Seasonal Snow, the Master of Acting

In her previous life, Ji Fanxing had been cast out of her family without rhyme or reason, then imprisoned and met a tragic end in a foreign land. In the moment of her death, she severed all ties with that family.

Afterward, for a thousand years on Earth, she was relentlessly compelled by the system to complete task after task. Each mission meant a new cycle of reincarnation, each reincarnation brought a new identity, and every time she encountered faces from her past, they were strangers once more. As someone from another world, on Earth she had neither kin nor friends. Gradually, Ji Fanxing became a detached observer, focusing solely on her tasks, her emotions growing ever more indifferent.

Now reborn, much of what had once happened had not come to pass. Yet, deep in her bones, these people were nothing more than strangers whose names she happened to know.

“Mmmph! Ji Fanxing! Let me go!” Ji Rufeng struggled with all his might, but his whole body was pinned against the wall, utterly immobilized. As the youngest in the family and the only boy, he had been doted on and indulged all his life. His face flushed bright red, feeling deeply humiliated. Even as his cheeks were squashed, he forced himself to protest, “Ji Fanxing… You’re dead! Ugh… Let me go!”

Ji Rufeng's threats were as fragile and useless as paper to Ji Fanxing. “Go back and tell Ji Shengxue to learn to face reality—she’s not as strong as I am. This business of resorting to underhanded tricks when she can’t win is just laughably stupid.”

“Ngh… You—you’re lying!” Ji Rufeng twisted his head toward Ji Fanxing as much as he could, glaring at her, wanting to retort, but the chill in her eyes stopped him short. He froze for a moment, unwilling to show weakness, and kept shouting, “Ji Fanxing! Don’t you dare slander my eldest sister! Just wait—I’ll get you for this!”

He struggled even harder.

Though Ji Fanxing and Ji Rufeng were on the set of a show, they were tucked away in a blind spot, out of sight of the cameras. The venue was noisy, and no one noticed what was happening here.

Since her rebirth, Ji Fanxing’s body had been remade by her powerful soul. She noticed the sound of hurried footsteps nearby, which soon quieted. The person’s breathing was light—a woman, judging by the crisp, purposeful click of high heels on the floor.

A glint of amusement flickered in Ji Fanxing’s eyes. She pressed Ji Rufeng even harder against the wall. At seventeen or eighteen, Ji Rufeng was at the peak of his youth and strength, but Ji Fanxing seemed utterly unhurried, almost deliberate, as she rubbed his face against the wall, leaving half of it streaked with plaster.

“What a big talker, threatening to get rid of me… Ji Rufeng, instead of studying properly, you’re learning to be a little thug. Before you make threats, why not look at your own position? Young man, don’t be so sharp-edged. Here, let me help smooth you out a bit.”

Pinned and scraped against the wall, Ji Rufeng could no longer make a sound. His body was locked in place, and the coldness of the wall seeped into him, fear spreading in his heart. Since childhood, whenever there was conflict, Ji Fanxing was always the first to give in. That was one reason Ji Rufeng had always treated her so brazenly. But today, he realized she meant business.

How had he never known Ji Fanxing was so freakishly strong?

The realization shattered his worldview, and his mind raced in panic. Was she going to press him right into the wall this time…?

Unable to hold back any longer, the person hiding behind them stepped forward.

“Fanxing! Let him go!” Ji Shengxue’s voice rang out.

Hearing his eldest sister, Ji Rufeng was instantly flooded with relief. “Sis… help me…”

Seeing who had arrived, Ji Fanxing released him. “Eldest sister, what a coincidence,” she said, smiling with no warmth at all. So it was Ji Shengxue—she wondered how long she’d been standing there. If she’d been there from the start, that would be interesting.

“Fanxing, no matter what Rufeng did, you can’t treat him like this…” Ji Shengxue brushed the dust from Ji Rufeng’s clothes, her tone unchanged, as if she’d only just arrived and had no idea what had happened. Yet that very composure betrayed her. Ji Rufeng was the darling of the Ji family, and now, after being handled like this, her only response was mild reproach.

Ji Fanxing couldn’t help but marvel—Ji Shengxue was truly wasted on a singing competition like “The Ultimate Vocalist.” If this were an acting show, she might actually give Ji Fanxing a run for her money.

Ji Shengxue suppressed her astonishment. She’d known her younger sister had changed, but hadn’t expected her to become so brazen. Still, such a character wouldn’t last long in the entertainment world…

Keeping her expression calm, Ji Shengxue acted as though Ji Fanxing’s words didn’t matter, even showing a hint of indulgence toward her outrageous behavior. “Rufeng, don’t be scared. I’ll take you back.” She gently patted his back.

“But…” Ji Rufeng felt wronged—he’d just been bullied by Ji Fanxing, yet his eldest sister hadn’t said a word about it. He wanted to complain, but under her resolute, composed gaze, he fell silent.

After a few steps, he couldn’t help but look back at Ji Fanxing’s departing figure, more convinced than ever that his eldest sister must have been bullied by this brute on Robin Island too! He wanted to rush back and teach Ji Fanxing a lesson, his fists clenching and unclenching, but by the time her figure disappeared, he still hadn’t acted.

“Hmph! Today’s your lucky day—it’s my sister’s competition,” he muttered.

Ji Fanxing and Ning Ze ascended the stairs, one after the other. Behind her, Ning Ze seemed distracted, his steps slow and heavy. Ji Fanxing stopped on the landing and turned. Ning Ze, head down, nearly bumped into her.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Fanxing… I didn’t know you were so strong!” Ning Ze looked at her as if seeing her for the first time, his eyes shining. “How did you get so powerful? Quick, tell me your secret!”

“Long-distance runs with weights, gradually increasing the load. Stick with it for at least two hundred years, and you’ll get there.”

“Fanxing, don’t joke,” Ning Ze twitched a smile.

“So what were you really thinking about?”

“The way you treated your brother just now—I’m afraid your mother…” Everyone knew Ji Rufeng was the treasure of the Ji family. After what happened, Ning Ze worried Ji Fanxing would get in trouble with her family.

Ji Fanxing paused. In this friend’s mind, she was still the Ji Fanxing who put her family above all else.

“It’s fine. We’re recording a show—my mother won’t make trouble for me,” she said. As a prominent family, the Ji’s reputation mattered above all. Even Ji Rufeng had to seek her out in some out-of-the-way corner. At least for appearances’ sake, her mother wouldn’t do anything to her.

When Ji Shengxue and Ji Rufeng returned to their lounge, Ruan Lin’s expression shifted slightly at the sight of Ji Rufeng’s appearance. “Rufeng, what happened?”

Ji Shengxue looked downcast, her eyes lowered, saying nothing.

Having found his backer, Ji Rufeng immediately began to complain. He glanced at the exclusive lounge reserved for the King. “Mom! Ji Fanxing went crazy… hsss—so cold!” The rest of his words were cut off by the icy water Ruan Lin had handed him.

“Silly child, how did you trip and fall like that?” Ruan Lin held her emotions in check, her expression impeccable, her tone both caring and reproachful. Seeing her son’s flushed cheek, her heart ached.

They were live on air, and the whole family was prominent in the public eye—family matters were not to be aired in public. As for that unruly Ji Fanxing, she would not let her off so easily.