I was reborn. In my past life, I was acknowledged by the wealthy Torrence family, my birthright restored. To compete for favor against the fake heiress, a girl named Celeste, I worked tirelessly, only to have all my efforts pave the way for her success. The business deals and connections I secured for the Torrences all became hers after I died in a car crash. My soul lingered, unwilling to move on, and followed the family back to their mansion. There, I overheard Celeste’s monologue and finally understood. We were living in a novel, a story where she was the cherished protagonist, surrounded by doting admirers. And I? I was nothing more than a foolish side character, a moth trying to outshine the moon. But I was reborn. Twenty years in the past, back in my mother’s womb, with seven days left until my birth. I clenched the umbilical cord in my tiny fist. So what if she’s the protagonist? Last time, I was brought into the Torrence family too late. I didn’t have enough time to develop. This time, I’ll start grinding from the womb. I refuse to believe I can’t out-grind her. Round One: Physical Fitness. I couldn’t see a thing, but that didn’t stop me from my daily exercise regimen, a constant battle against amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord in my cramped little world. After three days, my mother couldn’t take it anymore. She demanded another ultrasound, convinced she was carrying either a monkey or a mythological demon baby. The doctor, listening to my mother’s complaints, fell into a brief moment of self-doubt. “So, you’re saying the baby starts kicking at nine in the morning and stops precisely at five in the evening? Oh, and takes a break for lunch and a nap?” “A nine-to-five schedule, still in the womb? That’s more disciplined than we are!” Despite his skepticism, the doctor performed the check-up. The results left him speechless. “Mrs. Chen, your baby is not only healthy but incredibly smart!” “In your previous scans, the baby was in the wrong position, with the umbilical cord wrapped around its neck. But now, not only has the baby corrected its position, but it has also untangled the cord all by itself!” … “What? Untangled the cord by itself?” “A baby this smart before it’s even born? Is this a genius?” “Genius? Just lucky, I bet!” That last, sour-toned voice sounded familiar. It sounded like Celeste’s mother. Were Celeste and I really being born in the same hospital? My suspicions were confirmed that night when Celeste’s mother was moved into my mother’s room. Compared to my mother’s solitude, Celeste’s mother was the center of attention, a constant stream of visitors flowing in and out. Sipping on some expensive nutritional supplement, she turned to my mother with a look of faux concern. “Anna, why are you here all alone? Isn’t your husband with you?” My mother forced a smile. “He’s busy with work. I can manage.” She was lying. At this point in my life, I didn’t have a father. My mother was a small-time influencer whose life goal was to marry rich. At twenty-five, she’d finally succeeded in climbing into the bed of a wealthy heir at a company party. The good news: she hit the jackpot on the first try. The bad news: she didn’t get a good look at which heir it was. In my previous life, it wasn’t until I was eight, after a routine blood donation, that the Torrences discovered I was their long-lost bloodline. Knowing Celeste was in the womb right next door only fueled my competitive spirit. Besides my non-negotiable hours of fetal movement, I absorbed information in every way I could. I listened intently to the seven o’clock news broadcast in the hallway, and I analyzed the conversations of the pregnant women, their families, and the medical staff, deducing their personalities and interests. My mother quickly adapted to my nine-to-five routine and my penchant for eavesdropping. She started making the rounds to other maternity rooms, her pregnant belly leading the way. Not only did she become a familiar face in the obstetrics department, but her physical stamina also improved significantly. A week later, both our mothers went into labor at the same time. The maternity ward was a flurry of activity as they were wheeled into adjacent delivery rooms. “Aaaah!” Screams echoed from the next room. My mother, chewing on a piece of chocolate a nurse had given her, felt a little awkward. She was just about to let out a token scream of her own when she felt a sudden release. The doctors and nurses stared in disbelief at the tiny, wriggling bundle on the bed. It took them a moment to recover. “She’s… she’s born already??” “Anna, how did your baby come out so fast? Do you have some kind of secret?” My mother’s five-minute delivery broke the hospital record, making her an overnight celebrity. Expectant mothers flocked to see her, hoping to catch some of her “good labor luck.” Holding me, my mother beamed with pride. “I don’t know what happened. I didn’t even have a chance to push, and she just came out.” “You mean the baby delivered herself? That’s one smart kid!” “Well, a baby who can untangle her own umbilical cord has to be smart, right?” And so, following in my mother’s footsteps, I became a little celebrity myself. Every day, pregnant women would come to visit, bringing toys and holding me up to their bellies so I could impart some wisdom to their unborn children. Wisdom, I had none to give. But I smiled at every single