The Nightmare

Blood. Bright red blood was splashed across the marble floor in the middle of the hall. On the cold night of winter, a woman in a long and thin-layered dress with a pale face and not a single ounce of strength left within her body can be seen on the blood splash. Her white dress had been dyed a crimson color by the endless blood.

The woman's eyes were slightly elevated. A pair of dark eyes on her pale but lovely face cast a glance in the direction of the cunning couple and their bodyguards who were in front of her.

Ruan Xian, her husband, was holding the hand of Zhang Chunhua who was snuggled beside him sneered coldly, "I have been quite curious to ask you about the taste of the tea that I have been brewing for you in the past five years with a mix of a soul poison."

Zhang Ziyi froze before gloomily laughing. She assumed he was just not romantically inclined, but it turns out he was out to get her from the start.

"It took five years for this day to come about," he said, "since I added a very tiny bit each time, no one will be able to detect it now."

Zhang Chunhua coyly placed her head on Ruan Xian's shoulder and commented, "We surely had to wait patiently. AH!!! But it's all worthwhile in the end, huh darling?"

Zhang Ziyi couldn't stand that arrogant and obnoxious tone of her, "Zhang Chunhua, you bitch!"

Zhang Chunhua scowled when Zhang Ziyi called her name. Her disdain was visible in her eyes. A stupid stepsister to her was simply another pest who was fighting to survive; she didn't even qualify for Zhang Chunhua to kill with her own hands.

"She can't escape today! You must dig out her heart for me today." Zhang Chunhua commanded the bodyguard behind her.

With that order, the bodyguards sprinted in Zhang Ziyi's direction while she was making a futile effort...............…

At the Zhang Manor

Sweat beads rolled down Zhang Ziyi's forehead to the bridge of her nose and down her neck as she screamed in terror upon awakening from the nightmare of her death and torture in her past life. She panted, her pulse racing in her chest like she was trying to flee that hell of a place as her eyes darted erratically over her childhood bedroom.

The door of the bedroom opened, and her young made rushed in.

"Young miss! Young miss! Are you alright?" her maid, Liu'er came running over to her bed and pulled out a handkerchief from her sleeve to wipe off Zhang Ziyi's forehead and asked, "Is it the same nightmare again? My poor young miss, you are safe here. Nobody will hurt you."

Zhang Ziyi pushed her hand away and clenched the fists, her nails sinking into her palms. A bead of blood soon appeared but Zhang Ziyi chose to ignore the sting.

"Safe, ha?" she mumbled, her dry lips curling into a mocking smile, the skin splitting apart in the process. With her pale face, she looked like a corpse who had crawled out of its grave. She began to laugh while violently shaking her entire body. Tears welled up in her eyes but didn't pass her eyelids.

'How could she possibly be safe!? Here? This place was the hell where everything started!'

Liu'er, who was visibly shaken by such a sight, said, "Y-young miss, of course, you are safe. Who would dare to attack you in this house? Young miss, don't you know how much the Lord and the Madam like you?"

"Father…..Mother...." The deliberate manner in which Zhang Ziyi spoke—with a trace of fury in her voice—and her quick, forced chuckle only made Liu'er more concerned.

Exactly that loving mother is the reason why she could never cultivate in her past life and ended up in such a sorry state and that father who ignored her pain and acted in front of the outsiders as a righteous person who loves his daughters equally.

"Nothing happened," Zhang Ziyi exhaled as she gave herself a moment of calm, her forehead resting on her maid's bony shoulder. After quite a while by her side, the aroma emanating from the girl in front of her was gradually growing familiar. A strange mix of herbal bath that she had instructed her to prepare every day and the candles. Somehow, it helped her heartbeat to slow down, and her face's hues came back.

"Just another nightmare, nothing more." She made a low murmur.

Of course, they both knew it was more than that, but both kept silent. Then, deciding it was time for her young miss to face the day, Lui'er got to her feet and assisted Zhang Ziyi to get ready. The clothing was chosen following her young miss's altered preferences; there were no gems or vibrant fabrics. There could only be white and muted colors. No makeup, either.

(Of course, she is the natural beauty like every other female lead, what did you guys think!? No makeup, plain colors - that's a beauty, isn't it? @_@)

Zhang Ziyi was dressed in an unlined white garment while she sat cross leg under the shade of a tree in her shabby courtyard. Her body was drenched in sweat, and beads of perspiration were visible all over her flushed face.

For the past one or two weeks other than using her time to sleep and eat, Zhang Ziyi trained herself continuously.

Suddenly someone barged through the front door, and she was none other than the evil stepsister, Zhang Chunhua with her two minion maids.