When Li Si woke up, she found herself gently floating in the air, and the location was an elaborately decorated bedroom. Beside her, a man was also floating, his eyes tightly closed.
Isn't this the same man who was in the elevator with me? What's going on? Why are we together? While Li Si was still trying to process the chaos in her mind, the man opened his eyes.
He looked around, transitioning from confusion to shock, and then finally to calmness—all in the blink of an eye.
"What happened to us?" Li Si asked anxiously.
The man ignored her question and simply floated through the door. Li Si hurried to follow him. It seemed like they were in a villa, luxuriously decorated, with European-style details visible everywhere.
Laughter and chatter came from one of the rooms. The man floated in quickly, with Li Si following behind out of curiosity. It was a study, with neatly arranged books on the shelves. On the large desk sat a globe, and an Italian handcrafted leather couch hosted a man and a woman who were conversing intimately.
The woman was older, her laughter forming visible wrinkles around her eyes. The man wore a mischievous smirk, filled with an unsettling charm.
"Mom, this time, the entire Lu Family fortune will belong to me. Just wait to enjoy it with your son!"
The mature woman's smile was brimming with unconcealed delight. "My son, hasn't Lu Zhenghang always looked down on you? But this time, we've outplayed him. How could a dead man compete with us now?"
She paused, a trace of worry suddenly flashing across her face.
"But, my son, did you handle this matter tightly? Could your father possibly detect any clues?"
The man waved impatiently, "Mom, why don't you trust my abilities? The people I hired did the job cleanly. It was ruled as an elevator accident. What's it got to do with us? You're just too overly cautious, or I'd have been on top long ago!"
Watching the scene unfolding before her—something out of a soap opera—Li Si couldn't help but exclaim Bai Shasha's famous phrase, "Oh my god, why is such a cliché happening to me? Am I just an afterthought in this mess?"
Beside her, the man clenched his fists tightly, his face filled with rage. He looked like he wanted to tear the pair in front of him apart and devour them alive. But no matter how he cursed or attacked, the people in front of him remained oblivious. Seeing him repeatedly pass through their bodies, Li Si felt a shared sense of despair. Could money really matter so much? Killing someone seemed as simple to them as flipping a hand.
A sudden force pulled at them, and their vision blurred. The scene shifted. "Isn't this my room?"
Li Si looked around the surroundings. It was the attic room where she had lived for years, in her uncle's three-story villa. There was a small single bed, a simple desk, and a wardrobe.
She hurried to float downstairs, with the man following her. In the first-floor dining room, her aunt and Li Fei were whispering to each other.
"Li Si was just unlucky, destined for an early death. Your mother-in-law even mentioned that yesterday. Otherwise, how could someone die at such a young age? But, well, it's good that she's dead. At least the compensation money will make her death worthwhile. It's just that it made Fei'er's engagement banquet a little less perfect!"
The aunt, Zhang Meihua, stroked Li Fei's hair, her tone barely able to conceal her excitement.
"Oh, Mom, if you put it that way, then Uncle and Li Si are both unlucky, doomed from the start. But hey, at least they've contributed to our family, right? That's quite a noble sacrifice!"
Li Si was so furious she nearly exploded. She couldn't believe that her relatives—people she had shared a bond with—would show such shameless faces even after her death. Just when she was about to storm off in anger, the next words she heard nearly shattered her heart to pieces!
Zhang Meihua affectionately poked Li Fei's smug little cheek, "Now remember, don't spout nonsense outside, okay? It's fine for us to talk here, but in public, we need to act sad. Your uncle really left behind a lot of good stuff when he passed, far more than the mere hundreds of thousands Li Si's compensation money brought us!"
What???? Dad left behind a lot of good stuff??? How come I've never seen any of it???
The man glanced at Li Si's furious, wide-open eyes, a flicker of guilt flashing through his own. "I'm sorry. I think… I might have dragged you into this."
"Forget it. If this is my fate, who am I to blame?"
Li Si wanted to lunge at Zhang Meihua and her daughter, but she suddenly felt as though she had no strength. Her body was weightless, drifting along with the wind. She floated higher and higher.
All she could hear was the voice beside her, "Remember, I am Lu Zhenghang." Then, she was sucked into a vortex!
