The Second Chance of a Lifetime

Upon feeling a wet droplet land on her eyes, Yuxi opened her eyes in confusion. She had expected to see the familiar darkness of her old, dirty, and creaky room. Instead, she was kneeling before two graves. Blinking and rubbing her eyes from the unrelenting rain that washed the tears from Yuxi's eyes, she saw the tombstone of her parents.

Zhao Yulong and Chen Xiyue were buried in the cemetery created for the royal family, but they were the exception made by the Emperor. Because Zhao Yulong had been friends with the Emperor ever since birth, he was considered to be a brother.

Confusion flooded Yuxi when she glanced down at her hands. It was incredibly tiny, as if the woman was eight years old again. Touching her round and rosy cheeks stained with tears, Yuxi was shocked to feel the flesh and not the bones of starvation.

"Come with me, Little Yuxi. Eldest Uncle will take care of you." Yuxi's tiny body went frigid at the familiar voice. Her body was paralyzed with so much fear, she didn't dare move an inch.

Her skin was already frozen and pale from the rain as she wept before her parents grave, but now it was deathly white as if she knew the truth of what truly happened to her parents.

The uncles exchanged glances with each other at her chilling and mortified expression.

Staring at the gravestone once again, and running her hand over the rough material, Yuxi felt a pricking realization: she had traveled back in time, to the exact day she was supposed to choose her guardian.

Yuxi was extremely confused at the extremely welcomed realization, but how was this miracle possible? Was it because she died the same exact time of her birth or was it because the Gods above took pity on the poor girl?

"Little Yuxi, eldest Uncle will take good care of you." It was that same exact line he had told the previous Yuxi.

Yuxi's usual naive eyes went cold and dark. The sudden change of expression from innocence to hatred startled the men, but intrigued a figure in the corner who had been silently watching the girl ever since she touched her cheeks in confusion.

The man, tucked in the corner of the darkness was hidden from plain sight. He surveyed Yuxi's expression, a knot in his stomach. The adorable child greatly resembled his favorite daughter, Chen Xiyue.

She was the mirror reflection of the famous Beauty of Houling, down to the last strand of her long hair. Chen Xiyue, before her death, was famous for her elegance, grace, and looks that was able to lure the legendary General Zhao Yulong from his horse.

"Eldest brother, you're too old to take care of little Yuxi."

"None sense, I'm only one year younger than Yulong." The oldest Uncle immediately countered. In the room, despite his age, he was the poorest out of all of Yulong's brother. He needed Yuxi's inheritance more than anyone here.

"Yuxi will need someone wise and old to take care of her, and as the eldest brother alive, I'm perfectly qualified for the role as her guardian." It wasn't hard to see the greed that fell on the eldest Uncle's shoulder. Yuxi felt like a fool for not seeing this greed.

"Age doesn't matter. I look the most like Yulong, so she will feel more comfortable living with me." The third brother said, as he walked closer to Yuxi who was still huddled before the tombstone of her parents. There was no servant hovering over her with an umbrella, and the rain was beginning to soak her white hanfu.

The eldest Uncle at the realization of such issue, immediately grabbed an umbrella and ran to Yuxi. This small action was enough to fool the previous Yuxi, but it won't fool the current Yuxi whose soul will never rest from the betrayal of her Uncle.

"You're so greedy, you forget the condition that Yuxi is in." The eldest Uncle bristled. He was a massive hypocrite, that much was evident.

Looking back at the situation, Yuxi realized how foolish she was. In her previous life, she thought they were fighting for her attention and guardianship because they loved her. Now that her soul and brain had the knowledge of a twenty-eight year old woman, she realized they were only fighting for her inheritance. Every soul in Houling knew the Zhao family was wealthy, especially Zhao Yulong whose achievements from war was enough to last the family for centuries to come.

"If Yuxi may, can I ask dear eldest Uncle a question?" Yuxi's voice was still pure and sweet as honey. Even her voice resembled her mother; it was the same exact voice that was able to catch the attention of Yulong.

The voice was still untouched from the cruelty of throat grabbing and stomping. Her own voice, strong and firm, had surprised Yuxi who was used to the previous sound of her voice. Because of the abuse she endured when she chose her uncle, her windpipe was severely damaged leading to a harsh and deep voice.

"My dear Yuxi, of course you can ask me a question." The eldest Uncle smiled, thinking it was something childish like the color of the flowers outside of her room.

"Will eldest Uncle take Yuxi if she signs away her inheritance to perhaps an orphanage?" Her supposedly innocuous question caught the man off guard. His smile slightly dropped and everyone saw the small chance in his face.

Clearing his throat, he adjusted the suddenly tight collar of his robes. The expression on Yuxi's face startled not only him, but the remaining Zhao men.

They had expected the usual Yuxi who was known for her innocent heart that would always foolishly see the good in people. They never thought the pampered and spoiled child knew how to keep her face neutral and unreadable. Blaming it on the sudden death and massacre of her parents, the men pardoned her sudden change of behavior.

However, the man silently watching the girl from the corner of the pavilion didn't see an excuse for her stony expression.

"Yuxi, what are you implying? Regardless of money, I will still love you." If it wasn't for the deep tremor in the oldest Uncle's voice, most people would've believed him. However, he was nervously sweating and the hand holding the umbrella was slightly shaking.

Yuxi's expression never changed to displeasure. As a matter of fact, there was no emotion flickering between her eyes.

Surveying the man in the room who all had looks of uncertainty, but hidden greed, Yuxi felt her spirit begin to drop. Was her fate going to repeat regardless of the uncle she chose? Was there truly no one that loved her for whom she was?