The door opened with a soft click.
A girl stepped inside, holding a small thermos flask with both hands. She looked fragile, like a porcelain doll that would shatter if touched too hard. Her cheeks were pale, her lips slightly blue, and a thin scarf was wrapped around her neck even though it was not cold.
"Sister…" the girl said softly. "You're really awake."
Chu Yunyun watched her silently.
The face.
That face.
For a moment, the hospital room vanished, and she was back in that dark cell. Back to the mocking smile, the fake tears, the innocent voice that had begged for forgiveness while pushing her into hell.
Her fingers dug into the bedsheet.
She forced herself to breathe slowly.
This girl was not her half-sister.
She was Yu Chen's younger sister.
But the resemblance was cruel.
The same delicate features.
The same weak posture.
The same way her eyes looked pitiful when lifted upward.
A chill ran down Chu Yunyun's spine.
"Sister?" the girl called again, walking closer to the bed. "The doctor said you should rest more. You collapsed again after giving blood yesterday…"
Blood.
The word struck like a hammer.
Fragments of Yu Chen's memories rose unbidden.
A hospital bed.
A needle piercing her skin.
A bag filling with dark red liquid.
Chu Yunyun swallowed.
Her throat felt dry.
"…How much?" she asked.
The girl blinked. "How much…?"
"How much blood did they take?" Chu Yunyun repeated, her voice hoarse.
The girl hesitated, biting her lip. "Not much… just one bag. The doctor said it's okay. You're used to it."
Used to it.
Her heart twisted.
She slowly sat up, ignoring the dizziness that made black spots dance in her vision.
"This body…" she muttered. "So weak."
The girl hurried to her side. "Don't sit up too fast! Sister, you'll faint again!"
Chu Yunyun brushed her hand away.
The touch startled the girl.
"…Sister?" she whispered. "You're acting strange."
Strange.
Yes.
Because Yu Chen would never push her away.
Yu Chen would smile gently and say it was fine.
Yu Chen would never look at her with such cold eyes.
Chu Yunyun studied the girl carefully.
"What's your name?" she asked suddenly.
The girl froze.
"…What?"
"What is your name?" Chu Yunyun repeated, her gaze sharp.
The girl laughed nervously. "Sister, are you joking? I'm Yu Li. Your little sister."
Yu Li.
The name settled into her memory.
She closed her eyes.
Yu Chen is dead, she reminded herself.
And I am here.
Her hands trembled slightly as she lifted them in front of her face.
Slender fingers.
Faint scars near the elbow from repeated needle punctures.
This was not her body.
Her body had been strong once.
Trained.
Elegant.
This body had only ever known obedience and pain.
"I need to be alone," Chu Yunyun said suddenly.
Yu Li looked shocked. "But—"
"Go," Chu Yunyun said firmly.
The room fell silent.
Yu Li stared at her sister for a long moment, unease creeping into her eyes.
"…Okay," she said quietly. "I'll bring food later."
She left.
The door closed.
Chu Yunyun exhaled shakily.
Her legs swung over the side of the bed, and she stood.
The world tilted violently.
She grabbed the bed rail just in time to keep from collapsing.
Her knees were weak.
Her muscles felt hollow.
"So this is what she endured…" Chu Yunyun murmured.
She shuffled toward the bathroom mirror.
Each step felt like walking on broken glass.
When she reached the mirror and looked up, she froze.
A pale girl stared back at her.
Large eyes.
Sharp nose.
Soft lips.
Pretty—but lifeless.
"This face…" she whispered.
It was not her face.
Her face had once been proud.
Confident.
Unyielding.
This face looked like it had never known rebellion.
Her hands pressed against the mirror.
"I don't belong here."
Her chest tightened painfully.
She had been tortured.
Killed.
Robbed of her identity.
And now she was wearing someone else's life.
Memories surfaced again.
Yu Chen kneeling in front of her parents.
Yu Chen apologizing for being weak.
