Chapter 1: Blood-Stained Rebirth

The laboratory alarm wailed piercingly as glass test tubes exploded around her. Su Mingli stared fixedly at the azure-blue liquid droplet on the experiment table, her pupils contracting. The moment her fingers touched the instrument, a crimson blaze engulfed everything.

Agony tore through her. When she reopened her eyes, the pungent scent of medicinal herbs mingled with dim candlelight surrounded her.

Gasping for breath, Su Mingli's gaze fell upon an ancient bronze mirror. The reflection staring back froze her - disfiguring scars twisted like centipedes, obscuring half her face.

Memories flooded in like tidal waves. She now understood she was no longer the chief researcher at the Modern Medical Research Institute, but the disfigured legitimate daughter of Marquis Dingguo's household. A pitiful figure subjected to endless humiliation, banished from main halls and reduced to a laughingstock.

But she refused to accept this fate.

With trembling fingers, she groped for the silver needles on the table. Drawing on her past life's medical knowledge, she began precise acupuncture at specific meridian points, attempting partial facial restoration. Excruciating pain beaded cold sweat on her forehead, yet she clenched her teeth and persisted.

The maidservant attending her shrank back in terror. "Miss, what are you doing?"

"Saving myself," Su Mingli rasped, her voice hoarse yet resolute.

Unbeknownst to her, these actions had already captured the attention of a pair of penetrating eyes.

Leaning against a corridor pillar not far away, a black-clad man arched his sword-like brows slightly. The glint of curiosity in War Prince Xiao Jingxuan's deep eyes flickered like starlight through darkness.

"Interesting," he murmured under his breath, the corner of his lips curving into a meaningful smile...