CHAPTER 165: LIVE MY LIFE

Qi Jianyi slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze swept over her surroundings—bright, white, and eerily empty. A strange calm lingered in the air, but it wasn’t unfamiliar.

Her brows furrowed. She knew this place. This was the same blank space she had once found herself in, seven years ago.

Realization dawned on her, and she instinctively turned around—searching, hoping to see someone. Someone she had come here for.

But there was no one. Just her, alone.

Unwilling to give up, Qi Jianyi stepped forward, walking once more into the unknown. Driven by belief—no, by longing—she moved without hesitation, trusting she would eventually find the one she sought.

She walked. Minutes? Hours? Days? Time lost all meaning in this void. All she knew was that she had wandered far, so very far, from where she first awakened.

Yet still, no sign of her.

"Where are you?" she whispered, her voice tinged with confusion and yearning. And then—

"Are you looking for me?" The voice came from behind. Familiar. Steady. Unmistakably hers.

Qi Jianyi turned around instantly. Her breath hitched as her eyes landed on the figure before her.

After seven long years, nothing had changed. They looked exactly the same.

Mirror images. Two lives. One face.

For a moment, neither of them spoke. They simply stared, quietly taking each other in—an unspoken conversation passing between them in silence.

Finally, Qi Jianyi broke it. Her voice was soft, filled with a mix of nostalgia and warmth.

"It’s been a long time, Jianyi."

The woman across from her—Miss Qi—smiled gently. Her eyes softened as she nodded.

"Yes. It’s been a very long time indeed." She paused, studying Qi Jianyi for a beat longer before adding, "I almost gave up waiting for you."

Qi Jianyi raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Did you really expect this day would come?" she asked, her voice tinged with curiosity and disbelief.

Miss Qi didn’t nod, nor did she shake her head. Instead, she offered a quiet, wry smile.

"I just believed in your love for Song Chengfeng," she replied, her voice steady and sure.

There was something about her tone—so certain, so unwavering—that left Qi Jianyi momentarily speechless.

"Where do you get that much confidence in my feelings for him?" she questioned, her eyes narrowing slightly, not out of anger, but confusion.

Miss Qi merely shrugged with casual grace. "That man... he’s like a shell of a person. Alive, yes, but barely living. Breathing, but hollow. Are you really going to move on with your life while he quietly fades away, piece by piece?"

Her words struck hard. Qi Jianyi’s eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat. Her heart tightened as the image of Song Chengfeng—grieving, broken, and all alone—flashed in her mind.

Without thinking, she clenched her fists and stepped forward, closing the space between them.

"How is he?" Qi Jianyi asked in a whisper so faint, it nearly dissolved into the silence between them. Her eyes trembled, bracing yet not fully ready for the answer.

Miss Qi noticed the subtle shift in her expression. The pain barely veiled beneath her gaze. She exhaled quietly before speaking, her voice tinged with both gentleness and sorrow.

"When I woke up, he came to see me. He needed to know if you had truly gone," she began slowly.

"And when he realized that you had... he never came to see me again." Qi Jianyi’s breath hitched, her face paling.

"My family was furious with him," Miss Qi continued. "They called him pretentious, accused him of putting on an act. He Zeqing... he was the angriest. He even severed their friendship."

Shock washed over Qi Jianyi. Her eyes widened, lips parting slightly in disbelief. He Zeqing? Ending a friendship over her?

That could only mean... Song Chengfeng had no one left.

Guilt crashed down on her in waves, tightening in her chest. A look of deep pain spread across her face.

"But I still saw him sometimes," Miss Qi added, her voice softening. "At formal events, in passing. The more I saw him... the more the light in his eyes faded."

She paused, as if reliving those quiet, painful moments.

"And yet, every time he saw me... that spark returned, just for a moment. As if he was hoping to see your soul staring back at him."

A short laugh escaped Miss Qi, not out of humor, but from the strange cruelty of it all.

"It’s ironic, isn’t it?" she said, her gaze distant.

"My parents never knew you once lived my life. But Song Chengfeng—he could tell the difference between us instantly. Just from the look in my eyes."

Qi Jianyi couldn’t laugh at Miss Qi’s words. All she could think about now was the pain she had caused him.

"Qi Jianyi, we finally meet again," Miss Qi said, changing the subject abruptly.

"After seven years... I’ve waited for you just as long as Song Chengfeng has hoped to see you." Qi Jianyi slowly raised her head, her eyes meeting Miss Qi’s.

"My offer still stands. Do you want to live my life?" Miss Qi asked, extending her right hand toward Qi Jianyi. It was the same offer she had made years ago, now spoken with more conviction.

She believed, this time, Qi Jianyi would accept without hesitation. But contrary to her expectations, Qi Jianyi took a step back and shook her head.

"Qi Jianyi, I don’t want to live your life," she said calmly—so calmly that Miss Qi questioned whether the raw emotions she had just seen were real at all.

"I told my family about you. About us."

