coat. "Doctor, take a look," the woman said. The doctor, who appeared to be in his forties, caught his breath and began to examine Mu Yin. Mu Yin remained docile throughout.

"How is she, Doctor?" the woman asked.

"She’s fine. The fever has broken. A few more days of rest and she will be fully recovered," Dr. Wang replied.

"That’s a relief. Thank you, Doctor." The woman breathed a sigh of relief and, along with her husband, saw the doctor out, naturally paying the consultation fee.

As she lay in bed, the girl sorted through her memories. Her name was Chen Ying. She was fifteen years old, born in the year 1960. Two days ago, she had fallen into the water while trying to save someone and had only just recovered from a fever. She lived with her parents, a younger brother, and a younger sister. Her father had separated from his family after marriage, and her grandparents lived with her eldest uncle.

Although the memories were complete, Mu Yin had a distinct feeling that she should not be Chen Ying, nor was she Chen Ying. But if she wasn't Chen Ying, then who was she?

She struggled to recall, but the memories that had felt veiled when she first woke up were now completely obscured. However, one scene remained crystal clear: a person and a monster playing a game of chess. The person seemed utterly indifferent to winning or losing, a sight that filled Mu Yin with intense rage.

She did not know why she was angry, but she was—furious. Yet, what exactly was she angry about?

"Sister, are you hungry? I brought you something to eat." As Chen Ying struggled with the headache, a head poked through the door. It was her younger sister, Chen Wen.

"Come in," Chen Ying replied. Chen Wen immediately entered holding a bowl. Chen Ying looked and saw it was a serving of shredded sweet potatoes.

"Eat up. You haven't eaten since yesterday." Chen Wen pressed the bowl into Chen Ying’s hands. It took significant effort for the latter to grip it without dropping it.

"Yes, I must have frightened you all this time." Despite the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Chen Ying took the bowl and chopsticks and began to eat. She was indeed very hungry. The taste was mediocre, with a faint sweetness, but it was filling.

These were lean times, and since no one had enough to eat, no one cared about such details. The Chen parents entered, and seeing her eating, they said nothing, simply telling her to rest well after she finished before heading out. They had missed work due to her illness; now that she was better, they had to return, or they would lose too many work points.

Once Chen Ying finished, Chen Wen took the bowl and left. Chen Ying had intended to get up as well, but she felt completely powerless, a sense of helplessness washing over her. She collapsed back onto the bed. It seemed her body had not truly recovered. As she thought this, she drifted into a deep sleep. An invisible energy gradually permeated her body, causing her already dormant cells to slowly regain their vitality.

When she woke up again, it was the next day, and she found she could climb out of bed. The weakness of the day before seemed to have been an illusion. She stretched and prepared to go out. As she reached the door, she heard Chen Wen’s voice, filled with disdain: "What are you doing here? Get out!"

"Um, Ah Wen, I came to see Sister Yingzi. I heard she’s awake, and I came to thank her," a soft, fragile voice replied.

"No need. Every time we see you, something bad happens to my sister. Get out of here!" Chen Wen remained unmoved.

Chen Ying searched her memory and realized it was her classmate, Liu Xin. Come to think of it, she had fallen ill precisely because she was trying to save Liu Xin. At the time, they were washing clothes by the river when Liu Xin’s clothes were swept away by the current. Chen Ying had chased after them, slipped, and fell into the water.

She had tried to rescue Liu Xin, but the girl had struggled so violently that it had taken all of Chen Ying's effort to push her to the bank. Chen Ying herself had nearly drowned, only to be saved by a soldier who happened to be visiting his hometown.

In the end, the delicate-looking Liu Xin was fine, while the healthy, sturdy Chen Ying had nearly died. Because Chen Ying had been injured several times while looking out for Liu Xin, Chen Wen had always disliked her, viewing her as a jinx.

However, the "past" Chen Ying had been a boisterous, tomboyish character with a protective streak for the fragile Liu Xin. She would often lecture her sister and constantly shield Liu Xin, even doing half of her work for her.

Thinking about it now, she felt her former self had been incredibly naive. Liu Xin was clearly putting on an act of fragility; after all, there was that one time they encountered a wild boar, and Liu Xin had run so fast that Chen Ying couldn't even keep up.

Moreover, this whole incident felt strange. In the past, if Liu Xin’s clothes had drifted away, she would have just stood there crying, "My clothes! My clothes were washed away!" and waited for Chen Ying to retrieve them. This time, she had chased after them herself. It was spring, and while not as cold as early spring, the water was still freezing. How did she dare to go in? And how convenient that a handsome soldier just happened to pass by. It looked staged.

*Could she be a reborn soul, trying to snatch a man?* A thought suddenly popped into her head, and she froze. *What is a "reborn soul"?*

"Hey, get out! If you don't, I’m going to report you for trespassing!" As Chen Ying stood lost in thought, Chen Wen’s voice approached. She looked up and saw Chen Wen chasing after Liu Xin, who had run inside. Seeing Chen Ying, Chen Wen paused and shouted, "Sister!"

"Ah Wen, I’m a bit hungry. Is there anything to eat?" Chen Ying asked.

"Yes, I’ll go get it for you," Chen Wen nodded immediately.

"No need, I’ll go get it myself," Chen Ying said, shaking her head as she stepped out of the room.

"Sister Yingzi, I’m so relieved to see you’re okay." Liu Xin, seeing the two ignore her—even the usually boisterous and foolish girl—felt a flicker of annoyance. She shouldn't have brought her along that day; otherwise, it wouldn't have backfired. Still, she kept a look of concern on her face.

"Yes. This matter has nothing to do with you. I’m fine now, you can go," Chen Ying said coldly, looking at Liu Xin with a detachment that was entirely different from her usual enthusiasm.

"Sister Yingzi, are you angry with me?" Liu Xin sensed the change in Chen Ying and immediately put on a tearful expression, her mind racing. *Has this idiot finally wised up?*

"Yes. Do not come looking for me again." Chen Ying didn't know why she had endured this hypocritical woman in the past. At the very least, she felt goosebumps just looking at her now, and she answered bluntly.