Watching from the side, Lin Xiaoxiao was fuming. Her mother—the woman she always cherished and comforted—was being treated with such cruelty by the original host.

She rushed forward to shove the impostor, but her hands passed right through.

Seeing her mother sitting on the floor, clutching her waist and unable to get up, Lin Xiaoxiao's heart broke. Tears fell helplessly; there was nothing she could do.

The original host cursed, calling her mother a "useless old woman," then went to her room to grab her phone and wallet before strutting out without a second glance, leaving her mother alone and hurt.

Frustrated and desperate, Lin Xiaoxiao circled her mother, crying tears of rage at her own powerlessness.

Fortunately, her father returned just in time. Seeing his wife on the floor, he hurried over and lifted her. "What happened? Why didn't you call me?"

Finally breaking down, her mother clung to him and wept. "I can't take it anymore. When will Xiaoxiao regain her memory? It's like she's a completely different person. She was always such a thoughtful child—how could she become like this?"

Her father had also aged noticeably these past few days. He patted her back gently. "Let's be patient a little longer. If nothing changes, we'll find another way. I also feel that this 'Xiaoxiao' is a stranger—she doesn't act like our daughter. When Wenbin returns, maybe he'll know what to do."

Crying, Lin Xiaoxiao wrapped her arms around her parents in a ghostly embrace. She had been living carefree in another world, never imagining her parents would be suffering so much.She had to find a way back.

The scene shifted abruptly. Now she found herself at a mountain temple, where her brother Lin Wenbin stood speaking with a white-bearded abbot outside a meditation room.

Curious, Lin Xiaoxiao moved closer in time to hear the abbot say, "This is not that, and that is not this. All is the fruit of cause and condition. You need not worry."

Lin Wenbin adjusted his glasses. He looked exhausted, his usual calm and gentle demeanor faded. "Your words are profound, Master. Does this mean the one now with us is not truly my sister? If that's so, where has my sister gone? Can she return?"

Lin Xiaoxiao leaned in to hear more, but a sharp pain shot through her body. Everything went black.

Then she felt someone gently wiping her hands and face. Something damp brushed her lips, and she instinctively licked the corner of her mouth.

The sensation felt real. Her body ached. Groaning, she opened her eyes and blinked until her vision adjusted.

Zhou Huai'an was sitting beside her, watching with focused concern.

Still aching from the vision of her parents—and the fury of seeing an impostor mistreat them—she didn't feel like engaging with him. Hurt and sad, she turned her head away.

Zhou Huai'an had been overjoyed to see her awake. But as she deliberately turned from him, his heart sank with sudden fear. "Xiaoxiao," he asked tentatively, "are you in pain? Where does it hurt?"

She still didn't answer, lost in thoughts of whether she could ever return.

Growing more anxious, Zhou Huai'an took her hand and squeezed gently. "Xiaoxiao..."

She turned back and glared. "You're hurting me! I'm injured, and you're taking advantage? Are you even human?"

The moment she spoke, she was once again that spirited, unpredictable girl.

Zhou Huai'an's worry instantly eased. He let go of her hand and tucked the blanket around her.

"Are you hungry? What would you like? You've been unconscious for three days."

Hearing that, Lin Xiaoxiao suddenly felt ravenous. Three days? Without holding back, she said, "I want wontons. Extra sour and spicy."

Zhou Huai'an left to get them immediately. Watching him hurry away on his crutches, Lin Xiaoxiao felt slightly soothed.

Since she didn't know how to return, she might as well live well here—maybe one day she'd find a way. And if she took good care of herself, her parents wouldn't worry.

After mentally comforting herself and shaking off some of the gloom, she saw Zhou Huai'an return with a lunchbox. He'd wrapped it in a towel to keep the wontons warm.

"You're still injured," he reminded her softly. "Too much spice isn't good for you, so I only added a little chili. Once you've recovered, you can have more."

He set the container on the bedside table and helped her sit up.

As she moved, a sharp pain shot through her back—it felt like her organs had been rearranged.

She winced. "It hurts so much. Someone stepped on my fingers on purpose. Otherwise, I would've held on and climbed out."

Zhou Huai'an sat down beside the bed, preparing to feed her. "The initial investigation called it an accident."

"Impossible!" she retorted. "What about the person holding the rope? Why did they let go? And who was nearby to step on my hand?"

After learning of her injury, Zhou Huai'an had asked Lin Zihao to look into it. He had waited at the hospital, watching as Lin Xiaoxiao was carried in on a stretcher, pale and lifeless. For the first time, his composure broke into sheer panic.

Dr. Li had reassured him, "Xiao Lin has a strong constitution. Even unconscious, she was cursing—she'll be fine."

But when three days passed without her waking, Zhou Huai'an began to fear all over again.

So now, faced with her anger, he responded with extra patience. "We've already checked once.

I'll look into it more carefully these next few days. For now, eat and rest. Your back is injured, but thankfully, it's not serious."

She glanced at him sideways. "Did you see it? Are there scars?"

Zhou Huai'an shook his head honestly. "No scars. Just bruising."

He had personally helped change her bandages and clean her these past few days. Worried for her condition, he hadn't allowed himself any other thoughts.

Her mind still troubled, Lin Xiaoxiao decided not to tease him further. She took the lunchbox and began eating the wontons eagerly.

She remained convinced: someone had deliberately stepped on her hand to make her fall. But who?

Dai Xueming? Among everyone there, he was the only one she distrusted. Could it have been him?

After finishing the wontons, she felt much more alert—though every movement still tugged painfully at her back. Watching Zhou Huai'an with his crutch, then thinking of her own sorry state, she suddenly laughed.

"Look at us—a couple in misery. One injured, the other disabled."

Zhou Huai'an gazed at her silently for a long moment before nodding. "You could say that."

Lin Xiaoxiao blushed. There was something intense in his eyes that made her suddenly shy.

But there were serious matters to discuss. "Listen, I suspect Dai Xueming is behind this. I have no proof, but my instincts point to him."

Zhou Huai'an frowned, thinking carefully before he responded. "Alright. In that moment when you fell... did you hear anything else?"