Yu Chen fainting after blood donation.
Anger rose like fire in her veins.
"What kind of life is this…?"
She slid down the bathroom wall and sat on the cold tiles.
Her breathing grew uneven.
"This is wrong."
Her fingers curled into fists.
"I should be dead."
Her throat burned.
"I shouldn't be here."
Her mind replayed her last moments.
The pain.
The betrayal.
The laugh of her half-sister.
Her vision blurred.
For the first time since awakening, tears fell.
Silent.
Hot.
They slid down her cheeks and dripped onto the floor.
Not tears of weakness.
Tears of injustice.
"I lost everything…" she whispered. "And now I don't even have my own body."
She hugged her knees.
This body was not hers.
This life was not hers.
This family was not hers.
Yet…
Her heartbeat was real.
Her breathing was real.
She was alive.
That truth pressed down on her like a mountain.
"…I don't want this," she said softly.
She wanted her body back.
Her world back.
Her revenge back.
She wanted to go home.
A knock came at the door.
"Sister?" Yu Li's voice sounded worried. "Are you okay? You've been in there too long."
Chu Yunyun wiped her face and stood slowly.
When she opened the door, Yu Li was standing there with a bowl of soup.
Her eyes searched Chu Yunyun's face.
"…You really look different," Yu Li murmured.
Chu Yunyun stiffened.
"Different how?"
Yu Li hesitated. "You used to smile when you see me."
Silence stretched between them.
Chu Yunyun realized something terrifying.
She had to act.
She had to become Yu Chen.
At least on the surface.
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"…I'm just tired," she said.
It sounded wrong.
Yu Chen's voice should be soft.
Submissive.
Hers was sharp, even when she tried to hide it.
Yu Li studied her closely.
"…Sister," she said slowly, "are you angry at me?"
Angry?
The word nearly made her laugh.
If Yu Li knew the truth, she would run.
Chu Yunyun forced a faint smile.
"No."
Yu Li didn't look convinced.
She placed the soup on the bedside table.
"You've never said 'no' to me like that before."
Danger.
Chu Yunyun sat down carefully.
"I need time," she said. "I almost died."
That part was true.
Yu Li's expression softened. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…"
Her voice trailed off.
Chu Yunyun stared at the soup.
This girl wasn't innocent.
But she wasn't entirely guilty either.
And that was the most dangerous part.
"I won't give blood anymore," Chu Yunyun said suddenly.
Yu Li's hands froze.
"…What?"
"I said I won't give blood anymore."
Yu Li's face turned pale. "But… but I need it."
Chu Yunyun lifted her eyes.
"So did she," she thought.
Her jaw tightened.
"I almost died."
Yu Li's eyes filled with tears.
"But I'm sick…"
Chu Yunyun looked away.
For a split second, her resolve wavered.
Yu Chen's memories whispered.
She needs it.
Don't be selfish.
Chu Yunyun clenched her fists.
No.
This is my life now.
"I won't die for you," she said coldly.
Yu Li staggered back as if struck.
"You… you're not my sister," she whispered.
The words cut deeper than she expected.
Chu Yunyun froze.
Yu Li's eyes were wide with fear and doubt.
"My sister would never say that," Yu Li whispered.
Silence fell like a blade.
Chu Yunyun felt something unfamiliar twist in her chest.
Guilt.
"…Maybe she shouldn't have," Chu Yunyun said quietly.
Yu Li ran out.
The door slammed.
Chu Yunyun sat still.
Her heart pounded painfully.
"So this is what it means…" she whispered. "To live another person's life."
Not power.
Not revenge.
But pretending.
Lying.
Carrying someone else's pain.
She leaned back against the bed.
"I don't belong here…"
But fate had placed her here.
Whether she accepted it or not.
And somewhere deep inside her chest, a cold thought formed:
If I must live as Yu Chen…
Then I will live better than she ever did.
And anyone who tries to use me…
Will pay.