Acting Spoiled and Arrogant [Rebirth] - Chapter 1

Blinding lights. Green surgical gowns.

Caught between dreams and wakefulness, Zuo Xian’s mind was a chaotic mess; she had no idea what was happening. It wasn’t until she saw cold scalpels and forceps being passed between pairs of white-gloved hands that she remembered—she had been in a car accident.

Then, whose surgery am I watching? My own?

She looked at the person lying on the hospital bed. The woman was deathly pale, oxygen tubes fixed to her nose. She looked like a dying fish; no matter how hard she struggled to breathe, her chest barely moved.

This continued until a piercing sound filled her ears—

“Beep—Beep—”

Following a series of sighs, the lead surgeon finally removed his mask. He glanced at the patient who, despite their best efforts, no longer showed any signs of life. His eyes held the practiced indifference of someone used to death, yet buried deep within was a flicker of hidden pity.

He glanced at the patient one last time and spoke softly to a young nurse who was already on the verge of tears. “Record it. Zuo Xian. Time of death: June 13, 2020, 15:25:29. Cause of death…”

The doctor’s voice faded into the distance. When Zuo Xian opened her eyes again, she found herself in a funeral hall draped in white cloth and funeral wreaths.

In the center of the hall was a large portrait—it was a photo of her younger self.

The girl in the photo was beautiful, with rounded eyes that curved into crescents when she smiled. She was looking back as if she had caught sight of someone special, her face overflowing with happiness.

This was her own funeral.

A steady stream of mourners came to pay their respects. Some left quickly, but Zuo Xian noticed a group of young girls huddled to the side. They were holding black-and-white photos of her, weeping silently with a shared heartache only they could understand.

Those were her fans from her previous life—fans who had remained loyal even after she had retired from the spotlight and lost her influence.

Beside the fans sat her mother. She was no longer young, her hair streaked with white and her face free of makeup. Her eyes were red and swollen as she spoke continuously with the leader of the fan group, seemingly desperate to soak up any last bit of information about her departed daughter. Occasionally, as they spoke, her tears would fall anew.

An elderly middle-aged man stood before the altar. The back that Zuo Xian remembered as being strong enough to hold up the sky was now slightly stooped. He didn’t cry, but the bloodshot streaks in his eyes and the dark circles beneath them betrayed his profound grief.

Zuo Xian’s eyes grew hot, but no tears came. Her attention was suddenly drawn to a woman in a long black dress walking into the hall.

That was… Lu Xingxian.

Why is she here?

Ever since Zuo Xian had broken off their engagement and intentionally kept her distance, Lu Xingxian had rarely appeared in her life.

Then Zuo Xian realized—today was her funeral. The Zuo and Lu families had always been close; it was only natural for someone from the Lu family to attend.

Behind Lu Xingxian was the matriarch of the Lu family, Lu Ninghuai. This woman, now over fifty, was known for being strict with her descendants but had always been kind and gentle toward Zuo Xian. She was sobbing so hard she had to be supported just to walk inside.

In her previous life, Zuo Xian had truly failed Lu Xingxian and the Lu family. She had believed Lin Weiqi’s lies, allowed herself to be blinded, and even broke the engagement for Lin Weiqi’s sake, breaking the hearts of both families.

“Axian, you’re… here.” Zuo Chenghong rubbed his eyes as he looked at the woman standing tall before him, nearly as tall as he was.

Lu Xingxian nodded silently and stepped closer.

She stood before Zuo Xian’s portrait, her back straight—exactly as Zuo Xian remembered her. No matter the news, nothing ever seemed to bend the spine of this woman who had carried so much responsibility since childhood.

Lu Xingxian was the eldest daughter of the Lu family, destined for greatness. Zuo Xian never understood why someone like her had been engaged to a “useless” younger daughter of the Zuo family.

After arriving, Lu Xingxian didn’t say a word. She simply reached out and gently stroked the photo, as if she were touching the girl’s skin through the frame. Her gaze had always seemed tender when directed at Zuo Xian.

Now, her expression was cold, but she whispered: “Xianxian, I will make the person who harmed you… pay with their life.”

Standing in her own funeral hall, Zuo Xian felt a bitter ache. The whole situation felt like a cosmic joke. But hearing Lu Xingxian’s words, her eyes widened—Could it be that my car accident was a setup?

Just as the thought occurred, her vision blurred. Everything vanished except for the sight of Lu Xingxian’s stiff, tense back and the sound of her heels clicking against the floor.

Zuo Xian struggled, but she couldn’t fight the encroaching darkness. Her consciousness began to slip away. Before she vanished completely, she finally managed to speak, her voice heavy with boundless regret and guilt: “Axian…”

But the voice, like a faint mumble, dissipated into the air unheard.

A sudden breeze blew through the funeral hall. Lu Xingxian looked back; Zuo Xian’s smiling face was still in the center, looking painfully bright. Finally, without a word, Lu Xingxian turned away again, and this time, she did not look back.

When Zuo Xian regained consciousness, she found herself in a very warm environment. Her body felt as if it were floating in water.

The memory of that agonizing pain still lingered in her mind. Parched with thirst, Zuo Xian finally opened her eyes.

Before her were white ceramic tiles, yet they felt incredibly familiar. She scanned the room and realized this was the bathroom from her memories. The accent tiles in the center had been handpicked for her by Lu Xingxian in her previous life.

She looked down at her hands—fair, slender, and without a single callus. They possessed the unique youthfulness of a teenager. Her body was free of scars.

Slowly, she stood up from the water.

Zuo Xian walked to the bathroom mirror and locked eyes with the person inside. Finally, an almost impossible thought took hold of her mind—Did I… just get reborn?!

Her mind went blank. In a state of utter panic, she bolted out of the bathroom, forgetting even to put on clothes, driven only by the subconscious need to confirm the truth.

The electronic calendar hanging in the living room clearly displayed the date: December 27, 2012, 21:30:21.

I… I’m really back?

Before she could process the thought, she was startled by a voice in the living room.

She turned around to see Lu Xingxian sitting in an armchair. Her slender fingers were holding a pair of white lace panties, and Zuo Xian’s discarded clothes were scattered all over the sofa.

Lu Xingxian spoke slowly: “Xianxian, we haven’t seen each other in only a year… and you’ve become this messy?”

Zuo Xian was slow to react, her eyes wide as she stared at the woman.

Lu Xingxian smiled, folded the panties, and set them aside. She looked Zuo Xian up and down, nodding slightly. “Though, I must say, your figure has certainly developed well…”

Zuo Xian followed Lu Xingxian’s gaze downward. She stared at her own fair, perky chest for a moment before her dazed brain finally realized what was happening. Her face instantly turned bright red, and without a word, she scrambled back into the bathroom!

—This was absolutely mortifying!