Chapter 1

"Why hasn't the patient woken up yet? It's been four days. Such a handsome guy, he can't become a vegetable, can he?"

"Very likely! But this guy is really unlucky. He came back from the US, just reported to the North Film Institute, and then fell on the stairs, causing intracranial bleeding. Even worse, it was during summer vacation, and the teaching building was empty. He lay on the stairs for one or two hours before being found. If it had been any later, he probably wouldn't have been saved."

"If he were my boyfriend, I wish he were this handsome!"

"Have you read the story of Sleeping Beauty? He's like a sleeping prince now. If you kiss him, he might wake up. Want to try?"

"Ugh, Jiajia, I'm not that kind of person!"

...

In a daze, Zhang Ran regained consciousness, hearing scattered words in his ear. He tried to open his eyes but couldn't. He found himself trapped in endless darkness, no matter how he struggled or ran, he couldn't escape this infinite darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, Zhang Ran suddenly saw a glimmer of light. His withered heart reignited with hope. He shouted and ran desperately toward the light.

Almost simultaneously, a surprised cry echoed in the room: "Jiajia, the patient moved! His hand moved! Is he going to wake up?"

"Quick, call the doctor!"

A series of hurried footsteps approached and stopped in front of Zhang Ran. At that moment, Zhang Ran suddenly opened his eyes. The intense light shone on his face, making him squint and turn his head. As he moved his neck, a severe headache hit him, causing him to involuntarily gasp.

Damn, what happened to me?

When Zhang Ran opened his eyes again, he saw the face of a middle-aged man he didn't recognize. The hot breath from his wide nostrils touched his face, and the white teeth in his open mouth looked like a ferocious beast ready to eat him.

The middle-aged man smiled and asked, "You're awake. How do you feel?"

Zhang Ran's eyes were blank.

Seeing Zhang Ran in a daze, the middle-aged man waved his hand in front of Zhang Ran's eyes: "Can you hear me? How many fingers am I holding up?"

Zhang Ran's eyes moved, focusing on the middle-aged man. Noticing the white coat, he realized this was a doctor.

He looked around the room and saw that it was a special care ward, spacious with all kinds of facilities. I'm in the hospital, but what happened to me?

The doctor, seeing Zhang Ran's lack of response, patted his face and waved his hand in front of his eyes: "Can you see my hand clearly?"

Zhang Ran struggled to say a few words: "Yes, but what happened to me?"

"You fell down the stairs, causing intracranial bleeding. The situation was quite serious, and you were in a coma for five days. Now you're fine." The doctor sighed with relief as Zhang Ran spoke and began to examine him.

I fell down the stairs? Who am I? What do I do?

Zhang Ran's mind was in chaos, but he didn't give up. He tried to recall and soon remembered who he was. My name is Zhang Ran, a graduate of the Film and Television Department at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. I hope to become a director like Zhang Yimou and make a name for myself in the world!

However, reality is harsh. Soon after graduation, I offended a big shot on a film set and lost my footing in the film industry. Later, I ran a movie website, specializing in pirated high-definition films. Many popular movies could be watched on my site as soon as they were released. My website did well, earning me a good reputation in the industry and over a million yuan a year.

But running a pirated website is not a long-term solution. Deep down, I still had a hope to make my own films and prove to those who kicked me out of the film industry that I, Zhang Ran, cannot be silenced.

So, after making some money from the movie website, I started making short films to hone my skills. Once I had enough funds, I planned to make a real film.

My first two short films received good feedback, though I didn't make much money, my directing skills improved significantly. With this, I began my third short film.

Unexpectedly, at the filming site, a chandelier fell from the ceiling, about to hit a young actor. I pushed the frightened child away, and the chandelier landed on my head.

Recalling the doctor's words, Zhang Ran realized something was wrong. I was hit by the chandelier, not from falling down the stairs. Did they make a mistake, or did they mix me up with someone else?

At that moment, a flood of information suddenly surged in his mind.

Zhang Ran felt as if he had been electrocuted, his whole body trembling, and he stood there in shock.

This was not ordinary information but memories, the memories of another person, a man who fell down the stairs.

