A Haunting Reflection

"...the mysterious disappearance of Li Mei, founder of Apex Security, has finally come to a tragic conclusion. Authorities in Jingcheng have identified the body found last week as that of Ms. Li, confirming fears that have gripped the community since her disappearance over five months ago..."

A young girl lay motionless on the hospital bed. She was only thirteen years old, but she appeared much older now. Her sunken, lifeless eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, unseeing and unblinking. Strands of dark brittle hair fell across her face and pillow. Her skeletal frame was highlighted by visible collarbones. Multiple faded scars crisscrossed her visible skin.

"...Authorities have yet to disclose the circumstances surrounding her death, but sources close to the investigation suggest foul play may be involved...," the anchorwoman continued. 

The girl remained utterly still as if she were dead. If not for the subtle rise and fall of her chest, one might have mistaken her for a corpse.

"Li's disappearance had sparked widespread speculation, with many wondering what had happened to the influential businesswoman. Her fiancé, Wang Haoran, who is also the vice president of Apex Security, made a brief statement yesterday,"

Her gaze finally shifted to the television mounted on the wall across from her bed where the image of a handsome man appeared on the screen. His face was etched with a mixture of pain and anger. His normally impeccable suit was slightly rumpled, his tie loosened, and there was a hint of darkness under his eyes.

Something flickered in her eyes. Pain, rage...and thirst for vengeance.

"Li Mei was not just my fiancée. She was my everything," he said, his eyes briefly closing as if to gather strength. "Her loss is an unimaginable tragedy, and I will not rest until those responsible are brought to justice. I urge anyone with information about her disappearance and death to come forward and cooperate with the authorities."

Wang Haoran's face vanished from the screen, replaced by that of the anchorwoman, but her gaze remained fixed on the TV.

The emotions that had flickered across her features died a quick death, replaced by a cold glint in her eyes. She pushed herself up slightly on the bed, wincing at the effort it took. She swung her legs over the side of the bed, feeling the weight of the cast on her leg. 

With a deep breath, she stood, her legs trembling slightly under her weight. She reached for the IV stand beside her bed, using it for support as she made her way towards the window. Her gaze locked onto the pale ghost of the moon peeking through tattered clouds, mirroring the night that changed everything.

The night he killed her. 

Her gaze shifted to her reflection on the glass pane, the face that stared back at her was both achingly familiar and utterly foreign. It has been months since she had woken up in this body. Five months to be exact yet she was still not used to it. 

Her eyes traced unfamiliar contours, framed by a cascade of raven hair that had replaced her once-golden tresses. Piercing gray eyes, peered out at her, a stark contrast to the emerald green she was accustomed to.

This body was fragil, maybe even underweight nothing like her toned body she had worked years to attain.

However, even in this weakened state, there was an ethereal beauty to her. It was a face that seemed as if the gods themselves had taken their time to craft perfection.

Yet, no matter how captivating and beautiful this face was, it was not hers. 

Li Mei was gone – or at least, the body she'd known as hers was. For some unknown reason, she had woken up in the body that was discarded in an abandoned alley. And by some sheer luck or perhaps unfortunate fate, this body belonged to Xiao Fei who happened to be the illegitimate daughter of the Xiao family.

How did this happen? The question echoed through her mind, unanswered and perhaps unanswerable.

What happened to her defied every natural law she thought she knew. Her mind was still her own, but everything else — her appearance, her identity, her entire life — had changed.

Xiao Fei was a pitiful existence and the only thing she ever experienced was neglect, abuse, and abandonment. 

She had no family.

Based on the memories of this body, she never had one since the day she was born, even if she was born as a Xiao. She was their dirty secret that they hid away like a shameful stain on their prestigious name.

And her mother was too disgusted by her to refer to her as her daughter. To her, Xiao Fei was a disgrace. A mistake that was not supposed to exist in this world. A regret that ruined her life and she never wasted a single second of their time together to remind her of this. And as if she was not clear enough, she decided to sell Xiao Fei for a mere hundred grand. 

The door opened behind her and the scent of an expensive perfume wafted into the room breaking her out of her thoughts. She didn't turn around. She didn't need to know the identity of the person.

"What are you doing out of bed? You should be resting." 

The reflection in the window showed a middle-aged woman with heavy makeup. She wore a black suit, her brown hair pulled into a neat bun.

Xiao Fei — or rather, the person who now answered to that name — remained still, not giving a respond. 

A flicker of disdain appeared in Sun Lili's eyes, quickly suppressed by a mask of professionalism.

She had been handpicked by the Xiao family patriarch himself, tasked to look after her, attending to her every whim. But in reality, she was their eyes and ears, reporting her every move, every word, every flicker of emotion to the patriarch of the family. 

Xiao Fei's situation was delicate. Her mother was still out of the picture, and the Xiaos were desperate to keep this entire incident under wraps. When the police had first informed them about Xiao Fei's condition, they had moved swiftly. Hush money had exchanged hands, files were sealed, and the entire incident was swept under the rug. 

To them, Xiao Fei was a liability, a loose thread that could unravel everything they had built. And after what had happened, they had no choice but to take her in, to keep her close and under constant surveillance.

"Your cast will be removed tomorrow, and you'll be discharged soon after."

Still, there was no response from Xiao Fei. It was as if she could not hear at all. But there was a flicker of emotion in her, something that Sun Lili failed to see.

Being discharged meant facing the Xiao family directly, something Xiao Fei had been dreading since regaining consciousness in this unfamiliar body.

Sun Lili looked at Xiao Fei's rigid frame and scoffed, before she walked out of the room. Xiao Fei tilted her head and stared at the closed door, a cold glint flashed in her eyes.