person who came to see me. In the womb, there were limited ways to compete. But out here? The possibilities were endless. Looks, personality, public appeal—it all started from infancy. “She has such a wonderful temperament! She smiles at everyone, like a little angel!” “Totally. This one is definitely here to repay her parents. You’re so lucky, Anna. Not like the woman in the next bed…” I was just drifting off to sleep, but my ears perked up at that. The woman in the next bed? That would be Celeste’s mother. It was strange. She had gone into the delivery room at the same time as my mother. It had been two days. I could already open my eyes and smile at people, and they still weren’t back. Even a difficult birth shouldn’t take that long, right? My mother knew about my eavesdropping habit from the womb. The second I stirred, she knew what I wanted to know. “Are you talking about Mrs. Thorne? What happened to her? Did she have a difficult delivery?” “You have no idea. Just like you, the cord was wrapped around the baby’s neck, and it was in the wrong position. I heard she lost a lot of blood during labor. She was in there for a day and a night, and she’s still in the ICU.” “That’s awful! Why didn’t she just have a C-section?” “She refused. Insisted that a natural birth produces a smarter child. She wouldn’t even take an epidural. Just endured it all.” My mother’s face paled. She hugged me tighter, her heart pounding with fear. “Oh, my sweet girl. I’m so glad you didn’t make me suffer like that.” Three days after I was born, my mother, carrying a suitcase in one hand and me in the other, moved into the hospital’s postpartum care center. There, my self-discipline reached a whole new level. 7 AM: milk, exercise, vocal practice. 10 AM: milk, nap to the sound of classical piano. 12 PM: milk, nap to the sound of the news… Appearance and physique were strictly managed. Intellect, morals, physical fitness, and artistic ability—nothing was neglected. Another half-month passed. I thought I wouldn’t see Celeste again until we were three or four, but to my surprise, her mother became my mother’s roommate once again. And this time, she wasn’t just accompanied by her own family. The Torrence family matriarch was with her. I saw that familiar, kind face, and even though I knew it was too early to speak, I couldn’t stop the first sound of my life from escaping my lips. “Nana!” My single word silenced the crowded, noisy room. Every head turned to look at me. “Did that sound just come from… the baby?” “No way. She’s only been born for half a month. A baby can’t talk at two weeks old.” “But there are only two babies in this room, and that was clearly a baby’s voice. If it wasn’t her, could it have been the other one? I heard that one is so weak she can’t even suckle properly. There’s no way she could make a sound that loud.” Celeste’s mother stared at me, a mixture of shock, disbelief, and jealousy in her eyes. I glanced at the sickly-looking Celeste in her arms, then turned my attention back to Mrs. Torrence, a chubby-cheeked smile spreading across my face. “Nana!” If the first “Nana” was an accident, the second one sent a tremor through the old woman’s heart. “Is… is she calling me Nana?” “Oh, you sweet child… let Nana have a look at you… tsk tsk, those chubby little hands, those big eyes… you’re as beautiful as I was as a little girl!” With two simple words, I had charmed the grandmother who had yet to hold her own granddaughter, turning her into a doting fool. She immediately slipped a jade bracelet off her wrist and gave it to me. My mother, though just an influencer, knew quality when she saw it. The sight of that bracelet almost made her drop to her knees. “Take it. I feel a connection with this child.” Mrs. Torrence held me, unwilling to let go, her eyes glued to my face. She had completely forgotten that she was here to visit the wife and child of her husband’s subordinate. Celeste’s grandfather had been a Torrence family loyalist since his own father’s generation. Her grandfather, an aide to Mr. Torrence Sr., had died taking a bullet for him. As a result, Mr. Torrence had raised Celeste’s father like a son. When he grew up, Celeste’s father became the secretary to the eldest Torrence son, Alistair—my as-yet-unmet biological father. Because of her family’s connection to the Torrences, Celeste was a frequent visitor to their home, practically a young lady of the house herself. When she was four, her mother passed away, and the Torrences officially took her in, making her the true young lady of the Torrence family. This meant that if I wanted to steal Celeste’s place in their hearts, I had to be acknowledged by the family before I turned four. Time was of the essence. I looked at the smiling, kind-faced Mrs. Torrence, squeezed her hand, and snuggled my face, which was starting to ache from smiling, into her embrace. Mrs. Torrence’s heart melted. “Oh, my sweet girl, you like Nana so much? Can you say it one more time for me?” “Nana!” “Oh, my little darling. Nana will come see you every day, okay?” Seeing this, Celeste’s mother’s face turned white with rage. She looked down at her own frail daughter and, with a ruthlessly, pinched her leg hard. Celeste finally let out her first cry. “Waaah—” It was a weak, mosquito-like sound. Though inwardly furious at her daughter’s lack of performance, Celeste’s mother put on a smile and brought her closer to