After the college entrance examination, I became the top scorer in the province and was successfully admitted to Yale University—just as I had always dreamed.

My parents were overjoyed. They hosted a grand buffet that lasted three whole days, inviting everyone from the village to celebrate.

But in the morning we were supposed to leave—when a special car arranged by the village came to take us to the station—my mother suddenly blocked the door, refusing to let me go out.

To my shock, my father—who had always obeyed her without question—grabbed her and shoved her against the wall.

I froze in place as the two of them began arguing furiously.

"My daughter, please believe me!" my mother shouted, eyes wild with desperation. "I’ve been reborn. There's going to be a mudslide on the way to the station. If you leave today, you’ll die!"

My father scoffed, eyes flashing with fury. "Don’t listen to her, Sam. This is just her excuse—she doesn’t want you to outshine the bastard child she had with another man!"

My mother’s face flushed scarlet. She jabbed a trembling finger at him. "You heartless man! You know full well that if she goes to college, she’ll be bullied! You’re sending her to her death!"

"And you?" my father barked. "Don’t twist the truth! In the last life, you were the one who stopped her from going to the university she worked so hard for. She died of depression because of you!"

I didn’t step in to calm them this time. Instead, I turned away with a cold sneer and slammed the door behind me.

Let them argue. I wasn’t the same naive girl anymore.

They didn’t know that I, too, had been reborn.

——

The moment I opened the door earlier and heard them spew the exact same lies they told in my past life, I realized the truth—I had come back. This was my second chance.

Sitting on the edge of my bed, my heart pounded violently, the weight of it all crashing down like a tidal wave. For a long while, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.

Then, from outside the door, I heard my mother’s smug voice:

"I told you. My daughter always listens to me."

I snapped back to reality.

Enough was enough.

I repacked my bag with steady hands and opened the door once more.

My mother’s victorious smile faltered the moment she saw me.

"Sam, where are you going with your suitcase?"

I ignored her and looked past her at my father.

"Once you’re done arguing, take me to the meeting point. If I miss the special car, there won’t be another."

My father flicked away his cigarette, startled but pleased. He immediately came over to help carry my luggage.

As he passed my mother, he shot her a smug look, raising an eyebrow in triumph.

I didn’t care about either of them anymore.

My mother grabbed my arm one last time, her voice trembling.

"Sam, please… think it over. If you walk out that door, you might die!"

I pulled away and looked at her straight in the eye.

"I’ve studied for nine years for this moment. Even if the sky rains knives today—I’m going."

She stood frozen, torn between fear and guilt, and didn’t follow me.

As I stepped outside, I heard her whisper behind me,

"What a pity."

My father pedaled the tricycle faster than ever, like a rooster strutting after a victory.

When we reached the meeting point, he even gave me a rare word of advice before I boarded the bus.

"Sam, study hard. Get your doctorate and make our family proud, you hear?"

Hypocrite.

I held back a laugh, nodded indifferently, and turned away.

The driver was doing roll call. I didn’t need to count—I already knew. There were 23 passengers, all girls.

Someone asked the driver, half-jokingly, "Uncle, why are there only girls on this bus?"

The driver chuckled. "To keep you innocent! We sent the boys off on another bus. Don’t want you falling in love too early!"

"No way!" another girl groaned. "I’m still single—how am I supposed to survive without the drama?"

Laughter rippled through the bus.

But I didn’t join in.

I turned my head to look out the window as the scenery passed by in a blur. The road ahead twisted and turned—and we were nearing the dangerous section.

Remembering what my mother had said, I abruptly stood up and rushed to the front of the bus.

“Uncle, can we take another road?” I asked anxiously. “My mom said there’s going to be a mudslide on this route today.”

The driver blinked at me, startled, then pointed outside the window where a light drizzle painted the glass.

“With just this little rain? You think there’ll be a mudslide?” He chuckled, shaking his head. “Don’t worry, girl. This hillside is rock-solid. Go back and sit down.”

I bit my lip and twisted the hem of my shirt, unable to hide the nervous flutter in my chest.

“But… my mom really meant it. She was serious…”

The driver’s patience was wearing thin. His tone turned sharp.

“What is your mother, huh? A geologist? A weather expert? Why are you listening to her over common sense?”

I hesitated for a breath, then said the words quietly, but with all the courage I could gather:

“She… she said she was reborn.”

The entire bus fell silent for a moment—then burst into laughter. Even the driver couldn’t help but snort.

But after a few chuckles, his face suddenly darkened. He looked at me with narrowed eyes.

“Where are you from, little girl?”

His abrupt shift in tone startled me, but I answered honestly, “My father’s name is Ethan. My mother is Daphne.”

The driver’s brows furrowed. He glanced at me again, this time with a strange glint in his eye.

“Alright, alright. Go sit down. Uncle promises you—nothing will happen on this road. I’d stake my life on it.”

I had no choice. The bus was already merging onto the winding mountain road.

I returned to my seat reluctantly, but the knot in my stomach refused to loosen.

Though no one said it aloud, a quiet tension settled over the bus. The rain was picking up, and small pebbles were beginning to scatter across the mountain road up ahead.

The further we went, the more the driver slowed down.

Then, without warning—

Boom!

A deafening crash rang out as lightning split the sky. A massive boulder came tumbling down the cliffside and slammed into the road just meters ahead.

The driver slammed the brakes hard. The bus lurched and came to a stop just before colliding with the rock.

