I died on the night of my twenty-seventh birthday.
There was no blood, no screaming, just the faint bitter taste of almond on the tip of the tongue when a glass of warm champagne slid down the throat. Outside the window was a private birthday banquet hosted by Lu Chenzhou for me. The crystal chandeliers were dripping with gold, the champagne tower was reflecting the swaying light spots, and the guests were toasting and laughing. But I was sitting at the main seat, my fingertips were cold, and my sight was sinking inch by inch, like falling into the deep sea.
At the last second before consciousness dissipated, I heard Lu Chenzhou lean over and say in my ear: "Ayuan, don't be afraid, this time... I will protect you well."
The voice was incredibly gentle.
But I know he won't.
Because in the last life, he personally put my urn into the secret compartment at the bottom of the Lu family ancestral hall without even carving my name.
——That was the day I was charged with embezzling public funds for him and was taken to court. He stood on the witness stand, his suit straight and his eyes as clean as the first snow.
I die of trust and I die of love.
When I opened my eyes again, it was September 3, 2015, under the dome of the auditorium during the opening ceremony of my junior year.
