Accidentally Sold Myself (Rebirth) - Chapter 1

1: Rebirth

“Ouch, my head hurts so much~” Gu Xi groaned, rubbing her temples. Her entire body felt dizzy and disoriented. She struggled to prop herself up, trying to shake off the fog in her mind. This sensation was all too familiar—writing until her brain cramped!

Suddenly, Gu Xi snapped her head up, looking around with wide eyes, disbelief etched on her face. This was her rented apartment. But wasn’t she… dead? Hit by a car?

In that fleeting moment of the accident, she had felt her body uncontrollably flung into the air, a sharp burst of pain, and then… she became a ghost. She had seen it with her own eyes—the driver who hit her was acting under the orders of the Gu family. She couldn’t understand why. She had no connection to the Gu family, so why would such a powerful entity target her? Could it really be just because her surname was Gu? Impossible!

The driver, merely charged with drunk driving, was sentenced to three years in prison.

And then, when she opened her eyes again, she found herself back here.

Had she been reborn? She immediately grabbed the phone by her bedside and checked the date—five years ago? Gu Xi let out a wail, “Reborn?! Oh, how touching, how unbelievable! But, dear heavens, couldn’t you have let me reborn seven years later instead?”

After a moment of thought, she sighed, wondering if it would’ve been better not to come back at all.

What if the Gu family killed her again? And to make matters worse, she had been reborn on the day her girlfriend broke up with her. Gu Xi couldn’t help but cry out, “God, just let me die again!”

Gu Xi was an orphan with little education, barely scraping by as a writer on Jinjiang. Two years before this moment, she had attended a Jinjiang book signing event, hoping to meet her favorite author, who would later become a wildly popular screenwriter. She didn’t meet the author, but she did meet her first love, Huang Lejia.

Gu Xi had known since she was young that she was attracted to women. Huang Lejia was pure and delicate, the kind of beauty that seemed straight out of a painting. The moment Gu Xi saw her, it was love at first sight.

Gu Xi herself was a classic beauty, confident in her looks. She believed that with enough charm, she could win anyone over. So, she pursued Huang Lejia relentlessly for half a year and finally won her heart. But their relationship didn’t even last a year and a half before it fell apart.

They had been bickering for months.

Gu Xi cherished the relationship deeply. No matter how exhausted she was, she stayed up late writing, just to provide Huang Lejia with the best clothes, the best food, the best everything.

But in the end, all her efforts were for nothing. Huang Lejia kept demanding more until Gu Xi could no longer keep up. Their fights grew worse, and no matter how much Gu Xi tried to salvage things, Huang Lejia left her for a rich, handsome man.

During her time as a ghost, Gu Xi learned the truth: Huang Lejia had been with that man long before their breakup. Gu Xi had just been her ATM. At that moment, she vowed that if she ever got a second chance, she would only love money—because money would never betray her.

“Why, why did I have to be reborn?” Gu Xi lamented, her voice heavy with sorrow.

She glanced at the time again—almost noon. Huang Lejia would probably show up soon. How ironic. Was she about to be hurt all over again?

Clutching her chest, the pain from five years ago—plus the years she spent as a ghost—still lingered. She couldn’t let it go. She had given so much, and as an ordinary person, she naturally wanted something in return. Maybe she had been too greedy, and that’s why she was dumped.

“Forget it. If I can’t win her back, at least I won’t let myself lose too pathetically!” Gu Xi got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she saw her 22-year-old self—radiant skin, a face that needed no makeup to shine. She was nothing like the 27-year-old version of herself five years later, who looked like a worn-out 40-year-old. It felt like a lifetime ago.

Gu Xi washed up and put on light makeup. As the minutes ticked by, she couldn’t shake the surreal feeling that she was still dreaming. Who could believe something like this?

Click.

The door opened.

A familiar face with a disdainful expression pierced Gu Xi’s heart. They had only been together for less than two years, but even a pet dog would inspire some attachment—let alone a person.

What was she still hoping for? Hadn’t she already prepared herself? Why did it still hurt?

Huang Lejia didn’t even glance at Gu Xi. Expressionless, she marched into the room and packed up all her clothes.

Gu Xi could only watch, trying to keep her expression as neutral as possible. Huang Lejia tossed the apartment key onto the table and said coldly, “Let’s part on good terms. Here’s your key. Don’t bother me again.”

Gu Xi’s face stiffened, but she nodded. Huang Lejia gave her a strange look. Normally, wouldn’t Gu Xi be crying and begging her to stay? Shaking her head, she decided it was for the best. “Let’s never see each other again.”

Bang.