The feeling was strange. When he tried to recall the moments before the chandelier fell, those memories became clear in his mind. Now, the additional memories in his head felt the same way, but they clearly belonged to another person.

The doctor, seeing Zhang Ran's wide eyes and open mouth, waved his hand in front of his eyes: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, just a bit of a headache!" Zhang Ran shook his head, not telling the doctor the truth. If he did, they would surely call in a psychiatrist. Zhang Ran wasn't that foolish.

After a moment of shock, unable to understand what was happening, Zhang Ran forced himself to calm down and read the additional memories.

As he read, although his expression remained calm, his eyes betrayed his shock.

The owner of the memories was also named Zhang Ran, with the same name and an unparalleled love for film. However, their experiences were vastly different. This Zhang Ran was born in 1977 and was a master's graduate from the UCLA School of Film and Television.

This Zhang Ran originally studied acting, graduating from the UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television. However, as a Chinese person, the chances of making it in the American film industry were slim. Respect and Joan Chen, though established, had only a handful of roles over the years. It was extremely difficult for Chinese actors to succeed in America. Therefore, Zhang Ran began studying directing in his third year and successfully entered the master's program.

The situation for directing was better but still challenging. After graduation, Zhang Ran couldn't find a good job and had to work odd jobs on film sets. The success of Ang Lee's "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" gave him hope.

Ang Lee's situation after graduating from NYU was similar to Zhang Ran's, if not worse. Ang Lee couldn't find a suitable job and had to work as a camera assistant and production assistant. Eventually, he became a laborer, carrying sandbags and equipment, with no chance to do anything technical.

In desperation, Ang Lee returned to Taiwan and wrote the script for "Pushing Hands," winning a 400,000 NT dollar prize. He used this money to make the film, which made him famous.

Ang Lee's success made Zhang Ran realize that he didn't need to stay in America to make films. Instead of wasting his time, he decided to return to China and make a bold move. With high hopes, he returned to China and, through a friend's recommendation, chose to teach at the North Film Institute. However, on his first day, he tripped on the stairs and lost everything.

Zhang Ran's body trembled slightly, unable to explain what was happening. It was too bizarre, almost stopping his brain from functioning.

I'm not in 2015, but in 2001?

Zhang Ran looked up at the doctor and asked in a dry voice, "Doctor, is it 2001?"

"Yes, what year did you think it was?" The doctor laughed, patting Zhang Ran's shoulder, "Your condition is good, don't worry so much!"

Zhang Ran didn't answer, his mind in turmoil. I've become another person, someone with the same name as me!

I've returned to 2001, fourteen years ago!

My current identity is a young teacher who returned from the US to teach at the North Film Institute, and I'm 24 years old!

Zhang Ran suddenly remembered a friend from the North Film Institute who once told him about the ten most unfortunate people at the institute. One of them was a teacher who returned from the US and, on his first day, tripped on the stairs and died.

He began to understand what had happened. He was supposed to be killed by the chandelier, but his consciousness didn't die. Instead, it traveled back to 2001 and replaced the consciousness of the teacher who fell and died, allowing him to live again.

Zhang Ran looked at the white ceiling, feeling lost. This was too bizarre, completely beyond his comprehension. He didn't know what his future would be like or what to do next.

After a long while, Zhang Ran finally came to a decision. Since things were like this, there was no choice. He couldn't expect to return to 2015, so he had to take it one step at a time.

Being a teacher at the North Film Institute was a good identity. Until he found a better path, he would be a teacher at the North Film Institute!

Two and a half hours later, all the test results were out. The doctor, looking at the report in his hand, couldn't believe it. Zhang Ran's condition was completely healed, not like someone who had intracranial bleeding but more like someone with a mild concussion. It was a miracle.

Zhang Ran, seeing the doctor's shocked face, felt a chill. Could something be seriously wrong? Did I just come back to life to die again? Do I have a terminal illness, AIDS, cancer, or something else? I can't be that unlucky, can I? He cautiously asked, "Doctor, what's wrong with me?"

The doctor shook his head. Although it was completely illogical, he still gave his professional opinion: "Your condition is excellent, and your recovery speed is unbelievable. However, due to the brain injury, you need to stay in the hospital for observation to check for any other aftereffects. If there are no issues, you can be discharged."

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