He sat frozen for a second, beads of sweat rolling down his face. Then he turned and looked at me, his expression pale, eyes wide with fear. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.

The other twenty-two girls were silent, stunned.

Thankfully, the rockfall didn’t continue.

Snapping out of it, the driver unbuckled his seatbelt and jumped out. He quickly helped clear the debris with a few villagers who had come running.

When the path was cleared and the bus started moving again, the once lively chatter had vanished. Everyone sat stiffly in their seats, eyes fixed ahead until we were safely off the mountain road.

That’s when I felt a sharp cramp in my abdomen. A cold dread swept through me. I quickly rifled through my backpack—and my heart sank.

It wasn’t there.

With a bitter expression, I made my way back to the driver’s seat once more.

“Uncle… is there a convenience store or small shop nearby?” I asked softly. “Can we stop there, please?”

He turned to me, already exasperated. “What now? Why is it always you? Do you think this is a private car? There are a dozen people here—I can’t just stop unless there’s a reason. Speak clearly.”

I hesitated, cheeks burning. My voice dropped to a whisper.

“I… I just got my period. I didn’t bring anything.”

“What?” he frowned. “Speak up.”

Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m on my period. I didn’t bring any sanitary napkins.”

The driver blinked, coughed awkwardly, then quickly averted his gaze.

“A-Alright, I get it. I’ll pull over at the next small store, okay?”

“Thank you, Uncle.” I bowed slightly and hurried back to my seat, face red with embarrassment.

A few minutes later, the bus pulled in front of a tiny roadside shop. The driver got out with me and waved me toward the entrance.

“Go on in, pick what you need. The bathroom’s over there.”

He pointed inside, and I followed his gesture, only to feel a wave of disappointment wash over me.

An indoor bathroom. Public.

Still, I turned back to him and said, “Thank you,” before heading to the shelves to find what I needed.

After quickly grabbing a pack of the most common brands, I headed straight into the bathroom.

I didn’t expect to run into someone familiar on my way out—Chris Foster, my former squad leader.

He paused mid-step when he saw me, surprise flashing across his face before softening into recognition.

"Samantha Green?" he said, brow lifting. "I was just wondering why I didn’t see you on the bus. I—"

“Chris, did you bring your phone?” I interrupted, urgency tightening my voice.

He blinked, thrown off, then patted his pockets hurriedly.

“Ah… no. I left it on the bus. Want me to run back and get it?”

A wave of disappointment rippled through me, but before I could respond, the driver appeared behind us.

“What’s all this chatter about?” he asked sharply. “It’s hot out, and there are still people waiting in the bus.”

My back stiffened. I bit my lip and turned toward him with a small, nervous smile.

“My parents forgot to give me living expenses. I don’t have enough money to pay for what I bought… I was hoping to borrow a classmate’s phone to call my mom.”

“Really?” The driver eyed me like a hawk. “Your parents forgot something that important?”

I lowered my gaze. “They… had a fight this morning.”

The driver blinked. “A fight? On a day like this?”

I let my eyes redden, playing the part of the tearful daughter just well enough.

“My mom’s not well. She didn’t want me to go to university. She kept saying strange things—like she’d been reborn and if I went to school, I’d die miserably. She tried to stop me from leaving.”

Chris’s expression darkened. Without hesitation, he reached into his backpack and pulled out a handful of bills, stuffing them into my hand.

“It’s okay, Samantha,” he said firmly. “Take this for now. If you need more, just come find me later.”

Before I could say thank you, someone outside the shop called his name, telling him to hurry up and get on the bus.

He gave me a quick grin and jogged off, tossing his backpack over one shoulder.

“See you at Yale University!”

I stood frozen for a moment, watching his energetic figure disappear. My throat tightened.

Will I even make it to Yale University this time around…?

When I finally turned, the driver’s face was unreadable. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“I’m really sorry for all the trouble today,” I said softly. “Let me buy you a bottle of water.”

He raised an eyebrow. “You just borrowed money from someone else, and now you’re playing generous? Not worried about having nothing left at school?”

I smiled faintly. “One bottle of water won’t bankrupt me.”

He gave a short laugh and grabbed a cold soda from the fridge, cracking it open and downing half the bottle in one long gulp.

I quietly grabbed another bottle and handed it to him. “Just in case.”

When we returned to the bus, the girls immediately began complaining.

“What was that about? You locked the doors! We couldn’t even get off to buy water.”

The driver chuckled and pulled a box of bottled water from under the seat.

“Sorry about that—I didn’t expect to take so long. I just didn’t want anyone wandering off.”

He turned to me. “Come on, girl, help me pass them out.”

I bent down to grab a few bottles—then suddenly clutched my stomach, gasping softly.

The driver stiffened. He hurried over and crouched beside me.

“What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

“My stomach hurts,” I whispered, eyes clenched shut. “Bad cramps…”

Seeing I could barely stay upright, he quickly helped me back to my seat.

“I’ll get you some hot water,” he said, already turning for the door. Before stepping out, he told the girl in the front row, “Pass the water around, will you?”

As soon as he left, the girl reached into the box.

I sat up slightly and looked at her. My voice was quiet but firm.

“I wouldn’t drink that if I were you.”

The girls exchanged puzzled glances.

“Why not?” one of them asked.

I didn’t answer. I simply stared at the clock on the front monitor, the numbers ticking forward.

Whether they listened to me or not… wasn’t up to me anymore.