Mrs. Torrence. “Madam Torrence, Celeste wants you to hold her too.” When Mrs. Torrence first arrived, she had felt sorry for Celeste and her mother, thinking she should comfort them. But after holding me and playing with me for a while, she looked at Celeste and saw only a small, sallow-faced baby, her face wrinkled from crying. Her interest instantly vanished. “The child is too weak. It’s better to keep her bundled up and let her rest. Don’t move her around too much.” Celeste’s mother’s face was a kaleidoscope of emotions. For the next few days, Mrs. Torrence came to see me every day. Since I had started talking, I would occasionally let out other words, like “Mama,” “Auntie,” and “Sissy,” charming all the new mothers and nurses in the center. Except, of course, for Celeste’s mother. But she was a master of disguise. “Anna, what do you think of this outfit? Wouldn’t Nina look adorable in it?” “Anna, have you thought about which preschool to send Nina to? I heard there’s a great new bilingual school nearby…” “Anna, our girls have such a connection. Why don’t we make them god-sisters?” My mother was a simple, vain woman with a natural weakness for the wealthy. So, even though Celeste’s mother was only the wife of the Torrence CEO’s assistant, my mother saw her through a thick filter of wealth and prestige. With Celeste’s mother’s deliberate attempts to get close, my mother soon treated her like a long-lost best friend. I pretended not to notice, continuing my daily routine of exercise, study, reading, and listening to music. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to get away from this woman. It was just that my mother’s standing in her own family was so low that no one had come to visit her since I was born. Going home for postpartum recovery was not an option. As for changing rooms, I had considered it, but quickly dismissed the idea. My mother was completely caught up in the fantasy friendship Celeste’s mother had created for her. No matter what I did, she wouldn’t even think of moving. Besides, I needed Celeste and her mother as an excuse to continue building my relationship with Mrs. Torrence. Since I couldn’t get away from her, I had to stay on high alert. A few days later, my fears were realized. “Anna, this is a special formula my husband brought back from Australia. It’s great for boosting a baby’s immune system. Don’t you think Celeste looks much healthier these past few days?” “You were saying your milk supply is low. Why don’t you give some to Nina?” After half a month in the care center, sustained by a variety of expensive supplements, Celeste was indeed looking much better. My mother, completely unsuspecting, naturally accepted the offer. My instincts screamed that Celeste’s mother was up to no good. When my mother brought the bottle over, I turned my head away, refusing to drink no matter how much she coaxed me. Embarrassed, my mother explained to Celeste’s mother, “Nina’s never had formula before. She’s probably not used to it.” “It’s okay for a child to be fussy, but as a parent, you can’t indulge her. Anna, if your milk supply is low and Nina doesn’t learn to drink formula, she won’t get enough nutrients.” Celeste’s mother’s tone was earnest, as if she truly had my best interests at heart. “How about this? Mix the formula with your breast milk in the bottle. Start with a small amount and gradually increase it. That way, Nina will get used to it.” “You can do that? Okay, I’ll try it. You’re so smart, Sharon.” Looking at my mother’s foolishly grateful expression, I knew I was in trouble. I had to find a way to break this spell. The next day, when my mother approached with the bottle, I didn’t push it away. Instead, I played with it, taking a small sip every now and then. It was unusual, but at least I was drinking. My mother was relieved. Celeste’s mother also seemed to relax. But no one expected that by the time Mrs. Torrence came to visit, I still hadn’t finished the bottle. When Mrs. Torrence took me in her arms, I knew it was my chance. I opened my mouth and started to retch, my body convulsing, my eyes rolling back in my head. Mrs. Torrence’s face went white with terror. She immediately had someone take me for a check-up. The results came back normal. That wasn’t surprising. This was the 21st century. Celeste’s mother wasn’t stupid enough to use a poison that would be easily detected. But she never dreamed that I would bring the half-empty bottle of milk with me. When the doctors couldn’t find anything wrong with me, they tested the milk in the bottle as a last resort, just to be thorough for the Torrence family. And that’s when the truth came out. “The milk is mostly breast milk, but it contains a small amount of formula. The problem seems to be with the formula.” “We’ve analyzed it carefully. There’s lead in the formula. The dosage is small, so it wouldn’t cause any noticeable effects in the short term. But long-term consumption would inevitably lead to cognitive and intellectual impairment in an infant.” I knew there was something wrong with the formula, but I never imagined she would be so ruthless. A little bit of favor from Mrs. Torrence was enough to make her try to poison me. If she ever found out I was the true Torrence heiress, she’d probably try to kill me. Mrs. Torrence, of course, came to the same conclusion. She made a single, cold phone call.
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