"Li Si, let's break up!"
"Why???!!!"
"We're just not right for each other!"
"Li Si, how can you be so shameless? A child without parents is just uncultured. Being a mistress and stealing your sister's boyfriend, of all things!"
"Li Si, Zijun is so outstanding. Do you really think you're a good match for him…"
"Li Si, you need to have some self-awareness. I'm not saying this to put you down, but when you stand next to your cousin, even I, as a guy, would choose Fei'er over you…"
"Li Si, aren't we good friends? How could you miss my birthday party? Come on, come on, I'm waiting for you at Emperor Hotel. You don't even need to bring a gift!"
"Li Si, how dare you show up dressed like this? You're embarrassing me! And what did you give me… trash from the street market? Look at yourself! No wonder Brother Zijun likes Fei'er. Do you really think you're worthy?"
"No, not true!"
Countless accusing voices echoed from all directions. She wanted to shout, to refute them loudly, but no sound came out.
"Do you think Meng Zijun left you for me just because? Do you think you're still the same high-and-mighty Li Si as before?"
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Li Si finally let out a piercing scream and woke up, feeling a bone-deep chill and pain all over her body. She struggled with every ounce of her remaining strength to open her eyes, her unfamiliar surroundings filling her with unease.
She sat up from the ground, looking at a bright sky devoid of a sun. In front of her was a winding river, and the land beneath her was a vast expanse of green—endless and surreal.
By the river stood a lone tree bearing a strange fruit. Its leaves were gold, and the fruit was red with golden streaks. The air carried a sweet aroma. Where was she?
"What happened to me? Didn't I already die? Why can I still feel cold and pain?"
Li Si remembered being powerless, sucked into a vortex before losing consciousness. Could it be that she wasn't dead? But what was this place?
"Is anyone here? Is there anyone around?"
Li Si tried standing up, but this place felt lifelessly still, without a single sound, only the faint whisper of the wind brushing against her, as if in response.
She walked to the riverbank, gazing at the crystal-clear water. It was so transparent that the bottom was visible, though there wasn't a single living creature in sight.
She stared at her reflection in the water: white, smooth skin, soft features, large eyes, and a high ponytail. She wasn't stunning, but there was an undeniable youthful energy about her. This was completely different from her later years, when exhaustion from overwork left her face pallid and dull.
Was she alive or dead? She was wearing a black T-shirt and jeans; her figure, wrapped in these ordinary clothes, still stood out.
She raised her hands, white and smooth, with slender fingers.
This is…?
Li Si was puzzled. Was this heaven, or some kind of alternate dimension? Where on earth would glowing green land exist?
Looking back at where she had been lying, she noticed a small black ring. Picking it up, it felt lightweight and ancient in design, with totem-like patterns inscribed on its surface. She studied it for a long time but didn't notice anything peculiar. Its size seemed to fit her thumb.
Li Si tried putting the ring on her thumb, but it began shrinking furiously, squeezing her thumb until blood oozed out, only to be absorbed immediately by the ring.
She trembled in pain, thinking this might be the end—was she about to be drained into a dried-up corpse? After a while, a flash of white light erupted. Her head ached, and suddenly, images appeared in her mind.
It seemed that this ring belonged to a cultivator who had left behind a Sumeru Space after ascending to immortality, seeking a fated owner in the mortal world. Prior owners had died, and the ring would reset its space when they perished.
The riverside tree bore Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruits, which could cleanse and strengthen the body while also healing injuries. The river water could purify impurities, even refining gems. The space could also be used to construct buildings, with time flowing at a 7:1 ratio—essentially a massive storage dimension. Except for humans, anything could be stored inside.
"Oh my god, what an insanely powerful space! But… why am I here? Can I even leave?"
Li Si was both thrilled and apprehensive.
Looking at the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit in front of her, exuding an irresistible fragrance, she unconsciously approached. She carefully plucked it from the tree and examined it. It was the size of an egg, its red surface rippling with golden veins, like a ferocious beast ready to leap out at any moment.
What should she do? Eat it or not? Her mind told her that if a mortal without cultivation attempted to consume the Bone Marrow Cleansing Fruit, their body might explode. But if she succeeded, even an ordinary person would gain an extraordinarily strong physique!