The White Moonlight Who Went Mad in Silence [Rebirth] - Chapter 2

The moment everything went dark, Ming Lan felt like she had stepped off a cliff. Her body jerked instinctively, and her heart almost leapt out of her chest.

“Miss Ming, are you alright?”

The voice beside her slowly brought her back to awareness. Her wide eyes gradually focused, and she blinked to adjust. Her mind was still foggy, and her heartbeat was racing out of control.

She looked around in confusion. Everything felt familiar. It seemed like she was on an airplane. Her eyes landed on the flight attendant who had just spoken. Although she didn’t recognize the woman’s face, something about the uniform stirred a memory.

Because of her heart condition, Ming Lan rarely traveled by commercial flight. When necessary, her family always arranged private jets with their own crew. She did not remember this person, but she did recognize the uniform.

What was happening?

Before she could finish the thought, pain spread through her chest. She grimaced and clutched at her heart, gasping for air.

“Miss Ming!” The flight attendant immediately reacted and called for the onboard doctor and staff. “Check her vitals right now. Contact ground medical personnel and have them ready for emergency support.”

Everyone around her suddenly moved into action. Ming Lan took the pill the doctor handed her and placed it under her tongue. As orders were carried out quickly and calmly, her eyes locked onto the monitor in front of her. She stared at the flight information on the screen, frozen in place.

It was the exact date and time she returned to China three years ago. This was when she had first appeared in the story.

Not only was she alive, but she had come back to the point before everything began. This was the flight that brought her back to her homeland.

She had no idea how this was possible, but something deep inside told her it was connected to the book she had torn apart. If that was true, then she had been given a chance to do it all over again.

That realization shook her so deeply that even the pain in her chest faded into the background. Gripping the armrest for support, she stood up slowly. Her eyes glowed with intensity as emotions crashed through her heart. The injustice and betrayal of her past life, paired with this rare second chance, twisted into a crooked smile on her lips.

She could not wait to start over.

Her sudden movement startled everyone nearby, but Ming Lan no longer cared. The bitter taste in her mouth reminded her to calm the fire in her chest. She forced herself to breathe deeply, then sat down again and spoke steadily.

“I’m fine. There’s no need to worry.”

Seeing her condition stabilize, the crew finally relaxed. Around the same time, the aircraft began its descent.

Experiencing all of this again was surreal. Ming Lan watched each moment unfold exactly as it had before. Her fingers clenched around her sunglasses until the edges dug into her palm. The pain reminded her to stay in control.

Nothing would happen the same way this time.

Her assistant carried her luggage as they walked toward the exit. Just as they stepped out of the VIP lounge, Ming Lan suddenly stopped walking.

Everyone else stopped with her.

Several luxury cars were parked outside the terminal. Even the Ming family’s car had been forced to the side. Their driver stood awkwardly by the car, glancing nervously toward the more prominent vehicles.

At that moment, the doors of those cars opened and several men stepped out.

The first to approach was Xiao Shaoyan, the youngest son of the Xiao family. He stepped out of a bright red sports car, dressed in leather with bold red hair styled perfectly. His silver lip ring reflected the light as he pulled off his flashy sunglasses and gave Ming Lan a wide, showy grin.

Behind him came Bai Tingqiu, who emerged from a white luxury sedan. He wore a soft cream-colored outfit, casual yet elegant. His features were clean and gentle, and his silver-framed glasses gave him a scholarly charm. He smiled politely as he approached.

Just a step behind them came Li Jue. He stepped out of a black SUV, dressed in a perfectly tailored suit. His sharp, cold expression was intimidating without a word. Only when he looked at Ming Lan did his face soften slightly. But when he heard the others greet her with concern, his expression darkened again.

Judging by the position of his car, Li Jue had clearly arrived first.

Seeing these familiar faces again made Ming Lan’s stomach turn. They were smiling and excited, but she could barely keep her disgust in check. These were the men who drove her to her grave. She hated them so deeply it made her entire body tense.

The pain from her sunglasses cutting into her palm snapped her back to focus. She had no patience for their fake kindness or their silent rivalry. Forcing her emotions down, she lowered her eyes and put on her sunglasses.

As the three men moved to take her luggage, Ming Lan walked straight past them without saying a word. She climbed into her family’s long black car as if they did not exist.

Her assistant hurried to follow, dragging the luggage behind. The three men were left standing where they were, watching the car disappear down the road.

Xiao Shaoyan glanced at the other two and smirked.

“Looks like you’re not doing much better than me.”

He had been the last of them to meet Ming Lan. The Xiao and Ming families had always had a tense relationship, and Xiao Shaoyan had never been as close to her as the other two. But now, after years apart, they were finally all standing on the same level again.

Neither Li Jue nor Bai Tingqiu bothered to respond. Without a word, they each got into their cars and left. Xiao Shaoyan clicked his tongue in frustration and slammed his door shut.

Inside the Lincoln, Ming Lan sat silently. Her eyes, hidden behind the sunglasses, were bloodshot with fury and resentment. Her hands trembled in her lap, clenched into fists.

