A melodious instrumental piece played in her ear.

Li Weiyi’s hand emerged from under the covers, slapped off the alarm clock, then buried her head back under for a bit longer before jolting awake and sitting up.

She was in an unfamiliar room.

About seventeen or eighteen square meters—larger, newer, and more beautiful than her original room. Pale blue wall paint, geometric-patterned bedding, a natural wood desk beside the bed, walls covered with paintings—cartoons, sketches, watercolors… The entire room had a rich yet warm color scheme.

Li Weiyi grabbed the phone from her nightstand.

January 13, 2022. The same day as her last return.

Also the day her sister died.

But this time, Li Weiyi wasn’t rushing to call her sister. She had a wonderful feeling.

A sense that her wishes had come true.

She walked out of her room into the living room, which was practically an art studio. In the corner sat only a small fabric sofa and a few small round stools. In the center was a large table piled high with sketches, paints, and books. Several easels stood on the floor around it. Overhead were several bright, exquisite spotlights, the entire space filled with a messy yet carefree artistic atmosphere.

There was another room with a 1.5-meter bed and a full wall of bookshelves. Li Weiyi passed through this room to a balcony outside, which also connected to her room through another door. Though small, the balcony was flooded with sunlight. She realized they were on a high floor, at least thirty stories up, surrounded by towering buildings on all sides. In the distance was a lake, its waters rippling, the island in its center lush and green. Beyond the lake lay Yuelu Mountain, shrouded in clouds and mist, rolling continuously.

This place was simply her dream apartment.

Li Weiyi remembered now—this was the small unit she’d bought last year, spending all her savings and even borrowing a bit from her sister and brother-in-law for the down payment. Along with this memory, a string of connected new memories flooded into her mind.

In the spring of her second year of high school, after inexplicably losing her memory for three days a second time, she’d found the letter from her future self under her pillow. Her parents agreeing to let her switch to studying art had filled her with joy.

She also recalled how Zhou Zhihao had come to their home to pester her sister for several days, giving the whole family headaches and even getting into a fight with Zhong Yi. But later, for some reason, Zhou Zhihao suddenly disappeared and never appeared again. Probably because something happened to the Zhou family.

Two years later, the women’s clothing brand Zhong Yi represented in the city took off, and he now held three storefronts. Her sister was no longer just a shop clerk but his business partner. They married at the end of that year.

Though she hadn’t gotten into the China Academy of Art, she had been accepted to another art academy she loved. In her junior year, she accepted the courtship of a handsome guy from the neighboring University of Science and Technology. After graduating from college, they amicably broke up due to long-term separation.

Thinking of this, Li Weiyi’s mind suddenly conjured up the image of Zhang Jingchan sitting across from her yesterday. Recalling the arrangements he’d made for her—dual degree, working for a few years before dating—she couldn’t help touching her nose. She hadn’t done any of it. Dual degree, forget about it. However, her ex-boyfriend wasn’t the least bit scummy. They’d been so happy together, laughing and joking around. Both cried when they broke up, but they had no regrets.

The Zhang family should have weathered their crisis too, right? Though no longer wealthy and noble, with the whole family safe and sound, how could they worry about not being able to make a comeback?

Now, Li Weiyi was a freelance artist. On one hand, she pursued professional development in depth, striving to hold an exhibition one day; on the other, she drew illustrations and posters for books and movies. Though not wealthy, it was enough to give herself a stable life.

Li Weiyi lay back down on that large bed, grinning.

She’d done it—she was walking the path of her dreams.

So happy, she rolled back and forth with joy. She thought again that if Zhang Jingchan saw her now, he’d probably tap her head once, then give a low chuckle, right? That person, clearly only two years older than her, was so good at acting profound.

All the various events of that previous life had been clearly etched in her heart. But because she now possessed a new life and new memories, everything old seemed like the moon’s reflection in water, gradually blurring.

Was this a parallel space? Or just a pipe dream? Li Weiyi didn’t want to think deeply about it. She only wanted the present, held in her own hands.

Only… she seemed to have forgotten something important. What else hadn’t she remembered?

She scrambled up and called her sister Li Xiaoyi.

“Hello, little one, what’s up?” Her sister’s voice sounded cheerful and light—worlds apart from the depressed despair of the previous life.

This made Li Weiyi’s heart even more joyful, and she called out: “Sister, sister, are you doing well?”

Li Xiaoyi was cutting vegetables in the kitchen. She washed her hands clean to answer the phone and laughed: “Why are you suddenly asking this? If I’m not doing well, I’ll just come live with you, okay?”

Li Weiyi’s heart ached, her eyes moistening, and she asked again: “I just want to know, is brother-in-law treating you well?”

Li Xiaoyi: “What’s wrong with you? Your brother-in-law, he…” A woman in her early thirties, yet talking about her husband, she actually felt somewhat shy: “He wouldn’t dare! If he dares treat me badly, I’ll take An’an and live on my own!”

Li Weiyi just kept smiling: “Sister’s so domineering!”

That’s right, she remembered now—just six months after their marriage, her sister and brother-in-law had a daughter, nicknamed An’an. The couple doted on her immensely. Originally her sister wanted a second child, but Zhong Yi, afraid that having a second would take away love from their daughter, actually disagreed. This led to her sister working on Zhong Yi together with their mother…

Li Weiyi covered her mouth and laughed.

Li Xiaoyi: “Why are you suddenly calling me? Don’t tell me you just got up now—stayed up late again, great artist?”

Li Weiyi glanced at the clock on the wall—it was almost 11 o’clock. “Uh…”

Li Xiaoyi sighed: “Come over for a meal. No takeout—it’s greasy and unhealthy. I’ll have Mom make your favorite tomato beef brisket.”

“Okay!” Li Weiyi remembered at the same time that two years ago, Zhong Yi had expanded his business to Xiangcheng. Her sister’s family had moved here and even bought a house—four bedrooms, two living rooms, 160 square meters, much more spacious than her little nest.

Li Weiyi was even more satisfied with Zhong Yi, this genuine potential stock, thinking how fortunate it was that Zhang Jingchan and I helped back then.

But these things, her sister would never know, and didn’t need to know.

“Mom’s at your place too?” she asked.

“Hasn’t Mom always lived at my place? What strange questions are you asking? Hurry over, your brother-in-law has things to do this afternoon, so let’s eat lunch early.”

Li Weiyi thought to herself that her parents had also come to Xiangcheng to live with her sister’s family. How wonderful.

Li Weiyi stood before her wardrobe, which was full of comfortable-looking casual wear and dresses, no longer like before when the entire closet was filled with serious business suits. She nodded with satisfaction, like an emperor selecting a consort, running her finger along that row of clothes and selecting a white sweater with blue trim, a black woolen skirt, and a coat in a delicate color, feeling absolutely beautiful.

As she walked out the door dressed in her new outfit, she thought of Zhang Jingchan again.

She wondered where he was now, what he was doing? Probably also busy receiving information about his new fate.