The drive felt relatively quick this time with them chattering away. When Xuemei arrived, she said goodbye to Tao Qiao reminding her to pick her up at the same time tomorrow. Throwing her shoes and clothes off after arriving home, Xuemei almost moaned in relief feeling the comfort of her pajamas. Massaging her sore feet, she did not understand how women always walked around in heels. Tomorrow, she would wear sneakers no matter what. She heard heels were bad for the back and knees anyways. She should treasure herself!

Before heading to sleep, she did some of her regular online snooping. Reading the articles and forcing herself to keep up-to-date with all the current drama. Around 10 o’clock, she received an email from Mo Chen that contained the links of the photos he chose. Glancing through them, she had to say that she was impressed. She knew that she was pretty. After all, it was quite easy for her to look at herself objectively. But these pictures really brought out her best features and made her seem goddess-like. Even Xuemei felt that if she saw these pictures in her last life, she would have taken herself as her celebrity crush. Admiring the pictures, she did not realize a certain someone had already snuck up behind her.

“It seems that your narcissism is still alive and kicking, little sis.” A voice teased. Jumping a little in surprise, she recognized Xueliang’s voice right away. Play kicking him, she pushed him back.

“Get out! Your sister just knows that she is gorgeous, okay? I was admiring the photographer’s work. He really brought out the best in me.” Not at all modest, Xuemei easily boasted. Actually, even in her last life, she was not the humble type. Christian had been a handsome and popular man. Certain amounts of confidence were attractive instead of overbearing.

“Don’t let anyone outside of this house hear words like that. If they do, then don’t let them know that you are my sister. Even if you aren’t embarrassed, your brother feels embarrassed for you.” Xueliang just rolled his eyes.

“Please, I’m this pretty. Pretending to think that I am ugly just seems superficial and fake, no? No one would like a person like that.”

Xueliang grew silent after hearing her words. It was true that if someone that looked like his sister truly went around acting modest and humble, it would come off as hypocritical instead of realistic.

“Still… No one likes a bragger, either.”

“No matter how I act, some girls will always feel dislike towards girls who look better than them. Even if I act nice, they will still find ways to badmouth me. In the end, it’s not worth the effort.” If there was anything that Xuemei learned from the original’s memories, it was that the world of wealthy young ladies was ugly and fake. Although Xuemei was a true bitch in many ways, many of her so-called “friends” were the reason she ended up like that. They buttered her up and then influenced her to act out in such terrible ways before mocking Xuemei behind her back. The original never realized, but the new one could see it clear as day. As the saying goes: a spectator sees more than a player in the heat of a game. They did not like Xuemei for nothing more than the fact that she was richer and prettier than them. Xuemei’s horrendous makeup and clothing choices were all influenced by those friends. Those borderline stalker-like interactions with Lin Jinsong came from their “advice.” True white lotuses, the lot of them. Xuemei pitied the original for idiotically falling into every hole they dug. Maybe her life could have been completely different without those girls.

Xueliang suddenly felt depressed when his sister spoke like this. Actually, how could someone of his intelligence not see that his sister’s friends were atrocious and harbored bad intentions? No matter how many times he warned his sister, though, she would never listen. He thought part of her just feared being completely alone if even those fake friends left. His sister was not as dumb and hopeless as everyone assumed. None of them visited when his sister fell into the coma. A full three years and his sister did not have a single visitor that was not an employee of their household or the three Tangs themselves. Xuemei would never know how many times Mother Tang cried in sadness seeing this pitiful state. Xueliang and Father Tang also pitied their Xuemei who did not have a single true friend. Some days, Xueliang thought even without the push from Lin Jinsong dating that He Hua girl his sister might still have committed suicide. These thoughts pulled him even deeper into despair during those three years as he felt that he was not there for his dear younger sister and let her fall into that state.

Silently approaching closer, Xueliang suddenly hugged Xuemei tightly.

“You know that I’m always here for you, right? I accept all of you!” He whispered.

“Mm. I know.” Feeling a little awkward, Xuemei did not really know how to respond. Lightly patting his back, she stiffly reciprocated the hug as best as she could.

“Good! Well, I just wanted to check in with you after your first day of lessons. It seems that you are looking pretty good, though, so there is nothing to worry about. Sleep well! Good night!”

“Good night.”