Her self-control was hanging by a thread, but she forced herself to stay composed. Revenge could not be rushed. There was still so much to do, and she would take her time with every step.

She took several deep breaths and closed her eyes. Just the thought of seeing her parents again helped pull her out of the rage for a moment.

When she stepped through the familiar front door of her home, memories surged through her. She remembered her past life clearly, especially the day she was thrown out during the funeral. The white mourning cloths, the noise, the strangers tearing apart her house and stealing anything valuable. The sound of footsteps, voices, and dragging boxes felt like knives cutting into her brain. She clutched her ears, trying to block it out.

“Miss, Miss?”

The butler noticed her reaction and rushed over. He gently pulled her hands away from her ears, calling her name in concern.

The sounds in her mind finally faded. After a high-pitched ringing in her ears, she began to hear the world around her again. Gasping for air, she ignored the butler’s questions and asked urgently.

“Where are my parents?”

“Mr. and Mrs. Ming called. They’ll be home very soon. You should change and rest first, Miss.”

The butler looked at her pale face but dared not ask anything more. He could only remind her gently.

Ming Lan paused and took a breath. She had to appear normal. She couldn’t let her parents see her like this.

“Let me know the moment they arrive.”

With the butler still watching anxiously, she walked slowly back to her room. She stood still for a long moment before removing her jacket and stepping into the bathroom. Without even changing her clothes, she climbed into the tub and let the water cover her face.

It became harder to breathe, but her mind only grew clearer.

So much had happened in such a short amount of time. Her death. Her rebirth. Time reversing. Seeing those people again. It was all overwhelming. Ming Lan could feel herself losing control.

What she needed now was time to process it all and think clearly. But more than anything, she needed to stay calm.

When her lungs finally ran out of air, and her nose instinctively inhaled water, Ming Lan sat up from the bathtub in a panic. She clutched the edge and began coughing violently. The sharp taste of bl00d and rust filled her throat.

Exhausted, she leaned her head against the side of the tub. Her hair, still dripping, hung over the edge. Her eyes stared blankly ahead as she waited for her thoughts to return. Slowly, her mind began to clear.

Her current situation was far from safe. Time was not on her side. If she did not prepare properly during this window, she risked repeating the past all over again.

Her memories from the previous life mostly matched the storyline described in the book. For her, this was the beginning. But for those people, things had already progressed. The female lead in the book had likely already formed deep connections with them, laying the foundation for what was to come.

What made her feel sick was that they still saw her as their white moonlight. Just thinking about it turned her stomach. In her past life, she had only treated them as friends. She had offered her help without asking for anything in return. But in their eyes, that meant she had been emotionally involved with each of them.

The idea disgusted her.

If being kind to them had been her mistake, then this was where she would begin correcting it. She no longer had to force herself to smile or pretend to care. Right now, those men were still immature and divided. Even if things fell apart between them, she would not be the one to lose anything.

More importantly, once ties were broken, she could justify taking back everything she had given them. With the advantage of memory, she could act early and seize future opportunities for herself. If the Ming family could grow stronger quickly, then no matter what changed later, she would have the power to handle it.

They had no loyalty. She owed them nothing. If kindness led only to destruction, then this time, she would choose to fight.

There was one more person.

Aside from seeking revenge and protecting her future, one face lingered in her memory. It was the face she had seen before she died.

Yi An.

In her previous life, she barely knew her. Yet Yi An had risked everything and even gave her life to repay a small kindness. That debt now belonged to Ming Lan. She owed her everything.

She knew little about Yi An. In the past, they had not reunited until more than two years later. During the half year they lived together, Ming Lan had been incredibly ill. Yi An had cared for her almost entirely. Most of that time, she had not even been fully conscious, let alone able to speak. Their moments together were few, but unforgettable.

There was one thing Ming Lan was completely sure of. Yi An was not like the others. She was not selfish or manipulative. Among all the people around her who wore masks and hid their true selves, Yi An had been the only one who remained pure.

But that same purity was likely a burden in the Ye family.

Even Ming Lan had heard about how complicated the Ye household was. Yi An had grown up in an orphanage. Becoming the heir to a wealthy family was never going to be easy. She could only imagine how much pressure and rejection Yi An had faced once she was brought back.

By her calculations, this was about the time Yi An had just returned to the Ye family.

Ming Lan had to find a way to meet her early. If she could, she might be able to help her deal with those problems before they got worse. Yi An was smart and capable. Together, they might be able to rely on each other.

In this life, apart from her parents, Yi An was the only person Ming Lan felt she could truly trust.

With a plan slowly forming in her mind, Ming Lan sat up from the bathtub. She could not stay in the water too long. Even though her health had improved, the incident on the plane and her past experience reminded her to be careful. Her body could not handle too much strain.

She quickly rinsed off and changed into fresh clothes.

Just as she stepped out of her room to call her parents and ask why they were not home yet, she heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

Her heart leapt.

She straightened up and hurried down the stairs.

She was finally going to see her parents again.