The door slammed shut as Huang Lejia left. Gu Xi collapsed onto the sofa, covering her face with one hand as tears streamed down.

“Reborn… what’s the point of it? Haha…” Her freshly applied makeup was ruined by her tears.

After a long while, she slowly got up and went to the bathroom to wash off the makeup. She never liked wearing it anyway. She spent her days glued to Jinjiang, tweaking her stories based on data, with no time for makeup or going out—all because of her.

Being reborn at this moment was the lowest point of Gu Xi’s life. With the little money she had, she headed to Happy Bar. People always said that drowning your sorrows in alcohol could wash away the pain. And so, in the five years before her death, she had drowned herself in drink.

That habit had left her poorer and more unstable, unable to focus on writing, her income plummeting.

Drinking became her crutch. At Happy Bar, empty bottles piled up in front of Gu Xi. Her body, unaccustomed to such heavy drinking at this point in time, couldn’t handle it. Naturally, she got blackout drunk.

Gu Xi wasn’t a strong drinker. While others might pass out on the street, Gu Xi, when drunk, somehow gained superhuman strength and always managed to find her way home. That was how she had safely made it back every time over the past five years.

But five years ago, her tolerance was still building. Now, stumbling along the wall, she genuinely couldn’t find her way home.

…

“Water… I need water.” Gu Xi’s throat burned like fire, her head pounding. All she wanted was water.

When her lips touched the edge of a glass, she drank greedily, like a parched desert meeting rain. Sighing in relief, she collapsed back into sleep.

She didn’t know how long she slept, but when she woke, clutching her head, she slowly opened her eyes. After a moment of daze, her eyes widened in shock. The room was unfamiliar. The desk, the appliances—they were all high-end, like something out of a TV commercial. But the room itself screamed luxury hotel suite. Gu Xi sat up abruptly, realizing she was completely naked, with strange marks on her body.

Had she… lost her virginity? A wave of nausea hit her as she felt something off in her body. She had walked too close to the river’s edge for too long, and now her shoes were wet. If she had known, she would’ve quit drinking.

Dragging her uncomfortable body, she reached for her clothes on the floor, only to notice a trace of bl00d on her fingertips.

Staring in shock, her mind struggled to process. Had she… had a one-night stand with a woman? A virgin?

“You’re awake. There are clean clothes next to you. Put them on, and then we’ll talk about our situation.”

At some point, a tall woman had appeared at the door. She wore cotton slippers, her wavy hair cascading down, her brows slightly furrowed, exuding an air of authority. Her high nose and full lips were perfectly balanced, her sharp features striking. She wore a women’s dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, looking polished and capable, paired with shorts that revealed long, slender legs.

Gu Xi swallowed hard, unable to look away.

Nodding dumbly, she didn’t even notice her own exposed state. The woman closed the door and went to wait in the living room.

“She’s so beautiful… so elegant. Wait, what did she just say?” Gu Xi snapped out of it, scratching her head in confusion.

Then it hit her—she wasn’t even dressed! She quickly grabbed the neatly folded clothes by the bed and put them on. The casual outfit was simple but made of incredibly comfortable fabric, unlike anything she’d ever worn. After washing up briefly in the bathroom, she cleaned herself up and stepped out.

Rummaging through the room, she found a bag, likely meant for her dirty clothes. The tags had been torn off, probably by the woman. She picked up her clothes, stuffed them into the bag, and took a deep breath before stepping out.

The woman sat silently on the sofa, flanked by two black-clad bodyguards. Gu Xi felt an overwhelming pressure but managed to stammer, “Um… sorry about that.”

Ugh, so awkward! What else could she say?

“My name is Luo Ningshuang. You should know what happened last night, right?” The woman’s voice was icy, her gaze piercing.

Luo Ningshuang? The name sounded so familiar, but Gu Xi’s mind was blank. She couldn’t recall anything from last night. “Uh, hi. I’m Gu Xi.”

“I don’t care what your name is,” Luo Ningshuang said coldly. “I can overlook what happened last night. It just so happens I need a cover, so I’d like your help with something.” Her tone softened slightly.

Gu Xi had no interest in helping this woman. A rich, powerful woman asking her for help? No way—she wasn’t that naive. Though she felt a bit guilty, she said, “Can I refuse?”

“You have two choices.” Luo Ningshuang said, her eyes narrowing as she tossed a contract onto the table. “Sign this, or go to jail. Pick one.” Her voice was chilling.

Talk about a mood swing! Gu Xi kept her face calm, picking up the contract slowly, but inside, she was raging: You fox! You think just because you’re gorgeous, I won’t curse you out? Damn it, I don’t even have a real choice!