June 1994.

 

Yunshe Town, Shishan County, Dongzhou City.

In the courtyard of a farmhouse in Nanting Village, faint morning light seeped through the glass window.

 

Xiao Liang had just awakened.

 

Before losing consciousness, he clearly remembered the crushing pain in his chest—an unbearable twisting agony that dragged his awareness into darkness. Yet when he opened his eyes, he saw He Hong, young as a girl, straddling his body.

 

What was going on?

 

No matter how well He Hong maintained herself, there should have been at least a few fine lines on her skin. How could she look this young—so smooth, so radiant?

 

Had time reversed?

 

Was this a dream?

 

He Hong’s beautiful eyes were shut tight. Her long eyelashes trembled rapidly. Her flushed face glowed crimson like fresh rouge, and her snow-white arms braced against Xiao Liang’s chest.

 

Xiao Liang’s gaze dropped lower.

 

The goose-yellow dress had slipped from her slender shoulders. Her firm, palm-sized breasts were exposed to the air. Snow-white thighs peeked through the tangled folds of her clothing…

 

The scene was painfully familiar.

 

So familiar it had carved itself into his memory.

 

Yet Xiao Liang could hardly believe he was witnessing it again.

 

There was not the slightest trace of desire in his heart.

 

Like he had seen a ghost, Xiao Liang suddenly shoved He Hong off him.

 

They said that aside from unattainable desires, nothing appeared more often in dreams than the most humiliating and painful moments of one’s life.

 

Xiao Liang had dreamed countless times about that morning in 1994—when He Hong framed him for attempted rape.

 

But never had it felt this real.

 

His head throbbed with the dull pain of an unfinished hangover, like a wooden wedge hammered into the back of his skull.

 

Dim greenish morning light streamed through the window. Roosters crowed somewhere in the village. In the room lingered the sour stench of last night’s vomit, mingling with the faint fragrance unique to He Hong’s bedroom.

 

He Hong, suddenly pushed away, slammed into the wooden headboard with a *bang*. After a brief moment of shock, she hurriedly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself, leaving one long, round thigh exposed.

 

In 1994, He Hong should have been twenty-eight. Yet her skin was as tender and dazzlingly white as a teenage girl’s.

 

Xiao Liang rolled off the bed and scrambled to his feet. In a panic he grabbed the chaotic pile of clothes on the nightstand, bolted out the door into the courtyard, and staggered as he hastily pulled them on. His head buzzed so loudly he couldn’t even make out what He Hong was shouting inside the house.

 

Just as he reached for the courtyard gate, another thought struck him.

 

If this wasn’t a dream—then was Xiao Yujun, the man who had orchestrated this entire frame-up, waiting outside the gate right now?

 

Waiting for him to step out?

 

But even if Xiao Yujun really was outside, lying in wait like a hunter by the trap—how could Xiao Liang prove this wasn’t still a dream?

 

His mind felt like it was stuffed with paste. Or struck by lightning.

 

He stood frozen in the courtyard, utterly lost.

 

Just as he was about to climb the wall and escape, the courtyard gate creaked open with a sharp *squeak*.

 

A burly man barged in.

 

Xiao Yujun.

 

He strode straight toward Xiao Liang and reached out to grab his collar.

 

“You bastard! He Hong saw you were dead drunk and kindly let you stay here so she could look after you—and this is how you repay her? By trying to take advantage of her?!”

 

At the sight of the man who had ruined his life—who had put him in detention for more than half a year and left a permanent stain of rape suspicion hanging over him—something inside Xiao Liang ignited.

 

His blood roared.

 

Rage surged from the depths of his bones.

 

Without hesitation, he lifted his leg and kicked viciously toward Xiao Yujun’s abdomen.

 

His hangover left his body weak, and the first kick missed as Xiao Yujun dodged aside.

 

But Xiao Liang didn’t hesitate.

 

He lifted his leg again and kicked brutally toward Xiao Yujun’s thigh and groin.

 

Back in 1994, Xiao Yujun had instructed He Hong to frame Xiao Liang for attempted rape. Although Xiao Liang was eventually acquitted due to lack of evidence, his career in Yunshe was ruined. Even afterward, Xiao Yujun constantly sent people to smear him and provoke trouble.

 

During that time, Xiao Liang had been consumed by anger and resentment. His temper grew violent, and he often got into fights. Determined to rely on force, he spent a long period rigorously training in Sanda.

 

When he was younger, Xiao Liang had maintained good physical fitness through exercise in college. But at this point in time he had not yet developed the hardened body from years of martial training—and the lingering drunkenness made him feel weak.

 

His kick failed to knock Xiao Yujun down.

 

Instead, Xiao Yujun grabbed his collar.

 

Fortunately, the combat instincts Xiao Liang had forged through years of Sanda training were etched deep in his mind.

 

When the kick failed, Xiao Liang immediately followed with a vicious punch to Xiao Yujun’s left ear.

 

The blow staggered him, nearly sending him to the ground.

 

Xiao Yujun had long been the local tyrant of Yunshe Town and Shishan County. Tall—well over six feet—and powerfully built, he had trained in boxing and Sanda himself. Even when caught off guard by the punch, he still clung tightly to Xiao Liang’s collar.

 

With his collar seized, Xiao Liang lost his balance and lurched forward.

 

Before they hit the ground, he twisted his body and mounted Xiao Yujun, slamming his knee into the man’s abdomen while raining punches down on his chest and ribs.

 

Xiao Yujun could only raise his arms to shield his head and face.

 

Xiao Liang had been thoroughly drunk the night before. Even without much movement, his strength drained rapidly.