A small, genuine smile formed on Qi Jianyi’s face as she recalled her family’s warm and accepting reactions. In contrast, Miss Qi’s eyes widened in panic. Her heart clenched. She stepped forward, her voice rising, trembling with desperation.

"What have you done?!" she cried. The anxiety in her tone was unmistakable. To her, Qi Jianyi’s words felt like a cruel twist of fate—a final blow that shattered her fragile hope of ever having a family to call her own.

Knowing exactly what she was thinking, Qi Jianyi didn’t rush to explain. She simply waited, watching silently as Miss Qi crumbled inside her own thoughts.

"How could you tell them...?" Miss Qi’s voice trembled, her eyes filled with tears.

The look of betrayal and disbelief on her face stirred a deep sadness within Qi Jianyi.

"Seven years in your world, and you still haven’t mended your relationship with your family?" Instead of answering, Qi Jianyi responded with a question of her own.

Miss Qi let out a bitter laugh. She shook her head and looked down at the ground.

"Fix our relationship? I told you long ago, it’s impossible." She slowly lifted her head again, meeting Qi Jianyi’s eyes. Hers were red, glistening with unshed tears.

"How can I possibly forgive them for what they’ve done? I can’t even look at their faces without remembering their sins against me."

"You wouldn’t understand." The words slipped from her lips as she averted her gaze, her voice barely above a whisper.

Unlike the last time they’d spoken about this, Qi Jianyi didn’t grow defensive or try to persuade her otherwise. She had changed. The confrontation with Mother Qi a few days ago had given her a new perspective—a humility that kept her grounded now.

"You’re right. I don’t understand. In fact, I think I’ll never truly understand your decision," she replied gently. Her honesty brought a tired smile to Miss Qi’s face. One that carried the weight of a thousand unspoken memories.

"But there’s one thing you got wrong, Jianyi."

"My family isn’t as close-minded as you think they are. I told them everything—about us." Qi Jianyi’s eyes softened.

"The truth is, they already suspected that you weren’t me back then. But Mom didn’t say anything. She couldn’t bring herself to face the fact that her daughter had disappeared. And really, who could blame her? That kind of truth is unimaginable." Miss Qi stared at her, bewildered by the unexpected revelation. But before she could fully grasp it, Qi Jianyi continued, dropping another bombshell.

"When Mom found out the truth, she also realized where my heart truly belonged. With Song Chengfeng. And so...They supported me. They encouraged me to go to your world and be with him. To live my life."

She paused briefly before adding with a soft smile, "And you don’t have to worry. They promised to take care of you, too. You’re not me, and you’re not their eldest daughter. But even so, Mom and Dad said you are still their daughter—even if you’re from a different world."

As her words settled in, Qi Jianyi noticed something beautiful: a flicker of light in Miss Qi’s eyes. Hope. That light warmed her heart. And silently, she hoped she could soon see the same light return to Song Chengfeng’s eyes.

"However," she added with a teasing tone, dragging the word out, "Mom did ask for one thing." Miss Qi blinked, waiting.

"She hopes that, if possible, we can swap bodies once in a while... so I can visit them." Qi Jianyi scratched her head, a little embarrassed by the strange but oddly reasonable request her mother had made.

"Of course!" Miss Qi blurted out, almost too fast.

Realizing how eager she sounded, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. But who could blame her? What Qi Jianyi said was far too tempting.

Miss Qi had always longed for a loving family. She could never fully experience it herself because of the unresolved pain and history between her and her parents.

Sure, she had tasted a bit of that warmth when she lived as Qi Jianyi for a few months. But deep down, she knew it wasn’t hers—it belonged to someone else. So despite the kindness, insecurity lingered.

But now? Now, to hear that Mother Qi and Father Qi genuinely accepted her for who she was, and not just because she looked like their daughter?

Of course, she was happy.

Only God knew how long she had waited for this moment.

"Don’t get too happy just yet. I’m not done." Qi Jianyi cut into Miss Qi’s rainbow-colored thoughts.

"What I just told you was Mom’s wish. I haven’t mentioned what Dad asked for..." Miss Qi froze. Her breath hitched. Her heartbeat quickened. What if it was something she couldn’t fulfill?

"Huh, calm down! Why do you look like you’re about to faint?" Qi Jianyi rolled her eyes and gave Miss Qi a light knock on the head.

"I can’t calm down! Just tell me already! What did Dad say?" Miss Qi pleaded, visibly anxious.

Qi Jianyi looked at her with a complex expression, taking in the excitement and nervousness written all over her face. Do I really look like this in everyone else’s eyes? she wondered.

The disdain on Qi Jianyi’s face was obvious enough to make Miss Qi instinctively reel in her emotions. But she wasn’t offended. After all, she knew the look wasn’t truly directed at her.

Finally, Qi Jianyi spoke again. "Dad... he wants you to tell your family the truth about us. He doesn’t want me pretending to be you anymore. He wants me to live my own life."

Miss Qi’s eyes widened, and she held her breath.

"I know it’s a hard request. But... Do you think you can do it?"