Smiling warmly to herself, Xuemei soon sunk into her dreams drifting towards the next morning.

…

Waking up to the chirping of birds, Xuemei felt well rested as her eyes flipped open. It was the first night of restful sleep that she had gotten in a while. Paranoia from her last life plagued her to this day. In unfamiliar settings, she could not sleep without staying alert and ready for threats. Maybe it was her conversation with Xueliang yesterday that allowed her to feel safer and at peace. Rising from bed, Xuemei stretched out and let out a moan of comfort as her body’s muscles came back to life. Smiling to herself, she felt that today was going to be a good day! Glancing over at the clock beside her bed, she saw that it was already 5:30am. Alarmed, she realized that she woke up late today which had never happened before. Quickly dressing into exercise gear, she was going to go out to run. However, once she made it to the door, she finally stopped herself and thought of yesterday morning’s issue. Frowning, she knew that her father had yet to buy the equipment at this point, so she could not exercise in the house. Half of her wanted to just disobey and go out anyways, but half of her knew that would only worry her parents and upset them. Conflicted, Xuemei sighed and turned back. It seemed she would have to skip her morning run today. Her earlier joy halved at the thought of ruining her schedule. Quickly recovering, she went over to the gym to practice her boxing against the sandbag and jump rope. That would be a casual enough workout for the morning to kickstart her body.

Sounds of dull hits echoed in the house but were quiet enough to not disturb the other sleeping family members. Finishing her workout around 30 minutes later, Xuemei knew she should get ready at this point so she would not be late. Hopping into the shower, she tried her best to get through as quickly as possible. Having long hair was such an inconvenience at times like this. He used to just go through his hair and body with the same 3-in-1 products and finish showers in just 5-10 minutes. Now everything was separate and cleaning thoroughly took longer. Stepping out and wringing out her hair, Xuemei looked at her closet feeling irritated. What should she wear today? Yesterday was the first meeting so it made sense to dress nicely, and Mo Chen said to pay more attention to how she dresses. Yet, she was not famous yet so it should not matter… right? Plus, he said that she would be meeting someone from a stunt double agency. If that person tests her, she should be dressed for the occasion. Yes, that sounds about right! Making up her mind, Xuemei glanced around and picked out a pair of black leggings and an oversized black and white sweatshirt. Picking out a pair of matching sneakers, she left her hair down but brought a hair tie.

When she walked out at 6:30, Tao Qiao was already there waiting for her at the front door. Quickly climbing in, she just said hello before falling silent. Knowing the way, Tao Qiao clicked on the music before immediately setting off. A fan of classical music, Xuemei asked Tao Qiao to prepare some CDs beforehand. Listening to one now, she could feel her body relaxing. Bringing back fond memories, Xuemei thought back about her past life’s mother. She was a gentle and kind woman who worked as a piano teacher. Classically trained from a young age, she had the chance to continue pursuing a future career as a famous pianist but decided to quit. She was someone who valued having a settled family life, so, after she married her husband, she found a job as a piano teacher instead. Xuemei had learned to play piano up until the moment her mother died, after that she could not touch the piano. Later on, listening to the classics brought back all the warm memories of her mother.

Maybe this life she could try once again…

Well, that would be something for later. Xuemei knew she already had her hands full with trying to pick up acting. Once university started, she would be even busier.

Shaking her head, Xuemei no longer thought about it. Closing her eyes gently, she silently listened to the music for the rest of the car ride.

Before long, she arrived back at Mo Chen’s office. Knowing the way, she was no longer stopped by the front desk attendant and went straight into the room they spoke in before. Unlike before, the chairs were put away and the makeshift stage taken down. It was just a large empty room with mats set down. This time, Mo Chen was joined by another handsome man. Since the two were standing, Xuemei got a good look at him from afar. He had chiseled features with a clean-shaven look. Although he was lean and tall, his athletic clothes clearly outlined his muscular body. Expression and stance rigid; he surprisingly gave off an ex-military feel to Xuemei. 

As she was curiously glancing at the newcomer, so too was the man scanning the young girl walking towards him. His expression remained unchanged, thus even Mo Chen could not tell what his friend’s initial evaluation was. Continuing to stare, silence encompassed the room while the two silently evaluated each other.