 

Unable to seriously injure the struggling Xiao Yujun, Xiao Liang’s fury boiled over. He spread his hands and clamped them around Xiao Yujun’s throat, wishing he could snap it in half.

 

“Fuck you, you bastard! Trying to ruin me? If you’ve got the guts, stab me to death right here today! Otherwise—even if you throw me in detention—I swear when I get out I’ll wipe out your whole damn family!”

 

Years of pent-up hatred exploded in that moment.

 

But Xiao Yujun soon broke free from his grip.

 

Xiao Liang refused to let go. He clung to him desperately, wrestling him down, even sinking his teeth into Xiao Yujun’s shoulder and biting with savage force—as if he wanted to tear off a chunk of flesh and swallow it.

 

The two men rolled on the ground, fighting like animals.

 

In those days villagers rose early. He Hong’s house stood near the village entrance, and the commotion quickly attracted several villagers who rushed over.

 

Xiao Yujun had long been infamous for bullying others in the region. Now he was also the Party Secretary of Nanting Village and director of the Nanting Lake Juice Factory.

 

It was no exaggeration to say he ruled the village with one hand.

 

When the villagers rushed into the courtyard and saw Xiao Liang fighting him, they immediately pinned Xiao Liang down.

 

Naturally, Xiao Liang was the one who suffered.

 

Xiao Yujun sat on the dirt ground, stunned, staring at Xiao Liang for a long time.

 

He had always thought a bookish weakling like Xiao Liang was someone he could crush with one hand.

 

Yet the man had exploded with terrifying ferocity—and had actually kept him pinned down for most of the fight.

 

Every inch of Xiao Yujun’s body ached. He even suspected his ribs were cracked.

 

But Xiao Yujun was not someone who would swallow humiliation.

 

He jumped up and pointed furiously at Xiao Liang, who was restrained by the villagers.

 

“This bastard got drunk last night. He Hong kindly let him stay to look after him, and when he woke up he tried to rape her! I just happened to pass by and heard her screaming, otherwise the scumbag would’ve escaped!”

 

“And the little shit even dared to hit me—and bite me!”

 

“Beat him! Beat him to death! I’ll take responsibility!”

 

While shouting, he stepped forward and kicked Xiao Liang twice.

 

After shrugging off his jacket, he noticed blood soaking through his shirt from the bite on his shoulder.

 

Thankfully, the June morning was still a little chilly and he had worn a jacket over his shirt. Otherwise the bastard might have bitten off a chunk of flesh.

 

Seeing that several villagers hesitated to act, Xiao Yujun grew even more furious. He stepped forward and kicked Xiao Liang in the head twice more without the slightest concern that he might kill him.

 

Unable to fight back, Xiao Liang curled into a ball, shielding his head with both arms as several brutal kicks landed on him.

 

It was He Hong who finally rushed out from the house and pulled Xiao Yujun away, afraid someone might actually die.

 

Soon even more villagers gathered to watch.

 

Hearing Xiao Yujun angrily claim that He Hong had been assaulted—and seeing her standing there with disheveled clothes—many villagers immediately believed him.

 

Some worked at the juice factory; others wanted to curry favor with Xiao Yujun.

 

Several stepped forward, punching and kicking Xiao Liang.

 

Zhang Feili had been staying with her parents after quarreling with her husband. Hearing the commotion, she ran over and saw the township officer Xiao Liang being beaten by a crowd.

 

Panicked, she hurriedly pulled people away.

 

“You can’t beat someone like this! If he dies, who’s going to take responsibility? Maybe there’s some misunderstanding!”

 

“Zhang Feili, stay out of this!” Xiao Yujun snapped angrily. “Don’t let this pretty boy fool you! He Hong kindly took him in last night when he was drunk, and he tried something on her this morning!”

 

“Director Xiao, could there be some misunderstanding? Officer Xiao always treats Section Chief He like an older sister. How could he possibly do something like that?”

 

Though frightened of Xiao Yujun, Zhang Feili still defended Xiao Liang. She turned toward the silent He Hong.

 

“Section Chief He, what actually happened? Say something!”

 

“Zhang Feili, are you moving or not?” Xiao Yujun’s temper flared. “Do you think I wouldn’t fire you?”

 

He strode forward, shoved her aside, and cursed:

 

“This piece of trash is dog shit. Don’t smear it all over yourself!”

 

“Director Xiao, maybe Xiao Liang made a foolish mistake in the moment,” Zhang Feili said nervously. “But everyone can’t just beat him like this. He’s a township official. If he’s seriously hurt, who can escape responsibility? Shouldn’t we send him to the police station first?”

 

Although she couldn’t believe Xiao Liang would do such a thing, she still feared Xiao Yujun’s authority in the village and factory. All she could do was urge everyone to calm down.

 

Zhang Feili wasn’t just the daughter-in-law of Zhou Jianqi, the deputy Party secretary of Yunshe Town. Her father was also the principal of the town’s middle school.

 

Her words carried some weight among ordinary villagers.

 

With her interruption, the crowd gradually cooled off.

 

“Yeah, let’s send him to the police station,” someone said. “If he dared to touch Section Chief He, he deserves prison. If we beat him too badly, we’ll be the ones in trouble.”

 

The villagers hauled Xiao Liang to his feet.

 

Now that he had calmed down somewhat, Xiao Liang realized that despite the brutal beating, he hadn’t suffered any truly serious injuries.

 

Of course, his face was bruised and swollen.

 

But the sharp, immediate pain running through his nerves made it impossible to believe this was a dream.

 

Had he really… been reborn in 1994?

 

Had he returned to the most humiliating moment of his twenty-two-year life?