Chapter 1

In the darkness, Su Mian heard the sound of people talking.

She opened her eyes, her mind a bit muddled. The first thing she saw was the slightly yellowed hospital wall.

Before she could think much, a sharp pain came from her right arm, throbbing and aching.

Su Mian looked down, her vision a bit blurry. In the vague outline, she saw a sharp needle embedded in her pale skin, the blue veins looking frail and weak. The bright red blood slowly crawled into the blood bag through the transparent blue plastic tube.

It was thick and glaring.

Her pupils constricted, and she tried to pull her arm back.

Then, her slender shoulders were held down.

"Xianxian, don't be afraid, just a little more, it'll be over soon." The tone was a bit urgent.

Su Mian turned her head and saw a familiar face.

Probably in her thirties, wearing a shirt that had been washed until it was almost white, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead.

This was her mother, Zhou Xuewei.

As the mother of this body for two lifetimes, Zhou Xuewei had not changed a bit. She just didn't have the white hair at her temples and fewer wrinkles, looking very young and clean.

She gently covered Su Mian's eyes, her voice soft.

"Xianxian is so considerate. Just a little more blood, and your sister will be saved!"

Zhou Xuewei had been saying this to Su Mian since she could remember, for over twenty years, until she was thrown into the crematorium with the neighbors and subjected to an exorcism ritual.

But what could be done about it?

Su Mian's sister, Su Hui, had a rare blood type and was born with a coagulation disorder. She needed the same blood type to survive.

Su Mian's father, Su Xunwang, was just a typical farmer, working hard all year round but with no money to treat Su Hui. In this era, the national blood bank was empty, and the Su family had not yet split up, so they all used public funds. In the countryside, daughters were considered a financial burden. No matter how well they were raised, they would eventually marry into another family. Even her uncles and aunts struggled to get enough to eat, let alone allow public funds to be used for Su Hui.

Zhou Xuewei and Su Xunwang decided to have another child, hoping that if they were lucky, they could provide the blood Su Hui needed every month.

This way, they could save money and get an extra laborer.

Thus, Su Mian was born, becoming the youngest daughter of the old Su family. The old lady doted on her, and her parents loved her very much.

However, good times didn't last long. When Su Mian was just three years old, Su Hui's condition worsened, nearly costing her life. Soon, rumors started spreading, saying that the second daughter of the old Su family was a blood-sucking monster, sapping the life out of the first daughter. Otherwise, why would the first daughter look so frail?

Zhou Xuewei, hearing these rumors often, couldn't help but take them to heart. This created a rift between her and Su Mian. Although both daughters came from her womb, the one in her palm was more precious.

So, in her previous life, Su Mian became a blood bank for Su Hui, sacrificing her own future.

Fortunately, heaven had mercy and gave her a second chance.

So, everything still had room for change!

...

Su Mian moved her soft body, taking advantage of Zhou Xuewei and the doctor discussing Su Hui's condition. She slowly put on her shoes and walked out.

The county hospital was large and well-maintained, with small glass windows. A few meters away, standing in front of the dusty glass window, she could feel the fresh scent of the sun.

No longer was she confined to endless blood draws for Su Hui, her mind unclear.

A nurse on duty walked by, glanced at the man smoking at the door, frowned, and handed Su Mian a piece of rock sugar, then smiled, her tone a bit worried: "Xianxian, are you going home with your parents later?"

Sugar was a luxury, not something every household could afford. If it weren't for holidays, Su Mian wouldn't even see the sugar paper. But because of Su Hui, she often came to the hospital and was familiar with the nurses, so she didn't refuse.

She took the sugar, thanked the nurse, and put it in her pocket, her head half-lowered, her long lashes casting a shadow on her eyelids. After a moment, she nodded.

The nurse pursed her lips, wanting to say something, but it turned into a sigh. She warned, "Go home and talk to your father. Have him cook you more eggs to build up your strength." Otherwise, how could she endure this? Compared to their plump daughter, Su Mian was much smaller.

Just as she finished speaking, another nurse called her away.

Passing by the door, she said coldly, "No smoking in the hospital."

The man looked up, showing a worried face, apologized, and turned to the hospital stairs without looking back.

In an office not far away.

A man in a white coat sat on a wooden stool, a cigarette in his mouth, with a clear and handsome face.

This was the newly transferred doctor, Jing Shi.