“This is the girl who wants to be a stuntwoman?” Finally speaking, Mo Chen’s friend questioned. The timbre of his voice was smooth and low like a cello. 

“Yes, I am.” Xuemei clarified.

“Hm.” 

Before saying another word, he suddenly struck out. Reacting almost immediately, Xuemei dodged and blocked before throwing out her own low kick to his knee. A slight smile gracing his lip, the man actually did not dodge and just braced his leg for the impact. Feeling like she just kicked a wall, Xuemei grimaced slightly when she saw her kick had no effect. Not going easy, the man switched to grappling and tried to throw her. Reading him correctly, she was able to keep her balance and block his move. Swinging her legs around his neck, she twisted to pull him down onto the ground. However, the man kept his neck stiff and lifted her into the air. Grunting, she did not avoid him but instead did a rapid sit up to strike his face with her fist. For once, the man was caught slightly off guard and allowed the fist to graze his face. Forced to release his grip, the two fell apart. Like a graceful cat, Xuemei reached her hand to catch herself and did a back handspring. In a ready stance, she once again faced her opponent straight on. Miffed that he could not take her on right away, the man finally took the match seriously. For a long while, no one could get the upper hand against the other. Xuemei had already fully adapted her fighting style to her new body. While she lost a great deal of pure strength and muscle mass, she also gained a flexible and supple body that could maneuver around better. The man’s fighting style actually reminded Xuemei a lot of her past self, so she was certain at this point that he was ex-military. 

This state could not last forever as Xuemei had not built up her endurance to that point yet. Although she was most definitely healthier than before, the effects of her 3 years of bed confinement could not disappear so easily. Before long, she started breathing harder and her vision blurred slightly. Noticing her state, the man’s fist stopped midair before reaching her. Letting out a sigh, Xuemei sat on the ground holding her chest trying to take in deep breaths to recover faster.

“Xuemei, are you okay?” Back to his senses, Mo Chen stepped over to ask in concern.

“I’m… hah… fine… just… give me a sec.” Getting her lungs back under her control, Xuemei waved off his concern with frustration. This state of weakness was so foreign and irritating to her and she could not help but curse at the original once again. It was her body, why did she treat it so badly before?! Make no mistake, this damage was not just from the coma. Actually, Xuemei was already in a better physical state now than the original was before the coma. Influenced by her friends, Xuemei would drink and smoke at parties even at her young age. She started rebelling early.

“Your endurance is lacking.” The man’s low voice once again broke the silence, but his words could not be more jarring to Xuemei’s ears. However, she was not the type to make excuses, so she just scoffed and said nothing back.

“Mei-er was in a coma for three years! She’s only just woken up a year ago. Her health is still not at its best.” Mo Chen felt that his friend overstepped, so he tried to protest.

“I appreciate the gesture, but don’t make excuses for me. I’m working out everyday and my condition is improving. However, it’s the hard truth that I still lack as of now.” Xuemei glanced at Mo Chen before staring confidently at the man.

Finding her mettle refreshing, the man did not criticize anymore. In truth, he knew that he was just nitpicking earlier. A smile part of his pride felt bitter that he only won because the girl’s endurance had not recovered. Reaching out his hand to help her up, he tried for a gesture of peace.

“Huang Jun. Former military, however, my past position is classified information. Aged 28, currently working as the owner of a stuntmen agency. Today was just the entrance exam and I believe that you passed with flying colors. Your martial arts are definitely refined and well-trained, so I believe that you are taking this seriously. You may start coming to the agency tomorrow and I will find a job for you to get started on.” Not wasting any words, the man introduced himself and explained his purpose.

“Nice to meet you, Boss Huang. I am all for starting right away, but will I also have time to continue learning with my teacher? I still want to learn acting, as well.” Trying to keep in her laughter, Xuemei really admired this man’s prophetic parents*.

“Just call me Brother Huang. Chen-ge, what do you think?” 

“Oh? You finally remember that your good brother is right here. Don’t worry, you can rotate the days. Let’s do Monday, Wednesday, Friday with Xiao Jun and you can take lessons from me on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Does that work?”

“When I acquire a job for her, it might not be so cut and dry. They like to call in stunt doubles and the like at random times. You know how it is.”

“Well, we will reorganize when that is set in stone, then. Just let me know as soon as possible what the expected schedule is for the job you get her.”

*the character for his name Jun means military