Chapter One: The Unlucky Child, Lin Miao Miao

It was already half past seven, yet the manager showed no intention of ending the workday. Lin Miaomiao was growing increasingly anxious, but she dared not leave early—how could a mere intern get up and go before everyone else? Yet Lin Miaomiao needed to hurry to her next part-time job.

In truth, Lin Miaomiao’s life was not particularly difficult. The reason she chose to juggle two jobs was simply because she and her parents had reached a disagreement. Lin Miaomiao was a senior in college, majoring in food health. To her parents’ generation, that translated to becoming a chef.

Indeed, throughout her studies, Lin Miaomiao had been doing things akin to a chef’s work. But ever since she was young, she had cherished a dream: to open her own unique café, filled with exquisite cakes and distinctive coffees.

Clearly, her aspirations did not align with her parents’ expectations. What she hoped for was not what they had in mind. Her parents wanted her to secure a stable job with a fixed salary and pension contributions. So her mother pulled some strings and found her a position at a state-owned factory.

Lin Miaomiao didn’t want her parents to worry, so she obediently accepted their wishes and worked at the food processing plant. There, she managed to become an office worker, and thus began her rather miserable internship.

Today, due to a frontline worker’s oversight—forgetting to wear gloves—all the food produced had to be discarded. Lin Miaomiao felt terribly upset, for tonight was her first day at her part-time job, and if she arrived late on her very first shift, she knew she wouldn’t be welcome.

Anxiety gnawed at her. She sent apology messages to the manager again and again, hoping for understanding and a chance. Lin Miaomiao envied her roommate, whose wealthy family meant she never had to worry; her friend could do whatever she liked, whenever she liked.

Lin Miaomiao, meanwhile, couldn’t even fulfill a simple wish. She longed to work at that restaurant, even if it meant washing dishes—she could learn by observing! That place had a renowned pastry chef, and even if she couldn’t master the craft, at least her future café would have a foundation.

Most important of all, the job matched her field of study. But today, fate had turned against her—a rare mishap, someone forgetting their gloves, slipping through every inspection. Lin Miaomiao watched the manager’s office in silence, hoping work would end soon.

Such was life in the workplace: if the manager hadn’t left, how could an intern dare clock out? Lin Miaomiao grew more agitated, checking the time on her phone, her leg bouncing nervously, lost in thought.

Everyone sat at their desks, eyes fixed on screens, pretending to work, but in truth, none were really engaged. At that moment, all wished to leave, but none dared.

Lin Miaomiao fiddled with her phone, leg trembling, glancing around in hope the manager would emerge and announce the end of the day.

Ten minutes later, the manager stormed out of the office, slamming a stack of documents onto Lin Miaomiao’s desk. He unleashed his fury upon the office, “How do you people do your jobs? Did none of you notice these problems?”

“If I don’t keep an eye on you, you do nothing. The company hired you to create value. If I see this happen again, don’t think your numbers will save you—I will hold you all accountable…”

Lin Miaomiao sat beside the manager, head bowed beneath the weight of his anger, feeling small and afraid—why did she always shrink like this? She knew the day’s mishap was partly the fault of those in food supervision, herself included, even if she was only an intern.

When the manager finished his tirade, twenty minutes had already passed. Lin Miaomiao was on the verge of tears—she was doomed to be late.

She waited for the manager to leave, watched as the team leader packed up ten minutes later, and when everyone else finally started to depart, Lin Miaomiao grabbed her bag and dashed from the office.

She fled like a startled rabbit, rushing out as fast as she could, wishing for a rocket to carry her straight to her part-time job. Someone nearby remarked under their breath, “Young people these days have no patience…”

Lin Miaomiao didn’t care—she was unlucky enough already. Now all she hoped was that a taxi would get her to her second job in time.

She hurried downstairs, hoping to find the car she’d ordered on her phone, so she could reach her destination quickly. But misfortune doubled: feeling for her phone, she realized she’d forgotten it, left behind on her desk in the chaos—too scared to hold it during the manager’s outburst, too rushed to remember as she left.

She smacked her forehead, cursing herself for her stupidity, then turned and sprinted back upstairs. With so many people leaving, the elevators were packed, so Lin Miaomiao didn’t hesitate—she took the stairs and ran back to the office.

Ten minutes later, she finally found her phone. As she left the office once more, she saw that her ride had not arrived. Frustrated, she called the driver, who apologized, “I tried calling you, waited downstairs for twenty minutes, but you didn’t answer. We have to make a living too…”

Lin Miaomiao suddenly remembered—though she’d ordered the car, she’d forgotten to speak to the driver. While listening to the manager’s scolding for twenty minutes, the driver had already left.

With no options left and nearly in tears, she spotted a shared bike. She quickly scanned the code, and a cheerful tune sounded, followed by a click—the lock released. Lin Miaomiao was overjoyed, hopped on, and pedaled with all her strength.

She sped along on the shared bike, racing down the sidewalk. The sky, once dim, was now fully dark. She hurried, for the path was empty and the hour late. Glancing at her phone, she saw it was already half past eight. Calculating in her mind, she thought, “By the time I get there, it’ll be nine o’clock.”

She would be a full hour late. Growing more anxious, she pushed herself harder, pedaling faster.

Just as Lin Miaomiao was speeding along, a black sedan suddenly appeared and struck her bike. She felt herself launched through the air, soaring like a circus acrobat, catching sight of her twisted bike wheel as she flew.

“Will I have to pay for the bike? How fast was that car going? If it’s the driver’s fault, maybe I won’t have to pay…” These thoughts flashed through her mind as she hit the ground.

The driver, clearly shaken, slammed on the brakes and rushed out of the car, finding Lin Miaomiao unconscious on the pavement.

He was terrified, scrambling from his vehicle, while Lin Miaomiao, seeing him approach, found herself unable even to lift a hand.

Weakly, she tried to call out, “Help me, please help me…” though her voice was barely a whisper. She thought she was shouting, but the driver could only see her lips move.

Fear crept in—she had flown so far, and now blood seeped from the back of her head. The driver, seeing her lying in a pool of blood, panicked, scrambled back into his car, and reversed away.

Blood trickled from Lin Miaomiao’s head as she watched the driver disappear, vowing silently before losing consciousness, “If I ever make it to the hospital, I swear I’ll make sure he loses his license…”

She tried to reach for her phone, but the impact had sent her bag flying too. Weakly crawling toward it, her vision darkened, her ears rang, and her eyes filled with flickering lights.

Drawing a deep breath and gritting her teeth, she hoped to call for help, but had no strength left. Clutching her bag, she passed out without warning.

Everything went black. She felt cold to the bone, tears streaming from her eyes, and she thought, “Mom, Dad, I’ll never disobey you again. I’ll give up my dream of opening a dessert shop.”

“I’ll stay at the workplace you found for me, I swear, and never walk alone at night again…”

Her breathing grew faint as she lay on the freezing pavement. Because it was a pedestrian path—a shortcut—few people passed by.

Lin Miaomiao lay there, dazed and burning with pain, feeling her blood leave her body. For the first time, she tasted the chill of death, and it was anything but pleasant. She seemed to see the Reaper arriving, blade in hand, ready to claim her soul.

“Save me, please save me, I don’t want to die…” Her mind spun, and in a brief moment, she saw someone wielding a knife, killing.

She tried to grasp something nearby, hoping to pull herself up, but it was hopeless, and she collapsed once more.