🎎 A Second Chance: 🎎
Chapter 1: Awakening
The claps of thunder rattled the fragile glass of the window, making Zhang Wei flinch awake. He sat upright, hands trembling, pulse racing. He could feel the lingering ache in his core—the cost of the forbidden technique he had performed months ago.
"So… this world… is it real, or just some illusion?" he muttered to himself, wincing as the memory of betrayal and pain washed over him.
Everything had led to this moment. The transfers, the core sacrifices, the endless games of power—yet he was still alive. His survival felt like a miracle… and a curse.
Chapter 2: Life and Lies
Jennifer rubbed her cheek, wincing at the lingering sting. Hours had passed since the altercation, and yet nothing had come from it. Time wasted.
A small voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Miss!"
A little girl, uniformed, stared blankly at her. Jennifer studied the child, noting the exact age from the uniform, the expressionless eyes. For a brief moment, she wondered about the stories and truths hidden behind such blank stares.
Chapter 3: Bai Ze's Rebirth
The weather was relentless. Cold rain lashed against the windows, and thunder rolled across the sky. Beneath a thick blanket, a small pair of hands struggled to push against the suffocating warmth.
Too hot…
Bai Ze, barely more than a month old in this reborn body, frowned. It had been a month since he was thrown back into infancy, a child again despite all he had endured. The dim room mirrored his loneliness, the helplessness he had once feared as an adult now pressing against his tiny chest.
Even so, he was alive. That was what mattered.
He remembered faintly: once, he had been a child of wealth, raised by Grandpa Tang until the old man died when Bai Ze was thirteen. That was when he had severed ties with the Zhang family for good.
His father, Zhang Wei, had loved him enough to sacrifice his own core—but his mother… she had vanished, leaving no trace behind.
A soft yawn escaped Bai Ze as he drifted back toward sleep, the sound of thunder lulling him.
An hour later, two veiled maids entered.
"Still asleep," Fuyao whispered, her calm blue eyes scanning the crib.
"I told you he'd be fine," the other maid muttered, annoyed.
"You should never leave a child alone. This is Master Fang's son, the first grandson of the clan leader," Fuyao said sharply. Then, gesturing to her colleague, she added, "You take the night off. I'll care for him."
The other maid hesitated, then left. Fuyao's eyes softened as she traced the scar along her jaw, memories of Zhang Wei flooding back.
"You look so much like him," she whispered to the child. "Your father helped me when others didn't. I will protect you… until his return."
Chapter 4: Zhang Wei's Ordeal
Meanwhile, in the West Manor, Zhang Wei lay on the cold floor. His body ached, his limbs weak and trembling. His once-black hair had fallen over his shoulders, now streaked white; his eyebrows and lashes had lost all color. He was alive, yes—but broken.
"I can't… I'm too tired…" he muttered. Every movement sent a wave of pain through him.
Before he could gather himself, the door slammed open. Heavy, measured footsteps approached, followed by a lighter one—guards, and a maid.
"Drag him to the main hall."
Two hands gripped his arms, lifting him. Pain shot through his bones like needles. Zhang Wei forced himself to walk, each step agony.
"Where are you taking me…?" he croaked, but no one answered.
Chapter 5: The Main Hall
The Main Hall was suffocating. Elders lined the walls, their faces dark, some sneering openly. High-ranking servants stood behind them, nearly invisible. At the front, Zhang Chuan, the Clan Leader, sat upon the jade throne, calm and imperious. Beside him, a woman of elegance observed quietly. To her left stood Sang Sang and Fei Fei, the daughters of the household, their presence commanding attention.
Zhang Wei was dragged to the center. His white robe was now dirty and torn from rough handling. Shackles bound his legs, dragging across the floor.
The elders gasped. His hair… completely white.
"…Zhang Wei?" Fuyao's voice broke the tense silence. Relief and shock mingled in her eyes.
Zhang Wei forced himself to kneel. "…Father…"
"Do you know your crimes?" Zhang Chuan's voice was cold and absolute.
Zhang Wei frowned. "…No."
"You broke clan rules, married without consent, disgraced the family, and sacrificed your core using a forbidden technique," Zhang Chuan said, each word sharp as a blade.
Before Zhang Wei could respond, Grandpa Tang was thrown forward, bruised but managing a weak smile.
"Grandpa Tang!" Zhang Wei crawled toward him but was restrained by invisible energy.
"Where is the maid?" Zhang Chuan demanded.
Tang bowed. "She… passed away after giving birth. Master Wei buried her ashes in the forest, per her last wish."
Zhang Wei froze, memories flashing. He had buried someone there before—but something felt wrong.
Chapter 6: Crime and Punishment
Standing silently a distance away, Fuyao's blue eyes never left him. Once his childhood friend, she had survived only because Zhang Wei had saved her when her family, the Fu Clan, was destroyed. Her face bore scars, her core damaged. Zhang Wei had restored her only partially, sacrificing sixty percent of his core energy, leaving him weak for months.
Now, seeing her in the hall, restrained, he realized: she hadn't disappeared for revenge—she had returned, alive, standing before him.
"Interesting," Zhang Chuan murmured, studying his son with a dangerous, calculating interest. Zhang Wei's eyes widened—confusion, guilt, and something more swirled within him.
"Master Wei!" Fuyao's voice broke slightly. Relief and concern clashed in her heart. Seeing him on his knees, pale and trembling, only confirmed the peril he had endured.
"Is she the one?" Zhang Chuan asked, amused.
Zhang Wei's voice, usually gentle, rose in protest: "Father… Fuyao isn't—"
"Oh?" Zhang Chuan interrupted, smirking. "Yet I feel your core energy around her."
A wave of energy shot into Fuyao, making her knees buckle. Zhang Wei reached toward her instinctively.
"Fuyao…" he gritted, determined.
Zhang Chuan leaned back, a sharp gleam in his eyes. "Such closeness… without realizing it."
Fuyao's ears flushed. Though two years older, Zhang Wei had always called her by her given name, as if they were siblings—but no one else could understand. Their parents and Zhang Wei's mother had once wished to see them engaged, but he had refused, thinking it a joke.
The hall remained silent, watching as father and son—and the loyal childhood friend—stood at the center of clan scrutiny, the weight of judgment pressing down on them all.
Zhang Wei could do nothing but kneel, overwhelmed and confused. He had survived rebirth, endured pain, and witnessed betrayal. And yet, his greatest test was only beginning: navigating the complex web of family, loyalty, and power under the watchful eyes of Zhang Chuan
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