Nan’an City.

The Imperial Grand Hotel.

“Young Lady, have you finished changing? The birthday banquet is about to begin!”

The rapid knocking on the door grew louder with each strike.

The girl slumped over the dressing table, startled awake. The sudden movement sent her cosmetics tumbling to the floor in a clatter of glass and plastic.

“Young Lady? Are you alright?”

The knocking resumed, more urgent this time.

Gasping for breath, the girl stared at her reflection in the mirror—lips like rouge, teeth like pearls, eyes bright as stars, brows arched like distant mountains. She wore a high-end custom-made white chiffon gown.

It was her.

Nineteen-year-old Tang Mo.

She blinked at the mirror, stunned. The pain was gone. Every scar, every wound—vanished.

Was this a dream? But it felt so real.

Shaking off her daze, she reached for her phone with trembling fingers.

Fingerprint unlock? Facial recognition? Why was the phone model so outdated?

After fumbling for what felt like an eternity, she finally managed to unlock it. Flipping open the calendar, her breath hitched—before she could stop herself, the phone slipped from her hand and smacked against her foot.

Pain shot through her toes, unmistakably real.

Grimacing, she rubbed her foot and looked up at her younger self in the mirror. Then, she laughed.

A laugh that shook her shoulders, tears streaming down her face.

Heaven had answered her prayers—had it not?

Once her laughter subsided, she wiped her eyes, reapplied her powder with steady hands, and walked to the door.

“Cousin Zhang, tell Grandma I’ll be there shortly.”

“Of course, Young Lady. I’ll let her know right away.”

Relieved to see her unharmed, Cousin Zhang nodded and hurried off.

Alone again, Tang Mo didn’t descend immediately. Instead, she strolled to the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the hotel’s grand hall, stretching her limbs and breathing in the midday light that filtered through the panes.

The banquet was in full swing below—a sea of guests filling the garden. A massive red “寿” (longevity) character hung proudly on the backdrop.

Faces she knew well moved through the crowd, though they all looked four or five years younger.

Then her gaze landed on one person in particular.

Her lips parted as her teeth pressed into her lower lip, a cold, bloodthirsty glint flashing in her eyes.

Meanwhile, at the other end of the corridor—

“Brother Ting, Young Master Huang from the Huang family is back again. He says we have to help him this time no matter what. He’s willing to pay whatever we ask, and there’ll be a generous reward afterward. What do you say?”

“Tell him to wait.”

“Yes, Brother Ting!”

Hua Tingnian issued his orders before turning—and froze.

A woman stood by the panoramic window.

No, not a woman.

A girl.

And she was looking right at him.

Their eyes met.

She shouldn’t have been able to see him from here—not unless she’d been staring directly at him.

She looked far too young—eighteen at most?

Having been around countless women in high society, Hua Tingnian had never encountered anyone who looked at him quite like this.

Her gaze was innocent yet brazen, unflinchingly direct.

Those seemingly pure, bright eyes scrutinized him from head to toe with the precision of a high-definition scanner, leaving no inch of his body unexamined.

The way she stared was shameless, almost obscene.

Offended, Hua Tingnian turned his head and scoffed, licking his lower lip as a wicked smile curled on his lips.

Sliding his dark gray suit jacket off his arm, he draped it over one shoulder, the silver chain around his neck glinting as he moved.

But before he could speak—

“Hey, don’t leave yet. How about a deal?”

Tang Mo stepped into his path, her almond-shaped eyes gleaming with determination.

“A deal?”

Hua Tingnian raised an eyebrow, incredulous.

They’d just met. He didn’t even know her name, let alone her background—and she was already proposing a transaction?

This girl couldn’t possibly be out of high school yet. Did her family not keep her in check?

“I’m Tang Mo, the young lady of the Tang family in Nan’an City. If you do business with me, you won’t regret it.” Her gaze burned into his.

In her past life, their wild, passionate encounter had been the only light in her shattered heart.

Even as she met her tragic end, she remembered the tenderness he’d shown her in her final moments—the only warmth amid the agony.

That unspoken understanding between them lingered on her lips, unforgettable.

In her dying moments, she’d thought: *If there’s an afterlife, I’ll make sure to claim a man like him—no matter what.*

Hua Tingnian’s smile deepened, his eyes gleaming with amusement. One hand resting on his jacket, the other propped against the wall, he looked down at her.

“So, Young Lady Tang, what kind of deal are we talking about?”

He’d been in Nan’an City long enough to know the Tang family’s reputation.

But this young lady? He’d never paid her much mind.

Tang Mo boldly scanned his physique, her gaze bold and unapologetic. In her past life, she’d been too consumed by suffering to appreciate such things—now, she intended to make up for lost time.

That handsome face, smiling yet radiating an icy aura. His black shirt unbuttoned at the top, revealing a hint of his tanned, powerful chest—wild, untamed, and utterly magnetic.

The corner of an antique silver chain peeked out from beneath his collar, its cold gleam matching its owner’s pride.

Her eyes traveled lower, unabashed.

Hua Tingnian clenched his jaw, his patience wearing thin.

He was a grown man, but being ogled like this still felt like an insult.

“Marry me.”

Tang Mo’s voice was clear and firm.

“No matter your glory or ruin, wealth or poverty, I’ll stand by your side—forever.”

Simple. Direct. Uncompromising.

Reborn, reborn anew—this lifetime, she would take what she wanted without hesitation, without pain, without sacrifice.

In her past life, she and Hua Tingnian had crossed paths once. That’s why she’d sought him out in her final moments. Now, it seemed, she was simply ahead of schedule.

Some things were better done early than late.

“Cough—!” Hua Tingnian burst into laughter, shoving her shoulder to move her aside.

What an insult.

He, Hua Tingnian, feared by many, actually *get propositioned* by a brat?

“Hey, think it over carefully!” Tang Mo called after his retreating back before glancing at her ringing phone and hurrying downstairs.