Tears welled up in her eyes, making her eyesight blurry and her vision hazy. She blinked rapidly, trying to clear her vision, but the tears continued to flow uncontrollably. The world around her became a blur of colors and shapes, making it difficult for her to see anything clearly.
Feng Suyin blinked again.
This time, she found herself staring back at her reflection in the massive mirror before her. She was taken aback. There she stood, dressed in a luxurious white wedding dress—the one Feng Yilan had chosen for her. Several other dresses hung in the corner, waiting to be tried on.
Hadn't she died already?
Feng Suyin felt disoriented. So why was she standing here, looking like a bride? Confidence washed over her as she tried to piece together the fragments of her memory. She reached out to touch the mirror, half-expecting her hand to pass through it. Instead, she felt the cold, solid surface against her fingertips.
Someone suddenly pushed open the curtain of the dressing room.
Feng Suyin stiffened at the sight of Feng Yilan, who looked at her with a wide smile. This was the same person who killed her. Seeing Feng Yilan up close startled Feng Suyin so much that she staggered back into the corner.
"What's wrong, sis? Didn't you like the dress I chose for you?" Feng Yilan asked.
Feng Suyin couldn't form a coherent response. Fear and confusion gripped her, rendering her speechless. Here she stood, trapped in this surreal moment, unable to understand what was happening. The corners of Feng Yilan's lips curled upward. A malicious glimmer in her eyes. If this were the past, Feng Suyin would never have noticed that her younger sister hated her.
Summoning her courage, Feng Suyin managed to find her voice. If this was indeed the past, then Feng Yilan had no idea that Feng Suyin already knew her true colors.
"How... how are you here?" she stammered, her words barely escaping her trembling lips.
Feng Yilan's smile faltered for a moment before she regained her composure. Feng Suyin briefly saw the disgust flashing in her sister's eyes before it vanished.
"Oh, Yin-jie," she said, feigning innocence, "you must be confused. I'm here because you asked me to help you pick your bridal dress, right?"
Feng Suyin's heart pounded in her chest as she absorbed Feng Yilan's words. A new beginning? What on earth was her sister talking about? Was this some sort of sick joke?
She stood stunned in place. She opened her mouth but found herself unable to utter a single word. But Feng Yilan was right. She did ask for her help picking a bridal dress. She had no idea where to start. The memory flooded back, and Feng Suyin's confusion turned into a sinking feeling of dread.
And understanding.
As she looked at Feng Yilan, a memory flashed through Feng Suyin's mind—a fleeting image of her sister injecting a drug to kill her. She had no doubt that everyone would consider her death a complication of her injuries.
She and Feng Yilan had gone dress shopping three months before her wedding day. The same day she died in her sister's hands.
Feng Suyin's stomach churned as the reality of the situation settled in. How was it possible that she was alive, standing here in this dressing room, when she distinctly remembered the pain and darkness that had consumed her?
Feng Yilan seemed to sense Feng Suyin's inner turmoil and took a step closer, her eyes filled with concern.
"I'm alright," Feng Suyin said quickly. "I have yet to try on the other dress you brought me."
She looked away, pulling her arm back just as Feng Yilan was about to touch it. She was repulsed at the thought that Feng Yilan had finally accepted her as her sister—not knowing she was harboring ill thoughts against her.
When Feng Yilan tried again, Feng Suyin flinched and avoided her.
Everything felt like a dream. She subtly pinched her arm to see if she would wake up. But the pinch only confirmed that this was, indeed, reality. A reality where she was inexplicably alive and standing face-to-face with her would-be killer.
Regardless of what she'd experienced, Feng Suyin couldn't help but feel wary of Feng Yilan now. Of everyone. She couldn't look at them the same way anymore.
Feng Yilan's expression shifted from concern to confusion. She took a step back, giving Feng Suyin space.
"Sis, what's going on? You're acting so strange," Feng Yilan said, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Nothing. I just feel so nervous. The wedding day is approaching so fast."
Feng Yilan let out a laugh.
"Oh, Sis. You've always been such a worrier. But don't worry. Everything will be perfect on your big day."
Feng Suyin merely gave her a smile.
She knew better than to believe her sister's words. In the end, she was nothing but a sore loser in everyone's eyes. She had always been the one to mess things up. And she couldn't shake the feeling that something would go wrong on her wedding day too.
She watched Feng Yilan leave the dressing room.
Finally alone, Feng Suyin took a moment to compose herself. But she couldn't shake the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. The knowledge that Feng Yilan would try to kill her. She couldn't trust anyone now. Not even her own sister.
Was she reborn?
Feng Suyin wondered. Did she return in time? Did she experience death only to find herself back in the past, trapped in a twisted cycle? The questions swirled in her mind, but there was no time to dwell on them. She needed to calm down and figure out how to proceed now that she knew what was waiting for her.
Feng Suyin took a deep breath, pushing aside the fear and confusion that threatened to consume her. She couldn't change what had already happened. But she could change how she faced the treacherous path laid out before her.
She took her reading glasses from her purse, then pulled out her phone to check the date. Her hands trembled as she scrolled. The date confirmed it: she was indeed back in the past. She continued scrolling, searching for any clues or signs that could help her understand what had happened—and how she could prevent her own demise.