Playing it Cool

"Haha.....what a joke brother. I'm just a little tired from waking up."

She held a small smile as she struggled to keep eye contact with him. Her body burned as she could feel torrents of hatred raging inside her. It may have been a night since she had last seen him in this time period but it was an entire rebirth for her. The last time she saw him he had crushed her hand beneath his foot and cruelly ordered her death. She could not forget how she felt in that moment and it took all her willpower to remain calm in front of him.

Gazing at the evil man in front of her she took in his behaviour as he chattered on. It was common for her brother to visit her in the morning or once throughout the day and ramble about whatever topic he desired. She never really thought about it too much but now she could not help but suspect everything.

Her brother was called Zhang Bai, Zhang being their family name they shared. It was hilarious that he was named Bai meaning something clear or white when he was obviously the opposite. Aesthetically though she could see how his name matched him. He was a tall man, with a slender build, black hair, hazel eyes and pale skin. There were many women who put their eyes on her brother due to his appearance and his supposed "big brother" attitude. The acting was so perfect that even now, as she knew the truth, she could believe that this was his true personality.

"Mei Lin are you listening to me?" He reached over and knocked her forehead. The instant his hand touched her she could feel her body run cold. Her smile faltered for a second before she stabilized it.

"What's wrong? Did that hurt? You seem a little off this morning...." His face was painted with a worried expression as his eyes watched her face carefully. 'Shit, quick I have to fix this!'

Laughing she faked a teasing expression and pushed his hand away. "I'm just tired Gege, of course that didn't hurt but your skin is so rough! How many times do I have to tell you to put more cream on.

"Wahh so rude, my skin is soft. I dare you to tell me its rough!" Pressing his hands against her face he rubbed it in jokingly. Holding his wrists in her hand she pushed it off her face. "Rough rough! No matter how many times you ask it is rough!"

"Ayy such a rude little sister I have. Alright I'll leave you to rest, you do look tired. You can skip lunch but make sure you come down for dinner. If there's anything you're worried about tell your Gege alright?"

"Mhmm, of course!" She nodded her head and kept an innocent expression on her face. He smiled back at her and ruffled her hair before walking away. There was a pause for a couple of seconds before she slowly closed the door in front of her. Turning the lock her body shuddered as she fell towards the floor. Clasping her fingers together she tried to control her shivers.

Every second standing in front of him she felt fear and hatred, it was so hard to control her expressions and look normal in front of him. All of his actions seemed evil and those eyes usually filled with love looked like a hawk monitoring his prey. If she were to really think about it, it was suspicious that her brother visited her everyday.

Though it was routine, for someone so busy and was tasked with maintaining their family company he always made time to see her. Was this him keeping track of her? A way to see that she did not suspect anything? 'When did this even start....'

Clutching her arms around her leg she hugged them towards her chest as she tried to remember when this routine started. While it was normal the frequency of his visits only increased recently. She needed to confirm what day it was, pushing herself to stand she took steps towards her bed. Rummaging around her sheets she tried to find her cell phone. Once she flapped them a small thud was heard as something hit the floor.

Walking to the other side she picked up her fallen phone and unlocked it. At the top right corner she could see that it was currently 4:45 p.m. in the evening and the date was June 7th 2020. 'So I was reborn 6 months before I died? This means I'm 22 now.'

With a sigh she laid back in her bed with a hand over her eyes. 'What happened these 6 months, I need to remember everything....'

Sitting back up she unlocked her phone and opened up her notes. According to her memory her brother only started visiting her more in January so his plan to murder her was long decided on. He pre-meditated her demise for a year prior or even earlier but became more serious this year. Six months have already been wasted, she had only 6 months to change her future and save herself. Tears flooded down her face as she let herself grieve over her fate. Dying with such betrayal and realizing that her loved ones were her enemies was too much to handle. 'I was so foolish!' Clenching her hands into her fist she let out all the tears she could to properly mourn the 'her' who had died alone. After she had felt like she could not cry any more she wiped her tears off her face.

Her body felt lighter and her mind felt more at ease. She would no longer be the stupid naive women she was before, this chance at redemption she would take it face on! God gave her this opportunity and she would use it to change her life. Vengeance and spirit filled her eyes, "Zhang Bai just you wait.....I'll destroy you until your blood stains the floor but first I need more information."