Rebirth of the Best Businesswoman at School Chapter 1

Warm spring sunlight filtered through the curtains, illuminating a white bedsheet. The occupant of the bed appeared somewhat pale, her hair damp with sweat clinging to her forehead and face.

Jian Ai's brow was subtly furrowed, lost in a daze. Her head felt heavy, as if filled with lead, and her nerves throbbed with an almost explosive intensity. The hard mattress beneath her caused her back to ache, and her sweat-drenched clothes clung uncomfortably. Her eyelashes fluttered, and then, with evident difficulty, Jian Ai slowly opened her eyes.

Her first blurry sight was of an old-fashioned closet, its paint peeling. Beside the worn, handmade bedside table sat a green glass vase holding a wilting daffodil, on the verge of collapse. A cherry-like alarm clock seemed to stare at her with wide eyes.

A sudden flash of white light filled Jian Ai's mind. Her lethargied spirit jolted back into her body, and her weakened frame pushed itself upright from the bed.

As she surveyed her surroundings, she recognized this was not her luxurious apartment in the capital. Yet, the white bedsheets, the light muslin curtains, and the room's furnishings felt intimately familiar.

This was not her current residence, nor was it the capital. It was her childhood home in Baiyun City!

Disbelief washed over Jian Ai as she gazed at the scene, a dazed expression on her face. Why was she here? Hadn't this old house been demolished long ago?

And as for herself…

Jian Ai closed her eyes, concentrating to recall the past. She had resided in this old house until she was seventeen, when she left for university in the capital. At nineteen, her mother succumbed to cancer. Her elder brother, working on a construction crew to fund her education, met with a tragic accident and passed away. These two pivotal figures in Jian Ai's life disappeared one after the other, leaving her in her third year of university.

However, this crushing blow did not break her. After a period consumed by grief, Jian Ai resolved to face the future alone.

The construction company offered compensation for her brother's death. Additionally, Jian Ai received a substantial sum from the demolition of their old home. With these funds, Jian Ai leveraged her unique intellect and business acumen to launch her venture in the capital. She possessed an innate talent for commerce, and within a few short years, Jian Ai carved out a significant reputation in the capital's real estate sector, becoming a female tycoon worth tens of millions.

The final image in her mind was crystal clear: the driver was taking her to finalize a contract with a business partner. At an intersection, a truck driving alongside suddenly swerved…

So… was she deceased?

She opened her eyes, taking in everything that felt both bewildering and deeply familiar. Or was her actual life merely a dream?

Stepping off the bed, Jian Ai moved with practiced ease to the closet, opening it. The inside of the door held a mirror. Her reflection showed a pale, thin face, clearly indicating she hadn't yet recovered from a significant illness. But this was precisely how she had looked back then!

Raising her hand, she gently touched her face. The reality of it brought tears to her eyes.

Tucked away at the top of the closet was her high school uniform, its colors dated yet comforting.

Suddenly, the sound of a door opening echoed from outside. Jian Ai's heart leaped, and her body involuntarily tensed.

She hurried to the door and pulled it open. In the modest living room, Wang Yunmei was setting down a basket of fruit. Hearing the sound, she turned. Upon seeing her daughter standing at the doorway, looking frail, she exclaimed, “Oh, Xiao Ai, why are you out of bed so soon? Go back and lie down. You mustn’t catch a cold.”

As she spoke, Wang Yunmei quickly approached Jian Ai. Just as she reached out to guide her back into the room, her daughter suddenly embraced her.

“Mom!”

It seemed Jian Ai had mustered all her remaining strength to utter the word. Unable to contain herself any longer, she collapsed into her mother's arms, tears streaming down her face.

In Jian Ai's recollections, her mother had worked as an escort at a nightclub for as long as she could remember. This occupation was considered disreputable by many, leading to neighborhood gossip and estrangement from her maternal grandparents and uncles.

Beyond that, her mother had managed a small rented stall near their home. Every morning, early rising was required to fry dough sticks and sell breakfast. For over a decade, her mother endured such a life, solely to support herself and her son.

Jian Ai and her brother had no knowledge of their father. Since their mother remained silent on the matter, they never inquired. In her heart, only her mother and brother held importance.

However, when she reached nineteen, fate played another cruel trick. Her mother was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer and passed away within a mere two months. This plunged their already struggling family into even greater despair. She couldn't even see her mother one last time, as she was attending university in the capital.

Embracing the familiar scent of her mother, Jian Ai wept uncontrollably, nearly collapsing. If this were all a dream, she would gladly surrender everything she owned to remain within it, never to awaken.

Meanwhile, Wang Yunmei was taken aback by her daughter's sudden embrace. Once her senses returned, she quickly patted her daughter's back reassuringly. "There, there, my dear daughter, why are you crying? Go back and lie down. Your fever has just broken. Don't catch another cold."

Observing her daughter's tear-reddened eyes, Wang Yunmei couldn't help but offer a fond smile. "The doctor mentioned you were frightened, and your emotions might be unstable. I never imagined your feelings would fluctuate so intensely. This is the first time I've ever seen you cry this hard, Mom."

She wiped away her tears. Though unable to compose herself quickly, Jian Ai feigned normalcy and stated, "Mom, I want to take a shower first. My body feels sticky and uncomfortable."

"Alright, go ahead and shower. I'll change the bedsheets for you; they're probably soaked with sweat."

Wang Yunmei, believing her daughter had simply been startled, didn't probe further.

Inside the bathroom, the unassuming showerhead sputtered water intermittently. Gradually, Jian Ai's heart began to find its calm.

It was early spring in the year 2002. Twelve years had passed before her pivotal accident. All of this wasn't a mere dream. She had been transported back twelve years, to when she was fourteen!

Yet, if she couldn't alter anything in this new life, what purpose would this opportunity serve? Thus, Jian Ai clenched her fists, making a solemn vow to herself. This time, she was determined to save her mother and brother, and fundamentally change her family's destiny.