He had a good appearance and always talked about saving lives and helping the world.

Unfortunately, he was a heavy smoker.

Today, however, he seemed a bit unusual. After a few puffs, he found it uninteresting and stubbed the cigarette out on the metal box.

"Zzzt," the fire went out.

"That family is quite strange," he glanced at the man beside him, then followed his gaze out the window, his eyes showing a hint of disdain.

The man in the chair, wearing a white shirt, had a clear and handsome face. At the moment, his eyes were half-closed, his expression unclear.

From Jing Shi's angle, he could see the man's profile, his skin fair, his nose high, and his bangs a bit long, covering his dark eyes.

Despite this, he was still breathtakingly beautiful.

"Little girl," he said, smiling indifferently, "quite pretty."

"What?" Jing Shi, who was flipping through a prescription, paused, not quite hearing clearly.

Lifting his eyelids, he finally saw the man in the chair clearly. His hands were relaxed, his bones beautifully formed. His half-closed, almond-shaped eyes were misty, his pupils clear, every movement exquisitely beautiful, captivating to look at.

This was the third young master of the Huo family in the capital, Huo Xu.

Famous for his rebellious nature, yet with a distant and aloof demeanor.

It's no wonder people said the girls chasing Huo Xu were countless, which wasn't hard to understand.

"Nothing," the man lifted his leg, casually placing it on the edge of the table, closed his eyes, and said, "Once the matter here is settled, we'll leave. Don't waste time."

"Okay," Jing Shi, distracted by the beauty, nodded.

His clearly defined fingers grabbed a handful of candy.

"What are you doing with my things?" Jing Shi was surprised. He had bought the candy for the nurses in the hospital, as a sign of his commitment to work together.

Huo Xu stood up, his legs long and straight. His half-closed, almond-shaped eyes were cool, his tone indifferent, "It's none of your business."

"..."

...

Su Mian only stood for a moment before encountering Su Hui, who was being helped to the ward by a nurse.

After a consultation and a blood transfusion, Su Hui had slept for over two hours in the hospital, looking much better.

The nineteen-year-old girl, like a half-opened cherry blossom, blushed and leaned forward, forcefully grabbing Su Mian's wrist, nearly making her stumble.

"Xianxian, what's wrong?"

What's wrong?

Su Hui had been hospitalized three times this month for various reasons, and Su Mian had to be forcibly drawn 400cc of blood or more.

Su Mian's face darkened. She could accept Su Hui's fear of death and the pretense of sibling affection, but the feigned innocence was a matter of upbringing.

Struggling to adapt to the dizziness in her head, she slowly pulled her wrist out from under Su Hui's surprised gaze.

Her cold eyes swept over Su Hui's face.

Her pupils were bloodshot, dark red, and somewhat disdainful.

Su Hui stood by the door, feeling wronged despite not saying anything, tears streaming down her face, "Su Mian, I'm going to tell Mom you're bullying me!"

Though she seemed frail, Su Hui could now shout at the top of her lungs, her small face covered in tears.

Bullying?

Stopping her steps, Su Mian turned around, her tone indifferent, "Get used to it."

This was just the beginning. She would make Su Hui understand what bullying truly meant!

Seemingly unable to believe Su Mian would say such a thing, Su Hui's mouth opened and closed, even her fake tears paused. Just then, Zhou Xuewei turned around and, seeing Su Hui crying, gently touched the needle mark on her arm, "Huihui, does it hurt? Why aren't you lying in bed? What are you doing out here?"

Su Hui looked up at Zhou Xuewei, her voice low, "Mom, can you not let my sister give me blood next time? She's already blaming me..."

"How could that be?" Zhou Xuewei comforted, her face showing loving concern, "She's your sister. Giving you blood is her duty. Don't overthink it, just focus on getting better."

"But I feel like my sister doesn't want to give me blood."

Seeing her eldest daughter's red eyes, Zhou Xuewei's maternal heart softened, "She dares? If it weren't for her taking your luck, would your body be so weak? Life for life, debt for debt. Giving you blood is what she owes you!"

Zhou Xuewei's attention was entirely on Su Hui, far from the gentle and considerate manner she had when coaxing Su Mian to give blood. She had long forgotten her affection for Su Mian.

Su Mian laughed coldly. After all, she was the one in the palm, rough and bony, different from Su Hui, who was naturally meant to be cared for.